all-out

[awl-out]

adjective

1. using all one's resources; complete; total.

   an all-out effort.

   Synonyms: unremitting, exhaustive, unstinting

all-out

adjective

1. using one's maximum powers

   an all-out effort

adverb

1. to one's maximum effort or capacity

   he went all out on the home stretch

Word History and Origins

Origin of all out¹

1905–10; adj. use of all out utterly, completely, Middle English al out

Idioms and Phrases

With all one's strength, ability, or resources; not holding back. For example, They are going all out to make the fund-raiser a success. This seemingly modern term dates from about 1300, when it meant “completely” or “wholly.” It now refers to making a great effort and is also used adjectivally, as in an all-out effort. This usage became current in America in the late 1800s, with reference to races and other kinds of athletic exertion. In the mid-1900s it gave rise to the phrase to go all out and was transferred to just about any energetic undertaking. Also see go whole hog.

Example Sentences

As you may have surmised, the Columbia Compromise is a preemptive, non-negotiated capitulation in advance to MAGA-style tyranny, in hopes of maintaining a semblance of independence while fending off an all-out assault.

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In a presentation that accompanied its second-quarter results in August, Rocket Lab said that it is making an “all-out effort” to get Neutron to the launchpad before the end of 2025.

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Labour and the Liberal Democrats launched all-out attacks on Farage, portraying him as a threat to the very fabric of British society.

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Khan told the Guardian that Jenrick had "misrepresented a storied and diverse community, awkwardly distorting the product of an all-out bin strike to fit his culture-warrior narrative filled with far-right cliches".

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Shedding allies, the LGBTQ+ coalition teeters on the tail of this recent Quiet Pride, with public institutions that have been loudly supportive in the recent past intimidated into whispers, or all-out silence.

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Related Words

• full-blown 
• full-scale 

When To Use

What does all-out mean?

All-out describes using all of your resources or energy to accomplish something, as in Talya made an all-out effort on her midterm exams.The related phrase all out usually follows go and means to make a total effort, as in Jamal’s parents really went all out for his birthday party, treating all the guests to helicopter rides! Example: The away team won the game because they went for an all-out attack on the home team.