belt out
Britishverb
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Knock unconscious; beat up, trounce; murder. For example, The police officer was accused of belting out the teenager before taking him to the station , or The hold-up man belted out the storekeeper and fled with the money . This expression originated in boxing. [ Slang ; c. 1940]
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Sing or play music very loudly, as in She belted out the national anthem before every game . [ Colloquial ; c. 1950]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Which is why it’s so important to put on clothes that sparkle like starlight and belt out “Cracklin’ Rosie.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
Kids belt out a mix of Broadway tunes, viral YouTube hit "The Duck Song" and the inescapable soundtrack from the Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters."
From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025
The singer-songwriter and his buddy Taylor Hackford would drink beer, belt out Ritchie Valens songs and make big plans.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025
Elsewhere in their discussion, Jolie talks about finding her voice again while learning how to belt out Callas' music, and there's a lot in the subtext of that statement.
From Salon • Dec. 12, 2024
A girl steps forward to belt out the high notes.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
