dead-on
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of dead-on
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
Others that begin well and then fall over: Mr. David does a fairly dead-on impersonation of Joseph McCarthy, but the sketch has nowhere else to go and so turns frantic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Willie Nelson — who sang duets with Duvall at the party — told Village Voice columnist Arthur Bell that “Tender Mercies” was dead-on accurate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
Perhaps that goes some way to explain her mass appeal later in life, expanded in no small way by “Downton” creator Julian Fellowes’ dead-on writing for the show.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2024
“Her pitch was dead-on, and her rhythm was a lift to the spirit,” Mr. Reich said.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2024
He lifted his chin and stared dead-on into the face of the man chasing him.
From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis
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.
