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.
It’s one of many amusingly dead-on observations about the nature of popular music today, whether at the end that enjoys global adulation or at the opposite extreme.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 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
Johnson, known for dead-on impressions of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, was tapped for his ability to spend a lot of time improvising in character, a flair he also shows on his Instagram account.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023
Though the voice is decidedly Irish, the message of Michael Magee’s dead-on debut novel is universal.
From New York Times • May 15, 2023
As far as I can tell, I hit Marth Crater dead-on.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
