flat-out

American  

[flat-out] / ˈflætˈaʊt /

adjective

Informal.

1. moving or working at top speed or with maximum effort; all-out.

   a flat-out effort by all contestants.

2. downright; thoroughgoing.

   Many of the paintings were flat-out forgeries.

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flat out Idioms  

1. In a direct manner, bluntly. For example, He told the true story flat out . [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]

2. At top speed, as in She was running flat out to catch the train . [ Slang ; c. 1930]

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Etymology

Origin of flat-out

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Poor Sofia Coppola, a last-minute replacement for Winona Ryder, flat-out couldn’t act.

From Los Angeles Times

A 2016 consumer alert from the Federal Trade Commission, which appears to be the latest on the topic, warned people against this option, saying that the deals can be risky or “even flat-out scams.”

From MarketWatch

It’s not a hagiography—the author is too astute for that, and he gives us too much of himself in the story for it to be a flat-out praise-song to another man.

From The Wall Street Journal

He started running, flat-out, as fast as he could, until his chest burned and he thought he was going to collapse.

From Literature

He felt like he’d run flat-out from Mirror Tech to the McKays’ and like his mind had been stretched to its limit.

From Literature