out of the box

American

adverb

directly as taken from the manufacturer's packaging, without the need for modification, adaptation, extra programming, etc., before use.

idiom

outside the box, in an unconventional, imaginative, or particularly resourceful way; in a way that defies usual limits.

Example Sentences

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out of the box

I was extremely nervous doing that because that’s really out of the box for me.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

"I felt like the goalkeeper was out of the box for ages," Wilson said.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025

“Larry’s always thinking out of the box and about what’s happening next,” says Tom Siebel, who joined Oracle in 1984 and later founded Siebel Systems and C3.ai.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025

Enjoy them straight out of the box or warmed up in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2025

She pulls a tissue out of the box and leans into the mirror to repair the damage.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

out of the box

adverb

idiom

Example Sentences

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Related Words