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Synonyms

on the outs

Idioms  
  1. No longer on friendly terms, as in They've been on the outs with their in-laws for years. This idiom appeared in the early 1900s and derives from the synonymous at outs, first recorded in 1824.


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.

See Examples For:

The global fashion industry's use of fur has been on the outs for decades.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

“Being on the outs can be truly detrimental to one’s career but also to one’s health and ability to have a community.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

But White House insiders say this isn’t why Hegseth is on the outs with his boss.

From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026

This may put him on the outs with his colleagues in the academy, but it has made for a riveting and richly illuminating book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

The backward address turned out after several mistakes to be the undersecretary to Étienne Tshisekedi, the one government minister who might help us, though his own position with Mobutu is now on the outs.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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