once-over

[ wuhns-oh-ver ]

/ ˈwʌnsˌoʊ vər /

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See synonyms for once-over on Thesaurus.com

noun Informal.

a quick look, examination, or appraisal.

a quick, superficial job: He gave the car just a once-over with a rag.

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Origin of once-over

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Words nearby once-over

Once bitten, twice shy, once in a blue moon, once in a lifetime, once in a while, Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once-over, once-over-lightly, oncer, once upon a time, Onchocerca, onchocerciasis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use once-over in a sentence

Once discovered, this maneuver did not endear the councilors to their constituents.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And now, similarly, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: "Bend over and take it like a prisoner!"
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps on his own nowadays, Epstein is trying his best to webmaster over a dozen URLs.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But yes, I pictured a James Bond-type just sauntering over to her.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is most peculiar, and when he plays that way, the most bewitching little expression comes over his face.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
After we had passed over this desert, we found several garisons to defend the caravans from the violence of the Tartars.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
After relievedly giving the pistol to the nearest soldier, he stumbled quickly over to Brion and took his hand.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
He held it, but it was without pressure; without recognizance of the delight with which he once grasped it.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for once-over

once-over

noun informal

a quick examination or appraisal

a quick but comprehensive piece of work

a violent beating or thrashing (esp in the phrase give (a person or thing) the (or a) once-over)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

once-over

Origin of once-over

Words nearby once-over

Words related to once-over

How to use once-over in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for once-over