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• out-of-bounds
  out-of-bounds

  adjective

  being beyond or passing the limits or boundaries of a field, course, etc., marking the area within which the ball, puck, or the like is legally in play.
• out of bounds
  out of bounds

  adjective

  (often foll by to) not to be entered (by); barred (to)

out-of-bounds

American  

[out-uhv-boundz] / ˈaʊt əvˈbaʊndz /

adjective

1. Sports. being beyond or passing the limits or boundaries of a field, course, etc., marking the area within which the ball, puck, or the like is legally in play.

2. beyond any established boundaries or prescribed limits; forbidden; prohibited.

3. further than or beyond established limits, as of behavior or thought.

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out of bounds British  

adjective

1. (often foll by to) not to be entered (by); barred (to)

   out of bounds to civilians

2. outside specified or prescribed limits

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out of bounds Idioms  

1. Beyond established limits, breaking the rules, unreasonable. For example, Calling the teacher a liar—that's out of bounds. This expression alludes to the boundaries of the playing area in numerous sports and to the rules applying to them. Its figurative use dates from the 1940s. [Early 1800s] Also see within bounds.

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Etymology

Origin of out-of-bounds

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

out-of-bounds out of bounds

You can slow cook a 20-pound turkey waiting for NBA replay to resolve a contested out-of-bounds play.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The descent is often in out-of-bounds, ungroomed areas, which tend to be much more challenging to navigate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

A double bogey at the second was followed by a bogey on the third, while a wayward out-of-bounds drive on the par-four fourth cost him another shot as his round began to unravel.

From BBC ● May 18, 2024

Forest Service and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office to come up with a policy for leaving the ski area to ride out-of-bounds terrain.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2023

Once manual labor ended, I had much more time for reading, but the books I had been using were now out-of-bounds.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Unfunny and out of bounds, offsides, an own goal — all of the things.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

On the field Friday, a referee shouted "stop!" as a shot flew out of bounds -- prompting every robot to freeze instantly.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

In practice, it means that olive groves, fields with crops and even the cemetery are, in effect, now out of bounds to their owners in the village.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

“Now…they can shift their gears to the South, which still remains out of bounds for them.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

At the next lull, when the ball went out of bounds, Zubaid was set upon by his teammates as though he’d scored the winning goal.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John