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out-front

out-front

adjective

candid; frank; honest.
out front

out front

In front of a building or house, as in We really need to put another light out front, or I'll meet you at the museum, out front. The antonym, referring to the back of a building, is out back, as in John's out back fixing his bike. The noun front has been used for the side of a building where the main entrance is located since the mid-1300s; back for the rear of a building dates from the late 1300s.

Synonyms

out-front

American

[aut-fruhnt] / ˈaʊtˈfrʌnt /

adjective

Informal.

candid; frank; honest.

The politician was less than out-front with the interviewer.

out front Idioms

In front of a building or house, as in We really need to put another light out front, or I'll meet you at the museum, out front. The antonym, referring to the back of a building, is out back, as in John's out back fixing his bike. The noun front has been used for the side of a building where the main entrance is located since the mid-1300s; back for the rear of a building dates from the late 1300s.

Etymology

Origin of out-front

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

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:

out-front out front

“I’ve always been an out-front crusader, whether I stand alone or with a thousand.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Chuck said, ‘You let Kalen do it. I’m not that out-front kind of guy.’

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 25, 2022

I’ve never been an out-front champion on this issue, but I have always believed that the people of Alabama should have the final say.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 2, 2021

Sanders's most out-front policy staffer for 2020 is Warren Gunnels, who is a senior campaign adviser and was policy director in Sanders’s 2016 campaign.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2019

The position must neither be commanded, out-fronted, nor surrounded; but on the contrary ought, as far as possible, to command and out-front the enemy's position.

From Elements of Military Art and Science Or, Course Of Instruction In Strategy, Fortification, Tactics Of Battles, &C.; Embracing The Duties Of Staff, Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, And Engineers; Adapted To The Use Of Volunteers And Militia; Third Edition; With Critical Notes On The Mexican And Crimean Wars. by Henry Wager Halleck

His bait shop outside Abbeville, called Perry Outfitters, sports a big “Welcome Space X” sign out front.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

A statue of him sits out front, honoring the first dog Timko and Neece owned together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

"Kimi is still very much the driver out front and is performing really incredibly and consistently. But Ferrari feel like they're coming and Lewis is at the forefront of that."

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Most gas station operators net only a few cents per gallon on fuel itself – which is why many gas stations are really convenience stores with pumps out front.

From Salon ● May 13, 2026

I noticed the men gathered out front smoking cigars pulled off their hats as she approached.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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