outdraw
Americanverb (used with object)
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to draw a gun, revolver, etc., from a holster, faster than (an opponent or competitor).
She could outdraw any member of the club.
-
to prove a greater attraction than; exceed in attracting an audience, patrons, attention, etc..
She outdraws all male stars at the box office.
Etymology
Origin of outdraw
Explanation
In a classic Old West showdown, one gunslinger would typically outdraw the other, and he would be the winner. In other words, he would pull his gun from its holster faster and live to tell the story. People sometimes also use the verb outdraw to mean "attract a larger crowd" — like the World Series might outdraw your favorite prime-time game show. The word draw has been used since around 1200 to mean "pull a gun out," and its Old English root dragan means "to drag or carry." And somewhere along the way, draw started to mean "attraction" — like the goody bags at the end of a birthday party are a big draw.
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:
Put Joshua and Fury almost anywhere - their strongholds of Watford or Morecambe, or Wembley Stadium - and it would still outdraw most fights on the planet.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
Not even a bunch of bishops covering “Mean Girls” can outdraw Blake Lively.
From Salon ● May 10, 2025
“If you’re counting humans, we can outdraw them,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
NFL games traditionally outdraw the World Series, but this is the first year the NFL has sold a package of games to a streaming service.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 4, 2022
But in spite of the differences, he would have laughed if anyone had told him five minutes before that he couldn't outdraw a man who was standing with his back turned.
From Anything You Can Do ... by Randall Garrett
Phil Lesh and Friends proved to be successful, eventually outdrawing Weir’s band Ratdog early in the 2000s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2024
The Grays split their time between D.C. and Pittsburgh, often outdrawing the Washington Senators in their own ballpark, Griffith Stadium.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 6, 2022
Now in its fourth season, the show averages over seven million same-day viewers an episode, outdrawing most network dramas.
From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2021
As Billboard’s headline trumpets, “I Like It” makes her the only female rapper in Hot 100 history with two chart-toppers, outdrawing such prior No. 1 lead performers as Lauryn Hill and Iggy Azalea.
From Slate ● Jul. 5, 2018
In 2013, the show was watched by 15.5 million people, according to the Nielsen company, outdrawing the rival Country Music Association Awards show held the previous November for the first time.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 29, 2017
The Chicago Cubs and even the Washington Nationals, with their khaki-and-white-shirt interns and lobbyist fans, have outdrawn the Mets of late.
From New York Times ● Sep. 16, 2019
If the Chargers’ fan base is consistently outdrawn by the opposition’s fans at the very intimate StubHub Center, will the venue be regularly referred to as the “Unfriendly Confines?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2017
As an added indignity, the decisive fifth game was outdrawn by a regular-season National Football League contest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2016
Since the start of 2009, it has outdrawn its BlackRock counterpart in deposits by more than seven-to-one.
From BusinessWeek ● Dec. 11, 2012
His rider's outdrawn sword flashed to the setting sun.
From The Cavalier by George Washington Cable
In 1964, the year Shea Stadium opened, the Mets outdrew the Yankees, even while losing 109 games.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Bad Bunny’s 13-minute halftime show outdrew the game itself, averaging 128.2 million viewers, Nielsen reported.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
In 2011, the year McCourt took the team into bankruptcy, the Angels outdrew the Dodgers for the only time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
Its 19.5 million outdrew the 16.9 million people who watched the Grammys in February, and the Golden Globes and Emmy Awards in January each had far fewer viewers.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024
Since the fourth Creation morning When their God from dust outdrew them, Not one plume has from them perished, And not one bird been added to them.
From A Celtic Psaltery by Alfred Perceval Graves
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
