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
Victoria Gardens, an expansive outdoor shopping center in Rancho Cucamonga, has sold for $530 million as open-air malls continue to outdraw conventional indoor centers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
Not even a bunch of bishops covering “Mean Girls” can outdraw Blake Lively.
From Salon ● May 10, 2025
Reruns of the popular Nickelodeon show would occasionally outdraw an NHL playoff game, and non-hockey fans would be quick to make a big deal of those embarrassing instances.
From Washington Times ● May 25, 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
They have millions and millions of views on YouTube, regularly outdrawing postings of full “Weekend Update” segments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
The 15th theatrical feature, “One Piece Film: Red,” was the No. 1 box-office hit in Japan in 2022, outdrawing “Top Gun: Maverick.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2023
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 event, pushed into prime time by rainy weather, was the most watched regular season game in NHL history, drawing nearly 4.6 million viewers and outdrawing the other networks at that time.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 31, 2014
Those 2011 Dodgers had no chance, outspent by the Minnesota Twins and outdrawn by the Milwaukee Brewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2025
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
Three of the top five radio broadcasters — Mr. Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the recently departed Michael Savage — have outdrawn NPR’s morning and evening programs by a wide margin.
From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2012
Now could be seen the warriors who, with gleaming outdrawn swords, were clustered around the girl.
From Astounding Stories, July, 1931 by Various
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
The women’s March Madness final outdrew the men’s final match by millions of TV fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2024
Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks’ victory over Clark and Iowa for the women’s national championship game outdrew the men in television ratings, and this is shaping up to be the WNBA’s most-watched draft.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 15, 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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