Record one's time of departure from work, as in We never punch out at exactly five o'clock . This usage, dating from the 1920s, alludes to the use of a time clock. Also see punch in , def. 1.
a small section of cardboard or metal surrounded by perforations so that it can be easily forced out.
Slang. a fistfight or brawl.
Baseball. the air-punching gesture an umpire makes to denote a third strike, effectively ending the batter’s at-bat.
Stein didn’t develop his signature punch-out until his third season umpiring in the minors.
Record one's time of departure from work, as in We never punch out at exactly five o'clock . This usage, dating from the 1920s, alludes to the use of a time clock. Also see punch in , def. 1.
Eject from a military aircraft, as in The pilot punched out just before the plane blew up . [ Slang ; 1960s]
First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase punch out
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Quick thinking led him to open the door and punch out Wiggle Inn’s window screens so water would flow through.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
If he's losing every round and then pulls a punch out of his back pocket, does that throw him right back into the mix?
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
“Especially when it’s a team that is chasing us, playing good baseball, to come out there and punch out the side, it was big,” manager Dave Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2025
“It’s not like cops can punch out and say ‘I’m done for the day,’” Piquero said.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2023
Where was the Boaz that was ready to punch out a guest to defend her?
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
