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punch-out

or punch·out

[ puhnch-out ]
/ ˈpʌntʃˌaʊt /
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noun
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.
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Origin of punch-out

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase punch out
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use punch-out in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with punch-out

punch out

1

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.

2

Eject from a military aircraft, as in The pilot punched out just before the plane blew up. [Slang; 1960s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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