crap out
Britishverb
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slang to make a losing throw in craps
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slang to fail; withdraw
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slang to rest
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slang to fail to do or attempt something through fear
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Back down, quit, When it got to the point of putting up some money, Jack crapped out . This expression originated in the game of craps, where it means to make a first throw (of the dice) of two, three, or twelve, thereby losing. [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Go to sleep. This usage was military slang for sleeping during work hours or during a crap game. [ Slang ; c. 1940]
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Die, as in He's really sick; he could crap out any time . This usage is less common than def. 1 or def. 2. [ Slang ; 1920s]
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.
“If we’re going to just crank crap out, let’s shut the doors,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
Does your comedy help open the door for not just more great female comics but comics who are female, who are just out there scaring the crap out of anyone and everyone?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2025
Biden is rolling the dice and hoping he won’t crap out.
From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2024
“The truth is we just need less crap out there — less plastic out there in general,” Allen said Friday.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
“You’re the only kid in the entire universe who could come up with a game as an excuse to beat the holy crap out of his tennis shoes.”
From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz
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.
