inside out
Idioms-
With the inner surface turned out or revealed, as in He wore his shirt inside out . This expression dates from about 1600 and was soon used figuratively, as in He turned the verses inside out and revealed their hidden sense .
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Extremely well, thoroughly, especially alluding to knowing something. For example, He knows this system inside out . [First half of 1900s]
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.
Rangers great Allan McGregor, who knows the club inside out, has also been brought back as goalkeeping coach.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But that refusal to risk vulnerability comes back to bite her when the daughter she turned herself inside out to spoil pulls a move reminiscent of Veda in “Mildred Pierce,” betraying Emma for vapid reasons.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
“It’s always been about the craft first for me. I started doing this very young, so I’ve seen how ego can kill someone inside out, even the most talented people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Rodin seems to arrive at his sculptures, instead, from the inside out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
He pulled his hand, in a fist with the gum inside, out of his pocket.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
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.
