stand out
Britishverb
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to be distinctive or conspicuous
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to refuse to agree, consent, or comply
they stood out for a better price
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to protrude or project
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to navigate a vessel away from a port, harbour, anchorage, etc
noun
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informal
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a person or thing that is distinctive or outstanding
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( as modifier )
the standout track from the album
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a person who refuses to agree or consent
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Protrude, project, as in Those reliefs stand out from the building walls . [First half of 1500s]
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Be conspicuous, distinctive, or prominent, as in He's so tall that he always stands out in a crowd . [Mid-1800s]
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Refuse to comply, remain opposed, as in The one juror is standing out against a guilty verdict . [Late 1500s]
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.
A-Baki's close ties with Trump, forged during multiple stints as Ecuador's ambassador to Washington, could help her stand out from a crowded field of eight candidates vying to lead the UN.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Ultraviolet light can cause fossilized tissues and the surrounding rock to respond differently, making otherwise invisible structures stand out.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
“As we think about technology across all of our portfolios…one of the things that really stand out for us is how we allocate tokens and budgets to each of those strategies,” Swarup said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"I've been quite lucky not to have too many physical encounters whenever I've been playing, but one did stand out to me."
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
There were even other Muslim students in the mix, so I didn’t stand out at all.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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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.