up-or-out
Americanadjective
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.
But there are signs some are feeling the same up-or-out pressure as Musk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The department then had a strict up-or-out promotion policy for diplomats — either you were promoted, or you were “selected out.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2019
In the 1960s, the department had an up-or-out policy – diplomats were either promoted or they were “selected out”, to use the department’s Orwellian term.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 22, 2018
This is especially true of the nearly 14,000 members of the Foreign Service, with their rigorous entrance exam and a strict up-or-out promotions system, not to mention their cosmopolitan ethos and fluency in multiple languages.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2017
The U.S. military uses this up-or-out system when considering soldiers for promotion.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 17, 2014
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
