washout
Americannoun
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a washing out of earth, gravel, etc., by water, as from an embankment or a roadway by heavy rain or by a flash flood.
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the hole, break, or erosion produced by such a washing out.
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Aeronautics. Also wash-out a warp in an airfoil that gives a decrease in the angle of attack toward the tip.
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Informal. an utter failure.
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Informal. a person who has failed a course of training or study.
air force washouts.
Etymology
Origin of washout
First recorded in 1870–75; noun use of verb phrase wash out
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.
The washout gave each side one point, and left Australia unable to catch up.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
That type of action often signals a washout, creating an attractive level to lean against on the long side.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
Stocks may stage a tepid recovery from Tuesday’s Greenland-inspired washout, but anxiety remains high as President Trump arrives in Davos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
The stock market is likely “closer to the bottom,” after Thursday’s washout, and investors should buy the dip, says Wall Street’s prescient and biggest bull, Tom Lee.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025
One started up the washout, running between us and the fire.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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.
