count out

verb

counted out; counting out; counts out

transitive verb

1
: to not include (someone) in an activity
If you are looking for people to help you clean the house today, count me out.
2
: to decide that (someone or something) cannot win or succeed
Don't count out our team just yet. They could still win.
3
: to count (a certain number of items to be separated from a quantity one is holding)
He counted out ten tickets and handed them to her.
4
: to signal the knockout of (a boxer who is down) by completing an audible count of 10 seconds before the boxer rises

Examples of count out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Since the College Football Playoff bracket was announced this month, the program that’s long been counted out and doubted now has a new phrase to rally around this postseason. Justin Williams, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 Boise State has been a massive surprise this year but this is a team nobody should be counting out. George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024 Valdez was down in the first, third, and again in the sixth when he was counted out. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024 Sylvester Stallone — who also wrote the film — cemented his screen persona here as the titular underdog boxer who is counted out time and time again, only to prove his worth in a match against the world heavyweight champion. Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 23 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for count out 

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of count out was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near count out

Cite this Entry

“Count out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/count%20out. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!