1
: in a blunt and direct manner : openly
called flat out for revolution—
Nat'l Review
Nat'l Review2
: at top speed or peak performance
the car does 180 m.p.h. flat out
3
usually flat-out
: absolutely, downright
—usually used as an intensive
is just flat-out confusing
Examples of flat-out in a Sentence
Adjective
regarded their son-in-law as a flat-out loser and let him know it
Adverb
I told him flat out that I have no intention of marrying him.
We asked for more time but they refused us flat out.
The car does 180 mph flat out.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, meanwhile, has flat-out refused to give up Tehran’s nuclear program and rebuffed Trump’s outreach.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025
Campbell's drive was a flat out slice heading straight OB.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flat-out
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show current usage.
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Adjective
By the end of Season Two, Deborah flat-out fires Ava, forcing her to explore new opportunities and create a new identity for herself.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, meanwhile, has flat-out refused to give up Tehran’s nuclear program and rebuffed Trump’s outreach.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
Adverb
The sale of those components would be banned flat out, regardless of a person’s training or vetting.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025
Campbell's drive was a flat out slice heading straight OB.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flat-out
Articles Related to flat-out
Cite this Entry
“Flat-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flat-out. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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