all-timer

noun

all-tim·​er ˈȯl-ˌtī-mər How to pronounce all-timer (audio)
US
: an exceptional person or thing that is regarded as the best or as among the best of all time
… the fifth game of the National League Championship series, in San Diego, which was an all-timer by any measure …—Roger Angell

Examples of all-timer 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.
That alone makes Khan an all-timer. — Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 12 June 2026 Dub all-timers Scientist and Mad Professor will lay down a bottom-dropping gauntlet, with a wider bill to be unveiled in the coming months. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 3 June 2026 There are few filmmakers who haven’t had hills and valleys in their creative life, and quite frankly Almodóvar could coast on his many masterpieces, Oscars, and still be regarded as one of the all-timers. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 May 2026 As President Whitmore, Bill Pullman gives an all-timer inspirational speech, hops in a fighter jet, and destroys invading aliens. — Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for all-timer

Word History

Etymology

all-time + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-timer was in 1936

Rhymes for all-timer

See All Rhymes for all-timer

Browse Nearby Words

all-time
all-timer
all to
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All-timer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-timer. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All