count out

verb

counted out; counting out; counts out
Synonyms of count outnext

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.
One man came in with a bag of coins that the cashier patiently counted out. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 1 June 2026 Like all game long, the Thunder could never be counted out. Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 But Toyota’s all-electric SUV shouldn’t be counted out. ABC News, 3 June 2026 But Reddick shouldn’t yet be counted out because his recent downturn is more due to rotten luck than substandard performance. Jess Bryant, New York Times, 4 July 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Count out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/count%20out. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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