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.
In the battle for the best of the umpteen adaptations, this mundane and entirely unnecessary retelling can undoubtedly be counted out. Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026 Giannis Antetokounmpo can’t be counted out of the Eastern Conference, either. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026 Don't count out Texas small towns. Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026 In boxing, the referee either counts out the fighter or stops the contest. Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 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 27 Mar. 2026.

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