down-and-out 1 of 2

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down-and-out

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noun

variants or down-and-outer

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of down-and-out
Adjective
Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quickly realize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes off the rails. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025 Having done just that, a down-and-out husband and his pregnant wife quicklyrealize that his folks don’t want them around, triggering a raucous power struggle that goes offthe rails. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025 He might be best known as the Minnesota-via-Brooklyn frontman of the Hold Steady, a punk bar-band wordsmith specializing in down-and-out tales with a Midwest flavor. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 Black stars as the video game’s main character Steve and Momoa plays Garrett, a down-and-out 1980s video game champ stuck in the past. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 Ron Howard is proud of his kid brother Clint, who recently had a guest run on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as down-and-out musician Tom Starr. Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025 The movie follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a down-and-out former revolutionary who is in desperate search for his missing daughter. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2025 The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch. Stream on Max Mother (2009) The opening and closing scenes of Bong’s masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-and-out
Adjective
  • Neurologists worried that the urban environment, factory work and office jobs, and other modern pressures were making men tired, indecisive, and physically weak.
    Time, Time, 3 June 2025
  • That kind of hypocrisy on self-enrichment could become a weak point for the GOP and a clear opening for Democrats to attack.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • During campaign events, Lee, who grew up in an impoverished farming household and toiled in factories as a child, spoke from behind bullet-proof glass to crowds, which were surveyed by rooftop police snipers.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 June 2025
  • Curtis’ extraordinary talent is first recognized in kindergarten, when a charitable foundation donates instruments to his impoverished public school.
    Joan Gaylord, Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Charting a divided league’s haves and have-nots Ranking the top 25 college football teams: Who’s biggest winner after the spring portal window?
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • The conversation about baseball’s haves and have-nots bled into the offseason, as the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets tossed around hundreds of millions while nine teams declined to sign any player to a multiyear contract.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
  • This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees.
    Nicole Tidei, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • While Shawna and John were meant to be having a romantic anniversary dinner, Barb showed up unannounced and undermined Jennifer’s already feeble attempts at following the evening routine laid out for the young children.
    Sara Belcher, People.com, 9 May 2025
  • Rather than attempt a feeble defense of himself, Nick attacks June for the same willful ignorance her mother accused her of in Alaska.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Alvarez is the pauper of the group, with Judge and Soto combining for $1.125 billion in salary over the lives of their contracts.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 16 May 2025
  • Chelsea are hardly paupers domestically — no Premier League team is nowadays — but there’s a clear financial advantage in finishing higher up the table.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The actor, to whom the film is dedicated, returns for one brief scene, looking very frail and obviously ill.
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
  • In rare cases, salmonella can result in more serious illness and can be fatal in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.
    Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 4 May 2025
Noun
  • Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.
    Joelle Diderich, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024
  • There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.
    Lindy Segal, Glamour, 13 Sep. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Down-and-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-and-out. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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