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
  • Thompson’s brother Maurice, who allegedly drove the chasing Chevrolet Equinox, was granted bail in October — indicating a potentially weak case.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
  • The report also included a number of ‘weak’ odor sources observed during the study, including odors emanating from the Curaleaf cannabis facility on Britt Road and Goldflower Cannabis facility on Niles Road.
    James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Infectious disease experts note that the vitamin is most useful in impoverished countries where children are significantly malnourished.
    Katherine Dillinger, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
  • Buy Now 09 of 10 'The Wonder' by Emma Donoghue Lib Wright, a young English nurse, arrives in an impoverished Irish village on a strange mission.
    Bailey Seybolt, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Sanders has long condemned the gap between the haves and have-nots in America, and political analysts say his message resonates now because he’s tapped into mounting anger over wealth disparities.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Children arrive into a trammeling grid of haves and have-nots set up long before their birth, a net that individual struggles serve only to tighten.
    Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.
    Brian Mahoney, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
  • Boston built big second-half leads on New York in both Games 1 and 2 at home, but squandered them due to uncharacteristically poor 3-point shooting.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • During a question-and-answer session, shareholders grumbled about everything from the falling share price and feeble dividend of 6 euros versus 14 euros in 2023 to the complicated WiFi login process and historic lack of shareholder gifts.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • In October 1911, Tarrant County commissioners agreed to assist Immigration Inspector E. R. Dilworth in keeping a sharp lookout for foreign paupers in the area.
    Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Our frail nature, damaged by our propensity to mess things up, stands in need of grace and salvation.
    Anna Rowlands, Time, 12 May 2025
  • Remembering Pope Francis, a leader known for change Pope Francis' death comes just one day after the frail but determined pontiff greeted thousands after Easter Mass in his open-air popemobile.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 Apr. 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 19 May. 2025.

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