lose out

verb

lost out; losing out; loses out

intransitive verb

: to fail to win in competition : fail to receive an expected reward or gain

Examples of lose out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Patients lose out because the administrative bloat inflates the cost of medical care, while making costs less transparent and harder to contest. — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026

So the idea was having Bernadette really be the mastermind of John’s upbringing as a way to provide a simultaneous salve for her husband’s shame about being afraid about losing out on the opportunity. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Measuring at only 62% of the sRGB gamut and 46% of both the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 gamuts, this business laptop loses out to the rest of the lot here by dozens of percentage points. — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026

Bear 132 and her three spring cubs advanced to the semifinals, but lost out to Bear 910. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1858, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lose out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout