come out
verb
came out; come out; coming out; comes out
1
a
: to appear after being hidden
As it got dark, the stars came out.
b
: to become available
The show's new season comes out next month.
a new magazine has come out
c
: to become known or evident
The truth finally came out.
Their pride came out in their refusal to accept help.
2
a
: to declare oneself especially in public utterance
came out in favor of the proposal
Some former supporters have come out against him.
b
: to say openly
Why don't you come out and say what you really think?
3
a
: to turn out in an outcome : end up
Everything came out all right.
They were confident they'd come out on top.
b
—used to describe the quality something has when finished
The photos came out blurry.
4
: to make a debut
5
a
: to openly declare one's sexual orientation or gender identity
came out as bisexual
decided to come out to her family
b
: to openly declare something about oneself previously kept hidden
—often used with as
… blew his cover and came out as a CIA agent …—
William Prochnau
William Prochnau6
: to be said, expressed, or understood in a particular way
That's not what I meant. It didn't come out right.
see also:
Examples of come out in a Sentence
in the end everything came out OK
come out, come out wherever you are!
Recent Examples on the Web
McGovern emphasized that there was no vapor coming out of the tank as of Friday, and authorities are continuing to monitor the air quality.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
After falling behind 10-3 at halftime, Johns Hopkins (17-5) came out strong in the third quarter, scoring four straight goals — two from Angello and one each from Samantha DiCarlo and Lacey Downey.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Then Colbert made a joke of introducing Pope Leo as the final guest, portrayed as refusing to come out of his dressing room, before the real guest came out for an interview that extended across commercial breaks.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 May 2026
The Prince of Wales, 43, shared the anecdote during his solo trip to Nansledan, Cornwall on May 21 while meeting people who came out to see him.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for come out
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
After falling behind 10-3 at halftime, Johns Hopkins (17-5) came out strong in the third quarter, scoring four straight goals — two from Angello and one each from Samantha DiCarlo and Lacey Downey.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Then Colbert made a joke of introducing Pope Leo as the final guest, portrayed as refusing to come out of his dressing room, before the real guest came out for an interview that extended across commercial breaks.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 May 2026
The Prince of Wales, 43, shared the anecdote during his solo trip to Nansledan, Cornwall on May 21 while meeting people who came out to see him.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for come out
Cite this Entry
“Come out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20out. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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