crap out
Britishverb
-
slang to make a losing throw in craps
-
slang to fail; withdraw
-
slang to rest
-
slang to fail to do or attempt something through fear
-
Back down, quit, When it got to the point of putting up some money, Jack crapped out . This expression originated in the game of craps, where it means to make a first throw (of the dice) of two, three, or twelve, thereby losing. [ Slang ; 1920s]
-
Go to sleep. This usage was military slang for sleeping during work hours or during a crap game. [ Slang ; c. 1940]
-
Die, as in He's really sick; he could crap out any time . This usage is less common than def. 1 or def. 2. [ Slang ; 1920s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“If we’re going to just crank crap out, let’s shut the doors,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
“We’re knocking the crap out of them…We’ve got the greatest military in the world, and we’re using it.”
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026
It’s just two people using their digital avatars to beat the crap out of each other while some of the coolest commentating in the business narrates the action.
From The Verge • Aug. 5, 2022
She scared the crap out of you as a kid!
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2022
I like to pretend sometimes that I have some kind of superpower or out-of-this-world fighting skills, but most of the time it's just me beating the crap out of my own nerves.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
