max out

verb

maxed out; maxing out; maxes out

intransitive verb

: to reach an upper limit or a peak
the car maxed out at 85 mph

transitive verb

: to push to a limit or an extreme
also : to use up all available credit on
maxed out the credit cards

Examples of max out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After a family medical emergency forced her to max out her credit cards, Reed turned to BNPL loans from a number of companies like Klarna in order to pay for things like electrical bills and auto insurance. Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026 We've been told to contribute to our 401(k) and max out our traditional individual retirement accounts to reduce taxable income today. Joel Barjenbruch, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 In America, there’s the whole ‘just max out your credit’ approach. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 July 2026 The 76ers were scheduled for just 14 national broadcast appearances last summer when the NBA dropped its schedule; expect the NBA and its media partners — NBC, ESPN and Amazon — to max out their games this upcoming season. Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for max out

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of max out was in 1967

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Cite this Entry

“Max out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/max%20out. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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