Meaning & use
tap outs
Last updated
“tap outs” is a form of “tap out”.
Meanings
nouncountablesport
An act of submitting in a combat sport by repeatedly tapping the mat or opponent to signal surrender.
Grammar: Countable noun; usually appears in the plural 'tap outs' when referring to multiple instances, but 'a tap out' is also used.
Patterns
- a tap out
- the tap out
- tap outs
The fighter won the match with a quick tap out in the first round.
The referee stopped the fight after a clear tap out.
He has recorded several tap outs in his career.
nouncountableinformal
A method of quitting or withdrawing from a situation, often used informally.
Grammar: Countable noun; often used in the phrase 'a tap out' to mean an act of quitting.
Patterns
- a tap out
- tap outs
After months of stress, his resignation felt like a tap out.
The team's early tap out surprised the fans.
She saw the project's cancellation as a tap out.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Third-person singular present of 'tap out': to submit by tapping, or to quit.
Grammar: As a verb, 'tap out' can be intransitive (he taps out) or transitive (he taps out his opponent).
Patterns
- someone taps out
- someone taps out someone
He taps out when the hold is too painful.
She taps out her opponent in under a minute.
The wrestler taps out to avoid injury.
Word forms
| base form | tap out |
|---|---|
| third person singular | tap outs |
| past tense | tapped out |
| past participle | tapped out |
| -ing form | tapping out |
Common combinations
- tap out of something
- He tapped out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury.
- tap out to a submission
- She tapped out to a chokehold in the final seconds.
- force a tap out
- The champion forced a tap out with a tight armbar.
- quick tap out
- The audience was stunned by the quick tap out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- submission
- A broader term for yielding to an opponent, not necessarily by tapping.
- surrender
- More general and formal, used in military or serious contexts.
- quit
- Informal and general; does not imply the physical tapping motion.
Opposites
Word family
- tap verb
- To hit lightly and quickly.
- tapout noun
- A brand of combat sportswear; also a variant spelling of 'tap out'.
Commonly confused: tap outs or tapout? tap outs or knockout?
tap outs vs tapout
Often a trademark for clothing, while 'tap out' is the general term for submission or quitting.
tap outs vs knockout
A knockout ends a fight by rendering unconscious, whereas a tap out is a voluntary submission.
Practice
In mixed martial arts, a fighter signals surrender by tapping the mat. What is this action called?
Choose one answer.
A tap out is the specific term for submitting by tapping. A knockout is when a fighter is rendered unconscious, a decision is a judges' verdict, and a disqualification is a penalty.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tap outs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.