three strikes and you're out

phrase

Three mistakes, rule breaches etc. will result in termination, disqualification or similar.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. Three mistakes, rule breaches etc. will result in termination, disqualification or similar.

Origin

Figurative extension of the literal origin in baseball, where either three strikes or four balls retire the batter.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

three strikes and you're out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/three%20strikes%20and%20you're%20out

MLA

“three strikes and you're out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/three%20strikes%20and%20you're%20out. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “three strikes and you're out,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/three%20strikes%20and%20you're%20out.

Source: three strikes and you're out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.