tar out

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To punish; to pay back or take revenge on.

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

We had him stopped the year before, the time we whupped him at Stone's River at the end of Sixty-two: we tarred him out so bad he had to wait.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “tar out” mean?

To punish; to pay back or take revenge on.

Is “tar out” formal or informal?

tar out is generally dated, slang.