Moving, Leaving, or Escaping, Mistreating, Harming, or Dying, Expanding, Spreading, or Reducing and 10 More Topics · Phrasal Verbs with Out

to scare or force someone or something to leave by running after them aggressively

"Chase out the stray dog."

"The angry villagers decided to chase out the unwelcome visitors from their town."

to leave a place or go on a journey, especially for a specific destination

"We head out now."

"Let's head out to the beach before the sun gets too hot this afternoon."

to change the place we live or work

"We move out next week."

"After graduating from university he decided to move out of his parents' house and live alone."

to leave a place swiftly in a vehicle, often making the wheels leave behind skid marks

"The car peeled out of the driveway."

"The getaway driver had to peel out of the alleyway quickly to escape the pursuing police car."

to quickly exit a place or vehicle, often without order

"The students pile out quickly."

"As soon as the bell rang, the excited children began to pile out of the classroom."

to abandon someone or something unexpectedly

"Do not run out on your friends."

"He ran out on his family without any explanation leaving his wife and children to struggle on their own."

to guide someone to the exit or door as they depart

"Show out the guests politely."

"The hostess showed out the guests who had stayed too late by politely reminding them that she had an early meeting in the morning."

to abruptly and angrily leave a place

"She storms out of the room angrily."

"The angry customer stormed out of the restaurant after complaining loudly about the terrible service and cold food."

to leave suddenly, especially to show discontent

"The workers walked out on strike."

"The angry customer walked out of the store without buying anything after receiving poor service from the staff."

to desire to leave a specific place or situation

"He wants out of the contract."

"The actor signed a contract for three movies but after the first one he wanted out because the director was very difficult to work with."

to pay money to the court to release someone from custody until their trial

"Bail out the suspect."

"His family managed to bail out the suspect from jail by posting the required bond."

to free oneself from a place that one is being held against their will, such as a prison

"Prisoners plan to break out tonight."

"The prisoners plan to break out of jail by digging a tunnel under the prison wall."

to leave a hotel after returning your room key and paying the bill

"Check out of the hotel before noon."

"Guests must check out of the hotel by eleven in the morning to avoid being charged for an additional night's stay."

to leave a place or situation suddenly or quickly, often due to danger or dissatisfaction

"We must clear out."

"Following the evacuation order, residents were urged to clear out of the flood-prone area."

to stop going to school, university, or college before finishing one's studies

"Some students drop out of school early."

"He decided to drop out of college because he could no longer afford the tuition fees."

to leave the house and attend a specific social event to enjoy your time

"They will go out tonight."

"Do you want to go out for dinner tonight or would you prefer to stay home and order pizza instead?"

to quietly leave a location without drawing attention to oneself

"He will slip out now."

"She decided to slip out of the boring party without saying goodbye to anyone."

to deal with something or someone in a tough manner

"The sergeant bawls out the recruit."

"The sergeant bawled out the new recruits for failing to make their beds properly according to the strict military standards."

to put someone in a difficult position

"The tricky question catches him out."

"The detective tried to catch out the suspect by asking him about his alibi."

to strongly criticize someone in an angry manner

"The teacher chewed out him."

"The manager had to chew out the employee for his repeated tardiness and lack of professionalism."

to prevent someone from having or receiving something that is rightfully theirs

"They do him out of his share."

"The dishonest mechanic tried to do the elderly woman out of her savings by charging her for repairs that her car did not need."

to physically or verbally attack someone or something forcefully

"He hits out at critics harshly."

"The politician hit out at his critics during the press conference calling their accusations completely false and unfair."

to communicate one's emotions, often negative, by misbehaving

"The child acts out for attention."

"The frustrated child began to act out in class by throwing books and yelling at the teacher."

to destroy completely, especially by fire

"The house will burn out."

"After the prolonged fire, the entire structure had completely burn out, leaving only ashes."

to completely disappear or cease to exist

"Many animal species die out each year."

"The tradition of handmade pottery is slowly dying out because younger people are not learning the skill from their elders."

to make someone or something unconscious

"The boxer knocked out his opponent."

"The champion boxer managed to knock out his opponent with a powerful left hook in the third round of the match."

to express strong criticism or disapproval in a harsh and uncontrolled way

"She lashes out in anger."

"The frustrated child lashed out at his little brother because he was angry about something else that had happened at school."

to lose consciousness

"She passes out from the intense heat."

"It was so hot in the room that one of the guests nearly passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration."

to betray one's principles or values for personal gain or convenience

"He will sell out friends."

"The politician was accused of selling out his campaign promises for personal political gain."

to cause something to lose its functionality or good condition over time or through extensive use

"These shoes wear out quickly."

"The old carpet has worn out after many years of heavy use and needs to be replaced soon."

to cause the death of a significant portion of a population

"The disease did wipe out many."

"The devastating plague threatened to wipe out the entire population of the medieval city."

to hit the lowest point before things get better

"The stock market bottoms out finally."

"The housing market finally bottomed out after prices fell for three straight years and now they are starting to rise again."

to expand by exploring new areas, options, or opportunities

"The company branched out into new markets."

"The successful restaurant decided to branch out into catering services to reach more customers and increase its revenue."

to prolong or extend a situation, event, or process, often unnecessarily

"Do not drag out the argument unnecessarily."

"The lawyer tried to drag out the trial as long as possible hoping that the witnesses would forget important details over time."

to extend in time, length, or duration, often longer than necessary

"Don't draw out the meeting."

"The speaker's lengthy introduction began to draw out the presentation much longer than anticipated."

to extend outward from a surface or object

"The cliff juts out over sea."

"A large rock jutted out from the cliff face making it a perfect resting spot for tired climbers."

to fill an arena to its capacity

"Fans pack out the stadium nightly."

"The fans packed out the stadium for the championship game and every single seat was filled to capacity."

to gradually lose strength or intensity

"The music fades out gradually."

"The music slowly faded out at the end of the song and the audience sat in complete silence for a moment before applauding."

to gradually end or fade away, often due to becoming weakened

"The conversation petered out awkwardly."

"The conversation slowly petered out as neither person could think of anything else to say to the other."

to decrease the number or density of something

"Thin out the crowded seedlings carefully."

"The crowd began to thin out after midnight as people started to go home because they were tired."

(of an infectious disease) to start and spread within a community

"The flu will break out."

"Public health officials are concerned that a new strain of the virus might break out."

to extend one's hand or an object toward someone, often to give or offer something to them

"Hold out your hand."

"The kind stranger offered to hold out a helping hand to the elderly woman."

to extend a process, activity, or situation

"Spin out the time."

"The prolonged negotiations threatened to spin out the entire process, causing significant delays and increased costs."

to separate a group of things and arrange or place them over a large area

"Spread out the map on the table."

"The students spread out across the library to find quiet places to study for their final exams."

to extend something to its full extent

"Stretch out the rope."

"Please stretch out the yoga mat fully before beginning your practice."

to accept a new way of thinking or set of principles into one's life

"They adopt out the baby."

"The animal shelter hopes to adopt out all of the puppies and kittens to loving families before the end of the summer."

to confirm a statement or claim by providing evidence

"The evidence bears out his story."

"The evidence from the investigation bears out the witness's version of what actually happened that night."

to forcefully or persistently extract information or a response from someone

"She drags a confession out of him."

"The police finally dragged the truth out of the suspect after interrogating him for several hours without a break."

to actively and persistently search for and uncover a piece of information or a secret

"The detective ferrets out the hidden truth."

"The detective managed to ferret out the hidden truth after interviewing all of the witnesses and examining the evidence carefully."

to disclose secret or classified information that was meant to be kept concealed

"The news leaks out to press."

"News of the merger leaked out to the press before the company was ready to make an official announcement."

to attempt to learn someone's opinions and intentions through subtle or indirect questioning or conversation

"Sound out the public opinion first."

"The manager wants to sound out the employees before making any major changes to the company's vacation policy."

to receive something as a form of payment

"He takes out his anger."

"She tends to take out her stress on her family when she has a difficult day at work."

to inform an authority about the wrongdoings or crimes of others

"Do not rat out your friends to teachers."

"The young boy decided to rat out his friend to the teacher for cheating on the important exam."

to find the answer to a question or problem

"Help me figure out this puzzle."

"It took the detective several weeks to figure out who had committed the crime because there were many false clues."

to get information about something after actively trying to do so

"She finds out the truth now."

"I called the receptionist to find out what time the meeting was scheduled to start because no one had told me."

(of news or information) to become public or widely known

"The news will get out."

"Once the secret plans got out, the company faced significant public backlash."

to understand something, often with effort

"She makes out the distant ship."

"I could barely make out the words on the old sign because the paint had faded significantly over the years."

to unintentionally reveal a piece of information while engaged in conversation

"It did slip out."

"During the casual conversation, a sensitive piece of information accidentally did slip out."

to expose something or someone, typically thorough investigation

"We will smoke them out."

"The investigative journalists worked tirelessly to smoke out the truth behind the corporate fraud."

to suddenly and forcefully break and release what is inside

"She bursts out laughing suddenly."

"The little boy burst out crying when he fell off his bicycle and scraped his knee on the rough pavement."

to stop somebody or something from entering a specific area or place

"Keep out of the restricted area."

"The fence was built to keep out stray animals and unwanted visitors from entering the private property."

to begin taking the early steps regarding an action, project, or goal

"She started out as a teacher."

"The company started out as a small family business but grew into an international corporation over the years."

(in basketball) to position oneself between an opponent and the basket to secure a rebound

"Box out your opponent for the rebound."

"The basketball player used his body to box out his opponent and secure the important rebound for his team."

to stop something from proceeding by creating a barrier

"Block out the sun."

"The thick curtains were used to block out the intense afternoon sunlight from the room."

(of a war, fight, or other unwelcome occurrence) to start suddenly

"A war may break out."

"Tensions had been rising for weeks, and everyone feared that a conflict would soon break out."

to naturally lose interest or stop doing something, especially a habit or behavior, as one matures or gets older

"He grows out of his childish habits."

"She will grow out of that phase soon."

to prevent someone from getting involved in a particular situation, matter, etc.

"Please keep out of this room."

"The teacher advised the students to keep out of office politics altogether."

to prevent someone from entering a place by securing the entrance with a lock

"They were locked out."

"The disgruntled employees found themselves locked out of the building by management."

to prevent something from occurring or someone from doing something

"We can rule out rain."

"The investigators were unable to rule out the possibility of foul play in the incident."

to start a journey

"They set out on their journey early."

"They set out on their journey early in the morning to avoid the midday heat."

to intentionally avoid paying attention to something so that it does not effect one in a negative way

"Shut out the bad news."

"He tried to shut out the constant noise from the construction site next door to focus."

to forcefully end something, often a negative or undesirable situation

"We must stamp out hate."

"The government is determined to stamp out corruption and ensure accountability."

to play loud music or produce a lot of noise

"The music blasts out from speakers."

"The music blasted out from the speakers at the concert making the entire stadium vibrate with every heavy beat."

to produce or create something quickly and in large quantities

"The factory cranks out cars daily."

"The factory can crank out thousands of units per day now that the new automated assembly line has been installed."

to produce a loud and clear sound that can be heard distinctly

"Cheers ring out from the crowd."

"The sound of gunfire rang out across the quiet street and everyone dove for cover behind the parked cars."

to officially introduce or launch a new product, service, or system

"The company rolled out new software."

"The company plans to roll out its new software update to all users next month."

to create a basic, initial version that outlines the main features of something

"Rough out the sketch before detailing."

"The artist roughed out a quick sketch of the landscape before starting to work on the detailed final painting."

to improve by making something larger, more complete, etc.

"She rounds out her education with courses."

"The dessert rounded out the meal perfectly and everyone left the restaurant feeling completely satisfied and full."

to make and release a product for people to buy

"Bring out the book."

"The company plans to bring out a new line of eco-friendly products next spring."

to be published, released, or made available to the public

"The book will come out soon."

"We are eagerly anticipating the new album that is scheduled to come out next month."

to design and arrange something according to a specific plan

"Let's lay out."

"The architect meticulously began to lay out the blueprints for the new skyscraper."

(of a supply) to be completely used up

"We will run out of milk."

"The expedition realized they would soon run out of essential supplies in the harsh environment."

to continue with a task or obligation until it reaches its completion

"He sees out the project completion."

"The old manager wanted to see out the project before he retired even though his health was not very good."

to conclude in a positive outcome

"It will work out well."

"We are confident that all our efforts will eventually work out to our advantage."

to end in a disappointing or weak way, particularly after a good start

"The fireworks fizzle out disappointingly."

"The protest started with great passion but fizzled out after a few hours when most of the protesters went home."

to be defeated or surpassed by someone or something else

"We lose out to better competitors."

"If you wait too long to apply for the scholarship you might lose out to someone who submitted their application earlier."

to experience good luck

"She lucks out with the lottery win."

"We really lucked out with the weather for our beach vacation because it was sunny and warm every single day."

to lose the opportunity to do or participate in something useful or fun

"Do not miss out on this opportunity."

"Do not miss out on this opportunity because it may never come again in the future."

to succeed or come to a favorable outcome

"His plan did not pan out."

"Despite initial doubts, the risky investment strategy eventually panned out, yielding significant profits for the company."

to try a new theory in real situations to see how well it works or gather feedback

"Test out the new software thoroughly."

"The scientists need to test out the new drug on volunteers before it can be approved for public use."

to defeat and perform better than someone in a competition, sport, business, etc.

"She beat out the competition."

"The startup company managed to beat out established rivals with its innovative technology."

to stop working or functioning

"The old machine gave out."

"After years of service, the aging vehicle finally gave out on the highway."

to choose among a group of people or things

"She picks out a nice dress."

"Can you help me pick out a birthday gift for my mother because I am not sure what she would like?"

to not succeed in doing or accomplishing something

"He struck out."

"Despite his best efforts to secure funding, he ultimately struck out on his business venture."

to perform or demonstrate one's abilities with the aim of getting a specific role or position

"He will try out."

"Aspiring actors will try out for the lead role in the upcoming theatrical production."

to be immediately noticeable or strikingly obvious

"The red dress jumps out."

"The bright, unusual color of the car really seemed to jump out at everyone on the street."

to immediately captures someone's attention in a sudden and striking manner

"Danger leaps out at careless hikers."

"The bright colors of the sign leaped out at me as soon as I walked into the store and I could not ignore them."

to unfold in a particular way

"The drama played out on stage."

"The final scene of the movie will play out the dramatic confrontation between the hero and the villain."

to come into view unexpectedly

"A rabbit pops out."

"Suddenly, a small, furry creature popped out from behind the bushes, startling us."

to read a text or content aloud, articulating the words for others to hear

"Read out the names aloud."

"The teacher read out the names of the students who had passed the difficult exam with the highest scores."

to focus on a particular person or thing from a group in either a positive or negative manner

"The teacher singled out one student for praise."

"The teacher singled out one student for praise because of his exceptional performance on the difficult exam."

to be easily noticed, often due to being different from the surrounding elements

"His ears stick out noticeably."

"His bright red hair made him stick out in the crowd of people with darker hair colors."

to loudly shout something, often suddenly and with the intention of grabbing someone's attention

"Yell out for help loudly."

"The coach yelled out instructions to the players from the sideline as the opposing team drove toward the goal."

to show something to someone by pointing one's finger toward it

"Point out the bird."

"The teacher pointed out several common errors that students often make when writing academic essays."

to be prominent and easily noticeable

"Her red hair stands out."

"Her bright red hair made her stand out in the crowd of people at the concert."

to emerge as a particular outcome

"The cake turned out perfectly."

"The party turned out to be much more fun than I had expected it would be."

to reluctantly pay a significant amount of money

"He forked out a lot of money."

"I had to fork out a lot of money for the car repairs after the accident."

to assign a task or project to an external party, typically for a fee

"The company farms out the work."

"The company decided to farm out the customer service calls to a cheaper call center located in another country."

to help someone, especially to make it easier for them to do something

"Can you help out with dinner?"

"Can you help out with the dinner preparations because we have a lot of guests coming tonight?"

to rent something to someone, typically for a specified period, in exchange for payment

"He hires out his equipment for cash."

"The contractor hires out his services to homeowners who need repairs but do not have the time or skills to do them themselves."

to provide services or temporary use of something to someone, in exchange for a fee

"She rents out her spare room."

"The couple decided to rent out their spare bedroom on a home sharing website to earn some extra money each month."

to divide and allocate a resource, task, or item among individuals

"Share out the food equally please."

"The teacher shared out the worksheets equally among all of the students so that everyone had one to complete."

to distribute something among a group of individuals

"They give out free books."

"The volunteers gathered early in the morning to give out warm meals and blankets to the homeless people living near the downtown area."

to provide someone or each person in a group with something

"Please hand out flyers."

"The volunteers will hand out free samples of the new product to everyone attending the festival."

to distribute something to a group of people

"Please pass out flyers."

"The event organizers will pass out complimentary brochures to all attendees upon arrival."

to send something to a number of people or places

"Send out the invitations today."

"The company will send out the monthly invoices to all customers on the first day of each month."

to feel really happy and relaxed without any particular reason

"She blisses out in the spa."

"The spa treatments were so relaxing that I completely blissed out and forgot about all of my worries for a few hours."

to express oneself in a powerful and loud voice

"His voice booms out commands."

"The general's voice boomed out across the parade ground as he addressed the assembled troops before the battle."

to relax and take a break especially when feeling stressed or upset

"Let's chill out this weekend."

"After finishing all of their exams the students decided to chill out by watching movies and eating pizza together."

to overwhelm someone with an excessive amount of tasks or assignments, often beyond their capacity to manage effectively

"Tasks flood out."

"The manager feared the new project would flood out the entire department with urgent deadlines."

to have sympathy for someone and hope that they will get through the difficult situation they are in

"We go out to them."

"The entire community will go out to the family after their tragic loss."

to be in a romantic relationship

"They go out together on weekends."

"The young couple has been going out together for two years and they are planning to get married next summer."

to freely express one's deep emotions, thoughts, or feelings

"He poured out his heart."

"After a long silence, she began to pour out her deepest sorrows and regrets to her trusted friend."

to express an emotion, typically through honest speech

"His anger spilled out."

"During the heated argument, his true feelings of frustration and disappointment began to spill out uncontrollably."

to make someone exhausted through physical or mental activity

"The hike tired out the children."

"The energetic puppy will tire out quickly after playing fetch in the park for twenty minutes."

to relax without doing much activity

"I veg out on the couch weekends."

"After a long week of work I just want to veg out on the couch and watch movies."

to cause someone to feel uncomfortable or surprised by something unusual

"The horror movie weirds him out."

"The strange man's behavior really weirded me out so I crossed to the other side of the street to avoid him."

to kiss and touch someone in a sexual manner

"They make out."

"The teenagers were told to stop making out in the public park immediately."

to invite someone on a date, particularly a romantic one

"He finally asked her out on a date."

"He finally gathered the courage to ask her out on a date after being friends with her for several months."

to say something suddenly

"He blurted out the secret accidentally."

"The young child blurted out the secret about the surprise party in front of the birthday girl by accident."

to suddenly say something, especially in a rude or surprising way

"He came out with a rude remark."

"During the heated argument, he suddenly came out with a shocking and hurtful accusation."

to eat in a restaurant, etc. rather than at one's home

"Let's eat out tonight."

"Instead of cooking at home they decided to eat out at a new Thai restaurant that had just opened downtown."

to fight until a result is achieved or an agreement is reached

"Let's fight out this."

"The two rivals agreed to meet tomorrow and fight out their differences once and for all."

to spend much time in a specific place or with someone particular

"I like to hang out with friends."

"Teenagers often hang out at the shopping mall on weekends because there are many entertainment options available."

to thoroughly discuss something in order for an agreement to be reached or a decision to be made

"Let's hash out the details tomorrow."

"We need to hash out the remaining details of the contract before we can sign it."

to ask someone to accompany one to a specific place or event

"He invites her out for dinner."

"He finally worked up the courage to invite out the girl from his biology class for coffee after school."

to confidently share one's thoughts or feelings without any hesitation

"Speak out against injustice peacefully."

"The activist decided to speak out against the government's unfair policies despite the risk of arrest."

to clearly and explicitly explain something

"Spell out the instructions clearly."

"The instructions clearly spell out exactly what you need to do to assemble the furniture correctly without any mistakes."

to have an intense discussion to solve a problem or reach an agreement

"They thrash out the contract details."

"The two lawyers spent hours trying to thrash out the details of the settlement agreement before presenting it to the judge."

to contact someone to get assistance or help

"Reach out for help when needed."

"If you ever need any help with your homework please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email or phone."

to strongly demand or require attention, action, or a particular response

"They cry out help."

"The neglected playground in the neighborhood was crying out for renovation, as the broken swings and rusty slides posed a danger to every child who played there."

to pay attention and try to hear a specific sound that one is expecting

"Listen out for the doorbell sound."

"Please listen out for the doorbell while I am in the shower because I am expecting an important package today."

to actively search for and locate something

"Look out for the keys."

"We need to look out for any signs of the rare bird that has been reported in this area."

to make a phone call to a restaurant and request them to deliver food to one's home

"Send out for pizza now."

"Since it was raining heavily, we decided to send out for Chinese food instead of cooking."

to mentally disconnect and lose awareness of one's surroundings

"She spaces out during long boring lectures."

"I tend to space out during long meetings when the topic does not interest me at all."

to examine closely in order to determine accuracy, quality, or condition

"Suss out the situation before acting."

"The detective managed to suss out the criminal's true identity by carefully analyzing the clues at the crime scene."

to be cautious about the safety of someone or something

"Watch out for the car."

"You should watch out for loose stones on the path when hiking in the mountains."

to formally request or direct someone to perform a duty or task

"Call out the name."

"The manager had to call out the entire team to help finish the urgent report before the deadline."

to closely examine to see if someone is suitable or something is true

"Let's check out."

"We need to check out the new restaurant downtown to see if it's worth the hype."

to watch a building continuously, usually by police or reporters, to see who goes in or out

"Police stake out the house."

"The detectives decided to stake out the warehouse, suspecting illegal activities were taking place inside."

to not do something one has promised or agreed to do

"He backed out of the deal."

"The investor decided to back out of the deal at the last minute because of concerns about the market."

to decide not to do something because of a sudden fear or anxiety

"He bottles out of the challenge."

"He planned to ask his boss for a raise but at the last minute he bottled out because he was too nervous."

to not to do something one planned because they feel scared or hesitant

"He chickened out at the last minute."

"He planned to ask her for a date but chickened out at the last moment because he was too nervous."

to intentionally exclude someone or something

"Do not leave out important details."

"Please do not leave out any important details when you write your report about the incident."

to choose not to participate in something or to not accept an offer

"She opts out of the retirement plan."

"Employees can opt out of the company's retirement plan if they prefer to save their money in a different way."

to refrain from taking part in an activity, typically by remaining seated

"He sits out the game due injury."

"The injured player had to sit out the rest of the game while the team doctor examined his twisted ankle."

to avoid attending an event

"He skipped out on the bill."

"The dishonest customer tried to skip out on paying the restaurant bill by pretending to go to the restroom."

to choose not to participate or engage in a discussion or argument

"Stay out of this argument."

"It's best to stay out of their personal dispute; it doesn't concern you at all."

to escape from a responsibility or obligation, often in a dishonest manner

"She wriggles out of the tight spot."

"The child tried to wriggle out of doing his chores by pretending to be sick but his mother did not believe him."

to become mentally absent, distracted, or unresponsive

"He zones out during boring lectures."

"I tend to zone out during long meetings when the topic does not interest me or affect my work directly."