Stopping or Starting: English Vocabulary List

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."