tʃek aʊt
neutral
beginner
- Base verb:
- check
- Particle:
- out
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "check out" mean?
- To pay and leave a hotel
- To look at or examine something interesting
- To borrow something from a library or rental service
- To verify that something is true or correct
- To be found to be true after verification
Examples
- We need to check out by 11 AM.
- Check out this amazing view!
- I checked out three books from the library.
- I'll check out her story to see if it's true.
- His alibi checks out; he was at work all day.
How to use it
'Check out' is very informal for 'look at this'. 'Checkout' (noun) refers to the counter where you pay in a store, or the time to leave a hotel.
Word order
For hotels: intransitive. For examining: 'check out' + object (informal). For library: separable. For verifying: both patterns work.
Similar expressions
leave
examine
borrow
verify
investigate
Opposites
check in
arrive
return
Related phrasal verbs
- check in
To register at a hotel, airport, or event
- check up
To examine or verify someone's work or progress
- check on
To verify that someone is safe or okay
- get out
To leave a place, room, or vehicle
- turn out
To have a particular result or end in a certain way
- go out
To leave your home for social activities or entertainment
Use it in a practice answer
Try "check out" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.