take out
phrasal verb·3 senses·particle out
Meanings
Remove something from inside
Why “out”? Pushing outward to eliminate. What is removed is sent away.
“Maya took her bank card out at the cafe counter.”
“Leo took the rubbish out after the evening meal.”
“Take the cake out of the oven.”
“Take the plates out of the cupboard.”
“Maya took a map out of her bag after the train left the station.”
Invite someone to go somewhere socially
Why “out”? Someone leaves home to eat, meet people, or enjoy free time.
“He took her out to a fancy restaurant.”
“Maya took Sam out for coffee.”
“They took us out for drinks after the show.”
Borrow from a library
“I took out three books last week.”
“He took out a travel guide before his trip.”
“She took out a stack of cookbooks for the holidays.”
Don't confuse with
Take out means remove something from inside. Take up means start a new activity.
Take out means remove something from inside. Take off means remove clothing or accessories.
Take out means remove something from inside. Take down means remove something from a higher position.
Test yourself
“Maya took her bank card out at the cafe counter.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
take down
A contrast learners often mix up
Remove something from a higher position; Write notes quickly; Defeat someone or remove something from operation
take off
A contrast learners often mix up
Remove clothing or accessories; Leave the ground (aircraft); Become suddenly successful
take up
A contrast learners often mix up
Start a new hobby or activity; Occupy space or time; Accept an offered opportunity; Resume something after a pause or interruption; Shorten a piece of clothing by adjusting its hem
ask out
Same out pattern: social out
Invite someone on a romantic date
burn out
Same out pattern: removal
Become exhausted from overwork; (of a fire) Stop burning because there is no fuel left; (of an electrical device) Stop working because of overheating; Destroy a building or vehicle by fire
cash out
Same out pattern: removal
Take money from an account or investment
chuck out
Same out pattern: removal
Discard something
clean out
Same out pattern: removal
Remove the contents of a place and clean it thoroughly
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “take out” in Sink In
Drill “take out” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
