Phrasal verb
check sb/sth out
Definition
phrasal verb. to look at someone or something because they seem interesting or attractive; you use this when you want to examine something more closely.
phrasal verb. to investigate, inspect, or observe someone or something of interest; often carries an informal pragmatic force of evaluating quality or attractiveness.
Examples
“You should check out that new café down the street.”
“I need to check out the library's website to see if they have the book I want.”
“Before committing to the merger, the legal team spent weeks checking out the firm's financial history to ensure no hidden debts existed.”
Examples
simple
“You should check out that new café down the street.”
contextual
“I need to check out the library's website to see if they have the book I want.”
complex
“Before committing to the merger, the legal team spent weeks checking out the firm's financial history to ensure no hidden debts existed.”
Usage
the object can be a person, a place, or information; it is very common in casual conversation.
Teaching tip
distinguish between the 'inspect' sense and the 'hotel' sense (checking out of a room); this version is highly productive in marketing and social invitations.
Pitfall
I will check out to the car.
I will check out the car.
do not use 'to' after 'check out' when you mean to examine something; the verb takes a direct object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
check + (object) + out