Phrasal verb
cash out
Definition
phrasal verb. to exchange something you have won or invested for actual money you can spend.
phrasal verb. to convert non-monetary assets, gambling chips, or digital balances into liquid currency; often implies ending one's participation in an activity.
Examples
“I decided to cash out while I was still winning.”
“After the stock price doubled, many investors chose to cash out and take their profits.”
“The professional gambler knew exactly when to cash out his chips before the house edge began to erode his substantial winnings.”
Examples
simple
“I decided to cash out while I was still winning.”
contextual
“After the stock price doubled, many investors chose to cash out and take their profits.”
complex
“The professional gambler knew exactly when to cash out his chips before the house edge began to erode his substantial winnings.”
Usage
often used in the context of gambling, investments, or digital wallets.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'withdraw' (more formal/banking) and 'sell up' (usually for a business or house); it carries a slight connotation of 'quitting while ahead'.
Pitfall
He cashed out his all money.
He cashed out all his money.
while 'cash out' can be separable, the determiner 'all' must precede the noun phrase correctly.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
cash + out (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cash-out