# cash out

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cash-out
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to exchange something you have won or invested for actual money you can spend.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He cashed out his all money." but "He cashed out all his money." — while 'cash out' can be separable, the determiner 'all' must precede the noun phrase correctly.

## Usage notes

- 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'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.