ENGLISH
REFERENCE

check by

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to visit a place for a short time to see if everything is okay or to see if someone is there.

phr. v.. to perform a brief, informal visit to a location or person for the purpose of verification, monitoring, or social contact.


SIMPLE

I will check by your office later to see if you are free.

CONTEXTUAL

On his way home, he decided to check by the construction site to ensure the gates were locked.

COMPLEX

The security supervisor requested that the night guard check by the laboratory every hour to monitor the temperature-sensitive equipment.

Particles
by
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
check + by + object
Usage

often used with a location or a person's house/office as the object.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'stop by' (purely social) and 'check on' (focused on the well-being of a person); 'check by' implies a brief stop with a purpose of verification.

Pitfall

I'll check by of the house.I'll check by the house.the phrase does not require 'of' before the location.

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