Phrasal verb
check by
Definition
phrasal verb. to visit a place for a short time to see if everything is okay or to see if someone is there.
phrasal verb. to perform a brief, informal visit to a location or person for the purpose of verification, monitoring, or social contact.
Examples
“I will check by your office later to see if you are free.”
“On his way home, he decided to check by the construction site to ensure the gates were locked.”
“The security supervisor requested that the night guard check by the laboratory every hour to monitor the temperature-sensitive equipment.”
Examples
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.”
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
by
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
check + by + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/check-by