ENGLISH
REFERENCE

check out

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. To look at or examine something because it seems interesting or attractive.

phr. v.. To examine, inspect, or investigate something to assess its qualities; often used informally to mean 'to look at something of interest'.


SIMPLE

Let's check out that new café.

CONTEXTUAL

If you're in town, you should check out the art exhibit at the city gallery.

COMPLEX

The detective decided to check out the alibi more thoroughly, suspecting the witness's story concealed a more complicated truth.

Particles
out
Separability
separable
Pattern
check + out + object
Usage

Often used informally to suggest looking at something new, interesting, or attractive.

Teaching tip

Contrast this sense with 'check out of a hotel' or 'check out a library book' to show the polysemy of common phrasal verbs.

Pitfall

Let's check out it.Let's check it out.When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between the verb and the particle.

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