English Reference

Phrasal verb

churn out

Definition

phrasal verb. to produce a large amount of something very quickly, often without caring much about the quality.

phrasal verb. to produce something mechanically and in large quantities, typically implying a lack of artistic merit or individual attention.

Examples

“The factory churns out thousands of cheap toys every day.”

“The novelist churns out a new thriller every six months to keep up with his fans' demands.”

“In an era of digital saturation, many content creators feel pressured to churn out videos daily, often sacrificing depth for the sake of algorithmic visibility.”

Examples

simple

“The factory churns out thousands of cheap toys every day.”

contextual

“The novelist churns out a new thriller every six months to keep up with his fans' demands.”

complex

“In an era of digital saturation, many content creators feel pressured to churn out videos daily, often sacrificing depth for the sake of algorithmic visibility.”

Usage

usually carries a negative nuance suggesting that the items are repetitive or low-quality.

Teaching tip

the metaphor comes from a butter churn; the physical motion is repetitive and mechanical, which helps students visualize the 'unthinking' nature of the production.

Pitfall

He churns out them quickly.

He churns them out quickly.

when the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.

Phrasal verb

Particles

out

Separability

optional

Pattern

churn + (object) + out

Synonyms

producemass-producecrank out

Antonyms

handcraftcreate slowly

Related words

Grammar

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference