Phrasal verb
do out of
Definition
phrasal verb. to stop someone from getting something they deserve by being dishonest or unfair.
phrasal verb. to deprive someone of something, typically through deceit, trickery, or unfair manipulation; often used in the passive voice.
Examples
“He tried to do me out of my share of the money.”
“The shady contractor did the elderly couple out of their life savings by never finishing the roof.”
“The minority shareholders claimed they were done out of their rightful dividends through a series of complex accounting maneuvers.”
Examples
simple
“He tried to do me out of my share of the money.”
contextual
“The shady contractor did the elderly couple out of their life savings by never finishing the roof.”
complex
“The minority shareholders claimed they were done out of their rightful dividends through a series of complex accounting maneuvers.”
Usage
usually follows the pattern 'do someone out of something'.
Teaching tip
this is a more informal and idiomatic way to say 'cheat someone out of' or 'deprive'; it is common in British English and often implies a sense of being swindled.
Pitfall
They did out of him his inheritance.
They did him out of his inheritance.
the person being cheated must come between the verb 'do' and the particle 'out'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out of
Separability
separable
Pattern
do + object + out + of + something
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/do-out-of