# eat out

CEFR A1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/eat-out
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to have a meal at a restaurant instead of at home.

For teachers: to consume a meal in a commercial establishment rather than in a domestic setting; intransitive phrasal verb.

## Examples

- We like to eat out on Friday nights.
- Since they were both too tired to cook after work, they decided to eat out at the new Italian place.
- The rising cost of living has forced many families to reduce how often they eat out, leading to a decline in local restaurant revenue.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We ate out a pizza last night." but "We ate a pizza out last night (or) We went out for a pizza." — 'eat out' is intransitive and cannot be followed by the food item as a direct object.

## Usage notes

- this is an intransitive verb, so it does not take a direct object.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'eat in' (to stay home) or 'take out' (to buy food and bring it home); it is one of the earliest phrasal verbs learners encounter.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.