# find out

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/find-out
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to learn new information or a fact that you did not know before.

For teachers: To discover information or a fact through inquiry, observation, or study. The verb can function intransitively or take a noun phrase or wh-clause as its object.

## Examples

- I need to find out what time the movie starts.
- She checked the company website to find out if there were any job openings in the marketing department.
- The committee launched an extensive investigation to find out whether the safety protocols had been intentionally bypassed during the construction phase.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I found out my keys under the bed." but "I found my keys under the bed." — 'Find out' is used for discovering information, while 'find' is used for locating physical objects.

## Usage notes

- Commonly followed by question words like 'who', 'what', 'where', 'why', or 'if'.
- Teaching tip: Contrast this with 'find', which refers to locating physical objects, whereas 'find out' refers to acquiring knowledge or facts.

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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.