# flush out

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to force a person or animal to leave a hiding place. You use this when you want to find something that is trying to stay hidden.

For teachers: to force a person or animal out of a place of concealment. Transitive; the object can be placed between the verb and the particle or after the particle.

## Examples

- The police used dogs to flush out the suspect from the basement.
- The investigators hope that the new reward will flush out witnesses who have been hiding information from the police.
- The military operation aimed to flush out insurgent groups from the mountain caves where they had been hiding for months.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We need to flush out the details of the project." but "We need to flesh out the details of the project." — Learners frequently confuse 'flush out' with 'flesh out', which means to add substance or detail.

## Usage notes

- Usually followed by a person, animal, or hidden truth as the object.
- Teaching tip: Help students distinguish this from 'flesh out', which means to add more details to an idea or plan.

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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.