# hash out

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to talk about something in detail until you reach an agreement or solve a problem. You use this when you have a disagreement or a complicated plan to finish.

For teachers: to discuss something at length and in detail, typically to resolve a dispute or finalize a plan. Transitive; implies a process of negotiation or collaborative problem-solving.

## Examples

- We need to hash out the details of the contract.
- The two managers spent the entire afternoon in the office trying to hash out their differences before the meeting.
- Diplomats from both nations convened in a neutral territory to hash out the final clauses of the peace treaty despite significant ideological friction.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We need to hash out about the plan." but "We need to hash out the plan." — the verb is transitive and takes the topic directly as an object without the preposition 'about'.

## Usage notes

- usually takes a problem, a plan, or a disagreement as its object.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'discuss' or 'argue'; 'hash out' implies a productive, though perhaps difficult, process of reaching a conclusion.

---

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.