leave sb/sth out
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to not include someone or something in an activity, list, or group.
phrasal verb. to omit a person or item from a collection, group, or sequence, either intentionally or by oversight.
Please don't leave me out of the game.
She felt sad when her friends left her out of the party plans.
The editor decided to leave out the final chapter to ensure the manuscript met the publisher's strict length requirements.
often used with the preposition 'of' when specifying the group or activity.
contrast with 'exclude' (more formal) and 'forget' (implies only accidental omission); 'leave out' is the standard neutral choice for both accidental and purposeful exclusion.
They left out him.They left him out.when the object is a pronoun like 'him' or 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.
Last updated April 24, 2026