# move out

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

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

## Definition

to leave the house or flat where you live so you can live somewhere else.

For teachers: To vacate a place of residence or business permanently. This intransitive verb often takes a prepositional phrase starting with 'of' to indicate the specific location being left.

## Examples

- They move out of their old house today.
- After living with his parents for twenty-five years, Mark finally decided to move out and rent a small studio downtown.
- The tenants were forced to move out immediately after the building inspector declared the structure's foundation to be fundamentally compromised and unsafe for habitation.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I moved out my apartment yesterday." but "I moved out of my apartment yesterday." — When mentioning the specific place you are leaving, you must use the preposition 'of' after 'move out'.

## Usage notes

- Usually stands alone or is followed by 'of' and the name of the place being left.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'move in' to show the directional logic of the particles; emphasize that 'move out' focuses on the departure from the old location.

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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.