Phrasal verb
snow out
Definition
phrasal verb. to prevent an event from happening or a person from leaving because there is too much snow.
phrasal verb. to cause an event to be cancelled or a person to be trapped due to heavy snowfall. Transitive and frequently used in the passive voice.
Examples
“The football match was snowed out yesterday.”
“We were planning to drive to the mountains, but the blizzard snowed us out and we stayed home.”
“The regional airport was completely snowed out, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in the terminal for the duration of the storm.”
Examples
simple
“The football match was snowed out yesterday.”
contextual
“We were planning to drive to the mountains, but the blizzard snowed us out and we stayed home.”
complex
“The regional airport was completely snowed out, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in the terminal for the duration of the storm.”
Usage
often used in the passive voice ('be snowed out') to describe cancelled outdoor events.
Teaching tip
compare with 'rained out'; note that while 'snowed in' means being trapped inside a building, 'snowed out' usually refers to the cancellation of an event.
Pitfall
The game was snowed in.
The game was snowed out.
use 'snowed out' for cancelled events; 'snowed in' is used for people trapped inside a building.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
snow + object + out
Synonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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