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What is Take out in English? How to use the Take out in English correctly!
The phrasal verb Take out is commonly encountered in daily life with various contexts, which can lead to confusion. So, what does Take out in English mean? And how is Take out in English used? Let's delve into the detailed understanding of Take out in English in today's article with PREP!

I. What is Take out in English?
What is Take out in English? Let's explore the concept and some words/phrases associated with Take out in English!
1. Definition
What is Take out in English? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Take out is pronounced /teɪk aʊt/. In English, Take out functions as a phrasal verb with 4 different meanings:
Meaning |
Example |
to go to a restaurant, theater, club, etc. with somebody you have invited |
|
to kill somebody or destroy something |
|
to remove it permanently/ move from its place |
|
to buy cooked food at a restaurant and carry it away to eat, for example at home |
|
With the 4 different meanings of Take out in English, please pay attention to the context to use it appropriately!

2. Words, phrases, and idioms associated with Take out in English
After understanding the meanings of Take out in English, let's refer to the common words, phrases, and idioms in English that are often used with Take out in English, to emphasize the meaning!
Words and phrases associated with Take out in English |
||
Words and phrases associated with Take out in English |
Meaning |
Example |
take out something against somebody |
to start legal action against somebody by means of an official document |
|
to take out an insurance policy/ a contract/ a mortgage/ a loan/ an advertisement |
to arrange and pay for insurance, a loan, an advertisement, etc. |
|
take something out of something |
to obtain money by removing it from your bank account |
|
take someone out to something |
to go somewhere and do something with someone, usually something you plan and pay for |
|
take someone out for something |
|
|
Idioms with Take out in English |
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Idioms with Take out in English |
Meaning |
Example |
take the sting out of something |
to alleviate the pain or annoyance caused by something |
The company's offer of a severance package helped to take the sting out of the layoff. |
take a bite out of something |
to take away a part of a sum of money or other quantity |
The cost of inflation took a bite out of our savings. |
take the piss out of someone or something |
to make a joke about someone or make someone look silly |
My friends at school always took the piss out of me because I was different. |
II. How to use Take out in English
So, how to use Take out in English? Let's grasp the structures of Take out in English in the table below!
Structure |
Example |
Subject + take out something/ take something out |
|
Subject + take out someone/ take someone out |
|
III. Synonyms of Take out in English

In addition to the phrase Take out, we can also flexibly use other synonymous words to adapt to different situations. Let's see some synonyms of Take out!
Synonyms of Take out in English |
Meaning |
Example |
remove /rɪˈmuːv/ |
to remove it permanently/ move from its place |
The surgeon removed the tumor from the patient's brain. |
extract /ɪkˈstrækt/ |
The scientists extracted DNA from the blood sample. |
|
relocate /ˌriː.ləʊˈkeɪt/ |
The company relocated its headquarters to a new city. |
|
get rid of /ɡet rɪd av/ |
The company got rid of the inefficient employees. |
|
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ |
to damage something so badly/ to remove someone or something |
The soldiers destroyed the enemy's weapons. |
kill /kɪl/ |
The hunter killed the deer. |
|
eliminate /iˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/ |
The company eliminated the position of receptionist. |
|
cancel /ˈkæn.səl/ |
The theater canceled the show. |
|
treat /triːt/ |
to go to a restaurant, theater, club, etc. with somebody you have invited |
The company treated its employees to a Christmas party. |
entertain as a guest |
The family entertained their guests with a home-cooked meal. |
|
order out /ˈɔːda(r) aʊt/ |
to buy cooked food at a restaurant and carry it away to eat, for example at home |
I'm so tired from work, I think I'm going to order out for dinner. |
take away /teɪk əˈweɪ/ |
The restaurant offered a free dessert to take away. |
IV. Other phrasal verbs with Take

Besides the phrasal verb Take out, let's learn some other common phrasal verbs with Take that are frequently encountered in communication!
Other phrasal verbs with Take |
Meaning |
Example |
take aback |
to surprise or shock someone so much |
Hanna was taken aback by his sudden question. |
take after |
to be similar to an older member of your family in appearance or character |
My daughter takes after me in looks. |
take against |
to begin to dislike someone |
My dog takes against cats. |
take apart |
to separate something into its different parts |
The mechanic took apart my car to diagnose the problem. |
take back |
to admit that something you said was wrong or that you should not have said it |
I take back what I said about you. |
take in |
to cheat, fool, or deceive someone |
The artist took in the old woman for a lot of money. |
take off |
to leave the ground and begin to fly: |
The plane took off at 11 pm. |
take over |
to start doing a job or being responsible for something that another person did or had responsibility for before |
The new manager will take over the company. |
take through |
to explain something to someone |
The teacher took the students through the multiplication tables. |
take to |
to start liking somebody/something |
I took to my new job. |
take up |
to fill an amount of space or time |
The new hobby took up a lot of my time. |
V. Exercise on Take out in English with answers
After learning the meaning of Take out in English and its structures, let's dive into the following exercises to practice using Take out in sentences!
Exercise: Write sentences using the structure of Take out
1. He/ take out the trash/ throw/ party
➡ _________________________
2. They/ take out a mortgage/ buy/ dream house
➡ ________________________________
3. Students/ take out/ library books/ support their research
➡ _______________________________________
4. The company's strategy/ take out the competitors/ become/ market leader
➡ ____________________________________________________
5. Jenny/ take out/ her brother/ lunch/ birthday
➡ _______________________________
Answer:
1. He took out the trash before leaving the party.
2. They take out a mortgage to buy their dream house.
3. The students take out library books to support their research.
4. The company's strategy helped them take out the competitors and become the market leader.
5. Jenny takes her brother out to lunch for her birthday.
VI. Achieve Your Dream IELTS Band Score
Now you know questions like "What is 'Take out'?" and "How to use 'Take out'?", right? This article has compiled all the theoretical knowledge about Take out in English and provided its common synonyms and phrasal verbs. If you’re looking for a trusted partner in your IELTS journey, PREP is your key to success.
- IELTS preparation: Master Every Section of IELTS

Hi I'm Hien, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.
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