check

verb

\ ˈchek

checked; checking; checks

Essential Meaning of check

1 : to look at (something) carefully to find mistakes, problems, etc., or to make sure there is nothing wrong with it Make sure to check your spelling. She checked her makeup in the mirror. See More ExamplesWe should check the equipment to make sure that it's working properly. I checked the tires for wear. [=to see if they are worn down/out] The guards checked my passport.Hide

2 : to get information by looking at something, asking about something, etc. He checked his watch and saw that it was almost noon. I'll just check the map to see where we are. See More ExamplesI'll check the newspaper to see when the movie starts. We were out of milk last time I checked. [=looked] "Do you have these shoes in a larger size?" "I don't know. Let me check." [=take a look] I think the door is locked, but I'll have to check (to be sure).Hide

3 : to look at or in (a place) in order to find or get something or someone If you're looking for a spoon, check the top drawer. I checked his office but he wasn't there. If you're looking for the umbrella, check in the closet.

Full Definition of check

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to inspect, examine, or look at appraisingly or appreciatively —usually used with out or over The doctors checked him over for injuries.checking out new carsAnd so no, I won't help you to find a way to check out women in front of your wife.— Amy Dickinson

b : to compare with a source, original, or authority : verify needs to check her facts

c : to look at (something) to obtain information checking a watch to see the time check a map/schedule

d : to look or reach into (something) to find what is there Harry glanced around at Fred, who was looking anxious and checking his pockets.— J. K. Rowling

e : to access (email, voice mail, etc.) to find out if there are messages kept checking her voice mail throughout the day

f : to mark with a check as examined, verified, or satisfactory —often used with off checked off each item

2a : to slow or bring to a stop : brake hastily checked the impulse

b : to block the progress of (someone, such as a hockey player)

3 : to leave or accept for safekeeping in a checkroom check a coat

4a : to consign (something, such as luggage) to a common carrier from which one has purchased a passenger ticket checked our bags before boarding

b : to ship or accept for shipment under such a consignment

5a : to restrain or diminish the action or force of : control tried to thwart or check our purposes in the legislature

b : to slack or ease off (a rope) and then belay again

6 : to mark into squares : checker check the cloth

7 : to put (a chess king) in check

8 : to make checks or chinks : cause to crack the sun checks timber

9 chiefly dialectal : rebuke, reprimand

intransitive verb

1a : to investigate conditions checked on the passengers' safety

b : to prove to be consistent or truthful The description checks with the photograph. —often used with out The story checked out.

c : to look at or in something to see or find what is there check for messages on a cell phone

2a of a dog : to stop in a chase especially when scent is lost

b : to halt through caution, uncertainty, or fear : stop The train checked with a jolt …— B. A. Williams

3 : to draw a check on a bank

4 : to waive the right to initiate the betting in a round of poker

5 : crack, split Drying wood can cause it to check.

check into

1 : to check in at check into a hotel

2 : investigate The police are checking into his alibi.

check that

informal

—used to take back or correct a previous statement "Sir, I don't know why but there must be a foot or two of water coming down Claiborne. No, check that—three feet."— Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

check up on

: investigate check up on a possible investment

check

noun

Definition of check (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : examination a quick check of the engine

b : the act of testing or verifying making a check on the data also : the sample or unit used for testing or verifying

c : inspection, investigation a loyalty check on government employees

d : a standard for testing and evaluation : criterion

2 : a written order directing a bank to pay money as instructed : draft Do you want to pay in cash, by check, or by credit card?

3 : one that arrests, limits, or restrains : restraint … against all checks, rebukes, and manners, I must advance …— William Shakespeare

4a : a sudden stoppage of a forward course or progress : arrest The outbreak of war in 1939 gave a sudden check to the sculptor's work.— Herbert Read

b : a checking of an opposing player (as in ice hockey)

5 : a sudden pause or break in a progression the invaders coming in without a check

6a : a slip indicating the amount due : bill Ask the waiter for the check.

b : a ticket or token showing ownership or identity or indicating payment made a baggage check

c : a counter in various games

7 : a mark typically ✓ placed beside an item to show it has been noted, examined, or verified

8 : exposure of a chess king to an attack from which he must be protected or moved to safety with his king in check

9 [Middle English chek, short for cheker checker]

a : a pattern in squares that resembles a checkerboard bordered her plain shower curtain with a check in coordinating bathroom colors

b : a fabric woven or printed with such a design Fashionable checks come in all sizes and colors in both twill and square weaves.

10 : crack, break

11 archaic : reprimand, rebuke

in check

: under restraint or control trying to keep his emotions in check

check

interjection

Definition of check (Entry 3 of 3)

—used to express assent or agreement

Other Words from check Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About check

Synonyms & Antonyms for check

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

bill,
tab

Antonyms: Verb

Choose the Right Synonym for check

Verb

restrain, check, curb, bridle mean to hold back from or control in doing something. restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion from acting or from going to extremes. restrained themselves from laughing check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity, or impetus. trying to check government spending curb suggests an abrupt or drastic checking. learn to curb your appetite bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding in. bridle an impulse to throw the book down

Examples of check in a Sentence

Verb Make sure to check your spelling. She checked her makeup in the mirror. We should check the equipment to make sure that it's working properly. The guards checked my passport. He checked his watch and saw that it was almost noon. I'll just check the map to see where we are. I'll check the newspaper to see when the movie starts. If you're looking for a spoon, check the top drawer. I checked his office but he wasn't there. If you're looking for the umbrella, check in the closet. Noun Please give the schedule a check to see if the times are correct. I gave the ingredients list a quick check to see if the cereal contained any sugar. She ran a quick check of the computer to make sure it was working properly. The police ran a check on the license plate and found out that the car had been stolen. He was penalized for an illegal check. He made out the check to me and signed it, and I deposited it in my account. Do you want to pay in cash, by check, or by credit card? a fabric with a blue and yellow check

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Library programming will continue, but check the events calendar at rrpl.org for the latest programming details. — Carol Kovach, cleveland, 18 Jan. 2022 An officer persuaded him to check into a hospital to be evaluated, the report said. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 18 Jan. 2022 One has underwater survey and diving teams that can check on any changes to the seabed in shipping channels and assess the state of wharves. — Stephen Wright, WSJ, 18 Jan. 2022 The solver indicated that Koon should check 39 percent of the time; make a bet equivalent to 30 percent the size of the pot 51 percent of the time; and bet 70 percent of the pot the rest of the time. — New York Times, 18 Jan. 2022 The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that passengers should check with their airlines if weather is forecast at a destination where 5G interference is possible. — Kelly Yamanouchi, ajc, 18 Jan. 2022 Another would require the state Department of Health Services to check the Medicaid eligibility of people in the program every six months. — Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2022 The Secretary of State's office said in a statement Friday that counties should check with it on how to properly reject mail ballots. — Acacia Coronado, Paul Weber And Nicholas Riccardi, Chron, 17 Jan. 2022 Germany’s energy reliance on Russia came into sharp focus this past week as senators introduced competing bills to check Russia’s influence and military aggression against Ukraine. — Peter Aitken, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Over the month of December, diners at Max Restaurant Group locations in Greater Hartford and Springfield were given the option to add a gift to the Roasts for the Holidays fundraiser to their meal check. — courant.com, 13 Jan. 2022 Flaten called the Hour and Wage division at the U.S. Department of Labor in January 2021 to report that Walker did not pay him his final check of $915, according to the complaint. — Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2022 Legendary tech investor Steve Jurvetson, a Commonwealth Fusion backer who wrote his first check toward fusion research 25 years ago, is nearly giddy that this dream long deferred could soon become reality. — Christopher Helman, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2022 Once a bird passes their health check, it will be put up for adoption through one of the four rescue organizations currently housing the birds. — Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE.com, 30 Dec. 2021 His patient, a 58-year-old man, had come with his wife to see the young dermatologist at the University of Utah for his annual skin check. — New York Times, 29 Dec. 2021 The typically frozen biome failed its annual health check due to the climate crisis. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, 18 Dec. 2021 Unless Congress extends the program, parents will have received their last check on Dec. 15. — Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 17 Dec. 2021 Carter sought out more and more of Reinhardt’s music, and found it in a new way in 1999, when he and a group of fellow jazz musicians were stuck at a venue for hours waiting for a famous singer who was late for her own sound check. — Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 15 Dec. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'check.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near check

Chechnya

check

checkable

Statistics for check

Last Updated

21 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Check.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/check. Accessed 21 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for check

check

noun

\ ˈchek

Kids Definition of check

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a sudden stopping of progress : pause The anchor gave a check to the ship's motion.

2 : something that delays, stops, or holds back The new penalty will serve as a check on pollution.

3 : examination sense 1, investigation a safety check

4 : a written order telling a bank to pay out money from a person's account to the one named on the order

5 : a ticket or token showing a person's ownership, identity, or claim to something a baggage check

6 : a slip of paper showing the amount due

7 : a pattern in squares The shirt has a blue and red check.

8 : a mark ✓ typically placed beside a written or printed item to show that something has been specially noted

9 : an act of hitting or stopping a player in hockey

10 : a situation in chess in which a player's king can be captured on the opponent's next turn

in check

: under control Try to keep your emotions in check.

check

verb

checked; checking

Kids Definition of check (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to slow or bring to a stop A bandage checked the bleeding. The batter checked his swing.

2 : to hold back or under control You must check your temper.

3 : to make sure that something is correct or satisfactory Don't forget to check your spelling. I'll have to check the time with my mom.

4 : to get information by examining He checked his watch.

5 : to mark with a check Check the correct answer.

6 : to leave or accept for safekeeping or for shipment check baggage

7 : to stop or hit (a player) in hockey

check out

1 : to look at Check out his new car.

2 : to borrow from a library She checked out two books.

3 : to pay for purchases

check

noun

Legal Definition of check

1 : something that limits or restrains — see also checks and balances

2 : a written order signed by its maker directing a bank to pay a specified sum to a named person or to that person's order on demand — see also negotiable instrument — compare draft

— bank check

: a check drawn by a bank on its deposits in another bank

— cashier's check

: a check drawn by a bank on its own funds and signed by the cashier or another bank official

— certified check

: a check certified to be good by the bank upon which it is drawn by the signature of usually the cashier or paying teller with the word certified or accepted across the face of the check

— NSF check Not Sufficient Funds

: a check drawn on an account with insufficient funds from which to make payment