out of

preposition

1
a(1)
used as a function word to indicate direction or movement from within to the outside of
walked out of the room
(2)
used as a function word to indicate a change in quality, state, or form
woke up out of a deep sleep
b(1)
used as a function word to indicate a position or situation beyond the range, limits, or sphere of
out of control
(2)
used as a function word to indicate a position or state away from the usual or expected
out of practice
2
used as a function word to indicate origin, source, or cause
a remarkable colt out of an ordinary mare
built out of old lumber
fled out of fear
3
used as a function word to indicate exclusion from or deprivation of
cheated him out of his savings
out of breath
4
used as a function word to indicate choice or selection from a group
one out of four survived
5
used as a function word to indicate the center of an enterprise or activity
runs her business out of her home
Phrases
out of it
1
: not part of a group, activity, or fashion
2
: in a dazed or confused state

Examples of out of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Curbside service also can’t replace a dedicated terminal for buses going in and out of Chicago. Nathaniel Meyersohn and Chris Isidore, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024 His father was also the kind of man who sucked the oxygen out of every room and left you gasping. Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024 As a writer for Crawdaddy observed during Souther-Hillman-Furay Band rehearsals, Souther stormed out of the room when Furay suggested a tweak in the arrangement of one of Souther’s songs. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2024 One out of 3 Gen Z men in the U.S. are turning to social media for their health information, according to a recent survey from the Cleveland Clinic. Renée Onque, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for out of 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'out of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of out of was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near out of

Cite this Entry

“Out of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out%20of. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

out of

preposition
1
a
: from within to the outside of
walked out of the room
b
used to indicate a change in quality, state, or form
woke out of a deep sleep
c
: beyond the range or limits of
moved out of sight
2
: because of, from
fled out of fear
3
used to indicate source, material, or cause
built out of old lumber
4
used to indicate the state or condition of being without something especially that was there before
the store is out of bread
cheated us out of our savings
5
: from among
one out of four survived
6
used to indicate the center of a business or activity
runs her business out of her home

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