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
came out of retirement
a book that is out of print [=a book that is no longer being printed]
b(1)
—used as a function word to indicate a position or situation beyond the range, limits, or sphere of
out of control
went in to get out of the rain
(2)
—used as a function word to indicate a position or state away from the usual or expected
out of practice
The big table looks out of place here.
settled the matter out of court [=settled by coming to an agreement without a trial or a decision by a judge]
The car came out of nowhere! [=the car was there suddenly and unexpectedly.]
2
—used as a function word to indicate origin, source, or cause
a remarkable colt out of an ordinary mare
got the idea out of a book
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 a lack of something
Are we out of milk?
I ran out of time.
He was out of breath after running.
5
—used as a function word to indicate choice or selection from a group
one out of four survived
6
—used as a function word to indicate the center of an enterprise or activity
runs her business out of her home
see also:
Examples of out of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His administration charges into the same cultural battles Moms for Liberty staked its name on, including a push to keep transgender athletes out of girls' sports.
—
ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Aurigny, an airline based out of Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, has cancelled some flights from mid-April stretching into early June as a result of the war.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
The huskies took another bite out of the Illini in their double-digit win on Black Friday this season.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
The archival, iconic footage of Jordan scoring 38 points while dealing with illness in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals was intended to inspire willpower in a Bruins team that had run shakily out of the starting gate in its last two tournament games.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for out of
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Aurigny, an airline based out of Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, has cancelled some flights from mid-April stretching into early June as a result of the war.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
The huskies took another bite out of the Illini in their double-digit win on Black Friday this season.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
The archival, iconic footage of Jordan scoring 38 points while dealing with illness in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals was intended to inspire willpower in a Bruins team that had run shakily out of the starting gate in its last two tournament games.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for out of
Cite this Entry
“Out of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out%20of. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
