1.
to remove something from a place
“Take out your books.”
“She took out her phone.”
“Take it out of the drawer.”
Synonyms: to remove, to extract
Phrasal verb
What does take out mean?
Meaning: to remove something from somewhere; to invite someone out
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Take out = to remove something from a place. Take out your book = get your book out of your bag. It can also mean to get money from a bank or to invite someone out. He took her out for dinner = he invited her to a restaurant.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to take someone to a restaurant or the cinema
common“He took her out for dinner.”
“My parents took us out to the cinema.”
3.
to get money from a bank or cash machine
common“I need to take out £50.”
Synonyms: to withdraw
4.
to put the rubbish outside the house
common“Don't forget to take out the trash.”
Word order
Separable
The object can go between the verb and the particle. With a pronoun (it, them), it always goes between.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- take out
- Past Simple:
- took out
- Past participle:
- taken out
- -ing form:
- taking out
Common mistakes to avoid
Irregular verb: took / taken
Take is irregular: take → took → taken. Past Simple: I took out my book. Present Perfect: I have taken out some money. Never I taked out ❌.
With a pronoun: always in the middle
Take it out ✓ / Take out it ❌. A pronoun (it, them) always goes between take and out.
The noun takeaway is one word
The food is one word: a takeaway (UK) or takeout (US) = food that you buy and eat somewhere else. The verb is two words: Is it to eat in or to take away? So write We ordered a takeaway ✓, not We ordered a take away ❌.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: take out
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Take out: you understand the rule. Now practise it.
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English contestTake out: often tested in the English contest
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Frequently asked questions
What does take out mean?+
Take out has several meanings: (1) to remove something from a place; (2) to invite someone out; (3) to get money from a bank; (4) to put the rubbish outside. The sentence around it tells you which one.
Is take out separable?+
Yes. With a noun: take out the rubbish or take the rubbish out. With a pronoun, the pronoun goes in the middle: take it out ✓.
What is the difference between take out and take away?+
For food that you buy and eat at home, Americans say take out and British people say take away. Both verbs can also mean to remove something, but in different ways. Take out = from inside a bag, a box or a drawer. Take away = from a person, or to another place: The teacher took my phone away.
Is it takeaway or takeout?+
Both are correct. In British English, food that you buy and eat somewhere else is a takeaway: Let's get a takeaway tonight. In American English, it is takeout. For the verb, British people say take away and Americans say take out.
What is the past simple of take out?+
Took out. Take is irregular: take → took → taken. He took out his keys.
Related phrasal verbs
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/take-out
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.