block out — prevent light or sound
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To stop light, noise, or something else from passing through or being noticed.
Say it like a native
Textbook These curtains prevent sunlight from entering the room.
Native These curtains block out the light.
'Block out' is the everyday verb for keeping light or noise out; the paraphrase is wordy.
Pattern: block out + noun
In use
- The thick curtains block out most of the sunlight in my room.daily life
- In my opinion, wearing earplugs is a good way to block out loud sounds when you need to concentrate, especially in a busy library.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Earplugs block out it.
✓ Earplugs block it out.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'block it out'.
Common collocations
block out + light/noise— the light, the sun, the noise, sound
Don't confuse it
'Block off' means to close an area, while 'block out' means to stop something like light or noise.
Related
- block out (avoid remembering) — Another meaning of 'block out' is 'avoid remembering'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.