To remove something from inside a place, container, or position.
Please take out your books and turn to page ten.
A: Did you take out the trash this morning? B: Yes, I put it by the door.
In my opinion, it's important to take out old clothes from your wardrobe regularly to keep things organized.
Common mistake
✗I took out my phone of my pocket.
✓I took my phone out of my pocket.
'Take ... out OF' a place; with the object it's 'take it out'.
Tell it apart
Take the cake out of the oven.
remove it
Take her out to dinner.
invite and pay — sense
Use 'take out' when you move something from inside to outside, like from a bag, box, or room.Not the same as 'bring out', which often means to introduce something for use.
To invite someone to go somewhere, such as a restaurant or event, and pay for them.
He took his parents out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary.
A: Are you doing anything special for your birthday? B: Yeah, my friends are taking me out tonight.
When I want to show appreciation, I like to take my friends out for coffee and a chat.
Common mistake
✗I took out her for dinner.
✓I took her out for dinner.
With a person, the object goes in the middle: 'take her out'.
Tell it apart
He took her out for her birthday.
invited and paid
He took out the rubbish.
removed it — sense
Use 'take out' when you invite someone to do something enjoyable and you pay for it.Different from 'go out', which just means to leave home for fun, not necessarily paying for someone.
To deliberately kill, destroy, or neutralise a person, group, or target, especially in a military, criminal, or strategic context.
The special forces were ordered to take out the enemy communications centre before dawn.
A: Did you hear about the cyberattack last night? B: Yeah, they managed to take out the entire network in minutes.
Some argue that drone strikes are justified if they take out high-value terrorist targets, while others question the ethical implications of such actions.
Common mistake
✗A drone took out it.
✓A drone took it out.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'take it out'.
Tell it apart
They took out the bridge.
destroyed it
They took out a loan.
arranged one
'Take out' in this sense is often used in news, military, or crime-related contexts to mean 'kill' or 'destroy' in a detached or strategic way. It is not appropriate for everyday situations and can sound harsh or euphemistic.Unlike the B1 sense ('remove from a place') and the B2 sense ('invite and pay for someone'), this sense is figurative and refers to eliminating a target, not physically removing or socially inviting.