map out — plan in detail
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
to plan or organise something very carefully, often step by step, before you start doing it.
Say it like a native
Textbook We need to delineate the project plan in advance.
Native We need to map out the project first.
'Map out' is the natural verb for planning step by step; 'delineate' is formal.
Pattern: map out something | map something out
In use
- Before launching the new product, the team mapped out every stage of the process.work
- When preparing for my IELTS exam, I mapped out a study schedule to make sure I covered all the topics in time.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Let me map out it before we start.
✓ Let me map it out before we start.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'map it out'.
Common collocations
map out + plan— a plan, the route, your career, the steps
Don't confuse it
Unlike the basic verb 'plan', 'map out' suggests a more thorough and systematic approach, often involving breaking things down into stages or steps.