check out

verb

1. (intr) to pay the bill and depart, esp from a hotel

2. (intr) to depart from a place; record one's departure from work

3. to investigate or prove to be in order after investigation

   the police checked out all the statements

   their credentials checked out

4. informal,  (tr) to have a look at; inspect

   check out the wally in the pink shirt

noun

1. 1. the latest time for vacating a room in a hotel, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      checkout time

2. a counter, esp in a supermarket, where customers pay

Idioms and Phrases

Record one's departure from a hotel by paying the bill, or from a conference or other function, as in As soon as my bags are packed I'll check out of the motel . [Early 1900s]

Leave hurriedly, make a quick exit, as in The minute I get paid I'm checking out . [ Slang ; 1920s]

Die, as in When he got cholera, he was sure he'd check out . [ Slang ; 1920s]

Withdraw an item after recording the withdrawal, as in I'll check out the tapes on your library card . [1930s]

Record, total the prices, and receive payment for a purchase, as in The cashier checked out and bagged my groceries in record time .

. Investigate or evaluate something or someone; observe carefully. For example, I don't know if you'll like the film; check it out yourself , or That man who's staring is probably just checking us out . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

Pass close inspection, as in That rattle made me suspicious, but the repairman said the machine checked out completely .

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, if you want to see someone who can swim as fast as a fish, check out a Newport Harbor water polo match.

From Los Angeles Times

But then he was checked out again by the Foreign Office once he'd been appointed.

From BBC

It feels like it’s going to be a noticeably less Hollywood vibe with you hosting, which I think is maybe driving people to be curious about checking out the show.

From Los Angeles Times

While it was a fact that agents were checking out a man named D.B.

From Los Angeles Times

“I have watched it grow. Now we’re bursting at the seams out of here,” says Ramstead as he checks out a costume designer shopping for the upcoming season of “Abbott Elementary.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• inspect 
• investigate