check out

British  

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

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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

check out Idioms  

1. 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]

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

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

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

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

6. . 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]

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

check out

Many of the victims were staying at the Nana Backpacker Hostel, where guests failed to check out after falling ill on 13 November.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

The fastest traditional cashiers check out around 70 shoppers per hour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

But as I left Chapter One to check out the desmadre outside and scrolled through social media to see what was happening elsewhere, I felt a vibe I had never sensed among Mexican Americans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Also, check out Aymann Ismail’s piece about how one group of fans had tremendous amounts of fun even as their teams struggled for results.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026

She was always fine in the beginning, but eventually she’d get fired because she’d mentally check out.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• inspect
• investigate