check out
Britishverb
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(intr) to pay the bill and depart, esp from a hotel
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(intr) to depart from a place; record one's departure from work
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to investigate or prove to be in order after investigation
the police checked out all the statements
their credentials checked out
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informal (tr) to have a look at; inspect
check out the wally in the pink shirt
noun
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the latest time for vacating a room in a hotel, etc
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( as modifier )
checkout time
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a counter, esp in a supermarket, where customers pay
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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]
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Leave hurriedly, make a quick exit, as in The minute I get paid I'm checking out . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Die, as in When he got cholera, he was sure he'd check out . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Withdraw an item after recording the withdrawal, as in I'll check out the tapes on your library card . [1930s]
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Record, total the prices, and receive payment for a purchase, as in The cashier checked out and bagged my groceries in record time .
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. 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]
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Pass close inspection, as in That rattle made me suspicious, but the repairman said the machine checked out completely .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In each category below, check out the three variations of a clue drafted by the show’s writers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Be sure to check out Mendocino Headlands State Park, which nearly surrounds the village, and the Point Mendocino Trail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Meanwhile, check out the performance of energy stocks and longer-term bonds during the war.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
"I wanted to arrive or depart or have the dragon boat involved somehow. So yes, the, the first step in all the planning was to check out the tide timetable."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Someone clears their throat behind us, a patron who wants to check out their books using the self-checkout scanner we’re currently blocking.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
