take out

British  

verb

1. to extract or remove

2. to obtain or secure (a licence, patent, etc) from an authority

3. to go out with; escort

   George is taking Susan out next week

4. bridge to bid a different suit from (one's partner) in order to rescue him from a difficult contract

5. slang to kill or destroy

6. informal to win, esp in sport

   he took out the tennis championship

7. informal to sap the energy or vitality of

8. informal to vent (anger, frustration, etc) on (esp an innocent person)

9. informal to make someone forget his anxieties, problems, etc

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adjective

1. bridge of or designating a conventional informatory bid, asking one's partner to bid another suit

2. sold for consumption away from the premises on which it is prepared

   a takeout meal

3. preparing and selling food for consumption away from the premises

   a takeout Indian restaurant

noun

1. a shop or restaurant that sells such food

   let's go to the Chinese takeout

2. a meal bought at such a shop or restaurant

   we'll have a takeout tonight to save cooking

take out Idioms  

1. Extract, remove, as in He should take out that splinter : [c. 1300]

2. Secure by applying to an authority, as in She took out a real estate license . [Late 1600s]

3. Escort on a date, as in He's been taking out a different girl every night of the week . [c. 1600]

4. Give vent to; see take it out on .

5. Carry away for use elsewhere, as in Can we get some pizza to take out?

6. Obtain as an equivalent in different form, as in We took out the money she owed us by having her baby-sit . [Early 1600s]

7. Set out, as in Jan and Herb took out for the beach , or The police took out after the suspects . [Mid-1800s]

8. Kill, destroy, as in Two snipers took out a whole platoon , or Flying low, the plane took out the enemy bunker in one pass . [1930s]

9. See under take out of .

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Example Sentences

Nations including Saudi Arabia have launched multimillion-dollar Patriot interceptors and fired missiles from aircraft to take out Iranian drones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

“Working families put a lot on the line when they take out a loan,” Rayfield said, “and they deserve lenders who treat them fairly and follow the law.”

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

Fifteen local authorities have signed up to the platform so far, with the government claiming the platform helps to take out "the sting of unfair fines".

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

“If they take out the last bridge and nothing can come in, it’s going to be a catastrophe,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

I take out my notebook and write, Inka, the Secret Keeper.

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

Related Words

• batter
• decimate
• demolish
• destroy
• devastate
• impair
• injure
• mangle
• mar
• ravage
• raze
• ruin
• sabotage
• shatter
• sink
• smash
• spoil
• torpedo
• trash
• undermine