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Synonyms

trot out

British  

verb

  1. informal (tr, adverb) to bring forward, as for approbation or admiration, esp repeatedly

    he trots out the same excuses every time
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
trot out Idioms  

  1. Bring out and show for inspection and admiration, as in He trotted out all his old war medals. This expression alludes to leading out a horse to show off its various paces, including the trot. [Colloquial; first half of 1800s]

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.

People always trot out Martin Niemöller’s poem about the Holocaust—first they came for them, and I didn’t speak out; then they came for me.

From Slate • Jan. 9, 2026

Burry is just as likely to be dismissed on social media, where jokers trot out a version of a wisecrack that he predicted 20 of the last two recessions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Next door, lads in vintage claret and blue begin to trot out and warm up.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless and other sports pundits trot out this number in the service of the most popular candidate for greatest NBA player of all time: Michael Jordan.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2024

I trot, out of breath by the time I reach the guard.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

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.