try out
Britishverb
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(tr) to test or put to experimental use
I'm going to try the new car out
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(of an athlete, actor, etc) to undergo a test or to submit (an athlete, actor, etc) to a test to determine suitability for a place in a team, an acting role, etc
noun
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Undergo a qualifying test, as for an athletic team. For example, I'm trying out for the basketball team . [Mid-1900s]
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Test or use experimentally, as in They're trying out new diesels , or We're trying out this new margarine . [Late 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.
Because of the harassment, L.H. eventually stopped trying to play any organized sports whatsoever and issued a sworn declaration in the lower courts that she would not try out for sports teams in the future.
From Slate • Jun. 30, 2026
They will be able to run detailed simulations to try out different solutions—tree planting, reflective surfaces, green roofs and other strategies—and see how much they would reduce heat in a particular neighborhood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
I’ll try out some guitars, check out different effect pedals.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Albon says it's the perfect circuit to try out the cars after changes were made to the new engine rules during the break.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
He didn’t even try out this year, which is really weird.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
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.
