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.
I always recommend people to try out your space before they rent it out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
If you’re inspired, you can try out our new MarketWatch retirement questionnaire and ask a good, meaty question of your own.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
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
The team are going to try out a few solutions to the problem in Monaco this weekend, such as Alonso perhaps sitting a little higher, or adjusting the pedals.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
I didn't know why she was there, since she was too young to try out for anything.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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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.