to give out
– B2-C1 (intermediate to advanced) –
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In North American English, this phrasal verb typically means:
to distribute something to each member of a group of people (or places / animals)
FORMULA: to give out + SOMETHING + to + SOMEONE
to collapse; to no longer be able to physically support yourself well enough to stand
to stop functioning (related to machines)
EXAMPLES
(definition 1) “On Halloween, people give out candy to dressed-up kids, while on Christmas people give out all sorts of presents, candy often included, to their loved ones.”
(definition 2) “Andy usually walks everywhere he goes. Normally, this is a good idea because it gives him more opportunity to exercise. Unfortunately, it was not a good one when it came to walking to where the marathon took place. After he finished the race, his legs were so tired that they just gave out and he could not walk home. Instead, he had to take an Uber, and the driver had to help him walk to the car.”
(definition 3) “My grandfather’s truck has finally given out. After decades of use, it stopped working. Since there were so many problems due to its age, he decided that it was cheaper to buy a new vehicle than to fix his old one.”
What other situations do people often give things out in? Do you ever give anything out at work? When do you normally feel like your body is going to give out? Practice using this phrasal verb by letting me know in the comments below.