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do out

B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To clean a room completely, or to unfairly take something away from someone.

Meanings

1 B2 informal

To clean or tidy a room or cupboard thoroughly. (British informal)

"I spent Saturday doing out the spare bedroom ready for the guests."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic informal

To cheat or deprive someone of something they deserve. Used as 'do someone out of something'. (British informal)

"His business partner did him out of thousands of pounds by falsifying the accounts."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 informal

To decorate or furnish a space in a particular style. (British informal)

"They did out the dining room in a minimalist Scandinavian style."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Primarily British English. The cleaning sense is common in domestic contexts. The cheating sense — 'do someone out of something' — is also British and means to deprive someone of something unfairly. Learners should note the preposition 'of' in the cheating sense.

Commonly used with

room cupboard kitchen inheritance money job

Forms

Base
do out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
does out
he/she/it
Past simple
did out
yesterday
Past participle
done out
have + pp
-ing form
doing out
continuous

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Synonyms

clean out redecorate cheat out of deprive of tidy out strip

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