1 C1 idiomatic slang
To sneak away from a place or situation, especially to avoid obligation.
"He tried to skinny out of the meeting before anyone assigned him extra work."
inseparable
skinny out
C1 slang inseparable intransitive
To sneak away or escape from a situation, especially to avoid a responsibility.
In plain English
To quietly leave or sneak out of somewhere without being noticed.
What does "skinny out" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To squeeze through a narrow opening by being thin — implying a sly, narrow escape.
Actually means
To quietly leave or sneak out of somewhere without being noticed.
Usage tip
Very rare and largely dialectal. May be encountered in older or regional American English. Not widely understood; learners should avoid using this and prefer 'skip out' or 'sneak out' instead.
Words that pair with "skinny out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
quietly early unnoticed responsibility bill
How to conjugate "skinny out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
skinny out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
skinnies out
he/she/it
Past simple
skinnied out
yesterday
Past participle
skinnied out
have + pp
-ing form
skinnying out
continuous
Hear "skinny out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "skinny out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.