1 B1 neutral
To leave a place quietly or briefly without drawing attention
"I need to slip out for ten minutes to pick up some coffee."
inseparable
slip out
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To leave a place quietly, or for words/information to be said or revealed accidentally
In plain English
To go out of somewhere quietly, or to say something by accident when you didn't mean to
What does "slip out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
For words or information to be revealed accidentally, without intending to say them
"I didn't mean to tell her — it just slipped out before I could stop myself."
inseparable
3 A2 neutral
To come out or fall out of a position or grip
"The wet glass slipped out of her hand and shattered on the floor."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To slide out of a place
Actually means
To go out of somewhere quietly, or to say something by accident when you didn't mean to
Usage tip
The 'words said accidentally' sense is very common — 'it just slipped out' is a fixed near-idiom. The 'leaving quietly' sense is also frequent. Almost always intransitive.
Words that pair with "slip out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
remark secret name word truth room
How to conjugate "slip out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
slip out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
slips out
he/she/it
Past simple
sliped out
yesterday
Past participle
sliped out
have + pp
-ing form
sliping out
continuous
Hear "slip out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "slip out"
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