1 C1 neutral
to form a path or mark by walking over the same area many times
"Over the summer, the children trod a narrow path out to the river."
separable
tread out
C1 neutral separable transitive
to wear something away, flatten it, or form it by repeated walking
In plain English
make a path or wear something down by stepping on it many times
What does "tread out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
to wear something down or flatten it by repeated stepping
"Thousands of visitors had trodden the grass out by midday."
separable
Usage tip
Relatively uncommon. Often used for paths, grass, or patterns made by repeated foot traffic.
Words that pair with "tread out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
path track grass trail pattern ground
How to conjugate "tread out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tread out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
treads out
he/she/it
Past simple
treaded out
yesterday
Past participle
treaded out
have + pp
-ing form
treading out
continuous
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Other ways to say "tread out"
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