sub out
B1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
Take someone or something out and put a replacement in.
Literal meaning: To substitute (sub) someone out — taking a player out of the game.
Meanings
1 B1 informal
(Sports) To remove a player from the field and replace them with a substitute.
"The manager decided to sub out the goalkeeper after he made two costly errors."
Grammar: separable
2 B1 informal
To replace one ingredient, component, or element with a substitute in any process.
"If you're lactose intolerant, just sub out the milk for oat milk."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
The opposite of 'sub in'. Widely used in sports and cooking. Sometimes used in technical contexts such as software or hardware replacement. The player being removed 'subs out'; the one coming on 'subs in'.
Commonly used with
player goalkeeper ingredient component variable
Forms
Base
sub out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
subs out
he/she/it
Past simple
subed out
yesterday
Past participle
subed out
have + pp
-ing form
subing out
continuous
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