Come out meaning
Come out means to become available to buy, watch or read, like a book or film. It can also mean to appear in the sky, for the sun, moon or stars.
come out
come out · came · come · coming
Her new book comes out in June.
Come out meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Become available to buy, watch or read, like a book or film
come out
- Her new book comes out in June.
- When does the film come out?
- The new phone hasn’t come out yet.
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2
Appear in the sky, for the sun, moon or stars
come out
- The sun came out after the rain.
- Look, the stars are coming out.
- We sat in the garden when the sun came out.
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3
Become known, like results or a secret
come out
- The exam results come out on Thursday.
- The truth always comes out in the end.
- It came out that he had lied about his age.
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4
Leave a room, a building or a hiding place
come out
- She came out of the shop with a big bag.
- Come out and play!
- The cat won’t come out from under the bed.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use come out in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is come out separable?
Come out has no object. To name the place, add of: come out of the shop. To name a date, add a time: The album comes out on Friday.
Come out with something means say something suddenly or surprisingly: She came out with a really funny comment.
Verb tenses for come out
| Present | I come out · she comes out |
|---|---|
| Past | came out |
| Present perfect | have come out |
| -ing form | coming out |
Common mistakes with come out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The film will go out next month.
Right: The film will come out next month.
For films, books and products, use come out.
Wrong: Her book was come out last year.
Right: Her book came out last year.
Come out is not used in the passive.
Wrong: She came out from the room smiling.
Right: She came out of the room smiling.
Use out of for leaving a room.
Synonyms and opposites of come out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- be releasedthe usual word for films and music
- be publishedthe usual word for books
- appearbecome visible
Opposite
- go infor the sun, go behind a cloud
- stay hiddennot become known or seen
Come out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The band’s new album ___ next Friday.
Come out means become available.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Come out is not passive.
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3It was cloudy all morning, but then the sun ___.
The sun comes out when it appears.
More phrasal verbs with come
All phrasal verbs with come, by level, with an exercise
15 phrasal verbs start with come. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- come fromA1be born in, or live in, a place
- come backA2return to the place where you are or the speaker is
- come inA2enter a room or building, towards the speaker
- come downA2move down to a lower place, towards the speaker
- come up withB1think of an idea, a plan or an answer
- come overB1visit someone at their home
- come onB1tell someone to hurry or to try harder
- come aroundB1visit someone at their home
- come alongB1go somewhere with someone
- come offB1become separated from the thing it was fixed to
- come acrossB2find or meet something or someone by chance
- come upB2be mentioned or talked about
- come apartC2break into pieces
- come throughC2arrive or be officially approved, like a visa or results
Come out FAQ
Questions people ask about come out.
What does come out mean for LGBTQ+ people?
To come out is to tell people you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans or another identity: She came out to her friends at university.
What does come out of nowhere mean?
It means appear suddenly and without warning: A cyclist came out of nowhere and nearly hit me.
What does the stain won’t come out mean?
It means the mark stays after washing: I washed it twice, but the coffee stain won’t come out.
Use come out in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.