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to lift out

to lift out

5 2.7
To take something out by picking it up, often carefully or with a tool
  • phrasal verb
  • /lɪft aʊt/
translation icon : sacar
  • She carefully used a spatula to lift out the lasagna from the baking dish.
  • lift out with a spoon
  • lift out the bag
  • lift out the drawer

Examples

  • I knelt down and lifted out a heap of assorted envelopes.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Zip opened up the drawer of the desk and lifted out his time platform.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Suddenly, the little bird felt himself being lifted out of the tree.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • How many people have been lifted out of poverty in India?

  • And she lifted out a kind of central circular panel right in the right in the middle of the of the coffee table.

  • Eventually I do get it all separated and I'm able to lift out the support and free the canvas from it.

  • Billy and Al reach into the compartment, start to lift out the sack.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • From the bottom of the drawer, he lifted out a picture frame, beautifully carved of deep brown chestnut wood.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Stevie pulled open a shallow drawer and lifted out a ring-binder notebook.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Hanner reaches around behind the Kelvinator and lifts out a pint bottle of whiskey.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to pull
vsto lift out
1.0

To move something toward you using force, often to remove it

is gentler and more about careful lifting and taking out
to get out
vsto lift out
1.0

Take something out of a container like a box or cupboard

adds careful handling and the frequent use of a scoop or tool
to remove
vsto lift out
1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

is narrower, meaning careful picking up and taking out often with a tool
to pick up
vsto lift out
834 1.0

To lift something or someone from the ground with your hands

is more about removing from a place and often uses a tool
to pull out
vsto lift out
523 2.7

To take something out of a place, often with effort

is narrower, stressing careful lifting and use of a scoop or tool
to pick
vsto lift out
241 1.4

To remove unwanted parts like seeds or stems

is more about lifting out an item whole and carefully from a place
to extract
vsto lift out
166 3.9

To remove something from somewhere, often by effort, or to get information

focuses on careful physical removal often by picking up with a tool
to scoop
vsto lift out
127 1.9

To lift something using a deep curved tool or your hand

emphasizes careful removal and taking something out rather than just lifting
to pull up
vsto lift out
111 3.2

To take something out, often with effort, for example weeds or hidden facts

is gentler, implying careful removal rather than forceful extraction
to pluck
vsto lift out
77 3.5

To pull something out quickly with the fingers

contrasts by being gentler and often using a scoop or tool
to rip out
vsto lift out
68 4.4

To pull something out quickly and with force, often to remove it completely

is careful and controlled removal, not sudden or destructive
to bring out
vsto lift out
61 1.6

Take something out of a cupboard or closet

stresses careful picking up and often using a scooping tool
to take up
vsto lift out
56 2.0

To lift something up, often with a spoon or tool

is specifically about careful removal often using a scoop or tool
to scoop up
vsto lift out
47 2.8

To lift or pick up something quickly with your hand

is slower and more careful, often involving a tool for precise removal
to pull off
vsto lift out
41 2.7

To take something off from where it is attached

involves careful removal by lifting or scooping rather than detaching forcefully
to lift
vsto lift out
25 1.0

To take something off a surface carefully

adds the idea of taking out of a place, often with a scoop
to tear out
vsto lift out
24 4.8

To pull something out with force

is less forceful and more controlled, using careful lifting or a scoop
to dig out
vsto lift out
21 3.4

Find and take out something that is hidden or forgotten

focuses on careful removal with lifting or scooping rather than digging
to pick off
vsto lift out
9 4.3

Pull things away one at a time

is about careful whole removal rather than sharp single removals
to scoop out
vsto lift out
7 3.3

Remove the inside of something with a spoon or small tool so it becomes hollow

is focused on careful lifting out, not only making something hollow
to root out
vsto lift out
1 4.0

Pull a plant up from the ground so it cannot grow back

is limited to careful physical removal by lifting or scooping, not total eradication

Antonyms

449 1.0

Return something to the place where it was before

305 1.8

Put something back where it belongs

How Carefully

to extract
166 3.9
to lift out
5 2.7
to pull out
523 2.7
to rip out
68 4.4

Surface Forms

lift out infinitive
lifted out past
lifted out past participle
lifting out present participle
lifts out third person singular

Morphology

lift + out

The meaning 'to remove something by picking it up and taking it out' is directly and transparently composed from 'lift' (to raise) + 'out' (away from the interior). This is a literal phrasal-verb construction with an obvious spatial/compositional relation that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer.

Etymology

Lift out comes from the simple picture of picking something up and taking it away, with lift meaning to raise and out meaning away from a container. So when you lift out a cake from a pan or an object from the ground, you mean 'to remove something by picking it up', often carefully.