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to slip out

to slip out

39 3.8
To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing
  • phrasal verb
  • /slɪp aʊt/
translation icon : escabullirse
  • When the meeting got boring, he decided to slip out to grab a coffee.
  • slip out the back door
  • slip out of the house

But I did have the tools I needed to slip out of the house once in a while on farm and prowl around Baltimore.

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Examples

  • Some time later, Old Mrs. Kern slipped out the door and went up the hill to her house.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • "See you on the throne," Wulfrith called over his shoulder as he slipped out the door.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • We can slip out the back, man.

  • During dinner, I slipped out and I made a call and I told her about you.

  • In the middle of the night, two boys slipped out of the house and went over to scare the girls.

    Academic text (2016)
  • You'd better slip out again and stay out till after daylight.

  • All we have to do is find an aristocrat and slip out while she's distracted.

  • Koop pushed open the car door, slipped out, and started down the sidewalk.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • No, better to creep downstairs as softly as a cat and slip out unnoticed.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • With the end of the Lopez Portillo government, Durazo quietly slipped out of the country.

    Academic text (1990)

Synonyms

to sneak
vsto slip out
699 2.8

To move or take something quietly so others do not notice

focuses on leaving quietly rather than taking or hiding items
to walk away
vsto slip out
632 3.5

Leave a person, place, or situation without taking part anymore

is about quietly exiting without the sense of detachment
to step out
vsto slip out
234 2.3

Leave a room or building briefly

is a quiet unnoticed exit rather than a brief purposeful absence
to skip
vsto slip out
  • Informal
147 3.7

To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid trouble

is similar but focuses on a quiet unnoticed exit
to sneak out
vsto slip out
  • Informal
125 3.7

To leave a place quietly so no one notices you

is the same quiet secret leaving without being seen
to sneak off
vsto slip out
  • Informal
33 4.0

Leave a place quietly so others do not notice

is the same unnoticed, quiet way of leaving
to slip away
vsto slip out
32 3.4

To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing

matches this idea of quiet secret departure exactly
to skip town
vsto slip out
  • Informal
28 8.1

Leave a place suddenly and secretly to avoid trouble or debt

is quieter and may be for many reasons, not just escape
to sneak away
vsto slip out
  • Informal
17 3.6

To leave a place quietly without being noticed

is the same kind of quiet, unnoticed departure
to pop out
vsto slip out
  • Informal
16 3.2

To leave a place for a short time to do something

is a quiet unnoticed leaving without implying a short errand
to slink
vsto slip out
16 6.7

To move quietly and carefully to avoid being seen

is a quiet exit but less about guilt and more about secrecy
to duck out
vsto slip out
  • Informal
12 7.2

To leave a place quickly and quietly to avoid something you should do

is mainly about leaving unnoticed, not avoiding duty specifically
to steal away
vsto slip out
4 6.3

To leave a meeting or party quietly so no one notices

is the same quiet secret leaving without attention
to decamp
vsto slip out
4 8.5

To leave a place quickly and secretly to avoid being caught

is quieter and emphasizes unnoticed exit rather than escape
to take a powder
vsto slip out
  • Archaic
4 9.9

To leave a place suddenly without telling anyone to avoid trouble

is quieter and not necessarily sudden or avoidance-driven
to dip out
vsto slip out
  • Informal
1 9.1

To leave a place quietly or suddenly without telling others

is focused on a quiet unnoticed exit rather than responsibility avoidance
to sidle away
vsto slip out
1 7.7

To move quietly to the side and away so people do not notice you

is similar but simply stresses leaving without being noticed
to exit stage left
vsto slip out
  • Informal
1 7.9

Leave a place or conversation quietly to avoid attention

is the same quiet departure but less theatrical or staged
to pop off
vsto slip out
  • UK
1 7.9

To leave a place quickly, often without saying goodbye

is quieter and implies secret rather than just quick departure
to absquatulate
vsto slip out
  • Archaic
9.9

To leave a place quickly and secretly, often taking things or someone

is quieter and does not imply taking things along

Antonyms

1.0

To reach a place, especially at the end of a journey

1.0

To go into a building, room, or area

How Quiet

to abscond
  • Formal
11 8.5
to sneak out
  • Informal
125 3.7
to slip out
39 3.8
to leave
1.0
to step out
234 2.3

Surface Forms

slip out infinitive
slipped out past participle
slipping out present participle
slips out third person singular

Morphology

slip + out

The meaning 'to leave a place quietly or secretly' is directly compositional from 'slip' (to move smoothly/quietly) + 'out' (away from the interior), so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the sense. This verb+particle motion pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English phrasal-verb composition, making the expression predictable and transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb slip out comes from the image of someone quietly sliding away from a room: to slip is to move smoothly and quietly and out shows they leave. So it means 'to leave a place quietly or secretly, without being noticed'.