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to trot out

to trot out

8 5.9
To show something again to impress or persuade people
  • phrasal verb
  • /trɑt aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : sacar
  • What do you expect when you trot out the Second Amendment?
  • trot out old
  • trot out that tired
  • trot out the customary platitude

And their crippled bodies, as the New York Tribune said, were trotted out in this election as images.

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Examples

  • A little skill of mine, something to trot out at parties.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • So instead, you want to trot out a computer or a program?

    Blog text (7)
  • You must think I was born yesterday to trot out that old illogical argument.

    Blog text (18)
  • A lot of people try to trot out Trumpism, but it doesn't work, right?

  • I'm sure that Bill can trot out his standard defenses to those criticisms.

    Blog text (12)
  • That's where networks trot out their upcoming stuff to the advertisers.

  • Why don't you actually read the article instead of simply trotting out your standard unthinking litany of pro-abortion slogans?

    Blog text (16)
  • During the presentation, the speaker always trots out the same statistics to convince the audience.

  • Politicians often trot out well-known experts to support their arguments during debates.

  • She tends to trot out the same excuses every time she is late for work.

Synonyms

to show off
vsto trot out
  • Informal
216 3.2

To act proudly to get attention or praise

is used more for routine presentation to persuade rather than personal boasting
to tout
vsto trot out
65 6.1

To praise or advertise something strongly to make people want it

is used for routine showing to persuade others rather than strong promotion
to wheel out
vsto trot out
  • Informal
1 5.1

To show something again, often because it is already ready

is used to show things repeatedly to impress or persuade others
to trump out
vsto trot out
  • Informal
8.4

Announce something loudly and proudly to get attention

is used to present repeatedly to impress or persuade not just to proclaim

Antonyms

1.0

To keep something so others cannot see or understand it

210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

How Often

to overuse
20 3.7
to trot out
  • Informal
8 5.9
to repeat
1.0
to bring up
788 2.6
to mention
1.0

Surface Forms

trot out infinitive
trot out past
trot out past participle
trot out present participle
trot out third person singular

Morphology

trot + out

The literal meanings of 'trot' (move briskly) and 'out' (away/out) create a clear motion metaphor that can lead a B1 learner to infer a basic sense of 'bring out' or 'present'. However, the idiomatic nuance—presenting something routinely or as a rehearsed excuse to impress or persuade—is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb trot out may come from the picture of bringing a horse forward so people can see it, when you trot the horse out into view. So when someone today 'trots out' an idea or story, they bring it forward to 'show' or repeat it, often to 'impress' or 'persuade' others.