Meaning & use
carve out some time
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
To find or make time for something, especially when you are busy.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; often followed by 'for' or an infinitive.
Patterns
- carve out some time for something
- carve out some time to do something
I need to carve out some time for exercise each morning.
She carved out some time to meet with the new interns.
Can you carve out some time this week to review the proposal?
Word forms
| third person singular | carves out some time |
|---|---|
| past tense | carved out some time |
| past participle | carved out some time |
| -ing form | carving out some time |
Common combinations
- carve out time for family
- He tries to carve out time for family on weekends.
- carve out time to relax
- It's important to carve out time to relax.
- carve out some time in your schedule
- Try to carve out some time in your schedule for planning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- make time
- Make time is more direct and slightly more formal; carve out some time emphasizes effort to create space in a busy schedule.
- set aside time
- Set aside time is similar but often implies reserving a specific slot; carve out some time suggests actively creating it.
Word family
Commonly confused: carve out some time or carve up?
carve out some time vs carve up
Carve up means to divide something into parts, often unfairly; carve out some time means to find time.
Practice
Complete the sentence: She managed to ___ some time to study for the exam.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'carve out some time', meaning to make time. 'Carve up' means to divide, 'carve into' is not used in this sense, and 'carve on' is not a standard phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “carve out some time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.