Meaning & use
clock out
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Meanings
verbphrasal verb
To record the time you finish work, by swiping a card, pressing a button or logging in a system.
Grammar: No object is needed, and it is usually followed by at or for: clock out at five.
Patterns
- clock out at a time
- clock out for something
Employees must clock out before leaving the building.
She clocked out at five and drove home.
I forgot to clock out, so my hours were wrong.
verbphrasal verbinformalAmerican
To stop working or leave work at the end of the day, even if no machine is used.
Grammar: Informal and common in American speech: I am going to clock out early.
Patterns
- clock out early
Most of the team clocked out early on Friday.
He clocked out and went straight to the gym.
I'll clock out as soon as this report is done.
verbphrasal verbinformalfigurative
To stop paying attention or caring about something, as if you had ended a shift.
Grammar: Informal and figurative, often used for people who have mentally withdrawn.
Patterns
- clock out of something
After the third meeting, I mentally clocked out.
The students clocked out halfway through the lecture.
He clocked out of the argument and stared at his phone.
Word forms
| third person singular | clocks out |
|---|---|
| past tense | clocked out |
| past participle | clocked out |
| -ing form | clocking out |
Common combinations
- clock out at five
- We clock out at five on weekdays.
- clock out early
- She clocked out early to see the doctor.
- forget to clock out
- Many workers forget to clock out on busy days.
- clock out for lunch
- Employees clock out for lunch and clock back in later.
- clock in and out
- All staff clock in and out with their badges.
Synonyms and how they differ
- punch out
- Punch out means the same, but it comes from the old machines that punched a paper card, so it sounds slightly old-fashioned.
- sign out
- Sign out refers to writing or entering your name when leaving, and it is used for places other than work.
- log off
- Log off means ending a computer session, which may or may not mean the work day is over.
- knock off
- Knock off is a British informal phrase for finishing work, and it needs no recording of time.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: clock out or clock off?
clock out vs clock off
Clock off is the British form of clock out, and both mean to finish work.
Practice
Our shift ended at six, so I ___ and went home.
Choose one answer.
Clocked out means recorded the end of a shift. Clocked in is the start of a shift, and clocked up means accumulated hours or miles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clock out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.