Meaning & use
exited the building
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Went out of a building; left a building.
Grammar: Past tense of 'exit the building'. The subject usually comes before it: 'She exited the building.'
Patterns
- someone exited the building
- exit the building through something
- be told to exit the building
The alarm rang, and everyone exited the building calmly.
She exited the building through the side door to avoid the reporters.
By the time we arrived, the staff had already exited the building.
Word forms
| base form | exit the building |
|---|---|
| third person singular | exits the building |
| present participle | exiting the building |
| past tense | exited the building |
| past participle | exited the building |
Common combinations
- exit the building safely
- Please exit the building safely and go to the meeting point.
- exit the building through the back door
- The workers exited the building through the back door.
- order someone to exit the building
- The fire warden ordered everyone to exit the building.
Synonyms and how they differ
- leave the building
- More common in everyday speech; 'exit the building' sounds more formal or official.
- get out of the building
- Informal and often used in emergencies or when you want to sound urgent.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: exited the building or exited?
exited the building vs exited
This is the past tense of 'exit'; it can also mean very excited, but that sense is usually 'excited'.
Practice
After the fire drill, all the students ______ the building in under two minutes.
Choose one answer.
'Exited' is the correct past tense and takes a direct object without 'from'. 'Exited from' is not standard, 'were exited' is passive and wrong here, and 'exiting' needs a helping verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exited the building”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.