VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

kick them out

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌkɪk ðəm ˈaʊt/
US/ˌkɪk ðəm ˈaʊt/

Meanings

  1. phrasephrasal verb

    to force a person or group to leave a place, organization, or situation, often suddenly or officially.

    Grammar: The pronoun 'them' goes between 'kick' and 'out': kick them out. You cannot say 'kick out them'.

    Patterns

    • kick someone out of something
    • kick someone out for doing something

    The landlord kicked them out for not paying rent.

    The club kicked them out after the fight.

    If they keep breaking the rules, the school will kick them out.

  2. phrasephrasal verbinformal

    to remove a group of people from a place or membership, often by force or authority.

    Grammar: Same structure: 'them' comes before 'out'. Used when the object is a group of people already mentioned.

    Patterns

    • kick them out of something

    The bouncers kicked them out of the bar at midnight.

    The committee kicked them out of the competition for cheating.

Common combinations

kick them out of the house
His parents kicked them out of the house after the argument.
kick them out of the club
The members voted to kick them out of the club.
kick them out for good
The teacher kicked them out for good after repeated warnings.

Synonyms and how they differ

throw them out
Similar meaning, but 'throw them out' often suggests more physical force or anger; 'kick them out' is slightly less violent and more common in everyday speech.
expel them
More formal and official, used for schools or organizations; 'kick them out' is informal and can be used for any place.

Opposites

let them ininvite them in

Word family

kick out phrasal verb
The base phrasal verb meaning to force someone to leave.
kick verb
To hit something with your foot.

Commonly confused: kick them out or kick out?

kick them out vs kick out

The same phrasal verb, but with a noun object you can say 'kick out the troublemakers' or 'kick the troublemakers out'. With a pronoun like 'them', you must put it in the middle: 'kick them out'.

Practice

Which sentence is correct?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “kick them out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words