Meaning & use
wall out
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Meanings
verbtransitive
to keep someone or something out by building a wall or barrier, or to block them from view or access.
Grammar: Takes an object: wall out the neighbors. Often used with 'from': walled out from the garden.
Patterns
- wall out someone/something
- wall someone/something out
- wall out something from something
They built a high fence to wall out the noise from the road.
The new security system walls out anyone without a key card.
She felt walled out from the conversation because everyone spoke a language she didn't know.
verbtransitivefigurative
to separate or isolate a person or group by creating a barrier, often social or emotional.
Grammar: Used more figuratively; often in passive: 'walled out of the decision-making process'.
Patterns
- wall out someone
- wall someone out of something
The management's new policy walled out the junior staff from important meetings.
He felt walled out by his old friends after he moved away.
Word forms
| third person singular | walls out |
|---|---|
| past tense | walled out |
| past participle | walled out |
| -ing form | walling out |
Common combinations
- wall out the noise
- Double-glazed windows help wall out the noise from the street.
- wall out the world
- He closed the curtains to wall out the world and focus on his work.
- wall out unwanted visitors
- A tall hedge can wall out unwanted visitors.
- wall out from something
- The small community felt walled out from the rest of the city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- block out
- Similar meaning, but 'block out' is more general and can refer to light, sound, or memories; 'wall out' specifically suggests a wall or barrier.
- shut out
- Often means to exclude someone from a place or activity; 'wall out' emphasizes a physical or metaphorical wall.
- screen out
- Used for filtering or blocking something unwanted, like noise or light; less physical than 'wall out'.
Opposites
Word family
- wall noun
- A vertical structure that divides or encloses an area.
- walled adjective
- Surrounded by a wall, as in 'a walled garden'.
Commonly confused: wall out or wall in?
wall out vs wall in
Means to enclose or surround with a wall, often keeping something inside; 'wall out' keeps something outside.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The phrasal verb 'wall out' takes a direct object without a preposition: 'wall out the noise'. 'Wall out from' is not standard, and 'wall' alone means to build a wall, not to block something.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wall out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.