Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

duck out

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.21 in modern English

Syllables: duck- out
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To depart quickly or exit abruptly, especially in a manner which does not attract notice and before a meeting, event, etc. has concluded.

Intransitive verb

verb

To depart quickly or exit abruptly by way of, especially in a manner which does not attract notice and before a meeting, event, etc. has concluded.

Transitive verb

verb

To move or act so as to achieve avoidance, escape, or evasion.

Intransitive verb

verb

To avoid a debt; to skip out on a bill.

Slang; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Wile they was still talking along these lines, the orchestra begin to drool a Perfect Day, so I ducked out on the porch for air."
"Fearful of missing a roll-call, Representative Charles E. Bennett has ducked out of funerals, bolted from hospital beds and defied snowstorms to get to the House chamber."
"Cathy Song needed to duck out from work at 3pm to ferry her child from pre-school to a neighbour's."
"The four-term Democrat, known to critics as "King Kevin" and "Mayor De Luxe," has been threatened with recall petitions and recently ducked out the back door of a restaurant to avoid picketers."
"In the one moment he saw his opponent ducking out of his field of vision and the background of white, watching faces; in the next moment he again saw his opponent and the background of faces."
"Congress even now is considering enlarging that deficit by cutting those taxes. . . . It means ducking out of the basic Social Security problem."

Etymology

Possibly an allusion to the abrupt manner in which a swimming duck can dive and disappear beneath the surface of the water, or from duck (“lower the head or body”) as to avoid notice.

Usage

Inflected Forms

ducks out (present, singular) ducking out (participle, present) ducked out (participle, past) ducked out (past)

Frequently Paired Words

take a French leave

Questions

What does duck out mean?: To depart quickly or exit abruptly, especially in a manner which does not attract notice and before a meeting, event, etc. has concluded.
Where does duck out come from?: Possibly an allusion to the abrupt manner in which a swimming duck can dive and disappear beneath the surface of the water, or from duck (“lower the head or body”) as to avoid notice.

How to pronounce duck out

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