Prepositional phrases are groups of words that consist of a preposition, its object, and any modifiers. In English, many commonly used prepositional phrases are formed with the complex preposition out of, which indicates movement, position, condition, reason, or lack.
Prepositional Phrases with Out of
In modern English, out of functions as a complex preposition and must be followed by a noun or pronoun. These phrases commonly describe physical movement, states or conditions, reasons, and shortages.
Common Prepositional Phrases with Out of
Movement or Position
- Out of bounds – beyond a permitted area
- Out of sight – not visible
- Out of reach – impossible to reach
- Out of place – not in the correct position
- Out of doors – outside, in the open air
State or Condition
- Out of control – impossible to manage
- Out of order – not functioning
- Out of date – no longer current
- Out of fashion – no longer popular
- Out of practice – lacking recent experience
- Out of context – separated from its original setting
- Out of the ordinary – unusual
Reason or Motivation
- Out of curiosity – because of curiosity
- Out of respect (for) – because of respect
- Out of pity – because of sympathy
- Out of spite – because of malice
- Out of jealousy – because of jealousy
Lack or Absence
- Out of breath – breathing with difficulty
- Out of ideas – having no ideas
- Out of work – unemployed
- Out of stock – unavailable for sale
- Out of time – having no time left
Out vs. Out of
Out and out of have different grammatical roles:
- Out (adverb): He went out.
- Out of (preposition): He went out of the house.
A prepositional phrase requires a preposition followed by an object. For this reason, out of is used when a noun or pronoun follows.
Examples in Sentences
- The station is out of town.
- The elevator is out of order.
- I asked the question out of curiosity.
- We are out of time for further discussion.
- The child ran out of sight.
- The book is out of print.
Last Updated on January 20, 2026
