Compound words with OUT

OUT is a hinge word: 24 words make a compound in front of it and 23 make one after it, so it can sit in the middle of a chain and hold two compounds together at once.

Words that go in front of OUT

Each of these makes a compound ending in OUT.

• blackout — black + out
• breakout — break + out
• burnout — burn + out
• checkout — check + out
• cutout — cut + out
• dropout — drop + out
• fallout — fall + out
• handout — hand + out
• hangout — hang + out
• hideout — hide + out
• knockout — knock + out
• layout — lay + out
• lookout — look + out
• payout — pay + out
• printout — print + out
• readout — read + out
• shootout — shoot + out
• takeout — take + out
• throughout — through + out
• timeout — time + out
• turnout — turn + out
• walkout — walk + out
• without — with + out
• workout — work + out

Words that follow OUT

Each of these makes a compound starting with OUT.

• outback — out + back
• outboard — out + board
• outbreak — out + break
• outcast — out + cast
• outcome — out + come
• outdoor — out + door
• outfit — out + fit
• outgoing — out + going
• outhouse — out + house
• outlaw — out + law
• outlet — out + let
• outline — out + line
• outlook — out + look
• outpost — out + post
• output — out + put
• outright — out + right
• outrun — out + run
• outset — out + set
• outside — out + side
• outstanding — out + standing
• outtake — out + take
• outward — out + ward
• outwit — out + wit

Why OUT joins on both sides

OUT is the busiest particle in English and the single most useful hinge to memorise. It sits behind verbs (BLACKOUT, WORKOUT, HANDOUT) and in front of almost anything (OUTLINE, OUTLAW, OUTBREAK, OUTDOOR).

Words that join OUT on either side

These words make a compound whichever side of OUT they sit on, usually with two unrelated meanings.

• breakout and outbreak
• lookout and outlook
• takeout and outtake

Bridges you can build through OUT

Put any word from the first list in front and any word from the second behind, and you have a three-word chain in which both neighbouring pairs join. Here are some of them.

• BLACK → OUT → BACK — blackout and outback
• BREAK → OUT → BOARD — breakout and outboard
• BURN → OUT → BREAK — burnout and outbreak
• CHECK → OUT → CAST — checkout and outcast
• CUT → OUT → COME — cutout and outcome
• DROP → OUT → DOOR — dropout and outdoor
• FALL → OUT → FIT — fallout and outfit
• HAND → OUT → GOING — handout and outgoing
• HANG → OUT → HOUSE — hangout and outhouse
• HIDE → OUT → LAW — hideout and outlaw
• KNOCK → OUT → LET — knockout and outlet
• LAY → OUT → LINE — layout and outline

Play a bridge

KEYSTONE is a free daily puzzle built entirely out of chains like these. You get the two ends and have to fill the two words in the middle. Three bridges a day, no account, no cookies.

Play today's KEYSTONE

Other hinge words

Each of these has a page like this one. There is also an index of all 60.

AWAY · BACK · BALL · BED · BLACK · BOARD · BOAT · BOOK · BOY · BREAK · CHECK · CROSS · DAY · DOOR · DOWN · FALL · FATHER · FIRE · FOOT · GROUND · GUARD · GUN · HAND · HEAD · HOOD · HOUSE · LAND · LESS · LIFE · LIGHT · LINE · LOAD · MAN · MOTHER · NIGHT · OFF · OVER · PAY · POINT · POST · POWER · ROOM · RUN · SET · SHIP · SIDE · SOME · STEP · SUN · TAKE · TIME · TURN · UNDER · WALK · WARD · WATER · WAY · WOOD · WORK