ate out

USAGE SUMMARY

"ate out" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe when you went out to eat at a restaurant. For example, "Yesterday, we ate out at our favorite Italian restaurant."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

During that time, we ate out at fine restaurants no more than four times.

The New York Times

We played miniature golf, ate out at restaurants and went blueberry picking.

The New York Times

The Arabs drove new Japanese-made pickup trucks and ate out at restaurants nightly.

The New York Times

I ate out at least twice a day, every day.

Huffington Post

I showered at work and at my boyfriend's and ate out almost every day.

Vice

He told me that he still ate out, but only at certain places.

The New Yorker

Living at the Residence Inn, he ate out in Arlington constantly.

The Washington Post

When we ate out, it was at restaurants closer to home.

The New York Times - Travel

He never ate out and never went shopping -- not even at thrift stores.

Huffington Post

They ate out a lot.

The New Yorker

We ate out every lunch and dinner.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ate out" to describe a casual or regular occurrence of dining at restaurants. It's suitable for everyday conversation and informal writing.

Common error

Avoid using "ate out" in highly formal or academic writing where more precise language, such as "dined at a restaurant", might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "ate out" is as a phrasal verb. Ludwig confirms that it functions as the simple past tense of the verb "eat out", indicating an action that occurred in the past. The examples from Ludwig illustrate its use in describing past dining experiences.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Academia

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "ate out" is a common and grammatically sound phrasal verb used to describe dining at a restaurant or similar establishment. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's the simple past tense of "eat out". The phrase is most frequently found in news and media contexts, as well as more formal and business-related content, indicating its broad applicability. While generally neutral in tone, "ate out" is best suited for informal or casual communication; more formal contexts might benefit from alternatives like "dined at a restaurant". The availability of various related phrases allows writers to adjust their language based on the specific nuance they wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dined at a restaurant

Replaces the phrasal verb with a more formal and explicit description of the action.

had a meal out

Uses a slightly different structure to convey the same meaning, emphasizing the meal rather than the act of eating.

went out for dinner

Specifies the meal being eaten and implies a social or recreational purpose.

took a meal outside the home

Formal and descriptive, suitable for contexts requiring precision.

patronized restaurants

Focuses on supporting restaurants by eating there, adding a commercial aspect.

took dinner at a local eatery

More descriptive with the consideration of what kind of restaurant was chosen.

frequented eateries

Emphasizes repeated dining experiences at various establishments.

enjoyed restaurant dining

Highlights the pleasurable aspect of eating at restaurants.

consumed food away from home

Broadly covers any instance of eating food not prepared at home.

ordered takeout

A different approach compared to a full dinner at a restaurant

FAQs

How can I use "ate out" in a sentence?

"Ate out" is used to describe dining at a restaurant. For example, you could say, "We "ate out" last night to celebrate our anniversary."

What's a more formal way to say "ate out"?

For a more formal tone, you could say "dined at a restaurant" or "had a meal at a restaurant" instead of "ate out".

Is it correct to say "eated out"?

No, "eated" is not the correct past tense of "eat". The correct past tense is "ate", so the correct phrase is "ate out".

What's the difference between "ate out" and "got takeout"?

"Ate out" implies dining at a restaurant, while "got takeout" means purchasing food from a restaurant to eat elsewhere.