leaving for dinner

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "leaving for dinner" is correct and can be used in written English.
For example, you could say: We must leave soon, we have a reservation for dinner.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Before leaving for dinner, tell the concierge when you'll return, and the bath butler will set up one of several types of bath.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

7 13 Leave for dinner.

The New York Times

With the pool dissolved for the evening, Trump left for dinner at the "21" Club.

The New Yorker

But no accord was reached, Governor Gilmore said, as the commissioners left for dinner.

The New York Times

He finally got off the phone and said he had to leave for dinner.

The New York Times

Obama asked his aides to come up with some more robust military options, and left for dinner.

The New Yorker

At 8 45 p.m., Dr. Parandelis left for dinner, a takeout turkey burger and French fries from the hospital snack bar.

The New York Times

When Khan and Vollick left for dinner, he told me that he had another four or five months left before his next ten-day leave.

The New Yorker

There are still spots left for dinner at the Cantinetta Antinori pop-up restaurant in the Mondrian SoHo, 9 Crosby Street (between Grand and Howard Streets), through Saturday.

The New York Times

The carnage would probably have been worse, DynCorp employees told him, had a number of people not left for dinner shortly before.

The New York Times

He would go home in the evenings, spend an hour or two with his two daughters and then typically leave for dinner.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "leaving for dinner" when you want to emphasize the departure aspect of going to a meal.

Common error

Avoid using "leaving to eat dinner"; it's less common and less idiomatic than "leaving for dinner". While grammatically understandable, it doesn't carry the same natural flow.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "leaving for dinner" functions as a prepositional phrase often used as an adverbial modifier, indicating the reason or destination for departing a particular place. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

4%

Less common in

Science

2%

Academia

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "leaving for dinner" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that describes the act of departing to have dinner. Ludwig confirms its correctness. Its prevalence in news and media suggests a neutral register suitable for diverse contexts. When writing, prefer "leaving for dinner" over less common alternatives like "leaving to eat dinner" for a more natural and idiomatic expression. Remember to consider the context when choosing synonyms like ""heading to dinner"" or "setting out for dinner".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

departing for dinner

Replaces "leaving" with "departing", a more formal synonym, while maintaining the same structure and meaning.

setting out for dinner

Substitutes "leaving" with "setting out", implying the beginning of a journey to dinner.

going to dinner

Simplifies the phrase to focus on the action of "going" to dinner, omitting the departure aspect.

heading to dinner

Similar to "going to dinner", but uses "heading" to suggest a direction or intention.

off to dinner

A more informal and concise way of saying "leaving for dinner".

exiting for dinner

Replaces "leaving" with "exiting", focusing on the act of departing a place for dinner.

starting for dinner

Uses "starting" to emphasize the commencement of the trip to dinner.

making way to dinner

Implies progress or movement towards dinner.

retiring to dinner

Suggests a formal or deliberate withdrawal to have dinner, often in a private setting.

quitting for dinner

Emphasizes the act of stopping something (like work) in order to go to dinner.

FAQs

What does "leaving for dinner" mean?

The phrase "leaving for dinner" means departing from a place with the intention of going to have dinner, typically at a restaurant or someone's home.

How to use "leaving for dinner" in a sentence?

You can use "leaving for dinner" to indicate that someone is in the process of going to have dinner. For example: "They were "heading to dinner" when the call came through."

What can I say instead of "leaving for dinner"?

You can use alternatives like "going to dinner", ""heading to dinner"", or "setting out for dinner" depending on the context.

Is "leaving to eat dinner" the same as "leaving for dinner"?

While both phrases are understandable, "leaving for dinner" is more idiomatic and commonly used. "Leaving to eat dinner" is less natural and might sound awkward.