tick off the box

USAGE SUMMARY

"tick off the box" is correct and commonly used in written English.
You can use it when you want to describe the action of checking a box on a form or checklist, usually with a pen or pencil. For example: "Please remember to tick off the box next to the item you want to order."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Enter the name of your item into the search box after the advanced search page loads, then scroll down and tick off the box next to "Completed listings".

WikiHow

"I think the president would like to see [entry/exit] as a tick off the box for his Beyond the Border program, which he started," said Laura Dawson, Director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center, at an event on the state of the American-Canadian relationship hosted in Washington last week.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

But acknowledging a name is not enough, and often times it feels like ticking off the box of being "not racist".

Vice

On his rounds, he ticks off the boxes, adds comments and gets signatures, all using his digital pen.

The New York Times

David Womersley, professor of English literature, fellow of St Catherine's College, member of the governance working party and member of the university council, ticked off the boxes in favour of reform.

The Guardian

Simply tick off the boxes to limit your search to Congressional documents, for example, or exclude social media sources.

Harvard University

I like the message in that: that we can tick off the boxes, and yet we still don't quite have it together.

The New York Times

You can tick off the boxes "Suggest emails to reply to" and "Suggest emails to follow up on" if you don't want to see this orange text ever again.

TechCrunch

After you've sifted through all the modules you can use and have downloaded them, go to the Modules menu and tick off the boxes of the modules you've downloaded and installed.

WikiHow

Woody is practically an honorary Frenchman anyway, so that ticks off the French box; plus the film is set in Paris, which ticks off the French box again; and finally it features stars like Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard and most importantly of all Carla Bruni.

Huffington Post

Throw in a few push-ups to strengthen the muscles of the chest, shoulders and upper arms and you're really ticking off the boxes.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "tick off the box" when referring to a physical or digital checklist where marking a box signifies completion or agreement.

Common error

While acceptable, "tick off the box" is less formal. In professional or academic contexts, consider alternatives like "verify the item" or "ensure compliance" for a more sophisticated tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "tick off the box" functions as a directive, instructing someone to mark a checkbox or item on a list. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "tick off the box" is a correct and commonly used expression to indicate marking a checkbox or item on a list to signify completion, selection, or verification. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage spans various contexts, though it leans toward informal settings. For more formal contexts, alternatives like "verify the item" are recommended. While the expression isn't extremely frequent, it remains a clear and direct way to instruct someone to complete this action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

check the box

Uses "check" instead of "tick", a common synonym in this context.

mark the box

Employs "mark" as a substitute for "tick", focusing on the action of marking.

select the checkbox

Specifically refers to a "checkbox", common in digital interfaces.

fill in the box

Suggests filling the box with a mark or selection.

complete the item

Focuses on the action of completing the item associated with the box.

confirm the selection

Highlights the aspect of confirmation through ticking the box.

verify the item

Focuses on the verification aspect that ticking off the box represents.

ensure compliance

Highlights the aspect of ensuring that a requirement is met, related to the action of ticking a box to signify compliance.

acknowledge the requirement

Implies the box is ticked to show that the requirement has been acknowledged.

ratify the condition

Implies that the box is ticked off to show that the condition has been ratified.

FAQs

What does "tick off the box" mean?

The phrase "tick off the box" means to mark a checkbox or item on a list to indicate that it has been completed, selected, or verified.

What can I say instead of "tick off the box"?

You can use alternatives like "check the box", "mark the box", or "select the checkbox depending on the context.

Is "tick off the box" formal or informal?

The phrase "tick off the box" leans towards the informal side. In formal settings, consider using phrases like "verify the item" or "ensure compliance".

How to use "tick off the box" in a sentence?

You can use "tick off the box" in a sentence like this: "Please remember to tick off the box next to the item you want to order."