Out of context means cut off from what came before and after: the headline quoted her joke out of context. The words are accurate, but without the question before them or the reply after, the meaning changes. The usual verbs are take and quote. Before a noun, use hyphens: an out-of-context clip.
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take / quote something out of context; an out-of-context quotation
- The headline quoted her joke out of context and made it sound serious.
- Out of context, the final sentence seems to contradict the report.
- He shared an out-of-context clip without the question that came before it.
What changed
First versionThe comment was taken out context in the newsletter.
RevisionThe comment was taken out of context in the newsletter.
Out on its own can mean outside, so out context looks like enough. But the phrase needs both words: out of context. With of added, the sentence is correct.
Misquote means report someone's words inaccurately. Quote out of context means the words are exact but cut off from their setting: the meaning changes not through an error but through what's missing. Out of place means unsuitable, about a situation, not a quote.
Your turn
Only one sentence was shown, hiding the speaker's actual point: It was quoted ___ context.
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out of — You need the full phrase out of context. Out alone before context isn't enough.
Describe how a short video or quote twisted someone's meaning because the question or the next line was cut. Use taken out of context.
Her reply was quoted out of context, so readers never saw that she was answering a hypothetical question.
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