Phase out means stop using something gradually, in stages: the library will phase out paper membership cards over two years. During the change, the old thing still works. People phase out technologies, products, payment methods and rules. The opposite is phase in: introduce gradually.
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phase out something / phase something out; phase it out; be phased out
- The library will phase out paper membership cards over two years.
- These machines are being phased out as replacement parts become harder to find.
- We still accept cheques, but we plan to phase them out.
What changed
First versionThe company plans to phase out them by December.
RevisionThe company plans to phase them out by December.
Most verbs take the object right after them, so phase out them looks logical. But with a phrasal verb, a pronoun goes between the parts: phase them out. With a noun both orders work: phase out the cards or phase the cards out.
Scrap or stop using means drop something at once: the city scrapped the old tickets overnight. Phase out means gradually: the city is phasing out the old tickets. Phase in is the opposite, introducing step by step: new cards will be phased in this spring.
Your turn
The old passes will disappear gradually. We will phase ___ over six months.
Show the answer
them out — The pronoun them goes between phase and out: phase them out. Phase out them sounds wrong.
Describe an old item or habit that is being phased out at your work or in your city.
Our office will phase out printed visitor badges over the next three months.
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