Check Off Items: Meaning, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：tick off items (check off items)

check off items 🔊

/tʃɛk ɒf ˈaɪtəmz/

phr.v.

To mark items as completed on a list by putting a tick next to them.

Hand using red pen to check off items on a white paper checklist

tick off items 🔊

➕

/tɪk ɒf ˈaɪtəmz/

phr.v.

To indicate that an item on a list has been completed or handled by marking it with a tick or checkmark.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Check from Old French eschequier (verify), off (away), items from Latin item (also).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a checkmark (✓) flying 'off' the list as you complete each task.

📖 Example

While packing for my trip, I check off items on my packing list to ensure I don't forget anything important. 🔊 When packing for my journey, I mark completed items on my packing list to guarantee I remember all essentials.

🔗 Collocations

check off a list – to mark items as completed on a list

check off tasks – to mark tasks as done

check off boxes – to mark boxes with a tick

🔄 Synonyms

tick off (phr.v.) – To mark an item as done on a list, often with a tick symbol.

mark off (phr.v.) – To indicate completion by marking, such as crossing or ticking.

cross off (phr.v.) – To remove from a list by drawing a line through it.

🚫 Antonyms

leave unmarked (phrase) – To not indicate completion on a list.

🌱 Derivatives

checkoff (n.) – The action of checking off items.

checklist (n.) – A list of items to be checked off.

📖 Cultural Story

Popularized in the 1930s with aviation checklists; pilots used 'check off' to ensure safety procedures were followed.