verb
carried out
KA-reed owt
Carried out (verb) means Performed or completed a task, order, plan or piece of work; the past tense and past participle of carry out. Example: “Repairs were carried out over the weekend.”
verb
1
Performed or completed a task, order, plan or piece of work; the past tense and past participle of carry out.
"Repairs were carried out over the weekend."
"Police carried out a search of the property."
2
Fulfilled a promise, threat or instruction.
"He never carried out his threat to resign."
"The orders were carried out to the letter."
How to use carried out
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDid something that had been planned or ordered.
When to use it
Neutral and very common in formal, official and journalistic writing, especially in the passive: 'an investigation was carried out'. In American English 'conduct' or 'perform' often appears instead.
Memory tip
'Carry out' is separable with a pronoun — 'carry it out', never 'carry out it' — but stays together with a full noun phrase: 'carry out the plan'.
Easily confused with
carry on
carry off
carry through
carried away
Common pairings
carried out an investigation
carried out repairs
carried out a survey
carried out an attack
carried out orders
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Repairs were _____ over the weekend.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for carried out
See all rhymes for carried out →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 'carry out' and 'carry on'?
'Carry out' means to perform or complete a specific task. 'Carry on' means to continue with something already in progress. You carry out an inspection, but you carry on working.
What is the difference between 'carried out' and 'carried away'?
'Carried out' means performed or done. 'Carried away' means losing control of yourself through excitement or emotion, as in 'sorry, I got a bit carried away'. They share nothing but the verb.
Is 'carried out' formal?
It is neutral but leans formal, and is standard in reports, official statements and news writing. In casual speech people are more likely to say 'did' — 'they did the repairs' rather than 'repairs were carried out'.
What is the meaning of carried out?
"carried out" (verb) means performed or completed a task, order, plan or piece of work; the past tense and past participle of carry out.
