the way it came out

Question

Hi teachers,A boy takes out a few video games out of the package to set up.  And his father asks him to put them back into the box.  Because of the attachment parts.  He then says: It never goes back in the box the way it came out.What does "came out" mean?  Thanks

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

'Came out' = 'was removed'

JohnParis · Answer

This phrasal verb is difficult to explain given the example you have provided because "came out" has been abridged from "came out of" (the box). I'll try by giving you a couple of rephrased sentences in hopes that it will help you understand via the context.

Thanks to new packing techniques, contents are so precisely packed that once the goods come out of the box and you

Thanks to new packing techniques, contents are so precisely packed that once the goods come out of the box and you have inspected your purchase, it is nearly impossible to reassemble them and put them back inside just as they were before you opened the box in the first place.

The games never fit back into the box the exact same way as they were before the boy disassembled the package.

The way things are packaged today, it's nearly impossible to open a sealed product and then reassemble the contents exactly as they were before you opened the box in the first place.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Mister Micawber, Hi JohnParis,

Thanks for clearing up for me. My first understanding of the word in this context was "came out of the box". But I was confused immediately after I picked up another one, "This product just came out yesterday". Is the "came out" here referring to "debut", available in store?

Thanks

Tinanam

Mister Micawber · Answer

Yes, that's right: it is another meaning for the verb.

Tinanam0102 · Answer

Hi Mister Micawber,

Thanks for your help.

Tinanam

the way it came out

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