diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-comments-list-table.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-comments-list-table.php
index ae462dd0db..46558cc5ba 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-comments-list-table.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-comments-list-table.php
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ class WP_Comments_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 		$comment            = $item;
 		$the_comment_status = wp_get_comment_status( $comment );
 
-		$out = '';
+		$output = '';
 
 		$del_nonce     = esc_html( '_wpnonce=' . wp_create_nonce( "delete-comment_$comment->comment_ID" ) );
 		$approve_nonce = esc_html( '_wpnonce=' . wp_create_nonce( "approve-comment_$comment->comment_ID" ) );
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ class WP_Comments_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 			$always_visible = true;
 		}
 
-		$out .= '<div class="' . ( $always_visible ? 'row-actions visible' : 'row-actions' ) . '">';
+		$output .= '<div class="' . ( $always_visible ? 'row-actions visible' : 'row-actions' ) . '">';
 
 		$i = 0;
 
@@ -842,9 +842,9 @@ class WP_Comments_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 			if ( ( ( 'approve' === $action || 'unapprove' === $action ) && 2 === $i )
 				|| 1 === $i
 			) {
-				$sep = '';
+				$separator = '';
 			} else {
-				$sep = ' | ';
+				$separator = ' | ';
 			}
 
 			// Reply and quickedit need a hide-if-no-js span when not added with Ajax.
@@ -860,14 +860,14 @@ class WP_Comments_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 				}
 			}
 
-			$out .= "<span class='$action'>$sep$link</span>";
+			$output .= "<span class='$action'>{$separator}{$link}</span>";
 		}
 
-		$out .= '</div>';
+		$output .= '</div>';
 
-		$out .= '<button type="button" class="toggle-row"><span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Show more details' ) . '</span></button>';
+		$output .= '<button type="button" class="toggle-row"><span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Show more details' ) . '</span></button>';
 
-		return $out;
+		return $output;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php
index 8df48e6a0c..599c69d2ad 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php
@@ -555,23 +555,23 @@ class WP_List_Table {
 			$always_visible = true;
 		}
 
-		$out = '<div class="' . ( $always_visible ? 'row-actions visible' : 'row-actions' ) . '">';
+		$output = '<div class="' . ( $always_visible ? 'row-actions visible' : 'row-actions' ) . '">';
 
 		$i = 0;
 
 		foreach ( $actions as $action => $link ) {
 			++$i;
 
-			$sep = ( $i < $action_count ) ? ' | ' : '';
+			$separator = ( $i < $action_count ) ? ' | ' : '';
 
-			$out .= "<span class='$action'>$link$sep</span>";
+			$output .= "<span class='$action'>{$link}{$separator}</span>";
 		}
 
-		$out .= '</div>';
+		$output .= '</div>';
 
-		$out .= '<button type="button" class="toggle-row"><span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Show more details' ) . '</span></button>';
+		$output .= '<button type="button" class="toggle-row"><span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Show more details' ) . '</span></button>';
 
-		return $out;
+		return $output;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php
index baed19e1b3..a4b1972ccd 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php
@@ -635,19 +635,21 @@ class WP_Media_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 			$terms = get_the_terms( $post->ID, $taxonomy );
 
 			if ( is_array( $terms ) ) {
-				$out = array();
+				$output = array();
+
 				foreach ( $terms as $t ) {
 					$posts_in_term_qv             = array();
 					$posts_in_term_qv['taxonomy'] = $taxonomy;
 					$posts_in_term_qv['term']     = $t->slug;
 
-					$out[] = sprintf(
+					$output[] = sprintf(
 						'<a href="%s">%s</a>',
 						esc_url( add_query_arg( $posts_in_term_qv, 'upload.php' ) ),
 						esc_html( sanitize_term_field( 'name', $t->name, $t->term_id, $taxonomy, 'display' ) )
 					);
 				}
-				echo implode( wp_get_list_item_separator(), $out );
+
+				echo implode( wp_get_list_item_separator(), $output );
 			} else {
 				echo '<span aria-hidden="true">&#8212;</span><span class="screen-reader-text">' . get_taxonomy( $taxonomy )->labels->no_terms . '</span>';
 			}
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-sites-list-table.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-sites-list-table.php
index 2d014700bb..b7d8b0e955 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-sites-list-table.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-sites-list-table.php
@@ -651,9 +651,9 @@ class WP_MS_Sites_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 			foreach ( $site_states as $state ) {
 				++$i;
 
-				$sep = ( $i < $state_count ) ? ', ' : '';
+				$separator = ( $i < $state_count ) ? ', ' : '';
 
-				echo "<span class='post-state'>{$state}{$sep}</span>";
+				echo "<span class='post-state'>{$state}{$separator}</span>";
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-users-list-table.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-users-list-table.php
index f9eb81dc8d..e440281c09 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-users-list-table.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-users-list-table.php
@@ -438,9 +438,9 @@ class WP_MS_Users_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 			foreach ( $actions as $action => $link ) {
 				++$i;
 
-				$sep = ( $i < $action_count ) ? ' | ' : '';
+				$separator = ( $i < $action_count ) ? ' | ' : '';
 
-				echo "<span class='$action'>$link$sep</span>";
+				echo "<span class='$action'>{$link}{$separator}</span>";
 			}
 
 			echo '</small></span><br />';
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php
index 567f09a0d3..bae5a11b1f 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php
@@ -414,19 +414,19 @@ class WP_Terms_List_Table extends WP_List_Table {
 			);
 		}
 
-		$out = sprintf(
+		$output = sprintf(
 			'<strong>%s</strong><br />',
 			$name
 		);
 
-		$out .= '<div class="hidden" id="inline_' . $qe_data->term_id . '">';
-		$out .= '<div class="name">' . $qe_data->name . '</div>';
+		$output .= '<div class="hidden" id="inline_' . $qe_data->term_id . '">';
+		$output .= '<div class="name">' . $qe_data->name . '</div>';
 
 		/** This filter is documented in wp-admin/edit-tag-form.php */
-		$out .= '<div class="slug">' . apply_filters( 'editable_slug', $qe_data->slug, $qe_data ) . '</div>';
-		$out .= '<div class="parent">' . $qe_data->parent . '</div></div>';
+		$output .= '<div class="slug">' . apply_filters( 'editable_slug', $qe_data->slug, $qe_data ) . '</div>';
+		$output .= '<div class="parent">' . $qe_data->parent . '</div></div>';
 
-		return $out;
+		return $output;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
index 5de407f615..d3dcfceaae 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
@@ -799,9 +799,9 @@ function _wp_dashboard_recent_comments_row( &$comment, $show_date = true ) {
 			if ( ( ( 'approve' === $action || 'unapprove' === $action ) && 2 === $i )
 				|| 1 === $i
 			) {
-				$sep = '';
+				$separator = '';
 			} else {
-				$sep = ' | ';
+				$separator = ' | ';
 			}
 
 			// Reply and quickedit need a hide-if-no-js span.
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ function _wp_dashboard_recent_comments_row( &$comment, $show_date = true ) {
 				$action .= ' hidden';
 			}
 
-			$actions_string .= "<span class='$action'>$sep$link</span>";
+			$actions_string .= "<span class='$action'>{$separator}{$link}</span>";
 		}
 	}
 	?>
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/media.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/media.php
index 510fff563d..51f21ddb7d 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/media.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/media.php
@@ -1155,16 +1155,16 @@ function image_align_input_fields( $post, $checked = '' ) {
 		$checked = 'none';
 	}
 
-	$out = array();
+	$output = array();
 
 	foreach ( $alignments as $name => $label ) {
-		$name  = esc_attr( $name );
-		$out[] = "<input type='radio' name='attachments[{$post->ID}][align]' id='image-align-{$name}-{$post->ID}' value='$name'" .
+		$name     = esc_attr( $name );
+		$output[] = "<input type='radio' name='attachments[{$post->ID}][align]' id='image-align-{$name}-{$post->ID}' value='$name'" .
 			( $checked == $name ? " checked='checked'" : '' ) .
 			" /><label for='image-align-{$name}-{$post->ID}' class='align image-align-{$name}-label'>$label</label>";
 	}
 
-	return implode( "\n", $out );
+	return implode( "\n", $output );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ function image_size_input_fields( $post, $check = '' ) {
 		$check = get_user_setting( 'imgsize', 'medium' );
 	}
 
-	$out = array();
+	$output = array();
 
 	foreach ( $size_names as $size => $label ) {
 		$downsize = image_downsize( $post->ID, $size );
@@ -1235,13 +1235,13 @@ function image_size_input_fields( $post, $check = '' ) {
 		}
 		$html .= '</div>';
 
-		$out[] = $html;
+		$output[] = $html;
 	}
 
 	return array(
 		'label' => __( 'Size' ),
 		'input' => 'html',
-		'html'  => implode( "\n", $out ),
+		'html'  => implode( "\n", $output ),
 	);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/misc.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/misc.php
index 94f71567b9..94337fee7d 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/misc.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/misc.php
@@ -663,17 +663,17 @@ function wp_doc_link_parse( $content ) {
 
 	$ignore_functions = array_unique( $ignore_functions );
 
-	$out = array();
+	$output = array();
 
 	foreach ( $functions as $function ) {
 		if ( in_array( $function, $ignore_functions, true ) ) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		$out[] = $function;
+		$output[] = $function;
 	}
 
-	return $out;
+	return $output;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/template.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/template.php
index df886560f2..7fe5dd35fe 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/template.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/template.php
@@ -2168,9 +2168,9 @@ function _post_states( $post, $display = true ) {
 		foreach ( $post_states as $state ) {
 			++$i;
 
-			$sep = ( $i < $state_count ) ? ', ' : '';
+			$separator = ( $i < $state_count ) ? ', ' : '';
 
-			$post_states_string .= "<span class='post-state'>$state$sep</span>";
+			$post_states_string .= "<span class='post-state'>{$state}{$separator}</span>";
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -2282,9 +2282,9 @@ function _media_states( $post, $display = true ) {
 		foreach ( $media_states as $state ) {
 			++$i;
 
-			$sep = ( $i < $state_count ) ? ', ' : '';
+			$separator = ( $i < $state_count ) ? ', ' : '';
 
-			$media_states_string .= "<span class='post-state'>$state$sep</span>";
+			$media_states_string .= "<span class='post-state'>{$state}{$separator}</span>";
 		}
 	}