How do I get the query builder to output its raw SQL query as a string?

Use the toSql() method on a QueryBuilder instance.

DB::table('users')->toSql() would return:

select * from `users`

This is easier than wiring up an event listener, and also lets you check what the query will actually look like at any point while you’re building it.

Note: This method works for query builder or Eloquent, however toSql() is used instead of first() or get(). You cannot run the query and also get the SQL at the same time using this method.