Phrasal Verb Flashcards
Take in
Understand and remember something you hear or read. Example: “I’m not sure how much of his explanation she took in.”
Take off
Become successful or popular very fast. Example: “The new design took off immediately.”
Take off
Have a particular amount of time away from work. Example: “Can I take next Friday off?”
Take on
Accept some work or responsibility. Example: “I can’t take on any more work at the moment.”
Take on
Start to employ someone. Example: “We’re not taking on any new staff at the moment.”
Take out
Take someone to a place like a cinema or a restaurant and usually pay for them. Example: “On my birthday, I took everyone out bowling.”
Take over
Begin to do something that someone else was doing. Example: “When Ivy got tired, I took over the driving.”
Take over
Take control of something. Example: “Whenever we start organising something, you always want to take over.”
Take to
Begin to like someone or something. Example: “I didn’t take to living here straight away.”
Take to
Start doing something as a habit. Example: “I’ve taken to getting up much earlier.”
Talk down to
Talk to someone as if you think they are not as clever or important as you are. Example: “I hate the way Belinda talks down to people.”
Talk over
Discuss a problem or a plan. Example: “I know you’re still angry; let’s talk it over tonight.”
Talk round
Discuss something in a general way without dealing with the most important issues. Example: “We’re just talking round the problem at the moment.”
Talk round
Succeed in persuading someone to agree to something. Example: “I’m sure I can talk her round.”
Test out
Try using something to find out whether it works correctly or is satisfactory. Example: “I’m taking my new model aeroplane to the park to test it out.”
Think over
Consider a problem or decision carefully. Example: “Let’s think over his proposal before we see him again.”
Think through
Consider the facts about something in an organised and thorough way. Example: “Have you had time to think things through?”
Think up
Invent or imagine something, especially an excuse. Example: “She’d have to think up a good reason for being late.”
Throw out
Force someone to leave a place or group. Example: “Charlie was thrown out of the Scouts.”
Throw out
Get rid of something you no longer want. Example: “Are you throwing these things out?”
Throw out
Refuse to accept a plan, proposal, etc. Example: “The Minister threw out the proposed changes.”
Throw up
Cause something like dust or water to rise into the air. Example: “As the helicopter landed, it threw up a lot of dust.”
Throw up
Produce something new or unexpected. Example: “The new rules have thrown up a few problems.”
Tide over
Help someone through a difficult period, especially by giving money. Example: “Could you lend me £50 to tide me over until pay day?”
Tip up
Have one end move upwards, especially because something heavy is on the other end. Example: “The bench began to tip up when I sat on it.”
Tip up
Turn a container upside down to empty its contents. Example: “I tipped the box up and emptied everything onto the table.”
Touch up
Make a surface look better with small improvements. Example: “Touch up the paintwork before you try and sell the house.”
Turn into
Change or develop into something different. Example: “The sofa turns into a bed, so you can stay with us if you like.”
Turn into
Make someone or something change or develop into something different. Example: “Stop trying to turn me into someone I’m not!”
Use up
Use all of a supply of something. Example: “Did you use the butter up when you were making cakes?”
Walk out
Leave a meeting or performance before it ends, usually because of anger or boredom. Example: “I walked out halfway through the film.”
Walk out
Suddenly leave a relationship, family, or job. Example: “You can’t just walk out like this!”
Ward off
Do something to prevent harm from someone or something. Example: “Sheila carried a knife to ward off attacks.”
Warm up
Prepare for a sport or activity by doing gentle exercises. Example: “It’s very important to warm up before you exercise.”
Waste away
Gradually become thinner and weaker, usually due to illness. Example: “He hadn’t eaten properly for weeks and was starting to waste away.”
Water down
Add water to make a drink or liquid less strong. Example: “If it’s too strong, water it down.”
Water down
Make something less offensive, powerful, or detailed. Example: “The editor watered my article down.”
Wear down
Make someone gradually lose energy or confidence. Example: “This constant criticism at work is really wearing me down.”
Wear down
Make something gradually disappear or become thinner through use or rubbing. Example: “These shoes are uncomfortable because the heel has worn down.”
Wear out
Use something so much that it no longer works or can be used. Example: “On my walking holiday, I wore out three pairs of boots.”
Weigh down
Cause problems or make someone worried. Example: “The entire industry has been weighed down by economic uncertainty.”
Weigh down
Make someone heavy and unable to move easily. Example: “The waiters were weighed down by huge trays of food.”
While away
Spend time in a relaxed way when you have nothing else to do. Example: “We whiled away the Saturday afternoon sitting by the lake.”
Wind down
End or finish something gradually. Example: “The party started to wind down around two am.”
Wind down
Gradually reduce work before stopping completely. Example: “The factory will wind down production before closing next year.”
Wind down
Relax after a period of excitement or worry. Example: “It’s hard to wind down after doing such a stressful job all day.”
Write off
Damage a vehicle so badly that it is not worth repairing. Example: “My uncle wrote his car off in an accident last weekend.”
Write off
Decide that someone or something will not succeed and stop giving them attention. Example: “He felt hopeless: his teachers had written him off.”
Put across/over
Explain an idea, belief, etc., in a way that is easy to understand. Example: “Television can be a useful way of putting across health messages.”
Put down to
If you put something down to a particular reason, you think it has happened for that reason. Example: “What do you put your success down to?”
Put in
Fix something such as equipment in the place where it will be used and make it ready to use. Example: “We’re having air conditioning put in tomorrow.”
Put in
Make an official request, claim, offer, etc. Example: “Don’t forget to sign the form when you put in your application.”
Put in
Spend a particular amount of time doing something, or make a particular amount of effort in order to do something. Example: “Bob’s put in a lot of hard work on this project.”
Put together
Choose people or things to form a team or group. Example: “I’m putting together an expedition to the Andes.”
Put together
Make something by joining all its parts. Example: “How long did it take you to put that jigsaw together?”
Put together
Produce or organise something using many different things. Example: “I really enjoyed putting the exhibition together.”
Put up
Build something such as a wall, fence, or house. Example: “Dad’s putting a fence up around the garden.”
Put up
Let someone stay in your house. Example: “Yes, I can put you up for a few days.”
Puzzle out
Solve a confusing or complicated problem by thinking carefully about it. Example: “She seemed to be trying to puzzle out who had left the note.”
Read up (on/about)
Get information on a particular subject by reading a lot about it. Example: “I need to read up on my British history.”
Run down
If an organisation or area is run down, its size, importance, and activity are reduced. Example: “They’ve been running the factory down for the last five years.”
Scrape through
Succeed in doing something, but not in a very impressive way. Example: “He just managed to scrape through the exam.”
Seek out
Find someone or something by looking for them in a determined way. Example: “The dogs are trained to seek out drugs.”
Set down
State officially how something should be done. Example: “These conditions were set down by the United Nations.”
Set down
Write something on a piece of paper so that it will not be forgotten and can be looked at later. Example: “She set all these events down in her diary.”
Set out
Start doing or working on something in order to achieve an aim. Example: “Did you set out to become a millionaire?”
Set up
Build a structure or put it in a particular place. Example: “Let’s set the tent up over there.”
Set up
Make a piece of equipment ready for use. Example: “How do you set the pieces up at the start of a game of chess?”
Shout down
Make it difficult to hear what someone says by shouting while they are speaking. Example: “The Minister was shouted down as he tried to justify the government’s decision.”
Shrivel up
Become smaller and thinner than usual and not look fresh and healthy. Example: “The leaves had shrivelled up in the summer heat.”
Shrivel up
Become weaker or smaller in amount. Example: “Funding for the project eventually shrivelled up.”
Single out
Choose one person from a group for special attention. Example: “The actor thanked everyone who had helped him and singled out his manager for special thanks.”
Size up
Think carefully and form an opinion about a person or a situation. Example: “He sized up the situation and then decided what to do.”
Slip away
Leave secretly. Example: “After an hour at the party, I managed to slip away without anyone noticing.”
Slip up
Make a careless mistake. Example: “We can’t afford to slip up this time.”
Smarten up
If you smarten up or smarten yourself up, you make yourself look tidy and clean. Example: “I’m going to smarten myself up a bit before the meeting.”
Smarten up
Improve the appearance of something, for example by cleaning or painting it. Example: “This room needs smartening up.”
Snow under
If you are snowed under, you have too much of something to deal with. Example: “I’m snowed under with work at the moment.”
Sound out
Try to find out someone’s opinions, ideas, or feelings by talking to them. Example: “The council decided to sound out local opinion.”
Speak out
State your opinion firmly and publicly about something, especially in order to protest against or defend something. Example: “He had always spoken out in favour of women’s rights.”
Spread out
If people in a group spread out, they move away from one another so that they cover a large area. Example: “We’ve got more chance of finding him if we spread out.”
Spring up
Appear or be produced suddenly and quickly. Example: “A lot of cafés have sprung up around here lately.”
Stand out
Be easy to see or notice because of being different. Example: “His turquoise tie stood out against his black suit.”
Stand out
Be much more impressive or important than others. Example: “Germany stands out as the leader in environmental reporting.”
Stand up to
Not allow yourself to be treated badly, especially by someone in authority. Example: “Why don’t you stand up to your boss a bit more?”
Step aside
Leave a job so that someone else can take over. Example: “The chairman stepped aside to allow a younger person to take over.”
Step aside
Move so that someone can pass you. Example: “We stepped aside to let someone in a wheelchair through.”
Stop off
Visit somewhere before continuing to another place. Example: “We can stop off at the bakery on the way to school.”
Store up
Do something that will cause problems in the future. Example: “If you ignore it, you’re just storing up problems for the future.”
Store up
Keep a lot of something so that you can use it later. Example: “Squirrels store up nuts for the winter.”
Summon up
Manage to produce a quality or a reaction that helps you deal with a difficult situation. Example: “He couldn’t summon up the strength to carry on fighting.”
Switch on/off
Start/stop a machine, light, etc., working. Example: “It’s boiling in here - switch the air conditioning on.”
Swot up (on)
Study something very hard, especially for an examination. Example: “I’ve got to swot up the French Revolution for tomorrow’s test.”
Take after
Look or behave like an older relative. Example: “Doesn’t she take after her mother?”
Take apart
Separate an object into pieces. Example: “I took my computer apart completely, but I still didn’t find the problem.”
Take away
Remove one number or quantity from another. Example: “If you take three away from five, you’re left with two.”
Take down
Separate a large structure into pieces. Example: “After the play, we had to take down all the scenery.”
Take down
Write down information or a statement. Example: “The police took down my details.”
Take in
Accept something as real or true. Example: “He still hasn’t really taken in his father’s death.”
Take in
Include something. Example: “The tour takes in some incredible scenery.”
Take in
Trick someone into believing something that is not true. Example: “Don’t be taken in by their promises.”
Lock up
Put someone in a prison. Example: “They should lock him up for a very long time, if you ask me.”
Make into
Change someone or something so that they become something else. Example: “It’s as if my parents are trying to make me into the ideal student, so I’m under a lot of pressure.”
Make out
See, hear, or understand someone or something with difficulty. Example: “Can you make out a face here in the photograph?”
Make out
Suggest or imply. Example: “It’s not as simple as some people make out.”
Make over
Change or improve the appearance of someone or something. Example: “They made over three contestants on the show. When they’d finished, they looked amazing.”
Make up
Work at different times from usual because you have not worked enough at the normal times. Example: “Sorry I’m late; I’ll make up for it.”
Meet up
Come together with someone, either unexpectedly or as planned. Example: “Why don’t we meet up when I’m in Berlin?”
Mess about/around
Behave in a silly way. Example: “Mrs Evans asked the class to stop messing about.”
Mess about/around
Spend time doing things in a relaxed way. Example: “There’s nothing I like better than messing about in the garden.”
Mess up
Be the cause of someone’s physical, emotional, or mental problems. Example: “Drugs really messed her up.”
Mess up
Make a mistake or do something badly. Example: “She says she completely messed up the interview.”
Mess up
Make something dirty or untidy. Example: “The wind had messed up my hair.”
Mix up
Put things together without any order. Example: “If you put different colas into different glasses and mixed them up, could you tell which is which?”
Mix up
Think that one person or thing is another person or thing. Example: “I’ve only ever mixed the Hampson twins up once.”
Mount up
Get much larger. Example: “The costs are beginning to mount up.”
Move in (with)
Start living in a different house or flat (with someone). Example: “When are you moving in with your partner?”
Move on
Leave one place and travel to another. Example: “My job means that I tend to stay in one city for a year or two and then move on.”
Move on
Stop discussing or doing something and begin discussing or doing something different. Example: “I think we should move on, or we’ll never finish the meeting on time.”
Move out
Permanently leave the house or flat where you live or the place where you have your business. Example: “I hear you’ve finally moved out of your parents’ house.”
Move over
Change your position in order to make space for someone or something. Example: “The woman moved over so that I could sit down.”
Mull over
Think carefully about something over a period of time. Example: “They’ll need time to mull over the proposals.”
Open up
Make it easier to travel or do business in a country. Example: “You’d be amazed at how much China has opened up since you last visited.”
Open up
Open a locked door, container, or building. Example: “When we opened the box up, we found a puppy inside.”
Open up
Talk more about your personal feelings and experiences. Example: “Henry doesn’t find it easy to open up.”
Opt out (of)
Decide not to take part in something or stop taking part in it. Example: “Quite a few of the students have opted out of the school trip.”
Paper over
Hide a problem or disagreement rather than finding a satisfactory solution. Example: “Fundamental problems were papered over, not resolved.”
Pass away/on
Die (used to avoid saying ‘die’ when you think this might upset someone). Example: “He passed away in his sleep at the age of 85.”
Pass on
Give someone something, for example a message, that someone else has given you. Example: “When you’ve read this message, please pass it on.”
Patch up
Become friends with someone again after a disagreement. Example: “The meeting was intended to patch up relations between the two countries.”
Patch up
Give basic medical treatment to someone who is injured. Example: “The nurses managed to patch her up temporarily.”
Patch up
Repair something, often quickly and not very well. Example: “The road needs resurfacing, not just patching up.”
Pay back
Give someone the same amount of money that you borrowed from them. Example: “I’ll be able to pay you back next week.”
Pay out
Provide money from an amount invested over a period of time. Example: “It’ll be a few years before our investments start paying out.”
Pay out
Spend or pay money, especially a lot of money. Example: “We’ve paid out thousands of pounds in health insurance over the years.”
Phase out
Gradually stop using something. Example: “They’re phasing out the old-style driving license.”
Pick on
Keep treating someone badly or unfairly, especially by criticising them. Example: “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”
Pick up
Go and meet someone or something that you have arranged to take somewhere in a vehicle. Example: “I’ll pick you up at the station at 5.”
Pick up
Improve. Example: “They won’t let him out of hospital until his health has picked up quite a lot.”
Pick up
Learn a new skill or start a habit without intending to. Example: “I picked Chinese up when I was living there.”
Piece together
Learn the truth about something by considering all the separate bits of information you have. Example: “Detectives are still piecing together the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Pile up
If something piles up or someone piles it up, the amount of it increases a lot. Example: “The washing-up is beginning to pile up, so we’d better do it soon.”
Play up
Cause difficulties or pain for someone. Example: “The printer’s playing up again.”
Play up
If children play up or play someone up, they behave badly. Example: “I’m exhausted! The children have been really playing up this afternoon.”
Press ahead/on (with)
Continue doing something in a determined way, despite difficulties, opposition, or interruptions. Example: “They pressed ahead regardless of objections.”
Prop up
Help a government, system, organisation, etc., continue to exist, especially by providing financial or military support. Example: “The US has been propping the government up in that country.”
Prop up
Stop something from falling by putting something under it or against it. Example: “I had to use some books to prop my desk up.”
Pull over
Stop by the side of the road in a car or other vehicle. Example: “Could you just pull over for a second?”
Pull through
Manage to stay alive after you have been very ill or very badly injured. Example: “Don’t worry, your dad’s going to pull through.”
Pull through
Succeed in a very difficult situation, or help someone do this. Example: “He said the support of his fans pulled him through.”
Push around
Keep telling someone what to do in an unfair or unpleasant way. Example: “You really shouldn’t let her push you around.”
Get in
Be elected for a political job. Example: “If I get in, there’ll be a few changes around here.”
Get into
Become involved in a bad situation. Example: “Craig started to get into crime while he was still at school.”
Get into
If a train, plane, etc., gets into a place, it arrives there. Example: “What time do we get into Norwich?”
Get into
Start enjoying something or become enthusiastic about it. Example: “It took me a while to get into this CD, but now I listen to it all the time.”
Get off
Have a particular period of time as a holiday. Example: “Will you get any time off this summer?”
Get off
Not be punished severely or at all for something you have been accused of in court. Example: “I can’t believe he got off when there was so much evidence against him.”
Get off
Send something, for example in the post. Example: “I’ll get those letters off today.”
Get over
Find a way to solve or deal with a difficult problem. Example: “There are many hurdles still to get over before the new restaurant can open.”
Get over
Start to feel happy or well again after something bad has happened to you. Example: “It can take weeks to get over an illness like that.”
Get through
Finish dealing with some work, a subject, etc. Example: “I’ve got to get through all this paperwork before the end of the day.”
Get through
Manage to deal with a difficult situation or stay alive until it is over. Example: “How we got through it, I’ll never know.”
Get through
Use or finish something. Example: “We get through a litre of milk every day.”
Get through (to)
Be connected to a place by telephone. Example: “I tried calling him, but I couldn’t get through for some reason.”
Get through (to)
Make someone understand what you are trying to say. Example: “The teacher feels he is not getting through to some of the students.”
Give in
If you give in to something, you can no longer control the feeling of wanting it. Example: “I finally gave in and had a cream cake.”
Give in
Stop competing or arguing and accept that you cannot win. Example: “In the end, I gave in and accepted that she was right.”
Go astray
Become lost or go to the wrong place. Example: “We went astray on our way to the hotel.”
Go down (well/badly) (with sb)
Produce a particular reaction. Example: “The plan to put rents up has not gone down well with tenants.”
Go in for
Choose something as a subject of study or as your career. Example: “I’m going to go in for dentistry.”
Go in for
Enjoy a particular thing or activity. Example: “My dad doesn’t really go in for football.”
Go off
Explode or be fired. Example: “A bomb has gone off in the shopping center.”
Go off
If food or drink goes off, it is no longer fresh. Example: “Does this milk smell like it’s gone off to you?”
Go off
Leave a place, especially for a particular purpose. Example: “Pete’s just gone off to get some chewing gum.”
Go off
Stop liking someone or something. Example: “I’ve gone off peanuts; I don’t know why.”
Go together
If two or more things go together, they frequently exist together. Example: “Why do poverty and crime seem to go together so often?”
Go together
If two things go together, they seem good, natural, or attractive in combination with each other. Example: “Do this skirt and this blouse go together?”
Grow on
If something or someone grows on you, you start to like them more. Example: “I didn’t like that painting at first, but it’s growing on me.”
Hang out
Lean out of a window so that the top part of your body is outside. Example: “Don’t hang out of the window, or you’ll fall!”
Hang out
Spend time in a particular place or with particular people. Example: “We often just hang out at each other’s houses.”
Head off
Prevent someone from going somewhere by getting in front of them. Example: “One police officer chased the robber while the other went to head him off.”
Head off
Prevent something from taking place. Example: “The UN has sent emergency aid into the area to head off a catastrophe.”
Heat up
Make something hot; become hot. Example: “Heat up the baby’s milk before giving it to her.”
Hit back
Criticize someone who has criticized you. Example: “The Minister hit back at his critics.”
Hit back
Deliberately hurt someone who has hurt you. Example: “If someone hits you, think before you hit back next time.”
Hit upon
Discover something by chance. Example: “She was scared he might hit upon her secret.”
Hit upon
Suddenly have an idea. Example: “They hit upon the idea of celebrating the occasion with a concert.”
Hold back
Stop someone or something from moving forwards. Example: “The police held back the crowd.”
Keep up
Continue to do something. Example: “I don’t think I can afford to keep up my gym membership.”
Keep up
Move at the same speed as someone or something. Example: “Dan walks so fast that it’s not easy to keep up with him.”
Key in
Put information into a computer or other electronic machine using keys or a keyboard. Example: “All you have to do is key your details in, and the computer does the rest.”
Kick off (with)
Begin (with). Example: “I’d like to kick off with a quick look at last month’s sales figures.”
Kill off
Destroy living things so that most or all of them are dead. Example: “The pollution killed off all the fish in the lake.”
Knock off
Stop working. Example: “Do you want to knock off early tonight?”
Knock/pull/tear down
Destroy a building or wall. Example: “I see they’ve knocked down the old school building.”
Knuckle down
Start working hard, especially when you should have done this earlier. Example: “It’s time for me to knuckle down and finish this report.”
Lash out
Speak angrily to or against someone. Example: “They lashed out at the government’s policies.”
Lash out
Try to hit or attack someone suddenly and violently. Example: “Occasionally, the patients will lash out at the nurses.”
Lay off
End someone’s employment, especially temporarily, because there is not enough work for them. Example: “They’ve had to cut back production and lay off workers.”
Lay off
Stop doing or using something, especially for a short period of time. Example: “Lay off teasing your brother, Julie!”
Laze around
Relax and enjoy yourself, doing no work. Example: “I’m just planning to laze around this weekend.”
Let on
Talk about something that is intended to be a secret. Example: “He let on about the surprise party.”
Lie ahead
If something lies ahead, it is going to happen to you in the future. Example: “A bright future lies ahead of him.”
Liven up
Give something a more interesting appearance, taste, or other quality. Example: “You can liven up a plain shirt with a bright scarf.”
Liven up
Make something more interesting or exciting, or become more interesting or exciting. Example: “What we needed was some music to liven up the party.”
Lock up
Lock all the doors and windows of a building so that no one can get in. Example: “I must have forgotten to lock up when I left.”
Clock up
Reach a particular number or amount. Example: “Dawson has clocked up 50 goals this season.”
Close up
Lock the doors of a building or business. Example: “The newsagent closes up at 8 PM.”
Club together
If people club together, each of them gives some money so all the money collected can be used to buy something. Example: “Let’s all club together and get her a nice present.”
Come across
Meet someone or find something by chance. Example: “I came across a reference to my grandfather in an old book.”
Come (a)round (to)
Change your opinion or decision because someone has persuaded you to agree with them. Example: “I didn’t agree at first, but I’ve come (a)round to the idea now.”
Come between
Cause a disagreement or argument between people. Example: “I would never let anything come between us.”
Come out
Be removed from something such as clothing or cloth by washing or rubbing. Example: “The stain finally came out, but I had to scrub it.”
Come out
Be spoken, heard, or understood in a particular way. Example: “That came out wrong. Let me rephrase it.”
Come out
Become available to buy or see. Example: “The magazine comes out every Friday.”
Come out
Become easy to notice. Example: “These differences don’t come out until you put the two groups in a room together.”
Come out
Become known. Example: “He said it’ll all come out in court.”
Come out
Have a particular result or end in a particular way. Example: “The cake didn’t come out as well as I hoped.”
Come out in
Become covered in spots because you are ill or your body reacts to a food or medicine. Example: “She can’t eat shellfish; she comes out in a rash.”
Come out with
Say something suddenly, usually something that surprises or shocks people. Example: “You never know what the children are going to come out with.”
Come round
Become conscious again after being unconscious. Example: “I felt sick when I came round after the operation.”
Come round
Change your opinion or decision because someone has persuaded you to agree with them. Example: “We were sure she’d come round eventually.”
Come round
Go to a place where someone is, especially their house, in order to visit them. Example: “Why don’t you come round tomorrow?”
Come round
If a regular event comes round, it happens again. Example: “Jean’s annual garden party must be coming round again soon.”
Come up with
Think of something such as an idea or a plan. Example: “He always manages to come up with a good excuse.”
Cool down
Become cooler, or make something cooler. Example: “It’s cooled down a lot since the sun set.”
Cordon off
Stop people from entering an area by putting something such as a rope around it. Example: “Why have they cordoned off the park?”
Cotton on
Begin to realise or understand something. Example: “Suddenly, I cottoned on. She’d been lying from the start.”
Crack down (on)
Start dealing with someone or something much more strictly. Example: “It’s about time they cracked down on illegal parking.”
Crease up
Laugh a lot, or make someone laugh a lot. Example: “You really creased me up with that joke.”
Creep up on
Move towards someone quietly and slowly, especially because you want to surprise them. Example: “I watched a cat creep up on a bird.”
Crop up
Appear or happen suddenly or unexpectedly. Example: “Ben had to go back to work—something’s cropped up there.”
Crowd around
Move to a particular place at the same time as a lot of other people. Example: “Everyone crowded around the actor as he signed autographs.”
Cut back (on)
Reduce the amount of something, especially money that you spend. Example: “I’m trying to cut back on groceries.”
Cut out
Remove something from a larger piece by cutting. Example: “Cut out the material you need and make sure it’s the right size.”
Cut out
Stop eating something or doing something, especially because it is bad for your health. Example: “I’m going to have to cut coffee out because it gives me indigestion.”
Die out
Become weaker or less common and then disappear completely. Example: “There used to be wolves here, but they’ve died out.”
Dig up
Dig holes in an area of land. Example: “Police have dug the garden up, looking for evidence.”
Dig up
Find information by searching carefully. Example: “See what you can dig up on the Internet about Mr. Anderson.”
Dig up
Remove something from under the ground by digging. Example: “Archaeologists have dug up a bag of coins from Roman times.”
Dive in
Start doing something in a very enthusiastic way. Example: “Sometimes you’ve just got to take a chance and dive in.”
Do away with
Get rid of something. Example: “Did you hear that they’re going to do away with private universities altogether?”
Do up
Fasten an item of clothing. Example: “Do your coat up, or you’ll catch a cold.”
Do up
Repair, paint, and improve an old building, car, boat, etc. Example: “We bought an old farmhouse in France, intending to do it up.”
Drum up
Try to make people support you or buy something from you. Example: “Advertisements should help to drum up some business.”
Dry up
If something dries up or is dried up, all the water comes out of it. Example: “The river has completely dried up.”
Dry up
Stop being available. Example: “I’m a TV repairman, but work seems to have dried up.”
Dry up
Stop talking because you have forgotten what you were going to say. Example: “I hope I don’t dry up in the middle of my speech.”
End up
Be in a particular place or state after doing something or because of doing it. Example: “Keep on doing that, and you’ll end up in trouble.”
Face up to
Accept something and try to deal with it. Example: “He was the only one who faced up to the truth.”
Fade away
Disappear slowly. Example: “To my amazement, the letters on the page slowly faded away.”
Fall behind
Make less progress or be less successful than other people who are doing a similar job or activity. Example: “I was off school for two months with my illness, and I fell behind the others.”
Fall behind
Move more slowly than other people so that you are behind them. Example: “I got tired on the walk and gradually fell behind.”
Figure out
Be able to understand something or solve a problem, or understand what someone is like and why they behave the way they do. Example: “We had to figure out the connection between the events.”
Fix up
Clean, repair, or decorate something. Example: “Why don’t we try to fix up this old chair?”
Follow up
Check the health of someone who has received medical treatment in order to be certain that it was effective. Example: “The study followed up over 200 heart patients.”
Follow up
Try to find out more about something or do something more to deal with it. Example: “The police are now following up some new leads.”
Get across
Make people understand something. Example: “We’ve got to get the message across more clearly.”
Get (a)round
If news gets (a)round, a lot of people hear it. Example: “The rumours got around town very quickly, didn’t they?”
Get down
Make someone feel sad or lose hope; start feeling sad or losing hope. Example: “Doing the same thing every day can get you down.”
Add up to
Combine to produce a particular result or effect. Example: “These new measures do not add up to genuine reform.”
Add up to
If separate amounts add up to a total amount, together they form that total. Example: “His business expenses add up to around $1,000.”
Answer back
Reply rudely to someone who has more authority than you. Example: “I got into trouble for answering the teacher back.”
Ask out
Invite someone to go with you to a cinema, restaurant, etc., because you want to start a romantic or sexual relationship with them. Example: “Fred asked Vanessa to go out with him.”
Back down
Stop asking for something or stop saying that you will do something because a lot of people oppose you. Example: “I’m not going to back down just because a few people disagree.”
Back up
Make a copy of information on your computer. Example: “Make sure you back all your data up, just in case.”
Back up
Provide support or confirmation. Example: “Her friends backed her up during the argument.”
Black out
Make a place dark by turning off all the lights, for example, so that the enemy cannot see a place at night. Example: “The whole city was blacked out for nights on end.”
Black out
Suddenly become unconscious. Example: “He had blacked out during the intense heat.”
Blend in
If someone or something blends in, they are similar to the other people, objects, or buildings around them, and so they seem appropriate or unnoticed. Example: “The building doesn’t really blend in with the others.”
Blurt out
Say something suddenly and without thinking about the effect it will have, usually because you are nervous or excited. Example: “She blurted out his name, then gasped as she realized what she’d done.”
Board up
Cover a window or door with wooden boards. Example: “We boarded the house up because we knew a bad storm was coming.”
Break down
Divide something such as a total amount into separate parts. Example: “The amount doesn’t seem so bad when you break it down into monthly payments.”
Break up
Break something to make smaller pieces. Example: “Break that old wooden chair up for firewood.”
Break up
If a meeting or other event breaks up, or if you break it up, it ends and people leave. Example: “The meeting finally broke up after hours of discussion.”
Break up
If two people break up, they end their relationship. Example: “When did Diana and James break up?”
Brighten up
If the weather brightens up, it becomes sunnier. Example: “It’s brightening up at last.”
Brighten up
Start looking or feeling happier. Example: “Sarah brightened up considerably as she thought of Emily’s words.”
Brighten up
Start to have more color or light; give something more color or light. Example: “You could brighten up that skirt with a colorful scarf.”
Bring about
Make something happen, especially to cause changes in a situation. Example: “It’s not something we can bring about overnight.”
Bring out
Make someone or something show a quality that they have. Example: “That dress really brings out the green in your eyes.”
Bring out
Produce a new product and start to sell it. Example: “They’ve brought out a new 3D video camera.”
Bring together
Create a situation in which people meet and do something together, especially when they would not usually do so. Example: “The attack on the city really brought people together.”
Brush up (on)
Practice and improve your skills or knowledge of something. Example: “I took a class to brush up on my German before traveling to Berlin.”
Build up
Gradually develop. Example: “Many popular writers built up their reputations during the war.”
Build up
Increase or make something increase. Example: “The food industry needs to build up consumer confidence again.”
Build up
Make someone bigger, healthier, and stronger, especially by making them eat more. Example: “You need lots of protein to build up your strength.”
Build up
Talk about someone or something in a very positive way so that people are impressed with them. Example: “They’ve built him up as a real expert in the field.”
Bump into
Accidentally hit against something. Example: “It was dark, and I bumped into the table.”
Bump into
Meet someone unexpectedly. Example: “Guess who I bumped into at the mall?”
Buy off
Give someone money so that they do not act against you. Example: “The corrupt official was easily bought off by the criminal organization.”
Buy out
Pay money to your business partner so that you can control all of a business you previously owned together. Example: “The other directors have offered to buy me out.”
Buy up
Buy large amounts of something or all of it that is available. Example: “Developers have been buying up old theaters in the city center.”
Cancel out
Stop something from having any effect. Example: “These headphones cancel out any other noise so all you can hear is the music.”
Carry over
Take something that you earn or are given in one year or period into the next one. Example: “You are not allowed to carry over holiday entitlement from one year into the next.”
Catch on
Become popular or fashionable. Example: “Sports drinks have caught on as consumers have become more health-conscious.”
Catch on
Understand something. Example: “He didn’t catch on at first, but he eventually got it.”
Center around
If something centers around someone or something, they are its main subject of attention or interest. Example: “The book centers around the protagonist’s struggle with identity.”
Chance upon
Find or see someone or something when you did not expect to. Example: “We chanced upon a charming little restaurant while exploring the village.”
Change around
Move things so that they are in different places or positions. Example: “My friends had changed all the furniture in my room as a prank.”
Change into
Stop being in one state, condition, or form and start being in another, or make something do this. Example: “The film was about a man who changes into a werewolf during the full moon.”
Change into
Take off the clothes or a piece of clothing you are wearing and put on different ones. Example: “Let me just change into something more comfortable.”
Change out of
Take off the clothes or a piece of clothing you are wearing and put on different ones. Example: “Come inside and change out of those wet clothes.”
Check out
Examine someone or something in order to be certain that everything is correct, true, or satisfactory. Example: “I’ve been taking loads of photographs, just to check out the camera.”
Check out
If information checks out, you feel that it is true after examining it. Example: “Their story just didn’t check out.”
Pull something down
Footnote
(phrasal verb with pull verb[B2])
to destroy a building:
They pulled down the warehouse to build a new supermarket.
dispense with something/someone US /dɪˈspens/
(Phrasal verb with dispense verb [T])
to get rid of or stop using something or someone that you do not need:
- They’ve had to dispense with a lot of luxuries since Mike lost his job.
