Phrasal verbs Flashcards
Bring up
Raise: Some parents are criticized for the way they bring up their children.
Fall out
Exchange or express diverging or opposite views, typically in a heated or angry way; Argue: The committee members fell out over plans for the new health center.
Face up to
Accept an unpleasant state of affairs, and try to deal with it: They refused to face up to their responsibilities, with disastrous consequences.
Call off
Not to go ahead with something: At the last minute we had to call off our visit to the museum.
Count on
Rely- Depend: I can always count on my best friend to be there when I need him.
Catch up with
Get to the same level: Many developing countries are failing to catch up with their more developed neighbors.
Die down
Becomes less strong: As the wind dies down, the heat and humidity gradually begin to rise.
Drop out of
leave: An alarming number of students drop out of school early every year.
Figure out
Find it hard to understand; Discover: Major international companies can’t figure out the popularity of the anti-capitalist movement.
Find out
Discover- Realize: If they examined the issues more closely, they would find out the reasons for the changes.
Grow up
Change from being children to being adults: As we grow up our priorities change.
Hand in
Giving their teachers: Students can be quite creative with the reasons they give for not handing in their
homework.
Keep up with
Rise at the same speed as: Salaries very rarely keep up with the cost of living.
Leave out
Does not include: The article is very detailed, but leaves out the reasons for demographic change.
Point out
Show: The lecturer pointed out all of the places on the map where similar incidents had occurred.
Look into
Research: Before you write your essay, you should look into the Party’s history.
Carry on
Continue: Many employees carried on working despite pressure from the unions.
Fall behind
Become late: Once people fall behind with their mortgage payments, they come under extreme financial pressure from their bank.
Cut down / back on,
Reduce: The first step to a healthier lifestyle is to cut down on amount of salt you consume.
Cut out
Stop eating: It is becoming more common for people to cut out meat from their diet.
Take over
Assumed control: In the late 1990s, a lot of large supermarket chains took over premises that had previously been run by small, independent retailers.
Make do with
Use something because there is nothing else available: When computer technology fails us, we have to make do with more primitive methods. They’re called ‘pen and paper’.
Put forward
Suggest or state the case for something: In this essay, I’d like to put forward the arguments for and against globalism.
Look back on
Think about something that happened in the past: When I look back on my childhood, I remember the many sacrifices my parents made for me.
Break down
Peace talks between the two countries collapsed when neither side reached an agreement.
Peace talks between the two countries broke down when neither side reached an agreement.
Work out
I’m trying to calculate if we’ve sold more this year than last year.
I’m trying to work out if we’ve sold more this year than last year.
Wear off
The effects of the drug disappear after a few hours.
The effects of the drug wear off after a few hours.
Wear out
A lot of people exhaust themselves through overwork.
A lot of people wear themselves out through overwork.
Pull through
Despite the severity of the disease, many people recover with the help of appropriate drugs.
Despite the severity of the disease, many people pull through with the help of appropriate drugs.
Sort out
Through careful negotiation, they were able to resolve the problem.
Through careful negotiation, they were able to sort out the problem.
Split up
When parents start to live apart, it can be particularly difficult for their children to cope.
When parents split up, it can be particularly difficult for their children to cope.
Show up
At the opening night, only a few audience members came.
At the opening night, only a few audience members showed up.
Pull out of
The Australian partners stopped being a part of the deal at the last moment.
The Australian partners pulled out of the deal at the last moment.
Let off
People celebrate the Chinese New Year by exploding fireworks in the street.
People celebrate the Chinese New Year by letting off fireworks in the street.
Let .. down
It is pointless relying on people to help you if they don’t do as they promised.
It is pointless relying on people to help you if they let you down.
Carry on
New government pension plans mean that many people will continue working well into their
seventies.
New government pension plans mean that many people will carry on working well into their seventies.
Hold up
The planned changes were delayed because committee members argued among themselves.
The planned changes were held up because committee members argued among themselves.
Fall through
At the last minute, the plans for the proposed motorway didn’t take place.
At the last minute, the plans for the proposed motorway fell through.
End up
During the recession, many workers in the primary sector became jobless.
During the recession, many workers in the primary sector ended up jobless.
Carry out
Doctors did some tests on the patients.
Doctors carried out some tests on the patients.
Cutting back on
Minor economies, such as spending less on staff costs, can often prevent a company sliding into
bankruptcy.
Minor economies, such as cutting back on staff costs, can often prevent a company sliding into bankruptcy.
Cut off
We were accidentally disconnected in the middle of our phone call.
We were accidentally cut off in the middle of our phone call.
Did away with
Once the government removed quotas, the market was flooded with cheap foreign imports.
Once the government did away with quotas, the market was flooded with cheap foreign imports.
Do up
It cost almost £8 million to renovate the stadium, by which time the team was in serious financial difficulties.
It cost almost £8 million to .do up the stadium, by which time the team was in serious financial difficulties.
Look forward
I loved school as a child, and never really looked forward to the holidays as much as the other children.
Get by
In rural districts, it can be difficult to get by without a car.
Getting through
The ‘drive safely’ message is finally getting through to people, and there are now fewer accidents on the roads.
Looking up
After years of decline, government investment is revitalizing the area, and things are finally looking up for local businesses.
Go up
As ticket prices go up, fewer people go to the cinema, preferring instead, to stay at home and do other things.
Look after
I believe that people who have to look after elderly relatives or other dependants, should receive financial support.
Get away
Large companies can no longer get away with dumping industrial waste in rivers.
Go on
Even if you fail the first time, you should go on trying.
Come across
Scientists came across the cure by accident while they were studying the health benefits of a rare tropical plant.
Give up
The first step to a healthier lifestyle is to give up smoking.
Look up
Although many children look up to their parents, many rebel against their values and way of life.
Go about
People who want to know how to go about starting up their own website should read Websites Made Easy.
Go out
The gas fire heating the container went out, and the apparatus started to cool down rapidly.
Go through
We decided not to go through with our plans until we had made enough money.
Look down
Some people tend to look down on those who are less fortunate than they are.
Come / get through
Wealthy countries are usually able to come / get through a period of recession by drawing on financial reserves.
Come off
In any dispute with a major company, it is usually the customer who comes off the worst.
Look / go through
Before I handed my essay in, I looked / went through it very carefully, checking for mistakes.
Get on
People who live in close proximity to one another must try to get on with their neighbors.
Come up
When our local council tried to build a ring road around the town, they came up against a lot of opposition.
Put down
To make a deposit: Accommodation in some cities is so expensive that some people cannot even afford to put down the eight weeks’ deposit that is required.
Talk … round
To persuade somebody: They were reluctant to make changes, but we managed to talk them round.
Take after
To resemble; Have qualities or features, especially those of appearance, in common with (someone or something); look or seem like: Children often take after one of their parents, either in their mannerisms or in the way they look.
Run up against
To stop because something is in the way: After running up against a few unexpected difficulties, they decided to scrap (Discard or remove from service (a retired, old, or inoperative vehicle, vessel, or machine), especially so as to convert it to scrap metal) the project.
Turn out
To be forced to leave: They were turned out of the apartment by their landlord when they could no longer afford the rent, and ended up living on the street.
Pick on
To choose someone to attack or criticize: When I was at school, some teachers unfairly picked on children who avoided sport because they preferred more creative interests and pastimes.
Opt out
To decide not to take part in something: Although many companies offer their employees a pension program, many decide to opt out of the program and make their own arrangements.
Turn up
To arrive for a meeting, appointment, etc.: A lot of applicants expressed an interest in the job, but only a handful turned up for the interview (a meeting of people face to face, especially for consultation).
Set off
To start: Air pollution can set off asthma (a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It usually results from an allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity) and other chest diseases in those most vulnerable.
Run up
To make debts go up quickly: People who use credit cards unwisely can easily run up debts of thousands of pounds every month.
Make up
To decide on something: By the time he was 18, he had made up his mind that he wanted to be famous.
Put aside
To save money; Set aside: It’s often a good idea to put aside some money for a ‘rainy day’.
Take in
To understand or assimilate information: Technology is moving at such a fast pace it is no longer possible to take in all the latest developments.
taken i
Nobody was _____ by the government’s false figures on unemployment. (to be fooled or tricked)
Turned down
To refuse something which is offered: He turned down the job that was offered to him, even though he was desperate for the money.
Put up with
To tolerate something which is not very pleasant: Most people will put up with a stressful job if the money is good enough.
Stand in
To take the place of someone – often also used with ‘for’: He was unable to make the speech, so I was asked to stand in (for him) and make it on his behalf.
Put off
To be discouraged from doing something, usually because of a potentially negative outcome: A lot of people are put off the idea of working for themselves because of the lack of a regular salary.
Set in
To start and become permanent: Once bad weather sets in, people tend to stay at home rather than go out.
Make out
To understand or know the reason for something: Doctors and medical experts were unable to make out why some people survived the virus and others
didn’t.
Make up
To invent: She made up a story about ghosts in the cellar to stop us going down there, but of course we didn’t believe her.
Run for
To apply for a job in politics, competing against other people for the same job: At the age of 38 he ran for the post of President, but lacked sufficient experience to be taken seriously.
Pick up
To improve, to get better: Despite massive promotion by the tourist board, it took a long time for tourism to pick up again after the terrorist attacks.
