Phrasal Verbs Flashcards
back [x] up
to support or defend someone (When the class was making fun of me, only the teacher backed me up)
break down
to stop working, especially in reference to machines (The ice cream machine at McDonald’s often breaks down)
call around
to contact multiple people (Roy called around to find a nearby mechanic.)
call [x] off
to cancel a planned event (We called the party off. / We called off the party.)
calm down
to relax after an energetic or irritated state
(I need a few minutes to calm down after that match.)
check [x] out
to examine a person or thing; when used in reference to a person, can connote looking at them with romantic or sexual interest
(I’ll check the contract out. / I’ll check out the contract.)
cheer [x] up
to make someone happy, especially if they were previously sad
(Reading always cheers me up on a rainy day.)
clean up
1) to be extremely successful in an endeavor such as business, sports, or gambling
(Our hockey team cleaned up at the tournament and went home undefeated.)
2) to stop engaging in questionable behavior, such as consuming drugs or alcohol
(Her boss said she had to either clean up or find a new job.)
clean [x] up
to tidy an area (John cleaned the living room up. / John cleaned up the living room.)
come around
to change one’s opinion or see a new point of view (I never liked seafood but came around after trying fried calamari.)
come between [x]
to interfere with a relationship between two people
(After more than fifty years of partnership, nothing could come between them.)
come down with [x]
to catch an illness
(After traveling, Chandra came down with a cold.)
come out of [x]
to happen as a consequence of another event (We missed a day of school, so at least some good came out of our boring class trip.)
come up
1) to arise as a topic of discussion or receive attention
(Everyone talked about how much they enjoyed the movie, but the run time never came up in the conversation.)
2) to approach (While I was walking along the fence, a cow came up and licked my face.)
3) to present itself or occur, as of an event or situation
(Don’t worry about a problem until it comes up.)
come up with [x]
to think of an idea, especially as the first person to do so, or to produce a solution
(Sahar comes up with her best story ideas at night, so she writes them down before she forgets them.)
