Phrasal Verbs Flashcards
To act up
Ex. The children were acting up in class, so the teacher had to discipline them.
To behave badly or disruptively
When someone “acts up,” it means they are misbehaving.
To act up
Ex. My old car tends to act up in cold weather, so I need to get it checked by a mechanic.
To malfunction or not work correctly
When a machine or a device “acts up” it means it doesn’t work as it’s supposed to.
To act up
Ex. My knee injury started acting up again after I went for a run.
Symptoms are getting worse or coming back
When a medical condition “acts up,” it means the symptoms become more severe or problematic.
To add up
Ex. I need to add up all the expenses to see if they fit within the budget.
To calculate the total of numbers or figures
When you “add up” numbers or figures, you’re performing a mathematical operation to find their sum.
To add up
Ex. The explanations provided by the suspect didn’t add up; there were too many inconsistencies in their story for it to be believable.
To make sense or be logical
When something “adds up,” it means that it is reasonable, consistent, or coherent.
To ask around
Ex. I’m not sure where the best place to eat is, so I’ll ask around and see what my friends recommend.
To ask or seek information from multiple people
When you “ask around,” you’re asking several people for information, opinions, or advice about something.
To ask around
Ex. When I moved into a new neighborhood, I asked around for help with unpacking boxes, and my neighbors were very helpful.
To seek help or assistance
Sometimes, “ask around” can also mean asking multiple people for help or assistance with a task or problem.
To ask out
Ex. He finally gathered the courage to ask her out to dinner.
To invite someone on a date
When you “ask someone out,” you’re inviting them to spend time with you in a romantic or potentially romantic context.
To ask out
Ex. We should ask him out to join us for a game of basketball.
To invite someone to do something socially
“Ask out” can sometimes be used more generally to invite someone to do something together, whether it’s a date, hanging out with friends, or attending an event.
To be up for
Ex. I’m up for trying that new restaurant everyone’s been talking about.
To be willing or enthusiastic about doing something
When you’re “up for” something, it means you’re interested in or excited about doing it.
To break down
Ex. My car broke down on the way to work.
To stop working
When a machine, system, or piece of equipment “breaks down,” it stops working properly or completely.
To break down
Ex. Let’s break down the problem into smaller, more manageable parts.
To separate into smaller pieces
When something “breaks down,” it can also mean that it is divided or analyzed into smaller components or elements.
To break down
Ex. After hearing the bad news, she broke down and started crying.
To lose control emotionally
When a person “breaks down,” it means they become overwhelmed by emotions such as sadness, stress, or frustration.
To break down
Ex. The peace talks between the two countries broke down due to disagreements.
To fail or collapse completely
In a broader sense, “to break down” can mean to fail or collapse, whether it’s a plan, negotiation, relationship, or communication.
To break up
Ex. They decided to break up after realizing they wanted different things in life.
To end a romantic relationship
When a couple “breaks up,” it means they end their romantic involvement with each other.
To break up
Ex. The police arrived to break up the fight.
To disperse or separate
When a group or crowd “breaks up,” it means they disband or scatter.
To break up
Ex. You need to break up the large chunks of soil before planting the seeds.
To cause to separate into smaller parts
When something is “broken up,” it means it’s divided or fragmented into smaller components.
To bring up
Ex. She brought up the idea of going on vacation during the summer.
To introduce a topic into conversation
When you “bring up” something, you mention it in conversation.
To bring up
Ex. They did their best to bring up their children with good values and manners.
To raise a child
In the context of parenting, “to bring up” means to raise or rear a child.
To come across
Ex. I was cleaning out the attic and came across some old photographs.
To encounter or find by chance
When you “come across” something, you unexpectedly find or encounter it.
To come across
Ex. She comes across as very confident during presentations.
To give a particular impression
In a more figurative sense, “to come across” can mean to give a certain impression or to appear in a particular way to others.
To come up
Ex. I’m sorry, I can’t make it to the meeting tomorrow; something important came up.
To happen unexpectedly
When something “comes up,” it means it arises or happens out of the blue.
To come up
Ex. The issue of budget cuts came up during the staff meeting.
To be mentioned or discussed
When a topic “comes up,” it means it is mentioned or brought into conversation.
To come up
Ex. I saw him coming up the street.
To approach
In a physical sense, “to come up” can mean to approach or draw near to someone or something.
To do away with
Ex. The company decided to do away with its outdated policies.
To abolish or eliminate
When you “do away with” something, you abolish or remove it completely.
To do away with
Ex. The villain plotted to do away with his enemies.
To kill or destroy
In a more literal sense, “to do away with” can mean to kill or destroy someone or something.
To do away with
Ex. I decided to do away with my old habits and start fresh.
To put an end to or stop using
“To do away with” can also mean to stop using or get rid of something, especially if it’s considered unnecessary or undesirable.
