Phrasal Verbs Flashcards
ask somebody out
invite on a date
Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
ask around
- ask many people the same question
Ex: I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
add up to something
- equal
Ex: Your purchases add up to $205.32.
back something up
- reverse
You’ll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
back somebody up
- support
My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
blow up
- explode
The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
blow something up
- add air
We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
break down
- stop functioning (vehicle, machine)
Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm. - get upset
The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.
break something down
- divide into smaller parts
Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.
break in
- force entry to a building
Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo. - interrupt
The TV station broke in to report the news of the president’s death.
break into something
- enter forcibly
The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.
break something in
- wear something a few times so that it doesn’t look/feel new
I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.
break up
- end a relationship
My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America. - start laughing (informal)
The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
break out
- escape
The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren’t looking.
break out in something
- develop a skin condition
I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
bring somebody down
- make unhappy
This sad music is bringing me down.
bring somebody up
- raise a child
My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bring something up
- start talking about a subject
My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports. - vomit
He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around
- phone many different places/people
We called around but we weren’t able to find the car part we needed.
call somebody back
- return a phone call
I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.
call something off
- cancel
Jason called the wedding off because he wasn’t in love with his fiancé.
call on somebody
- ask for an answer or opinion
The professor called on me for question 1. - visit somebody
We called on you last night but you weren’t home.
call somebody up
- phone
Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.
calm down
- relax after being angry
You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.
not care for somebody/ something
- not like (formal)
I don’t care for his behaviour.
catch up
- get to the same point as somebody else
You’ll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.
check in
- arrive and register at a hotel or airport
We will get the hotel keys when we check in.
check out
- leave a hotel
You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
check somebody/ something out
- look at carefully, investigate
The company checks out all new employees. - look at (informal)
Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up
- become happier
She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer somebody up
- make happier
I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in
- help
If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up
- tidy, clean
Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come across something
- find unexpectedly
I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart
- separate
The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down with something
- become sick
My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
come forward
- volunteer for a task or to give evidence
The woman came forward with her husband’s finger prints.
come from some place
- originate in
The art of origami comes from Asia.
count on somebody/ something
- rely on
I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
cross something out
- draw a line through
Please cross out your old address and write your new one
cut back on something
- consume less
My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.
cut something down
- make something fall to the ground
We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
cut in
- interrupt {dance}
Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle. - pull in too closely in front of another vehicle
The bus driver got angry when that car cut in. - start operating (of an engine or electrical device)
The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
cut something off
- remove with something sharp
The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured. - stop providing
The phone company cut off our phone because we didn’t pay the bill.
cut somebody off
- take out of a will
My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cut something out
- remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)
I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
do somebody/ something over
- beat up, ransack (BrE, informal)
He’s lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang. - do again (AmE) – do something over
My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn’t like my topic.
do away with something
- discard
It’s time to do away with all of these old tax records.
do something up
- fasten, close
Do your coat up before you go outside. It’s snowing!
dress up
- wear nice clothing
It’s a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
shift away
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