Phrasal Verbs B Flashcards
Back off
To stop trying to influence or force someone to do or think something
Back down
To accept that you cannot win an argument and stop trying to win, or accept that you are wrong and change your decision
Back someone up
To support someone by saying that they are telling the truth
Bail someone out
To help someone to get out of trouble, especially by giving them money when they have financial problems
Bang on
To talk continuously about something in a boring way
Bear out
To support what someone has said or written and so help to prove that it is true
Bear up
To remain cheerful and not be badly affected by a bad situation, illness
Beef up
To improve something by making it stronger, more powerful more effective
Black out
To suddenly become uconcious
Boil down to
If a situation, problem, discussion boils down to something, that is the main part or cause of it
Bottle something up
To keep a strong feeling such as anger or unhappiness hidden and not talk about it or show it
Bow out
To give up an important position or job, so that someone can take your place
Bowl over
If you are bowled over by something, you are very impressed by it because it is so beautiful, exciting
Break down
If a substance breaks down it changes as a result of a chemical process
If a machine breaks down, it stops working because there’s something wrong with it
Break even
If a business breaks even it makes the same amount of money as it spends and so makes neither a profit nor a loss
Break in
To get into a building by using force, usually to steal something
To suddenly say something when someone else is speaking, so that they have to stop talking
Break off
If you break off something that you are doing, you stop doing it
Break out
Escape from prison
Break up
To break into smaller pieces or parts; if a marriage breaks up, it ends
If a school breaks up, classes end and the holidays begin
Bring about
To make something happen, especially a change or better situation
Bring in
To include or mention something, especially for a particular purpose
To earn a particular amount of money
Bring off
To succeed in doing something that is very difficult
Bring on
To make a problem, illness or pain start to happen
Bring out
To make a particular quality or taste more noticeable
Bring up
To mention a subject or start to talk about it during a conversation or discussion
Bring someone up
To charge someone with a crime and make them appear before a court of law
Build up
To gradually increase in size, amount or strength
Burn up
To use energy or get rid of unwanted fat from your body by doing physical exercise
Burst out
To suddenly start to laugh or cry
Butt in
To interrupt a conversation in a rude way, by saying something when it is not your turn to speak
Blow over
If an argument or unpleasant situation blows over, it is forgotten or no longer seems important
Blow up
To destroy something using a bomb
Boil away
If liquid boils away, it disappears and changes into steam because it has been boiled for a long time
