UNITS 13&14 • PAT Flashcards
add up to something
uk |æd| us |æd|
verb
1. to become a particular amount
* “The various building programmes add up to several thousand new homes.”
* “We thought we’d bought lots of food, but it didn’t add up to much when we’d spread it out on the table.”
2. to have a particular result or effect
* “It all added up to a lot of hard work for all of us.”
* “Their proposals do not add up to any real help for the poor.”
break down
uk |breɪk| us |breɪk|
verb
1. If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working
* “Our car broke down and we had to push it off the road.”
2. If a system, relationship, or discussion breaks down, it fails because there is a problem or disagreement.
3. to be unable to control your feelings and to start to cry
* “When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.”
break something down
uk |breɪk| us |breɪk|
verb
1. to remove something from its place by force
* “He threatened to break the door down.”
* “Some of the campers had broken down fences and lit fires that caused a lot of damage.”
build (someone/something) up
uk |bɪld| us |bɪld|
verb
1. to increase or become larger or stronger, or to cause someone or something to do this
* “[build up between] Tension is building up between the two communities.”
* “[build up strength] They gave him soup to build up his strength.”
* “[build up a business] It took her ten years to build up her publishing business.”
build something/someone up
uk |bɪld| us |bɪld|
verb
1. to praise something or someone in a way that will influence people’s opinions; to make a person feel more confident
* “A good teacher builds you up.”
* “For weeks the media has been building up the national basketball team.”
build-up
uk |ˈbɪld.ʌp| us |ˈbɪld.ʌp|
noun
1. an increase, especially one that is gradual
* “The build-up of troops in the region makes war seem more likely.”
2. a situation in which someone or something is praised, advertised, or talked about on the internet, in newspapers, etc.
* “The group got a big build-up before their tour, being touted by many as the next Beatles.”
3. the period of preparation before something happens [UK]
* “There was a lot of excitement in the build-up to the Olympics.”
buy someone off
uk |baɪ| us |baɪ|
verb
1. to pay someone so that they do not cause you any trouble
* “They tried to buy the guard at the bank off but he told the police and the gang was arrested.”
buy something up
uk |baɪ| us |baɪ|
verb
1. To buy something up is to buy large amounts of it, or all that is available
* “He bought up all the land in the surrounding area.”
carry something over
uk |ˈkær.i| us |ˈker.i|
verb
1. to use or do something at a later time than planned
* “The performance has had to be carried over to/till next week because the repairs to the theatre aren’t finished yet.”
carry (something) over
uk |ˈkær.i| us |ˈker.i|
verb
1. If something from one situation carries over or is carried over into another situation, it is allowed to affect the other situation
* “I try not to let my problems at work carry over into my private life.”
clock something up
uk |klɒk| us |klɑːk|
verb
1. to win or achieve a large number of similar things
* “The Australians have clocked up three gold medals and two silvers in the swimming events.”
club together
uk |klʌb| us |klʌb|
verb
1. If a group of people club together, they share the cost of something between them [UK]
* “If we club together, we’ll be able to get her the complete dinner set.”
drum something up
uk |drʌm| us |drʌm|
verb
1. to increase interest in something or support for something
* “He was trying to drum up some enthusiasm for the project.”
mount up
uk |maʊnt| us |maʊnt|
verb
1. to gradually increase in number or amount
* “It isn’t a good idea to let bills mount up.”
back pay
noun
1. income that should have been paid or was expected at an earlier time
* “Those workers are due a total of approximately $500,000 in back pay, according to union officials.”
pay (something) out
uk |peɪ| us |peɪ|
verb
1. to spend a lot of money on something, or to pay a lot of money to someone
* “I’ve just paid out $500 on getting the car fixed.”
pay something out
uk |peɪ| us |peɪ|
verb
1. to release a piece of rope or cable in a controlled way
size something/someone up
uk |saɪz| us |saɪz|
verb
1. to examine something or someone carefully and decide what you think about it, him, or her
* “Voters are still sizing up the candidates.”
* “The two cats walked in circles around each other, sizing each other up.”
take
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to remove something, especially without permission [T]
* “Has anything been taken (= stolen)?”
* “Here’s your pen - I took it by mistake.”
* “[be taken from] All her possessions had been taken from her.”
2. to subtract a number (= remove it from another number) [T]
* “[take something (away) from something] If you take 4 (away) from 12 you get 8.”
take
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
noun
1. money that is received from sales or as payment for entrance to an event [U]
* “The box office take was huge for the new show.”
2. the filming of a scene (= small part of a film) [C]
* “This scene needed ten takes before we felt it was right.”
weigh someone/something down
uk |weɪ| us |weɪ|
verb
1. If someone or something is weighed down with something, they are carrying a lot of or too much of it
* ”[(be) weighed with] Weighed down with supplies, they found the steep path difficult to climb.”
weigh someone down
uk |weɪ| us |weɪ|
verb
1. to make a person feel worried and unhappy because of problems, responsibilities, and duties
* “[weighed down by] I thought she looked somehow older, weighed down by all her new responsibilities.”
* “[weigh down on] Too much responsibility when too young can weigh down on a child.”
make a big thing (out) of something
idiom
1. to give something too much importance
* “I want a party, but I don’t want to make a big thing of it.”
be big on something
idiom
1. to like something very much
* “I’m not very big on classical music.”