UNITS 19&20 • PAT Flashcards
back down
uk |bæk| us |bæk|
verb
1. to admit that you were wrong or that you have been defeated
* “Eventually, Roberto backed down and apologized.”
* “Local residents have forced the local council to back down from its plans to build a nightclub on their street.”
blend in/blend into something
uk |blend| us |blend|
verb
1. to look or seem the same as surrounding people or things and therefore not be easily noticeable
* “We tried to blend into the crowd.”
* “They have adopted local customs and tried to blend in with the community.”
bring something about
uk |brɪŋ| us |brɪŋ|
verb
1. to cause something to happen
* “He brought about his company’s collapse by his reckless spending.”
crack down
uk |kræk| us |kræk|
verb
1. to start dealing with bad or illegal behaviour in a more severe way
* “Police organized operations to crack down in the area’s most dangerous neighbourhoods.”
* “The government is trying to crack down, but that risks shifting the activity towards underground money exchangers.”
get in
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to succeed in entering a place, especially by using force or a trick
* “They must have got in through the bathroom window.”
2. to arrive at your home or the place where you work
* “What time did you get in last night?”
3. If a train or other vehicle gets in at a particular time, that is when it arrives
* “What time is the plane expected to get in?”
get something in
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to send something so that it arrives by a particular time
* “I have to get my application in by Thursday.”
2. to succeed in saying something, although it is difficult to do this because other people are talking too
* “He couldn’t get a word in because she was talking so much.”
* “I’ll try to get my suggestion in at the start of the meeting.”
3. to manage to find time to do something or deal with someone [informal]
* “I want to get a little bit more work in before I leave the office.”
4. to buy a supply of something, usually food or drink, so that you will have enough of what you need [UK informal]
* “We’ll have to get some food in for the weekend if we’re having visitors.”
get someone in
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to ask a trained person to come to your home to do some paid work
* “We’ll have to get a plumber in to look at that water tank.”
get off
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to leave a place, usually in order to start a journey
* “If we can get off by seven o’clock, the roads will be clearer.”
2. to leave work with permission, usually at the end of the day [informal]
* “How early can you get off this afternoon?”
get off (something)
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to leave a train, bus, or aircraft
* “Get off at Camden Town.”
* “I tripped as I got off the bus.”
get something off
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to send a letter or parcel to someone
* “I got that letter off this morning.”
get (someone) off
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to start sleeping, or to help a baby to start sleeping [UK]
* “[get off (to sleep)] It was so hot that I didn’t get off (to sleep) till three o’clock.”
* “[get someone off (to sleep)] I’ve been trying to get the baby off (to sleep) for an hour!”
2. to have or give someone an orgasm [slang]
* “They got off at the same time.”
get (someone) off (something)
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to avoid punishment, or to help another person to avoid punishment for something
* “She was charged with fraud, but her lawyer managed to get her off.”
* "”Was he found guilty?” “No, he got off.””
* “[get off with] She got off with (= her only punishment was) a small fine.”
get something off (something)
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to remove a part of your body from a particular place
* “Get your dirty feet off the couch!”
* “Get your hands off me!”
give in
uk |ɡɪv| us |ɡɪv|
verb
1. to finally agree to what someone wants, after refusing for a period of time
* “He nagged me so much for a new bike that eventually I gave in.”
* “The government cannot be seen as giving in to terrorists’ demands.”
2. to accept that you have been defeated and agree to stop competing or fighting
* “You’ll never guess the answer - do you give in?”
* “She wouldn’t give in until she received a full apology.”
give something in
uk |ɡɪv| us |ɡɪv|
verb
1. to give a piece of written work or a document to someone to read, judge, or deal with
* “Have you given that essay in yet?”
hit back
uk |hɪt| us |hɪt|
verb
1. to attack or criticize someone who has attacked or criticized you
* “[hit back at] In tonight’s speech, the minister is expected to hit back at critics who have attacked her handling of the crisis.”
lock (something) up
uk |lɒk| us |lɑːk|
verb
1. to lock all the doors and windows of a building when you leave it
* “Sandra, will you lock up tonight when you go?”
* “They locked the house up and went away for two months.”
lock someone up
uk |lɒk| us |lɑːk|
verb
1. to put someone in a prison or a hospital for people who are mentally ill
* “Murderers should be locked up for life.”
* “[lock someone up and throw away the key] After what she did, they should lock her up and throw away the key (= lock her up until she dies).”
lock-up
uk |ˈlɒk.ʌp| us |ˈlɑː.kʌp|
noun
1. a small room, used as a prison, usually in a small town, in which criminals can be kept for a short time
2. a building where objects, especially a car, can be safely kept [mainly UK]
opt out
uk |ɒpt| us |ɑːpt|
verb
1. to choose not to be part of an activity or to stop being involved in it
* “Within any society, there will usually be people who decide to opt out (= choose not to live the way most people do).”
* “Employees can choose to opt out of the pension scheme.”
opt-out
uk |ˈɒpt.aʊt| us |ˈɑːpt.aʊt|
noun
1. a situation in which some members of a group choose not to join or be involved in an activity
* “Since the opt-out, the hospital has been responsible for its own budgeting.”
phase something out
uk |feɪz| us |feɪz|
verb
1. to remove or stop using something gradually or in stages
push someone around
uk |pʊʃ| us |pʊʃ|
verb
1. to tell someone what to do in a rude or threatening way
* “If you think you can push me around like that, you’re mistaken.”
single someone/something out
uk |ˈsɪŋ.ɡəl| us |ˈsɪŋ.ɡəl|
verb
1. to choose one person or thing from a group for special attention, especially criticism or praise
* “[be singled out for] It’s not fair the way my sister is always singled out for special treatment.”
* “Jamie was thrilled when the teacher singled out his poem and asked him to read it aloud.”
stand up
uk |stænd| us |stænd|
verb
1. to be in an upright position on your feet; to get yourself into an upright position on your feet
* “I’ve been standing up all day and I’m really tired.”
* “It was customary then for children to stand up when the teacher came into the classroom.”
2. If an idea or some information stands up, it is proved to be true or correct
* “Their evidence will never stand up in court.”
* “[stand up to] Their argument won’t stand up to detailed criticism (= when it is studied critically).”
stand someone up
uk |stænd| us |stænd|
verb
1. to intentionally fail to meet someone when you said you would, especially someone you were starting to have a romantic relationship with
* “I don’t know if I’ve been stood up or if she’s just late - I’ll wait another half hour.”
stand-up
uk |ˈstænd.ʌp| us |ˈstænd.ʌp|
adjective
1. performed by a single person telling jokes and funny stories on stage [before noun]
* “stand-up comedy”
* “a stand-up comedian”
2. loyal; that you can rely on to defend you [US informal]
* “He was friendly, passionate, and a stand-up kind of guy.”
3. involving violence or loud shouting, etc. [UK]
* “The two men had had a stand-up row in the pub after the game.”
4. A stand-up meeting is one at which people stand, rather than sit
* “the hotel’s stand-up management meetings”
stand-up
uk |ˈstænd.ʌp| us |ˈstænd.ʌp|
noun
1. comedy performed by a single person telling jokes and funny stories on stage; stand-up comedy [U]
* “an evening of stand-up”
2. a person who performs stand-up comedy; a stand-up comedian [C]
* “He has worked as an actor, but is best known as a stand-up.”
3. a meeting at which people stand, rather than sit [C]
take (something) over
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to start doing a job or being responsible for something that another person did or had responsibility for before
* “[take over from] He took over from the previous headmaster in February.”
* “[take over as] She took over as manager two weeks ago.”
* “Jason Lamb has taken over responsibility for this project.”
2. to get control of a company by buying enough of the shares in it
* “The company he works for has recently been taken over.”
talk down to someone
uk |tɔːk| us |tɑːk|
verb
1. to talk to someone as if they are less intelligent than you or not important
* “I wish politicians wouldn’t talk down to us as if we were idiots.”
arm someone with something
collocation
1. to provide yourself or others with something in order to use it as a weapon
* “I armed myself with a baseball bat and went to investigate the noise.”
* “The youths were armed with pistols and knives.”
* “She argued that arming people with guns was not the best way to make them feel safe from crime.”
2. to provide yourself or others with equipment or knowledge in order to complete a particular task
* “She armed the boys with brushes and mops and told them to clean out the shed.”
* “I went to the meeting armed with the relevant facts and figures.”
* “All we can do is arm you with the information and hope that you make the right choice.”
* “Her legal training armed her with the skills she needed.”
take up arms
phrase
1. to prepare to fight or to start fighting
* “They are willing to take up arms if they have to.”
* “After the atrocity, some villagers thought they were justified in taking up arms.”
* “The rebels took up arms against the occupying forces and expelled them.”
* “He was called to take up arms on behalf of the country he loved.”
lay down your arms
phrase
1. to stop fighting
* “The minister has called on the terrorists to lay down their arms.”
* “The rebels were ready to negotiate about laying down their arms.”
* “Both sides laid down arms ahead of the religious holiday and declared a break in hostilities.”
* “We can’t be asked to lay down our arms without concessions from the other side.”
up in arms
idiom
1. angry or upset
* “The union is up in arms over the reduction in health benefits.”
arms control
uk |ˈɑːmz kənˌtrəʊl| us |ˈɑːmz kənˌtroʊl|
noun
1. the action of setting a limit on the number of weapons a country is allowed to own, usually in agreement with another country
authority
uk |ɔːˈθɒr.ə.ti| us |əˈθɔːr.ə.t̬i|
noun
1. the moral or legal right or ability to control [U]
* “The United Nations has used/exerted/exercised its authority to restore peace in the area.”
* “We need to get the support of someone in authority (= an important or high-ranking person).”
* “They’ve been acting illegally and without authority (= permission) from the council.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] I’ll give my lawyers authority (= permission) to act on my behalf.”
* “He has no authority over (= ability to control) his students.”
* “She spoke with authority (= as if she was in control or had special knowledge).”
2. a group of people with official responsibility for a particular area of activity [C]
* “the health authority”
* “the local housing authority”
have something on good authority
idiom
1. to be able to believe a piece of information because you trust the person who told you it
* “I have it on good authority that she’s getting married.”
charge someone with something/doing something
collocation
1. (of the police) to make a formal statement saying that someone is accused of a crime
* “She is charged with murdering her husband.”
* “Police have arrested him and charged him with manslaughter.”
2. to publicly accuse someone of doing something bad [formal]
* “The newspaper article charged her with using the company’s money for her own purposes.”
* “I’m being charged on social media with all kinds of heinous things that I have not done.”
take charge
collocation
1. to take responsibility for controlling something
* “His boss asked him to take charge of the office for a few days while she was away.”
* “She immediately took charge and started to organize a search party.”
in charge
phrase
1. being the person who has control of or is responsible for someone or something
* “[in charge of] Who will be in charge of the department when Sophie leaves?”
* “[leave someone in charge] I left Jack in charge of the suitcases while I went to get the tickets.”
* “There were more than 30 people working on the project, with no single person in charge.”
* “If I were in charge, I would insist on better timekeeping.”
* “Allen was put in charge of gathering intelligence from satellites.”
the ruling class
uk |ˌruː.lɪŋ ˈklɑːs| us |ˌruː.lɪŋ ˈklæs|
noun
1. the most powerful people in a country
crime wave
uk |ˈkraɪm ˌweɪv| us |ˈkraɪm ˌweɪv|
noun
1. a sudden increase in the number of crimes
crime
uk |kraɪm| us |kraɪm|
noun
1. illegal activities [U]
* “She promised to fight crime and reform government.”
* “[violent crime] The rate of violent crime fell last month.”
* “[serious crime] The government plans to put more officers on the streets to tackle serious crime.”
* “The priority of community policing is to prevent crime.”
* “[crime prevention] Nearly £2 million of the city budget was set aside for crime prevention.”
* “He believes that religion saved him from a life of crime.”
deny
uk |dɪˈnaɪ| us |dɪˈnaɪ|
verb
1. to say that something is not true
* “[deny allegations] He will not confirm or deny the allegations.”
* ”[+ that] Neil denies that he broke the window, but I’m sure he did.”
* ”[+ -ing verb] Neil denies breaking the window.”
claim responsibility
collocation
1. to say publicly that you are responsible for something, especially a criminal act, even if this is not true
* “An unknown terrorist group has claimed responsibility for this morning’s bomb attack.”
* “Nobody was hurt in the explosion, and no one has claimed responsibility.”
example
uk |ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl| us |ɪɡˈzæm.pəl|
noun
1. something that is typical of the group of things that it is a member of
* “[example of] Could you give me an example of the improvements you have mentioned?”
* “This painting is a marvellous example of her work.”
force
uk |fɔːs| us |fɔːrs|
noun
1. physical, especially violent, strength or power [U]
* “The force of the wind had brought down a great many trees in the area.”
* “She slapped his face with unexpected force.”
* “Teachers aren’t allowed to use force in the classroom.”
* “[force of numbers] The police were able to control the crowd by sheer force of numbers (= because there were more police than there were people in the crowd).”
force
uk |fɔːs| us |fɔːrs|
verb
1. to make something happen or make someone do something difficult, unpleasant, or unusual, especially by threatening or not offering the possibility of choice
* “[force someone/something to do something] You can’t force her to make a decision.”
* “[be forced to] Hospitals are being forced to close departments because of lack of money.”
* “[force yourself to do something] I really have to force myself to be nice to him.”
* “[force something back] You could tell he was having to force back the tears (= to stop himself from crying).”
* “[force something down] The food tasted nasty, but I managed to force it down (= to make myself swallow it).”
* “[force something on someone] I didn’t actually want any more dessert, but Julia forced it on me (= made me accept it).”
* “[force yourself on someone] I couldn’t stay at their flat - I’d feel as if I was forcing myself on them (= making them allow me to stay).”
* “[force something out of someone] You never tell me how you’re feeling - I have to force it out of you (= make you tell me)!”
2. If plants or vegetables are forced, they are made to grow faster by artificially controlling growing conditions such as the amount of heat and light [biology, food & drink specialized]
* “forced strawberries”
grant
uk |ɡrɑːnt| us |ɡrænt|
noun
1. an amount of money given especially by the government to a person or organization for a special purpose
* “a student/research grant”
* “a local authority/government grant”
* ”[+ to infinitive] They gave/awarded her a grant to study abroad for one year.”
grant
uk |ɡrɑːnt| us |ɡrænt|
verb
1. to give or allow someone something, usually in an official way [T]
* ”[+ two objects] They granted her an entry visa.”
* “He was granted asylum.”
* “[formal] She granted their request/wish.”
2. to accept that something is true, often before expressing an opposite opinion [T + (that)]
* “[grant that] I grant that it must have been upsetting but even so I think she overreacted.”
* “[I grant you] I grant you (= it is true that), it’s a difficult situation but I feel sure he could have handled it more sensitively.”
lay down the law
idiom
1. to forcefully make known what you think should happen
* “She can’t just come into this office and start laying down the law.”
bend the law/rules
idiom
1. to change the rules in a way that is considered to be not important or not harmful
* “Can’t you bend the rules a little? I was only a few minutes late.”
law and order
uk |ˌlɔː ənd ˈɔː.dər| us |ˌlɑː ənd ˈɔːr.dɚ|
noun
1. a situation in which the laws of a country are being obeyed, especially when the police or army are used to make certain of this
* “a complete breakdown in law and order”
lock something in
uk |lɒk| us |lɑːk|
verb
1. to get and keep an advantage such as a low price
* “People are jumping to purchase homes and lock in affordable mortgage rates before they increase.”
* “If you find a rate that works for you, lock it in.”
* “With the purchase plan, customers would take a daily price and lock it in for a certain number of gallons that have to be bought over a certain time period.”
2. to choose or decide something finally and definitely, for example by pressing a key on a computer keyboard
* “Press SET again to lock in your choice.”
* “He locked in the answer and won $20,000.”
lock someone in
uk |lɒk| us |lɑːk|
verb
1. to prevent someone from leaving a room or building by locking the door
* “She stormed off to her bedroom and locked herself in.”
* “He was locked in his bedroom as a punishment.”
lock-in
uk |ˈlɒk.ɪn| us |ˈlɑːk.ɪn|
noun
1. a length of time during which you are not allowed to end or change a financial arrangement
* “Your new mortgage may have a long lock-in period, particularly if you go for a fixed rate.”
2. an occasion when a pub locks its doors and allows people to continue drinking illegally after the time when it should have closed [UK informal]
* “There was a lock-in at my local last night.”
lock horns
idiom
1. to begin to argue or fight
* “[lock horns over] The mayor and her deputy locked horns over plans for the new road.”
under lock and key
idiom
1. locked away safely
* “Her jewellery is securely under lock and key at the bank.”
2. If a person, especially a criminal, is under lock and key, they are being kept in a place from which they cannot escape, usually a prison.
locksmith
uk |ˈlɒk.smɪθ| us |ˈlɑːk.smɪθ|
noun
1. a person who repairs and/or makes locks and supplies keys
peer group
uk |ˈpɪə ˌɡruːp| us |ˈpɪr ˌɡruːp|
noun
1. the people who are approximately the same age as you and come from a similar social group
* “These children scored significantly lower on intelligence tests than others in their peer group.”
peer pressure
uk |ˈpɪə ˌpreʃ.ər| us |ˈpɪr ˌpreʃ.ɚ|
noun
1. the strong influence of a group, especially of children, on members of that group to behave as everyone else does
* “There is tremendous peer pressure to wear fashionable clothes.”
power
uk |paʊər| us |ˈpaʊ.ɚ|
noun
1. ability to control people and events [U]
* “[power over] I’ve no power over him - he does what he wants to.”
* “[in something’s power] Once nicotine has you in its power, it’s very difficult to stop smoking.”
* “She has the power to charm any man she meets.”
2. the amount of political control a person or group has in a country [U]
* “Does the president have more power than the prime minister?”
* “[in power] How long has the Conservative Party been in power?”
* “[seize power] The army seized power after five days of anti-government demonstrations.”
3. strength [U]
* “Our car doesn’t have enough power to tow a trailer.”
* “Weightlifters have tremendous power in their arms and legs.”
* “Scientists are working to harness the power of the atom.”
* “The economic power of many Asian countries has grown dramatically in recent years.”
4. an official or legal right to do something [U]
* ”[+ to infinitive] I’d like to help but I don’t have the power to intervene in this dispute.”
* “[in your power to do something] It’s not in your power to cancel the order.”
* “[within your power] I can’t give you a refund - I’m afraid it’s not within my power.”
power
uk |paʊər| us |ˈpaʊ.ɚ|
verb
1. to provide a machine with energy and the ability to operate [T]
* “Buses and trucks are usually powered by diesel engines.”
* “Electricity costs less than petrol, so powering an electric vehicle is cheaper.”
2. to act with great strength or in a forceful way [I usually + adv/prep]
* “Halfway through, she powered into the lead and went on to win the race.”
3. in sports, to hit or kick the ball very hard [T]
* “She powered her return past Fernandez who had come to the net.”
* “He powered his drive over 300 yards down the first hole.”
power
uk |paʊər| us |ˈpaʊ.ɚ|
adjective
1. provided with energy by an electric motor
* “a power shower”
* “a power drill”
power struggle
uk |ˈpaʊə ˌstrʌɡ.əl| us |ˈpaʊ.ɚ ˌstrʌɡ.əl|
noun
1. an unpleasant or violent competition for power
power base
uk |ˈpaʊə ˌbeɪs| us |ˈpaʊ.ɚ ˌbeɪs|
noun
1. an area of a country or a group of people on which someone’s power depends
* “The industrial cities are the Labour Party’s traditional power base.”
rot in jail, prison, etc.
idiom
1. to stay in prison for a very long time
* “Ruben Carter was left to rot in jail for most of his life.”
penal reform
uk |ˌpiː.nəl rɪˈfɔːm| us |ˌpiː.nəl rɪˈfɔːrm|
noun
1. the attempt to improve the system of legal punishment
* “She is a spokesperson for the Howard League for Penal Reform.”
provoke
uk |prəˈvəʊk| us |prəˈvoʊk|
verb
1. to cause a reaction, especially a negative one
* “The prospect of increased prices has already provoked an outcry.”
* “Test results provoked worries that the reactor could overheat.”
2. to make or try to make a person or an animal angry
* “It was a vicious-looking dog and I didn’t want to provoke it.”
* “He was clearly trying to get at me but I refused to be provoked.”
* “I was provoked into the argument.”
outrage
uk |ˈaʊt.reɪdʒ| us |ˈaʊt.reɪdʒ|
noun
1. a feeling of anger and shock [U]
* “These murders have provoked outrage across the country.”
* “Many politicians and members of the public expressed outrage at the verdict.”
2. a shocking, morally unacceptable, and usually violent action [C]
* “The bomb, which killed 15 people, was the worst of a series of terrorist outrages.”
* ”[+ that] It’s an outrage (= it is shocking and morally unacceptable) that so much public money should have been wasted in this way.”
outrage
uk |ˈaʊt.reɪdʒ| us |ˈaʊt.reɪdʒ|
verb
1. (especially of an unfair action or statement) to cause someone to feel very angry, shocked, or upset
* “Local people were outraged at the bombing.”
* “A proposed five percent cut in pay has outraged staff at the warehouse.”
the rights and wrongs
idiom
1. the details of who or what is fair or unfair
* “I don’t care about the rights and wrongs of the matter - I just want you both to stop arguing.”
have your head screwed on (the right way)
idiom
1. to be practical and wise
* “Ask Lois to help - she’s got her head screwed on the right way.”
against the current
collocation
1. in the opposite direction to that of the movement of the water in a river, sea, etc.
* “The men exhausted themselves rowing against the current.”
* “If caught in a rip current, swimmers often panic and try to swim directly against the current.”
2. different to the opinion or feeling that a group of people have
* “Why is the prime minister swimming so determinedly against the current?”
* “She has repeatedly found herself marching against the current of public opinion.”
rule of thumb
idiom
1. a practical and approximate way of doing or measuring something
* “A good rule of thumb is that a portion of rice is two handfuls.”
rule of law
uk |ˌruːl əv ˈlɔː| us |ˌruːl əv ˈlɑː|
noun
1. a set of laws that people in a society must obey, or the fact that such a set of laws exists
* “Everyone is subject to the rule of law.”
* “Rule of law is essential to the future of the country.”
return a verdict/sentence
phrase
1. to decide and say if you think someone is guilty or not guilty, or what punishment the person will be given in a court of law
* “[return a verdict/sentence of] The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.”
* “It took teh jury less than three hours to return a guilty verdict on all charges in the case.”
* “The judge instructed the jury that they were not able to return a sentence of life in prison given the verdict.”
* “Jurors in this state are allowed to return a sentence of death if they find the defendant guilty of first-degree murder charges.”
broach a subject
collocation
1. to begin a discussion of something that you find difficult to talk about
* “At some point we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know how to broach the subject with him.”
* “How should I broach the subject of his funeral with my father?”
bury/have your head in the sand
idiom
1. to refuse to think about unpleasant facts, although they will have an influence on your situation
* “You’ve got to face facts here - you can’t just bury your head in the sand.”
the upper hand
uk |ˌʌp.ə ˈhænd| us |ˌʌp.ɚ ˈhænd|
noun
1. If you have the upper hand, you have more power than anyone else and so have control
* “After hours of fierce negotiations, the president gained/got/had the upper hand.”
get your own way
idiom
1. to persuade other people to allow you to do what you want
* “My little brother always gets his own way.”
pull strings
idiom
1. to secretly use the influence you have over important people in order to get something or to help someone
* “I may be able to pull a few strings if you need the document urgently.”
red tape
uk |ˌred ˈteɪp| us |ˌred ˈteɪp|
noun
1. official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results
* “We must cut through the red tape.”
take the law into your own hands
idiom
1. to do something illegal and often violent in order to punish someone because you know the law will not punish that person
* “One day, after years of violent abuse from her husband, she took the law into her own hands.”
the powers that be
idiom
1. important people who have authority over others
* “It’s up to the powers that be to decide what should be done next.”
throw the book at someone
idiom
1. to severely punish someone
* “After the accident, the safety inspector threw the book at the company directors.”
