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English Phrasal Verbs > V - Z > Flashcards

V - Z Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

vote down

A

Reject something by voting against it.

The House of Lords voted down the proposal to ban fox hunting.

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2
Q

vote through

A

Approve of something by voting for it.

The new budget was voted through with a narrow majority.

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3
Q

vouch for

A

Express approval, trust in a person.

I will vouch for his story. He is an honest person.

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4
Q

wait on

A

​To act as a servant to somebody, especially by serving food to them

‘Help yourself,’ she said, ‘I’m too tired to wait on you.’

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5
Q

wait out

A

Wait until the end of something.

We should wait out the storm before leaving the house.

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6
Q

wait up

A
  1. Not to go to bed.
    I will wait up until Jane gets back from the disco.
  2. (Informal) Wait!
    I’m not ready yet. Wait up!
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7
Q

walk away with

A

Win a competition easily.

We were the best team by a long way and walked away with the cup.

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8
Q

walk into

A

Meet something unpleasant by accident.

They walked into a bank robbery and were taken hostage.

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9
Q

walk off with

A

Take, usually by accident.

I walked off with someone else’s bag by mistake.

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10
Q

walk out

A

Leave, abandon.

Her husband walked out on her and left her to look after two young children alone.

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11
Q

warm down

A

To exercise slowly at the end of an activity.

We’ll finish the match and then we’ll warm down for ten minutes.

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12
Q

warm to

A

Start liking something, someone.

I didn’t like crab at first, but I’m warming to it.

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13
Q

warm up

A

To exercise slowly before an activity.

Don’t go straight out and play before warming up otherwise you will pull a muscle.

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14
Q

wash down

A

Drink something after eating.

I had a great pizza washed down with premium beer.

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15
Q

wash over

A

When a sound, noise, argument happens near a person and is ignored.

The loud music my neighbors play every night washes over me now. I am used to it.

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16
Q

wash up

A

Clean plates, dishes after a meal.

I will wash up if you put the plates in the cupboard after.

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17
Q

watch out

A

Be careful, cautious.

With all this ice on the roads, watch out when you are driving.

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18
Q

watch over

A

Be responsible for safety, well-being of someone.

We need a new babysitter to watch over the children.

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19
Q

water down

A

Dilute, add water to reduce strength of something.

This beer is terrible. I think someone has watered it down.

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20
Q

wear away

A

Use and damage something with constant use, exposure.

The wind has worn away the inscription on the stone.

21
Q

wear down

A

Cause to become weaker, smaller, etc.

I have worn down these shoes totally. I need new ones.

22
Q

wear off

A

Reduce the effects of something.

My headache isn’t wearing off. I think I will take an aspirin.

23
Q

wear on

A

Time to pass.

As the evening wore on, I got really tired.

24
Q

wear out

A

Make tired.

The children really wore me out today. I am exhausted.

25
Q

weigh against

A

Count against in a decision.

His previous criminal conviction will weigh against him.

26
Q

weigh down

A

Cause a person to be tired, depressed, stressed.

All this new responsibility is really weighing down on me.

27
Q

weigh in

A

Contribute to a discussion, etc.

Everyone gave money to the cause. Even James weighed in with a hundred dollars.

28
Q

weigh on

A

Cause concern in someone’s mind.

His illness weighed on my mind for nearly a year before he recovered.

29
Q

weigh up

A

Consider the advantages and disadvantages before deciding.

Don’t take the job without weighing up everything.

30
Q

weigh with

A

Influence someone.

The new witness’s evidence didn’t weigh much with the jury.

31
Q

while away

A

Pass time in a casual, lazy way.

I spent an hour by the canal just whiling the afternoon away.

32
Q

win over

A

Convince finally.

His final argument won over the jury and the case was won.

33
Q

win round

A

Gain a person’s friendship.

He won his mother-in-law round by buying her a new house.

34
Q

wind down

A

Cause to slow down.

The party started to wind down at about two o’clock.

35
Q

wind up

A
  1. Excite.
    His behavior wound up the crowd and the police told him to calm down.
  2. Cause a business to stop.
    His company wound up last year due to bankruptcy.
  3. Finish, end.
    If you drive like that, you’ll wind up in hospital.
36
Q

wipe out

A

Destroy, get rid of.

The bombers wiped out the village.
This holiday has wiped out my savings.

37
Q

work against

A

Have a negative effect.

Her poor health will work against her in that type of job.

38
Q

work in

A

To include.

Work in some references to the boss’s wife in your speech.

39
Q

work off

A

Get rid of something by work, exercise.

You have over a thousand dollars of debt to work off.

40
Q

work on

A
  1. Work and think about something.
    We have a major problem but my group is working on it.
  2. Have an effect on.
    It’s a great soap powder but it doesn’t work on natural fibers.
  3. Try to convince.
    She said no but I am working on her.
41
Q

work out

A
  1. End successfully.
    It looked bad at one point, but it all worked out in the end.
  2. Solve, resolve.
    Do you know how to work out these quadratic equations?
  3. Do exercises, gym.
    He works out three times a week. That’s why he is so fit.
42
Q

work up

A
  1. Encourage, build up.
    I have worked up a big appetite with all this running.
  2. (Reflexive) Excite oneself to a high point of anger, excitement.
    Stay calm! You’re working yourself up to a frenzy.
43
Q

work up to

A

Approach the climax of something.

It’s getting busy at the factory. We are working up to the busiest time of the year.

44
Q

wring out

A
  1. Twist clothes to get rid of water.
    This shirt is soaking wet. Didn’t you wring it out?
  2. Get a confession, promise out of someone.
    The police were accused of wringing a confession out of the suspect using violence.
45
Q

write off

A
  1. Apply for something.
    I wrote off for that job in the bank.
  2. Destroy something totally.
    He has written off that car in an accident.
  3. Accept something as a loss, failure.
    Don’t worry about the money you lent him. Write it off as a loss. You’ll never get it back.
46
Q

write up

A

Put notes into normal writing.

After I write up these lecture notes, I will lend them to you to read.

47
Q

zero in on

A

Get near to the point, target.

The police are zeroing in on the gang of robbers.

48
Q

zoom in on

A

Move a camera towards something to see bigger and more clearly.

I want to see that man’s face better. Zoom in on him.

English Phrasal Verbs (11 decks)

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