7.

PHRASAL VERBS

A
act up to behave badly or strangely Sophie got bored and started acting up.

agree with to think that sth is the right thing to do He doesn’t agree with giving money to beggars.

aim at to target The magazine is aimed at teenagers.

allow for to consider sth when making a plan You should allow for delays when planning a journey.

allow of to show that sth is possible The rules don’t allow of any exceptions.

answer back to reply rudely to someone who has more

authority than you Don’t you dare answer me back!
ask after to ask for news about someone I met Bob and he asked after you.

ask around to ask several people for information I asked around but nobody had seen him for days.

ask out to invite someone for a date He wanted to ask her out but was too shy.

B
back down to admit that you were wrong or that you have
been defeated Neither side is willing to back down.
back out to decide not to do sth you agreed to do I promised to help and I’m not backing out now.

bash out to produce sth quickly without working very hard I bashed the essay out the night before I had to hand it in.

be after to be looking for sb/sth The police are after him because of the theft.

be away to be elsewhere She’s away on business for three weeks.

be/get carried
away to become so excited that you lose control Let’s not get carried away. The deal could stil fall through.

be cut out for to be suitable She’s not cut out for this kind of work.

be cut up to be upset She was very cut up about her grandmother’s death.

be down to be depressed He’s been down since his partner left him.

be fed up to be bored, upset or sick of something I am fed with my job.

be up to be out of bed She’s not up yet.

bear on to be connected or related to sth I don’t see how that information bears on this case.

bear up to deal with a s difficult situation in a brave way How are you bearing up under the pressure?

bear with to be patient and wait while someone does sth Please bear with me a moment while I finish this email.

belong to to be owned by someone The car belongs to the woman next door.
to be a member of an organization/club She belongs to the school computer club.
to come from or be part of a group This belongs to the same family of drugs as Prozac.
belong with to be in the correct location with other items Does this disc belong with those on the shelf?

big up to exaggerate the importance He bigs himself up all the time.

blow away to surprise or please someone very much Her first novel blew me away.

blow off to treat sb/sth as unimportant I told them about the problem and they just blew me off.
to not do sth that you had agreed to do I can’t believe you blew off the exam.
blow up to explode The bomb blew up without any warning.
to suddenly start (storm, wind) The race had to be cancelled when the storm blew up.
to begin a problem/argument A political row has blown up over the minister’s remarks.
to suddenly become angry She just blew up at me.
boil up to feel a negative emotion strongly Anger was boiling up inside me.

break down to become very upset She broke down when she heard the sad news.
to stop working Our car broke down on the thruway.
C
call off to cancel a planned event They called off their wedding.

calm down to begin to feel more relaxed and less emotional Calm down and tell us what’s going on.

care for to protect sb and provide the things they need Teach your children how to care for their pets.
to treat sth carefully Your clothes won’t last if you don’t care for them.
carry off to succeed in doing sth difficult He could not have carried it off without help.
to win a prize She failed to carry off the gold medal.
carry on to continue doing sth He moved to London to carry on his work.
to behave in an angry, excited or emotional way The children have been carrying on all day.
catch on to become fashionable or popular Will the game ever catch on with young people?
to understand He didn’t catch on at first.
catch up to reach the same quality as sb/sth else I was off school and I’m finding it hard to catch up.
to do sth you did not have time to do earlier He used the afternoons to catch up on paperwork.
to succeed in reaching sb who is ahead of you He stopped and waited for Lily to catch up.
to learn or discuss the latest news It’s always good to catch up with old friends.
to be involved in sth He had no desire to be caught up in political activities.
cheer up to start to feel happier I wish he would cheer up.

clear out of to leave a place quickly My landlord’s given me a week to clear out of my flat.

clear up to improve (weather) I hope it clears up in time for the picnic.

to solve a problem or a mystery The case was never cleared up.
close down to stop doing business (business/organization) Their intention is to close down the factory.

club together to share the cost We clubbed together to buy him a new watch.

come apart to separate into several pieces My boots are coming apart at the seams.

come down
with to become ill with a disease that is not very serious I think I’m coming down with flu.

come out to become known He said it’ll all come out in court.
to become available (book, album) When does their new album come out?
to be removed from sth We scrubbed it with soap but the stain wouldn’t come out.
to appear in the sky The clouds finally parted and the sun came out.
to be heard or understood in a particular way I didn’t mean it to come out as a criticism.
to have a particular result I’m sure it’ll all come out all right in the end.
to state a decision officially or publicly The commission has come out against the takeover.
go somewhere with sb for a social event Would you like to come out for a drink sometime?
to tell people that you are gay Coming out to her parents was the hardest part.
come over to visit sb at their house Ron came over for dinner the other night.
to travel to a place Is your family coming over from Greece for the wedding?
to affect sb (a feeling) A wave of anger came over him.
come up to move towards someone A girl came up to me and asked for money.
to become available (job, opportunity) A position has come up in the accounts department.
to be mentioned or talked about in conversation What points came up at the meeting?
to happen, usually unexpectedly I’ve got to go - something has just come up at home.
to be about to happen My exams are coming up soon.
to be judged in a court of law His case comes up next week.
rise (sun)
come up with to suggest or think of an idea or plan Is that the best you can come up with?

count on/upon to have confidence in someone You can always count on Michael in a crisis.

cut back to spend less, do less or use less If exercise is causing you pain, you should cut back.

cut down to do or use less of sth I’m trying to cut down on caffeine.

cut out to stop eating/doing sth that is bad for your health I’ve cut out chocolate completely.
to exclude sb from sth His mother cut him out of her will.
to stop working (engine, machine) The lifeboat’s engine cut out as it hit the seabed.

D
deal with to take action to do sth I spent the morning dealing with my emails.

depend on/upon to trust sb/sth and know that they will help you I’m depending on you to keep your promise.

die for to want something a lot I’m dying for the weekend - this week’s been so hard.

dig into to reach inside to get sth She dug into her pocket and took out a pen.
to press hard into sth She dug her nails into the palms of her hand.
do away with to get rid of sth Some airlines have done away with reclining seats.

do without to manage without sb/sth There’s no mayonnaise left, so you’ll have to do without.

drift apart if two people drift apart, their relationship ends Lewis and his father drifted apart.

drop in to make a short visit somewhere Drop in whenever you’re in the neighbourhood.

drop off to bring sb/sth to a place, usually in a car We dropped him off at the airport.
to decrease (drop away) Her popularity has dropped off recently.
drop out to stop going to classes He dropped out at 14.

dry up to stop being available What will happen to the project when the money dries up?
 E
eat out to eat in a restaurant When I lived in Spain, I used to eat out all the time.

end up to finally be in a particular place or situation Somehow they all ended up at my house.

enter into sth to start to become involved in an official discussion They refuse to enter into any discussion on this matter.

F
face up to to accept that a difficult situation exists He was the only one who faced up to the problem.

fall apart to break into pieces My poor old boots are falling apart.

fall behind to fail to do sth fast enough or on time I’ve fallen behind on the mortgage payments.

fall down to fall to the ground Our apple tree fell down in the storm.

fall for to be very attracted to sb She always falls for older men.
to believe that a trick or a joke is true How could you fall for such an obvious trick?
fall out to argue with sb and stop being friendly with them He left home after falling out with his parents.

fall over to fall to the ground She tripped and fell over.

fawn over to be extremely nice to sb more important than you

because you want them to like you I hate waiters who fawn over you.
feed off/on to use sth in order to continue to exist/become stronger Fascism feeds on poverty.

feed up to make a person healthier/fatter by giving a lot of food You’ve lost a lot of weight - you need feeding up a bit.

feel for to feel sympathy for sb I know what it’s like to be lonely, so I do feel for her.

feel up to touch someone sexually without their consent That’s the second time she’s been felt up on the metro.

feel up to to have energy to do sth I don’t feel up to going out tonight.

fight off to stop sb who is trying to attack you The woman managed to fight off her attackers.
to prevent an illness or desire I was trying to fight off the urge to eat all the cake.
figure out to understand or solve sth I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about.

fill in to add information on an official document Fill in the missing words.

to give sb details about sth My secretary will fill you in on the details.
to do someone’s work while they are away She will fill in for him while he’s at the conference.
fill out to become less thin Sam’s really filled out, hasn’t he?

fill up to make sth full, or to become full Too many spam emails are filling up our inboxes.

find out to discover a fact or piece of information He hadn’t time to find out what was bothering her,

finish off to make sb extremely tired, weak or unhappy That game of tennis really finished me off.

finish with to stop using sth When you’ve finished with the sponge, simply rinse it.
to end a romantic relationship She finished with him last week.
fit in to belong to a group/plan/situation It’s a nice sofa but it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the room.
to be accepted by a group of people She says that she doesn’t fit in at her new school.
fix up to repair, decorate or make sth ready They fixed up the house before they moved in.

flip through to look quickly at the pages of a magazine, book, etc. Helen flipped through her notes.

follow up pursue or investigate sth further I decided to follow up the letters with phone calls.

fool around to behave in a silly way for fun Don’t fool around with matches.

freshen up to quickly wash yourself so that you feel clean He went off to freshen up in the local baths.
G
get across to make people understand sth He had trouble getting his meaning across in English.

get ahead to be successful in the work that you do It’s tough for a woman to get ahead in politics.

get along if two people get along, they like each other and
are friendly to each other I don’t really get along with my sister’s husband.
get around/ to travel to different places At 85 she still gets around quite well.
round to avoid or deal with a problem You can’t get around the fact that smoking kills.
to persuade sb to do sth, He’s strict, but you can get around him with humour.
get at to manage to reach or touch sth I’ve put the cake on a high shelf where he can’t get at it.
to try to suggest sth without saying it directly What are you getting at?
to criticize sb all the time in a way that us unfair Why are you always getting at me?
to discover the true facts about sth This was an attempt to stop them getting at the truth.
get away to escape from a person or place A police officer grabbed him, but he got away.
to go somewhere to have a holiday I just need to get away for a few days.
get away with to succeed in avoiding punishment for sth How can he get away with speaking to her like that?

get back to return to a place Dad always got back home in time for tea.
to receive sth that you had before Don’t lend him money - you’ll never get it back.
to return to the state you were in before I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep.
get back to to talk to sb again at a later time I’ll get back to you later with those figures.

get behind to fail to do as much work or pay as much money She got behind with her mortgage and the house was
as you should by a particular time repossessed.
get by to be able to deal with a situation with difficulty How can he get by on so little money?

get down to to start doing sth seriously or with a lot of effort After lunch we got down to discussing the issue of pay.

get in to arrive at home or at work What time did you get in last night?
to arrive (train, plane, etc.) What time is the plane expected to get in?
to be accepted/chosen In order to get in you have to pass an exam.
to be elected for a political job The Labour Party got in again in 2001.
to deliver sth to a person or place I have to get this homework in by the end of the week.
get into to start enjoying sth She’s really getting into the Internet.
to begin to discuss sth I don’t think we have time to get into that now.
to arrive at work or school I got into school early that day.
to be accepted to study somewhere She got into one of the top universities in the country.
to become involved in a bad situation Those kids are always getting into trouble.
to start doing sth regularly Try to get into the habit of drinking more water.
get off to stop touching sb/sth Get off the grass right now!
to leave a place If we can get off by 7 o’clock, the roads will be clearer.
to have a particular period of time as a holiday Do you get much time off at Christmas?
to send sth I’ll get the documents off to you this afternoon.
to not be punished severely At best you can hope to get off with a £100 fine.
get on to get into a bus/plane/train He got on the train and never saw him again.
to continue doing sth That’s enough hanging around, we need to get on.
to be allowed to be on a TV or radio programme She’s even got on TV talking about her invention.
to perform or make progress How did you get on in your exams?
to have a friendly relationship They seem to get on pretty well.
to be old We are both getting on a bit.
get out to leave a closed vehicle, building, etc. Get out of my house!
to have an enjoyable time We don’t get out much since we had the children.
to become known It quickly got out that Marie was leaving Danny.
get out of to avoid doing sth that you do not want to do Ruth always tries to get out of doing the washing up.

get over to recover from an upsetting experience They’re upset that you didn’t call, but they’ll get over it.

get over with to complete an unpleasant but necessary task I’ll be glad to get these exams over with.

get through to succeed in talking to someone on the phone I tried to call her but I couldn’t get through.

get to to annoy or upset sb I know he’s annoying, but you shouldn’t let him get to you.

get together to spend time together The whole family usually gets together at Christmas.
to start a romantic relationship She got together with Paul two years ago.
to reach an agreement on an issue I hope the committee can get together on this matter.
to organize sth that has many separate parts We’ve got to get this report together by tomorrow.
get up to stand up The referee urged both players to get up.
to start to grow stronger (wind) The wind is getting up.
give away to give sth without asking for payment The shop is giving away a sample to every customer.
to tell information that you should keep secret The party was meant to be a surprise, but she gave it away.
to show an emotion that you are trying to hide Her face gave nothing away.
give in to finally agree to what someone wants Keep asking and eventually she’ll give in.

give out to give sth to each of a number of people They’re giving out free tickets to the circus.

give up to stop owning or using sth He’s just given up his car and now cycles to work instead.
to stop doing sth that you do regularly His wife finally persuaded him to give up smoking.
to stop doing sth that you are trying hard to do We’ve given up trying to help her.
to stop thinking or believing sth He had given up the idea of marriage altogether.
to allow yourself to be arrested by the police He gave himself up this morning.
go about to begin to do sth or deal with sth What’s the best way of going about this?

go against to oppose or resist He refused to go against the unions.

go ahead to start or continue to do sth Go ahead. I won’t interrupt again.

to go to a place before sb else who you are with Don went ahead of the others to try to find help.
to happen The party went ahead as planned.
go along with to agree with sb/sth I think I would tend to go along with what Tim was saying.

go back to return to a person/place/subject/activity I’ll have to go back for my umbrella.

go back on to fail to keep a promise She’s gone back on her word and decided not to do it.

go by to move past, in space or time Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of her.

go down to sink downwards The ship went down off the coast of Africa.
to become less How long will it take for the swelling to go down?
to be remembered The efforts they made will go down in history.
to be defeated in a competition Canada went down 3-1 to the Russian team.
to produce a particular reaction The plan to put rents up has not gone down well with tenants.
to move below the horizon (sun)
go down with to start to suffer from an infectious disease Half of Martha’s class has gone down with flu.

go for to choose sth Instead of butter, I always go for olive oil.

to like or admire I don’t go for was films in a big way (= very much).
go for to like a particular type of person What sort of men do you go for (= are you attracted to)?

go in for to enjoy a particular thing or activity I’ve never really gone in for classical music, but I love jazz.
to take part in a competition Are you planning to go in for the 100 metres race?
go into to start doing a particular type of work My son’s planning to go into journalism.
to change to a different state, usually a worse one One of the victims went into a coma and died.
to talk about sth in a lot of detail I’d rather not go into that now. Can we discuss it later?
go off to stop working (light or a machine) It’s getting cold. The heater must have gone off.
to explode The bomb went off at midday.
to stop liking sb/sth I went off the idea of buying a sports car.
to leave a place Dave’s gone off to the south of France.
to be old and not good to eat (food) This bacon smells a bit funny - do you think it’s gone off?
to become worse in quality His work has really gone off recently.
to start to sleep The baby’s just gone off to sleep.
go on to happen He likes to know what’s going on.
to continue If you go on like this, you won’t have any friends left at all.
go out to leave your house in order to do sth enjoyable We haven’t gone out dancing for a long time.
to have a romantic relationship with someone How long have you been going out with him?
to be told to people Word went out that the factory was in danger of closing.
to stop being fashionable Classic jewellery like this will never go out of fashion.
go over to check sth carefully Could you go over this report and correct any mistakes?
to practise sth in order to learn it Sue is going to help me go over my lines for the play.
go through with to do sth unpleasant that has already been agreed I can’t believe he went through with the divorce.

go together to look good together I don’t think the colours go together very well.
to happen or be found together Too often greed and politics seem to go together.
go under to sink The crowd watched as the ship went slowly under.
to fail financially Is the British film industry going under?
go up to increase The average cost of a new house has gone up by 5%.
to be built A new factory is going up at the side of the old airport.
to start burning quickly or explode The whole building went up in just a few minutes.
go with to accept an idea or agree with sb I have no choice but to go with the ruling of the court.

grow apart to stop being friendly with sb There was nobody else involved - we just grew apart.

grow up to gradually become an adult I grew up in Scotland.

H
hand down to give sth to someone younger than you in the family This necklace was handed down to me by my mother.

hand over to give sth to someone else We were ordered to hand over our passports.

hang around to spend time in a place waiting or doing nothing We were just hanging around the mall.

hang on to hold sth tightly Hang on tight - it’s going to be a very bumpy road.
to wait or be patient I think we should hang on and see the end of the game.
have on to be wearing particular clothes, shoes, etc. Melissa had her new dress on.
to have switched on the radio, TV, heating, etc. We haven’t had the air conditioning on all summer.
to have information about sth They haven’t got anything on Jack, so they can’t arrest him.
to have arranged to do sth at a particular time Do you have anything on for tomorrow afternoon?
head off to start a journey or leave a place What time are you heading off?

help out to help sb, by doing sth or by giving them money My family has always helped me out.

hide away to put sth in a place where other people will not find it She has some biscuits hidden away in the cupboard.

hit back to criticize sb who has criticized you The attorney general is expected to hit back at his critics.

hit it off with to be friendly with each other immediately I didn’t really hit it off with his sister.

hold it against to like sb less because they have done sth wrong He made a mistake but I don’t hold it against him.

hold off to delay sth Let’s hold off making a decision until next week.

hold on to wait for a short time If you can just hold on I’ll go and get some help.

hold up to remain strong or successful Will his alibi hold up in court?

hook up to meet someone We hooked up at the conference.

hunt out to search until you find sth It took me ages to hunt out the photos.

hurry up do sth more quickly Hurry up, or we’ll miss the bus!
 I
invite in/over to invite someone to come to your house Did she invite you in for coffee?

J
jazz up to make sth more interesting They should jazz the show up with some new scenes.

join in to become involved in an activity with other people She laughed and Tom joined in.

jot down to write sth quickly on a piece of paper I carry a notebook so that I can jot down any ideas.

jump at to accept sth eagerly She jumped at the chance of a trip to Paris.

jump out at if sth jumps out at you, you notice it immediately That’s a very effective ad - it really jumps out at you.

K
keep around to keep sth near you I keep a dictionary around when I’m doing my
homework.
keep at it to continue with sth difficult The secret of dieting is to keep at it.

keep away to not allow someone near sth Medicines should always be kept away from children.

keep down to prevent sth from increasing We have to try and keep costs down.
to stop sb from achieving what they are capable of Even if you’re smart, they still try to keep you down.
to succeed in keeping food in your stomach I’d eat anything if I thought I could keep it down.
keep on doing to continue to do sth She kept on asking me questions the whole time.

keep from to not tell someone about sth I kept the news from him for a while.

keep up to continue to do sth Keep up the good work.

to move at the same speed as sb/sth He had to hurry to keep up with her.
to make progress at the same speed as sb/sth We always try to keep up with our competitors.
to be able to understand sth that is happening We try to keep up with what’s happening.
kick in to start to have an effect It takes half an hour for the medication to kick in.

kick out to force someone to leave a place His wife kicked him out.

knock down to hit someone with a vehicle and injure or kill them Sue was knocked down just yards from her house.

knock off to finish work for the day We knocked off early on Friday.
L
launch into to start an explanation/attack with a lot of enthusiasm He immediately launched into a detailed account of his trip.

lay off to stop employing sb because there is no work for them They’ve had to cut back production and lay off workers.

lay out to spend money It’s not every day you lay out £500 on a dress.

leave aside Leaving aside the question of cost, how many people do we
to not consider sth need on the job?
leave behind to forget to take sb/sth with you I think I must have left my keys behind.

leave out to not include someone or sth I’ve made a list of names - I hope I haven’t left anyone out.

let down to disappoint sb by failing to do what you agreed to do When I was sent to prison, I really felt I had let him down.

let in to allow someone to enter a house, room, etc. Don’t let anybody in!

let off to not punish The judge let him off with a fine rather than a prison sentence.

let out to end (class or school) My history class lets out at 4:15.

lie around to spend time lying down and doing very little I spent a week in Spain, lying around on the beach.
to be left in places where they should not be (e.g. keys) Has anyone seen my keys lying around?
lie behind to be the real reason for sth Do you know what lies behind their decision?

lie in to stay in bed in the morning for longer than usual We usually lie in on Sundays.

lighten up to become more relaxed and less serious Oh, lighten up! I was only joking!

listen in to secretly listen to a conversation I wish Dad would stop listening in on my phone conversations.

live down to make people forget about sth embarrassing or silly I wish I’d never opened my mouth - I’ll never live it down!

live for to think sb/sth is your main reason for living My son lives for music.

live on to have a particular amount of money in order to buy

the things you need We lived on very little when we first got married.
live through to experience a difficult situation These are people who have lived through two world wars.

live up to to be as good as sth The concert was brilliant - it lived up to all our expectations.

liven up to become more energetic or in a better mood I’m going to liven myself up a little by going for a run.

load up on to gather or buy a large amount of sth The tourists started loading up on perfumes and cosmetics.

lock yourself
away to go somewhere where you can be alone James locked himself away in his bedroom.

lock out to prevent sb from coming into a room/building She locked him out of the house after an argument.

look after to take care of sb/sth It’s hard work looking after three children all day.

look ahead to think about what is likely to happen We are trying to look ahead and see what our options are.

look around to visit a place and look at the things in it She spent the afternoon looking around the town.

look at to consider a subject carefully Management is looking at ways of cutting costs.

look back to think about a time or event in the past When I look back I can see where we went wrong.

look down on to think that you are better than someone else She looks down on most of our neighbours.

look forward I’m really looking forward to my holiday.

to to feel excited about sth that is going to happen I look forward to hearing from you.

look into to examine the facts about a problem We’re looking into buying a new computer.

look out for to try to notice sb/sth Look out for Anna while you’re there.

look over to quickly examine sth He’d been looking over the leaflets he’d picked up earlier.

look through to read sth quickly and not carefully I’ve looked through some catalogues.

look up to look at a book or computer in order to find a piece I didn’t know the correct spelling so I had to look it up in the
of information dictionary.
look up to to respect and admire someone He’d always looked up to his uncle.

M
make away with steal The thieves made away with the painting.

make out to see, hear or understand sb/sth with difficulty I can’t make out your writing.

make it to arrive or get a result I am glad you made it.

make it up to to try to compensate for doing sth wrong He tried to make it up to her, but she wouldn’t speak to him.

make up to forgive someone who you have argued with They kissed and made up, as usual.

make up to invent sth (e.g. story, game, excuse) My dad was always really good at making up stories.

make up for to replace sth that has been lost No amount of money can make up for the death of a child.

measure up to be good enough She could never measure up to her mother’s expectations.

mess around to behave in a silly way He spent the day with friends, just messing around.

mess up to make a mistake or to do sth badly I messed up my chances of becoming a great actor.

mix up to confuse I always mix those two sisters up.

move in to begin living in a new house or area When I first moved in I painted everything magnolia.

move out to stop living in a particular house They moved out and went north.
 N
name after to give sb/sth the same name as sb/sth else Paul was named after his grandfather.

narrow down to reduce the number of possibilities or choices We’re working to narrow down the list of possible suspects.

note down to write sth down I noted down his phone number.

O
off-putting unattractive or unpleasant It tasted ok but the smell was off-putting.

opt out to choose not to take part of an activity Employees can choose to opt out of the pension scheme.

order around to tell sb what they should do all the time You can’t just come in here and start ordering me around.

outset the beginning of sth I told him at/from the outset I wasn’t interested.

outstanding extremely good It’s an area of outstanding natural beauty.

oversleep to sleep longer than you had intended I missed the bus this morning because I overslept again.

own up to admit that you have done sth wrong No one has owned up to stealing the money.

P
pack up to collect things together and put them into bags/boxes I’m about to pack up my things and go home.

pair off to begin a romantic relationship with someone All our friends seem to be pairing off.

pass away to die Her father passed away last week.

pass by to not notice sth Do you ever feel that life is passing you by?

pass for to be accepted, wrongly, as sth He’s forty, but he could pass for 25.

pass on to give someone sth that someone else has given you When you’ve read the message, please pass it on.
to give sb an infectious illness I didn’t want to pass on my flu to the kids.
to die His wife passed on 12 years ago.
pass out to become unconscious I was hit on the head and passed out.

pay back to pay someone the money that you owe them I’ll pay you back as soon as possible.
to do sth bad to sb because they have done sth bad to He swore he’d pay her back for all she’d done to him.
you
pay off to pay back all the money you owe We should be able to pay off the debt within 2 years.

pay up to pay money that you owe, especially when you don’t Eventually, they paid up, but only after receiving several
want to reminders.
pick on to keep criticizing sb unfairly Why do you always pick on me?

pick up to go take sb in a vehicle Will you pick me up after the party?

to learn a new skill without intending to She picked up a few phrases while staying in Berlin.
to get an illness He picked up malaria when he was visiting the country.
to buy sth You can pick up here amazing bargains.
to notice sb/sth The dogs must have picked up his scent.
pile up to increase in amount All the time the bills were piling up.

pin down to understand or describe sth exactly We can’t pin down where the leak came from.

play down to make sth seem less important than it really is He tried to play down the seriousness of the disaster.

point out to tell someone about some information I feel I should point out how dangerous it is.

pop in/into to visit briefly Why don’t you pop in and see us this afternoon?

pour down to rain heavily I hope you’ve got an umbrella, it’s pouring down today!

pour into to provide a lot of effort, money or help to sb/sth They’ve already poured a lot of time and money into this.

pour out to fill a glass, with a drink Would you pour some water out for me, please?
to tell all your problems or feelings to sb She began pouring out her fears about the future.
press for to work hard to win support for a plan He will press for stricter pollution controls.

(be) pressed
for time to be in a hurry I’d love to stop and talk, but I’m pressed for time.

press on to continue doing sth in a determined way The witness started crying, but the lawyer pressed on.

pull down to destroy a building They pulled down the warehouse to build a supermarket.

pull off to succeed in doing or achieving sth difficult Hanley pulled off a surprise victory in the semi-final.

pull out to stop being involved in an activity or agreement The firm is pulling out of the personal computer business.

pull over to drive a car to the side of the road in order to stop Let’s pull over and have a look at the map.

pull through to manage to stay alive after you’ve been very ill/ injured Don’t worry, your dad’s going to pull through.

pull together to work as a group in order to achieve sth In times of crisis, communities pull together.

pull yourself You have to pull yourself together, go out there and talk
together to become calm after being very angry or upset to them.

put across Television can be a useful way of putting across health

to communicate sth effectively messages.
put back to reschedule a planned event to a later time/date We’ve put the trip back until June now.
to put sth in the place where it was before Can you put the book back when you’ve finished with it?
put down to put sb/sth onto a surface Emma put her bag down and went upstairs.
to make someone feel stupid by criticising them publicly He’s always trying to put me down.
to kill an animal using a drug because it is very old We’re probably going to have the cat put down.
to write sth on a piece of paper I put my name down on the list.
put forward to submit a plan/proposal/theory for consideration The authority put forward positive proposals.

put off to make someone not like sb/sth or not want to do sth I put him off the idea of going shopping with me.
to delay doing sth You can’t put the decision off any longer.
to cancel or postpone an appointment He’d put off Martin until 9 o’clock.
to prevent someone from concentrating on sth Stop laughing - you’ll put her off.
to switch off a machine Please put off the television and do your homework.
put on to put a piece of clothing onto your body Dorothy put on her coat and went out.
to make a device work by pressing a switch Can you put the light on, please?
to organize an event or show We’re putting on a concert to raise some money.
to behave deceptively I think he was just putting in an act to get sympathy.
to become fatter (put on weight) I’ve put on 2kg in the last month.
to start cooking sth I’ll put the vegetables on in a minute.
to pass the phone to sb so that they can talk Put Dad on, I want to talk to him.
put out to make sth that is burning stop burning Please put the cigarette out.
to switch off a light Tara put the light out and went to sleep.
to cause trouble or inconvenience Would it put you out if we came tomorrow?
to produce sth in large quantities, so that it can be sold They put out millions of pairs of shoes a year.
to release a message The police put out a bulletin.
put over to express an idea clearly so that people understand it I don’t think I put my point over very clearly.
to trick sb into believing sth that is not true You can’t put one over on me that easily!
put up to build sth such as a wall, fence or house John was in the garden putting a fence up.
to fix a picture onto a wal I put a few posters up to make the room look less bare.
to increase the value or price of sth The bank has decided to put up its interest rates.
to provide a large amount of money The sponsors are putting up £5,000 for the event.
to raise sth, so that is ready to use Put your hood up or you’ll catch cold.
to accommodate someone temporarily We’re going to put him up for a few days.
to stay for a short time in a place We put up at a cheap hotel.
put up to to encourage someone to do sth stupid or wrong One of the older boys must have put him up to it.

put up with to accept sb/sth unpleasant in a patient way How has Jan put up with him for so long?

R
read into to find an extra meaning in someone’s words or
actions that is not obvious or does not exist I think you’re reading too much into a casual remark.
read through to read all of a document, book, etc. in order to
check or correct it Read the contract through carefully before you sign.
read up on to read a lot about a particular subject in order to
learn about it I need to read up on my British history.
rely on/upon to trust sb/sth to do sth for you My brother can help. At least we can rely on him.

rip off to cheat someone by making them pay too much Tourists are worried they’ll get ripped off.
money for sth This government is ripping off the country.
rise above to deal well with a difficult situation Cara did her best to rise above the shocking news.

root out to find and get rid of the thing or person that is
causing a problem The president vowed to root out corruption.
rule out to stop considering sth as a possibility The president has ruled out the use of US troops.

run across to find sth or to meet someone by chance I ran across the letter while I was tidying the drawers.

run away to secretly leave a place When I was 13, I ran away from home.

run down to criticise sb/sth, often unfairly You’re always running me down!
to stop working The batteries will soon run down.
run into to meet someone you know when you are not
expecting to I ran into my boss at the supermarket.
run on to continue for longer than expected I hope this meeting doesn’t run on too long.
to pass quickly (time) Time’s running on - let’s get this job finished soon!
run out to use all of sth so that there is none left Many hospitals are running out of money.
to stop being legal at a certain date My contract runs out next July.
run over to hit sb with a vehicle and drive over them Keeley was run over by a car outside her house.
to practise what you are going to say She kept running over her lines.
to think a lot about sth I couldn’t stop running it over in my mind.
run through to repeat sth in order to practise it Let’s just run through the piece one more time.
to explain or to read sth quickly Do you want me to run through the details with you?
to feel the same feeling Fear ran through the crowd as a shot was heard.
run up against to begin to experience problems or difficulties We ran up against a few problems finding enough
money.
S
save up to keep money so that you can buy sth with it She spent all the money I had saved up for our trip.

scrape to succeed in doing sth, but not in a very impressive

through way I think he’ll just scrape through the entrance exam.

screw up to make a mistake I really screwed up this time, didn’t I?

see about to deal with or organize sth I must go and see about this job.

see around to notice sb often in places that you go to regularly I’ve never actually met her, but I’ve seen her around.

see through to recognize that sth is not true and not be tricked by it We can all see through your little game, Adam.

see to to deal with or take responsibility for sb/sth You try to get some sleep, I’ll see to the children’s breakfast.

sell off to sell sth quickly and for a low price The company will have to sell off assets to avoid bankruptcy.

sell up to sell your possessions in order to move away They sold up and retired to the West Country.

set about to begin doing sth, in a determined or enthusiastic way She set about the problem with her usual energy.

set aside to save money for a particular purpose Have you set aside some money for your child’s education?

set off to start a journey We set off early the next morning.
to make sth start working Jeff pushed open the door, which set off the alarm.
to cause sth accidentally He fears that the election could set off mass protests.
to make someone laugh/cry/talk a lot Just mentioning her father’s death could set her off again.
set out to start a journey After a three-day rest, the travellers set out again.
to start doing or working on sth They set out to build their own house.
to explain, describe or arrange sth in a clear and In his report he sets out his plans for the department.
detailed way
set up to start a business/organization or institution The group plans to set up an import business.
to organize or plan an event or system I’ll set up a meeting for Thursday.
to make a piece of equipment ready for use Will you be able to set up my PC?
to make an innocent person appear guilty of sth She claims she’s innocent and someone set her up.
to arrange for two people to go out together I think we should set Ryan up with my cousin.
settle down to begin to live a quieter life by getting married or
staying permanently in a place Are you ever going to settle down and get married?
settle for to accept sb/sth that is not exactly what you wanted Why settle for second best when you can have sth better?

settle up to pay someone the money that you owe them Let’s settle up with the waiter and get out of here.

shake off to get rid of an illness or sth that is causing you problems She couldn’t shake her fear off of snakes.

shoot up to increase very rapidly (number, price) Petrol prices have shot up in the last six months.

shop around to go to several shops before you decide what

particular thing to buy I’m shopping around for a new winter coat.
show around/ to lead someone around a place for the first time, so
round that they can see all parts of it I’ll get someone to show you around.

show off to behave in a way that is intended to attract people’s The children start showing off the minute anyone comes into
attention and make them admire you the house.
show up to arrive or turn up for an appointment I’ll be very surprised if they show up on time.

shut down to close and stop working (business, factory) The company plans to shut down four factories.

shut up to stop talking or making a noise, or to make sb do this Can’t you shut the kids up for just five minutes?
to keep someone in a small area for a specific purpose Many students shut themselves up in their rooms to study.
sign up to arrange to take part in an activity She’s decided to sign up for evening classes.

slave away to work very hard with little or no rest I’ve been slaving away all day.

sleep in to sleep longer in the morning than you normally do The whole family sleeps in on Sundays.

sleep on to wait until the next day before you decide what to do Let me sleep on it and give you an answer tomorrow.

sleep over to sleep in someone else’s home for a night Mum, can Billy sleep over on Saturday?

slip out if sth slips out, you say it without intending to I’m sorry I said that - it just slipped out.

slip up to make a careless mistake This doesn’t make sense - have we slipped up somewhere?

slow down to become less active or effective than before This cold is really slowing me down.

sort out to deal with sth successfully You can sort this out, if you sit down and talk.
to organize things I need to sort out the mess on my desk.
to provide sth for someone If you need a new bike, I can sort you out.
to resolve the problems of someone I need time to sort myself out.
to make arrangements for sth to happen Jo’s organizing the food and the music’s already sorted out.
speak out to publicly express your opinions He had always spoken out in favour of gay rights.

speak up to talk louder You have to speak up. We can’t hear at the back.
to express your opinion If anyone has a better idea, please speak up.
spell out to explain sth in detail I’ll spell out the problem again.

splash out to buy sth expensive He’s just splashed out on a brand new car.

split up to end a marriage or relationship Her parents split up a few months ago.

spring from to come from or be a result of sth His need to be liked springs from a deep-rooted insecurity.

squeeze in to be able to do sth, even though you don’t have time I can squeeze a meeting in early tomorrow morning.

stamp out to get rid of sth that is considered wrong or harmful The new legislation is intended to stamp out child prostitution.

stand around to stand in a place and do nothing Don’t let the boss see you standing around doing nothing.
stand by to be ready to do sth Could you stand by in case I need help?
to not take action when you should We can’t just stand by and watch her die.
to be loyal to someone who is in a difficult situation I know he would stand by me no matter what I’d done.
to show that you still believe or support sth We stand by our view that rates may need to rise.
stand in to do someone else’s job for a short period of time I’ll be standing in for Peter while he’s away.

stand out to be very noticeable This lettering really stands out on that pink background.
to be much better than other similar things or people We had lot of good applicants for the job, but one stood out
from the rest.
stand up for to defend sb/sth that is being criticized or attacked You’ve got to stand up for what you believe in.

stand up to to not allow yourself to be treated badly, especially by Nobody thought he would be brave enough to stand up to
someone in authority her.
start off to make sth begin We don’t want to start off a riot.
to begin, especially in a particular way Let’s start off with a few questions from the audience.
to begin moving or to start a journey He started off for the station at a brisk pace.
stay/keep/get to continue to be more advanced and successful than
ahead other people Our industries have to stay ahead of the game in Europe.

stay away
from to avoid becoming involved in sth We stayed away from the subject of politics.

stay behind to remain somewhere after everyone else has left Tony stayed behind and helped me clean up the room.

stay in to remain at home I think I’d rather stay in tonight.

stay on to stay at a place for longer than you had intended to James promised to stay on for six months.

stay out to remain out of your home for a period of time Please, don’t stay out all night again!

stay out of to avoid becoming involved in sth He will go to jail if he doesn’t stay out of trouble.

stay up to not go to bed Josh could stay up all night without getting tired.

step aside to leave your job, especially so that sb else can do it The manager announced he is stepping aside.

step up to increase sth Police decide to step up security plans for the game.

stick around to stay somewhere for a period of time I’d like to stick around and watch the game.

stick at to continue to work hard at sth Just stick at it and I’m sure it’ll get easier.

stick by to continue to support sb who is in a difficult position I love him and whatever happens I’ll stick by him.

stick with to stay close to sb and go with them wherever they go Stick with me and you’ll be all right.
to continue to do or use sth and not change it You need to find a job and stick with it.
to continue to remember sth It was a moment that has stuck with me for years.
stir up to cause an unpleasant emotion or problem to grow The photographs stirred up some painful memories.

stock up to buy a lot of sth, often food or drink We stocked up with food in case we get snowed in.

stop off to visit somewhere before continuing to another place We stopped off in town on the way to Jenni’s house.

sum up to give a summary of sth I’ll sum up briefly and then we’ll take questions.
to make a judgement about what sb/sth is like Selfish - that summed her up.

T
take after to look or behave like an older relative In looks she takes after her father.

take apart to separate sth into pieces My watch stopped, so I took it apart.

take aside to separate someone from a group of people so that

you can speak to them privately I was immediately taken aside by the manager.
take back to return sth to the person or organisation that you If you don’t like the scarf, I can take it back.
borrowed or bought it from
to accept sb again after they have left a relationship She had an affair, but then he took her back.
to admit that sth you said to or about sb was wrong I didn’t mean what I said - I take it back.
to remind sb/sth in the past This song always takes me back to my childhood.
take in to include sth The sweep of his arm took in most of Main Street.
to allow someone to stay in your house We decide to take in lodgers.
to understand and remember sth that you hear/read I’m not sure how much of his explanation she took in.
to deceive someone Don’t be taken in by their promises.
to accept sth as real or true He still hasn’t really taken in his father’s death.
to spend time looking at sth We sat there taking in the scenery.
take off to remove sth, especially a piece of clothing I’d better take my shoes off.
to become successful or popular very fast Her business has really taken off.
to have a particular amount of time away from work I’m taking Monday off to go to London.
to leave a place suddenly As soon as she saw George arrive, she just took off.
to copy the way that sb speaks or behaves, for fun Beth can take off Judy Garland brilliantly.
take on to begin to employ someone We’re not taking on any new staff at the moment.
to develop a particular character or appearance Our website is taking on a new look.
to accept some work or responsibility I can’t take on any more work at the moment.
take out to remove sth from a pocket, bag, etc. Henry took out his wallet.
to take sb to a place like a cinema and pay for them She’s taking her parents out for dinner.
take it out on to relieve frustration or anger by mistreating sb/sth When he’s under pressure at work, he takes it out on me.

take it out of to make someone feel very tired Playing tennis in this heat really takes it out of you.

take over to begin to do sth that someone else was doing Can you take over the cooking while I walk the dog?
to take control of sth Gibraltar was taken over by Spain in 1462.
take through to explain sth to sb or to show someone how to do sth Here’s my report. I’ll take you through it if you like.
take to to start to like someone or sth I took to John immediately.

take to doing to start to doing sth as a habit Recently he’s taken to wearing a cap.

take up to start doing a particular job, habit or interest I took up smoking when I was at school.
to fill a particular amount of space or time I’ll try not to take up too much of your time.
take up on to accept an offer that someone has made I’ve decided to take you up on that job offer.

take up with to be very busy doing or thinking about sth She was completely taken up with her own worries.
to become friendly with sb I don’t want you to take up with the wrong crowd.
talk round to succeed in persuading sb to agree to sth I’m sure I can talk her round.

talk down to to talk to someone as if they were less clever than you Try not to talk down to your employees.

talk over to discuss a problem or a plan You both need to talk over what happened that day.

talk into to persuade someone to do sth He’s against the idea, but I think I can talk him into it.

talk out of to persuade someone not to do sth Her parents tried to talk her out of getting engaged.

tear apart to make someone feel very sad/upset/worried It just tears me apart to see you suffering like this.
to make people argue and damage their relationship This issue is tearing their marriage apart.
to damage sth completely by breaking it into pieces The building was torn apart by the explosion.
to criticize sb/sth very strongly She tore us apart with a real tongue-lashing.
tear down to destroy or remove a structure That old house has been torn down years ago.

tear up to destroy sth by pulling it into pieces I tore up all the photos of my old boyfriend.
to refuse to accept sth any longer We will tear up the whole treaty rather than accept this
clause.
to make sb feel very unhappy or upset It tears me up to leave you.
tell apart to recognize the difference between two people or The two women are so similar that only their husbands can
things that are very similar tell them apart.
tell off to speak angrily to someone because they have done The teacher told me off for talking again today.
sth wrong I’m going to get told off for being late.
think ahead to think carefully about what might happen in the We’re thinking ahead to the next meeting.
future
think back to think about things that happened in the past I’ve been trying to think back to that last evening.

think over to consider a problem or decision carefully Let’s think over his proposal before we see him again.

think through to consider the facts about sth in an organized way Have you had time to think things through?

throw yourself
into to start doing sth with a lot of enthusiasm and energy After my girlfriend left me, I threw myself into my work.

throw out of to force someone to leave a college, school, house She threw him out of the house.

throw up to vomit I feel terrible - I’ve been throwing up all night!

tidy up to arrange sth in a neat and ordered way Could you help me tidy up?

tip off to give sb a warning or secret information about sth They were arrested after the police were tipped off.

top up to put more drink into someone’s glass or cup Would you like me to top up your drink?

touch on/upon to mention sth when you are talking or writing He did not touch on the issue of immigration.

track down to find sb/sth after a long search I finally managed to track him down in Manchester.

trigger off to make sth happen The news of his death triggered off more violence.

try on to put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits or suits one Why don’t you try this dress on?

try out to test sth new to see whether it is suitable or pleasing John hopes to try out his new running shoes this weekend.

tuck away to put sth in a place where it is not easy to find or see The sugar is tucked away on the top shelf.

turn down to refuse an offer or request How could you turn down such a fantastic job?

turn in to hand someone over to the authorities His own brother turned him in.
to produce a particular score or performance Bicknell turned in a fine all-round performance.
to go to bed in the evening I turned in at midnight.
turn off to stop a piece of equipment by pressing a button Will you turn the TV off, please?
to make someone feel no longer interested in sth This sort of talk could turn a lot of voters off.
to stop paying attention When people lose interest they just turn off.
turn on to make sth start working Is your computer turned on?
to make someone interested in sth That book really turned me on to astronomy.
to make sb feel sexually attracted He’s very nice, but he just doesn’t turn me on.
to suddenly attack someone violently Dad suddenly turned on her and yelled at her to be quiet.
turn out to develop in a particular way I’m sure it will turn out well in the end.
to be discovered to be sth It turns out that I was right all along.
to be present at an event Only 62% of the electorate turned out to vote.
to produce sth in large numbers The company turns out 2,000 small planes a year.
turn to to ask someone for help, sympathy or advice I’m sorry, but I had no one else to turn to.
to start to do or take sth bad (e.g. crime, drugs, drink), He turned to drugs after his wife left him.
to start thinking about or discussing sth Let’s turn to more important matters now.
to start doing sth new or different Karras, the ex-football star who later turned to acting.
turn up to increase the amount of sound/heat/light Can you turn the volume up a bit?
to come somewhere She failed to turn up for work on Monday.
to be found, by accident, after being lost The documents finally turned up in the drawer.
to happen unexpectedly or by chance You’ll get another job: sth is bound to turn up soon.
W
wake up to to start to realize sth He needs to wake up to the fact that the planet is in danger.

walk into to get a job very easily She walked straight into a well-paid job after graduating.

walk off with to steal sth You can’t just walk off with his jacket.

walk out to suddenly leave sb/sth that depends on you I was afraid you’d walk out of my life again.

warm to to begin to like sb/sth It might take them a while to warm to the idea.

watch out for to be careful to sb/sth Watch out for snakes!

wear down to make sb gradually lose their energy Slowly he wore his opponent down.

wear off to gradually disappear I got bored with the job once the novelty wore off.

wear yourself
out to make yourself feel very tired You need a holiday or you’ll wear yourself out.

wear out to use sth a lot so that it no longer works or can no

longer be used The children have all worn out their shoes.
weigh on to cause problems to sb/sth or to make sb worried The decision to move has been weighing heavily on his
mind.
wind down to end or to finish sth gradually The party started to wind down around 2.00 am.
to relax after a period of excitement or worry Will you be winding down a bit by then?
wind up to end sth I’d like to wind up the meeting soon.
to trick someone with lies At first they were winding me up.
to make sb angry or upset Please don’t wind him up - he causes me enough trouble.
work at to try hard to achieve sth or improve sth Successful relationships don’t just happen - you have to work
at them.
work off to get rid of an unpleasant feeling by doing sth
energetic She generally works off her anger by going for a run.
work on to spend time producing or improving sth He’ll have to work on getting fit before the game.
to be dealing with sth Don’t worry about that, I’m working on it.
to try to influence someone We’ll have to work on Joey to find out what’s going on.
work out to solve a problem by considering the facts I can’t work out what to do.
to be successful, or to end in a particular way Things worked out pretty well in the end.
to decide or agree on sth We haven’t worked out a date for the meeting.
to do physical exercise as a way of keeping fit He works out at the local gym every day.
to understand sb/sth I can’t work him out.
work through to deal with a problem by talking about it in detail He needs to work through some of the guilt he’s feeling.

work towards to try hard to achieve sth Both countries are working towards peace in the region.

write down to write sth on a piece of paper Write down seven words that describe how you feel.