Essential Phrasal Verbs Guide
Copyright © 2010 SANOOK ENGLISH
Mieder van Loggerenberg E-mail:
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Index
Phrasal Verbs Definition ………………………………………………………………………..……………………………… 1 Separable or Inseparable Phrasal Verbs? ………………………………………………………………….………….. 2 Prepositional Verbs …………………………….………………..………………………………………………………………. 3 Phrasal-prepositional Verbs …….…………………………………………………………….…………………………….. 3 Phrasal Verbs List A ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 5 Phrasal Verbs List B ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 6 Phrasal Verbs List C ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 10 Phrasal Verbs List D …………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………. 16 Phrasal Verbs List E ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 18 Phrasal Verbs List F ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 18 Phrasal Verbs List G ………………………….…..…………………………..…………………………………………………. 20 Phrasal Verbs List H …………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………. 25 Phrasal Verbs List I ………….……………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 27 Phrasal Verbs List J ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 27 Phrasal Verbs List K ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 27 Phrasal Verbs List L ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 28 Phrasal Verbs List M …………………………..……………………………..…………………………………………………. 30 Phrasal Verbs List N ………………………….…….………………………..…………………………………………………. 32 Phrasal Verbs List O ………………………….…….………………………..…………………………………………………. 32 Phrasal Verbs List P ………………………….…….………………………..………………….………………………………. 32 Phrasal Verbs List Q ………………………….…….………………………..…………………………………………………. 35 Phrasal Verbs List R ………………………….…….………………………..…………………………………………………. 35 Phrasal Verbs List S ………………………….…….………………………..………………………………………….………. 36 Phrasal Verbs List T ………………………….…….………………………..………………………………………….………. 41 Phrasal Verbs List U ………………………….…….………………………..………………………………………….………. 44 Phrasal Verbs List V ………………………….…….………………………..………………………………………….………. 44
Index
Phrasal Verbs List W ………………………….….…………………………..…………………………………………………. 44 Phrasal Verbs List Y ………………………….………………………………..…………………………………………………. 46 Phrasal Verbs List Z ………………………………………….………………..…………………………………………………. 46
Phrasal Verbs Definition Phrasal verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasalprepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal verbs proper. Phrasal verbs are made of: verb + adverb Phrasal verbs can be: Intransitive (no direct object) Transitive (direct object) Here are some examples of phrasal verbs:
intransitive phrasal verbs
transitive phrasal verbs
phrasal verbs
meaning
examples
direct object
get up
rise from bed
I don't like to get up.
break down
cease to function
He was late because his car broke down.
put off
postpone
We will have to put off
turn down
refuse
They turned down my offer.
the meeting.
Separable Phrasal Verbs When phrasal verbs are transitive (that is, they have a direct object), we can usually separate the two parts. For example, "turn down" is a separable phrasal verb. We can say: "turn down my offer" or "turn my offer down". Look at this table: transitive phrasal verbs are separable
They
turned
They
turned
down my offer
my offer.
down.
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However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we have no choice. We must separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between the two parts. Look at this example with the separable phrasal verb "switch on": direct object pronouns must go between the two parts of transitive phrasal verbs
John
switched
on
John
switched the radio on.
John
switched it
on.
John
switched
on
the radio. These are all possible.
it.
This is not pos sible.
Separable or Inseparable Phrasal Verbs? Some dictionaries tell you when phrasal verbs are separable. If a dictionary writes "look (something) up", you know that the phrasal verb "look up" is separable, and you can say "look something up" and "look up something". It's a good idea to write "something/somebody" as appropriate in your vocabulary book when you learn a new phrasal verb, like this: get up break down put something/somebody off turn something/somebody down This tells you whether the verb needs a direct object (and where to put it).
2
Prepositional Verbs Prepositional verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at prepositional verbs. Prepositional verbs are made of: verb + preposition Because a preposition always has an object, all prepositional verbs have direct objects. Here are some examples of prepositional verbs: prepositional verbs
meaning
examples
direct object
believe in
have faith in the existence of
I believe in
God.
look after
take care of
He is looking after
the dog.
talk about
discuss
Did you talk about
me?
wait for
await
John is waiting for
Mary.
Prepositional verbs cannot be separated. That means that we cannot put the direct object between the two parts. For example, we must say "look after the baby". We cannot say "look the baby after": prepositional verbs are inseparable
Who is looking after the baby? This is possible. Who is looking the babyafter?
This is notpossible.
Phrasal-prepositional Verbs Phrasal-prepositional verbs are a small group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal-prepositional verbs. Phrasal-prepositional verbs are made of: verb + adverb + preposition
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Look at these examples of phrasal-prepositional verbs: phrasal-prepositional verbs
meaning
examples
direct object
get on with
have a friendly relationship with
He doesn't get on with his wife.
put up with
tolerate
I won't put up with
your attitude.
look forward to
anticipate with pleasure
I look forward to
seeing you.
run out of
use up, exhaust
We have run out of
eggs.
Because phrasal-prepositional verbs end with a preposition, there is always a direct object. And, like prepositional verbs, phrasal-prepositional verbs cannot be separated. Look at these examples: phrasal-prepositional verbs are inseparable
We
ran out of
fuel.
We
ran out of
it.
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Phrasal Verbs List
1.
Phrasal verb abide by
2.
account for
Meaning to respect or obey the law, a decision or a rule to explain or give a reason
3.
ace out
to defeat someone
4.
act like
5. 6.
act up act up
to behave in a way that's like something to misbehave (people) to not work properly (machines)
7.
add on
to include in a calculation or on a list
8.
add up
to total by adding
9. 10. 11.
add up add up to agree to
to make sense (negative) to have the total to agree to something
12. 13.
agree with allow for
14. 15.
answer back answer for
to agree to take into consideration or include in a calculation to reply rudely to take responsibility for something wrong you have done
16.
answer to
to explain your actions or decisions to someone in a higher position
17.
apply for
18.
arrive at
19.
ask about or around
to make a formal request for a job, permit, loan etc. to achieve an agreement or decision, especially after thinking about it or discussing it for a long time to make inquiries
20.
ask after
to inquire about
Example If you want to stay at this school, you must abide by the rules. Well, how do you account for the fact that there's $20,000 missing? We were aced out by a rival agency He's acting like an idiot. The children acted up all evening. I'd better take my car to the garage because it's been acting up lately. It'll cost more once you've added the VAT on. I've added all my expenses up and you owe me $250. His evidence just doesn’t add up. The bills add up to $70. I wish she would agree to my proposal. I agree with him on that point. You'd better leave early to allow for traffic jams. Don't answer back your mother! The public had hoped to see the politician answer for his actions before a tribunal. We were living in a police state, where the police answered to no one. He applied for the job he saw advertised in the newspaper. We discussed the matter at length but failed to arrive at a decision. I asked around to see if anyone knew the address I was looking for. Jim was asking after you. 5
21.
Phrasal verb ask for
Meaning to request something
22.
ask in
23. 24.
ask out ask over
to invite someone into your house, office etc. to ask for a date to invite to your home
25.
auction off
26.
avail (oneself) of
27.
average out
to calculate the average of a set of numbers
28.
back away
to move backwards, in fear or dislike
29.
back down
to abandon your position in an argument
30.
back off
31.
back off
to not interfere or aggravate something to yield in an argument
32.
back out
to break an agreement
33.
back up
to support
34.
back up
to move backward
35.
back up
to drive a vehicle backwards (in reverse)
36.
back up
37.
back up
38.
bargain for
to confirm a story, facts, or information to make a copy of something in case there are problems with the original to take into account
39.
be back
to get rid of something by selling it at an auction to take advantage of something (an opportunity)
to have returned after a long or short absence
Example We stopped our car to ask for directions The woman asked the door salesman in. Joe asked her out last night. I would like to ask our neighbors over tomorrow tonight for dinner. We auctioned off our old furniture and got a great price. When the company is privatized, you should avail yourself of the opportunity and buy some shares. When I average out what I spend on clothes it comes to about $50 a month. When he saw the dog, he backed away. He backed down when it became clear that nobody else supported him. She was told to back off. He backed off when he realized that he was at fault. The two companies were going to merge, but one of them backed out at the last minute. Everyone backed him up when he complained about the conditions at work. I won't be able to open the door unless you back up. You need to back your car up if you want to open the garage door. Dave will back me up if you don’t believe me. It's a good thing I backed the files up before my computer crashed. I hadn't bargained for there being so much traffic, so I was late for work. It’s great to be back again after all those years. 6
40.
Phrasal verb be down
Meaning to have decreased
Example Sales are down by nearly 30%, so we'll have to start thinking about reducing the number of staff. to not be working (computers or The phones were down for three phones) days after the floods. to be present or available Are your parents in? to know something that isn't common Were you in on this scam? knowledge to be involved in something I wasn't in on the plan at the beginning, but then someone asked me to join. to not be at work That's the fourth time she's been off this month. to leave I'm off now. to go bad (food) The milk was off so I couldn’t make coffee. to be cancelled (usually used in the Tonight’s concert is off due to bad present tense of an event or an weather. arrangement) to be away from home or from a place Everyone must have been out for a short time but not overnight when I went by earlier.
41.
be down
42. 43.
be in be in on
44.
be in on
45.
be off
46. 47.
be off be off
48.
be off
49.
be out
50. 51.
be out of be over
52.
be taken aback to be surprised and confused
53.
be up
to be out of bed
54.
be up
to have increased
55.
bear out
to confirm the truth
56.
bear with
to try to understand or to be patient
57.
beat up
to hurt someone badly by hitting and punching
58.
beg off
to decline an invitation
59. 60.
bend over black out
to take something by reaching down to faint
to not have any more to be finished
The printer's out of ink again. My problems are finally over since I won the lottery. John was taken aback when he opened the door and discovered that his house was burgled. Don't expect her to answer the door bell at eight o'clock on Sunday morning. She won't be up. Profits are up 60% this year, so we'll be able to pay a dividend. Suzan’s alibi was borne out by her sister. Please bear with him for a moment while he tries to put this straight. Two men beat Dave up and left him lying unconscious on the pavement. She begged off when I asked her to come to the party. Bend over and pick it up yourself! And then she just blacked out. 7
61. 62.
Phrasal verb blame on block off
Meaning to accuse to separate using a barrier
Example Don't blame it on her. The area was blocked off during the demonstration. The suicide-bomber blew up the restaurant. He blew up when I told him that I broke his phone. Will you blow the balloons up for me? They used dynamite to blow the building up. Don't blurt out your answers without thinking. The problem boils down to a lack of money. If you're going to travel to Japan, you'd better bone up on your Japanese. You'd think he owned the company the way he bosses everyone around.
63.
blow up
to destroy or explode
64.
blow up
to suddenly become very angry
65.
blow up
to inflate
66.
blow up
to destroy or explode
67.
blurt out
68.
boil down to
to suddenly say something without thinking to be summarized as
69.
bone up on
to review or study thoroughly
70.
boss around
to tell people what to do (often and needlessly)
71.
bounce back
72.
bowl over
73.
branch out
74.
brass off
75.
break away
76.
break down
77.
break down
78.
break down
79.
break down by
to recover from something unpleasant The company went bankrupt, but managed to bounce back with new management. to be surprised or humored Her reaction simply bowled me over. to expand into new areas We're involved in all areas of the hotel business now, but we started with a restaurant and then branched out. to be angry, upset or fed up I’m really brassed off because I didn’t get paid in full. to separate oneself from something At last, the hostage could break away from his captors. to stop working or cease to function This new photocopier is always breaking down. to lose control emotionally or Alex broke down and cried when mentally his mother died. to separate something into When we broke the total cost component parts down, we realized that we were losing money. to analyze I want everything broken down by departments so I can see who's spending what. 8
80.
Phrasal verb break down by
Meaning to show separately
81.
break in
82.
break in
to wear something new until it feels comfortable to get someone or something accustomed to a new routine
83.
break into
to enter by using force or illegally
84.
break off
to end, interrupt or discontinue
85.
break out
86.
break out in
to start suddenly (unpleasant things e.g. wars, fires, violence etc.) to become covered by something
87. 88.
break out in a cold sweat break up
89.
break up
90.
break up
91.
bring about
to disperse or scatter or come to an end to cause something to happen
92.
bring along
to experience
93.
bring along
94.
bring back
to take something or somebody with you to return something
95.
bring back
to expect something to be returned
96.
bring down
97.
bring forward
to be arrested, humiliated or destroyed to arrange to have or do earlier
98.
bring in
to earn
to show signs of great fear to end or separate any kind of relationship to stop an activity
Example When you break the figures down by category, you can see that most of our spending is on R&D. I hope it doesn't take too long to break these shoes in. The manager at my new job hasn't given much time for breaking me in. Somebody broke into Jane's apartment while she was at the movies. Peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians have broken off after an unprovoked attack. In 1939 World War Two broke out. He broke out in spots when he had chickenpox. He broke out in a cold sweat when he was caught stealing. Sue and Tim broke up last year. The principle broke up the fight between the two boys. The meeting finally broke up at 5:00 pm. The crisis was brought about by their behavior. This year has brought along some significant changes. You can bring your friend along to the field trip. Don't forget to bring my pen back to me when you're finished. You can borrow my pen, but bring it back to me when you're finished. The president was brought down by this scandal. Next week's meeting has been brought forward from Tuesday to Monday. My job brings in 400 dollars per week. 9
99.
Phrasal verb bring off
100. bring on 101. bring on 102. bring out 103. bring round
104. bring up 105. bring up 106. bring up
107. brush up 108. brush up on 109. build up 110. bump into 111. burn down 112. burn out 113. burn out 114. burn up 115. burn up 116. burst in with 117. butt in 118. butter up
119. buzz off 120. call back
Meaning to accomplish something difficult, impossible or unlikely to cause the onset of an illness
Example No one thought he could pass the test, but he brought it off. Walking in the rain brought on his cold. to cause trouble for oneself You have brought this on yourself. to launch a product They're bringing out a new line of summer clothing next month. to influence someone to your point of I brought the committee round to view my point of view after much discussion. to be in a place from childhood to She was brought up in Wisconsin. adulthood to mention (as a topic of discussion) He didn’t bring it up in the meeting. to take care of somebody from a Her grandparents brought her up young age until adulthood (children after her parents died in an are educated at school) accident. to renew your knowledge of If you brush your languages up, something maybe you can get a better job. to review or study thoroughly for a Frank had to brush up on his short time French before he went to France to improve or strengthen something He needs to do some exercises to build up his strength. to meet by accident or unexpectedly John bumped into his English teacher at the supermarket. to be destroyed by fire (upright things: His barn burned down before the buildings etc.) fire fighters arrived. to stop working (machines) The fuse has burnt out. to become exhausted from overTom will burn himself out if he working doesn't slow down. to be destroyed by fire (only for All of his furniture was burned up people and non-upright things) when his house burned down. to cause someone to become very He really burns me up when he angry smokes in the office. to enter suddenly and loudly She burst in with the bad news. to impolitely interrupt a conversation Don't butt in when I’m talking! or an action to praise someone excessively with He's been buttering his boss up all the hope of getting some benefit week. Hoping that he will get promoted. to go away Buzz off! You are annoying me. to return a phone call I'll call you back as soon as possible. 10
Phrasal verb 121. call for
Meaning to need to do something
122. call for
to demand something
123. call in 124. call off
to call someone to you to cancel something that has been scheduled to abandon something that has already begun
125. call off
126. call on
ask someone for an answer in class
127. call on
ask someone for an answer in class
128. call out
to announce or say something in a loud voice to telephone somebody to look for and open something on the computer to mobilize for military service
129. call up 130. call up 131. call up 132. call upon 133. calm down
134. care for 135. care for 136. carry off 137. carry on
138. carry out
139. carry out 140. carry out
Example The shareholders are calling for a change in management because of last year's bad results. This situation calls for urgent action before it's too late. He called Kelly in. I had to call off the barbecue because of the bad weather. The football matched was called off after the spectators started rioting. I don't know why the teacher never calls on you for the answer. I don't know why the teacher never calls on you for the answer. The teacher called out the names.
He called me up this morning. I called up the document and added the new paragraphs. Mark was called up when the war broke out. to formally invite or request someone I now call upon the President to address the assembly. to become calm, less agitated or upset My father was very angry and it took him ten minutes to calm down. to like or want (negative) it may be Would you care for something to used as a question drink? to take care of, supply care to, attend She is caring for her grandmother or watch at home. to complete successfully, despite Jane had a difficult role to play, having problems but she carried it off. to continue I'll be out of the office this afternoon, so you can just carry on with whatever you were doing. to do We're carrying out a survey at the moment to see which of our products is the most popular. to complete or perform The job was carried out by an outside consultancy firm. to complete a plan The attack was successfully carried out. 11
Phrasal verb 141. cash in 142. catch on 143. catch on
144. catch up on
145. catch up with
146. catch up with
147. change over to 148. chase away or off 149. chat up
150. check in at
151. check into 152. check off
153. check out 154. check out
155. check out of
156. check up on 157. cheer up
Meaning to obtain cash or profit from doing something to become popular
Example She cashed in on her husband’s life insurance after he died. David’s new hair-style is really catching on around the world. to develop understanding or Tom had never used a computer knowledge of something before but he caught on very quickly and now he is a computer programmer. to do work you should already have There was no one to cover you finished when you were off sick, so you've got a lot of work to catch up on. to reach the same point We left 5 minutes before John, nut he caught up with us by the time we got home. to reach the same standard I haven't got time to study. I'll never catch up with everyone in class. to change to a new system or position Spain changed over to the euro at the beginning of 2002. to force a person or animal to leave a We managed to chase the dog place with threats or by attacking away. them to talk to someone in a friendly way Normally I find it very hard to because you are sexually attracted to chat up a girl but that evening I them was drunk and had no inhibitions. to report, register or let someone Jack checked in at the hotel. know officially that you have arrived Note: I should check into the hotel by 6:00 to investigate or inquire I will check into the problem as soon as I’m free. to make a mark to indicate that Please check each one off the list something on a list has been when you've finished it. completed to investigate I don't know if the address is still valid, I'll check it out. to follow procedures for borrowing The library won't allow you to something (usually for a limited check encyclopedias out. period of time) to follow procedures for leaving a Don't forget to take your room hotel, etc. key to the front desk when you check out of the hotel. to visit or observe someone There is no need to check up on me. to become happier or help someone He cheered up when he heard feel less worried, depressed or sad that he had passed his exam. 12
Phrasal verb 158. chew out
Meaning to scold someone severely
Example His father chewed him out after he came home late from the party. 159. chew over to think about something or discuss it I can't imagine John being the very carefully kind of person to openly argue, but rather chew it over in silence and, eventually, decide for himself. 160. chicken out to lose the courage or confidence to Sam said he was going to ask do something, often at the last minute Suzie for a date, but he chickened out. 161. chill out to relax completely, to calm down We chilled out last night and watched a movie at home for a change. 162. chip in to contribute or donate money to He never chips in whenever we something done by a group have an office party. 163. clam up to suddenly become quiet or refuse to When I asked her what talk about something happened, she clammed up. 164. clamp down on to act strictly to prevent something The government has decided to clamp down on smoking in public places. 165. clear off to disappear or to be removed During the night the fog cleared off. 166. clear up to tidy and clean or remove dirt and I cleared up the mess from the clean kids in the back garden. 167. clear up to find an answer or an explanation I think this misunderstanding will for something or settle it be cleared up soon. 168. clear up when bad weather clears up, it The weather is horrible at the improves moment. I hope it clears up later. 169. climb down to admit you were wrong He had to climb down after his colleagues proved him wrong. 170. close down to close permanently or stop If we don't improve production operating we'll have to close down the factory. 171. close in on to approach someone or something She closed in on them quietly. without being noticed 172. come about to happen Let me explain how the situation came about. 173. come across to find (unexpectedly) or meet by He came across a wallet full of chance money as he was walking down the street. 174. come across to appear, seem, make an impression The speaker came across as a dynamic person. 175. come around to eventually accept something I knew he would come around in the end. 13
Phrasal verb 176. come back
Meaning to happen or appear again
177. come by 178. come by
to visit to earn or get
179. come down to
to end or accept a matter of something
180. come down with 181. come forward
to become ill with something
182. come in
to ask or invite someone to come
183. come in for
185. come off
to receive something - especially criticism or blame to receive something (usually money or property) after someone's death to take place successfully
186. come out
to be published or made public
187. come out
to appear
188. come over
to visit
189. come round
to regain consciousness
190. come through
to receive a call, message, document, authorization, money, results
191. come through
192. come to
to survive or recover from something eg. a car crash, accident, operation, illness etc. to total a cost
193. come to
to regain consciousness
194. come up
to be mentioned
195. come up
to appear
184. come into
to present oneself
Example Will the good old days ever come back? My aunt came by yesterday. I hope he came by this money honestly. It all comes down to whether you are prepared to accept less money. He came down with the flu over the weekend. The police have asked any witnesses to come forward. Can't you just come in for a few minutes? The government has come in for a lot of criticism over the decision. He came into a fortune when his father died. I'm afraid that deal didn't come off after all. When the scandal came out all his sponsors terminated his contract. She came out of the room when her mother called her. Why don't you come over next weekend? It took him 5 minutes to come round after he fainted. As the final results came through by fax, it couldn't have been any worse. My cousin was in a serious car accident last week. Fortunately, he came through. Your charges for the room come to $120. She fainted when I told her she won the lottery, when she came to I told her it was just a joke. Did anything interesting come up in the meeting? A new vacancy has come up because one of the managers has retired. 14
Phrasal verb 196. come up 197. come up against 198. come up to
Meaning to have an unexpected situation to go to to experience difficulty
199. come up with
to experience something to your expectations or standard to think of
200. conk out
to stop working
201. conk out
to stop or fall asleep from exhaustion
202. cool down
to become less excited
203. cool down
to reduce the temperature
204. cop out
to avoid responsibility because you are afraid or you don't want to keep your promise to give somebody something because you have to
205. cough up
206. count on
to rely, trust or depend on someone
207. crack down on
to act more strictly
208. crop up
to appear or happen unexpectedly
209. cross off
to delete something from a list
210. cross out
to draw a line through something
211. cut back on
to use less of something
212. cut down on
to reduce consumption
213. cut down on
to reduce in size or amount (smoking, cigarettes, drinking, spending, production etc.)
Example Look, something has come up, and I can't meet you. We've come up against a bit of a problem. The play didn't come up to expectations. The manager's secretary came up with a really good idea in the meeting. The car conked out on the motorway. He was so exhausted, he conked out in front of the TV. I thought we could finally calmly discuss our argument, now that she had cooled down a bit. It began to cool down after the thunderstorm. I hoped Mike would focus on the important issue, but he copped out. The health minister said the government must cough up more money if it wants to maintain a high-quality health system. I'm counting on you to wake me up tomorrow. If we want to save money we should begin by cracking down on unnecessary spending. Something's cropped up, so I won't be able to come to the meeting. You can cross him off because he isn’t coming . That's not how you spell it. Cross it out and write it again. I have to cut back on the water usage. If we cut down on photocopies we won't need to buy so much toner. Peter cut down on smoking.
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Phrasal verb 214. cut off
Meaning to disconnect a phone call
215. cut off
217. cut out
to stop service or supply (water, electricity, etc.) to remove something by using a scissors or a knife to stop doing something
218. dash off
to leave in a hurry
219. dash off
to write it in a hurry (letter, note, email) to suddenly begin to understand something to take action on something
216. cut out
220. dawn on 221. deal with
222. deal with
223. deal with 224. deal with
225. decide on 226. die away
227. die down 228. die out 229. dig over
230. dig up 231. dig up
232. do away with
Example I was just talking to someone in the sales department, but I was cut off. Her lights were cut off because she didn’t pay the power bill. She cut out a picture in a magazine. I'm going to cut out eating between meals. He dashed off before I could talk to him. Feel free to dash off an email to us at any time. The truth finally dawned on him.
We should deal with the staff problems now before they get too serious. to be responsible for The computer maintenance team can deal with any type of emergency. to have as its subject The report deals with the introduction of new technology. to do business with This company has many years of experience in dealing with customers from abroad. to make a decision I decided on the iced tea. to gradually become weaker until it The strange noise finally died disappears; fades (noise, sound, voice, away. light, breeze) to calm down or become quiet When the applause died down, she started to sing. to disappear completely or to become The dinosaurs died out millions of extinct years ago. to break the ground into smaller He spent the morning digging pieces with a spade so that plants can over the vegetable patch. grow (soil, patch, garden, flowerbed) to search for and find it (scandal, the The paparazzi dug up all his past, idea, excuse, facts, information) secrets from his past. to remove it from the ground using a If you dig up potatoes and the fork or spade skin rubs off easily then it’s not ripe yet. to murder What if they do away with the old man? 16
Phrasal verb 233. do away with
234. doss down 235. do in 236. do in
237. do over 238. do up 239. do up
240. do without 241. doze off 242. drag on
243. drag out
244. drag up 245. draw near 246. draw up
247. draw up
248. draw up 249. dress up 250. dress up 251. drink up 252. drive off 253. drive on
Meaning to abolish
Example We've finally done away with the manual system for goods registration. to sleep there temporarily or to sleep If you can find another blanket I'll there instead of going home just doss down on the sofa. to cheat or deceive He tried to do his father in. to kill or to murder The said that the murdered man was done in between 10 and 11 o'clock last night. to do something again I'll have to do everything over. to repair or improve the condition and We are having our living room appearance of something done up. to fasten, button, zip or tie clothing It was a very cold day, so Brian did up all the buttons on his overcoat. to not get or manage without I guess I will have to do without lunch today. to fall into a light sleep Judy dozed off while she was watching television. to continue slowly and boringly The meeting dragged on for hours and we still didn't come to a decision. to prolong unnecessarily The presentation should only last two hours, but they want me to drag it out for three. to mention some unpleasant fact from Why are you dragging up my the past past? to be near the end or a date, deadline As the time drew near we got or place ready to leave. to prepare If you decide to buy the company, we can draw up a contract within seven days. to compose We'll have to draw up a list of all the people who might want to attend the conference. to come to a stop A white sports car drew up outside the door. to wear elegant clothes Do people dress up to go to the opera in your country? to disguise oneself Children love to dress up at Halloween. to start or finish a drink Drink up so that we can go. to leave I said good-bye and drove off. to drive pass or to rive continuously We drove on till night. 17
Phrasal verb 254. drop by 255. drop in 256. drop off 257. drop off 258. drop off 259. drop out of 260. drop out of 261. drum up
262. 263. 264. 265. 266.
dry out ease off eat out eat up edge away
267. egg on 268. end up 269. end up
270. end up as 271. end up doing 272. even out 273. even out
274. face up to
275. face up to 276. fall about
Meaning to visit (usually without scheduling a specific time) to pay a short visit, often without warning to stop a vehicle and let someone get out to deliver something or someone
Example My sister dropped by the house over the weekend. She decided to drop in and see her friend. You can drop me off at the next red light. The mailman dropped off a letter today. to fall asleep (often unintentionally) The baby has just dropped off. to withdraw from, or stop taking part Sam dropped out of the race in something because he felt tired and ill. to stop attending or leave school or an He dropped out of school. organization to try to make people interested in The State Governor is about to go something (support, enthusiasm, on a tour of the state to drum up interest, business, trade) support for his reform policy. to become dry The clothes finally dried out. to become less severe The storm eased off a little. to have a meal in a restaurant Why don't we eat out tonight? to start or finish a meal Eat up, and let's go. to walk away The students laughed and edged away from him. to encourage doing something His friends egged them on until negatively they started fighting. to get a result or consequence You will end up with lung cancer if you don’t stop smoking. to finish in a certain way, or place or We ended up staying there for to finally arrive at an unexpected lunch. place to eventually become Who would have thought she would end up as the boss? to eventually do something I ended up doing it myself. to become level or regular The road was evened out to make it safer. to eliminate differences of opinion After a long discussion they managed to even out their differences. to accept a situation and take action He finally faced up to the problem and he's going to call a meeting to discuss it next week. to have courage to deal or admit You have to face up to your something responsibilities. to show amusement Every one fell about when Jane told her joke. 18
Phrasal verb 277. fall apart 278. fall back on
Meaning to break into many pieces and become useless to use as a last resort
279. fall behind
to be not able to pay for something
280. fall for
to fall in love with someone
281. fall for
to be deceived
282. fall off
to decrease
283. fall out
to quarrel
284. fall out with 285. fall through
to quarrel with somebody to not succeed
286. fall through
to not happen (something that was planned but didn't happen) to feel sympathy or empathy to feel strong enough or comfortable enough to do something to disagree to try to avoid to do something negatively to logically find the answer or solving a problem by thinking about it carefully to understand why someone behaves the way she or he does
287. feel for 288. feel up to 289. fight back 290. fight down 291. figure out
292. figure out
293. fill in
to repair something
294. fill in
to substitute for someone at work
295. fill in
to add information or complete a form to supply information that someone doesn't know
296. fill in on
Example My car is falling apart from all the rust. If the worst comes to the worst, we've got our savings to fall back on. He's falling behind with his car payments. I fell for you the moment I saw you. It was an unlikely story but he fell for it. The number of people coming into the office has fallen off since we set up the website. The evening ended badly because they fell out over who should pay the bill. Peter has fallen out with his boss. We've put so much effort into this project that I'll be very annoyed if it falls through. Our trip to Mexico fell through when I got sick. I really feel for you. He didn't feel up to walking to work, so he took the bus. It's hard for him to fight back. I fought down the anger. I finally figured it out the calculus problem. I can't figure out what’s wrong with her, one minute she is happy the next she is furious. I'd better fill the cracks in with something. One of the secretaries is filling in for the receptionist. It took me an hour to fill in the application form. Could you fill me in on what happened?
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Phrasal verb 297. fill out
298. fill out 299. fill up 300. find out
301. find out 302. finish off 303. finish up 304. fit in
305. fit in
306. fit in 307. fix up 308. fly in 309. focus on 310. follow up 311. follow up 312. fool around 313. gather up 314. get across 315. get across
316. get along with
Meaning to become heavier or to gain weight
Example Jerry used to be really skinny, but in the last year he's begun to fill out. to complete a form or an application Please fill out the enclosed form and return it as soon as possible. to add something into something until The hole filled up with water and it is full had to be pumped. to discover He found out about the redundancy plans from the union representative. to learn or get information about I only found out today that the something meeting was cancelled. to complete or finish something Finish off your cup of coffee, please. to complete or finish something I will finish my homework up in a few minutes. to have or find enough time Well, I'm busy on Monday but I could fit you in on Wednesday morning at 11. to work well with others in a group I think we'll have to terminate his contract because he doesn't fit in with the other people in the office. to complement or be in harmony with The new look doesn’t fit in with the company. to repair or improve something Is my bike fixed up yet? to travel by airplane to a specific place I'm flying in on Saturday. or time to concentrate on one thing She focused on this issue. to act upon a suggestion Thanks for the information about that book, I'll follow it up. to continue or do something We'll follow up this lesson next additional at a later time week. to behave in a silly or irresponsible Stop fooling around. way to collect something or to form a Let's gather up our things and move closer in a group leave. to make somebody understand How can I get it across to you to make people understand The company is in financial trouble, and this meeting has been called to get that message across. to have a relationship without Why can't you and your sister get difficulties along? 20
Phrasal verb 317. get around
Meaning to avoid having to do something directly
318. get around
to move from place to place
319. get around to
to do something eventually
320. get at
to imply something about personal matters to escape
321. get away 322. get away with 323. get back 324. get back at 325. get back to 326. get by
327. get by on 328. get down 329. get down to
to do something wrong or illegal without being discovered or punished to return to return a bad deed to what somebody to return or call back someone to survive financially or a difficult situation or cope to survive financially or a difficult situation to make you feel depressed
330. get down to
to seriously begin to deal with something to start
331. get in
to enter
332. get in
to arrive
333. get into
to be accepted at a place
334. get into
to enter
335. get off
to leave or exit a vehicle
336. get off
to be excused (for a period of time) from work or any regularly scheduled activities
Example She got around the required math classes by doing well on a math test. She gets around by bicycle, bus, or taxi. Maybe I'll get around doing my homework tomorrow morning. What exactly is he getting at? The prisoner got away from the guards and ran into the forest. Jack got away with robbing the bank last year. When will you get back? He will get back at him someday. I will get back to you in a minute. It's going to be hard to pay the rent now that you've lost your job, but somehow we'll get by. She can't get by on that much money. This cold weather really gets me down. It's time we got down to some real work. I'll just introduce everyone, and then we'll get down to business. She just got in her car and drove away. Do you know what time Fred gets in? He managed to get himself into the class he wanted. How did the burglar get into the house? When you get off the bus, come home directly. Some schools got New Years Day off but ours didn't.
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Phrasal verb 337. get off
Meaning to make it possible for someone to avoid punishment
338. get off
to remove
339. get off on 340. get on 341. get on
to enjoy something to live or progress to make progress in life or work
342. get on
to enter a large vehicle or board
343. get on for
345. get on with
to be approaching a certain age, time or number to have a good relationship with someone to continue with something
346. get out of 347. get out of 348. get over
to leave or avoid something to leave a vehicle to be surprised
349. get over
352. get rid of
to recover from an illness or painful experience to come to the end of something, usually unpleasant to eliminate, dispose of, give away or throw away to dismiss or cause someone to leave
353. get round
to solve or avoid a problem
354. get round
to persuade someone to do what you want or to persuade someone to let you do what you want to find time to do - also around)
344. get on with
350. get over with 351. get rid of
355. get round to 356. get through 357. get through 358. get through 359. get together
to contact someone (usually by telephone) to finish or complete something to try to make someone understand something to meet someone
Example Everyone knew he was guilty, but his lawyer was clever and got him off. She can't get the stain off her sweater. He gets off on playing soccer. How are you getting on? Sue is getting on very well in her new job. She got on the plane about 20 minutes ago. He must be getting on for seventy. The old manager was very easy to get on with. I need to get on with my homework. You've got to get out of there. You'll have to get out of the car. I couldn't get over how well she looked. It took him a long time to get over the heart attack. I'll be glad to get this awful business over with. Why don't you get rid of that ugly shirt? The manager got rid of him because he was a poor worker. They got round the problem by doing something else. He managed to get round his father to buy him a car. Sorry, but I haven't got round to fixing the tap yet. I've been trying to get through to you for hours! He got through his work by five o'clock. I’m not getting through to you, let me explain again. Let's get together for lunch on day. 22
Phrasal verb 360. get up 361. get up to 362. give away 363. give away to 364. give away to 365. give in 366. give in to 367. give off 368. give out 369. give out
370. give over 371. give over 372. give up 373. give up 374. give up 375. give up 376. give up 377. glance over 378. go after 379. go ahead
380. go along with 381. go around
Meaning to leave bed after sleeping and begin your daily activities to do something (usually bad when it’s about children) to betray someone
Example Today I got up at 10 am.
The children are getting up to something in the garden. His false identity papers gave him away. to give without receiving payment He gave his car away to his brother. to reveal something Don't give the answer away. to stop resisting or to surrender Tom gave in after David hurt his hand. to allow or accept something difficult Why does she always give in to her brother? to have a smell or odor coming from The cheese had begun to give off something a strange smell. to be finished or exhausted When our money gave out we had to borrow. to give something or distribute The teacher gave out the books, something so that the pupils could read the story. to abandon or devote to something The rest of the time was given over to playing cards. to stop something Why don't you give over your bad behavior? to stop or discontinue something Are you sure you want to give up your career? to stop trying to do something (often The dog gave up after attempting because it is too difficult) for 10 minutes catching the cat. to believe that someone or something After ten days the ship was given is dead or lost up for lost. to stop doing something (usually a He knows smoking isn't good for habit) his health, but he can't give it up. to surrender oneself (usually to The criminal gave himself up to someone) the police. to read or watch something briefly My teacher just glanced over my homework today. to pursue or trying to catch something He went after the man who or someone mugged him. to proceed I've spoken to the client and he says we can go ahead with the advertising campaign. to agree to OK, I'll go along with that idea. to distribute equally There's not enough milk to go around. 23
Phrasal verb 382. go away 383. go back 384. go back on
Meaning to leave to return to break a promise
385. go down
to become less swollen
386. go down well or badly
to be received
387. go for 388. go in 389. go in for
to attack to follow to enter a competition
390. go in for 391. go into
to make a habit of something to talk about something in detail
392. 393. 394. 395.
to explode to happen successfully to become bad (food) to start arguing or accusing someone harshly
go off go off go off go off with
396. go on
to happen
397. go on 398. go on
to happen (negative) to continue
399. go out with
to go somewhere with someone
400. go out with
to have a date with
401. go round
to be enough
402. go through
to be completed successfully
403. go through
to enter and then exit something
404. go through
to search for or examine something
405. go through
to experience
406. go through
to do again
Example Please go away! I'll never go back. The management has gone back on its promise. The swelling went down 5 hours after the bee stung him. The ideas we had for the future didn't go down well at the meeting. The dog went for him. They went in after us. Are you thinking of going in for the race? I don't go in for that kind of thing. You don't need to go into all the details, just tell me yes or no. The bomb went off. My party went off as planned. This milk has gone off. I guess she went off with her new boyfriend. What's going on? Why isn't anyone working? Something funny is going on. She went on working until the day before she had the baby. Will she go out with Mike next Friday evening? You went out with Sharon last night, didn't you? There weren't enough life-jackets to go round. If we get the buyer's signature this afternoon, the deal can go through by the end of the week. The truck wouldn't go through the tunnel. He went through his pockets, looking for his wallet. You won't believe what I've gone through. I guess we need to go through the whole song a few more times. 24
Phrasal verb 407. go through
408. go through with 409. go under 410. go under 411. go with
412. go with 413. go without 414. goof off 415. grow on 416. grow up 417. grow up 418. hand down 419. hand in 420. hand out 421. hand over
422. hang around with 423. hang on 424. hang on to 425. hang onto 426. hang out
Meaning to revise
Example Go through your notes before the presentation to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. to complete a promise or plan (usually When she had to steal food to unwillingly) feed her children couldn't go through with it. to go bankrupt The company went under. to sink I was afraid that our ship would go under. to match or suit something or look Tom wanted to see if checked pleasing together (for clothes, trousers go with a striped jacket. furniture, etc.) to date regularly and steadily Is Gina going with Jim? I see them together all the time. to abstain from or not use I just cannot go without some candy from time to time. to be lazy or to do nothing in I'm just going to stay home and particular goof off today. to start liking something that you This new record is growing on me. didn’t like before to develop from a child into an adult Joe has grown up into a fine young man. to behave responsibly or to behave as I wish he would grow up because an adult and not a child he is behaving like a child. to give something that you can’t use He will hand this down to his anymore or to inherit granddaughter. to submit written work You have to hand your homework in at 8:30 tomorrow morning. to distribute The teacher handed out the test to the surprised students. to give to someone else She handed over the running of the company to her son after she retired. to be with someone socially I usually spend a lot of time hanging around with my friends. to wait Hang on a minute. I've just got to make a phone call. to keep in your possession Do we really need to hang on to these old files? to keep I think we should hang onto the car until next year. to spend time in a particular place or He likes hanging out at the mall. with a group of friends 25
Phrasal verb 427. hang up 428. have it in for 429. have it out with
Meaning to end a phone conversation by replacing the receiver to be deliberately unkind to someone to express feelings so as to settle a problem
430. have on to deceive 431. have to do with to be about something 432. heal up
to get better or to heal
433. hear out
to listen
434. heat up
to make warm
435. help out 436. hide out from
to assist to hide
437. hit at
to aim a blow at
438. hit back
to return a hit or to retaliate
439. hit it off
to get on well with
440. hit on
to flirt with someone
441. hit on
to think of
442. hit upon
to discover by chance (often an idea)
443. hold back 444. hold on
to not show, or do something to grip tightly
445. hold on
to wait (especially on the telephone)
446. hold out
to wait
447. hold out
to offer hope
448. hold up
to delay
449. hold up
to rob, especially using a weapon
Example Why did you hang up on me? My teacher has (got) it in for me. I put up with the problem for a while but in the end I had it out with her. You're having me on. This class has to do with science and technology. My injury healed up in around no time. Hear me out first, I have something to say. How soon will lunch be heated up? Can you help me out? Ben was hiding out from the police. He hit at the wasp with the newspaper. He hit me, but I didn't hit him back. Mark and Sarah really hit it off at the party. Tom was hitting on Mike's fiancée. I think you've hit on something very important there. They hit upon the solution quite by chance. I held back the anger. She held on to the railing as she crossed the bridge. His assistant asked him to hold on. I don't know how long they can hold out. We don't hold out much hope that the price will fall. Sorry I'm late. I was held up by my last appointment. A robber held up the bank.
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Phrasal verb 450. hold up 451. hold up
Meaning to raise or lift to a higher than normal position to stop or delay something
452. hold with
to agree with
453. hurry up
to make haste
454. 455. 456. 457.
458. jack up
to do nothing to not take no for an answer to invites someone to your place to eliminate differences or resolve difficulties to raise something
459. jack up
to raise a price
460. join in
to participate
461. join up 462. join up
to engage in or become a member of something to meet and unite with
463. jot down
to take quick notes
464. jump all over
to severely scold someone
465. jump in
to assist
466. jump into
to go into something
467. keep at 468. keep off 469. keep on
to try many times to stay away to not remove something
470. keep on
to not dismiss from work
idle away insist (on) invite over iron out
Example The winner of the race proudly held his trophy up for all to see. The traffic was held up for a few hours because of an accident that blocked the road. I don't hold with the idea of using force. Hurry up, will you? I got some errands to run today. Don't idle the whole day away. He insisted on helping me Let's invite them over for dinner. We can iron tour differences out if you want to. We'll have to jack the back of the car up before we can change the tire. The car dealer bought my old Ford for $750 and jacked the price up to $1,500 when they sold it. She was too shy to join in the game. Tom joined up the army as soon as he left school. The two groups of tourists joined up at the hotel. I jotted down the address while watching the program on TV. His boss jumped all over him because he's been late for work three times this week. You can jump in as soon as you a free. I just jumped into the pool and had a refreshing swim. I need to keep at this. Please keep off the lawn. It's a little chilly in here, so I better keep my coat on. When the factory closed, the only person kept on was the accountant.
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Phrasal verb 471. keep on
Meaning to continue (followed by an -ing verb)
472. keep on
to continue to remind someone to do something
473. keep out of
to avoid or not interfere
474. keep out of 475. keep up
to not enter to continue
476. keep up with 477. key in
to stay at the same level as someone or something to type into the computer
478. kick off
to begin or start something
479. kick out
to expel or force someone to leave
480. knock off 481. knock oneself out
to stop to work much harder than normal or than what is expected
482. knock out
to make unconscious
483. lay down
to state a rule
484. lay off
485. lead up to
to dismiss from work (employer can’t afford workers not about bad performance) to come to a specific place
486. lead up to
to come to the point or reason
487. leak out
to become known
488. leave out
to forget or omit
489. leave out of 490. leave up to 491. let down
to not include to control the decision to disappoint someone
Example I'm not ready to stop yet. I think I'll keep on working for a while. You'll have to keep on him or he'll never do all the things you want him to do. Keep out of this and mind your own business. My door is closed. Keep out! Well done' Keep up the good work. Bill walks so fast it's difficult to keep up with him. He keyed the information in wrongly. The soccer match kicked off at 3 o'clock. The bartender kicked him out when he got too drunk. Will you knock it off! He knocked himself out to be sure we didn't miss the deadline. That medicine really knocked me out. The company has laid down strict procedures for this kind of situation. Last year the company lay off a hundred workers because business was very bad. A narrow path leads up to his cabin. She was just leading up to something when he interrupted. He leaked out top secret information to the enemy for a lot of money. Oh, no! When I made the list of those who attended the meeting, I left your name out! Leave me out of it, please. They left this decision up to me. Sorry to let you down, but I can't give you a lift today. 28
Phrasal verb 492. let in 493. let in on 494. 495. 496. 497. 498. 499. 500. 501. 502. 503. 504. 505.
506.
507.
508. 509. 510. 511.
Meaning to allow to enter or affect to allow to be part of a secret
Example Don't let strangers in. We haven't let Tina in on the plans yet. let off to excuse someone from punishment, As Dave was young, the judge let duty, or doing something him off with a fine. let on to inform about a secret We're planning a surprise for Helen, but don't let on. let out to allow a person or an animal to They let Fred out of prison after leave a place or to release five years. let up become less intense or slower It's been raining hard for a long time. Will it ever let up? lie down to sleep or be in a sleeping position I need to lie down and take a little nap. light up to make something brighter or more We lighted the house up with the visible by using a light headlights of our automobile. lighten up to relax or not to be serious Hey, lighten up a little. Enjoy the day. line up to stand in a line Everyone, please line up. live up to to reach an expected standard That meal did not live up to my expectations. look after to take care of someone or something Looking after a baby is a full-time job. look ahead to think of the future It's time to forget the past and look ahead. look back at to reminiscent or to compare When I look back on him, I am amazed at all he has accomplished. look back on to remember, think about or reflect When they looked back on their on the past many years together, they realized that their marriage had been a very happy one. look down on to hold in contempt or regard as He looks down on everyone else inferior because he's the only one in the department who went to Oxford. look for to try to find something or someone He looked for his key everywhere. look forward to to anticipate something pleasantly for I'm really looking forward to a future event vacation. look forward to to anticipate with pleasure I look forward to hearing from you. look in on to visit in order to check something's I plan to look in on my father or someone's condition today because he just got back from the hospital.
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Phrasal verb 512. look into
513. look like
Meaning to investigate or to carefully examine a situation or event and try to discover the reasons for it to resemble something in appearance
514. look on
to be a spectator at an event
515. look on
to consider
516. look out for 517. look over
to be cautious to check, review or examine someone or something carefully and fully to visit and tour round a place to improve
518. look round 519. look up
520. look up 521. look up
to find information (when you know where it is) to find or visit someone
522. look up to
to respect or admire someone
523. loom up
to be visible
524. loosen up 525. luck out
to relax or not to be too sensitive to be unexpectedly lucky
526. make for
to go to or toward
527. make for 528. make fun of
to result in or cause something to make jokes about (unkindly)
529. make it out to
to write a cheque
530. make off with
to run away with
531. make out
to understand
532. make out
to pretend
Example The police have promised to look into the problem. Does he look like his father or his mother? Billy didn't take part in the fight, he just looked on. We look on this town as our real home. Look out for that car! Could you look my report over? I think I may have some typos. They looked round the house. Things must be looking up - we're getting a Christmas bonus this year! Can you look the phone number up for me, please? When I'm in Chicago next month, I'll be sure to look him up. Everyone looked up to the old manager because he always listened to what people had to say. An old cottage loomed up in the distance. Relax and loosen yourself up. She lucked out because the meeting was postponed and could go home early. They made for the refrigerator as soon as they got home. Many hands make for light work. Children always make fun of fat kids. Shall I make the cheque out for cash? The thief made off with a valuable necklace. Can you make out what she is saying? He made out that he hadn’t seen the No Smoking sign.
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Phrasal verb 533. make out
534. make out
Meaning to manage to see, hear or understand something or someone (used in the negative with can't and couldn’t) to understand someone's behavior
535. make out with
to kiss or have intercourse
536. make up
to invent, sometimes with the purpose of deception to consist of
537. make up 538. make up
539. make up for
to compensate for something missed or not done by doing extra or equivalent work to compensate for
540. make up with
to re-establish a friendly relationship by admitting guilt
541. march on 542. mark down
to pass or continue to reduce the price (as an incentive to buy) to increase the price (for resale)
543. mark up
544. mess up 545. mess up
to make something untidy or disorderly to damage
546. mess up
to affect negatively
547. miss out 548. miss out
550. mix up
to fail to include to lose a chance, opportunity or possibility to think wrongly that someone or something is another to cause to become confused
551. move in(to)
to move to a place to live there
549. mistake for
Example I couldn’t quite make out what the notice said. She is so odd, I can't make her out. There are hot pictures of him making out with a nun. I made up that story. Class participation will make up 25% of your final grade. When everyone comes back from holiday we'll have to work extra hours to make up for lost time. Ron made up for being late by apologizing to June and giving her a big bunch of flowers. Jack and his girlfriend were very angry with each other, but last night they finally made up with each other. Time marches on. The store marked the shoes down by 40%. His import shop is profitable because he buys things inexpensively and then marks them up. He messed up his room. The dirty water messed my pants up. Losing my job really messed my life up. You have missed out a word here. Five people got promoted, but I missed out again. I mistook a piece of old rope for a dangerous snake. This math equation is really mixing me up. I moved into a new apartment last month.
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Phrasal verb 552. move on (to)
Meaning to start a new topic
553. move out (of)
to stop living in a place
554. move up
to promote someone
555. nail up 556. nail up
to hang something on the wall to close or seal a doorway
557. nod off
to fall sleep (usually unintentionally)
558. note down
to write something
559. open up
to allow access
560. opt out 561. order in(to) 562. own up
to leave a system or decide not to participate to tell someone to enter to confess
563. own up to
to admit to
564. pack in 565. pan out
to stop an activity to succeed or happen as expected (negative when in statements) to die
566. pass away or on 567. pass out
to faint or lose consciousness
568. pass out
to distribute
569. pass over
to not consider for promotion
570. pay back
to reimburse
571. pay back
to take revenge
572. pay off
to get a positive result
Example Alright, let's move on to our next point. I moved out of my old apartment last month. How long will it be before they can move her up? Please nail this picture up. Who nailed up the door? I can't get out. The speech was so boring that several people in the audience nodded off before it was finished. I'll call the station and note down the departure times. They opened up the border a few weeks ago. I enjoy tennis but I'm so busy I had to opt out of the tournament. The officer ordered me in. None of the children would own up to breaking the window. I suppose I should own up to stealing money from my employer. John has packed in his job. My trip to Chicago didn't pan out. I was very sorry to hear that your grandfather passed away. He passed out after standing in the heat for 3 hours. Please can you pass these handouts out to everyone? If they pass me over for promotion again this year I'm going to find a new job. I'll lend you $20 provided you pay me back before the end of the week. She paid him back for all his insults. The time I spent in this project didn't pay off.
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Phrasal verb 573. pay off
Meaning to finish paying money you owe
574. phase in
to introduce gradually
575. pick on 576. pick out
to bully or intentionally try to make someone upset to choose or select
577. pick up
to learn by experience
578. pick up
to improve
579. pick up
to increase
580. pick up
to lift someone or something
581. pick up 582. pick up
to collect someone or something (usually with a vehicle) to get or buy something
583. pick up
to refresh or revitalize
584. pile up
to have more and more things on top of each other to force to give a clear statement
585. pin down 586. pitch in
591. pop up
to help or join together to accomplish something to discuss, organize and prepare for something to join someone or to pretend with someone to deceive someone else to behave or work badly to draw attention to something or someone to appear
592. power up
to start a large vehicle
593. pull in(to)
to arrive at a house
587. plan out 588. play along 589. play up 590. point out
Example Once we pay off the bank loan, I can save some money. We'll be phasing the changes in over the next few years so as to minimize disruption to the production process. You should be ashamed of teasing your little brother. I picked out a nice present for your birthday. I picked up a little French while I was in Quebec. Sales should pick up around October. The storm picked up about midnight. Help me pick up this guy from the sidewalk. I will pick her up from school. Could you pick some more up on your way home this evening? Drinking coffee always picks me up in the morning. Exams are piling up on my desk. I asked him to name a suitable day, but I couldn't pin him down. We'll be finished soon if everyone pitches in. They met and planned out their strategy. The guy with the guitar came in and played along. The car is playing up again. I pointed out that I would be on holiday anyway. I don't know where he's going to pop up next. Okay, let's power up the engine and get going. A stranger just pulled into our driveway.
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Phrasal verb 594. pull off
Meaning to succeed in doing something
595. pull off
to manage to succeed
596. pull out of
to not continue or commit to
597. pull over
to drive a vehicle to the side of the rode
598. pull up 599. push on
to pull something or someone upright or to a higher level to continue with some effort
600. put across
to explain an idea
601. put across to
to make someone understand
602. put away
604. put down to
to return something to the proper place to return something to the proper place to explain the cause of
605. put forward
to make a suggestion
606. put forward
to offer a proposal or a plan or for consideration
607. put in for
to request officially
608. put in for 609. put off
to apply for a job to postpone, delay or avoid
610. put off
to discourage, or distract someone from doing something
611. put off until
to postpone until a certain date
612. put on
to begin to wear or something
603. put back
Example The negotiations went on and on, but he finally pulled off the deal. It was a tricky plan, but we pulled it off. The buyer pulled out of the deal when we refused to reduce the price. When the policeman indicated that I should pull over, I knew he was going to give me a ticket. He reached down and pulled her up. Let's push on and try to reach the coast by tonight. Harry is clever but he can't put his ideas across. I tried to put this across to them as best I could. Will you help me put these books away? Do you want me to put these books back on the shelves? Diane's poor performance was put down to nerves. The new manager put forward her ideas for cutting costs as soon as the meeting started. She put forward the idea of introducing traffic lights at the crossroads as a way of preventing traffic jams. I've put in for three weeks' holiday next August. Sue has put in for a teaching job. I keep asking for an appointment, but he keeps putting me off. He was trying to read, but the noise from the television put him off and he had to stop. Can't you just put this off until tomorrow? You'd better put a sweater on because it’s cold outside.
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Phrasal verb 613. put on
Meaning to try to make someone believe something that is ridiculous or untrue 614. put oneself out to take trouble to help someone 615. put out
to inconvenience someone
616. put out 617. put through
to extinguish to connect by phone
618. put together
to assemble
619. put up
to return something to the proper place to accommodate or provide someone with a place to sleep to accept or tolerate without complaining to make someone more relaxed or less agitated to tell someone not to be noisy to say or read something very fast
620. put up 621. put up with 622. quiet down 623. quiet down 624. rattle off 625. reach out 626. read over or through 627. reckon on
628. rely (up)on 629. ride out
630. ring back 631. ring off 632. rip off 633. round off
Example He was just putting us on you shouldn’t believe a word he says. Please don't put yourself out making a meal. I hate to put you out, but I need a ride to the train station. Steve put the light out. Hello, could you put me through to the Sales Department, please? We put a team together on very short notice. Please put your toys up. I'll be happy to put you up for a few days. I just don't know why I even put up with you. Try to quiet him down.
Ask him to quiet down. She rattled off the long list of names. to try taking something not close to I reached out, but there was you nothing I could get hold of. to read something so as to understand Please read this text over and tell it me what it is about. to expect something I think we can probably reckon on a minimum of 25 people coming to the party. to depend on or trust someone or Can we rely on you in this case? something to remain or continue to do Things are rough around here, but something that is difficult or I think I can ride it out. unpleasant to phone again I'll ring you back as soon as it's finished. to end a phone call I'll have to ring off now because the meeting's about to start. to cheat, take advantage of someone The merchants at the market will or charge too much for something rip you off if you’re a foreigner. to change from a fraction to the Round all prices off to the nearest whole number amounts e.g. round $41.75 off to $42.00.
35
Phrasal verb 634. rub away
Meaning to rub something to make it clean
635. rule on 636. rule out
to make a final statement, result or decision to eliminate something or someone
637. run away 638. run down
to leave and not return to deteriorate or become worse
639. run down
to lose power
640. run down
to criticize
641. run in
to use a new (or reconditioned) engine carefully until it is ready for normal use to meet by chance
642. run into 643. run off 644. run off with 645. run out 646. run over
to leave quickly to leave with someone or something with the intention not to be found to have no more
647. run over
to drive over or through something with a vehicle to exceed a time limit
648. run over
to repeat or revise something
649. run through
to check by repeating
650. run up
to let a bill or expense accumulate
651. run up against
to encounter a problem
652. rush in(to)
to decide too quickly
653. save up
to accumulate money in order to buy something to reduce in size
654. scale down
Example I used that towel to rub away the dirt on my shoes. When will the court rule on your decision? If we lower the prices, we can't rule out the possibility that customers will buy it. My cat ran away last week. The gangsters are running down the neighborhood. I think my phone’s battery is running down. She's always running down her husband. He is running in his new car, so he can't drive fast. I was on my way to work when I ran into an old friend. I ran off as fast as I could. The kidnappers ran off with her little daughter. I can't print any more copies. The ink's run out. He ran over his neighbor's cat. I ran over the time allotted for the presentation. Let's run over the plan once more. I want to run through the presentation just once more to make sure I've got it right. I ran up a huge telephone bill at the hotel. We've run up against a slight problem. I'm not going to rush into buying a house. I'm saving up money for a new car. We're scaling down on the original plan due to our budget.
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Phrasal verb 655. see off
Meaning to say goodbye to someone who is going on a journey at the place of departure (e.g. airport, station etc.) to know someone’s true nature or personality to complete something to realize the truth to deal with
Example We saw him off at the train station.
She sent me over to her office.
666. send up
to tell someone to go to a specific place to make fun of by imitating someone
667. set about
to start working
668. set back
to cause a delay in scheduling
669. set back
to cost
670. set in
to establish itself (especially weather)
671. set off
to start a journey
672. set on
to be adamant about something
673. set out 674. set out
to give in detail of something in writing to arrange
675. set out
to start an action
656. see through 657. see through 658. see through 659. see to 660. see to 661. sell out (to) 662. sell out (to)
663. send away for
664. send for 665. send over (to)
I knew what he was up to, because I saw through him. I'll see this project through. I saw through his intentions. I'll see to the customers if you help me with the deliveries. to service or maintain You need to see to the car, I couldn’t start it today. to sell your business to make a profit He refused to sell out to a large or to not wanting it anymore corporation. to reveal someone that trusts you The police caught the criminal identity or location for money or a after his wife sold him out for the reward reward money for his capture. to send something or someone to a She had to send her daughter different location for something away to a boarding school hoping to discipline her. to ask someone to bring someone else He sent for his secretary. to you
Jean is always sending up the French teacher. We must set about re-organizing the office. The protest set the competition back by 2 days. A new car will set us back $20,000. I think we are going to be set in for rain today. If we set off early, we should be on time for the meeting. He was set on driving home after having too many beers. This document sets out all the Union demands. I've set out the refreshments in the hall. She set out to exercise every day but she ended up doing house chores. 37
Phrasal verb 676. set up
Meaning to establish
677. set up
to start
678. set up
to install equipment
679. set up for
to make arrangements for something
680. settle down 681. settle down
to retire or stop working or to live permanently in one place to become composed or less excited
682. share together
to share something with somebody
683. shoot up
to increase rapidly
684. shoot up
to grow taller rapidly
685. shop around
to compare prices
686. show off
to boast deliberately to make others feel inferior to you to arrive or appear
687. show up 688. show up 689. shut up 690. sign in 691. sign up for 692. sink in 693. sit around 694. sit down 695. sit in on 696. sit out
do a noticeably better job (often unexpectedly) than someone else to be silent or to stop talking (impolite) to sign your name when entering certain places to officially or willingly join something to slowly realize or understand something to not do anything to go in a sitting position or take a seat to join someone but usually just to observe to be excluded or not wanting to join
Example The company was set up by the current director in 1987. We can set up a committee to look at the possibility of changing the company's pension scheme. Set up the screen and the camera in front of the table. I will set up a meeting for next week. One day they will settle down in a small cabin in the mountains. Will you please settle down and relax? We shared a room together in college. The price of gas shot up this month, now everything costs more. Jane shot up just after she turned thirteen. It's always wise to shop around before buying anything. Stop showing off. She didn’t show up at school for 3 days. She really showed you up in front of the boss. Oh shut up, you idiot! Did you remember to sign in? Did you remember to sign up for the class? How long is it going to take to sink in? Don't just sit around the whole day. Please, sit down and relax. You guys mind if I sit in on your discussion? I'm not playing. I better sit out this time. 38
Phrasal verb 697. sit up 698. sit up
Meaning to sleep later than usual to do something to sit making your back straight
699. sleep in 700. slim down
to stay in bed longer than usual to lose weight and look healthier
701. slip up
to make a mistake
702. slow down
to reduce the speed or motion of something to have an accident by moving into or against something causing damage to absorb or to become filled with something to gain full control of your senses
703. smash into 704. soak up 705. sober up 706. sort itself out 707. sort out
to solve the problem without looking for the solution to find a solution
708. speak up
to speak more loudly
709. speak up for 710. split up 711. spread out 712. stand around 713. stand by 714. stand by 715. stand for
716. stand for 717. stand in for 718. stand out
Example I sat up and read a book. I wouldn't get such terrible backaches if I sat up properly. I slept in this morning. You have slimmed down a lot since last spring break. Someone slipped up and my application was lost. You're going too fast, please slow down. The car smashed into the side of a bus. The sponge soaked up the spilt milk. A cup of coffee will sober you up when you had too much to drink. Things will sort itself out by the end of the month. I will sort out your problem as soon as possible.
The music is too loud, can you speak up? to talk for someone normally because You can speak up for those who you’re more influential cannot speak for themselves. to separate 1 group into 2 or more We had to split the class up into groups two groups. to move further apart so as to cover He told them to spread out and more ground continue their search. to not work normally by socializing Don't stand around, get back to with someone during working hours work. to wait for a short time Stand by while I search for another song. to keep to an agreement The company agreed to stand by its original commitment. to represent or mean something or an The letters B.B.C. stand for the abbreviation or acronym for British Broadcasting Corporation. something to tolerate (usually negative) I won’t stand for this kind of behavior in my house. to take someone's place I’m standing in for her because she had an emergency at home. to be noticeably better than other She is so beautiful that she really people stands out in a crowd. 39
Phrasal verb 719. stand up
Meaning to rise to a standing position
720. stand up
to make a date or appointment then not come without informing them to resist or bear stress
721. stand up to 722. stand up to
727. step down
to speak against someone having more power or someone treating you badly to do something again from the beginning to switch on a vehicle or machine to visit someone for one night to move away from someone so that they can walk on to resign
728. step up
to increase
729. stick together
to not separate usually to support each other
730. stick up for
to defend someone’s rights
731. stop by
to visit briefly
732. stop over
to wait at a location before continuing a journey usually when flying to enter a place loudly to confront someone about a problem to exit a place loudly because not wanting to be there to solve a problem
723. start over 724. start up 725. stay over 726. step aside
733. storm in(to) 734. 735. 736. 737. 738. 739.
Example When the prime minister entered the room, everyone stood up. She stood him up and went with another man instead to the party. The engine won't stand up to the strain. She stood up to her boss when he accused her of something she didn’t do. I messed up the stock take, so I have to start all over. Start your car up and let's go. Can my friend stay over, please? Step aside, please. You're in my way. The Chairman has stepped down after criticism from shareholders. If we get any more orders we'll need to step up production. We must stick together. You must learn to stick up for yourself. Please stop by before you go on vacation. We stopped over in Chicago for two nights.
He stormed into the room, shouting and yelling. storm out (of) He got angry and stormed out of the meeting. straighten out We have to straighten this mess out. straighten out to adjust something to be straight and They straightened out the line of neat people. strip down to get undressed but usually not The doctor told me to strip removing your underwear down for the examination. stumble (upon) to accidentally meet or find someone I just stumbled upon a friend I or something haven’t seen for many years. sum up to summarize the main points If I had to sum it up in one word, I would say that the image of this company is reliability.
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Phrasal verb 740. swell up 741. switch off 742. switch on 743. take (it) out on 744. take after 745. take apart 746. take away 747. take back
Meaning to increase size for parts of the body usually caused by injury to make an appliance or machine to stop working to make an appliance or machine to start working to make someone else suffer because of one's own sufferings to resemble or behave like a relative to disassemble something to take something or someone to an unknown location to return something
748. take care of
to provide care or watch someone’s health
749. take care of 750. take care of
to make arrangements for something or take responsibility for something to kill someone discreetly
751. take down
to note information
752. take down
to record in writing
753. take in
to deceive or cheat someone
754. 755. 756. 757.
to rise from the ground (airplane) to leave suddenly to remove something you’re wearing to reprimand or scowl someone
take off take off take off take off
758. take off 759. take on
to make arrangements to be absent from work to acquire a new characteristic
760. take on
to do something extra
Example I bumped my ankle and it swelled up. I forgot to switch the TV off before I went to bed. Can you please switch the light on? I know you are unhappy, but don't take it out on me! Both my sister and I take after our father. Don't take my TV apart. The police took her daughter away. I should take the book back to the library. She has been taking care of her father since he returned from the hospital. I will take care of the business while you are away. The gangster took care of his business rival. You'll need to take down everything we say in the meeting. The police officer took down my details so that they can contact me. Don't be taken in by her demure behavior, she just wants sympathy. When does your plane take off? Sorry, I have to take off now. Take your coat off, please. After I teased her she took off with me in front of everybody. She's taking today and tomorrow off from work. My grandmother has taken on a new lease of life since her operation. She has taken on a second job due to financial difficulties.
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Phrasal verb 761. take on
Meaning to assume responsibility
762. take on
to employ someone
763. take out
to obtain a legal or official document
764. take out 765. take over
766. take over from
to sign an insurance agreement to gain control of or to assume responsibility for something or someone to replace
767. take to
to develop a liking for
768. take up
to occupy time
769. take up
to begin a hobby or leisure-time activity to reply when not needed in an arrogant way to persuade someone to do something to discuss a problem hoping to solve it to dissuade from doing something
770. talk back (to) 771. talk into 772. talk out 773. talk out of 774. team up (with) 775. tear off
780. think of
to join someone to form a group to remove something attached to something else to destroy completely by tearing to speak to someone bluntly and negatively, saying exactly what he or she did wrong to give information of what you did wrong to someone that can punish you to try recalling something that happened in the past to have an idea
781. think over
to consider something carefully
776. tear up 777. tell off
778. tell on
779. think back (to)
Example Your secretary can take on the extra work until we find a permanent replacement. We'll need to take on extra staff over the summer to cover the people on holiday. The company can take out a short-term loan to pay for the new computer system. Ann has taken out life insurance. The army tried to take over the country. She will be taking over from you while you’re on maternity leave. You'll soon take to your new boss, I'm sure. The meeting took up my whole morning I’m thinking of taking up dancing over the weekends. Don't ever talk back to her. She talked me into going skiing with her. Let's just talk this matter out. He tried talking me out of doing drugs. I don't want to team up with him. She tore the label off the bottle. Brian tore up the letter angrily. Our teacher told us off for being late. I'm going to call your father and tell on you. Try and think back to the morning of June 5. I quickly had to think of something. I needed a few minutes to think it over. 42
Phrasal verb 782. think through
Meaning to consider something carefully
783. think up 784. throw away
to have an idea to discard something
785. throw out
to discard something
786. throw out 787. throw up
to forcibly make someone leave (usually because of bad behavior) to vomit
788. tick off
to irritate or upset someone
789. tick off
792. tie in with
to show that something has been completed by putting a tick (check) next to it to arrange, clean or make something neat to arrange, clean or make something neat to be in agreement with
793. touch on
to mention
794. track down
to trace the whereabouts of
795. trick into
to deceive someone in doing something to wear something briefly to check its fit or how it looks to test something or someone by using it
790. tidy away 791. tidy up
796. try on 797. try out
798. try out (for) 799. turn around 800. turn around
801. turn around
to try to win a place on a team or other organization the change and leave in the opposite direction to move so that someone or something is facing the opposite direction to make changes so that something that was unprofitable to be profitable
Example Let me think this through and then tell you in the morning. I'll think something up. You shouldn't throw those newspapers away; they're recyclable. You should throw the food out, it smells terrible. The manager should throw those trouble makers out. I was so nauseous I almost threw up. It really ticks her off when someone is late for an appointment. Just tick of what you have completed on the list. Please tidy your stuff away. Tidy up your room, it looks like a pig sty. I'm afraid your party doesn't quite tie in with our arrangements. I'd like to touch on a number of subjects in this meeting. The police tracked down the killer and arrested him. He tried to trick her into doing it his way. May I try the shirt on to see if it fits? She decided to try the new soap out because she wanted to see if it was better than her usual soap. If you like to sing, you should try out for the choir. The car turned around and went the other way. Can you turn around and look at me? He turned the business around in about six months. 43
Phrasal verb 802. turn down 803. turn down 804. turn down 805. turn down 806. turn in 807. turn in 808. turn in 809. turn into 810. turn into 811. turn off 812. turn off 813. turn on 814. turn on 815. turn out
816. turn out 817. turn out to be 818. turn up 819. turn up
820. turn up 821. turn up 822. use up 823. vouch for 824. wait for
Meaning to refuse or reject
Example I'm afraid your application has been turned down again. to reduce Can't we turn the heating down? to decrease the volume Turn the music down a little, will you? to refuse or reject something or Another company offered me a someone job but I turned them down. to give or deliver or submit something I've written my report, but I to someone haven't turned it in. to go to bed I'm pretty tired, so I guess I'll turn in. to report or deliver wrongdoers to the Two days after the robbery, the authorities thieves turned themselves in. to drive into a side road Turn into Jackson street. to change or to become He turned into a selfish husband after 20 years of marriage. to stop something by turning a handle Do you mind if I turn the light off? or switch to bore or repel someone That music turns me off, please play something else. to start something by turning a handle I'm going to turn the air-con on. or switch to excite someone What kind of music turns you on? to produce The factory will be able to turn out twice the number of cars it with new machinery. to come to a meeting or to form a Thousands of fans turned out to crowd welcome the team. to end as Your plan for cutting costs turned out to be very successful. to move something in an upwards Turn your hat up, please. position to be discovered by chance Don't worry about that missing book; it's bound to turn up sooner or later. to increase the volume Can you turn the radio up a little? to appear or arrive unexpectedly Not many people turned up for the lesson. to use until there is no more You can use the water up. to express confidence in or guarantee You can lend him the money, I something can vouch for him. to wait until someone or something I'm tired of waiting for the bus. arrives or is finished with something 44
Phrasal verb 825. wait on 826. wake up 827. wake up
Meaning to serve (usually customers in a restaurant, shop, etc.) to stop sleeping
829. walk out
to rouse someone or cause someone to stop sleeping to leave or to taking time to recover or calm down to leave in protest
830. walk out on
to leave someone
831. watch out for
to be careful of something
832. watch over
to watch or take care of someone
833. wear off
to disappear gradually
834. wear off
to lose effect - especially a drug
835. wear out
to become exhausted
836. wear out
to overuse something
837. weigh up
to assess
838. wind down
to reduce business
839. wipe off (of)
to clean something
840. work out 841. work out
to be all right in the end to solve a problem
842. work out
to calculate an amount or to solve a problem by calculation or study to exercise to solve a problem or resolve a difficult situation or to produce a way of dealing with a problem or situation by thinking to beat someone all over his body
828. walk off
843. work out 844. work out
845. work over
Example The waitress who just waited on me was very impolite. I usually wake up around 5:00 AM each day. Will you wake me up at 6:00 AM? They just walked off without saying goodbye. The factory staff walked out when they heard that their salaries were reduced. My sister walked out on Fred because she was fed up with him. If you take that road, watch out for ice during the winter. Can you watch over the kids while we're gone? The pain in Jim's foot wore off after he took some painkiller. These painkillers wear off after about two hours. Fred was worn out by carrying the heavy box. I've almost worn this pair of shoes out. We'll have to weigh the situation up very carefully before we take any action. The business has been winding down ever since the director left it to his brother. Don't use your sleeve to wipe the ice cream off of your hand. Everything will work out fine. I can't work this calculation out at all. The hotel bill worked out at over $500. John goes to the gym to work out. I know we disagree on many points, but I believe we can work things out. They really worked him over. 45
Phrasal verb 846. wrap up 847. wrap up
848. wrap up 849. write away for 850. write down 851. write up 852. yell out 853. zip up 854. zonk out
Meaning Example to cover something with paper to mail Wrap up the presents quickly. or give to someone to wear enough clothes to keep warm Be sure you wrap up when you leave the house, because it’s cold outside to finish or bring something to a I hope we'll be able to wrap the conclusion discussion up soon. to start writing energetically I wrote away for a book on poetry. to record something in writing I want to write it down your address. to record or report in writing Be sure you write report up as soon as possible. to scream suddenly from pain The pain caused me to yell out. to close something with a zip I had better zip my jacket up. to fall asleep quickly because of I was so tired that I zonked out as exhaustion soon as I got home.
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