Phrasal Verbs
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357 words
- account for/əˈkaʊnt foɹ/phrase · B2To explain the reason for something.
- act up/ækt ˈʌp/phrase · C1To behave badly, or to stop working properly.
- add upphrase · B2To make sense as a whole; also, to total numbers.
- add up tophrase · B2To amount to something when everything is counted.
- answer backphrase · B2To reply rudely to somebody in authority.
- ask outphrase · B1To invite somebody on a date.
- back downphrase · C1To stop insisting and admit you will not win the argument.
- back offphrase · B2To retreat and stop pressuring someone.
- back outphrase · B2To withdraw from an agreement you had made.
- back upphrase · B2To make a safety copy; also, to support someone's story.
- backup/ˈbækˌʌp/noun · B1+A safety copy of your files, kept in case the originals are lost.
- bail outphrase · C1To rescue somebody from trouble, usually with money.
- bank onphrase · B2To rely on something happening.
- barge inphrase · C1To enter or interrupt rudely.
- bear withphrase · B2To be patient with somebody for a moment.
- black outphrase · B2To lose consciousness, or to cut all the lights.
- blackout/ˈblæk.aʊt/noun · B1+A complete loss of electric light.
- blend inphrase · B2To fit so well with the surroundings that nobody notices you.
- blow overphrase · C1To pass without causing lasting trouble.
- blow upphrase · B2To explode; also, to suddenly become very angry.
- blurt outphrase · C1To say something suddenly that you meant to keep quiet.
- board upphrase · C1To cover windows and doors with planks.
- boil down tophrase · C1To be, in the end, a matter of one simple thing.
- branch outphrase · C1To start doing something new and different.
- break downphrase · B1To suddenly stop working — cars do it, and sometimes people.
- break intophrase · B2To enter a locked place by force, as burglars do.
- break outphrase · B2To escape from prison; also, what wars and fires suddenly do.
- break upphrase · B1To end a romantic relationship.
- brighten up/ˈbɹaɪtən ʌp/phrase · B1To become more cheerful, or to make a place more lively.
- bring aboutphrase · B2To make something happen.
- bring back/ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/phrase · B1To return with something; also, to make old memories return.
- bring outphrase · B2To release something to the public, or to make a quality show.
- bring togetherphrase · B2To make people meet or work as one.
- bring upphrase · B2To care for a child until grown; also, to start talking about a topic.
- brush up onphrase · B2To refresh a skill you have not used for a while.
- build upphrase · B2To increase gradually over time.
- build-upnoun · B2A gradual increase before something happens.
- butt inphrase · C1To interrupt a conversation you were not part of.
- buy offphrase · C1To pay somebody to stop making trouble for you.
- buy outphrase · C1To purchase somebody's whole share in a business.
- buy upphrase · C1To purchase the entire supply of something.
- buyoutnoun · C1Buying all of a company, often by its own managers.
- call backphrase · B1To phone someone again who called you first.
- call offphrase · B2To decide a planned event will not happen.
- calm downphrase · A2To stop being angry or upset and become quiet again.
- cancel outphrase · B2To have an opposite effect that leaves nothing gained.
- carry on/ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/phrase · B1To keep going without stopping.
- carry out/ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/phrase · B2To actually do a plan, order, or experiment.
- carry overphrase · C1To keep something for a later period instead of losing it.
- catch on/kæt͡ʃ ˈɒn/phrase · C1To understand, or to become popular.
- catch upphrase · B1To reach the ones ahead of you; also, to trade news with an old friend.
- centre aroundphrase · B2To have as its main subject.
- chance upon/ˈt͡ʃɑːns əˌpɒn/phrase · C1To meet or find by pure accident.
- change aroundphrase · B1To move things into different places.
- change intophrase · B1To put on other clothes, or to become something else.
- change out ofphrase · B1To take off what you are wearing and dress differently.
- check outphrase · B1To leave a hotel and pay; also, to take a look at something.
- cheer upphrase · B1To become — or make someone — happier.
- chicken outphrase · C1To lose your courage at the last moment and not do it.
- chip inphrase · B2To contribute money or a remark.
- clear up/klɪəˈɹʌp/phrase · B1To tidy, or for weather to improve.
- clock upphrase · C1To reach a total of miles, hours or wins.
- close up/kləʊzˈʌp/phrase · B1To shut for the day, or to heal over.
- club togetherphrase · C1To share the cost of something between several people.
- come aboutphrase · B2To happen — used when asking how something started.
- come acrossphrase · B2To find something by chance without looking for it.
- come around tophrase · C1To end up agreeing with a view you first rejected.
- come backphrase · A2To return to the place you left.
- come betweenphrase · B2To damage the bond between two people.
- come down withphrase · B2To start suffering from an illness.
- come out/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/phrase · B1To be released — films and books do it; the sun does too.
- come out inphrase · C1To develop a rash or spots on the skin.
- come out withphrase · B2To say something surprising without warning.
- come overphrase · B1To visit someone at their home.
- come up withphrase · B2To think of a new idea or solution.
- cool down/kuːl ˈdaʊn/phrase · B1To become less hot — or less angry.
- cordon offphrase · C1To close an area with a barrier so nobody may enter.
- cotton onphrase · C1To finally understand what is going on.
- count on/kaʊntʌn/phrase · B2To trust someone to be there when it matters.
- crack down onphrase · B2To start dealing with something far more strictly.
- crackdown/ˈkɹækdaʊn/noun · B2+A sudden severe effort to stop something.
- crease upphrase · C1To laugh helplessly, or to make somebody do so.
- creep up onphrase · B2To approach unnoticed, as age or a deadline does.
- crop upphrase · B2To appear unexpectedly.
- crowd aroundphrase · B1To gather closely on every side of something.
- cut backphrase · B2To reduce the amount of something.
- cut downphrase · B1To do or use less of something — sweets, spending, or smoking.
- cut it outphrase · B2What you snap at someone to make them stop annoying you.
- cut off/ˌkʌt ˈɔf/ [ˌkɐɾ ˈɔf]phrase · B2To separate or disconnect — a phone line, power, or a village by snow.
- deal withphrase · B1To take care of a problem or person that must be dealt with.
- dig upphrase · B1To bring to the surface, or to uncover an old secret.
- dive inphrase · B2To begin something at once without hesitating.
- do away withphrase · C1To get rid of something completely.
- do upphrase · B2To fasten, or to repair and redecorate.
- do withoutphrase · B2To manage even though you lack something.
- draw upphrase · C1To prepare a document carefully.
- dress upphrase · B1To put on your finest clothes — or a costume.
- drop byphrase · B2To make a short, casual visit without arranging it.
- drop offphrase · B1To deliver someone or something on your way; also, to fall asleep.
- drop outphrase · B2To leave a course or a race before finishing.
- drum upphrase · C1To work hard at gathering support or custom.
- dry upphrase · B2To lose all moisture, or to run out of things to say.
- ease offphrase · C1To become less strong or less intense.
- end upphrase · B1To finally arrive in a situation you never planned.
- face up tophrase · B2To accept a difficult truth and deal with it.
- fade awayphrase · B2To grow gradually weaker until gone.
- fall apartphrase · B2To break into pieces — objects, plans, or people under stress.
- fall behindphrase · B2To fail to keep up with the pace of others or payments.
- fall down/fɔːl ˈdaʊn/phrase · A2To drop from standing to the ground.
- fall forphrase · B2To be tricked by a lie; also, to fall in love with someone.
- fall throughphrase · C1To fail to happen after being planned.
- figure outphrase · B1To finally understand or solve something after thinking.
- fill inphrase · B1To write your answers into the empty spaces of a form.
- find outphrase · A2To get the information you did not have before.
- fix upphrase · B2To arrange something, or to put it back in order.
- follow upphrase · B2To take a further step after a first one.
- follow-upnoun · B2A later piece returning to an earlier story.
- get acrossphrase · B2To make an idea understood by others.
- get aheadphrase · B2To become more successful than the people around you.
- get alongphrase · B1To have a friendly easy relationship with someone.
- get aroundphrase · B2To travel from place to place; also, to dodge a rule cleverly.
- get around tophrase · B2To finally do something you kept putting off.
- get away withphrase · B2To do something wrong and never be punished for it.
- get byphrase · B2To manage to survive with just barely enough.
- get carried awayphrase · B2To become so excited you lose control of yourself.
- get down/ɡɛt ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2To make somebody feel low.
- get offphrase · A2To leave a bus, train, or plane.
- get onphrase · B1To board a bus, train, or plane; also, to have a good relationship.
- get outphrase · A2To leave or escape from a place.
- get overphrase · B1To recover from an illness, a shock, or a broken heart.
- get rid of/ɡɛt ɹɪd ʌv/phrase · B1To finally make an unwanted thing go away.
- get through/ɡɛt ˈθɹu/phrase · B2To survive a hard time; also, to reach someone by phone.
- get through tophrase · B2To reach somebody, or to make them finally understand.
- get togetherphrase · B1To meet up as a group socially.
- give awayphrase · B2To give something for free; also, to accidentally reveal a secret.
- give backphrase · A2To return what you borrowed to its owner.
- give inphrase · B2To finally stop resisting and agree.
- give outphrase · B2To hand copies to everyone; also, to finally stop working.
- go ahead/ˌɡəʊ əˈhɛd/phrase · B1To start or continue without waiting.
- go astrayphrase · C1To become lost, or to wander from what is right.
- go awayphrase · A2To leave — what you tell someone bothering you to do.
- go backphrase · A2To return to where you were before.
- go in forphrase · C1To take part in, or to make a habit of.
- go offphrase · B2To explode or sound, or for food to spoil.
- go on/ˈɡoʊˌɒn/phrase · B1To keep happening or keep doing; also, what is happening.
- go outphrase · A2To leave home for fun; also, what a fire or light does when it stops.
- go overphrase · B2To review something carefully, point by point.
- go throughphrase · B2To live through something hard; also, to search item by item.
- go togetherphrase · B1To look or taste right in each other's company.
- grow onphrase · B2To become liked more the longer you know it.
- grow out ofphrase · B2To become too old or too big for something.
- hand inphrase · B1To give your finished work to the teacher or boss.
- hand outphrase · B1To give one to each person in the group.
- hang out/ˈhæŋ ˈaʊt/phrase · B1To spend relaxed time with friends, doing nothing much.
- hang upphrase · A2To end a phone call.
- hang-outnoun · B2A place somebody likes to spend time.
- head offphrase · B2To stop something before it can happen.
- heat upphrase · B1To become warmer, or to become more intense.
- hit backphrase · B2To answer an attack with one of your own.
- hit uponphrase · C1To think of an idea suddenly.
- hold backphrase · B2To keep something in rather than let it out.
- hold onphrase · B1To pause a moment; also, to grip tight.
- hold upphrase · B2To delay something; also, to rob at gunpoint.
- input/ˈɪnpʊt/noun · B2What is put into a system.
- iron outphrase · C1To smooth away the last small problems.
- keep upphrase · B2To move or progress at the same speed as the others.
- keep up withphrase · B1To move as fast as somebody else.
- key inphrase · B1To type information into a machine.
- kick offphrase · B2To begin an event.
- kill off/kɪl ɒf/phrase · B2To destroy something completely.
- knock downphrase · B1To demolish, or to strike to the ground.
- knock offphrase · B2To take an amount off a price, or to stop work.
- knock outphrase · B2To hit someone so hard they lose consciousness.
- knuckle downphrase · C1To start working seriously at last.
- lash outphrase · C1To attack suddenly with words or blows.
- lay offphrase · B2To dismiss workers because there is no work.
- laze aroundphrase · B2To pass time doing nothing much.
- leave outphrase · B1To fail to include something.
- let downphrase · B2To disappoint someone who counted on you.
- let gophrase · B1To release your grip; also, to stop holding onto the past.
- let onphrase · C1To tell a secret you meant to keep.
- lie aheadphrase · B2To be waiting in the future.
- live up tophrase · B2To be as good as what was promised or expected.
- liven upphrase · B2To make something more interesting or cheerful.
- lock up/ˌlɒk ˈʌp/phrase · B1To secure a building, or to put somebody in prison.
- look afterphrase · B1To watch over and protect a person, animal, or thing.
- look aroundphrase · B1To walk through a place seeing what is there.
- look down onphrase · B2To treat someone as beneath you.
- look forward tophrase · B1To be happily excited about something coming.
- look intophrase · B2To investigate a matter to find out more.
- look out forphrase · B2To watch carefully in order to notice something.
- look up/ˌlʊk ˈʌp/phrase · B1To search for a word or fact in a book or online.
- look up tophrase · B2To admire someone as your example.
- make dophrase · B2To manage with what little you have.
- make intophrase · B1To turn one thing into another.
- make out/meɪk aʊt/phrase · B2To manage to see or hear something faint.
- make overphrase · B2To give something a completely new look.
- make up/ˌmeɪk ˈʌp/phrase · B2To invent a story; also, to become friends again after a fight.
- make up forphrase · B2To compensate for something bad you did.
- makeover/ˈmeɪkˌoʊvɚ/noun · B2A complete change of appearance.
- meet upphrase · B1To come together with somebody by arrangement.
- mess aboutphrase · B2To waste time in a silly way.
- mess upphrase · B1To spoil something, or to make it untidy.
- mix upphrase · B1To confuse one thing with another.
- mix-up/ˈmɪksˌʌp/noun · B2A confusion in which things get swapped by mistake.
- mount upphrase · B2To grow steadily larger, as costs do.
- move in withphrase · B1To go and live in the same home as somebody.
- move onphrase · B2To leave the past behind and continue with your life.
- move outphrase · B1To leave a home for good, taking your things.
- move overphrase · B1To shift aside to make space.
- nod offphrase · C1To fall asleep without meaning to.
- opt/ɒpt/verb · C1To choose one thing rather than another.
- opt outphrase · B2To choose not to take part.
- outset/ˈaʊtsɛt/noun · C1The very beginning of something.
- own upphrase · B2To admit that you did something wrong.
- paper overphrase · C1To hide a problem instead of solving it.
- pass awayphrase · B2The gentle way of saying that someone has died.
- pass onphrase · B2To hand something to the next person, or to die.
- pass outphrase · B2To suddenly lose consciousness.
- pay back/peɪ bæk/phrase · B1To return money you borrowed; also, to take revenge.
- pay offphrase · B2To repay a debt fully, or to bring a good result.
- pay outphrase · B2To hand over a large sum of money.
- phase out/feɪ̯z äʊ̯t/phrase · B2To stop using something gradually.
- pick onphrase · B2To treat one person unfairly again and again.
- pick outphrase · B1To choose one carefully from many.
- pick upphrase · B1To lift something; to collect someone; to learn without trying.
- piece togetherphrase · B2To work out the whole from scattered bits.
- pile upphrase · B2To grow into a heap or a backlog.
- pin downphrase · C1To get a clear answer out of somebody.
- play upphrase · C1To behave badly, or to give trouble as a bad knee does.
- point outphrase · B2To draw everyone's attention to a detail they missed.
- press aheadphrase · B2To carry on despite the difficulties.
- prop up/ˌpɹɒp ˈʌp/phrase · B2To hold something upright, or to keep it from failing.
- pull offphrase · C1To succeed at something difficult.
- pull outphrase · B2To withdraw from a deal, race, or agreement.
- pull overphrase · B2To steer to the roadside and stop the car.
- pull throughphrase · B2To survive a serious illness or crisis.
- push aroundphrase · B2To treat somebody roughly and give them orders.
- put acrossphrase · B2To express an idea so others take it in.
- put awayphrase · A2To return things to their proper place.
- put backphrase · A2To return a thing to where it was.
- put downphrase · B1To place something on a surface; also, to insult someone.
- put down tophrase · B2To explain something as being caused by.
- put forwardphrase · B2To offer an idea or name for consideration.
- put inphrase · B2To spend time or effort on something.
- put offphrase · B1To move something to a later time, again and again.
- put on/ˌpʊt ˈɒn/phrase · A1To get dressed in a piece of clothing.
- put togetherphrase · B1To assemble something from its parts.
- put up withphrase · B2To accept something annoying without complaining.
- puzzle outphrase · B2To work something out by hard thought.
- read up onphrase · B2To study a subject by reading about it.
- rely onphrase · B1To trust somebody to do what is needed.
- rule outphrase · B2To decide something is not possible and drop it.
- run awayphrase · A2To escape from a place or person by running.
- run downphrase · B2To lose power, or to criticise unfairly.
- run intophrase · B2To meet someone by pure chance.
- run outphrase · B1To use the last of something — milk, money, or time.
- run out ofphrase · A2To use the last of something.
- run overphrase · B2To hit someone or something with a vehicle.
- run throughphrase · B2To practice or review quickly from start to finish.
- run-downadjective · B2Old and falling apart from years without repair.
- scrape throughphrase · B2To pass, but only just.
- see throughphrase · C1To spot the truth behind someone's trick; also, to finish what you started.
- seek outphrase · B2To look for somebody or something until you find them.
- set aside/sɛt.əˈsaɪd/phrase · B2To save money or time for a purpose; to park a disagreement.
- set backphrase · B2To delay progress; also, to cost someone a lot.
- set downphrase · C1To write something so it is on record.
- set offphrase · B2To begin a journey; also, to make an alarm or bomb go.
- set out/ˈsɛt‿aʊt/phrase · B2To begin a journey, or to explain in an orderly way.
- set up/ˌsɛt ˈʌp/phrase · B1To build or arrange something so it is ready to work.
- settle downphrase · B2To start a calm steady life in one place, often with a family.
- shout downphrase · B2To stop a speaker by making more noise than they do.
- show off/ˌʃəʊ ˈɒf/phrase · B1To display your skills or things just to be admired.
- show upphrase · B1To arrive and appear, especially when people doubted you would.
- shrivel upphrase · C1To dry and wrinkle into something smaller.
- shut downphrase · B2To close a business or switch off a machine completely.
- sign upphrase · B1To put your name down to join something.
- single out/ˌsɪŋ.ɡəl ˈaʊ̯t/phrase · C1To pick one person from the group for special treatment.
- sit downphrase · A1To lower yourself onto a chair.
- slip awayphrase · B2To leave quietly, or to be lost little by little.
- slip upphrase · B2To make a careless mistake.
- slip-up/ˈslɪpʌp/noun · B2A small careless error.
- slow downphrase · B1To reduce your speed.
- smarten upphrase · B2To make somebody or something look neater.
- snow underphrase · C1To give somebody far more work than they can manage.
- sort outphrase · B2To fix a messy problem and put things in order.
- sound outphrase · C1To ask carefully what somebody thinks before acting.
- speak outphrase · C1To publicly say what you think despite the risk.
- speak up/ˌspiːk ˈʌp/phrase · B2To talk louder; also, to bravely say what you think.
- spread outphrase · B1To move apart so as to cover more ground.
- spring upphrase · B2To appear suddenly and in numbers.
- stand by/ˌstændˈbaɪ̯/phrase · B2To stay loyal to someone in trouble; also, to wait ready.
- stand forphrase · B2What letters in an abbreviation mean; also, to accept behavior.
- stand outphrase · B2To be easily noticed among all the rest.
- stand upphrase · A1To rise to your feet.
- stand up forphrase · B2To defend a person or idea under attack.
- stand up tophrase · B2To refuse to be bullied, or to survive hard use.
- stay upphrase · B1To keep yourself awake past your usual bedtime.
- step downphrase · C1To resign from a position of power.
- stick tophrase · B2To keep to a plan or a promise.
- stop offphrase · B1To break a journey somewhere on the way.
- store upphrase · B2To save for later, or to build up trouble ahead.
- summon upphrase · C1To gather the courage or strength you need.
- switch offphrase · A2To stop a machine, or to stop paying attention.
- switch onphrase · A2To start a machine working.
- swot upphrase · C1To study hard for a test at the last minute.
- take afterphrase · B2To look or behave like an older family member.
- take apartphrase · B2To separate a machine into its pieces.
- take away/ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/phrase · A2To remove, or to subtract one number from another.
- take backphrase · B1To return a purchase to the shop; also, to unsay hurtful words.
- take downphrase · B1To write what is said, or to dismantle something.
- take in/teɪk‿ˈɪn/phrase · B2To fully understand and absorb; also, to give someone shelter.
- take onphrase · B2To accept new work or responsibility; also, to fight an opponent.
- take outphrase · B1To remove something from inside; also, to invite someone on a date.
- take overphrase · B2To take control of something from someone else.
- take tophrase · B2To begin to like, or to begin doing as a habit.
- take upphrase · B2To start a new hobby; also, to use up space or time.
- take-offnoun · B1The moment an aircraft leaves the ground.
- talk down tophrase · B2To speak to somebody as if they were stupid.
- talk intophrase · B2To persuade someone to do something they doubted.
- talk overphrase · B2To discuss something thoroughly before deciding.
- talk roundphrase · C1To persuade somebody to change their mind.
- tear down/tɛə(ɹ) ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2To pull a building to pieces.
- tell offphrase · B2To speak angrily to somebody about their behaviour.
- test outphrase · B1To try something to see whether it works.
- think overphrase · B2To consider a decision carefully before answering.
- think throughphrase · B2To consider every part of something before acting.
- think upphrase · B2To invent an idea or a plan.
- throw awayphrase · A2To put something in the bin for good.
- throw upphrase · B1To be sick — food coming back up.
- tide overphrase · C1To help somebody through a hard stretch until things improve.
- try onphrase · A2To put clothes on in the shop to see if they fit.
- try outphrase · B1To test something new to see how it works.
- turn aroundphrase · B1To face the opposite direction; also, to rescue a failing situation.
- turn downphrase · B1To refuse an offer; also, to lower the volume.
- turn intophrase · B1To change and become something different.
- turn outphrase · B2To be revealed in the end — how things finally prove to be.
- turn tophrase · C1To go to someone for help when in trouble.
- turn upphrase · B2To appear unexpectedly; also, to raise the volume.
- use upphrase · B1To finish the whole supply of something.
- walk outphrase · B2To leave suddenly in protest or anger.
- ward offphrase · C1To keep something harmful away.
- warm up/ˌwɔː(ɹ)m ˈʌp/phrase · B1To gently wake your muscles before sport; also, to heat food again.
- waste awayphrase · B2To grow steadily thinner and weaker.
- watch outphrase · A2What you shout to warn someone of sudden danger.
- water downphrase · B2To weaken by adding liquid, or to soften a demand.
- wear offphrase · C1To fade away gradually.
- wear outphrase · B2To use something until it is finished — shoes or your energy.
- weigh downphrase · B2To press heavily on, in weight or in worry.
- while awayphrase · C1To pass time pleasantly with nothing important to do.
- wind down/waɪnd ˈdaʊn/phrase · B2To relax gradually, or to bring to a slow close.
- wind up/waɪnd ˈʌp/phrase · C1To finally land in a place or state you never planned.
- work out/ˌwɜːk ˈaʊt/phrase · B1To exercise at the gym; also, to end well.
- wrap upphrase · B2To finish something off, or to dress warmly.
- write downphrase · A2To put words on paper so you will not forget them.
- write offphrase · B2To damage beyond repair, or to accept a loss.
- write-offnoun · C1Something too damaged to be worth repairing.