Phrasal Verb, Definition and Exampl
A
act up -behave or function improperlyI think I need to take my car to themechanicbecause it's acting up again.
add * up - calculate a sum
I added up the receipts and it totaled $135.46.
add up to -equal an amount
The total expenses added up to $325.00.
add up make sense Her story doesn't add up.
I think she is lying.
ask * out+ -invite on a date
I can't believe that Joe finally asked me out on a date!
ask * over + - invite to one's home
Why don't we ask the Johnsons over for dinner?
B
back down - stop defending
your opinion in a debate Jane never backs down. She always wins arguments.
back out - not keep (a promise, agreement,deal)
Sam backed out at the last second.
back out of+- not keep (a promise, agreement, deal)
Sam backed out of the agreement at the last second.
back * up + - give support
You need examples to back up your opinion.
back up - move backwards, reverse
Could you back up a little so I can open this drawer.
bawl * out - criticize, reprimand (inf.)
She bawled him out for arriving late.
bear down on + - bite
The soldier had to bear down on the leather strap while the doctor removed a bullet from the soldier's arm.
bear down on + - take strong measures against
The U.S.A. is bearing down on drug traffickers.
bear on + - have to do with
This information may bear on this case.
bear up - withstand
I didn't think he would bear up so well in that situation.
bear up under+ - withstand
How did he bear up under such extreme pressure.
bear with + - be patient
Please bear with me while I fill out the paperwork.
blow in - visit unexpectedly (inf.)
My cousin blew in unexpectedly with his entire family.
blow over - pass without creating a problem
All this negative publicity will blow over in a couple of weeks.
blow * up + - make explode;destroy using explosives
The terrorists blew the bridge up.
blow up - explode
The bomb blew up before they could defuse it.
blow up - suddenly become very angry
When Joan heard the news, she blew up and rushed out of the room.
break * down + - analyze in detail
We need to break this problem down in order to solve.
break down - stop working properly
The truck broke down in the desert.
break down - become mentally ill
She broke down after her husband died.
break * in + - wear or use something new until it is comfortable
I need to break these shoes in before I go hiking.
break in - interrupt
While we were discussing the situation, Terri broke in to give her opinion.
break in - enter a place unlawfully
The burglar broke in between midnight and 3 AM.
break in on + - interrupt (a conversation)
Jane broke in on the conversation and told us to get back to work.
break into + - enter a house unlawfully
The burglar broke into the house between midnight and 3 AM.
break into + - interrupt (a conversation)
Jane broke into the conversation and told us what she knew.
break * off + - end something
Sally broke her engagement to John off.
break out - appear violently
Violent protests broke out in response to the military coup.
break out + - use something extravagant for celebration
He broke out the champagne to celebrate his promotion.
break out of + - escape
The murderer broke out of the prison.
break * up + - break into pieces
I broke the cracker up into pieces and put it in the soup.
break * up + - disperse (a crowd), stop (a fight)
The police broke the demonstration up before it got out of control.
break up - end a relationship
Sam and Diane broke up again. What a rocky relationship.
bring * about+ - cause to happen
Democracy brought about great change in the lives of the people.
bring * along + - bring with
When we go to the forest, bring your wildlife guide along.
bring * around - change someone's mind, convince someone
She doesn't want to go, but we'll eventually bring her around.
bring * away - learn or gain (from an My trip across the Sahara was experience)
difficult, but I brought a new appreciation for life away from the experience.
bring * off +- succeed at something difficult or unexpected
You robbed the bank! I can't believe you brought that off.
bring * on + - cause something
I can't believe she got so angry.What brought that on?
bring * out + - highlight, stress
Your new shirt brings out the color of your eyes.
bring * over+ - bring to someone's house
When you visit me, why don't you bring over your son.
bring * to - revive consciousness
We used smelling salts to bring her to after she fainted.
bring * up + - mention
I didn't want to bring up the fact that she was unemployed.
bring * up + - raise ( a child)
Sam was brought up in South Carolina.
brush * off + - ignore something or someone (inf.)
Mary brushed her ex-boyfriend off at the party.
burn * down + - destroy by setting fire to
The children burned the house down while playing with matches. burn down burn until completely gone (building) Two buildings
burnt down - in the fire. burn up be hot
I am burning up in here - open the
window.
burn up - consume by fire
The papers were burned up in the fire.
burn * up + - destroy by fire
He burnt up the files.
buy * out+ - buy the shares of a company or the shares the other person owns of a business
Pacific Inc. was bought out by a company from Oregon.
buy * up + - purchase the entire supply of something
We bought up all the beer in the store.
C
call for + - require (as in a recipe)
This recipe calls for milk, not water.
call * off + - cancel something
They called the picnic off because of the rain.
call * off + - order to stop (an invasion, guard dogs)
He called off the dogs when he saw it was his neighbor.
call on + - visit
Mark called on Naomi while he was in town.
call on + - invite someone to speak in a meeting or a classroom
Professor Tanzer called on Tim to answer the question.
call * up + - telephone
I called Sam up to see if he wanted to go to the movies.
calm * down + - make someone relax
You can calm the baby down by rocking her gently.
care for + - nurse someone or something
He cared for the bird until itswing healed.
care for + - like someone or something
I don't care for sour cream on my potato.
carry on + - continue (a conversation, a game)
Please, carry on. I didn'tmean to interrupt you.
carry on about + - continue in an annoying way
He kept carrying on about how much money he makes.
carry on with + - continue
I want you to carry on with the project while I am out of town.
carry * out + - complete and/or accomplish something
The secret agent carried out his orders exactly as planned.
carry * over + - continue on a subsequent day, page, etc.
The meeting carried over into lunch time.
catch on - slowly start to understand (inf.)
He caught on after a few minutes.
catch up - make up for lost time
I will never catch up. I am too behind in my work.
catch up with + - speed up to be at the same place as a person or thing in front of you
I had to run to catch up with the others.
catch up on + - become up-to-date I need to catch up on world
events.
I haven't seen the news in ages.
check back - return to see if everything is OK
We will check back tomorrow to make sure the project is finished.
check by + - go to a place to see if everything is OK
We need to check by the office to see if the documents are ready.
check for + - try to find
They checked for termites before they bought the house.
check in - enter a hospital, hotel etc.
They need to check in before noon.
check into + - enter a hospital, hotel etc.
They checked into the hotel at 11:00 AM.
check into + - investigate, look for (often through a service)
We are checking into discount flights to London.
check * off + - make a mark next to (an item on a list)
Check each name off the list.
check on + - make sure something is OK
Let's check on the baby again before we go to sleep.
check * out+ - investigate, take a look at
He checked out the new restaurant down the street.
check out - leave a hotel, hospital
It's already eleven. We need to check out.
check out of + - leave a hotel, hospital
We checked out of the hotel before ten.
check * over + - closely examine the condition of something
He checked over the old car to see if it was worth buying.
check up on + - investigate someone or something
The police are checking up on the bomb threats.
check * through - send luggage through (to a destination)
Your luggage will be checked through to Paris.
check with +- ask a person for confirmation
He needs to check with his parents before he goes.
cheer * up - make someone feel cheerful
The party really cheered me up.
cheer up - become cheerful Cheer up.
Everything will be all right.
chew * up + - chew into small pieces
The dog chewed up my shoe.
chop * down + - fell/cut ( a tree)
The lumberjack chopped the tree down.
chop * up + - chop/cut into small bits
He chopped themeat up into little pieces.
clean * up + - tidy
Susan cleaned themess up before she left.
clear out - leave ( inf.)
Everybody clear out!We're closed.
clear * up + - tidy Susan cleared up themess before she left.
close * down + - close a place permanently
The corner market closed down because they didn't havemany customers.
close down - close permanently
The bar was closed down because they served alcohol to minors.
close in on + - approach and threaten
The rebels were closing in on the capital, so the government called in the army.
close * up + - close temporarily
They are closing the ski resort up for the summer.
close up - close temporarily
The ski resort is closing up for the summer.
come about - occur / happen
How did you idea for the book come about.
come across+ - discover by accident
They came across some lost Mayan ruins in the jungle.
come across+ - initially seem or have the appearance
He comes across as rather rude, but he isn't.
come along - accompany someone
If you want, you can come along.
come along with + - accompany
Sam came along with us to the beach.
come along - progress
How's the research paper coming along.
come along with + - progress
How are you coming along with the research paper.
come away - leave a place with a particular feeling or impression
I came away from the meeting feeling like the presentation was a success.
come back - return
What time are you coming back?
come by + - get, receive
How did you come by that new Mercedes?
come by - visit a person at their house
I'll come by later this afternoon.
come down with + - become sick with
He came down with the flu.
come into + - inherit
He came into a large sum of money when his aunt died.
come off+ - fall off, break off
The handle came off the suitcase when I picked it up.
come out - appear
I didn't see the car at first. It came out of nowhere.
come out - reveal you are homosexual
Sam finally came out last month.
come out - turn out, end up
The pictures came out great.
come out with + - produce and distribute a product
Microsoft is coming out with a new video game system next
month.
come over - visit someone at their house
Why don't you come over after work for dinner.
come to - regain consciousness
Don't worry! She faints all the time. She always comes to after a few minutes.
come through - do what is needed or expected
Terry really came through for us in the end.
come up to + -
approach; to equal The job offer didn't come up to her expectations.
come up with + - produce or create (an idea, a plan)
She came up with a great proposal for the new advertising campaign.
come with + - include (an accessory)
The computer system doesn't come with a printer.
count * in + - include
Did you count expenses in?
count on + - depend/rely on
You can really count on Sarah.
count * out + - exclude
You can count James out. He hates playing poker.
count * up + - add
Count the change up and see how much we have.
cross * out + - draw a line through something, eliminate
Why did you cross my name out on the list?
cut down - decrease the amount of You eat too much fat.
You need to cut down.
cut down on + - decrease the amount of You need to cut down on your fat intake.
cut in - interrupt
She suddenly cut in and delivered the news.
cut in on + - interrupt
She cut in on the conversation and delivered the news.
cut * off - interrupt someone while they were speaking
She cut him off before he said something he would regret later.
cut * off +- sever ( with a knife)
His finger was accidentally cut off in an industrial accident.
cut * out + - remove
He cut the bone out of the steak.
cut * out - stop an action
Cut it out! You're bothering me.
cut * up + - Cut into small pieces
He cut the beef up and put the pieces in the soup.
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