dictionary of phrasal verbs

What are phrasal verbs?

1.  A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb.

Example:

I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. run + into = meet

He ran away when he was 15. run + away = leave home

2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.

Example:

He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object

3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed

by an object.

Example:

I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up"

4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a * between the verb

and the preposition / adverb.

Example:

I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car. She looked the phone number up.

5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable

phrasal verbs are marked by placing a + after the preposition / adverb.

Example:

I ran into an old friend yesterday. They are looking into the problem.

6. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In

this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both *

and + .

Example:

I looked the number up in the phone book.

I looked up the number in the phone book.

7. W ARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.

Example:

I looked the number up in the phone book.

I looked up the number in the phone book.

I looked it up in the phone book. correct

I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Exam ple

act up

behave or function

improperly

I think I need to take

my car to the

mechanic because 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

W hy don't we ask the

Johnsons over for dinner?

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

W hen Joan heard the

news, she blew up and rushed out of the

room.

break * down +

analyze in detail

W e 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

W hile 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. W hat a rocky relationship.

bring * about +

cause to happen

Democracy brought

about great change in the lives of the people.

bring * along +

bring with

W hen 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

experience)

My trip across the

Sahara was 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. W hat brought that on?

bring * out +

highlight, stress

Your new shirt brings

out the color of your eyes.

bring * over +

bring to someone's

house

W hen you visit me,

why don't you bring over your son.

bring * to

revive consciousness

W e 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

W e bought up all the

beer in the store.

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 its wing 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't mean 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

W e will check back

tomorrow to make sure the project is finished.

check by +

go to a place to see if

everything is OK

W e 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)

W e 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. W e

need to check out.

check out of +

leave a hotel, hospital

W e 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 the meat

up into little pieces.

clean * up +

tidy

Susan cleaned the

mess up before she left.

clear out

leave ( inf.)

Everybody clear out!

W e're closed.

clear * up +

tidy

Susan cleared up the

mess before she left.

close * down +

close a place

permanently

The corner market

closed down because they didn't have many 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

W hat 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

W hy 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.

crack down on +

become tougher on,

better enforce laws on

The police have been

cracking down on drunk driving.

crack up

laugh uncontrollably,

laugh a lot

W hen I told the joke,

they all cracked up.

crack up at +

laugh uncontrollably

about, laugh a lot about

I cracked up at his

joke.

cross * out +

draw a line through

something, eliminate

W hy 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.

die away

diminish in intensity

The applause died

away after 5 minutes.

die down

diminish in intensity

The controversy about

the president's affair finally died down.

die off/out

become extinct

W hales are in danger

of dying off.

disagree with +

cause to feel sick due to

food or drink

Spicy food disagrees

with me.

do away with +

abolish

Some Americans want

to do away with the death penalty.

do * over +

repeat

You made many

mistakes, so I want you to do the report over.

do without +

manage without

something one wants or needs

I couldn't do without a

car in California.

draw * up +

create ( a contract)

Let's draw an

agreement up before we go any further with this project.

dress * down

reprimand severely

The mother dressed

her son down for skipping school.

dress down

dress casually

I am dressing down

because we're going to a barbecue by the beach.

dress * up +

decorate

You could dress this

house up with some bright colors

dress up

wear elegant clothes

She always dresses

up at work.

drive * back +

repulse

The invaders were

driven back by the army.

drop in

visit someone

unexpectedly

Meg dropped in

yesterday after dinner.

drop in on +

visit someone

unexpectedly

Let's drop in on Julie

since we're driving by her house.

drop out

quit an organized activity

Yuri isn't on the team

any more. He dropped out.

drop out of +

quit an organized activity

(school)

It's difficult to get a

good job if you drop out of high school.

drop over

visit someone casually

Drop over any time

you feel like talking.

eat away

gradually destroy, erode

The heavy rains ate

away at the sandstone cliffs.

eat * up +

devour

Ken ate the cookies

up.

eat in

eat inside the home

W e usually eat in

instead of going out for dinner.

eat out

eat outside the home

They eat out once a

week.

face up to +

acknowledge something

difficult or embarrassing

I'll never be able to

face up to my colleagues after getting so drunk last

night at the work party.

fall back on +

be able to use in case of

emergency

Yuki can fall back on

her degree in biology

if she doesn't succeed in her acting career.

fall behind

go slower than

scheduled, lag

Hurry up or you will fall

behind!

fall behind in +

go slower than

scheduled, lag

Cheryl has missed

several days of school and now she is falling behind in her homework.

fall off

decrease

Interest in the project

fell off when they realized it wouldn't be profitable.

fall out with +

have an argument with

I had a falling out with

my sister last month and we haven't talked to each other since.

fall through

fail to happen

Unfortunately, my trip

to Indonesia fell through because I couldn't save enough money.

feel * up +

grope

She sued her boss for

sexual harassment after he felt her up.

feel up to +

have the energy to do

something

I don't feel up to going

out tonight because I

had a long day at work.

figure on +

expect

W here do you figure

on living when you move to the the U.S.A.?

figure * out +

solve something,

understand

I finally figured the

joke out. Now I understand why everybody was laughing.

figure * up +

calculate

I need to figure my

expenses up before I

give you an estimate.

fill * in +

complete

Don't forget to fill in all

the blanks on the application.

fill in

substitute

W ho is going to fill in

while you're gone?

fill in for +

substitute for

Miguel filled in for me

at the meeting yesterday because I was sick.

fill * out +

complete (an application)

I filled out an

application to rent the apartment last week.

fill out

mature, get breasts

Now that you're filling

out honey, we need to get you a bra.

fill * up +

fill to the top

Fill the car up with

unleaded gas, please.

find out +

discover

You will never find out

all my secrets!

find out

discover

Vicky's parents are

going to be so mad when they find out she got a tattoo.

fix * up +

repair, renovate, remodel

My neighbors are

fixing their house up.

get * across +

cause to be understood

It's difficult to get

humor across in another language.

get ahead

make progress

I can't get ahead even

though I work two jobs.

get ahead of +

surpass

You need to work

overtime in order to get ahead of schedule.

get along

have a good relationship

Do you and your sister

get along?

get along with +

have a good relationship

Giovanna doesn't get

along with her two brothers.

get around +

avoid someone or

something

Some people get

around paying taxes by hiring a good accountant.

get around

go many places

It's easy to get around

town with public transportation.

get away

escape

The bank robbers got

away.

get away with +

do something against the

rules or illegal and not get caught or punished

My sister gets away

with everything!

get by

survive without having the

things you need or want

I lost my job, so I am

having a hard time getting by this year.

get by on +

survive with minimal

resources

It's nearly impossible

to get by on making minimum wage.

get by with +

manage with

You don't need a

computer. You can get by with the typewriter.

get down to +

get serious about a topic

Enough small talk.

Let's get down to business.

get in +

enter ( a car, a small

boat)

Get in the front seat.

You will have more leg room.

get in

enter

Get in. I will give you a

ride to school

get * off +

send (a package)

I finally got my sister's

birthday present off yesterday.

get * off

remove ( a spider from

your shirt)

Can you get this

spider off my shirt?

get off +

leave (a bus, plane, train,

boat)

W e need to get off the

bus at the next stop.

get off

leave

It's dangerous to sit on

the roof. Get off!

get off

idiomatic phrase - How

does he justify saying that?!

W here does he get off

saying that?!

get * on

put on (clothes)

You should get your

jacket on because it's going to be cold.

get on

enter (a bus, train), mount

(a horse, a bike)

The train is leaving.

Quick, get on!

get on +

enter (a bus, train), mount

( a horse, a bike)

Get on my bike and I

will give you a ride home.

get on

have a good relationship

Natasha doesn't get

on with her co-workers.

get on with +

have a good relationship

Do you get on with

your neighbors?

get on with +

continue an activity

Now that the police

have left, let's get on with the party!

get out of +

exit (a small boat, car, an

enclosed area)

I fell into the water

when I tried to get out of the canoe.

get over +

recover (a cold, a

disease, an

ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend)

Jennifer still hasn't

gotten over her breakup with Peter.

get through +

complete

W e will never get

through all of these boxes by 9:00 PM.

get through +

penetrate

W e need a stronger

drill to get through this wall.

get through

penetrate

The door was

jammed, so we couldn't get through.

get through (with) +

finish

Have you gotten

through with your homework yet?

get through to +

make contact

It's hard to get through

to Janet because her telephone line is always busy.

get * up

cause someone to rise

(from a sitting position or a lying position)

Ahmed got Abdul up

at 5:30 in the morning by turning the music

up really loud.

get up

rise (from sitting position

or a bed)

W hat time did you get

up this morning?

give * away +

give something without

asking for anything in exchange

W hy did Nancy give all

of her furniture away?

give * away +

betray (a secret)

W e are having a

surprise party for Susan next Saturday, so don't give our surprise away by acting suspicious.

give * back +

return something you

borrowed

W hen are you going to

give that book back to your teacher?

give in

stop trying

Never give in! You can

do it!

give  off +

release (a smell, light)

That white flower gives

off a beautiful smell.

give * out +

distribute

I earn extra money by

giving out brochures on the street.

give out

become very tired (inf.)

I hope this car doesn't

give out in the middle of the desert.

give * up +

surrender something

The police told the

thief to give his gun up.

give up

surrender

Never give up learning

English!

go away

leave

I yelled at the dogs to

make them go away.

go back

return

W hen are you going

back to your house?

go by +

go past, go close to, visit

quickly

W e go by the coffee

shop everyday.

go back on +

not keep (one's word, a

promise)

Don't trust him. He

always goes back on his promises.

go down

decrease

The cost of flight

tickets is going down.

go for +

try to achieve

Our team is going for

the gold medal in the

Olympics.

go for

idiomatic phrase - I am

craving pepperoni pizza.

I could go for

pepperoni pizza.

go in for +

participate ( inf.)

Are you going to go in

for soccer this year at school?

go into +

discuss in detail

I really don't want to go

into that now.

go off

explode

The bomb could go

off at any moment.

go off

begin, start (used with

signals, alarms, warning sounds)

The alarm clock went

off at 6:00 AM.

go off

stop (said of a machine)

The DVD player goes

off automatically if you are not using it.

go off

become angry

Maria went off last

night after I told her about losing her bike.

go on

continue

Please, go on. Don't

let me interrupt you.

go on

happen

This place is a mess!

W hat went on here last night?

go on with +

continue ( a plan, a

conversation)

I think we should go on

with the meeting and stop wasting time.

go out

stop burning ( a fire)

The fire went out after

three days.

go out

take part in social

activities (usually at night)

They love to go out

every Saturday night.

go over +

review

Do you usually go over

your notes before class?

go over

be well received,

succeed

That didn't go over

well.

go through +

examine in detail, study

carefully

I need to have my

lawyer go through this contract before I sign it.

go through +

endure; experience

challenges, difficulties or traumas

She has gone through

so much in her life.

go through with +

continue or proceed

despite difficulties or fears

I have decided to go

through with the operation.

go with +

match (clothing)

That shirt doesn't go

with those pants.

go with +

accompany a person

I am going with

Alejandro to the party.

go with +

have a

boyfriend/girlfriend

I am going with Yuri.

go without +

abstain from something

you want or need

A person can go

without water for three days.

grow under

go out of business

The restaurant went

under after it lost its liquor license.

grow up

mature

Your brother needs to

grow up and start thinking about his future.

hand * back +

return

Is the teacher going to

hand back our tests today?

hand * down +

pronounce formally

The president is going

to hand his decision down on health care tonight.

hand * down +

give as an inheritance

W hen my clothes got

too small for me as a child, I handed them down to my sister.

hand * in +

submit

I have to hand in an

offer by March 12.

hand * out +

distribute

W e should hand the

concert fliers out at school.

hand * over +

relinquish control of

Hand your car keys

over. You're too drunk to drive.

hang around +

stay in a place for fun (

inf.)

Maria and Salvador

usually hang around

the beach after school.

hang around

stay in a place for fun

Those guys just hang

around all day.

hang * up +

suspend (clothes on a

hanger)

You can hang your

jacket up in the front closet.

hang up

put down the telephone

receiver

Don't hang up. I'm

going to change phones.

hang out +

stay in a place for fun

(inf.)

Let's go hang out at

the mall tonight.

hang out

stay in a place for fun

W hat are you doing? -

- I'm just hanging out.

have * on +

wear

Do you have your

hiking boots on?

have * over

invite guests to your

home

W hy don't we have Mr.

and Mrs. Jones over for dinner tonight.

hear from +

receive news from (a

letter, an e-mail)

Have you heard from

Steve lately?

hear of +

know about something or

somebody

Have you heard of

chocolate covered ants?

hit on +

find on accident

I hit on the idea while

watching the

Simpsons show.

hit on +

flirt with

Jay's friend Marc was

trying to hit on my sister last night.

hold * back +

restrain

The police held the

demonstrators back while the politicians entered the building.

hold back

not allow to advance in

school

The teacher held

Frank back a year, so he couldn't enter fifth grade.

hold * off +

restrain

Mr. Johnson held the

dog off while we crossed the yard.

hold off on +

delay

W e should hold off on

making dinner until your parents arrive.

hold on

grasp tightly

Hold on tight! The

roller coaster is about to take off.

hold on

tell someone to wait on

the telephone

Hold on a minute. I'll

get Carol.

hold on to +

grasp tightly

Make sure you hold on

to the hand rail as you walk down the stairs.

hold out

not give in, continue to

resist

Stop holding out and

tell us where you found all of these old records.

hold out against +

not give in, resist

They held out against

enemy attack.

hold * up +

delay (a flight, traffic);

The accident held

traffic up for an hour.

hold * up +

rob (a bank, a person)

with a weapon

Five men held the

bank up yesterday.

hook * up +

make the electrical

connections required for a machine or information service

Can you hook up the

fax machine for me?

iron * out

eliminate

W e need to have a

meeting this week in order to iron out the distribution problems.

jack up +

to raise

W e need to jack up

the car before we change the tire.

joke around

to be humorous

Mike is always joking

around at work.

jump in

enter a conversation

Feel free to jump in at

any moment while we are talking.

jump to +

make a quick, poorly

thought out decision

You shouldn't jump to

conclusions.

keep * around

have handy, have

accessible

I always keep a

dictionary around to translate new words.

keep at +

not give up (an activity), to

persevere

You should keep at

your studies.

keep * away

prevent access to, hold

back

Keep the kids away

from the cookies.

keep * back

maintain a safe distance,

cause to maintain a safe distance

Keep back! The

burning building is about to collapse.

keep * down

not vomit, not throw up,

keep in one's stomach

If I ate that, I down

know if I could keep it down.

keep * in

keep in a particular place,

have something in a specific location

W hen I am not using it,

I keep my passport in this drawer.

keep * off

prevent from stepping or

climbing on to something

Keep the cat off the

couch.

keep on

continue

He kept on talking after

everybody asked him to stop.

keep * out

prevent from entering

Keep the dog out of

the garden; he keeps digging up the flowers.

keep * over

cover something with, put

something above

I keep a tarp over my

bicycle at night to prevent it from getting wet.

keep to +

continue, persist in (an

activity)

Everybody said she

would never finish the puzzle, but she kept to it until it was done.

keep up

stay on the required

schedule

You have to keep up if

you want to work here.

keep * up +

continue

You are doing a great

job! Keep it up.

keep up with +

stay on schedule with (a

person, the workload, homework)

I have so much

reading that I can't keep up with the writing exercises.

kick back

sit or lie back (to relax)

After work, I like to kick

back in front of the TV

and relax.

kick in

begin taking effect

The medicine takes

one hour to kick in.

lay  away +

save for the future

W hy don't you lay

away your wedding outfit?

lay down +

establish (laws, rules)

Lori lays down the law

in her class. English only!

lay in on +

scold or criticize severely

My mom really laid in

on me when I got home at 4:00 in the morning last night.

lay into +

scold or criticize severely

I saw Reto's mom lay

into him when he came home late last night.

lay * off +

suspend someone from

a job (during a slow period)

The company was

losing money, so they had to lay off 100 workers.

lay * out +

arrange

W hy don't we lay the

pieces of the table out before we put it together.

leave * out +

not include, omit

W hy did your parents

leave you out of their vacation plans?

let * down

disappoint

I felt let down when I

didn't receive a birthday card from my sister.

let * down

lengthen (pants in

sewing)

My uncle is a tailor, so

he can let your pants down.

let * out

release

I am happy my brother

was let out of prison early.

let * out

make bigger (in sewing)

I need to let out this

skirt because I have gained weight.

let up

weaken in intensity

I told her NO a

thousand times, but she won't let up.

lie down

rest, recline

I need to lie down

before we go out tonight.

lie down on +

rest, recline ( on a couch,

bed)

I'm going to lie down

on the sofa for a while.

lie with +

be decided by

W hether or not you

can go to the party lies with your father.

light * up +

illuminate

Let's get some

candles to light this room up.

light up +

to smoke

Do you have to light up

another cigarette? I thought you were trying to cut down.

live * down +

live in a way that a

shameful or embarrassing event is forgotten

Jose will never live

down singing that song at the karaoke bar.

live on +

survive from

I could live on bread

and cheese.

live up to +

keep a standard

It would be hard to live

up to her parent's expectations.  They are so demanding.

look after +

take care of (a child, a

house, a pet)

W hen my sister goes

on vacation, I look after her dog.

look back on +

to remember nostalgically

W hen I look back on

my childhood, I often feel angry.

look down on +

see as inferior

She's so conceited.

She looks down on everybody else.

look for +

to seek or search for

I'm looking for my

keys. Have you seen them?

look forward to +

anticipate with pleasure

I am looking forward to

traveling to New York next year.

look into +

investigate

The police are looking

into the murder.

look on

observe as a spectator

Everybody just looked

on as the two men fought.

look out

be careful, pay attention,

heed a certain danger

Look out, there's a

black widow spider on the wall.

look * over +

examine, review

W hen I'm camping, I

look my shoes over before I put them on.

look * up +

search for (in a

dictionary)

I takes time to look up

new vocabulary words.

look * up +

locate and visit

If you ever travel to

California, you should look me up.

look up to +

respect, admire

someone

He looks up to his

father.

make * out

decipher

I can't make out your

handwriting. W hat does this say?

make * out +

write a check or other

document

W ho should I make

this check out to?

make out

succeed

He really made out in

the stock market last year.

make out

progress

How is your son

making out in his new job?

make out

kiss passionately

I saw Benno and

Isabelle making out in the movie theater last night!

make out with +

kiss someone

passionately

Did you make out with

Sally?

make * over

do again

The teacher made me

do my homework over.

make * up +

invent ( a story)

Don't believe anything

she says. She always makes things up.

make * up +

complete what was

missed

Fortunately, my

professor let me make up the exam I missed yesterday.

make * up +

put on cosmetics

I takes me 10 minutes

to make my face up.

make up

reconcile

You two have been

friends for so long that

I think you should make up.

make up for +

compensate for

Allen made up for

being late by getting me flowers.

mix * up +

confuse

I sometimes mix the

verb tenses up.

mix * up +

blend

W e need to mix up

these different kinds of nuts before we put them in a bowl.

mix * up +

make lively (a party)

Let's mix up this party

with a little disco music.

name * after +

name a child using

another family member's name

I was named after my

grandfather.

nod off

fall asleep

The movie was so

boring that I nodded off before it was finished.

nose around +

sneak around

I hate it when my

mother noses around my room.

occur to +

pop into one's mind,

come to one's mind

It didn't occur to us

that we had left the iron on.

open up

share feelings

I'm  glad that John

feels comfortable enough around me to open up.

out to + verb

try to

She is out to get

revenge now that her husband left her for another woman.

pan out

be successful, turn out

well

The trip to Vegas

didn't pan out.

pass away

die

After battling cancer

for several years, he finally passed away at the age of 87.

pass * off +

try to convince someone

that something is real

He tried to pass the

fake watch off as a real Rolex.

pass * on +

transmit

Please pass this

message on to your co-workers.

pass on +

not accept (an invitation

to eat or do something)

Jennifer passed on

the invitation to join us for dinner.

pass on

die

I am afraid Professor

Johnson has passed on.

pass * out +

distribute

W e need to pass out

these flyers for the concert tomorrow.

pass out

become unconscious

He passed out

because the room was too hot.

pass * up +

not take advantage (of an

opportunity)

I can't believe she

passed up the opportunity to study in Rome.

pay * back +

repay

If I loan you money,

will you pay me back.

pay * off +

complete payment on a

debt

It took me ten years to

pay off my credit card debt.

pay * off +

to bribe

Don't try to pay the

police officer off if you get pulled over for speeding.

pick on +

to tease, bully

She keeps picking on

me! Make her stop.

pick * out +

choose

Diane picked out a

lovely dress for the dance.

pick * up +

to lift an object with the

hands

Keep your back

straight when you lift the TV up.

pick * up +

come and get someone

in a car

W hat time are you

going to pick me up.

pick * up +

learn something without

effort

It's possible to pick up

enough English in two weeks to get by on your trip to Los Angeles.

pick * up +

try to initiate a relationship

with someone (often in a bar)

Some weird guy tried

to pick Patricia up at the bar.

pick up

grow, increase (inf.)

Business is really

picking up this quarter.

play * down +

make less important (inf.)

The President played

down his affair with the intern.

play * up

highlight something (inf.)

She played up her part

in the new movie, but it was actually a very small role.

play up to +

flatter someone for your

personal advantage

She has been playing

up to the boss because she wants a promotion.

point * out +

indicate

I'd like to point out that

figures in column two might be outdated.

pull down

earn

He pulls down about

$300,000 a year.

pull in

park (a vehicle)

Mark pulled in too

quickly and crashed into the wall.

pull out

depart (a vehicle)

Our train pulls out at

8:00, so don't be late.

pull through

barely survive

I didn't think she was

going to make it, but she pulled through in the end.

put * across +

communicate (an idea or

suggestion) clearly so that it is understood

I thought Ms. Smith put

her ideas across rather clearly in the meeting.

put * away +

return to the proper place

of storage

I told you kids to put

your toys away.

put * down +

insult, say bad things

about

She always puts down

people who don't share her opinions.

put in +

officially submit a request

(in the armed forces or public services)

He put in for a transfer

to the division in Los

Angeles.

put * off +

postpone

Don't put off your work

- do it now!

put * on +

wear

Make sure you put on

a sweater before you go outside.

put * on +

deceive

I didn't believe a thing

he said. I think he was putting me on.

put * out +

extinguish (a fire)

Don't use water to put

out a grease fire.

put * out +

inconvenience someone

I don't want to put you

out, but could you pick me up at the airport.

put out +

spend (usually used with

unreasonably large sums of money)

I can't put out that

much money each month.

put * up

have a guest stay in your

house for a short time

Can you put me up

while I'm in town.

put up with +

tolerate

Sandy will not put up

with smoking in her house.

quiet * down +

be quiet, or cause to be

quiet

The neighbors told us

to quiet down last night or they would call the police.

read up on +

research a topic for a

reason

I need to read up on

the company before I go on the job interview.

ring * up

telephone

Jack rung me up last

night at 3:00 in the morning.

rule * out +

eliminate

I wouldn't rule out the

possibility of moving to another country if I get

a good job offer.

run across +

find or meet

unexpectedly

I ran across some old

photos while I was cleaning my house.

run against +

compete in an election

Gore ran against Bush

in the 2000 elections in the U.S.A.

run away

leave home permanently

before you are a legal adult

The child ran away

because her parents beat her.

run away from +

escape from

The child ran away

from its parents.

run * down

trace

Have you run down

those phone numbers

I asked for last week?

run * down

criticize

My boss runs

everyone down.

run * down

hit with a car

My dog was run down

by a bus.

run down

loose power, be very

tired

You need to wind your

watch so it doesn't run down.

run for +

campaign for a

government position

Gore is running for

president of the U.S.A.

run into +

meet unexpectedly

I ran into my English

teacher at the movies last night. She's so nice!

run * off +

make leave

The new government

is trying to run the drug traffickers off.

run * off

reproduce (photocopies)

W ould you mind

running off 10 copies of this document for me?

run off

leave quickly

W hy did you run off

after the party?

run off

waste water

You shouldn't swim

where the sewage

runs off into the ocean.

run out of +

not have any more of

something

W e ran out of milk this

morning, so we need to go to the store.

save * up +

accumulate (money)

I hope I will be able to

save up enough

money to go to school.

see about +

arrange or consider

something

My dad said he was

going to see about buying me a car.

see * off

say good-bye to

someone at the beginning of their trip (at the airport, train station)

Did you see your

sister off at the train station?

see to +

make sure something

happens, arrange

I'll see to it that Mr.

Ramirez gets your message.

see * through

finish something despite

difficulties

Are you going to be

able to see your studies through now that you have a baby?

sell * out

tell on someone

My partner in crime

sold me out for a reduced jail sentence.

set * up

arrange a relationship

My mom set me up

with her friend's son.

set * up

falsely incriminate a

person

I don't think he killed

those men. Somebody set him up.

set up +

arrange (an appointment,

a meeting,etc.)

I set up an

appointment with my doctor at 3:30 this afternoon.

settle on +

make a decision after a

period of time

I settled on the job at

the oil company.

settle up

pay one's debts

W e need to settle up

before you move.

show * off +

show to everybody with a

lot of pride

He always shows off

his new things.

show off

boast, draw attention to

oneself

Young boys show off

in order to impress girls.

show * up

make someone seem

inferior

He's always trying to

show up his

co-workers in order to get ahead.

show up

arrive without previous

notice

I hadn't seen my

cousin for years, and all of a sudden, he showed up at my workplace yesterday!

shut * off

stop from functioning

If you don't pay your

electric bill, your power is going to get shut off.

shut * up

make quiet

W ould someone shut

him up! He's talking so loudly that we're going to get in trouble.

slow * down +

make move more slowly

Because Mary's level

in English is lower than the rest of the

students, she slows the class down.

slow * up +

make move more slowly

Because Mary's level

in English is lower than the rest of the

students, she slows the class up.

spell * out +

to explain something in a

detailed way so that the meaning is clearly understood

He's so stupid that you

have to spell

everything our for him.

stand by

wait

I need you to stand by

and answer the phone when my broker calls.

stand for +

represent

SCUBA stands for

"self contained underwater breathing apparatus."

stand for +

tolerate

I won't stand for

people criticizing me.

stand out

be very noticeable

Soledad is so

beautiful! She really stands out in a crowd.

stand * up

not arrive to a date or an

appointment (inf.)

I arranged to meet Joe

at the library at 8:00, but he stood me up. I hope he has a good excuse.

stand up for +

defend (something one

believes in)

Every individual must

stand up for what they believe in.

stand up to +

defend oneself against

someone or something

I think you should

stand up to your older brother and tell him to stop pushing you around.

stay over

spend the night at a

person's house

It takes you so long to

take the bus home, so why don't you just stay over?

stick it to +

severely criticize a

person (inf.)

My boss really stuck it

to me when I arrived late to work for the third time this week.

stick to +

persevere, keep trying

Even though English is

a hard language to master, you must stick to it!

stick up for +

defend oneself or

opinions

Joseph joined the

army because he believes he must stick up for his country.

take after +

resemble a parent or

relative

I take after my father.

W ho do you take after?

take * away +

remove, seize or capture

The soldiers took the

captives away.

take * back +

retract something you

said

I demand that you take

back what you said.

take * back +

return an item to a store

The dress my

grandmother bought for me didn't fit, so I took it back and

exchanged it for a pair of pants.

take * down +

write down what is said

W ould you mind taking

down my messages while I am on vacation?

take * down +

remove (from a high

place)

The city government

made the shop take down their bright, neon sign.

take * for

consider, view as

Do you take me for an

idiot?

take * in +

learning

Are you taking in all of

these phrasal verbs?

take * in +

deceive a person

He was taken in by the

con artist.

take * in +

make smaller when

sewing

I lost weight, so I need

to take some of my skirts to the tailor to have them taken in.

take * off

when a plane or rocket

leaves the ground

My stomach felt funny

when the plane took off.

take * off +

remove

In many cultures, it is

appropriate to take off your shoes when entering a house.

take * off +

leave work or school for a

period of time

I was sick last week,

so I took a few days off of work.

take off

leave

W e took off after

dinner.

take on +

accept (responsibilities,

work)

She has taken on too

much responsibility in this project.

take * over +

take control of

W ho is going to take

over the family business when Aretha's father dies?

take over

take control of

If the President is

assassinated, the Vice-president will take over.

take * out +

accompany a person on

a date (for dinner, the movies)

I can't meet you

tonight because I am taking Fernanda out to dinner.

take * up +

begin a new hobby

Have you taken up any

new hobbies since you moved here?

take * up +

discuss (at a later date)

W e should take this

issue up in the meeting tomorrow.

take * up +

shorten a garment when

sewing

This dress is too long,

I am going to take it up.

take up +

occupy space

This couch takes up

too much space in the living room.

talk back

respond in an impolite

way to an adult

Don't talk back!

talk back to +

respond in an impolite

way to an adult

Children should not

talk back to their parents.

talk * over +

discuss

I hope my parents talk

their relationship problems over before they get divorced.

tear * down +

destroy

The county decided to

tear down the dilapidated school and build a new one.

tear * up +

tear or rip into small

pieces

I always tear up my

personal papers before I throw them out.

tell * off +

criticize a person

severely, reprimand (inf.)

Carolina told me off

when she found out I was gossiping about her date with Martin.

tell on +

report a crime to the

police or bad behavior to a parent

Every time I did

something wrong

when I was a child, my sister would tell on me.

think * over +

consider

Think over the offer

before you sign the contract.

think * through +

consider carefully

You need to think this

through carefully before you make a decision.

think * up +

create or invent a false

story

I need to think up an

excuse for not going to her party.

throw * away +

discard

Don't throw away

those bottles; we can recycle them.

throw * out +

discard

I asked him not to

throw out the Sunday newspaper because I wanted to save an article.

throw * out +

remove by force from (a

room, school, a house, etc.)

Mary threw out her

roommate because she stopped paying rent.

throw up

vomit

If you drink too much

alcohol, you might throw up.

tie * up +

tie securely

W hen we dock, make

sure you tie the boat up.

tire * out

cause someone to be

very tired

Speaking English all

day tires me out.

touch on +

talk about for a short time

The presidential

candidates touched on the subject of health care during the debates.

touch * up

make the final

improvements

W e didn't paint the

whole kitchen, we just touched up the cabinets.

try * on +

put on to make sure a

piece of clothing fits

Try on the pants

before you buy them.

try * out

test

Try out this massage

chair - it feels great!

turn * away

refuse to deal with or give

service

They turned us away at

the border because we didn't have visas.

turn * around

change or reverse

direction

Turn the car around

and go back home.

turn * down +

refuse an offer; reject an

application

She turned down the

new job in New York, because she didn't want to move.

turn * down +

lower the volume or

intensity of a TV, radio, or other machine

I'm studying! Please

turn down the TV.

turn * in

submit

You need to turn your

essays in next week.

turn in

go to bed (inf.)

It's getting late. I think

it is about time to turn in.

turn into +

become something

different, transform

W hen she kissed the

frog, it turned into a handsome prince.

turn * off +

stop the function of (a

stove, a water faucet, a car, etc.)

Don't forget to turn off

the iron before you leave the house.

turn on +

attack unexpectedly

The pit bull suddenly

turned on the small child.

turn * on

cause to be excited

sexually

Scientists have

discovered that the smell of cinnamon

turns many people on.

turn * on +

start the function of a TV,

a radio, a machine

Turn on the TV. The

baseball game starts in a few minutes.

turn * out

produce

The weavers can turn

out two or three rugs a month.

turn * out

switch off a light

Turn out the light

before you go to bed.

turn out

audience members to a

function

Over 100,000 people

turned out for the concert.

turn out

end up being

She turned out to be

the murderer after all.

turn * over

give to authorities (said of

evidence or stolen / lost property)

They turned the wallet

over to the police.

turn * up +

increase the volume or

intensity of a TV, radio, or other machine

Turn up the TV. I can't

hear what they're saying.

turn up

find unexpectedly

My keys turned up in

the bedroom.

use * up

use all of something

I used up all of the

soap, so we need to buy some more.

veer away from +

stay away from, avoid

I veer away from the

same old summer blockbuster films.

wait on +

serve, service (a table)

Each waitress waits on

three different tables in the restaurant.

wait up

not sleep because you

are waiting for something or someone

Don't wait up.

wait up for +

not sleep because you

are waiting for someone or something

Let's wait up for Mary

to see how her date went.

wake * up +

awaken someone

The car alarm woke

me up at 6:00 in the morning.

wake up

awaken

W ake up. It's time to

get ready for work.

wash up

clean oneself

Make sure you wash

up before dinner.

wash * up +

clean

If we work together,

we can wash the kitchen up in a few minutes.

watch out

be careful

W atch out - there's a

rattlesnake!

watch out for +

be careful of

W atch out for snakes

while you are hiking in the desert.

wear off

disappear after a period

of time

The affects of the

medicine will wear off after a few hours.

wear * out

use until something is not

useable anymore

If you wear the same

shoes everyday, you'll wear them out.

wear * out

cause to be very tired

Her three kids wore

me out.

wind up +

finish (inf.)

If he doesn't get his

act together, he is

going to wind up in jail.

wind * up +

tighten the spring of a

watch or similar machine

He wound up the toy

dog and set it on the floor.

wind * up +

cause an animal or a child

to behave wildly

The kids always get

wound up when Uncle

Henry comes over.

wipe * out +

massacre or destroy

The tidal wave wiped

out the small fishing village.

wipe * out

cause to be very tired

After surfing all day, I

was completely wiped out.

work * out +

solve

I hope you two can

work out your problems.

work out

exercise

I work out three times

a week at the fitness center.

work out

be successful

I am glad your new

catering business is working out.

write * down +

record

W rite down the

directions so you don't forget them.

write * out +

write down every word or

letter

He wrote out the lyrics

so I could understand what the singer was saying.

write * up +

prepare a report

He wrote up a

business proposal in order to get a loan.

yak on

to continue talking in an

annoying way ("on" can be repeated for emphasis)

He just yakked on and

on and on.

yak on about +

to continue talking in an

annoying way about something ("on" can be repeated for emphasis)

She just yakked on

and on about her husband's new job.

yammer on

to talk in an annoying way

or complain ("on" can be repeated for emphasis)

They yammered on

and on and on.

yammer on about +

to talk in an annoying way

about something or complain about ("on" can be repeated for emphasis)

He just yammered on

and on about how horrible the waiter was.

zero in on +

discover, pinpoint

I think I have zeroed in

on what has been causing the problem.

zip around +

move quickly from place

to place

I zipped around town

after work today.

zone out

stop paying attention

He zoned out during

class.

zonk out

fall asleep

Jill was so exhausted

after taking the TOEFL

test that she zonked out before dinner.

zoom in

focus

You need a telephoto

lens to zoom in.

zoom in on +

focus on something,

pinpoint

She zoomed in on his

face while taking the picture.