SCHOOL SKILLS "English Phrasal Verbs"

Account for = explain
They had to ACCOUNT FOR all the money
that had gone missing
Act on = take action because of something
like information received
The police were ACTING ON a tip from an
informer and caught the gang red-handed.
Aim at = target
The magazine is AIMED AT teenagers.
Answer back = reply rudely to someone in
authority
Her mother was shocked when she started
ANSWERING her BACK and refusing to help.
Ask for = provoke a negative reaction
You’re ASKING FOR trouble.
Ask in = invite somebody into your house
’Jon’s at the door.’ ’ASK him IN.’
Ask out = invite someone for a date
He wanted to ASK her OUT but was too shy.
Back away = retreat or go backwards
The crowd BACKED AWAY when the man
pulled a knife.
Back down = retract or withdraw your position
or proposal in an argument
She refused to BACK DOWN and was fired.
Back out = fail to keep an arrangement or promise
He BACKED OUT two days before the holiday
so we gave the ticket to his sister.
Back up = make a copy of computer data
You should always BACK UP important files
and documents so that you won’t lose all your
work if something goes wrong with the hardware.
Back up = support
The rest of the staff BACKED her UP when she
complained about working conditions.
Barge in = enter a place and interrupt people rudely
They BARGED INTO my office without knocking and
started talking even though I was on the phone.
Be along = arrive
The next bus should BE ALONG in the next quarter
of an hour or so.
Be away = be elsewhere; on holiday, etc.
She’s AWAY on business for three weeks.
Be cut up = be upset
She was very CUT UP about coming second as she
thought she deserved to win.
Be down = be depressed
He’s BEEN DOWN since his partner left him.
Be down = be reduced or less
The firm’s profits ARE DOWN by ten percent this quarter.
Be down with = be ill
Gul is DOWN WITH some bug and is off work today.
Be in = be at home
They ARE never IN; I always get their answerphone.
Be in = be submitted, arrive
The application form must BE IN by 3pm on Friday.
Be in on = be involved in
Susan was the only one who WASN’T IN ON the plan.
Be off = be bad (of food)
This yoghurt must BE OFF; it smells foul.
Be off = depart, leave
I’m OFF home; it’s five o’clock.
Be on = be functioning (of machines)
The computer’s ON.
Be on = take place
The show IS ON for the next three months.
Be out = be absent from a place
She’s OUT on a visit for the day.
Be out of = have no more left
We’re OUT OF coffee so I’ll have to go and get some.
Be shagged out = Be exhausted
We were completely SHAGGED OUT after we’d
carried the suitcases downstairs.
Be snowed under = have too much work
We’re completely SNOWED UNDER at work
because it’s the end of the tax year.
Be taken aback = be shocked or surprised
I WAS TAKEN ABACK when I saw him because
he’s lost all his hair.
Be up = be out of bed
She’s not UP yet.
Be up = have increased or risen
The company’s profits ARE UP by fifteen percent.
Be up = when the time for something
finishes or expires
Time’s UP, please finish your drinks and leave.
Be up to = be good enough
He’s not UP TO the job; get someone else.
Be up to = doing something naughty or wrong
What are those kids UP TO?
Beat down = strong sunshine
The sun WAS really BEATING DOWN and
we couldn’t stay outdoors.
Beat up = attack violently
The mugger BEAT him UP and stole his wallet.
Bed down = sleep somewhere less comfortable
than normal
We had to BED DOWN on the floor for the night.
Beef up = make something stronger or more solid
The company BEEFED UP their case when they saw
that the public wouldn’t accept their first explanation
of the accident.
Belt up = be quiet (British English)
She told the students to BELT UP because they were
making so much noise.
Black out = fall unconscious
He BLACKED OUT and collapsed on the floor.
Black out = lose light
Everything BLACKED OUT
when the power supply failed.
Blank out = censor text so that words
cannot be read
The email addresses were BLANKED OUT
in the documents shown to the court.
Blank out = have a temporary
memory failure
I was so nervous in the interview that I just
BLANKED OUT and couldn’t answer
their questions properly.
Blare out = a loud sound or music
The music was BLARING OUT and I couldn’t get to sleep.
Blast off = leave the ground- spaceship or rocket
The space shuttle BLASTED OFF on schedule yesterday.
Blaze away = fire a gun repeatedly
The shooters BLAZED AWAY at the pheasants.
Blow down = when the wind forces something to fall
A tree was BLOWN DOWN in the storm.
Blow out = extinguish candles, matches, etc.
She BLEW the candles OUT on her birthday cake.
Blow over = when a scandal gets forgotten
The scandal BLEW OVER within a fortnight
when the press found someone else to attack.
Blow up = explode
The bomb BLEW UP without any warning.
Bog down = slow make progress
Yasini got BOGGED DOWN in his research
and didn’t finish the project in time.
Bog off = get lost
He lost his temper and told her to BOG OFF.
Boil down to = amount to
It all BOILS DOWN TO money at the
end of the day.
Book up = reserve
The flight’s fully BOOKED UP; I’ll have to
go the following day.
Boot up = Start a computer
He BOOTED UP the computer and started work.
Boss about = use excessive authority
to control people
She BOSSES everyone ABOUT.
Boss around = use excessive authority
to control people
He BOSSES everyone AROUND.
Bottle away = store up
He kept his feelings BOTTLED AWAY.
Bottle out = lack courage to do something
She was going to tell her boss exactly
what she thought, but BOTTLED OUT in the end.
Bottle up = not express your feelings
She BOTTLED UP her feelings even though
she was furious with them and kept quiet.
Bottom out = pass the lowest point and start rising
The recession BOTTOMED OUT and
the economy is recovering well.
Branch out = move into a different area of business, etc.
The supermarkets have BRANCHED OUT into banking.
Break away = leave an organisation, usually to form a new one
The SDP BROKE AWAY from the Labour Party.
Break down = end negotiations unsuccessfully
The talks between management and the
unions BROKE DOWN acrimoniously.
Break down = start crying
He BROKE DOWN in tears.
Break down = stop working
My car’s BROKEN DOWN, so I came by taxi.
Break in = go into a building to steal something
The burglars BROKE IN and stole the TV and video.
Break in = interrupt something
I’m sorry to BREAK IN on your conversation,
but there’s a problem...
Break in = train a horse to be ridden
It took ages to BREAK the horse IN.
Break off = break a piece from something
She BROKE OFF a square of chocolate and
gave it to her dog.
Break off = end a relationship
She BROKE OFF their engagement when
she found out that he’d been unfaithful.
Break out of = escape
Three dangerous Category A prisoners
BROKE OUT OF Wandsworth Prison last night.
Break through = pass a barrier or obstacle
The crowd BROKE THROUGH the police
barriers and attacked the hunters.
Break up = break into many pieces
The plate BROKE UP when he dropped it on the floor.
Break up = close an educational
institution for the holidays
Schools BREAK UP at the end of
June for the summer holidays.
Break up = finish a relationship
They had been going out for a
couple of years before they BROKE UP.
Bring about = make something happen
The changes to the law were BROUGHT ABOUT
by the government because so many people
were ignoring the old one.
Bring back = cause someone to remember
Visiting my old school BROUGHT BACK
memories of when I was a pupil there.
Bring back = return
He took the calculator home yesterday
and hasn’t BROUGHT it BACK yet.
Bring down = make a government fall
The vote of no-confidence BROUGHT
the government DOWN.
Bring down = make something cheaper
The improvements in technology have
BROUGHT the prices of computers
DOWN considerably in recent months.
Bring forward = make something happen
earlier than originally planned
The meeting has been BROUGHT FORWARD
to this Friday instead of next week because
some people couldn’t make it then.
Bring in = earn
The job BRINGS IN two thousand dollars a month.
Bring on = cause something to
happen or speed up the process
Getting wet in the rain yesterday BROUGHT ON my cold.
Bring out = release or publish
The band are BRINGING OUT a new CD in the autumn.
Bring out in = cause a health problem or reaction
It was the lobster that BROUGHT ME out in
this rash all over my body.
Bring round = make someone wake up from
unconsciousness or an anaesthetic
The doctors BROUGHT him ROUND
a few hours after the operation.
Bring up = mention
They didn’t BRING the subject UP at the meeting.
Bring up = raise a child
My parents BROUGHT me UP strictly.
Brush up = improve a skill quickly
She took a two-week course to BRUSH UP her
Spanish before she travelling around
South and Central America.
Budge up = move to make space for someone
We had to BUDGE UP to let the fourth
person in the back of the car.
Build up = develop a company
She BUILT the business UP from nothing
into a market leader in less than a decade.
Build up = increase
Tension has been BUILDING UP ever since
the government passed the unpopular law.
Bump into = meet by chance
I BUMPED INTO Helen on the underground
the other day.
Bump off = kill
The drug dealer was BUMPED OFF by a rival gang.
Bunk off = not go to school when you should
I used to BUNK OFF school and go into town.
Burn down = burn completely
They had to completely rebuild the
museum after the old one BURNED DOWN.
Burn off = remove by burning or similar process
I BURN OFF a lot of calories in the gym.
Burn out = lose enthusiasm and energy
to continue in a demanding job
Jennie BURNT OUT after ten years working
as a futures broker and went to live in the country.
Burst into = catch fire very quickly
The car BURST INTO flames and the driver
died as he didn’t have time to get out.
Burst into = laugh, cry or clap loudly
She BURST INTO laughter when she heard the joke
Butt in = interrupt
I hope you don’t mind me BUTTING IN on your
conversation, bit I couldn’t help hearing what you said....
Butter up = praise or flatter someone excessively
I tried BUTTERING my tutor UP but she still
wouldn’t let me hand it in late.
Buy in = force a CD or record into the charts by
buying lots of copies
Joe Meek’s last hit, ’Singin’ the Blues’,
was probably BOUGHT IN at number 40,
but failed to go any higher.
Buy out = buy somebody’s share in a company
His business partners BOUGHT him OUT to get rid of him.
Call after = name someone after somebody else
She was called Rose after her late grandmother.
Call for = demand
The Opposition party CALLED FOR the Minister’s
resignation after the scandal broke.
Call for = go to collect something
The courier called for your parcel, but I told him
it wasn’t ready yet.
Call for = telephone for something
I’ll call for a cab right away.
Call for = go and collect someone
to take them out
I’ll CALL FOR you at seven, so be
ready because the film starts at half past.
Call for = require
An emergency like this CALLS FOR
some pretty drastic action.
Call in = get someone to come
and do a job
We had to CALL IN a plumber because
the sink was leaking and I had no idea how to fix it.
Call in = stop and visit
I CALLED IN on Jenny on my way home
because she’s not very well at the moment
and I wanted to see if she needed anything. (British English)
Call off = cancel
The concert had to be CALLED OFF because
the singer went down with a bad case of flu.
Call off = order someone to stop attacking
Call off your lawyers. We can work something out.
Call on = ask for help
The President CALLED ON the wealthy countries
for financial aid after the floods destroyed much
of the country’s agriculture.
Call on = visit
As we were in the area, we CALLED ON my sister-in-law.
Call on = challenge
He CALLED the speaker ON several misstatements of fact..
Call up = summon someone for military service
The army CALLED UP the reserve soldiers
when the war broke out.
Call up = telephone
I CALLED him UP as soon as I got to a phone
to tell him the news.
Calm down = stop being angry or emotionally excited
When I lose my temper, it takes ages for me
to CALM DOWN again.
Care for = like
I don’t CARE FOR fizzy drinks; I prefer water.
Carried away = get so emotional that
you lose control
The team got CARRIED AWAY when they won the championship
that they started shouting and throwing things around.
Carry off = win
She CARRIED OFF the first prize in the competition.
Carry on = continue
CARRY ON quietly with your work until the substitute teacher arrives.
Carry out = perform a task
The government is CARRYING OUT test on
growing genetically modified crops.
Carry out = food bought from a restaurant to take away
I’m too tired to cook- let’s get a carry-out.
Catch on = become popular
Many critics were shocked when techno
CAUGHT ON in the clubs.
Catch on = finally understand what is going on
Everyone else realised what was happening,
but it took Henry ages to CATCH ON.
Catch up = get work, etc, up to date.
I was ill for a fortnight and now I’ve got to
CATCH UP on the work I missed.
Chance upon = find something by accident
I chanced upon a very rare book in car boot
sale and bought it for 65p.
Charge with = accuse somebody of a crime
She was arrested in customs last night and
has been CHARGED WITH smuggling.
Chase up = ensure that someone remembers to do something
The librarian is CHASING me UP about my overdue books.
Cheat on = be sexually unfaithful
She CHEATED ON me with my friend.
Check in = register on arriving at a hotel or at the airport
They CHECKED IN at the Ritz yesterday.
Check into = register on arriving at a hotel or at the airport
They CHECKED INTO the Ritz yesterday.
Check out = pay the bill when leaving a hotel
She CHECKED OUT and took a cab to the airport.
Check off = mark something on a list as done
She CHECKED OFF the candidates’ names as they arrived.
Check out = die
She CHECKED OUT last week; the funeral’s tomorrow.
Check out of = settle up and pay before leaving a hotel
Guests have to CHECK OUT OF the hotel before midday.
Cheer up = be less unhappy
Come on, CHEER UP; it isn’t all bad, you know.
Chew over = think about an issue
He asked for a few days to CHEW the matter
OVER before he made a final decision.
Chicken out = be too afraid to do something
I CHICKENED OUT of the bungee jumping
when I saw how high it was.
Chill out = relax
I’m staying at home and CHILLING OUT this evening.
Chip in = contribute some money
Everybody CHIPPED IN to pay the bill.
Chuck up = vomit, be sick
He got ridiculously drunk and CHUCKED
UP in the back of the minicab on the way home.
Clam up = be quiet, refure to speak
Everybody CLAMMED UP when the Principal entered.
Clean out = tidy up thoroughly and throw
away unwanted things.
I really must CLEAN the study OUT; there’s
stuff all over the floor and piles of paper everywhere.
Clean up = tidy and clean
CLEAN this bedroom UP; it’s a disgrace.
Clear out = tidy up thoroughly and throw
away unwanted stuff.
I spent the whole weekend CLEARING OUT
the attic as it was full of papers and other junk.
Clear up = the end of an infection
I took the antihistamines and the rash
CLEARED UP right away.
Clear up = tidy up
I’d better CLEAR AWAY the mess before leave.
Click through = open an advertisement
on the Internet
Only a tiny fraction of users ever bother
CLICKING THROUGH the banner adverts.
Climb down = accept that you are wrong
and change your position
The Prime Minister had to CLIMB DOWN
over his tax proposals because there was
so much opposition from the members of his own party.
Close down = close a business permanently
The firm CLOSED DOWN during the recession
because it couldn’t compete with the cut-price imports pouring in.
Close down = close a shop, branch or business permanently
The banks have CLOSED DOWN a lot of branches
in villages over the last few years.
Cloud over = get very cloudy
The morning started bright and warm, but it
CLOUDED OVER around midday and poured with rain.