Verb
|
Meaning
|
Example
|
ask someone out
|
invite on a date
|
Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
|
ask around
|
ask many people the same question
|
I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
|
add up to something
|
equal
|
Your purchases add up to $205.32.
|
back something up
|
reverse
|
You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
|
back someone up
|
support
|
My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
|
blow up
|
explode
|
The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
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blow something up
|
add air
|
We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
|
break down
|
stop functioning (vehicle, machine)
|
Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
|
break down
|
get upset
|
The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.
|
break something down
|
divide into smaller parts
|
Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.
|
break in
|
force entry to a building
|
Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
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break into something
|
enter forcibly
|
The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.
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break something in
|
wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new
|
I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.
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break in
|
interrupt
|
The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death.
|
break up
|
end a relationship
|
My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.
|
break up
|
start laughing (informal)
|
The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
|
break out
|
escape
|
The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking.
|
break out in something
|
develop a skin condition
|
I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
|
bring someone down
|
make unhappy
|
This sad music is bringing me down.
|
bring someone up
|
raise a child
|
My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
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bring something up
|
start talking about a subject
|
My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
|
bring something up
|
vomit
|
He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
|
call around
|
phone many different places/people
|
We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
|
call someone back
|
return a phone call
|
I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.
|
call something off
|
cancel
|
Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
|
call on someone
|
ask for an answer or opinion
|
The professor called on me for question 1.
|
call on someone
|
visit someone
|
We called on you last night but you weren't home.
|
call someone up
|
phone
|
Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.
|
calm down
|
relax after being angry
|
You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.
|
not care for someone/something
|
not like (formal)
|
I don't care for his behaviour.
|
catch up
|
get to the same point as someone else
|
You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.
|
check in
|
arrive and register at a hotel or airport
|
We will get the hotel keys when we check in.
|
check out
|
leave a hotel
|
You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
|
check someone/something out
|
look at carefully, investigate
|
The company checks out all new employees.
|
check out someone/something
|
look at (informal)
|
Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
|
cheer up
|
become happier
|
She cheered up when she heard the good news.
|
cheer someone up
|
make happier
|
I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
|
chip in
|
help
|
If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
|
clean something up
|
tidy, clean
|
Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
|
come across something
|
find unexpectedly
|
I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
|
come apart
|
separate
|
The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
|
come down with something
|
become sick
|
My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
|
come forward
|
volunteer for a task or to give evidence
|
The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints.
|
come from somewhere
|
originate in
|
The art of origami comes from Asia.
|
count on someone/something
|
rely on
|
I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
|
cross something out
|
draw a line through
|
Please cross out your old address and write your new one.
|
cut back on something
|
consume less
|
My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.
|
cut something down
|
make something fall to the ground
|
We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
|
cut in
|
interrupt
|
Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
|
cut in
|
pull in too closely in front of another vehicle
|
The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
|
cut in
|
start operating (of an engine or electrical device)
|
The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
|
cut something off
|
remove with something sharp
|
The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
|
cut something off
|
stop providing
|
The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
|
cut someone off
|
take out of a will
|
My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
|
cut something out
|
remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)
|
I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
|
do someone/something over
|
beat up, ransack (Br.E., informal)
|
He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.
|
do something over
|
do again (N.Amer.)
|
My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.
|
do away with something
|
discard
|
It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
|
do something up
|
fasten, close
|
Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
|
dress up
|
wear nice clothing
|
It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
|
drop back
|
move back in a position/group
|
Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.
|
drop in/by/over
|
come without an appointment
|
I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.
|
drop someone/something off
|
take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there
|
I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.
|
drop out
|
quit a class, school etc
|
I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.
|
eat out
|
eat at a restaurant
|
I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.
|
end up
|
eventually reach/do/decide
|
We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
|
fall apart
|
break into pieces
|
My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
|
fall down
|
fall to the ground
|
The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning.
|
fall out
|
separate from an interior
|
The money must have fallen out of my pocket.
|
fall out
|
(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached
|
His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.
|
figure something out
|
understand, find the answer
|
I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
|
fill something in
|
to write information in blanks (Br.E.)
|
Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
|
fill something out
|
to write information in blanks (N.Amer.)
|
The form must be filled out in capital letters.
|
fill something up
|
fill to the top
|
I always fill the water jug up when it is empty.
|
find out
|
discover
|
We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
|
find something out
|
discover
|
We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.
|
get something across/over
|
communicate, make understandable
|
I tried to get my point across/over to the judge but she wouldn't listen.
|
get along/on
|
like each other
|
I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.
|
get around
|
have mobility
|
My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.
|
get away
|
go on a vacation
|
We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.
|
get away with something
|
do without being noticed or punished
|
Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.
|
get back
|
return
|
We got back from our vacation last week.
|
get something back
|
receive something you had before
|
Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate.
|
get back at someone
|
retaliate, take revenge
|
My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.
|
get back into something
|
become interested in something again
|
I finally got back into my novel and finished it.
|
get on something
|
step onto a vehicle
|
We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on the bus.
|
get over something
|
recover from an illness, loss, difficulty
|
I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.
|
get over something
|
overcome a problem
|
The company will have to close if it can't get over the new regulations.
|
get round to something
|
finally find time to do (N.Amer.: get around to something)
|
I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.
|
get together
|
meet (usually for social reasons)
|
Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.
|
get up
|
get out of bed
|
I got up early today to study for my exam.
|
get up
|
stand
|
You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.
|
give someone away
|
reveal hidden information about someone
|
His wife gave him away to the police.
|
give someone away
|
take the bride to the altar
|
My father gave me away at my wedding.
|
give something away
|
ruin a secret
|
My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.
|
give something away
|
give something to someone for free
|
The library was giving away old books on Friday.
|
give something back
|
return a borrowed item
|
I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game.
|
give in
|
reluctantly stop fighting or arguing
|
My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.
|
give something out
|
give to many people (usually at no cost)
|
They were giving out free perfume samples at the department store.
|
give something up
|
quit a habit
|
I am giving up smoking as of January 1st.
|
give up
|
stop trying
|
My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up.
|
go after someone
|
follow someone
|
My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.
|
go after something
|
try to achieve something
|
I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.
|
go against someone
|
compete, oppose
|
We are going against the best soccer team in the city tonight.
|
go ahead
|
start, proceed
|
Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.
|
go back
|
return to a place
|
I have to go back home and get my lunch.
|
go out
|
leave home to go on a social event
|
We're going out for dinner tonight.
|
go out with someone
|
date
|
Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last winter.
|
go over something
|
review
|
Please go over your answers before you submit your test.
|
go over
|
visit someone nearby
|
I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for an hour or two.
|
go without something
|
suffer lack or deprivation
|
When I was young, we went without winter boots.
|
grow apart
|
stop being friends over time
|
My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.
|
grow back
|
regrow
|
My roses grew back this summer.
|
grow up
|
become an adult
|
When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman.
|
grow out of something
|
get too big for
|
Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones.
|
grow into something
|
grow big enough to fit
|
This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.
|
hand something down
|
give something used to someone else
|
I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.
|
hand something in
|
submit
|
I have to hand in my essay by Friday.
|
hand something out
|
to distribute to a group of people
|
We will hand out the invitations at the door.
|
hand something over
|
give (usually unwillingly)
|
The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons.
|
hang in
|
stay positive (N.Amer., informal)
|
Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon.
|
hang on
|
wait a short time (informal)
|
Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!
|
hang out
|
spend time relaxing (informal)
|
Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang out at my place.
|
hang up
|
end a phone call
|
He didn't say goodbye before he hung up.
|
hold someone/something back
|
prevent from doing/going
|
I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park.
|
hold something back
|
hide an emotion
|
Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral.
|
hold on
|
wait a short time
|
Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department.
|
hold onto someone/something
|
hold firmly using your hands or arms
|
Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside.
|
hold someone/somethingup
|
rob
|
A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.
|
keep on doing something
|
continue doing
|
Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.
|
keep something from someone
|
not tell
|
We kept our relationship from our parents for two years.
|
keep someone/something out
|
stop from entering
|
Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.
|
keep something up
|
continue at the same rate
|
If you keep those results up you will get into a great college.
|
let someone down
|
fail to support or help, disappoint
|
I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time.
|
let someone in
|
allow to enter
|
Can you let the cat in before you go to school?
|
look after someone/something
|
take care of
|
I have to look after my sick grandmother.
|
look down on someone
|
think less of, consider inferior
|
Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me.
|
look for someone/something
|
try to find
|
I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.
|
look forward to something
|
be excited about the future
|
I'm looking forward to the Christmas break.
|
look into something
|
investigate
|
We are going to look into the price of snowboards today.
|
look out
|
be careful, vigilant, and take notice
|
Look out! That car's going to hit you!
|
look out for someone/something
|
be especially vigilant for
|
Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail.
|
look something over
|
check, examine
|
Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?
|
look something up
|
search and find information in a reference book or database
|
We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
|
look up to someone
|
have a lot of respect for
|
My little sister has always looked up to me.
|
make something up
|
invent, lie about something
|
Josie made up a story about why we were late.
|
make up
|
forgive each other
|
We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.
|
make someone up
|
apply cosmetics to
|
My sisters made me up for my graduation party.
|
mix something up
|
confuse two or more things
|
I mixed up the twins' names again!
|
pass away
|
die
|
His uncle passed away last night after a long illness.
|
pass out
|
faint
|
It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed out.
|
pass something out
|
give the same thing to many people
|
The professor passed the textbooks out before class.
|
pass something up
|
decline (usually something good)
|
I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.
|
pay someone back
|
return owed money
|
Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday.
|
pay for something
|
be punished for doing something bad
|
That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.
|
pick something out
|
choose
|
I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.
|
point someone/something out
|
indicate with your finger
|
I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.
|
put something down
|
put what you are holding on a surface or floor
|
You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter.
|
put someone down
|
insult, make someone feel stupid
|
The students put the substitute teacher down because his pants were too short.
|
put something off
|
postpone
|
We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.
|
put something out
|
extinguish
|
The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.
|
put something together
|
assemble
|
I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives.
|
put up with someone/something
|
tolerate
|
I don't think I can put up with three small children in the car.
|
put something on
|
put clothing/accessories on your body
|
Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party.
|
run into someone/something
|
meet unexpectedly
|
I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.
|
run over someone/something
|
drive a vehicle over a person or thing
|
I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.
|
run over/through something
|
rehearse, review
|
Let's run over/through these lines one more time before the show.
|
run away
|
leave unexpectedly, escape
|
The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days.
|
run out
|
have none left
|
We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap.
|
send something back
|
return (usually by mail)
|
My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong stamp.
|
set something up
|
arrange, organize
|
Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the company.
|
set someone up
|
trick, trap
|
The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera.
|
shop around
|
compare prices
|
I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots.
|
show off
|
act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)
|
He always shows off on his skateboard
|
sleep over
|
stay somewhere for the night (informal)
|
You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.
|
sort something out
|
organize, resolve a problem
|
We need to sort the bills out before the first of the month.
|
stick to something
|
continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing
|
You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.
|
switch something off
|
stop the energy flow, turn off
|
The light's too bright. Could you switch it off.
|
switch something on
|
start the energy flow, turn on
|
We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio.
|
take after someone
|
resemble a family member
|
I take after my mother. We are both impatient.
|
take something apart
|
purposely break into pieces
|
He took the car brakes apart and found the problem.
|
take something back
|
return an item
|
I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work.
|
take off
|
start to fly
|
My plane takes off in five minutes.
|
take something off
|
remove something (usually clothing)
|
Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!
|
take something out
|
remove from a place or thing
|
Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?
|
take someone out
|
pay for someone to go somewhere with you
|
My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.
|
tear something up
|
rip into pieces
|
I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him.
|
think back
|
remember (often + to, sometimes + on)
|
When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.
|
think something over
|
consider
|
I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision.
|
throw something away
|
dispose of
|
We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.
|
turn something down
|
decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc)
|
Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.
|
turn something down
|
refuse
|
I turned the job down because I don't want to move.
|
turn something off
|
stop the energy flow, switch off
|
Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for dinner.
|
turn something on
|
start the energy, switch on
|
It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on.
|
turn something up
|
increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc)
|
Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song.
|
turn up
|
appear suddenly
|
Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the neighbourhood.
|
try something on
|
sample clothing
|
I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit.
|
try something out
|
test
|
I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.
|
use something up
|
finish the supply
|
The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more.
|
wake up
|
stop sleeping
|
We have to wake up early for work on Monday.
|
warm someone/something up
|
increase the temperature
|
You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.
|
warm up
|
prepare body for exercise
|
I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run.
|
wear off
|
fade away
|
Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party.
|
work out
|
exercise
|
I work out at the gym three times a week.
|
work out
|
be successful
|
Our plan worked out fine.
|
work something out
|
make a calculation
|
We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.
|
