Phrasal

Meaning Example
Verb

The police were

To take action because ACTING ON a tip
Act on of something like from an informer
information received. and caught the
gang red-handed.

Perform something They ACTED OUT

Act out with actions and the story on
gestures.. stage.
My computer’s
Behave badly or ACTING UP; I
Act up
strangely. think I might
have a virus.
You have to ADD
Include in a the VAT ON to
Add on
calculation. the price they
give.

We ADDED UP
To make a
Add up the bill to check
mathematical total.
it was correct.

Affect- usually used in

the negative to show I feel terrible-
that something has that food didn’t
Agree with
had a negative effect, AGREE WITH my
especially is it makes stomach.
you feel bad.
The magazine is
Aim at To target. AIMED AT
teenagers.
You should
ALLOW FOR
Include something in a
Allow for delays when
plan or calculation.
planning a
journey.
 The rules don’t
Allow of Make possible, permit. ALLOW OF any
exceptions.

He’s been
Try to get something ANGLING FOR an
Angle for indirectly, by hinting invitation, but I
or suggesting. don’t want him to
come.

Her mother was

shocked when
Answer To reply rudely to she started
back someone in authority. ANSWERING her
BACK and
refusing to help.

The teacher tried

Beat someone in a
Argue to ARGUE the girl
debate, discussion or
down DOWN, but she
argument.
couldn’t.

Persuade someone to
She ARGUED
Argue drop the price of
him DOWN ten
down something they’re
percent.
selling.
If we can’t
ARGUE our
Argue about a problem
Argue out differences OUT,
to find a solution.
we’ll have to take
them to court.
Ask how someone is
He ASKED
doing, especially
Ask about ABOUT my
professionally and in
father.
terms of health.
Jenny rang
Enquire about earlier and
Ask after someone’s health, how ASKED AFTER
life is going. you, so I told her
you were fine.
 I have no idea,
Ask a number of but I’ll ASK
Ask
people for information AROUND at work
around
of help. and see if anyone
can help.

To invite somebody Jon’s at the door.’

Ask in
into your house. ‘ASK him IN.’

He wanted to
To invite someone for
Ask out ASK her OUT but
a date.
was too shy.

They have
ASKED us OVER
Ask over Invite.
for drinks on
Friday.

We ASKED John
Ask round Invite someone.
ROUND for diner.

They
AUCTIONED OFF
Sell something in an
Auction off their property as
auction.
they were heavily
in debt.

The crowd
Retreat or go BACKED AWAY
Back away
backwards. when the man
pulled a knife.
Retract or withdraw
She refused to
your position or
Back down BACK DOWN and
proposal in an
was fired.
argument.
He prefers to
Enter a parking area
Back into BACK his car
in reverse gear.
INTO the garage.
The police told
Back off Retreat. the protesters to
BACK OFF.
 He BACKED OUT
Fail to keep an two days before
Back out arrangement or the holiday so we
promise. gave the ticket to
his sister

She BACKED
Fail to keep an
OUT OF the
Back out of agreement,
agreement at the
arrangement.
last minute.

You should
always BACK UP
important files
and documents
Make a copy of
Back up so that you won’t
computer data.
lose all your work
if something goes
wrong with the
hardware.

Don’t bag out

BAG OUT
Bag out Criticise.
Australian
English.

The new project

Confuse or make has BALLED me
Ball up
things complicated. UP- I have no
idea what to do.

Persuade someone to I BARGAINED

Bargain drop the price of her DOWN to half
down something they’re what she
selling. originally wanted.

If you BASH your

Bash monitor ABOUT
Mistreat physically.
about like that, it won’t
last long.
 The burglars
Break, damage or BASHED the door
Bash in
injure by hitting. IN to enter the
house.

I BASHED the
Write something
essay OUT the
Bash out quickly without much
night before I had
preparation.
to hand it in.
The police ARE
AFTER him
Be after Try to find or get.
because of the
theft.
The next bus
should BE
Be along Arrive. ALONG in the
next quarter of
an hour or so.

She’s AWAY on
Be elsewhere; on
Be away business for
holiday, etc..
three weeks.
She’s not CUT
Be cut out Be suitable, have the
OUT FOR this
for necessary qualities.
kind of work.

She was very

CUT UP about
Be cut up Be upset. coming second as
she thought she
deserved to win.

He’s BEEN
Be down Be depressed. DOWN since his
partner left him.

Be bored, upset or I AM FED UP of

Be fed up
sick of something. his complaints.
 I WAS very
Be taken TAKEN WITH the
Like something.
with performance- it
was superb.

Be up Be out of bed. She’s not UP yet.

She spotted him

on the other side
Bear down
Move towards. of the room and
on
BORE DOWN ON
him.

The judge’s
character may
Bear on Influence, affect.
well BEAR ON
the final decision.
Statistics BEAR
OUT the
Confirm that
Bear out government’s
something is correct.
positions on the
issue.
How are you
Bear up Resist pressure. BEARING UP
under the strain?
He’s BEARING
Bear up Cope with something
UP UNDER the
under difficult or stressful.
pressure.
Please BEAR
WITH me a
Bear with Be patient.
moment while I
finish this email.

The sun WAS

really BEATING
Beat down Strong sunshine. DOWN and we
couldn’t stay
outdoors.
 The marathon
Narrowly win in runner barely
Beat out
competition. BEAT OUT his
rival at the tape.
The mugger
BEAT him UP
Beat up Attack violently.
and stole his
wallet.
Does this disc
Be in the correct or
Belong BELONG WITH
appropriate location
with those on the
with other items.
shelf?
I BENT DOWN to
Lower the top half of
Bend down pick it up off the
your body.
floor.
Exaggerate the He BIGS himself
Big up
importance. UP all the time.
Spoil or ruin I BITCHED UP
Bitch up
something. the interview.
He BLACKED
OUT and
Black out Fall unconscious.
collapsed on the
floor.
The space shuttle
Leave the ground- BLASTED OFF on
Blast off
spaceship or rocket. schedule
yesterday.

I couldn’t drive
here this morning
Park a car and
Block in because someone
obstruct another car.
had BLOCKED
me IN.

The police
Obstruct an exit to
BLOCKED OFF
Block off prevent people from
the road after the
leaving.
murder.
 Her first novel
Blow away Impress greatly.
BLEW me AWAY.
A tree was
When the wind forces
Blow down BLOWN DOWN in
something to fall.
the storm.
Arrive, sometimes He BLEW IN from
Blow in suddenly or Toronto early this
unexpectedly. morning.

We were going to
meet last night,
Not keep an
Blow off but she BLEW
appointment.
me OFF at the
last minute.

The bomb BLEW

Blow up Explode. UP without any
warning.

The anger
Feel a negative BOILED UP in me
Boil up
emotion strongly. when I saw what
they had done.

I need to BONE
Bone up Study hard for a goal UP ON my
on or reason. French grammar
for the test.

WE took a taxi
from the airport
Book in Check in at a hotel.
to the hotel and
BOOKED IN.

I CALLED him UP
as soon as I got
Call up Telephone.
to a phone to tell
him the news.
 When I lose my
temper, it takes
Stop being angry or
Calm down ages for me to
emotionally excited.
CALM DOWN
again.

Have an opposite effect The airport taxes

on something that has CANCELLED
Cancel out happened, taking OUT the savings
things back to the we had made on
beginning. the flight tickets.

She CAPPED OFF

Finish or complete,
the meeting with
Cap off often with some
a radical
decisive action.
proposal.

I don’t CARE FOR

Care for Like. fizzy drinks; I
prefer water.

The team got

CARRIED AWAY
when they won
the
Carried Get so emotional that
championship
away you lose control.
and started
shouting and
throwing things
around.

They hope the

new management
Carry Make something will be able to
forward progress. CARRY the
project
FORWARD.
She CARRIED
OFF the first
Carry off Win, succeed.
prize in the
competition.
 CARRY ON
quietly with your
Carry on Continue. work until the
substitute
teacher arrives.

Jane spent a long

time looking at
houses before she
Decide bought one, but
Choose, select.
upon eventually
DECIDED UPON
one near her
office.

The last notes

DIED AWAY and
Become quieter or
Die away the audience
inaudible (of a sound).
burst into
applause.
When the parts of a
The plant DIES
plant above ground
Die back BACK in the
die, but the roots
winter.
remain alive.

It was on the
front pages of all
Decrease or become the papers for a
Die down
quieter. few days, but the
interest gradually
DIED DOWN.

I’m DYING FOR

the weekend- this
Die for Want something a lot.
week’s been so
hard.
 Most of the elm
trees in the UK
Die off Become extinct. DIED OFF when
Dutch elm
disease arrived.

Some scientists
say that the
dinosaurs DIED
Become extinct or
Die out OUT when a
disappear.
comet hit the
earth and caused
a nuclear winter.

We were starving
so we really DUG
Dig in Start eating greedily.
IN when the food
finally did arrive.

She DUG INTO

Reach inside to get her handbag and
Dig into
something. pulled out a
bunch of keys.

She FAWNED
Praise someone in an OVER the
excessive way to get inspectors in the
Fawn over
their favour or hope that they
something from them. would give her a
good grade.

The gecko FEEDS

Eat a food as part of OFF mosquitoes
Feed off
an animals diet. and other
insects.

Give someone a He FEEDS his cat

Feed on
particular food. ON dry food.
 Give someone a lot of She’s been ill for
food to restore their a fortnight so
Feed up
health, make them we’re FEEDING
bigger, etc. her UP.

Someone FELT
me UP in the club
Feel up Touch sexually, grope.
as I was trying to
get to the bar.

I’m so tired. I
Feel capable of doing don’t think I
Feel up to
something. FEEL UP TO
going out tonight.
Nowadays, you
need IT skills if
Get ahead Progress.
you want to GET
AHEAD.
I work at home in
Get ahead the evening to
Move in front of.
of GET AHEAD OF
schedule.

It’s late; we must

Get along Leave. be GETTING
ALONG.

I GAVE UP taking
Stop doing something sugar in tea and
Give up
that has been a habit. coffee to lose
weight.

I suddenly HIT
Hit on Have an idea.
ON the solution

Chelsea couldn’t
Stop someone from HOLD their
Hold off attacking or beating opponents OFF
you. and lost the
game.
 Could you HOLD
ON for a minute;
Hold on Wait.
she’ll be free in a
moment.

We HOOKED UP
Hook up Meet someone.
at the conference.

It took me ages to
Search until you find
Hunt out HUNT OUT the
something.
photos.
They have
JACKED UP the
Jack up Increase sharply.
price of oil this
month.
Jack JAMMED
ON the brakes
Apply or operate
Jam on when the rabbit
something forcefully.
ran in front of his
car.

That shows that

Talk just for the point
your interest is
of talking rather than
Jaw away not in helping the
having anything to
student, but in
say.
JAWING AWAY.

The show was

Make something more getting stale so
Jazz up interesting or they JAZZED it
attractive. UP with some
new scenes.

I KEEP a
dictionary
Keep Keep something near
AROUND when
around you.
I’m doing my
homework.
 She found the
course hard but
Continue with
Keep at she KEPT AT it
something difficult.
and completed it
successfully.
Medicines should
Don’t allow someone always be KEPT
Keep away
near something. AWAY from
children.
The police told
Maintain a safe the crowd to
Keep back
distance. KEEP BACK from
the fire.
Plan things to fit or Promotions are
Key to suit people or KEYED TO
situations. people’s abilities.
Make someone excited The noise got us
Key up
or nervous. KEYED UP.
We KICKED the
Kick about Discuss. idea ABOUT at
the meeting.

Her hayfever
didn’t feel half as
When a drug starts to
Kick in bad once the
take effect.
antihistamines
had KICKED IN.

The family
KICKED the au
pair OUT when
they found out
Kick out Expel. that she was
planning to move
to work for
another
household.
 We KNOCKED
OFF early on
Finish work for the
Knock off Friday to avoid
day.
the rush hour
queues.

We LASHED the
Secure something with tarpaulin DOWN
Lash down
ropes or cords. to stop the wind
blowing it away.

He LASHED INTO
Criticise someone
Lash into them for messing
strongly.
thins up.

He LASHED OUT
Suddenly become
Lash out and broke the
violent.
man’s nose.

They LAID ON a
Lay on Organise, supply. buffet lunch at
the conference.

They LAID OUT

thousands of
Lay out Spend money. pounds on their
wedding
reception.

The doorstaff
didn’t LET him IN
Allow someone to
Let in the nightclub
enter.
because he was
wearing jeans.

The judge LET

him OFF with a
fine rather than a
Let off Not punish.
prison sentence
since it was his
first offence.
 We have LINED
Arrange events for UP a lot of
Line up
someone. meetings for
them.

The train LINKS

Link up Connect, join.
UP the cities.
Follow a belief system He tries hard to
Live by to guide your LIVE BY the
behaviour. Bible.

If I fail the test

Stop being and everyone else
Live down embarrassed about passes, I’ll never
something. be able to LIVE it
DOWN.

It’s hard to LIVE

Accept something
Live with WITH the pain of
unpleasant.
a serious illness.

I had forgotten
Enter a restricted area
Log in my password and
on a computer system.
couldn’t LOG IN.

I LOGGED INTO
Enter a restricted area the staff intranet
Log into
of a computer system. to check my
email.

When she’d
finished working
Exit a computer on the
Log off
system. spreadsheet, she
LOGGED OFF
and left the office.
 He entered his
password for the
Enter a computer
Log on college intranet
system.
and LOGGED
ON.
Danny closed the
programs and
Exit a computer
Log out LOGGED OUT
system.
when it was time
to go home.

Consult a reference I didn’t know the

work (dictionary, correct spelling
Look up phonebook, etc.) for a so I had to LOOK
specific piece of it UP in the
information.. dictionary.

He MAGICKED
the bill AWAY
Magic Make something
and paid for us
away disappear quickly.
all before I could
get my wallet out.
The police MADE
Make after Chase. AFTER the stolen
car.
The thieves
Make away MADE AWAY
Steal.
with WITH the
painting.
I thought you
weren’t coming,
Make it Arrive or get a result. so I was really
pleased you
MADE IT.

He tried to MAKE
Try to compensate for
Make it up IT UP TO her, but
doing something
to she wouldn’t
wrong.
speak to him.
What do you
Understand or have an
Make of MAKE OF your
opinion.
new boss?
 They MADE OFF
Leave somewhere in a
Make off when they heard
hurry.
the police siren.

Mix sources of audio, She MASHED UP

Mash up video or other the songs into a
computer sources.. single track.
They MELTED
Heat something solid, the gold statue
Melt down especially metal, until DOWN and
it becomes liquid. turned it into
gold bars.

The children were

Not be serious, not MESSING ABOUT
Mess about use something with the TV
properly. remote control
and broke it.

I always MIX
those two sisters
Mix up Confuse. UP because they
look so like each
other.

They MOVED
INTO the house
Move into Start living in a place.
as soon as it was
ready.

Could you MOVE

Move up Move to make space. UP and let me sit
down?

They are having

Succeed in getting, trouble NAILING
Nail down
achieve. DOWN the
contract.
 I was NAMED
Give someone a name
AFTER my uncle
Name after to remember another
who died in the
person.
war.

I am not sure
which university
Remove less important
Narrow to apply to, but I
options to make it
down have NARROWED
easier to choose.
my list DOWN to
three.

I’m going to
Play safe and avoid NERD OUT and
Nerd out
taking a risk. not go on the
river trip.
I OPTED FOR an
endowment
Opt for Choose.
mortgage and lost
a lot of money.

If you want them

Choose to be part or a to notify you of
Opt in
member of something. updates, you
have to OPT IN.

Choose to be a
I OPTED INTO
Opt into member or part of
the scheme.
something.

The UK OPTED
OUT of a lot of
Choose not to be part
Opt out EU legislation on
of something.
working hours
and conditions.

I’m trying to
Pack in Stop doing something. PACK IN
smoking.
 His boss PACKED
Pack off Send someone away. him OFF to a
regional office.

The stadium was

Pack out Fill a venue.
PACKED OUT.

You should PACK

Pack up Stop doing something.
UP smoking.

I’m too tired to

Sleep somewhere for come home; can I
Pad down
the night. PAD DOWN here
tonight?

I couldn’t think of
Make a text longer by
much to write, so
including extra
I PADDED the
Pad out content, often content
essay OUT with a
that isn’t particularly
few lengthy
relevant.
quotes.

We PALLED
Be friendly and spend
Pal around AROUND at
time with someone.
university.

We PALLED UP
Pal up Become friends. when I started
working with her.

Sadly, Georgia’s
uncle PASSED
Pass away Die. AWAY yesterday
after a short
illness.
 I felt awful when
the teacher
Pass back Return. started to PASS
BACK the exam
papers.

I was just
Go past without PASSING BY
Pass by
stopping. when I saw the
accident.
I tried to PATCH
things UP after
Fix or make things
Patch up the argument,
better.
but they wouldn’t
speak to me.

I PAID BACK the

Repay money
Pay back twenty pounds I’d
borrowed.
borrowed.

Their patience
PAID OFF when
Produce a profitable or
Pay off he finally showed
successful result.
up and signed
the contract.

Some of the
Leave a group by
crowd PEELED
Peel away moving in a different
AWAY to get out
direction.
of the crush.

I PEGGED the
Put washing outside to washing OUT
Peg out
dry. after it stopped
raining.

They are
PHASING IN the
Phase in Introduce gradually.
reforms over the
next two years.
 They have
introduced a
compact edition
of the newspaper
Phase out Remove gradually. and are PHASING
OUT the
broadsheet
edition over the
next few months.

I wasn’t very
hungry so I just
Pick at Eat unwillingly.
PICKED AT my
food.
While you’re in
town, can you
Pick up Collect. PICK UP my
trousers from the
Dry Cleaner?

The food was

Pig out Eat a lot. great, so I really
PIGGED OUT.

Work just keeps

on PILING UP
Pile up Accumulate. and I really can’t
manage to get it
all done.

The government
Discover exact details can’t PIN DOWN
Pin down
about something. where the leak
came from.

The police tried to

Attach the blame to
Pin on PIN the crime ON
someone.
him.
 Fix something to a I PINNED the
Pin up wall, or other vertical notice UP on the
surface, with a pin. board

He’s been PINING

Suffer physically AWAY since his
Pine away because of grief, wife died and is a
stress, worry, etc. shadow of his
former self.

The lecturer
asked the
Be quiet (often as an
Pipe down students to PIPE
imperative).
DOWN and pay
attention.

At first, no one
To speak, raise your answered, then
Pipe up
voice. finally someone
PIPED UP.

Pretend to agree or I disagreed with

accept something in the idea but I had
Play along order to keep someone to PLAY ALONG
happy or to get more because everyone
information. else liked it.

The children were

Play PLAYING
Be silly.
around AROUND and
being annoying.

The children
PLAYED UP all
Play up Behave badly. evening and
drove the
babysitter mad.

He PLUGGED the
Connect machines to
Plug in TV IN and turned
the electricity supply.
it on full blast.
 He PLUMPED his
Put something in a
Plump bag DOWN and
place without taking
down kicked his shoes
care.
off.
I PLUMPED FOR
Plump for Choose.
the steak frites.

He POINTED OUT
that I only had
Make someone aware
Point out two weeks to get
of something.
the whole thing
finished.

Move things around or I POKED ABOUT

search in a casual way in my CD
Poke about
to try to find collection to see if
something. I could find it.

Move things around or I POKED

Poke search in a casual way AROUND in my
around to try to find desk to see if the
something. letter was there.

She POLISHES
Polish off Finish, consume. OFF half a bottle
of gin every night.

I need to POLISH
Improve something UP my French
Polish up
quickly. before I go to
Paris.
He POPPED IN
Pop in Visit for a short time. for a coffee on his
way home.
He’s always
POPPING OFF
Pop off Talk loudly, complain.
when things don’t
suit him.
 Turn a computer or I POWERED UP
Power up electronic device on so my laptop and
that it is ready to use. started work.

In rural areas
where they have
a monopoly,
Charge more for some garages
Price up
something. PRICE UP fuel
because there’s
nowhere else to
buy it.

The lorry was

Overtake, move in going slowly but
Pull ahead
front. we managed to
PULL AHEAD.
The traffic was so
bad that it took
Pull out Move into traffic.
me ages to PULL
OUT.