Phrasal verbs

Un dictionnaire très complet : http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/phrasaldictionary.html

CHECK

Check by = go somewhere to see if everything is OK

We need to check by the lawyers office to make sure the papers are ready.

Check for = try to find

They checked for AIDS and other diseases before they let him into the country.

Check in/out = enter or leave a hotel

They need to check in before six on Friday. / We checked out of the hotel before noon.

Check off = put a tick next to an item on a list

I had to check off each item as it was delivered to make sure we got it all.

Check on = make sure something is OK

Jill checked on the cake to make sure it wasn't burnt.

Check up on = investigate someone or something

My parents were always checking up on me.

COME

Come about = to happen

How did that come about?

Come across = to find by chance

As Max was cleaning up his room he came across Mary's phone number.

Come along = to progress

Things are coming along well at work these days.

Come around = to change one’s opinion or position

After our long debate, Max finally came around to my point of view.

Come down =
1) to become sick
Max came down with the flu.
2) to reduce to the essential element
In politics everything really just comes down to the economy.

Come off = to fare, happen in a particular manner

The meeting came off as well as could be expected.

Come out =
1) to become known, to come into public view, to debut
The news of the candidates’ past sexual misconduct came out just before the election.
2) to turn out, result
Everything came out fine in the end.
3) to declare one’s position publicly
The senator came out against gay marriage.

Come up = to be mentioned
In Max's conversation with Mary, the topic of their wedding never came up.

Come up with = think of

Max came up with a brilliant idea.

CUT

Cut back (on) = reduce

Tom was told to be was smoking too much and he needed to cut back.
We had to cut back on cleaning supplies as the economy worsened.

Cut down on = reduce

You should cut down on drink.

Cut off = isolate; make inaccessible / disconnect (telephone or other communication device)
The severe winter storm meant that they were cut off from the city.
While I was talking to mother over Christmas we were cut off and i couldn't reach her again.

Cut out = remove

He cut him out of his will.
Cut out the talking!
Other meanings:
He had his job cut out for him = plenty to do
He’s not cut out to be a doctor (pas fait pour ça/n’a pas l’étoffe de)

Cut up =
1) make small pieces
John was too small to cut up the steak himself so his mother helped him.
2) make jokes, laugh, clown around
John cut up his classmates with the stories he told.

FALL

Fall behind = to not meet obligations on time

The factory fell behind on orders because of the Christmas holidays.

Fall for =
1) fall in love, be infatuated
He has really fallen for this new girl, hasn't he?
2) believe a lie or be deceived
The naive freshman fell for the joke about free beer at the corner store.

Fall in with = agree to a suggestion

I fell in with the plan to overthrow the government.

Fall out = argue or quarrel with someone

She fell out with her parents and now they don't speak to each other.
GET

Get across = to communicate, to make someone understand something. (Especially if the details are
too difficult to understand or if the person being explained to understands poorly).
Although I couldn't speak the language, I managed to get my meaning across when necessary.
Your meaning didn't really get across.
He's not very good at getting his idea across.

Get along – get on with = to have a good / friendly relationship with someone.
Even though there are six of them sharing the house, they all get on well with each other.
He doesn't get along well with his mother-in-law.
Our new boss is very easy to get on with.

Get around =
1) to become known, to spread or to circulate. If news or information gets around, people tell other
people, so that soon many people know about it.
It's a small place, so news and gossip get around pretty quickly.
The news of his arrest got around quickly.
News soon got around that Matthew was back in town.
2) to find a way of avoiding a difficult or unpleasant situation, so that you don't have to deal with it.
There is no way of getting around it - you are going to have to tell her the truth.
Isn't there any way of getting around the regulations?

Get at =
1) to reach, to access to something.
The cupboard is too high for me to get at.
The report is locked in the cabinet and I can't get at them.
2) to suggest something indirectly, to imply. (used only in the continuous tense)
What exactly are you getting at? (=trying to say, suggest)

Get down = to cause someone to be depressed.

This weather is getting me down.
Don't let these problems get you down too much.

Get down to =
1) to reach the point of dealing with something.
Now, let's get down to business.
2) to begin to work on something seriously, to give serious attention to something.
It's time I got down to some serious work.
3) to finally start doing something, after you have been avoiding it or after something has prevented
you from doing it.
Once it is summer, we will get down to painting the house.

Get over =
1) to recover from something or return to your usual state of health or happiness.
I thought he would never get over her illness.
2) to overcome or deal with or gain control of something.
She can't get over her shyness.

GO

Go back on = not keep a promise or ones word

It's hard doing business with them. They always go back on their promises.
Go into = discuss in detail or at length
She didn't go into the reasons for the move.

Go off =
1) when food becomes bad or dangerous to eat.
This meat has gone off. Throw it out.
2) explode
The bomb went off in the underground.
3) begin, start (with alarms or signals)
The air raid signal went off and scared everyone in the room.
4) stop working
The generator went off and we can't get it started again.

Go through with = finish, proceed despite difficulties

I have decided to go through with the move to Berlin.

Go without = abstain from; not use or need

A camel can go without water for many, many days.

LOOK

Look after = to take care of.

Make sure you look after yourself. I don't want you to be ill due to this weather.

Look down on = see something or someone as inferior.

Many Americans used to look down on Japanese made cars. They don't now.

Look forward to = anticipate with pleasure

I am looking forward to visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Look out = be careful, avoid imminent danger

Look out! An angry dog is coming your way.

Look up = to search for information (usually in a book)

I will look up your number when I get to Santiago.

MAKE

Make for = head in a specific direction

Scott made for the refrigerator as soon as he walked through the door.

Make (sth) out =

1) to just be able to hear, read or see something
He spoke so quietly we could hardly make out what he was saying.
If you can make out the billboard from such a distance you really have excellent vision.
2) to fill out the details of a document (usually a check)
You can make out the cheque to Woodward Ltd.

Make up =
1) cosmetics (put on)
2) complete something missed
I can make up the exam I missed yesterday tomorrow.
3) invent
He always makes up stories. Don't believe him.

Make up for = compensate

What she lacked in experience, she made up for in the way she learns quickly.

Make up with (sb) = reconcile

You should make up with Alekos. You guys have been friends for a long time.

PUT

Put back = postpone something for a later time

The class was put back a week because the professor was ill.

Put down to = use or give as an explanation

What do you put his stubbornness down to? Well, he is getting kind of old.

Put off =
1) postpone
They put off the meeting until next Friday.
2) no longer like something or somebody
I was put off fish because the last time I had some it was spoiled.

Put out =
1) trouble or disturb someone
Our friends stayed in a hotel because they said they didn't want to put us out.
2) extinguish (cigarette, fire etc.)
He put out his cigar in the arm of the my wooden chair which really upset me.

Put up =
1) give hospitality to someone overnight
He asked if we could put him up for a few days and I said it would be all right.
2) increase prices, taxes etc.
They put up the price of gasoline again. Will it ever come down?

Put up with = tolerate

I will not put up with any more disturbances while I try to work. Do you hear me?

RUN

Run down =
1) find, discover
Have you run down those names on the voter list?
2) criticise
I know a guy who runs everyone down.
3) hit with a car
My cat was run down yesterday.
4) become very tired, loose power
My wife was really run down after the holidays.

Run off =
1) make leave
The new government is trying to run the drug traffickers off.
2) reproduce
Would you mind running off 10 copies of this document for me?
3) leave quickly
Why did you run off after the party?

Run up =
1) increase, spend
He ran up a huge phone bill when he went to the army.
2) (against) encounter unexpected problems
He ran up against some unexpected problems in his business.

SETTLE

Settle down = When you settle down, you behave responsibly and live in a regular way, especially
when you get married.
He says the last thing a man needs to do is settle down and get married.