MWV CONTENT MEANING EXAMPLE

AREA
Add up to sth Education To become a particular amount The various building programmes
add up toseveral thousand new
homes.

Apply (to...) for Work To make a formal request,

usually in writing.

Ask sb out Leisure To invite on a date.

Back up B&F To show that an explanation or

belief is probably true.

Beat back Environment To stop someone or something She helped beat back an attempt by
from succeeding the industry to weaken the clean-air
proposals.

Beat sb up Crime To hit or kick sb hard, many

times.

Blow off Environment When wind removes sth.

Blow off Environment To treat something or someone Just blow off his comments, he's only
as if that thing or person were joking.
not important

Board up Environment To cover doors or windows with The vacant store had been boarded
thin, flat pieces of wood up for several years.

Boil down to sth Education To be the main or most What it all boils down to is a lack of
important result of something. communication.

Bowl over Fiction To surprise and please She was bowled over when she
someone a lot heard she'd won the competition.

Branch out Work To expand, to start a business This designer has recently branched
activity or a job that is different out into children's wear.
from your usual activity or job.

Break away B&F To separate from the crowd. Some members broke away to form
a new political party.

Break down Leisure To stop working. The school bus broke down and had
to be towed to the nearest garage.

Break into Crime To enter somewhere (e.g. a The office has been broken into
house) illegally, especially by twice since Christmas.
force.

Break out Environment To start, usually suddenly (about A fight broke out among the crowd.
unpleasant things, e.g. wars,
epidemics, fires, etc)
Break out of Crime To escape from a place by The prisoner broke out of jail.
force.

Break up with B&F To end a relationship with He's just broken up with his
someone. girlfriend.

Bring back B&F To make someone think about The photos brought back memories.
something from the past,
remember.

Bring down Education To cause someone to lose An economic crisis could bring down
power. the government.

Bring down Work To reduce sth. The government hopes to bring

inflation down to 5% this year.

Bring down Environment To cause to fall (destroy) A bomber had been brought down by
anti-aircraft fire.

Bring out B&F To make a particularqualityor

detailnoticeable
Bring up sb B&F To raise a child. She was brought up by her
grandparents.

Bring up sth B&F To start talking about a subject. There are several points I'd like to
bring up at tomorrow's meeting.

Brush up (on) Education To improve your skills in I'm trying to brush up on my French
something. To practice sth you before I go to Paris.
learned in the past.

Burst into Environment To begin to cry suddenly(tears) She burst into tears and ran away
when she knew about her mother’s
death.

Call off Leisure To cancel sth; to decide that sth The game was called off because of
will not happen. bad weather.

Call out ESL To say something loudly (shout) She called out his name but he didn't
look back.

Calm down Work To stop feeling upset, angry, or Calm down and tell me what's
excited, or to make someone wrong.
stop feeling this way.

Carry out Work To fulfill or perform A survey is now being carried out
(instructions/a duty/ an order/ a nationwide.
trial, etc)

Cast away The sea To get rid of someone or Barriers to women in sport are being
story something. cast away.

Catch on Leisure To become popular. Rap music has caught on in the last
few years and even it is more
 popular than pop these days.

Catch up with Crime To finally find someone who has It took six years for the law to catch
been doing something illegal up with them.
and punish them.

Cave in Environment To collapse. Because of the explosion, the roof of

the building caved in, trapping
several people.

Chat up B&F To talk to someone in a way that John was in the bar chatting up the
shows you are sexually attracted barmaid.
to him or her.

Check in Leisure To report your arrival, especially Be sure to check in at least an hour
at an airport or hotel, so that you before your flight.
can get the service you are
paying for.

Clear up Education Clarify, to improve sth.

Cloud over Environment To become covered with clouds. There are a lot of cloud in the south,
I think it is clouding over.

Come across Leisure To meet someone or discover She came across some old
sth by chance. (=run across) photograph in a drawer.

Come around Leisure To come to a place, especially A few friends came around last night
sb’s house, to visit for a short and we watched some movies.
time.

Come back The legacy To return. You cannot come back very late at
night.

Come by/over Leisure To pay a visit.

Come down Environment To cause to fall (destroy) The ceiling come down with a terrific
crash.

Come forward Crime To offer your help, services, etc. Several people came forward with
with useful information for the case.

Come from Environment To start in a particular place or

be produced from a particular
thing.

Come off Education To be successful; to have the They had wanted it to be a surprise
intended effect or result. but the plan didn’t come off.

Come over B&F To suddenly feel sth that affects I come over all shy whenever I see
you in a strong way. him.

Come out Leisure To become available for people Collin’s new book is coming out next
to buy or see, be published. week, so we will be able to read it
soon.
Come out Environment To appear or become visible. The rain stopped and the sun came
out.

Come up with Work To suggest or think of an idea or She came up with a new idea for
plan. increasing sales.

Come up Environment To happen, usually I’m afraid something terrible and

unexpectedly. urgent has come up.

Come upon Leisure To find sth or meet someone I came upon several old friends
unexpectedly. when I went back to my hometown.

Come up with Leisure To think of a plan, idea or We need to come up with a better
solution to a problem. way of making money.

Count on Work To depend on You should count on him, he will help

us.

Crack down Leisure To try harder to prevent an Police are cracking down on drug
illegal activity and deal more dealers.
severely with those who are
caught doing it.

Crash down Environment To fall down or collapse, often

noisily.

Cut back on Leisure To reduce the amount,the If I don't sell more we'll have to cut
size,cost of sth. back on production.

Cut off Environment (isolate) to cause a person or The whole village was cut off by
place to become separate, or flooding.
cause sb to feel alone.

Dial down Work To reduce the noise, heat, etc.

producted by a piece of
equipment by moving its
controls.

Dial up Work To connect to a computer

system using a telephone line.

Die out Environment To become weaker or less

common and then disappear
completely.

Dina out The legacy To eat dinner in a restaurant or We rarely dine out these days
in someone else’s house. because we are in a difficult
economic situation.

Do away with Crime To get rid of something or

murder sb.

Drain away Fiction To be reduced until there is As Eric explained exactly what had
none left. happened, she stopped shouting and
her anger drained away.
Draw out Environment To reduce a supply of sth that
has been created over a period
of time.

Draw up Work To prepare sth, usually sth Draw up a list of all the things you
official in writing. want to do.

Drift off B&F To gradually fall asleep. I didn’t hear the storm. I must have
drifted off by then.

Drop off sb Leisure To take sb or sth especially by I'm about to leave-can I drop you off
car to a particular place. somewhere on my way home?

Drop out Education To leave/quit the school. Unfortunately,Bill dropped out the
school last year.

End up Big Fish To find yourself in a place or I ended up doing all the work myself.
situation that you did not intend
or expect to be in.

Engage in B&F To take part in a particular

activity, especially one that
involves competing with other
people or talking to them.

Face up to Work To accept sth and try to deal She had to face up to the fact that
with it. she would never walk again.

Fall behind ESL To fail to do sth fast enough or He’s fallen behind with his school
on time. work again.

Fall for B&F To fall in love with sb. They fell for each other instantly.

Fall for sth Leisure To be tricked or to be deceived.

Fall off Environment To become separated from the

main part.

Fall out with B&F To argue with sb and stop being We had an argument last week and
friendly with he or she. we fell out with each other. We
haven’t spoken anymore.

Fall through B&F To fail to happen Our plans fell through because of
lack of money.

Feel for Fiction To have sympathy for sb. I really felt for her when her husband
died.

Flick through Leisure To look quickly at the pages of a I've only had time to flick through
magazine or book. your report but it seems to be fine.

Fill in sb Work To give sb extra information. We filled her in on all the latest
gossip.

Fill in sth Work To write the necessary I had to fill in this really complicated
 information on an official form.
document.

Fill with Environment To cause a person, place or The ditches had filled up with mud.
period of time to have a lot of
sth.

Fight off Crime To fight an attacker and force The jeweller was stabbed as he tried
them back. to fight the robbers off.

Find out Work To discover a fact or piece of

information.

Fit in B&F To mix well with others. It's no surprise she's leaving - she
never really fitted in.

Fix up Leisure To arrange for sb to have sth, to

improve sb with sth.

Get across Education To successfully communicate The teacher got her ideas across
ideas. very well.

Get ahead Work To make progress in work. She wants to get ahead in her
career.

Get along with B&F To have a good relationship I don't really get along with my
with. sister's husband.

Get away from Crime To escape from a place or She said me she would meet me for
person usually when it is a coffee if she could get away from
difficult. her work for an hour or two.

Get away with Crime To do sth wrong or illegal Nobody gets away with insulting me
without being punished (usually like that.
without even being discovered
or caught)

Get down to Education To start doing sth seriously and Before we get down to business, I’d
with a lot of attention and effort. like to thank you all for coming today.

Get off Leisure To leave a place, usually in If we can get off by seven o’clock,
order to start a journey. the roads will be clearer.

Get off Crime To receive no or almost no

punishment; to help somebody

Get on with B&F To have a good relationship. She’s never really got on with her
sister.

Get over B&F To recover from. He was disappointed at not getting

the job, but he’ll get over it.

Get out of Education To enjoy something or think sth It was a really boring course and I
is useful. don’t think I got much out of it.
Get out of Environment To leave or go out of a place in
hurry.

Get rid of Crime To end sth unpleasant, to throw The robbers got rid of the stolen car
away sth. by dumping it in a lake.

Get up to B&F To do sth bad. She's been getting up to all sorts of

mischief lately.

Give away ESL To give sth to so for free He gave away most of his money to
because you don’t want it or charity.
need it anymore.

Give back Crime To return sth to its owner

Give in B&F To finally agree to what The authorities have shown no signs
someone wants, after refusing of giving in to the kidnappers’
for a period of time. demands.

Give up B&F To stop (doing something) like a He gave up jogging after his heart
hobby. attack.

Go about Leisure To start to do sth or deal with You’re not going about the job in the
sth. right way.

Go after ESL To chase or follow so in order to We’re both going after the same job.
catch them/ pursue.

Go ahead of Big Fish To go faster than other an You go ahead and we’ll catch you up
improve faster. later.

Go by Work If time goes by, it passes

Go for sth B&F To try to get something or win The Russian relay team will again be
something. going for the gold medal at the
Olympic Games.

Go for sb B&F To like a particular person or She goes for tall slim men.
type of person or with some
characteristics.

Go in for Education To do an examination or enter in Peter will go in for the KS1

a competition. examination.

Go into Work To start working in an area. I think I will go into teaching next
year.

Go down Environment To move down to a lower level The plane went down ten minutes
or place. after take off.

Go off Environment To make noise, if a warming The alarm should go off

device starts to ring loudly or automatically as soon as smoke is
make a loud noise. detected.

Goof off/around Leisure To waste time or avoid doing a

 work.

Go on Education To continue. Please go on with what you're doing

and don't let us interrupt you.

Go out Environment (sea) the tide moves back and We the tie goes out we have to be
covers less of the beach aware.

Go out with B&F To have a romantic relationship Tom has been going out with Lucy
with someone. for six weeks.

Go over Leisure To examine or check sth Go over your work before you hand it
carefully. in.

Go through Work To experience sth difficult or

unpleasant.

Grow up B&F To become an adult. Their children have all grown up and
left home now.

Hammer out FIction To decide on an agreement, Matt and some faculty colleague
contract, etc. after a lot of hammering out strategy in the study
discussion and disagreement. with the door closed.

Hand in Education To give sth to a person in You must all hand in your projects by
authority, especially a piece of the end of next week.
work or sth that is lost.

Hand over Work To give sth to sb else./ To give He handed over a cheque for
power or control to sb else. $200000

Hand out Environment To distribute to a group of Could you hand these books out,
people. please?

Hang up Crime To end a telephone

conversation by putting the
telephone receiver down or
switching the telephone off.

Hit it off B&F To quickly become good friends We hit it off straight away.
with.

Hook up B&F To begin a romantic or sexual When did you two first hook up?
relationship with someone.

Hold off Leisure To wait before doing sth. They are holding off making a
decision until next week.

Hold onto sth B&F To keep, maintain sth (an idea) Hold onto the rope and don't let go.
despite difficulty.

Hold out Leisure To offer a chance, hope or Doctors hold out little hope of her
possibility of sth. recovering.

Hold off Leisure To keep at distance,

Hang up Crime To end a telephone After I hung up I remembered what
conversation by putting the I’d wanted to say.
phone down

Join in Leisure To participate or take part in an

activity with other people.

Jot down Leisure To write or take notes.

Jump at Bish Fish To accept an opportunity, offer, She jumped at the chance of a trip to
etc. with enthusiasm. Paris.

Kick off ESL To make your shoes come off by She arrived home very tired and
shaking your feet. kicked off her shoes.

Keep in Education To force sb to stay inside as a She misbehaved so badly that the
punishment. teacher kept her in as a punishment.

Keep out of Environment To prevent sth or sb from The sign said “Private Property-Keep
entering or being near sth. Out!”

Keep up Big Fish To maintain. She keeps up the pool every

summer.

Keep up with Leisure To learn about or be aware of She likes to keep up with the latest
the news, current events, etc. fashions.

Knock down Environment To destroy a building or sth by These old houses are going to be
breaking its walls. knocked down.

Knock off Work To stop working or doing an The carpenter knocks off early to
activity. take his kid to baseball practice.

Lash out at sb B&F To attack verbally at sb.

Lay down Education To state officially what someone The EU has laid down tough
must do or how they must do it. standards for water quality.

Lay off Work To fire, discharge, dismiss, They’ve had to cut back production
usually for economic reasons. and lay off workers.

Leave off B&F To stop doing sth then continue I've decided to leave off eating meat
on. for a while.

Let sb down B&F To disappoint, break a promise. I don't want to let myself down in the
exam.

Let off Environment To activate or to fire a gun or to I accidentally let off my gun and kill
make such as a bomb explode. him.

Let off with Crime To give someone little or no I was pulled over for speeding, but I
punishment for something that was let off with a warning.
they did wrong.

Light up ESL To become bright or light. There was a flash of lightning and
 the sky lit up.

Line up B&F To arrange sb or sth for an The band is lining up a two-week

event or date. U.K. tour for the New Year.

Live on Big Fish To have a particular amount of They have to live on a pension of
money to buy the things that you £350 a month.
need to live.

Look after B&F To take care of someone or We look after the neighbours' cat
something. while they're away.

Look into Crime To investigate or examine sth

Look up to B&F To respect sb; to admire He'd always looked up to his uncle.
someone.

Look up Leisure To become better. I hope things will start to look up in

the new year.

Look up Leisure To try to find a particular piece

of information by looking in a
book or on a list, or by using a
computer.

Make off with Crime To steal something. Thieves disguised as policemen

made off with 13 pictures from the
museum.

Make out Leisure To kiss and touch in a sexual Boys at that age are only interested
way, or to succeed in having sex in making out with girls.
with someone.

Make out Environment To mange to see sb/sth or read

or hear sth- To distinguish.

Make out Crime to deal with a situation, usually The business made out better than
in a successful way. expected and profits were slightly up.

Make up B&F To forgive someone and be We often quarrel but we always

friendly with them again after an make it up soon after.
argument or disagreement.

Make up Crime To invent.

Make up Environment To form something- To

constitute.

Make up for Crime To take the place of something No amount of money can make up
lost or damaged or to for the death of a child.
compensate for something bad
with something good.

Move along Work To progress or develop, or to

make sth progress or develop.
Mow down Crime To kill a lot of people quickly and
violently, especially by shooting
them.

Pair off with B&F To form a pair with someone. All my friends seem to be pairing off
and getting married.

Pay off Work A positive result brought about All her hard work paid off in the end,
by hard work. and she finally passed the exam.

Pick up Education To increase or improve. The number of applicants will pick up

during the autumn.

Pick up Environment To lift sth using your hands or in Wanda came over to pick up her
a vehicle. things.

Pick up The legacy To answer the phone. I tried his home number but he didn't
pick up.

Pick up Education To learn sth by watching or

listening.

Pick up Leisure To receiv an electronic signal on

a radio or similar piece of
equipment.

Play up Leisure When children play up, they The boys have been playing up at
behave badly. school again.

Play out Work To happen in a particular way. The debate will play out in the media
over the next week or two.

Point out Crime To mention sth in order to give

sb information about it or make
them notice it.

Pull sb down B&F To make sb feel unhappy or That virus she had two months ago
physically weak. really pulled her down.

Pull together Work To work together for a common In times of crisis, communities pull
purpose. together.

Pull up The legacy If a vehicle or driver pulls up, The taxi pulled up outside the
they stop. church.

Push up Leisure To face to rise.

Put away Fiction To put something in the place or Put your toys away now.
container where it is usually
kept.

Put sb down B&F To make sb less happy.

Put sth down Leisure To stop holding sth and place it

on a talble/ To stop sth by force.
Put into ESL To spend a lot of time, money or We've put a lot of time into
effort doing something redesigning the packaging.

Put sth off B&F To postpone sth The meeting has been put off for a
week.

Put sb off B&F To discourage sb to do sth. All this rain really puts you off going
out after work.

Put on Leisure To produce or present a play, a

show, etc- To cause to take
place.

Put on The legacy To add or increase an amount or I put on weight when I went away to
action. college.

Put on Environment To increase or gain.

Put out Environment To extinguish a fire. It took firefighters three hours to put
the blaze out.

Put up B&F To build sth such a wall, fence John was in the garden putting a
or house. fence up.

Put up Education To let sb stay in your house. Could you put me up for the night
when I come to London?

Put up Education To raise (hands)

Put up with B&F To tolerate sb. How has Jan put up with him for so
long?

Own up to Crime To admit that you have done No one has owned up to stealing the
something wrong. money.

Read out Education To say the words that you are He read the list of names out.
reading so that people can hear
them.

Ride out Fiction To get to the end of a difficult or We hope to ride out this recession
dangerous period or situation better than last time.
without any serious problems.

Rip off Leisure To cheat.

Roll around Leisure To come again an event or time.

Roll in Work To arrive in large numbers or

amounts. (Money)

Rule out Environment To decide or state that The president has ruled out the use
something is impossible or will of US troops.
not happen, or that something or
someone is not suitable.
Run away Fiction To leave a place or person He ran away from home when he
secretly and suddenly. was only twelve.

Run away with Crime To steal something, or to borrow Masked robbers run away with
something without asking. $8000.

Rip off Leisure To cheat someone, especially This government is ripping off the
by charging them too much country.
money for something.

Scratch out The legacy To remove sth from a list. She scratched out all the bad ideas
from her list.

Seal off Environment To prevent people from entering Police sealed off the area so that the
an area or building, often investigations could begin.
because it is dangerous.

See off Leisure To go to the place that someone My parents saw me off at the airport.
is leaving from in order to say
goodbye to them.

See through B&F To understand the truth about We can all see through your little
someone or something and not game, Adam.
be deceived or tricked.

Send off Leisure To post something to someone. I must get the parcel sent off
tomorrow.

Send up Leisure To make someone seem silly by He sends the prime minister up
pretending to speak or behave brilliantly.
like them.

Set off Leisure To start a journey, or to start We set off early the next morning.
going in a particular direction.

Set on Crime To tell a person or animal to Leave now or I’ll set the dogs on you.
attack another person or animal.

Set up Environment To establish, to start such as a After the war, she set up shop in a
business, organization, or quiet Yorkshire town.
institution.

Set sb up Crime To trick sb, especially by making

them appear guilty of sth.

Settle down B&F To start living in a place where She quickly settled down in her new
you intend to stay for a long house/job/school.
time, usually with your partner.

Settle into Fiction To become comfortable in a Students settled into their desks and
place or doing an activity. took out their notebooks.

Shoot up B&F To increase a number or amount

of sth very quickly.
Show up B&F To appear.

Shut off Fiction If a machine shuts off, or if How do I shut off this car alarm?
someone shuts it off, it stops
working.

Sit down The legacy To sit. We were tired so we decided to sit

down for a while.

Sink in Environment To be understood gradually. She had to repeat her words several
times before they finally sank in.

Slow down Leisure To become less active or For me, holidays are a time to slow
effective. down and relax.

Smooth out ESL To reduce or remove differences You can use a sander to smooth out
or changes in something. any small dents in the frame.

Sort sth out B&F To find the solution. Her financial records are a mess, but
we’ll sort them out.

Speak up Education To talk louder. You have to speak up. The people in
the back can’t hear you.

Speed up Leisure To move or happen faster. You see drivers speeding up when
they should be slowing down.

Spin around ESL To spin. She spun around to face him.

Split up Sea story To separate someone from the I had to split them up because they
person or people that they are wouldn’t stop messing around.
with.

Split up with B&F To end a relationship Her parents split up a few months
ago.

Squeeze into ESL To succeed in getting someone The car's quite full, but we could
or something into a small space manage to squeeze another couple
or object, often by pushing or of people in.
forcing.

Stand out Education To be easy to see or notice Their old orange car stood out from
because of being different. all the rest.

Stand sb up B&F To fail to meet sb at some time.

Stand up Fiction To put your body into an upright A man at the back stood up to ask a
position from a sitting or lying question.
position.

Stay on Education To remain at a job, school, or James promised to stay on for six
place for longer than you had months.
intended to.

Step down Work To give up or retire from a She stepped down as captain of the
 position. team.

Sort out B&F To deal successfully with a

problem, a situation, or a person
who is having difficulties.

Sound out Fiction To try to find out someone’s Candidates will be sounding out
opinions, ideas, feelings etc by voters during the months before the
talking to them. election.

Sweep away Environment To destroy or to completely Many people died when floods swept
remove sth. their homes away.

Tag along Fiction To go somewhere with someone When Charlie goes on a business
else although you are not trip, I often tag along.
needed.

Talk sb into/out Crime To persuade someone to do He's against the idea, but I think I
something. can talk him into it.

Take after B&F To look or be like an older He takes after his mother/his
relative. mother's side of the family.

Take back B&F To admit that something you All right, I take it all back. It wasn't
said was wrong. your fault.

Take down The legacy To write down information or a The police took down our addresses
statement. and phone numbers.

Take sb in Crime To trick someone into believing Don’t be taken in by their promises.
something that is not true.

Take in Sea story To be left alone on a lonely If you were taken in on a desert
shore or island because your island, what would you miss the
ship has sunk. most?

Take off Leisure To suddenly start to be Her singing career had just begun to
successful or popular. take off.

Take on sb Work To employ. We’re not taking on any new staff at

the moment.

Take on sth Work To accept a responsibility. I can’t take on any more work at the
moment.

Take over Leisure To begin to have control of The firm was badly in need of
something. restructuring when she took over.

Take time off Education To have a particular amount of We haven’t taken any time off since
time away from work. last summer.

Take to Leisure To start doing something often She was so depressed she took to
as a habit. drink.
Take up Leisure To fill space or time. My day is completely taken up with
. meetings.

Take up Education To begin to do something as a I’m not very good at golf – I only took
hobby. it up recently.

Take off Leisure Leave the ground (a plane)

Tell on Fiction To give information about I'll tell my mummy on you.

someone, usually something
bad that they have said or done,
especially to a person in
authority.

Tell sb off B&F To speak angrily to sb for doing The teacher told me off for swearing.
sth wrong.

Tie up Crime To hold something with string or Thieves tied up the night watchman.
rope.

Track down Environment To search for sth/sb often when He finally managed to track down the
it is difficult to find that person or papers he wanted.
thing.

Trick into Crime To use a trick to make sb do sth. He was tricked into buying the car.

Turn down B&F To refuse or reject sth or sb I turned down his invitation to go out.

Turn into Leisure To become, change or develop

into sth different.

Turn off sb B&F To stop sb feeling sexually His bad breath really turns me off!
attracted

Turn on sb B&F To make sb feel interested or He’s very nice, but he just doesn’t
excited, especially sexually turn me on.

Turn up Leisure To happen unexpectedly or by You’ll get another job: something is

chance. bound to turn up soon.

Turn up Work To appear or arrive.

Turn out Work To develop in a particular way,

or to have a particular result.

Turn out Sea story To bring a small amount of food I was a difficult child, always crying
or drink up from your stomach and turning out my food.
out through your mouth.

Wait up for The legacy To not go to bed at night I'll be home after midnight, so don't
because you are expecting wait up for me.
someone to arrive.

Walk out on Fiction To abandon or desert. Don’t walk out on me!

Wash away Leisure To clean sth.

Warm up Leisure To do gentleexercisesin order

to prepareyourself for more

energeticexercise.
Work out Leisure To exercise in order to improve Huw works out in the gym two or
the strength or appearance of three times a week.
your body.

Work out Leisure To solve sth.

Write off Education To accept that an amount of The World Bank is being urged to
money has been lost or that a write off debts from developing
debt will not be paid. countries.