ask sby 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 tosthg

equal

Your purchases add up

to $205.32.

back sthg up

reverse

You'll have to back up your

car so that I can get out.

back sby 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.

blow sthg 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 sthgdow
n

divide into
smaller parts

Our teacher broke the final

projectdown into three
separate parts.

break in

force entry to
a building

Somebody broke in last night

and stole our stereo.

break intosthg

enter forcibly

The firemen had to break

into the room to rescue the
children.

break sthg in

wear sthg a
few times so
that it doesn't
look/feel new

I need to break these

shoes in before we run next
week.

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
insthg

develop a
skin condition

I broke out in a rash after

our camping trip.

bring sbydown

make
unhappy

This sad music

is bringing me down.

bring sby up

raise a child

My
grandparents brought me up
after my parents died.

bring sthgup

start talking
about a
subject

My mother walks out of the

room when my father brings
up sports.

bring sthgup

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 sby back

return a
phone call

I called the
company back but the offices
were closed for the weekend.

call sthg off

cancel

Jason called the

wedding off because he
wasn't in love with his fianc.

call on sby

ask for an
answer or
opinion

The professor called on me

for question 1.

call on sby

visit sby

We called on you last night

but you weren't home.

call sby up

phone

Give me your phone number

and I willcall 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 forsby/

sthg

not like
(formal)

I don't care for his behaviour.

catch up

get to the
same point as
sby 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 wecheck in.

check out

leave a hotel

You have to check out of the

hotel before 11:00 AM.

check sby/
sthg out

look at
carefully,
investigate

The company checks out all

new employees.

check outsby/
sthg

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 sby up

make happier

I brought you some flowers

to cheeryou up.

chip in

help

If everyone chips in we can

get the kitchen painted by
noon.

clean sthgup

tidy, clean

Please clean up your

bedroom before you go
outside.

come
acrosssthg

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 sthg

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
fromsome place

originate in

The art of origami comes

from Asia.

count onsby/
sthg

rely on

I am counting on you to
make dinner while I am out.

cross sthgout

draw a line
through

Please cross out your old

address and write your new
one.

cut back
onsthg

consume less

My doctor wants me to cut

back onsweets and fatty
foods.

cut sthgdown

make sthg
fall to the
ground

We had to cut the old tree in

our yarddown 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 carcut in.

cut in

start
operating (of
an engine or
electrical
device)

The air conditioner cuts

in when the temperature gets
to 22C.

cut sthg off

remove with
sthg sharp

The doctors cut off his leg

because it was severely
injured.

cut sthg off

stop
providing

The phone company cut

off our phone because we

didn't pay the bill.

cut sby off

take out of a
will

My grandparents cut my
father offwhen he remarried.

cut sthg out

remove part
of sthg
(usually with
scissors and
paper)

I cut this ad out of the

newspaper.

do sby/
sthgover

beat up,
ransack (BrE,
informal)

He's lucky to be alive. His

shop wasdone over by a
street gang.

do sthg over

do again
(AmE)

My teacher wants me
to do my essayover because
she doesn't like my topic.

do away
with sthg

discard

It's time to do away with all

of these old tax records.

do sthg 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 todress up.

drop back

move back in
a
position/grou
p

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 sby/
sthg off

take sby/
sthg
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'seat out.

end up

eventually
reach/do/deci
de

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

The picture that you hung up

ground

last nightfell 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 sthgout

understand,
find the
answer

I need to figure out how to fit

the piano and the bookshelf in
this room.

fill sthg in

to write
information in
blanks, as on
a form (BrE)

Please fill in the form with

your name, address, and
phone number.

fill sthg out

to write
information in
blanks, as on
a form (AmE)

The form must be filled out in

capital letters.

fill sthg 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 sthg out

discover

We tried to keep the time of

the party a secret, but
Samantha found it out.

get sthgacross/
over

communicate,
make
understandab
le

I tried to get my
point across/overto 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 sthg

do without
being noticed
or punished

Jason always gets away

withcheating in his maths
tests.

get back

return

We got back from our

vacation last week.

get sthgback

receive sthg
you had
before

Liz finally got her Science

notes backfrom my roommate.

get back atsby

retaliate, take
revenge

My sister got back at me for

stealing her shoes. She stole
my favourite hat.

get back
into sthg

become
interested in
sthg again

I finally got back into my

novel and finished it.

get on sthg

step onto a
vehicle

We're going to freeze out here

if you don't let us get on the
bus.

get oversthg

recover from
an illness,
loss, difficulty

I just got over the flu and

now my sister has it.

get oversthg

overcome a
problem

The company will have to

close if it can't get over the
new regulations.

get round
tosthg

finally find
time to do
(AmE: get

I don't know when I am going

to get round to writing the

around
tosthg)

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 sbyaway

reveal hidden
information
about sby

His wife gave him away to

the police.

give sbyaway

take the bride

to the altar

My father gave me away at

my wedding.

give sthgaway

ruin a secret

My little sister gave the

surprise partyaway by
accident.

give sthgaway

give sthg to
sby for free

The library was giving

away old books on Friday.

give sthgback

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 sthg out

give to many
people
(usually at no
cost)

They were giving out free

perfume samples at the
department store.

give sthg 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 sby

follow sby

My brother tried to go
after the thief in his car.

go after sthg

try to achieve
sthg

I went after my dream and

now I am a published writer.

go againstsby

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 withsby

date

Jesse has been going out

with Luke since they met last
winter.

go over sthg

review

Please go over your answers

before you submit your test.

go over

visit sby
nearby

I haven't seen Tina for a long

time. I think I'll go over for
an hour or two.

go withoutsthg

suffer lack or
deprivation

When I was young, we went

withoutwinter 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
ofsthg

get too big

for

Elizabeth needs a new pair of

shoes because she has grown
out of her old ones.

grow intosthg

grow big
enough to fit

This bike is too big for him

now, but he should grow
into it by next year.

hand sthgdown

give sthg
used to sby
else

I handed my old comic

books downto my little
cousin.

hand sthg in

submit

I have to hand in my essay

by Friday.

hand sthgout

to distribute
to a group of
people

We will hand out the

invitations at the door.

hand sthgover

give (usually
unwillingly)

The police asked the man

to hand over his wallet and
his weapons.

hang in

stay positive
(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 sby/
sthg back

prevent from
doing/going

I had to hold my
dog back because there was a
cat in the park.

hold sthgback

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 ontosby/
sthg

hold firmly
using your
hands or

Hold onto your hat because

it's very windy outside.

arms

hold sby/
sthgup

rob

A man in a black
mask held the bankup this
morning.

keep on
doing sthg

continue
doing

Keep on stirring until the

liquid comes to a boil.

keep sthgfrom
sby

not tell

We kept our
relationship from our parents
for two years.

keep sby/
sthg out

stop from
entering

Try to keep the wet

dog out of the living room.

keep sthg up

continue at
the same rate

If you keep those

results up you will get into a
great college.

let sby down

fail to support
or help,
disappoint

I need you to be on time.

Don't let medown this time.

let sby in

allow to enter

Can you let the cat in before

you go to school?

log in (or on)

sign in (to a
website,
database etc)

I can't log in to Facebook

because I've forgotten my
password.

log out (oroff)

sign out (of a

website,
database etc)

If you don't log off somebody

could get into your account.

look aftersby/
sthg

take care of

I have to look after my sick

grandmother.

look down
on sby

think less of,

consider
inferior

Ever since we stole that

chocolate bar your dad
has looked down on me.

look for sby/

sthg

try to find

I'm looking for a red dress

for the wedding.

look forward
to sthg

be excited
about the
future

I'm looking forward to the

Christmas break.

look intosthg

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
forsby/ sthg

be especially
vigilant for

Don't forget to look out

for snakes on the hiking trail.

look sthgover

check,
examine

Can you look over my essay

for spelling mistakes?

look sthg up

search and
find
information in
a reference
book or
database

We can look her phone

number up on the Internet.

look up tosby

have a lot of
respect for

My little sister has

always looked upto me.

make sthgup

invent, lie
about sthg

Josie made up a story about

why we were late.

make up

forgive each
other

We were angry last night, but

wemade up at breakfast.

make sby up

apply
cosmetics to

My sisters made me up for

my graduation party.

mix sthg 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 sthgout

give the same

thing to many
people

The professor passed the

textbooksout before class.

pass sthg up

decline
(usually sthg
good)

I passed up the job because I

am afraid of change.

pay sby back

return owed
money

Thanks for buying my ticket.

I'll payyou back on Friday.

pay for sthg

be punished
for doing sthg
bad

That bully will pay for being

mean to my little brother.

pick sthg out

choose

I picked out three sweaters

for you to try on.

point sby/
sthg out

indicate with
your finger

I'll point my
boyfriend out when he runs
by.

put sthgdown

put what you

are holding
on a surface
or floor

You can put the

groceries down on the kitchen
counter.

put sbydown

insult, make
sby feel
stupid

The students put the

substitute
teacher down because his
pants were too short.

put sthg off

postpone

We are putting off our trip

until January because of the
hurricane.

put sthg out

extinguish

The neighbours put the

fire out before the firemen
arrived.

put sthgtogeth
er

assemble

I have to put the

crib together before the baby
arrives.

put up
withsby/ sthg

tolerate

I don't think I can put up

with three small children in
the car.

put sthg on

put clothing/
accessories
on your body

Don't forget to put on your

new earrings for the party.

run into sby/

sthg

meet
unexpectedly

I ran into an old school-friend

at the mall.

run oversby/
sthg

drive a
vehicle over a
person or
thing

I accidentally ran over your

bicycle in the driveway.

run over/
through sthg

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 sthgback

return
(usually by
mail)

My letter got sent back to me

because I used the wrong
stamp.

set sthg up

arrange,
organize

Our boss set a

meeting up with the president
of the company.

set sby 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 sthg out

organize,
resolve a
problem

We need to sort the

bills out before the first of the
month.

stick to sthg

continue
doing sthg,
limit yourself
to one
particular
thing

You will lose weight if

you stick to the diet.

switch sthgoff

stop the

The light's too bright. Could

energy flow,
turn off

youswitch it off.

switch sthgon

start the
energy flow,
turn on

We heard the news as soon as

weswitched on the car radio.

take aftersby

resemble a
family
member

I take after my mother. We

are both impatient.

take sthgapart

purposely
break into
pieces

He took the car

brakes apart and found the
problem.

take sthgback

return an
item

I have to take our new

TV backbecause it doesn't
work.

take off

start to fly

My plane takes off in five

minutes.

take sthg off

remove sthg
(usually
clothing)

Take off your socks and

shoes and come in the lake!

take sthgout

remove from
a place or
thing

Can you take the

garbage out to the street for
me?

take sby out

pay for sby to

go
somewhere
with you

My
grandparents took us out for
dinner and a movie.

tear sthg 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 sthgover

consider

I'll have to think this job

offer overbefore I make my
final decision.

throw sthgawa
y

dispose of

We threw our old

furniture awaywhen we won
the lottery.

turn sthgdown

decrease the
volume or
strength
(heat, light

Please turn the

TV down while the guests are
here.

etc)

turn sthgdown

refuse

I turned the
job down because I don't
want to move.

turn sthg off

stop the
energy flow,
switch off

Your mother wants you

to turn the TVoff and come
for dinner.

turn sthg on

start the
energy,
switch on

It's too dark in here.

Let's turn some lights on.

turn sthg 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 sthg on

sample
clothing

I'm going to try these

jeans on, but I don't think
they will fit.

try sthg out

test

I am going to try this new

brand of detergent out.

use sthg up

finish the
supply

The kids used all of the

toothpaste upso we need to
buy some more.

wake up

stop sleeping

We have to wake up early for

work on Monday.

warm sby/
sthg 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 sthgout

make a
calculation

We have to work out the total

cost before we buy the house.