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.

blow something up

add air

We have to blow 50
balloonsup 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 somethingdown

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.

break into something

enter forcibly

The firemen had to break

intothe room to rescue the
children.

break something in

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

I need to break these

shoes inbefore 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

upbefore 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 insomething

develop a skin
condition

I broke out in a rash after our

camping trip.

bring someone down

make unhappy

This sad music

is bringing medown.

bring someone up

raise a child

My
grandparents brought meup af
ter my parents died.

bring something up

start talking about

a subject

My mother walks out of the

room when my father brings
upsports.

bring something up

vomit

He drank so much that

hebrought 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 of

cancel

Jason called the

wedding ofbecause he wasn't
in love with his fianc.

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

tocalm down before you drive
the car.

not care
forsomeone/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
upwith Marty.

check in

arrive and register

We will get the hotel keys when

at a hotel or airport

we check in.

check out

leave a hotel

You have to check out of the

hotel before 11:00 AM.

checksomeone/somethi
ngout

look at carefully,
investigate

The company checks out all

new employees.

check
outsomeone/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

tocheer 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 acrosssomething

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
withsomething

become sick

My nephew came down

withchicken pox this weekend.

come forward

volunteer for a task

or to give evidence

The woman came forward with

her husband's finger prints.

come fromsomewhere

originate in

The art of origami comes

fromAsia.
count
onsomeone/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 onsomething

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
22C.

cut something of

remove with
something sharp

The doctors cut of his leg

because it was severely injured.

cut something of

stop providing

The phone company cut of our

phone because we didn't pay
the bill.

cut someone of

take out of a will

My grandparents cut my
fatherof when he remarried.

cut something out

remove part of
something (usually

I cut this ad out of the

newspaper.

with scissors and

paper)
dosomeone/somethingo
ver

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
withsomething

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.

dropsomeone/somethin
gof

take
someone/somethin
g somewhere and
leave them/it there

I have to drop my sister of 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 upwhen 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
Samanthafound it out.

get somethingacross/o
ver

communicate,
make
understandable

I tried to get my
pointacross/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

aroundfine 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
withsomething

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 something back

receive something
you had before

Liz finally got her Science

notesback 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
intosomething

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 tosomething

finally find time to

do (N.Amer.: get
around
to something)

I don't know when I am going

toget 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 awayold

books on Friday.

give something back

return a borrowed
item

I have to give these

skatesback 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

withLuke 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 ofsomething

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 somethingdown

give something
used to someone
else

I handed my old comic

booksdown 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

tohand 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

hehung up.

holdsomeone/somethin
gback

prevent from
doing/going

I had to hold my
dog backbecause 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
ontosomeone/somethin
g

hold firmly using

your hands or arms

Hold onto your hat because it's

very windy outside.

holdsomeone/somethin
gup

rob

A man in a black mask held the

bank up this morning.

keep on
doingsomething

continue doing

Keep on stirring until the liquid

comes to a boil.

keep something fromso

meone

not tell

We kept our
relationship fromour parents for
two years.

keepsomeone/somethin
gout

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 upyou

will get into a great college.

let someone down

fail to support or
help, disappoint

I need you to be on time.

Don'tlet me down this time.

let someone 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 (or of)

sign out (of a

website, database
etc)

If you don't log of somebody

could get into your account.

look
aftersomeone/somethin
g

take care of

I have to look after my sick

grandmother.

look down onsomeone

think less of,

consider inferior

Ever since we stole that

chocolate bar your dad
haslooked down on me.

look
forsomeone/something

try to find

I'm looking for a red dress for

the wedding.

look forward
tosomething

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
forsomeone/something

be especially
vigilant for

Don't forget to look out

forsnakes 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

numberup on the Internet.

look up to someone

have a lot of
respect for

My little sister has

alwayslooked 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'llpay 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.

pointsomeone/somethin
gout

indicate with your

finger

I'll point my boyfriend outwhen

he runs by.

put something down

put what you are

holding on a
surface or floor

You can put the

groceries downon 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 of

postpone

We are putting of our trip until

January because of the
hurricane.

put something out

extinguish

The neighbours put the

fire outbefore the firemen
arrived.

put somethingtogether

assemble

I have to put the

crib togetherbefore the baby

arrives.
put up
withsomeone/somethin
g

tolerate

I don't think I can put up

withthree small children in the
car.

put something on

put
clothing/accessorie
s on your body

Don't forget to put on your new

earrings for the party.

run
intosomeone/something

meet unexpectedly

I ran into an old school-friend

at the mall.

run
oversomeone/somethin
g

drive a vehicle over

a person or thing

I accidentally ran over your

bicycle in the driveway.

run
over/throughsomethin
g

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 of

act extra special for

people watching
(usually boastfully)

He always shows of 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 outbefore 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 of

stop the energy

flow, turn off

The light's too bright. Could

youswitch it of.

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 apartand found the
problem.

take something back

return an item

I have to take our new

TV backbecause it doesn't
work.

take of

start to fly

My plane takes of in five

minutes.
take something of

remove something
(usually clothing)

Take of your socks and shoes

and come in the lake!

take something out

remove from a
place or thing

Can you take the

garbage outto the street for
me?

take someone out

pay for someone to

go somewhere with
you

My grandparents took us outfor

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

offerover before I make my final
decision.

throw somethingaway

dispose of

We threw our old

furnitureaway 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 of

stop the energy

flow, switch off

Your mother wants you

to turnthe TV of and come for

dinner.
turn something on

start the energy,

switch on

It's too dark in here.

Let's turnsome 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.

warmsomeone/somethi
ngup

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 situps before I go for a run.

wear of

fade away

Most of my make-up wore

ofbefore 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.