Wall Street English

Wall Street English
PHRASAL VERBS
Tr i
il
- I
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Foreword
P hrasal verbs are key to a mastery of the

English language. Like idioms, their
meanings are not always predictable, and
they can prove difficult for learners of English
as a foreign language. Wall Street English
Phrasal Verbs contains 500 useful phrasal
verbs. It is the perfect complement for
students of English or professionals to
improve their knowledge of English.
Clear layout, simple and straightforward

definitions are especially written for English
learners. Phrasal verbs in context: two
examples of use per phrasal verb (1000
examples), providing students with
frequently used expressions.
Guide to the Lexicon
T he lexicon, which makes up the main

body of this dictionary, consists of 500
entries. It is arranged alphabetically by the
verb of each phrasal verb.
Each entry starts with a phrasal verb, followed

by its definition and two example sentences
of current usage.
phrasal verb
abide by
definition
to obey a rule or law
example sentences
o People who refuse to abide by the law will be
punished.
o He is reliable and will abide by his promise.
Phrasal Verbs A
abide by
to obey a rule or law
o People who refuse to abide by the law will
be punished.
o He is reliable and will abide by his promise.
account for
to give a reason or explanation for (st)
o He couldnt account for the missing money
and the police were therefore called in.
o When asked by his mother, Tommy couldnt
account for the missing cakes.
1
A Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs A
add up allow for

1. to calculate the total of several figures 2. to to consider additional, unforeseen factors
make sense; to be credible You need to allow for traffic jams when
If you add up all the money you spend on traveling in rush hour.
chocolate every month youll be surprised. When planning one must allow for delays
This budget doesnt add up and needs to be due to unforeseen circumstances.
redone.
aim for apply for

1. to work towards (a goal) 2. to go towards to offer ones services for (a job, a vacancy)
We all aim for happiness but sometimes its I want to apply for a credit card.
easier said than done. Dont apply for that job if you are not
Our company is aiming for an increase in qualified.
turnover this year of 50%.
2 3
A Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs A
ask after ask out

to enquire about (sbs health, or a piece of news) to invite (sb) to go out
o The student anxiously asked after her exam o I asked my teacher out to lunch as I was so
results but the teacher told her to wait. happy with my exam results.
o My best friend asked after my mother who o I was worried when my best friend asked my
had just had an operation. girlfriend out to dinner.
ask for
to request
o When I asked for a pay raise my boss said
that the company had introduced a pay
freeze.
o My sister asked me for a loan but I refused as
she didnt pay me back last time.
4 5
B Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs B
bank on
to trust (sb), or to expect that (st will happen)
o He is very trustworthy- you can bank on him
keeping his word.
o Dont bank on passing your exam if you
dont study hard. 3
.
m
asruftD
CD
barge in i
to suddenly intrude or interrupt
o My friend barged in on me when I was doing
my homework and I told him to go away.
o Its rude to barge in on people- knock on the
door first.
barge in
6 7
be against be back
to oppose (st or sb) to have returned from somewhere
I am against tobacco companies as they sell My teacher is back at school today after
harmful products. three months absence.
My brother is against me getting married - Give me a call when youre back and well do
he says I am too young. lunch.
be away be behind
to have left ones residence temporarily to be late (with st)
My mother is away at the moment and will I am behind at the moment at work and
be back next Thursday. cant spend time chatting.
My cat missed me when I was away- she is so The post office is behind with the mail right
sweet. now.
8 9
be keen on
be fed up (with)
to like; to have an interest in
to be tired (of); to be bored (with) I am ke en on English as it s ess ential
My boss is fed up with me because I am nowadays in order to get a good job.
always behind. My sister is keen on the piano but plays very
I am fed up with my boy friend and am badly.
thinking of splitting up.
be on
be for 1. to be connected (of a light, an electrical
to favor or agree with (st or sb) device) 2. to run according to schedule 3. to be
I am for banning smoking in public areas as on duty
this will reduce passive smoking. The flight is on time today - thats a surprise
Most people in China are for policies to as its usually late.
increase energy efficiency. On Monday I am on but on Tuesday Im off.
10 11
be up against
be out of
to face a formidable problem
to have exhausted ones supply of We are up against some severe weather
We are out of milk and need to buy some today and this will cause some delays.
more. Beijing is up against Shanghai football team
The gas station is out of gas as there is a gas next week.
shortage.
be up to
be over 1. to be doing [(often) st naughty] 2. to be fit for
to have finished (of a performance, event) and equal to 3. to be ones responsibility
My lesson is over at nine pm and I can meet What are you up to today? I am free and
you at the bar after that. wonder if we could meet.
My girlfriend and I are over after three years Its up to you what you do with your life but
together. if you choose badly you will regret it later
on.
12 13
beat down bend down

to obtain a lower price by bargaining to stoop
He wanted $700 for the painting but I beat I hur t my back when I bent down this
him down to $500. morning and need to go to hospital.
When you go to a supermarket you cant When people get old they sometimes find it
usually beat down the price of items. difficult to bend down.
become of
black out
to have happened to (sb or st)
What became of David Beckham after he left
to temporarily lose consciousness
Manchester United? I blacked out after I was hit by the car and
What becomes of the massive piles of was rushed to hospital
rubbish after they are collected? If you black out, its wise to go to see a
doctor and get yourself examined.
14 15
blast off blurt out

to leave the ground and rise into the air to say suddenly
The rocket blasted off at six am from the Dont tell my mother any secrets unless
space station in Florida. you dont mind her blurting them out to
The missile exploded as it was blasting off everyone.
but thankfully no one was injured. I blurted out my bad exam results to my
father as soon as I saw him.
blow out
to extinguish by blowing bounce back
Its a good idea to blow candles out when to become well and happy again (after an illness
you leave a room. or other setback)
The gas heater stopped working because The stock market is weak now but it will
someone blew out the ignition flame. bounce back.
I am sick now but will hopefully bounce back
soon and be back at work next week.
16 17
bow out break away

to leave or retire from an important position 1. to break ties 2. to detach or separate from
Some politicians never want to bow out but Scotland will never break away from the UK
are often eventually forced to step down. as it is economically dependent on it.
My boss bowed out yesterday after 40 years Croatia was part of Yugoslavia until it broke
at the company. away.
branch out break in(to)

to diversify; to start a new line of business 1. to interrupt 2. to burglarize; to force ones way
in(to) 3. to tame
Many companies get into trouble when
they branch out into areas outside their Its very difficult to break in wild stallions but
it can be done with patience.
expertise.
My home was broken into last year six times-
My fathers business is branching out into
Im so fed up.
selling cars not just repairing them.
18 19
break out
(
1. to escape (from captivity) 2. to start or arise (of
war, a disease)
War broke out in Europe in 1939.
I
A violent criminal broke out of my local
prison yesterday and everyone is on the .
lookout.
f
break out
20 21
bring about bring down

to cause to happen 1. to carry downstairs 2. to reduce in price 3. to
What brought about your change of mind? humble; to precipitate ones downfall
I thought you were totally set on going to Many banks have been brought down by
America to study. poor management.
Smoking doesnt bring about any health I will buy your car if you bring the price
benefits. down by at least 30%.
bring back bring off

1. to return 2. to prompt recollections to accomplish successfully
Please bring back my books as I need them You did well to bring off such a great dinner
for my forthcoming exam. party and I look forward to the next one!
Seeing my best friend after twenty years It takes a lot of patience, determination and
absence brought back many fond memories. hard work to bring off success in business.
22 23
bring on bring up
to cause (as a side-effect) 1. to mention or touch on (an issue) 2. to raise or
Excess work can bring on stress and office rear (a child) 3. to vomit
workers need to relax. I am eternally grateful to my parents for
Smoking can bring on cancer and other bringing me up so well.
diseases. Dont bring up the stock market when you
meet him or he will bore you for hours.
bring out
1. to emphasize (a quality) 2. to publish, to brush aside
launch (a product) to ignore; to take no notice of
Auto manufacturers regularly bring out new I told my cousin not to buy that coat but she
car models. brushed my advice aside.
Wearing pink brings out the color of my People who drink too much are brushing
face. aside the health advice of doctors.
24 25
build on bump off

to further develop or grow (an idea, a project) to murder; to kill
from an established base He was bumped off for his money but the
A good education is the ideal foundation police caught the culprit.
upon which to build a successful career. A very evil doctor in England bumped off
We have made a lot of investment in brand many of his patients.
awareness and we will build on this to
increase our revenue and profits in future bump up
years.
to increase or raise (prices, sales)
Many restaurants bump prices up at Chinese
bump into New Year.
Excess demand is bumping up the price of
to meet by chance
gas.
I bumped into my old teacher this morning
in the supermarket.
I dislike bumping into ex-girlfriends- I never
know what to say.
26 27
burn down burst out

to destroy by fire to show emotions suddenly and forcefully
The new fac tor y was burned down by Children are always bursting out with their
terrorists. ideas. They need to learn to hold their
You shouldnt smoke in bed if you dont tongues!
want to burn your home down. I burst out in the meeting at my boss and
regretted it immediately.
burn out
1. to burn until nothing is left 2. to tax ones butt in
nerves and health to interrupt (a conversation)
He left his job because he felt burnt out and Its very rude to butt in on people when they
needed a break. are having a private conversation.
The candle burnt out after five hours. Children should not butt in when their
teacher is talking as this is very rude.
28 29
B Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs C
butter up call away

to flatter to call (sb) to another place
My friend always butters me up before The doctor was called away to an emergency
asking me for a loan. twenty miles away.
Its no use trying to butter him up- he wont I was called away from the meeting to deal
change his mind. with a customer.
buzz off call back

to (tell sb to) go away 1. to call sb, asking them to return 2. to return
sbs telephone call; to telephone sb who has
After I asked my father for a new bicycle he
telephoned you earlier
told me to buzz off.
I called my sister back from meeting her old
If you butt in on a private conversation you
boyfriend.
may very well be told to buzz off.
Please call me back when you have time as I
have an urgent matter to discuss with you.
30 31
C Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs C
call for care for

1. to urge or demand (action) 2. to fetch (sb) 1. to look after 2. to want; to feel like
The government called for people to do My sister cares for her kids very well. They
more physical exercise. are the light of her life!
I called my local restaurant for a pizza and I dont care for ice cream in the winter as it
they delivered it with ten minutes. chills me.
call in carry on
1. to visit (informally) 2. to make a stopover 3. to 1. to perform (an activity) or manage (a business)
hire (the services of sb) 2. to continue (doing st) 3. to misbehave
If you have a problem with rats, you need to Even if you dont feel like it, you must
call in the experts. persevere and carry on.
We called in on our grandparents on Sunday WSE has carried on the business of English
afternoon to have a chat with them. training for more than 35 years.
32 33
carry out catch on

1. to conduct; to perform 2. to put in practice; to 1. to become popular (of a trend, music) 2. to
implement understand
The scientists have carried out a lot of Wearing flares was a fashion that caught on
research on how to cure cancer. in the 1960s but its no longer popular.
Sometimes its difficult to catch on to what
We need to carry out our plan to increase
your teacher really means.
revenue and reduce costs.
catch up (with)
carry through
to manage to reach (sb)
to achieve or sustain (often in the face of
difficulty) I caught up with Tom in the car park and he
gave me a life home.
Sometimes when one is sick or unhappy, its
Andy runs so fast that no one in his class can
only the love of our friends that carries us
through. catch up with him.
Yesterday was really tough and I needed
a drink at the end of the day to carry me
through.
34 35
cater for check in

to provide a service for to register ones arrival (at a hotel, the airport)
The business caters for high end customers One should check in at the airport at least
who value service and quality. two hours before take-off.
H&M caters for younger people in the I checked into the Sheraton hotel for two
clothing industry. weeks and they upgraded me for free into a
larger room.
chase up
check out
to inquire about or demand delivery of (work,
1. to register ones departure (at a hotel) 2. to
payments)
verify 3. to have a look at
My bank manager called me to chase up the
Check out the latest song from Robbie
lack of money in my account.
Williams- its great.
We need to chase up the late delivery of the
I checked out of the hotel at 3pm and
new printer.
proceeded to the airport.
36 37
check up cheer up
to verify; to make sure to become or make happy
Check up on Bill please and see if he is Cheer up! You are healthy and have lots of
working or playing. friends- dont sulk all the time.
We need to check up on our customers A c u p o f co f f e e c h e e r s m e u p i n t h e
more before we give them credit. morning- I find it indispensable.
cheer on chew over

to encourage by cheering to meditate on; to think over
We cheered on our school football team but I had to chew the problem over for a few
they still lost. days before coming up with a solution.
Most Chinese cheer Yao Ming on when he Julia had to chew over her decision to resign
plays basketball before telling her boss.
38 39
chop up clean up
to chop into small pieces to clean and tidy
I chopped up the carrots before boiling My housekeepers a godsend. She cleans up
them for twenty minutes. every morning and evening.
O n e l e t t u ce c an b e ch o p p e d u p into My mother asked me to clean myself up
thousands of pieces. before having dinner as I was dirty from
playing football.
clean out
1. to clean thoroughly 2. to divest (sb) of their clear out
money to remove (st) by discarding it
The stock market crash has really cleaned The rubbish needs to be cleared out of the
me out. car as the trunk is filthy.
The wardrobe needs to be cleaned out I cleared my desk out af ter being fired
before the guests arrive for Christmas. before leaving the office for good.
40 41
clear up clock in
1. to tidy 2. to clarify (a misunderstanding); to register ones arrival at work
to solve (a mystery) 3. to become fine (of the At our company, all staff have to clock in
weather) when we arrive at work.
Children should learn to clear up af ter If we are late clocking in three times in a
themselves. month we will be fined.
The weather has cleared up after two weeks
of rain and fog. clock out
to register ones departure from work
climb down I forgot to clock out yesterday and as a result
to admit ones error (in an argument) was fined 50 yuan.
The company had to climb down from its Staff must only clock themselves in and out.
decision to start a six-day working week. Those who clock others in will be given a
o The government climbed down from its warning
decision to ban imports of American beef.
42 43
close down cloud up

to close permanently to become increasingly more cloudy
Many factories have closed down recently The sky has clouded up and it looks as if it
due to bad economic conditions. might rain very soon.
My company closed down its London office The economic environment is clouding up
to save cash. and growth may be low next year.
close up clutch at
1. to close completely or permanently 2. to move to grasp desperately for something
closer (of people)
Desperate people will clutch at anything but
Stalins tomb has been closed up after being
in the end the inevitable happens
on display to the public for 50 years.
Dont clutch at straws! Face up to the
If you look at ants close up you can see how
situation and find a solution.
intricate their bodies are.
44 45
come about
to happen
I am not sure exactly how IBM came about
to be such a big company.
Its a miracle how my wife and I came about
to me married.
come across
1. to find or meet by chance 2. to make a
particular impression fx
I came across my mother in the supermarket

by accident.
He comes across as being a nasty man and I
would avoid him if I were you.
come across
46 47
come back come down with

1. to return 2. to become fashionable again to contract or develop (a disease)
I will come back at five pm so please wait for I am coming down with a cold and am
me before starting the meeting. feeling pretty dreadful right now.
Your coat is so old that it has gone out and He is off work today because he has come
come back into fashion. down with the flu.
come down on come in

to punish or scold 1. to enter (a room) 2. to become fashionable
My boss comes down hard on laziness and Please knock on the door before you come
expects all staff to work conscientiously. in, its rude to barge in.
Parents should come down on their Wearing ties came into fashion in the 1940s
childrens naughtiness, otherwise they will and has been popular ever since.
never learn how to behave.
48 49
come on come out with

1. to make progress 2. to start (of a storm, a to produce or explain (an idea or suggestion)
movie) 3. to encourage or hurry sb Ford has come out with some great looking
My English is coming on really well- its due cars recently.
to the fact that I practice everyday. His mother asked him to come out with her
The movie is coming on TV in five minutes- which is why he missed his maths class.
please hurry up washing the dishes and
come and sit down. come round
1. to visit 2. to regain consciousness
come out
Please come round and see us as soon as
1. to appear 2. to become known 3. to yield as a you have time available.
result 4. to be published
He came round after the operation but
I am looking forward to seeing the new couldnt speak for two days.
Bond movie that comes out soon.
My skin is coming out in red and white
spots- I need to buy some cream.
50 51
come through come up against

1. to survive (illness or other adversities) 2. to be be faced with (an obstacle)
ready for collection (of a bank transfer) Life forces us to come up against many
He has come through a lot after being laid problems- its par for the course.
off and separating from his wife. Friends will help us when we come up
The money has yet to come through to my against bereavement.
account.
come up to
come to to meet expected standards
1. to amount to; to total 2. to regain consciousness Your work comes up to company standards
Your total bill comes to a thousand dollars, but doesnt exceed them.
would you like to pay in cash or with a credit He was fired because his behavior didnt
card? come up to standard.
The boxer took a while to come to after
being knocked out.
52 53
come up with consist of

to make a suggestion; to produce an idea to be made up of
Children often come up with many crazy The human race consists of billions of
plans. people scattered all over the globe.
My boss gave me a bonus for coming up The soup consists of water and vegetables,
with a great way to reduce costs. but doesnt contain any meat.
consist in cool down

to be the most essential task or part of (st) to become cool or calm
The beaut y of the plan consists in its After an argument people should cool down
simplicity and ease of implementation. before deciding what to do.
The weakness of the idea consists in its high The weather is cooling down after a period
cost and impracticality. of intense heat.
54 55
count in count out

to exclude (from a group)
to include (in a group)
Count me out please on this shopping trip-
Please count me in for our trip to the zoo- I
Im so busy right now.
love seeing all the animals.
If you count me out, I wont forgive you.
Dont count me in for going to the bar
tonight as Im too tired.
cover up
count on to conceal; to withhold information
to rely on; to trust Children often try to cover up their mistakes
One must be able to count on ones friends. but sometimes do this very badly.
The accountant was sent to prison for
I count on my wife for everything, she is
covering up sales and stealing the money.
indispensable.
56 57
cross out cry out

to delete by writing a cross over (st) to shout
Cross out the wrong answer, please and I cried out when I burnt my finger, but after I
write in the correct one. put cold water on it, it felt better.
Youd better cross out the last sentence in My boss cried out at me because of my
this paragraph as it doesnt make sense. stupid mistake.
crowd in(to) cut down

to cram; to fill an area (with lots of people)
1. to fell; to level by cutting (a tree) 2. to
One hundred people crowded into the bar
shorten (a text)
with barely room to move.
My car can hold five people if you crowd in The forest was cut down in order to build
tightly. the new road.
You should cut down on your smoking for
health reasons.
58 59
cut in
V
to interrupt or intrude
H Children should not cut in on adult
conversations as its rude.
I had to cut in on my bosss conversation
1 9 Ch because he had an urgent phone call.
si
cut off
1. to sever by cutting 2. to disconnect or stop
(communications, flow)
I cut the sleeves off my jumper because they
were frayed.
News from Iraq has been cut off due to the
-
1 severe fighting.
W-
cut down
60 61
C Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs D
cut up dash off

1. to leave hurriedly 2. to write or sketch quickly
to cut into small pieces
and roughly
Chop sticks are almost useless when one
I had to dash off from the meeting because
wants to cut food up.
of an emergency at home.
Children often find it difficult using knives
My teacher wasnt happy with the essay I
and forks to cut up food.
had dashed off and gave me a bad mark.
deal out
to distribute cards or other papers
In casinos, croupiers deal out the cards very
professionally.
I dealt out copies of the last meeting to all
the staff involved.
62 63
D Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs D
deal with die off

to handle, to address (an issue) to gradually die or become extinct
Life gives us a lot of difficult challenges that Pandas are in danger of dying off unless we
we must deal with. do something drastic to save them.
I am dealing with my naughty son now- its a The company is dying off. Its been losing
real headache. money for five years now.
die away die out

1. to grow fainter (of a noise) 2. to gradually to become extinct
disappear Many animals have already died out.
The noise of the engines died away as the The practice of bowing has died out in China
airplane flew off. except on very special occasions.
Most clothing fashions die away but some
have staying power
64 65
dine out do away with

to have dinner away from home to remove; to stop using
Many people love to dine out with their I am trying to do away with cigarettes but
spouse to celebrate important dates in their its difficult.
lives like birthdays and anniversaries. Many people have done away with faxes in
In a recession less people dine out due to its favour of using email.
high cost.
do without
dispose of to cease resorting to; to deprive oneself of
to throw away or sell I cant do without a cup of coffee in the
Many people dispose of litter by throwing it morning- its indispensable.
on the pavement. No one can do without love- not even those
Please dispose of batteries by recycling with the hardest of hearts.
them.
66 67
drag on draw back

to continue tediously to retreat; to withdraw
The meeting dragged on for two hours but I drew back from asking for a pay rise
it seemed like two years. because of the bad economic situation.
I hate films that drag on too long. The army drew back from Iraq af ter
sustaining heavy losses.
draw aside
to move to one side draw near
My boss drew me aside after the meeting for to approach
a private chat. Christmas is drawing near and all the family
One needs to draw aside luxuries from are getting very excited.
necessities in order to save money. Children of ten get excited when their
birthdays draw near.
68 69
dream up drink up
to devise; to think up (often, an impractical idea) to drink all
Politicians are always dreaming up new I drank up all my coffee and then left quickly
policies. as I was late for a meeting.
I have dreamt up a new idea where everyone She didnt like the wine and didnt drink it all
will use water in their cars instead of gas. up.
dress up drive away

to dress elegantly or for a special occasion 1. to expel; to repulse 2. to depart in a motor
People often used to dress up on Sundays vehicle
but rarely do this now. The dogs were driven away from the baby
When I meet my girlfriend I always dress up by her mother.
in order to look my best for her. I cried when my grandparents drove away- it
will be months before we meet again.
70 71
drive out dwell on

to expel to talk a lot about (st that is better forgotten)
o Wars are often started when people are o Dont dwell on past romantic failures or you
driven out of their homes. will get depressed.
o The boy was driven out of his school for o Sometimes we dwell on our mistakes too
cheating. much.
drop out (of)

to leave or withdraw [(from) typically: a study
course]
o Susan dropped out of her maths degree
because she found it too difficult.
o The boys mother was angry because he
dropped out of school.
72 73
E Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs E
ease off eat in

1. to become less troublesome or painful 2. to to eat at home
stop pressuring
During bad economic times, people eat in
The pain in my leg has eased off.
more.
Please ease your foot off the accelerator as
All the family members try to eat in together
you are going to fast.
at least once a week.
ease up
eat out
to stop working so hard to eat away from home, usually in a restaurant
Christmas gives people a chance to ease up
My mother asked me to eat out today
and relax as well as getting together as a
because she is too busy to cook.
family.
I like eating out in MacDonalds but my
If you dont ease up, youll have a heart
mother forbids me.
attack.
74 75
eat up embark on
to eat all to start (a new activity or venture)
My mother made me eat up all my Everyday we embark on a new stage of life.
vegetables before I left the table.
The company has embarked on a new
I ate up and left the restaurant.
marketing campaign.
egg on end up (as)

to encourage; to persuade
to end, usually in an unexpected way or form; to
Dont egg your brother on, he is already
change form
excited enough.
My parents egged me on to attend I never thought Obama would end up as
university with the promise of a new car. president.
I ended up first in my class thanks to hard
work and determination.
76 77
engage in expand on
to be involved in; to take part in to provide more information about; to develop (a
I am engaged in a meeting now and am story, plan)
unavailable until 3pm. The president expanded on his idea for a
Our company is engaged in many industries. new healthcare system.
In the meeting, our boss expanded on his
enter into new idea for the company.
1. to start (a discussion) 2. to commit oneself
explain away
to (an agreement)
Getting married is the most important to account for (st) and play down its importance
agreement most people enter into. When I saw her crying she tried to explain it
The company has entered into a new pay away but I knew she was angry and sad.
agreement with its workers. The boy tried to explain away his bad exam
results but his mother wouldnt listen.
78 79
F Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs F
face up to fall behind

1. to confront and withstand 2. to admit to (facts, to move slower than (sb); to be passed by (sb)
blame) I am falling behind in my work and need to
We must face up to our weaknesses in order catch up.
to improve ourselves. Germany has fallen behind China in the size
The criminal faced up to his crime and of its economy
confessed everything to the police.
fall down
fall back to fall (to the ground)
to retreat (of an army) The boxer fell down after being knocked
The American army is falling back from Iraq. out.
The rioters advanced and then fell back I fell down because there was a rock on the
when the police arrived. road which I hadnt seen.
80 81
fall for feel down

1. to be deceived by (a trick, a joke) 2. to be to be depressed or low
charmed by (sb) When I feel down I go to the gym in order to
I always fall for practical jokes- Im so stupid. relieve my frustration.
Dont fall for him, hes not a nice man and Drinking too much alcohol will make you
hell break your heart. feel down the next day.
fall through feel up to

to fail; to be unsuccessful to feel well enough or ready to (do something)
The plan to launch the new product fell The girl didnt feel up to going to park
through. because she was ill.
My idea of becoming a teacher fell through If you prepare then you will feel up to taking
and I became a cook instead. the test.
82 83
figure out fill out

1. to calculate 2. to understand; to make sense of 1. to grow large or fat (of a person) 2. to complete
I cant figure out how these numbers add (a form)
up. Opening a bank account will entail filling out
Having friends can help one figure out the forms.
meaning of life. Bob really f illed out af ter he gave up
smoking.
fill in
1. to completely fill (a hole) 2. to complete (a fill up
form) 3. to give (sb) all the latest information to fill completely (a fuel tank, a glass)
(about, on st) The car needs to be filled up because there
The holes in the road need to be filled in as is very little petrol left.
the road is dangerous now. Please fill my glass up as I like your wine and
Please fill me in urgently as I need to know Im very thirsty.
the situation.
84 85
find out finish up

1. to discover or learn (facts, the truth) 2. to 1. to end (of an event) 2. to end ones career
catch [(sb) at fault] o The course finishes up at five pm.
Bens boss found out that Ben had been o He finished up as president of the company
stealing from the company. and then retired at 65.
o I found out that I was the top student in my
class. fit into
1. to fit; to go into available space 2. to have time
finish off for (st)
1. to finish completely 2. to kill; to make sure (sb) o Its important to fit exercise into our lives.
is dead
o The box wont fit into the cupboard as the
o My job is finishing me off and I need to have cupboard is already full.
a break.
o I have finished off my essay and will give it to
the teacher tomorrow.
86 87
fit out flag down

to equip to signal (sb, a vehicle) to stop
The car has been fitted out with the latest The police flagged the motorist down for
hi-fi. speeding.
My kitchen has been fitted out with a new I flagged my boss down as he was leaving
stove but they didnt do a very good job of the car park in his car to give him some
it. documents.
fix up flesh out

1. to repair 2. to arrange to give substance to (a plan, a framework)
My car is always being fixed up- I spend so The plan looks great but needs to be fleshed
much on maintenance. out.
My wife fixes her hair up really nicely. Politicians of ten dream up fancy plans
and leave it to their subordinates to flesh
everything out.
88 89
flood into fly away

to enter in large quantities to leave by flying (of a bird, airplane)
Customers are flooding into the store in The bird flew away and I never saw it again.
order to take advantage of the discounts. I cried when my best friend flew away from
Water is flooding into my home and I need London.
to call the plumber.
fold up
fly into 1. to fold (several times) 2. to collapse; to go out
to suddenly get angry, to go into a rage or of business
temper Paper can be easily folded up, but not
My wife flew into a rage when she found out cardboard.
that I spent a thousand dollars on a suit. The company folded up after 80 years in
If someone flies into a rage, then its best to business.
avoid them.
90 91
F Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs G
follow up gamble away

1. to monitor progress 2. to extend a completed to lose ones money through gambling
process by a sequel Some people gamble away their life savings-
The doctor followed up the patient by they are so profligate.
calling in on him at home. His wife left him after he gambled away the
Dinner is followed up by coffee and then its family car.
time to say good bye.
gang up
freeze up to join together (usually for unlawful purposes)
to become solid with ice a group of older boys ganged up on the new
The river has frozen up due to the cold student and stole his watch.
weather. My sister and mother often gang up on me.
The relationship between the couple has
frozen up.
92 93
G Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs G
gather up get across

to pick up (things, often while tidying up) 1. to manage to cross (a busy street) 2. to
o I gathered up my things and left the library convey; to make understood (information, an
to have dinner. idea)
o The maid gathered up my clothes from the There was so much traffic that it took me ten
living room. minutes to get across the street.
o The teacher took time to get the important
get about ideas across in the lesson.
1. to move or travel a lot 2. to circulate or spread
widely (of news, rumors) 3. to move or travel get along (with)
(in a particular town, area, building) 1. to make progress; to proper 2. to be on friendly
o Bad news gets about more quickly than terms (with); to live in harmony (with) 3. to
good news. manage; to cope
o I like to get about- I have been to many o The students got on with their work whilst
foreign countries. the teacher had a coffee.
o I dont get along with my sister very well
because she is always nagging me.
94 95
get at get away with

1. to imply; to be referring to 2. reveal, to discover 1. to escape punishment for 2. to escape (with
(the truth) 3. to reach (st) 4. to criticize stolen goods)
Sometimes its difficult to understand what Some criminals get away with their crimes
people are really getting at. but most get caught eventually.
My teacher is always getting at me, its so The little boy got away from the supermarket
unfair. with 3 bars of stolen chocolate.
get away get by

1. to escape 2. to (manage to) leave 3. to go on 1. to (manage to) pass or overtake 2. to manage,
vacation to cope (in life)
Its important to get away sometimes and I only just managed to get by that car
have a holiday. without hitting it.
I couldnt get away from the meeting for Friends are important in life if you want to
four hours. get by.
96 97
get down get into

1. to descend; to dismount 2. to depress; to 1. to become involved in 2. to (manage to) wear
discourage 3. to (manage to) write down If you get into drugs then it will be difficult
Please get down from standing on that chair. to have a normal life.
My wife is very angry and this is getting me I am so fat - I cant get into my trousers
down. anymore.
get down to get on with

to concentrate on; to attend to (work, business) to make progress with; to proceed with
After a long vacation its sometimes difficult My son is getting on with his homework
to get back down to work. now very studiously.
The children need to get down to their work I am getting on with my life after my divorce.
and stop playing.
98 99
get round to
get out (of) to find time to do (st)
1. to (manage to) leave 2. to leave or alight from Its important to get round to spending time
(a vehicle) 3. to escape with your family.
I got out of the meeting after four hours. I never seem to get round to meeting my
The police asked the motorist to get out of sons teacher.
the car.
get through
get rid of 1. to finish (a task) 2. to pass (an exam) 3. to
1. to discard (st) 2. to fire; to dismiss (sb) reach; to make contact (by telephone)
If someone wants to be healthy they should I have just got through a five hour exam.
get rid of their bad habits such as smoking. Please get through to our supplier and
My company got rid of five hundred workers. cancel the order.
100 101
get together give away

1. to meet (for an outing, party) 2. to make (st) 1. to give as a present 2. to reveal (a secret) 3.
work; to make a success of (st) to betray (sb)
Our company has an annual party where all My wife gave away my favorite cup and I am
the staff get together. very upset at her.
It took a long time for our son to get himself Employees must not give away trade secrets
together but now he is a successful doctor. to competitors.
get up give back

1. to stand (up); to rise to ones feet 2. to rise from to return (st to sb)
bed 3. to climb I went to the shop to give them back the
I worked so hard in the gym that I am very trousers I bought as they were too big.
tired and can hardly get up. Please give me back my book when you
I get up at six am every morning and go have finished reading it.
jogging.
102 103
give in give up
1. to submit; to present (to the relevant authority) 1. to stop (an activity, a bad habit) 2. to
2. to surrender surrender 3. to resign from
Japan eventually gave in and surrendered People should give up smoking in order to
to the Americans at the end of the Second improve their health.
World War. The company finally gave up and filed for
I need to give my homework in to my bankruptcy.
teacher on Monday.
go after
give out to chase (a job, a thief)
1. to distribute; to present (leaflets, awards) 2. I went after the job but was unsuccessful.
to emit (signals) 3. to break down or become
Jerry often goes after pretty girls.
exhausted (a machine, ones patience) 4. to
announce
My boss gave out bonuses to all the staff.
The hot water heater finally gave out after
many years.
104 105
go ahead go away
1. to proceed; to start doing 2. to lead the way (on 1. to leave (a place) 2. to leave (sb) alone
a trek) Please go away and stop bothering us as we
My boss gave me the go ahead to start my have important things to discuss.
new project. After the meeting all of the staff went away
China is leading the way and going ahead of leaving only me and the CEO.
many other countries in space exploration.
go back
go along with to return
1. to accompany 2. to agree with I want to go back to my hometown for
I often go along with my friends to bars if I Christmas this year.
have nothing else to do. Please go back and get my coat for me, will
I always go along with my boss even when I you?
dont agree with him.
106 107
go bad go down
to rot 1. to descend 2. to decrease (price, numbers) 3.
The milk in the fridge is going bad and to sink (of a ship) 4. to set (of the sun, moon)
needs throwing out. T he price of f lower s go es down af ter
The fruit is black- it has gone bad and is Valentines Day has passed.
inedible. The sun goes down later in the summer than
in the winter.
go by
1. to pass (sb or st in motion; time) 2. to use as
a yardstick or reference
All of China goes by Beijing time.
I went by my old school today in a taxi on
the way to visit a customer.
108 109
go down with
to become ill with; to develop (a disease)
Itfgw
o Bill is off sick today- he has gone down with
$ the flu.
o If you go down with a serious illness, then
j you should see a doctor.
*nif
go for
1. to accept, to pursue (an offer, an opportunity)
2. to (try to) assault
o The dog went for me but I ran away and
thankfully was unhurt.
o I went for a job interview today but did
X badly as I hadnt prepared enough.
>
0
go down
110 111
go into go out
1. to enter 2. to fit 1. to leave; to exit (from a room, building) 2. to
o People should knock before they go into attend a social gathering or seek entertainment
others rooms. 3. to stop burning or illuminating (a fire, a
light) 4. to stop being fashionable
o Three suitcases can go into the boot of my
car. o I went out of the office by the back entrance
to avoid being seen leaving early.
go in for o I like to go out to bars when I have the time.
1. to cultivate; to specialize in (an interest or
activity) 2. to enter (an exam, a competition) go over
o My mother goes in for red clothes and they 1. to cross (to the other side) 2. to revise; to
really suit her. examine
o I want to go in for the prize of best short o My best friend left the company and went
story in my school literature competition. over to the competition.
o Its important to go over your lessons before
an important exam.
112 113
go through with go up
to complete; to endure (st) until the very end 1. to ascend 2. to increase; to rise (prices,
If you start something then you should try numbers) 3. to be built
to go through with it. After the recent collapse, the stock market is
My son never goes through with any of his going up again.
crazy schemes. The price of vegetables is going up due to
bad weather.
go under
1. to sink (of a ship) 2. to collapse; to be ruined (of go with
a company) to match; to suit
Many companies in America have gone She cant find a hat to go with her dress.
under due to the economys problems. White socks dont go with formal clothes
The titanic went under because of an and people who dont know this need to
iceberg. take lessons in fashion.
114 115
G Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs H
go without hand down

to manage without; to dispense with to pass on (knowledge, learning, a craft) to
I have been going without coffee in the successive generations
morning recently. My father has handed down the family
I cant go without my evening glass of wine- business to me.
it really relaxes me. I have handed down my love of dogs to my
son.
grow up
to become an adult hand over
Children grow up very quickly and parents to transfer control of
need to cherish the time they have with My boss has handed over control of an
their kids. important customer to me.
Some adults never grow up- they are forever I have handed over my apartment to my son
childish. who will look after it for me.
116 117
H Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs H
hand round hang on

to distribute or show to (everyone present) to wait (when telephoning or visiting sb)
Please hand round the minutes of the last Please hang on a moment while I look at my
meeting. schedule.
I handed round the chocolates that my Hang on! Ill be back in a minute- dont hang
girlfriend had given me. up.
hang around hang up

to loiter 1. to hang on the wall (a picture) 2. to replace
After the meeting some of my colleagues the receiver after a telephone call
hung around chatting. I hung up the new painting on the wall and
Please dont hang around the entrance to it looks very smart.
the office smoking. After the call ended I hung up the phone
angrily.
118 119
have to do with head for

to be related to to go in the direction of
This file has nothing to do with me so please We are heading for the best year of sales
take it away. ever.
Its often rude to ask questions about things We will head for the cinema after work as its
that have nothing to do with you. half price today.
head back hear from

to return (of sb) to receive correspondence or a phone-call from
After work I headed back home to have I havent heard from my best friend for ages.
dinner with my wife. It took two weeks to hear the results of my
When I heard that my boss wanted to see tests from the hospital.
me I headed back to the office.
120 121
hear of help out

to receive news or information about to help
If you hear of any relevant information, My parents often help us out and look after
please let me know. the kids.
I havent heard of any company doing the My brother asked me to help him out and I
same thing as we do. reluctantly agreed.
hear out hit on

to listen attentively to to find (a solution, an idea)
Its polite to hear peoples ideas out even if It took us a long time to hit on the perfect
you dont agree with them. strategy to increase revenue.
My boss heard me out and then told me she Microsoft hit on a real money maker when it
would consider my plan. published windows.
122 123
hold against hold off

to bear a grudge against; to be resentful towards to (manage to) keep at a distance
People often hold bad feelings against those I managed to hold off the robbers whilst my
who are rude to them. wife got help.
I hold a small grudge against my son I held the dog off my baby because it was
because he ruined my favorite sweater. licking her like crazy.
hold back hold on

1. to conceal; restrain (information, tears, to wait
feelings) 2. to hesitate Please hold on a moment while I check the
The witness held back important evidence availability of that product.
from the police. I was holding on waiting for my call to be
I held back from buying a new TV because I answered for thirty minutes when I called
thought prices would fall. the bank.
124 125
hope for hunt out

to expect; to look forward to to search for (st, until it is found)
I hope for good fortune in my life as well as I was searching for that file for ages before I
luck in love. hunted it out on my colleagues desk.
We are hoping for good weather tomorrow. The police use dogs to hunt out drugs.
hunt down hunt for

to pursue and catch (a criminal) to search for
It took the police two weeks to hunt down People do many things in their hunt for love.
the robber. I have been hunting for a new car today but
The police often use dogs to hunt criminals with very little luck- all the cars I saw were
down as dogs have a great sense of smell. too expensive.
126 127
H Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs I
hurry up Idle away

to hurry to waste (time); to spend (time) on idle pursuits
o Please hurry up or you will miss the bus to Dont idle away your life or you will regret it.
school. I idled away the day by the pool by reading a
o My wife often gets annoyed when I tell her book in the glorious sunshine.
to hurry up in the bathroom.
invite in
to invite (sb) to come into (ones home, a room)
I invited my friend in when I saw him
outside.
My boss invited me in to her office for a chat
about my forthcoming promotion.
128 129
I Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs J
invite out join in

to ask (sb) to go out (for a meal, entertainment) to share; to start taking part in (an activity)
o I invited my colleagues out for dinner to o Some children are shy to join in and play
celebrate my promotion. sports.
o My clients often invite me out and I always o I asked all my children to join in with
accept even if I dont really want to. me and my wife and star t being more
environmentally friendly.
join up
1. to connect (wires) 2. to enlist (in the army)
o I have joined up at my local gym and pay $50
a month for the privilege.
o If you join up the wrong wires, the TV will
explode.
130 131
J Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs J
jot down jump up

to (briefly) write down; to make a (brief) note of to (suddenly or quickly) stand up
o I asked my secretary to jot down the minutes o My dog jumped up when it saw me
of the meeting. approaching.
o Please jot down your ideas for a new o The girls jumped up and down, cheering for
advertising campaign. the good performance of the team.
jump at
to seize (an opportunity)
o I jumped at the suggestion to start a reading
club at my school.
o My son jumped at the chance to study in the
U.K.
132 133
K Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs K
keep away (from) keep on

1. to avoid; to remain at a distance (from) 2. to 1. to continue (doing st) 2. to continue to employ
cause (sb or st) to remain at a distance (workers)
I try to keep away from people who have Please keep on working hard- youre doing a
colds for fear of being infected. great job.
Large dogs should be kept away from very The company got rid of thirty staff and kept
small babies. one hundred on.
keep in keep out

to detain; to confine (at school; in the classroom) to prevent (sb) from entering
My teacher kept me in for 30 minutes after Guard dogs can keep out intruders and
school as a punishment for not doing my other unwanted guests.
homework on time. Locks are one simple way to keep strangers
Criminals are kept in prisons in order to out of your home
protect society.
134 135
K Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs K
keep up
1. to maintain (standards, a level of activity) 2. key in
to go at the same speed to enter data (into a computer) by typing
My boss told me to keep up the good work. Keying in data to a computer is very tedious.
Its difficult to keep up with a professional Many companies get workers in India to key
long distance runner. in routine corporate information.
keep up with kick off

to be up-to-date with (news, information) 1. to start (soccer, ball games) 2. to start
I read the newspaper to keep up with news The game kicks off at seven pm, so get a
about the world. move on and sit down.
My secretary keeps me up to date with The meeting will kick off in five minutes.
changes in my schedule.
136 137
K Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs L
kick out last out

to expel; to drive out to endure; to survive
o Customers who get very drunk in bars will o The patient is too weak to last out another
be kicked out. operation.
o The school has kicked out two students for o The food will be enough for the poor family
cheating in their exams. to last out this winter.
laugh off
to dismiss with laughter
o Jack laughed off suggestions that he was
lazy although at heart he realized that he
was.
o I always laugh it off when someone makes
fun of me but secretly I get very upset.
138 139
L Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs L
launch out on lay in

to embark on; to start (a new project) to hoard; to store for future use
o The large company decided to launch out o Many animals survive the long winter by
on a new project to save money. laying in a lot of food during the summer.
o The mountaineer launched out on his o I believe that its important to lay in enough
attempt to climb Everest. material to be sure that we will be able to
finish the project easily.
lay down
to prescribe or enforce (a law, rules) lay out
o The headmaster laid down the rules to the 1. to display by opening out 2. to plan or design
naughty schoolchildren by giving them all a (a building, a book) 3. to invest or contribute
good stern talking to. funds (to a project)
O The government is responsible for laying O The street-vendor laid out his wares on the
down the countrys rules. pavement but was soon told to move on by
the police.
o The government laid out millions of pounds
to host the Olympics.
140 141
lead off leak out

to begin (by initiating action) to be gradually revealed (of news, a secret)
The f irst group of soldiers led of f the The poisonous material leaked out of the
thousands of troops marching along the containers buried deep underground.
road. The senior government official hoped that
Usually passengers seated in the rear of the his secret would not leak out!
plane lead off when it is time to board.
leave behind
lead (up) to to forget (st somewhere); to go away without
to cause; to produce (as a result); to prepare the Oh no! Ive left my son behind at home! Ill
way for have to call the nanny.
Bobs careless attitude led to his dismissal at Lucy decided to leave England behind and
work. emigrate to Australia.
Years of preparation led up to Beijings very
successful Olympic Games.
142 143
leave off let in

to stop (doing st) to allow to enter
Terry decided to leave off working on the The door lets in a lot of draughty cold air
project until tomorrow. during the winter.
Can you leave off bugging me?! Im trying to Would you please open the window to let in
work! some fresh air?
let down let off

1. to lower 2. to disappoint; to fail (sb) 1. to excuse (sb), to allow (sb) to go unpunished
I let my wife down badly by having an affair 2. to allow to explode; to detonate or light
with another woman. (fireworks)
The salesman let down the hanging jacket The farmer let of f the young boys that
so the customer could have a look at it. he caught stealing apples with a strong
warning.
In England many people celebrate Bonfire
night on Nov 5th by letting off fireworks.
144 145
let on lie down

1. to allow to board 2. to intimate (to reveal a 1. to lie in a horizontal position 2. to rest in bed
secret) Many people in Spain and Latin America
If I tell you a secret about Jane, will you often lie down in the afternoon for a siesta.
promise you wont let on? If you are sick it is best to have a lie down in
The conductor gave a signal for the driver to order to recover.
let the passengers onto the train.
light up
let out 1. to illuminate brightly 2. to light a cigarette
1. to release; to allow to go out or leave 2. to The wonderful Christmas tree lit up the
reveal; to divulge 3. to lengthen (a garment) room with a colorful glow.
After 20 years in prison the man was finally Henry lit up his cigarette and inhaled slowly,
let out. allowing curls of smoke to wind lazily from
My shirt is too tight; can you alter it and let it his mouth.
out for me please?
146 147
line up live through

1. to form a line; to stand in line 2. to have ready to survive despite difficulty
The busy salesman had already lined up ten Many older people in Europe lived through
meetings for the next week. World War Two.
People hoping to buy train tickets at Spring In Sichuan province everyone lived through
Festival had to line up for hours. the terrible earthquake of 2008.
live on live up to
to have as food or income to reach the expected standard
My friend seems to live on junk food! Its not The football teams expensive new player
very nutritious. lived up to expectations, scoring two goals
At university many young people live on an in his first game!
allowance from their parents. Theresa was confident that she would live
up to her new bosss expectations.
148 149
lock up log out

1. to secure (a door, house) by locking 2. to put to disconnect or exit (from a website; a computer
(sb) in prison system)
Dont forget to lock up your bike when you Before he went home Brian didnt forget to
go to school. log out from the company network.
The police locked up the robber for a long I need you to log out from the internet and
time in an effort to protect society. restart the computer please.
log on look about

to make a connection to (a computer network; to look in different places or directions
the Internet) To find the right book you usually need to
To check your email you need to log on to look about in the library for a few minutes.
the internet first. The foreign tourist looked about for a
You can learn more about companies by bathroom more and more desperately.
logging on to their websites.
150 151
look after look back

1. to take care of (sb) 2. to safekeep or guard (st) to look behind one or over ones shoulder
Most conscientious parents work hard to Jason boarded the train without looking
look after their children. back, his work was done and it was time to
Could you look after my dog for me while Im move on.
away on holiday please? When reversing a car remember to look back
before starting the manoeuvre!
look ahead
to plan for the future look back on
The boss looked ahead for a good performance to recall; to call up memories of
after a disappointing last quarter. We often look back on our childhood with
Im looking ahead with eagerness at the happy memories and nostalgia.
prospect of getting a promotion next year. Dont look back on your mistakes, think
about the future and try to improve yourself.
152 153
look down look for

to lower ones gaze to seek; to try to find
If you are standing high up, dont look down Hello, Im looking for a book shop, can you
if you suffer from vertigo! assist me please?
From the top floor of the skyscraper it was The single girl was looking for an eligible
possible to look down on all of New York. boyfriend.
look down on look forward to

to scorn; to deprecate to eagerly await some future event
Many people look down on those who are People always look forward with expectation
less fortunate, like the homeless. to a forthcoming holiday.
Parents ought to teach their children not to David looked forward to his date with the
be snobbish and look down on others. beautiful girl whom he had initially been
introduced to through an acquaintance.
154 155
look into look out

1. to look inside (through a window) 2. to 1. to look outside (through a window) 2. to be
investigate; to examine more closely careful; to proceed with caution
The fortune-teller looked into her crystal The children looked out of the window as
ball and told me my fortune. the foreign man walked past.
The policeman promised that hed look into The fireman shouted Look out! as the house
my cars disappearance as soon as possible. began to collapse.
look on as look over

to consider or regard (sb) as to inspect; to scrutinize
The student looked on her professor as a Edward told his boss that he would look
leading expert in his field. over the report before tomorrow morning.
John looked on in shock and horror as the The new laws require manufacturers to look
thief stole a ladys bag. over their products several times before
they go on sale.
156 157
L Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs M
look up to mail in
to respect; to revere (as superior) to send by mail
Young boys always look up to their older Robert mailed in his application to enter the
brothers although sometimes this is rather competition to win the new car.
misguided. You need to mail in your CV before you can
Good bosses will make their staff look up to get a job interview.
them naturally
make into
to convert; to transform (into)
The child made his toy blocks into a big
castle and his mother marvelled.
John made some red card into a Valentines
card for his girlfriend.
158 159
M Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs M
make off miss out

to escape; to run away to overlook; to omit
The robbers made off with several bags of Helens boss was angr y because shed
money from the bank. missed out an important part of her report.
The prisoner made off from prison through Short boys are always missed out when the
a hole in the fence. coach picks the school basketball team.
meet with mistake for

to have (st) adverse happen to (sb) to mix up (one person for another)
The Government met with a lot of resistance I mistook my friend Sarah for her identical
when it proposed an unpopular idea. twin sister Emily at a recent party.
We hope that we wont meet with any angry At night it is easy to mistake one person for
customers when we are at work. another if one is not vigilant.
160 161
M Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs M
mix up move on
to confuse; to mistake (one thing for another) 1. to move to another place 2. to change to a
Mark mixed up his papers because he was in different subject
a rush and chaos ensued. The traveler knew that it was time to move
I often mix up the many different subway on when the clock struck twelve.
lines in London and as a result I often end up Adam knew that it was wise to move on
in the wrong destination. from talking about the difficult subject.
move into move out

to occupy a home and place ones possessions in it to leave a home and take ones possessions away
William and Emma couldnt hide their In a housing contract you must usually give
eagerness to move into their new house. your landlord a months notice before you
Sometimes we need to wait for the current move out.
tenants to leave before we can move into a Could you possibly help me move out next
new apartment. week please?
162 163
N Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs O
narrow down open up

to reduce (to just a few people, suspects) to make accessible (to development, visitor) 2.
T he Police narrowe d down the lis t of to talk freely
suspects to just two people. It has been more than thirty years since the
At university we narrow down what we wish start of Deng Xiaopings policy of reform
to study to a just few subjects. and opening up.
Af ter several long moments of silence
note down H a nn a h f i n a ll y o p e n e d u p a b o u t h e r
problems to Rob.
to (briefly) write down
Usually someone needs to note down the
minutes from every meeting.
T h e d o c to r n ote d d ow n his p ati e nt s
problems during the consultation.
164 165
P Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs P
pack up pass along

1. to pack; to prepare luggage (for moving or to distribute (st, by passing it from one person to
going on vacation) 2. to stop work 3. to break the next)
down; to stop functioning (of a machine) Id like you to pass along this message to
Most people pack up and leave work at the Director, said my manager.
about 6pm. At th e b e ginnin g of th e m e e tin g th e
Much to his consternation, Alfs car packed secretar y gave me thir t y copies of the
up while he was driving across the desert. agenda and asked me to pass them along to
everyone.
part with
to get rid of (st), by selling, giving or throwing it pass away
away to die
It was hard for Jane to part with her mothers Whilst young people may feel invincible,
ring but she had to pawn it. there comes a time when we shall all pass
Most children part with their toys when they away.
reach teenage years. Darren took some time off work after his
father passed away.
166 167
pass back pay back

to return (st) by passing 1. to repay; to return a loan 2. to take revenge on
The footballer passed the ball back to his (sb)
defence. Much to my dismay, after five years I am still
Trevor passed Bill the packet of cigarettes paying back my car loan to the bank.
back after taking one. Could you pay back that money you owe me
please as its very overdue?
pass over
to not consider (for promotion) pay off
Dave was disappointed that once again his 1. to pay (st) in full; to settle (a debt) 2. to be
boss passed him over for promotion. successful; to be worthwhile; to yield good results
(of an investment, a venture)
If you dont work hard perhaps your boss
will pass you over for a raise. You should pay off your credit card every
month to avoid paying interest.
Learning English certainly pays off in China
because you can get a much better job.
168 169
pay out phase out

1. to disburse; to pay money 2. to slacken; to let to remove gradually, in stages
out (a length of rope) Now that blue-ray is available many people
Many companies pay out the costs of travel believe that DVDs will be phased out.
to their salespeople. The manager decided it was time to phase
The sailor paid out the rope carefully until out the older equipment in his factory.
he felt the anchor hit the seabed.
pick out
pension off 1. to choose; to select 2. to discern; to distinguish
to dismiss (a worker) with a pension Rachel picked out a couple of lovely dresses
Companies often pension off their older for her holiday.
staff. The old lady had difficulty picking out the
Ruth was worried that her boss would man who robbed her.
pension her off in favor of a younger worker.
170 171
pile up
1. to stack (one thing on top of another) 2. to
build up; to accumulate (work, bills, orders)
o Pile up the boxes over there please in rows
of five.
o Efficient workers dont let their work pile up
on their desk.
Sr -
i
.
pile up
172 173
plug in pour in
to connect (one electrical device to another, to enter in large numbers (of people)
using a plug) o As soon as the gates opened hundreds of
o Remember to plug in the mouse to your PC. people poured into the stadium to watch
o Soon they will make a battery-charger that the match.
plugs into every mobile phone. o During the down pour, rain came pouring in
through the hole in the tent.
point out
pour out
to remark; to draw attention to
to leave in large numbers (of people)
o At school the cleverest pupils can always
point out the correct answer first. o People came pouring out of the burning
building.
o The policeman pointed out the correct route
for the confused tourists. o The secretary poured out cups of tea for
everyone attending the meeting.
174 175
press on pull away

to continue with determination to start moving (of a vehicle) or driving (of a
The explorer felt determined to press on driver)
even though the going was very tough. The racing car pulled away slowly at first and
Geoff knew that to finish his work hed need then gathered speed very quickly.
to press on until late at night. Drivers should check their mirrors before
print out they pull away.
to print (a document) on a desktop printer

pull in
connected to a computer
1. to enter (a station) or stop (at the roadside) 2.
By reading emails on the screen we can
to attract; to draw (crowds, an audience)
avoid printing out unnecessary documents.
Helen noticed that her fuel was running low,
Most office workers print out lots of work
so she pulled into the nearest petrol station.
related documents each day.
The hot new band pulled in a huge crowd to
their concert.
176 177
pull out push in

1. to remove or extract 2. to leave; to abandon (of to get into line before others; to jump the queue
troops, of a project) In the West it is considered bad manners to
After giving him an anesthetic, the dentist push into a queue.
pulled out his patients rotten tooth. If everyone avoids pushing in and waits
The army pulled its troops out of the country patiently queues dont last as long.
after peace was certain.
put across
pull up to convey (a message); to make (a message)
1. to move (st) closer (a chair) 2. to stop (a understood
vehicle) If people dont speak the same language
David politely pulled up a chair for his date they must use body language to put across
as they sat down for dinner. their meaning.
Fred pulled up his car quickly when he heard Greg had to shout to put across his meaning
a strange noise coming from beneath the above the din in the busy pub.
bonnet.
178 179
put aside put down

1. to place (st) to one side; to set (st) down 2. to 1. to lower and place on a level surface 2. to
leave (a task, a duty) for a later date 3. to save crush; to quash (a revolt) 3. to write down 4.
(money) to criticize; to belittle 5. to make a deposit or
Most people put aside some of their salary advance payment
into a pension fund every month. The King put down the peasants revolt
Ellen decided to put aside her current task without mercy.
until she had more time later that day. Mark put down the glass vase carefully in
order to prevent any damage.
put back
1. to replace; to return (a book) 2. to retard (a put forward
clock) 1. to propose; to suggest (an idea) 2. to
After she saw the price, Monica quickly put advance (a clock)
back the expensive dress onto its rack. I got a bonus from my company after I put
Air travelers traveling west must put back forward a good idea to my boss.
their clocks and watches to the correct time. Dont forget to put forward your clock when
you go on holiday far away.
180 181
put in put on
1. to submit; to enter (a request, a claim) 2. 1. to place (clothes) on ones body 2. to
to invest or spend (time) 3. to call; to make a produce; to stage; to perform (a show) 3. to
stopover (of a ship) switch on (a light) 4. to gain (weight)
If you have medical insurance you can put When getting up in the morning we put on
in a claim for the costs of treatment when clothes after washing.
youre ill. Its considered rather impolite to tell people
Pe o p l e w h o p u t i n p l e nt y o f t i m e to that they have put on weight.
improving their English improve fastest.
put through
put off to connect (a caller, to the recipient of a
1. to postpone 2. to discourage; to deter 3. to telephone call)
switch off (a light) 4. to distract Secretaries can put you through to anyone
Its an old adage but very true- dont put off at their company.
till tomorrow what you can do today. If you dont know someones number,
The dogs incessant barking put the cat off directory enquiries can put you through.
from entering the garden.
182 183
P Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs Q
put up with quiet down

to endure (st); to bear; to tolerate (sb) to become less noisy
The manager put up with Bobs lateness Would you please quiet down, Im trying to
because he was a very skilled employee. work!
Most parents will not put up with their In the librar y you should quiet dow n
childrens disobedience. otherwise you will annoy others.
184 185
R Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs R
reach out reckon on

to stretch ones arm out (to grasp st) to depend on; to count on
The basketball player had to reach out to The boxer didnt reckon on his opponents
grab the stray ball. sudden attack.
John reached out too far to pick an apple You can always reckon on your family to
from the tree and in doing so fell off the help you at a difficult time.
ladder.
ride off
read out to leave (on a bicycle, on horseback)
to read aloud The cowboys rode off to another adventure
At school assembly the headmaster usually on their horses.
reads out a notice to the students. After work finished, Ann rode off homewards
Most doting parents enjoy reading out a on her bicycle.
bedtime story to their children.
186 187
ride out rise up

to survive; to endure (a storm) to rebel; to revolt
The farmers rode out the drought by storing The masses rose up against the corrupt
some of last years food. government.
Sailors ride out storms by lashing down all The students rose up in protest against their
equipments on their boat and hoping for mean teacher.
the best.
roll in
ring off to appear or to enter in large numbers
to hang up; to put down the telephone The careless student rolled in for his lesson
At the end of the call Lucy rang off and fifteen minutes late.
continued working. The black clouds rolling in from the sea
Nick had to ring off from the call with his showed that a storm was coming.
girlfriend because it was getting late.
188 189
roll out rope into

to launch; to present (a new product) to be persuaded or pressured (to do st)
Mobile phone companies roll out many new Georges friends roped him into reluctantly
phones every year to create interest. agreeing to go sailing.
Companies spend much time testing new We can usually rope our friends into helping
products before they are rolled out general us move house.
consumers.
rough out
root out to outline; to make a rough draft of
to find and destroy My manager roughed out his wishes for
The secret agent was told to root out the spy what he wanted us to do that day.
in his government. The architect was able to rough out a design
With any luck, the doctors will root out the for his clients new building.
cause of your illness.
190 191
round up run away

to herd (livestock) together; to gather (people) 1. to flee; to escape 2. to run out of control
together If you see a tiger in the wild, youd better run
Shepherds in the UK use specially trained away!
dogs to round up their sheep even today! Many youngsters run away from home to
Please could you round up the people who get attention from their parents.
are joining the meeting as it is starting soon.
run out of
run after to be left with no supplies of (st)
to chase; to pursue A lot of scientists fear that the Earth will run
The policeman ran after the shoplifter after out of oil this century.
seeing him stealing CDs from a store. When taking a long journey by car it s
My Dog often runs after cats when it sees advised that you carry extra fuel in case you
them despite anything I tell it. run out.
192 193
R Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs S
rush in sail away

to enter (a room) quickly to leave (by sailing; by sea) (of a ship or person)
Hearing the babys cries, her parents rushed No one had dry eyes when they watched the
into the room to see what the matter was. sailors sail away to war.
As soon as the doors to the metro train After picking up its cargo the giant container
opened a swarm of people rushed inside. ship sailed away from China to America.
rush out save up

to leave (a room, an interior) quickly to save or accumulate money (for use at a later
If you try to take honey from a beehive date)
without sending them to sleep with smoke, Im saving up to buy a new car, Geoff told
they will rush out to sting you! Andy. Wow, thatll take ages! Andy said.
When there is a fire we are always advised to There are special high-interest accounts for
walk rather than rushing out in case we fall people who plan to save up.
over.
194 195
S Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs S
scare off see about

to frighten (sb) to keep them away 1. to attend to (st) 2. to consider (a prospect, an
Farmers often use old clothes to make a idea, a suggestion)
scarecrow for their field to protect crops by My boss told me that she would see about
scaring off birds. implementing my new ideas before next
A lot of people keep a dog to scare off month.
potential burglars. You should remember to see about opening
a window for dogs in cars on hot days.
seal off
to block (an entrance or area) to prevent anyone see off
entering or leaving to accompany (sb about to depart)
Upon hearing of an imminent terrorist Julies father went to the airport to see her
attack, Jack called in the FBI to seal off an off as she emigrated to America.
entire city block. A gentleman will always see off his girlfriend
Security guards seal off buildings to all back to her home before going home
except those who should be there. himself.
196 197
seek out sell out

to seek and find 1. to have sold all (of ones stock); to have
Special unmanned planes seek out and exhausted (suppliers) 2. to sell a share in a
report on the location of terrorists with no business
risk to human life. I tr i e d to b u y a p h o n e c ard f ro m th e
Dan spent half an hour seeking out the right convenience store, but unfortunately theyd
ingredients that he needed to cook a special sold out.
dinner for his fiances parents. The old director sold out his share in the
business to give him a nice nest-egg for his
sell off retirement.
to remainder; to sell (ones entire stock) cheaply
send back
Big companies sometimes sell of f
underperforming parts of the business to to return (st) to its place of origin
cut costs. If your VISA expires, the country youre in
In January its normal for most high-street will send you back to your home country.
shops to sell off the old stock to start the My sister asked you not to forget to send
New Year. back your reply to her message, I said to my
friend.
198 199
send out set aside

1. to distribute or send (by mail) 2. to emit; to to keep for later use
transmit; to convey (a signal, an impression) Wendy set aside the supermarket coupons
At Christmas time many companies send out to save money the nex t time she went
Christmas cards to their customers. shopping.
Do you see that girl over there? I said Wise travelers set aside some water for their
to John. Shes sending out some serious bag, because you never know what might
signals that she likes you! happen when youre hiking.
set about set back

to start (doing st) 1. to check or stop the progress of 2. to cost (sb a
In the autumn many animals, such as large amount of money)
squirrels, set about storing food for the The boss set back the latest research when
winter. she realized there were some problems.
After he got paid Henry had enough cash to Wow, how much was your Porsche Freddy?
set about repairing his homes roof. asked Sarah. It set me back a pretty penny I
can tell you! Freddy replied.
200 201
set forth settle down

to expound to quiet and calm down, particularly in a new
The professor set forth his thesis meaning environment
to his students. Kathy wanted nothing more than to settle
A cleric will set forth the word of God to all down with a nice guy.
of his followers. It takes a year or so to settle down in a new
country when you move abroad.
set in
to start, and seem likely to continue; to become settle in
established to become accustomed to and comfortable with
We need to treat wood to resist water before (a new environment or routine)
rot can set in after it rains. I hope youll do all you can to help our
Doctors advise us to eat well and exercise new colleagues settle in, said my boss in
regularly before bad-habits set in. his address to the company following our
takeover.
A cat needs to be locked into the house for
a week or two following a move in order to
settle in comfortably.
202 203
shave off
to remove all hair by shaving
. $$$ $$
In the summer its better to shave off your
hair as it can get hot and uncomfortable. &
Men usually shave off their beard in an effort 03 ES
to look clean and tidy.
shell out
to pay for st
After her laptop broke, Sheila had to shell
out a lot of money for a new one.

In some shops selling fragile things such
as ornaments, you should be careful not to
break anything as the owner will make you
shell out for the damaged goods!
shell out
204 205
shoot down shop around

to cause (a person, an airplane) to fall down by to go to different stores in order to get the best
shooting buy, or the best value for money.
Hunters like to shoot down ducks, pheasants Clever shoppers will always shop around
and pigeons with a shotgun. before deciding to buy something.
Britain achieved air superiority in the War The internet truly is a shoppers friend as it
by shooting down more enemy planes than allows us to shop around for anything these
they lost. days.
shoot out show off

to emerge very quickly 1. to show; to display 2. to boast; to display so as
The greyhounds shot out of their traps like to elicit admiration
rockets as soon as they opened. Adam always showed off his language skills
Kids shoot out of school when the final bell by speaking Chinese in front of his friends.
goes. The jewelers had a beautiful display in
the window to show off their collection of
diamonds.
206 207
shut down sign up (for)

to switch off, close and prevent from working (a to register (for) or take part (in) (a study course,
machine, a factory) an activity)
Remember to shut down your PC and tidy As soon as he was 18 Jason signed up for the
your desk before you leave work. Army.
In the summer, electricity shortages across The government encourages everyone to
China cause many factories to shut down for sign up for blood donation in order to keep
temporarily. enough stocks to help the sick.
shut up simmer down

1. to put (st) away in a safe place 2. to close all of to calm down (after being angry)
the doors and windows 3. to stop talking The teacher shouted for the boys to simmer
After realizing that she had given away a down after they started arguing during the
secret Emily shut up quickly. football match.
The TV weather forecast informed everyone To simmer down when angry its helpful to
that a storm was coming, so we shut up all take a few deep breaths and count to 10.
of the windows and doors of the house as
fast as possible.
208 209
single out sit back

1. to choose (sb) from among other people (often: to relax; to sit and do nothing
to pick on them) 2. to choose (st) from among Long flights can be boring. Its best just to sit
other things; to identify (as the cause of st) back, relax and get some sleep if you can.
o The Maths teacher singled out ten of his o We hope that students at WSE can sit back,
best students to take part in the local Maths enjoy their studies and take a break from
competition. their busy lives.
o Our IT manager singled out the cause of the
problem as being a virus in our network.
sit around
to sit lazily, without doing anything productive
o In very hot countries people often sit around
during the day, but then work hard in the
evening when its cooler.
o W h a t a r e y o u d o i n g s i t t i n g a r o u n d
when theres work to be done, my father
exclaimed angrily.
210 211
sit down
to become seated; to lower oneself into a seat
There is always a rush to sit down in the
metro before someone else gets the seat!
It is polite to allow ladies to sit down first at
V
dinner before sitting down yourself.
sit on
o
to be a member of (a board, a committee)
He is very rich. He sits on the board of three
companies, you know.
Many older members of the community sit
on neighbourhood committees who meet
to decide on changes which help everyone
have a more comfortable environment.
sit back
212 213
sit up slow down

1. to sit upright, with ones back straight 2. to not 1. to lose speed; to move gradually more slowly 2.
go to bed 3. to be alert; to take careful notice to cause to lose speed
Little Bobbys mother sat up all night waiting The puncture we picked up driving over the
for him after he went missing. sharp stones soon slowed down the car.
When he heard the scary noise, Alan sat up Trains always slow down when passing
in bed and was unable to get back to sleep through residential areas for safety reasons.
for quite a while.
snap up
size up to buy (stock, goods) quickly
to judge the value of (sb or st) During the January sales many people from
The two boxers circled each other slowly in Guangdong province head to Hong Kong to
the ring, sizing up each of their opponents snap up bargains.
strengths and weaknesses. As soon as famous artworks come on the
A teacher must quickly size up the students market, buyers snap them up for enormous
in their class in order to help with any sums of money.
problems that may occur.
214 215
sneak out soften up

to leave quietly or unnoticed; to leave without 1. to weaken enemy resistance by bombardment
being seen 2. to render (sb or st) more compliant through
Knowing that his team was losing, Jerry attrition.
sneaked out of the stadium before the final The brigadier ordered an artillery barrage
whistle to beat the rush of traffic. to soften up the enemy ranks before the
To burglars, sneaking out with the goods is assault.
as important as getting in to steal them in Jack softened up the suspected terrorist
the first place! with his fists before resorting to drugs in
order to find out the location of the nuclear
soak up device.
1. to absorb 2. to relish; to thoroughly absorb or
assimilate (a topic, the sun) sort out
Sponges are great for washing with as they 1. to sort; to classify 2. to solve (a problem)
soak up soap and water easily. People enjoy sorting out puzzles because
Many children really enjoy schoolwork. its very relaxing.
They just sit back and soak up all of the If there are problems at work, managers are
information. usually required to sort them out with their
superior experience.
216 217
speak out speed off

to speak freely; to voice ones opinion to leave or move away very rapidly
Many Chinese students are a little shy, but At the start of the race, the cars all sped off
we encourage them to speak out and enjoy to round the first corner.
conversations in English. Hearing the hunters movement the deer
The politician was criticized for speaking out sped off across the forest clearing causing
against his own party. him to miss his shot.
speak up speed up
to speak louder to accelerate; to increase the speed of
Sometimes we need to speak up when The driver pressed the accelerator harder
talking to senior citizens as they are a little and felt the car lurch as it began to speed
deaf. up.
Teachers often have a sore throat because Hey! You need to speed up or we will miss
they need to speak up all day long. the train!
218 219
spell out spur on

1. to spell a word by saying each letter clearly to encourage; to cheer on
and separately 2. to state (st) clearly and in detail The football fans sang louder and louder in
When you are going through immigration order to spur on their team.
in the airport, the customs officer may ask The teacher hoped that his encouraging
you to spell out your name if you cant speak remarks would spur on his class to work
English. harder and get a great result in the
If you cant make someone understand your forthcoming examinations.
meaning, you might need to spell it out to
them using body language as well! spy out
to discover (st) by spying
spin out
The secret agent spied out his target by
to make (a talk, a visit) last longer looking through the keyhole of his hotel
The lecturer spun out his talk by asking for door.
the delegates opinions towards the end. The kids spied out their mothers last box
Children will often try to spin out time in the of cookies by searching through the pantry
evening before being sent to bed by being when she wasnt looking.
naughty.
220 221
stand around stand out

to stand lazily and aimlessly to be prominent; to be conspicuous
If you miss the metro, theres nothing one Parents hope that their kids will work hard
can do other than to stand around and wait and stand out at school.
for the next one. Michael Phelps really stood out in the Beijing
There are of ten many people standing 2008 Olympics by winning 8 gold medals.
around outside a concert trying to hear
something. stand to
to be liable to; to be likely to
stand in for
It stands to reason that if you practice
to substitute for (sb) speaking English a lot with foreign teachers,
After he was sent off for holding the ball your English will improve!
outside of his area, the defender nervously If the England football team keeps winning,
stood in goal for his goalkeeper. they stand to win the World Cup again soon!
Many schools have a regular supply teacher
who stands in for any of their unavailable
full-time teachers.
222 223
stand up to
1. to withstand (pressure, wear-and tear) 2. to
face bravely; to resist (an attack) c
The allies stood up to heavy pressure from
*
their enemies during the War, but they never
surrendered!
A good pair of jeans will stand up to years of o
use before wearing out.
o
stand up to
224 225
start off stay in

1. to start; to begin 2. to leave; to start (a journey) to stay at home
If you are camping, you should start off Most people decide to stay in if the weather
setting up camp before it gets dark as its is bad.
safer that way. When Im tired I prefer to stay in rather than
The starters gun fired a loud report, starting going out until late.
off the race.
stay out
stay away to remain outdoors; to not return home
to not attend; to be absent; to remain at a If you go to a nightclub you might stay out
distance until 5 or 6 in the morning!
The child who caught flu was told to stay Parents always tell their children not to stay
away from school to protect the other out too late if they go to a party.
students.
I prefer to stay away from funerals, because
theyre very melancholy.
226 227
stay up step out

1. to continue upright; to stop falling 2. to stay 1. to leave; to go out 2. to lengthen ones stride;
awake; to not go to bed to walk quickly
Its amazing that so many ancient buildings If you need to leave a meeting in a hurry, its
have stayed up for thousands of years in polite to ask your boss if you can step out for
Egypt! a moment.
Sometimes young children are allowed to Soldiers always step out in time together
stay up by their parents on special occasions. when theyre marching.
step in step up
1. to enter (by walking) 2. to intervene (to solve a to increase (the pace of); to speed up (a
problem to break up an argument) process)
As the rain began to pour, Linda stepped in The hikers stepped up their pace so they
to the doorway of the nearest shop to stay could reach the campsite by nightfall.
dry. The factory stepped up production to meet
In a boxing match, the referee will often step their customers exacting deadline.
in and end the fight if one of the boxers gets
too hurt.
228 229
stick out stick up for

1. to project; to be conspicuous 2. to endure (st) to support; to stand up for
to the very end Its normal for older brothers and sisters to
The new students at the school stuck out stick up for their younger siblings at school.
because they didnt know where anything Many gamblers find it exciting to stick up for
was. the underdog when placing bets.
Bob stuck out his tedious and stressful job
because the salary was attractive. stir up
to rouse; to incite (trouble)
stick to
The outlaws stirred up all sorts of trouble,
to adhere to; to be consistent with; to follow when they entered the town and started
strictly shooting.
Christians believe that if you stick to the Its best not to spread around gossip, or we
rules of the Bible you will live a good life. might stir up trouble.
Most dangerous jobs, such as being
a f ireman, have strict safet y rules that
everyone must stick to.
230 231
sum up sweep up
to summarize in a few words to collect (dirt, dead leaves) by sweeping into
At the end of a presentation, its important a pan
to sum up the points that we have been Before mopping the floor of your apartment,
talking about. its best to sweep up any dust first.
The minutes of a meeting sum up what was In the autumn many trees lose their leaves.
said and by whom. Keen gardeners have their hands full at this
time, because they need to sweep up the
swallow up leaves regularly to keep the garden tidy.
to engulf; to overwhelm
swell up
Sand threatens to swallow up large parts of
Africa, unless people take more care when to swell; to become larger (of an injury)
creating new farmland and cutting down If you hit your thumb with a hammer, dont
trees. be surprised if it swells up and becomes
Sharks will track their prey by smelling their sore!
blood, swim nearby and swallow them up in The hot air filling a hot-air balloon will
their massive jaws when the time is right. eventually make the balloon swell up and
take off.
232 233
S Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs T
switch off take after

1. to turn off 2. to stop paying attention to resemble; to look like (ones relatives)
These days its important to think about the Dont you think James son takes after him?
environment, so we are reminded to switch They have the same eyes!
off electrical devices when were not using In looks, sons often take after their fathers
them. and daughters their mothers.
Its common for many kids to switch off
and lose interest in lessons as the summer take away
holidays approach.
to remove; to take to another place
switch on Removal companies carefully take away all
of our things to our new apartment.
to turn on
At childrens birthday parties, the parents
Some stereo systems are so complex today, usually prepare a cake and give each of their
that its hard to work out how to even switch childs friends a piece to take away.
them on!
Drivers are reminded to switch on their
headlamps when passing through a tunnel.
234 235
T Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs T
take back take care of

1. to return or take (st) to its place of origin 2. to 1. to safekeep, protect and attend (sb or st) 2. to
retract; to withdraw (a statement, a comment) deal with (a problem)
Realizing that he had hurt her feelings, Jason Many younger people in China will take care
soon apologized. I take back everything I of their parents as they get older.
said to you, he said. The Police are responsible for taking care of
When you rent a DVD, remember to take it any problems that occur in the city.
back to the shop on time or you will get a
fine. take in
1. to carry or lead inside 2. to accommodate
take care and care for (sb) 3. to grasp; to understand
to proceed with caution; to beware (knowledge, facts, idea) 4. to cheat; to deceive
When it rains, its important to take care of
5. to include; to comprise 6. to detain (for
questioning)
where you are walking in case you slip and
fall. Af ter her lecture had f inished, Luc y
If you go into the forest, please take care. I wasnt sure that shed taken in all of the
hear there are bears in there! information.
In Britain, the government funds many
shelters that offer to take in the homeless
and give them food and a bed.
236 237
take off take out

1. to remove (a garment) 2. to leave the ground 1. to carry or lead outside 2. to remove; to
and rise into the air (of an airplane) 3. to extract (teeth) 3. to obtain (a permit, a legal
deduct 4. to progress rapidly; to start off very document) 4. to invite or escort (sb) to a party,
well (of business, sales) 5. to mimic; to parody a restaurant 5. to borrow (a book, from a
o John cursed the heavy rain as he took off his library)
wet trousers and shoes.
o Freddy had been waiting for a chance to be
o Many farsighted entrepreneurs set up alone with Effy for ages. Finally he asked her
internet businesses before they became if he take her out that weekend.
popular, but now their businesses have
taken off as a lot of people like to shop o To her dismay, Alice realized that everyone
online. had already taken out every copy of the
book that she needed for her assignment
from the library.
take on
1. to accept or undertake (responsibilities) take over
2. to recruit or engage (staff) 3. to assume
(proportions, features) 4. to challenge (to a to assume control of
flight, to a contest) o Big companies will sometimes try to take
o The arenas very crowded, because tonight over their smaller competitors in order to
a new challenger is taking on the champion get a greater market share.
wrestler for a shot at winning his belt. During their long road trip across America,
If we get a promotion at work, it usually the friends agreed to take over the driving
means that we will take on extra from each other should they get tired.
responsibilities.
238 239
take to talk away

to develop a liking for (sb or st) to talk at length
o I know its unusual, but our new kitten has o African Grey parrots are so intelligent that
really taken to our dog! they will just talk away for hours.
o It takes a while for the students to take to o The old lecturer was well-known for talking
any new faces at the start of the school year. away for hours.
take up talk down

1. to carry to a higher level (upstairs) 2. to to silence (sb) by taking (louder than them)
pursue; to address (an issue, a matter) 3. to o Dont talk down to me! Alan shouted
occupy (space, time, energy) 4. to start (a angrily to his son.
hobby, a profession) 5. to accept (an offer)
The manager talked down to his bickering
It has been five years since I took up going employees to make them listen.
to the gym, and Ive never felt better!
Since it was late the manager called a close
to the meeting, but promised to take the
matters under discussion up again the
following day.
240 241
talk into tear off

1. to persuade (sb) by talking 2. to obtain (sbs) to detach or remove by tearing (a scrap of
agreement or acquiescence by verbal persuasion paper)
Beware of door-to-door salesmen! Theyll try Gary angrily tore off a scrap of paper from
anything to talk you into spending money. his notebook and scribbled down the
Husbands often struggle to talk their wives telephone number.
into letting them go out with their friends. Dont forget to wait for the driver to tear off
the receipt and give it to you if youre taking
talk out of a taxi.
to dissuade (sb) from a course of action by verbal
persuasion
tell off
The Presidential candidate toured across to scold; to reprimand
the USA to talk voters out of voting for his My mother used to tell me off a lot when I
opponent. was a child, but I was very naughty!
Salespeople have many special techniques Our manager didnt believe our cock and
to t a l k yo u o u t o f b u y i n g f r o m t h e i r bull story about the traffic and told us off for
competitors. being late.
242 243
tell on think out

1. to wear down; to have an onerous effect on 2. to consider (an issue, a problem) thoroughly
to inform against or about (sb) Icarus plan to fly like a bird wasnt very well
The long hours and stress of her new job thought out and ended in disaster when the
was really beginning to tell on Helens face. suns heat melted his fragile wings.
Children who tell on their classmates are Managers are paid a high salary because
usually disliked by others. theyre capable of thinking out solutions to
difficult problems.
tense up
to become tense; to get nervous
throw away
As game time approached, the basketball 1. to discard; to get rid of (garbage) 2. to spoil
players tensed up in anticipation of the or squander (a good opportunity)
contest. In the UK, youll be fined if you throw away
Be careful not to allow yourself to tense rubbish on the street.
up before exams. Stay calm and you will The snooker player cursed his luck when he
perform a lot better. threw away the chance to win the game by
missing the final ball.
244 245
throw down tide over

to throw (st) to a lower level to meet temporary needs in times of (financial)
At the end of another hectic day, Frank hardship
threw himself down onto his bed. My mum lent me some cash to tide me over
Dan, who was working on Rods car, called until pay day.
to Rod from underneath to throw him down You can take a loan out in order to tide
a smaller wrench. yourself over, but try to pay it back quickly
or you will have to pay a lot extra in interest.
throw up
1. to raise (ones arms) suddenly 2. to vomit tidy up
The crowd threw up their arms in unison to tidy completely; to arrange everything neatly
when the star striker scored. Large companies usually have a clean desk
If you eat undercooked food at a barbecue policy where you should tidy up your desk
you might throw up! each evening before going home.
Children are taught to tidy up af ter
themselves at a very young age in the West.
246 247
tie in (with) tighten up

to be related (to); to be connected (with) to make stricter (laws, security)
The clever teacher tied in the lessons topic The government tightened up restrictions
with the grammar point by telling a story on impor ted goods to stimulate the
from his life. domestic markets growth.
You need to tie your points in together After the recent robbery, the department
clearly when you write an essay. store tightened up security around the
clock.
tie up
1. to bind (with string or rope) 2. to keep (sb) busy tip over
The engineer apologized for his lateness, to overturn
explaining that hed been tied up in traffic. Tom yelled for help as his boat tipped over
You can sleep next to the beach if you tie up in choppy seas.
a hammock between two palm trees. Julia drove her car so fast around the corner
that her passengers were worried that it was
going to tip over!
248 249
touch down try on

to land (of an airplane) 1. to try new clothes for size and appearance 2.
The passengers breathed a collective sigh of to try to deceive
relief as the plane finally touched down. If you need to try on clothes you can go to
The Boeing 747, or jumbo jet, is so big that it the changing room.
needs a very long runway in order to touch Beggars will often try everything on to get
down safely. some change from you.
touch on try out

to mention (in passing) to test; to try (st new); to experience for the first
Im not sure what the answer is to the time
question, as the teacher only touched on Its best to try out a new car with a test-drive
the topic during the class. before you buy one.
DJs touch on many topics during their radio In the morning, Alex held his throbbing
show, but never talk about any of them for a head in his hands and regretted having tried
long time. out whisky the night before.
250 251
tune in (to) turn aside

to connect (to a radio station) to suddenly move in a different direction
More than eight million listeners tune in Seeing the large queue, Simon turned aside
to the most popular BBC radio show in the and headed for another entrance.
morning. Fish usually swim in large schools which
These days the delivery man will usually seem like a silver cloud, turning aside at the
tune in a new TV for you. slightest sign of a predator.
turn a(round) turn down

1. to turn to face (sb) 2. to improve the fortunes (of 1. to reject (an offer, an application) 2. to lower
a business) (the volume of sound)
Due to Francescas good management, the Terry was disappointed to see that hed been
companies fortunes slowly turned around turned down for the new position.
and finances finally went into the black. Excuse me, that music is very loud. Could
I tapped my friend on the shoulder and he you turn it down please?
turned around to face me.
252 253
turn on
turn into 1. to connect the power supply to [(st) by pressing
to become (st different) or flipping a switch] 2. to attack suddenly
o Many years of heavy pressure and intense (of a person, a dog) 3. to start behaving in a
heat turns carbon into diamonds. particular way 4. to excite or stimulate
O Pe o p l e s h o u l d b e c a r e f u l to d r i n k i n o An old saying states, Let sleeping dogs lie.
moderation, as too much alcohol can turn This is because a startled dog is likely to turn
you into a monster! on you.
o His life is so boring that nothing turns him
turn off on.
1. to disconnect the power supply to [(st) by
pressing or flipping a switch] 2. to dampen turn to
ones enthusiasm or zeal 3. to change direction; to resort to (sb or st) for help
to deviate or depart from a main route o If you have no one else to turn to, you can
o Sharon found Thomas snoring in bed a real always speak to a holy person about your
turn off. problems.
o By turning off your electrical appliances o After losing all of his money on the stock
at the mains you can save money on your market, Darren turned to a financial advisor
electricity bill. for help.
254 255
U Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs W
use up wait up
to consume; to exhaust (a supply of) to stay out of bed and wait (for sb)
o Humans need to come up with alternative o The children felt so excited about their
sources of energy before we use up the Christmas presents that they waited up
remaining fossil fuels. on Christmas Eve to see Father Christmas
o New laptops use up their battery power a deliver them.
lot more slowly than older models because o Dont wait up; Ill get home very late tonight.
they are much more efficient.
wake up
1. to stop sleeping; to become awake 2. to
awaken (sb); to rouse (sb) from sleep
o The loud crash outside woke up half the
street.
o Quick, wake up! I think I can hear a burglar
downstairs!
256 257
W Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs W
walk around
to stroll; to walk slowly and aimlessly
Dan walked slowly around in circles while he Q
was thinking of the solution.
Many people love to have a relaxing walk
around the park on a sunny day.
walk away
to leave on foot
Dont walk away from me while Im speaking
to you!
Gina grew bored of the street performer and *
walked away.
walk away
258 259
walk on warm up
to continue walking 1. to become warm; to make warm 2. to do
Sometimes its sensible to walk on if we see preliminary exercises before playing sport
trouble, rather than get involved. Before doing exercise in the gym, you
Well get to the town in another hour or two should warm up your muscles because this
if we keep walking on at this pace. will help you avoid injuries.
A quick and easy meal is one that you can
walk out warm up in the microwave.
1. to leave (a room) 2. to leave as a sign of wash out

protest 3. to quit (a job) 4. to terminate (a
relationship) to remove by washing (a stain, dirt)
Finding the lecture quite tedious several John missed the football match because he
students walked out quietly. hadnt washed the mud out of his kit from
last weeks game.
Ray was finding it more and more difficult to
work with his colleagues. Finally he decided Blood is very difficult to wash out of clothes.
to walk out on his job.
260 261
wash up wear down

to wash the dishes to tire (sb); to weaken (sb)
Many people prefer to leave the washing up Franks constant bickering really wore his
until later, but I like to do it straight away. wife down.
Children hate being told to wash up the Eventually the brake discs on cars wear
dishes as part of their chores. down and need to be replaced.
watch out wear off

to be careful; to be cautious to decrease in intensity, to gradually die down (of
You should watch out for dangerous wildlife an effect)
in Australia. After an operation the anesthetic will wear
Rememb er to watch out for any thing off later giving us time to recover.
suspicious when using public transport. The effects of the earthquake in Sichuan are
finally wearing off and now peoples lives are
beginning to return to normal.
262 263
wear out weigh up

1. to deteriorate (after long usage, wear and to consider, to assess, to ponder (options, a
tear) 2. to exhaust (sb) decision)
Gym instruc tors recommend that you There is usually more than one solution to
replace your trainers every year as they will each problem, but we just need to weigh
be worn out even if they look ok. them up and decide which the best is.
After the long run the soldiers were all worn I took ages to weigh up which laptop to buy.
out.
wind down
weigh down to relax (after stressful activity)
to be a burden on (sb) Having a sauna is a great way to wind down
The guilt Sarah felt from being mean to her after a long day at work.
son weighed down on her heavily. In England most men enjoy a beer at the
Disabled people are seen as equals in the pub with friends as a way to wind down.
West and need never worry about weighing
others down.
264 265
wipe out work for

to destroy; to eradicate to act or work in ones favor
The insecticide that farmers use wipes out People are very proud to work for famous
both beneficial and harmful creatures. companies.
Deforestation is quickly wiping out the The new plan works for me, I told my boss
worlds rainforests. happily.
wipe up work on
to clean all of (a stain, dirt) with a cloth 1. to devote time and effort to achieve (st) 2. to
Dont cry over spilt milk, just wipe it up devote time and effort to persuading (sb)
quickly! Sam was glad to see that the time hed spent
To get out a stain easily we should wipe it up working on the project had paid off.
with detergent as soon as possible. Cherry persistently worked on David and
was finally rewarded with a date.
266 267
work out write up

1. to be successful (of a plan, an arrangement) to enlarge on notes; to develop notes into a
2. to solve (a problem) (by careful thought and passage of writing
study) 3. to amount to; to come to (a result, an Employees usually take turns to write up the
amount) 4. to do exercise (to keep fit) minutes from every meeting.
o Its healthy to work out around three times o Writers first plan a new book in note form
per week. and then write it up into the finished article.
o Keith was proud to have worked out all of
the maths problems in his test correctly.
write out
to write (st) in full
o Adam spent many hours writing out his
dissertation at University.
o The boss asked his assistant to write out in
full her findings from the conference.
268 269

Wall Street English - Phrasal Verbs

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P hrasal verbs are key to a mastery of the

Clear layout, simple and straightforward

T he lexicon, which makes up the main

Each entry starts with a phrasal verb, followed

add up allow for

aim for apply for

ask after ask out

beat down bend down

blast off blurt out

bow out break away

branch out break in(to)

bring about bring down

bring back bring off

build on bump off

burn down burst out

butter up call away

buzz off call back

call for care for

carry out catch on

cater for check in

cheer on chew over

close down cloud up

I came across my mother in the supermarket

come back come down with

come down on come in

come on come out with

come through come up against

come up with consist of

consist in cool down

count in count out

cross out cry out

crowd in(to) cut down

cut up dash off

deal with die off

die away die out

dine out do away with

drag on draw back

dress up drive away

drive out dwell on

drop out (of)

ease off eat in

egg on end up (as)

face up to fall behind

fall for feel down

fall through feel up to

figure out fill out

find out finish up

fit out flag down

fix up flesh out

flood into fly away

follow up gamble away

gather up get across

get at get away with

get away get by

get down get into

get down to get on with

get together give away

get up give back

go without hand down

hand round hang on

hang around hang up

have to do with head for