POPULAR PHRASAL VERBS

By
Terry, Seoul - Korea 04/09/2005

ACT UP
Behave of function improperly
I think I need to take my car to the mechanic because its acting up
again.
ADD UP (separable)
Calculate a sum
I added up the receipts and it totaled $135.

ADD UP TO
Equal an amount
The total expenses added up to $350.

ADD UP
Make sense
Her story doesnt add up. I think she is lying.
ASK OUT (separable)
Invite on a date
I cant believe that Joe finally asked me out on a date!
ASK OVER (separable)
Invite to ones home Why dont we ask the Johnson over for dinner?
AIM AT
To try to a achieve sth
I aim at seeing her.

BACK OUT
Not keep (a promise, agreement, deal)
Sam backed out of the agreement at the last second.

BACK*UP+
Give support
You need example to back up your opinion.

BACK UP
Move backwards, reverse
Could you back up a little so I can open this drawer?

BEAR UP
Withstand
I didnt think he would bear up so well in that situation.BEAR WITH
Be patient
Please bear up with me while I fill out the paperwork.

BLOW*UP+
Make explode; destroy using explosives
The terrorists blew the bridge up.

BLOW UP
Explode
The bomb blew up before they could defuse it.

BLOW UP
Suddenly become very angry
When John heard the news, she blew up and rushed out if the room.

BET ON
To expect or feel sure that sth will happen
Shell soon get used to the idea. I bet on it.
BOUNCE BACK ((SYN)) RECOVER
To become successful again after failing or being defeated, especially

quickly and in a determined way

Hes had a lot of problems, but he always seems to bounce back pretty
quickly.
BREAK DOWN
Stop working properly
The truck broke down in the desert.

BREAK DOWN
Become mentally ill
She broke down after her husband died.

BREAK IN
Interrupt
While we were discussing the situation, Terry broke in to give his
opinion.

BREAK INTO
Enter a place unlawfully
The burglar broke in between midnight and 3AM.

BREAK OFF ((SYN)) FINISH

End something
Sally broke her engagement to John off.

BREAK OUT
Appear violently
Violent protests broke out in response to the military coup.

BREAK*UP+
Break into pieces
I broke the cracker up into pieces and put it in the soup.

BREAK*UP+
Disperse (a crowd), stop (a fight)
The police broke the demonstration up before it got out of control.

BREAK UP ((SYN)) SPLIT UP

End a relationship
Sam and Diane broke up again. What a rocky relationship.

BRING*ALONG+
Bring with
When we go to the forest, bring your wildlife guide along.

BRING*OUT+
Highlight, stress
Your new shirt brings out the color of your eyes.

BRING*OVER+
Bring to someones house When you visit me, why dont you bring over
your son?
BRING*UP+
Mention
I didnt want to bring up the fact that she was unemployed.
BRING*UP+
Raise (a child)
Sam was brought up in South Carolina.

BRUSH*OFF+
Ignore something or someone
Mary brushed her ex-boyfriend off at the party.

BUILD UP (TO)
Gradually increased in amount, size or strength
The pressure of the test builds up.
The music builds up to a rousing climax.

BURN*DOWN+
Destroy by setting fire to
The children burned the house down while playing with matched.

BURN UP
Be hot
I am burning up in here open the window.
BURN UP
Consume by fire
The papers were burned up in the fire.

BURN*UP+
Destroy by fire
He burnt up the files.

BUY*OUT+
Buy the shares of a company or the shares the other person owns of a
business
A company from Oregon bought out Pacific Inc.

BUY*UP+
Purchase the entire supply of something
We bought up all the beer in the store.

CALL AROUND/ROUND
To go someones house for a short time to visit them Ill call around my

relatives as soon as I arrive in Wales.

CALL*OFF+
To cancel, to stop an event that has been arranged from taking place,
especially because of a prison
Mary decided to call off her wedding with Max.

CALL*UP+
To telephone
Mary called the priest up to tell him the wedding was off.

CALM*DOWN+
To stop being emotionally distressed
Max was so upset that nothing could calm him down.

CARRY ON
To continue
Eric was not sure if he could carry on any longer.

CARRY STH OUT

To do something that you have organized or planned
Youre a liar! You should have carried out the promise.
CHECK*IN+
To register (usually at a hotel, airport, or hospital)
The terrorist sweated nervously as he checked his baggage in.

CHICKEN OUT
Not to do something because of fear
Terry wanted to ask Sunny out on a date, but he chickened out.

CLEAN*UP+
To clean completely

When living with others it is important to clean up after yourself.

CLEAR OFF
To leave a place quickly
Clear off! Youve no right to be here.
CLEAR OUT
To make a room, tidy and throw away the things in it you dont need
any more Ill clear out my room to greet my friends.
COME ACROSS (inseparable)
To find by chance
As Eric was cleaning up his room he came across Marys phone number.
COME ALONG (no object)
To progress
Things are coming along well at work these days.

COME ALONG (no object)

To accompany someone who takes the lead
Ralph asked me to come along on the trip, but I decided not to.

COME AROUND (no object)

To change ones opinion or position After our long debate, Eric finally
came around to my point of view.

COME BACK (no object)

To return to a place one has been before; to return to a previous activity
Terry left our office, but quickly back after discovering he had left his
keys here.

COME BACK (no object)

To be restored
I was sick and weak, but now I feel better and my strength is coming

back.

COME BACK (no object)

To recall
I think I remember the story. Its all coming back to me now.
COME BY (no object)
To visit informally
I was in the neighborhood so I thought I would come by to see how you
were doing.

COME BY (inseparable)
To obtain (accidentally)
Im not sure how I came by this hat, but Ive had it for years.
COME DOWN (no object)
To descend, fall; go down, from a higher position to a lower one, often to
the ground.
Its been hot all day. Finally the temperature is starting to come down a
bit.
COME DOWN (no object)
To become sick
Max came down with the flu.

COME IN (no object)

To arrive, get in
News came in that next years car models have just come in.
COME IN (no object)
To place in a race or contest
Frank came in second in the Boston Marathon.

COME ON (no object)

To start running, become available

I wish the electricity would come on again. Its dark in here.

COME OUT (no object)
To become known, to come into public view, to debut
The news of the candidates past sexual misconduct came out just before
the election.

COME OUT (no object)

To turn out, result
Everything came out fine in the end.

COME OVER (no object)

To visit casually
Terry and Sunny are coming over to watch football tonight.

COME UP (no object)

To be mentioned
In Terrys conversation with Mary, the topic of their wedding never
came up.
COME UP (no object)
To approach, draw near
Mary came up and introduced herself.

COME UP WITH (inseparable)

Think of and idea, plan, solution, or answer
Max came up with a brilliant idea.

COPY DOWN (separable)

To record in writing
Max told Mary about the idea. She copied it down and sold it to the
highest bidder.

COUNT ON SB
If you can count on someone, you know that they will help you or do
what you want
Im counting on you to help me.
CROSS OUT STH
To draw a line through something that you have written, usually
because it is wrong
Oh, I got a wrong answer. Can I cross it out?

CUT DOWN (inseparable)

To reduce
Terry decided to cut down his alcohol consumption.

CUT STH UP (separable)

To cut sth into small pieces, especially food
My mother cut some biscuits up to put it into the soup.

DO OVER (separable)
Do something again
Oh, no! I forgot to save my report before I turned the computer off!
Now Ill have to do it over!
DRAG ON (no object) Last much longer than expected or is necessary
I thought the meeting would be a short one, but it dragged on for more
than three hours.
DRAW UP (separable) Create a formal document
The Ajax and Tip-Top Banks have decided to merge. Their lawyers will
draw all the official documents up sometimes this month.
DROP OFF (separable) Deliver something deliver someone (by giving
him/her a ride)Yes, I can take those letters to the post office. Ill drop
them off as I go home from work.You dont have to take a taxi. You
live fairly close to me, so Ill be happy to drop you off.

DROP IN (inseparable) Visit informally (and usually without scheduling

a specific time)
If you were in town next month, wed love to see you. Please try to drop
in (on us).
DROP BY (inseparable)
Visit informally
If you were in town next month, wed love to see you. Please try to drop
by the house.
DRAW OUT (separable)
Prolong sth (usually far beyond the normal limits)
I thought that speech would never end. The speaker could have said
everything important in about five minutes, but he drew the speech out
for over an hour!

EAT IN
To eat a meal at home instead of going to a restaurant
Because of the terrible weather, we had to eat in.
EAT OUT (no object)

To eat a meal in a restaurant instead of at home

Im too tired to cook tonight. Why dont we eat out?END UP (no object)
Finally arrive at; arrive at unexpected place
We got lost last night and ended up in the next town.
END UP (no object)

Arrive somewhere as a result or consequence

Youre working too hard. If you dont take it easy, youll end up in the
hospital!
FACE UP TO (inseparable)
Admit to; take responsibility for
You cant pretend that youre doing OK in this course, Joe. Sooner or
later, youll have to face up to the fact that youre failing it.

FALL OUT
To have an argument with someone and stop being friendly with them
I couldnt go out with my girlfriend because I had fallen out with her.
FEEL UP TO (inseparable)
Feel strong enough of comfortable enough to do something
I know the accident was a terrible shock. Do you feel up to talking about
it?

FIGURE OUT (separable)

Logically find the answer to a problem; solve a problem by thinking
about it carefully.
For a long time I couldnt understand the last problem, but I finally
figured it out.
FIGURE OUT (separable)
Understand why someone behaves the way she/he does
I cant figure Margie out. Sometimes shes very warm and friendly and
sometimes she acts as if she doesnt even know me.
FILL IN (separable)
Add information to a form
The office needs to know your home address and phone number. Could
you fill t hem in on this form?
Could you fill in for me?

FILL IN (ON) (separable)

Supply information that someone doesnt know I wasnt able to attend
the meeting yesterday, but I understand that it was important. Could
you fill me in?
FILL IN FOR (inseparable)
Temporality do someone elses work; temporality substitute for another
person Professor Newton is in the hospital and wont be able to teach for
the rest of the term. Do you know whos going to fill in for her?
FILL OUT (separable)

Complete a form by adding required information

Of course I completed my application! I filled it out and mailed it over
three weeks ago!
FILL OUT (no object)
Become less thin; gain weight
Jerry used to be really skinny, but in the last year hes begun to fill out.
FIND OUT (inseparable)
Learn / get information (about)
Im sorry that you didnt know the meeting had been canceled. I didnt
find out (find out about it) myself until just a few minutes ago.
GET ACROSS (separable)
Make something understood; communicate something understandably;
to succeed in making someone understand an idea
Alan is really intelligent but sometimes he has problems getting his
ideas across.

GET ALONG (WITH) (inseparable)

Have a good relationship (with); be friendly (toward)
Why cant you and your sister get along? Everyone else gets along with
her just fine!
GET AROUND (inseparable)
Avoid having to do something
Teresa got around the required math classes by doing well on a math
proficiency test.
GET AROUND (no object)
Move from place to place
She doesnt have a car. She gets around by bicycle, bus, or taxi.
GET BY (no object)
Survive financially in a difficult situation
Its going to be hard to pay the rent now that youve lost your job, but
somehow well get by.
GET IN (inseparable)
Enter a small, closed vehicle

I dont know where Carole was going. She just gets in her car and drove
away.
GET STH DOWN (separable)
To write sth quickly, especially so that you do not forget it.
Could you get your e-mail address down?

GET IN (no object)

Arrive
Do you know what time Freds plane gets in?GET ON (inseparable)
Enter a large, closed vehicle
Im sorry, but youre too late to say goodbye to Angela. She got on the
plane about 20 minutes ago.GET OFF (inseparable)
Leave a large, closed vehicle
When you get off the bus, cross the street, turn right on Oak Street and
keep going until youre at the corner of Oak and Lincoln Boulevard.GET
OFF (separable)
Be excused (for a period of time) from work, class, or other regularly
scheduled activities
Some schools got off Presidents Day off but ours didnt. We had classes
as usual.GET OUT OF (inseparable)
Leave a small, closed vehicle
Theres something wrong with the garbage door opener. Youll have to
get out of the car and open it by hand.GET THROUGH
To succeed in talking to someone on the telephone
Could you get through me the human resource department?
GET OVER (inseparable)
Recover from an illness or painful experience, to begin to feel better after
a shock or an experience that upset you
Katy was really upset when she failed the test. She thought she would
never get over feeling so stupid.
Get over it!
GET RID OF (inseparable)
Dispose of, give away or throw away
That shirt is really ugly. Why dont you get rid of it?GET RID OF
(inseparable)
Dismiss someone; fire someone from a job; cause someone to leave

The treasurer of the XYZ Company was spending too much money so
the company president got rid of him
GET UP (no object)
Leave bed after sleeping and begin your daily activities.
Youll have to get up much earlier than usual tomorrow. We have to
leave by no later that 6:00 AM. I know I wont hear the alarm tomorrow
morning. Can you get me up at 6:00 AM?GIVE UP (separable)
Stop doing sth (usually a habit)
He knows smoking isnt good for his health, but he cant give it up.GIVE
UP (no object)
Decide not to try to solve a problem
Whats black and white and red all over? I give up. What?
An embarrassed zebra!
GIVE STH AWAY
To give sth that you do not want or need to someone, without asking
him or her for any payment.
He gave away most of his money to charity.
GO AFTER
To follow or chase someone, in order to catch him or her, attack them, or
talk to them
You go first; Ill go after you.GO DOWN
If a price or the level of sth goes down, it becomes lower.
The price of oil is going down due to the development of the
transportation.
GO DOWN WITH
To get a particular illness, especially one that you catch from other
people and which isnt serious Our youngest boy has gone down with
flu.
GO OFF
If food or drink goes off, it is not good to eat or drink any more, for
example it has been kept too long and it often smells bad
This milk goes off. We should buy new one.
GO OFF
If an alarm goes off, it makes a sudden loud noise; especially in order to
warn people about sth
Wake up!! The alarm goes off.
GO OUT WITH
Have a date with sb

You went out with Sharon last night, didnt you?GO OVER
To visit someone who lives near you for a short time
Ill go over my friend.GO THROUGH STH
To experience sth, especially a difficult or unpleasant situation, or a
period of time when a lot changes or happens
Hes amazingly cheerful considering all hes had to go through.GO
THROUGH STH
To carefully read or discuss sth, to check that it is correct and acceptable
I always start the day by going through my mail.
She went through the companys accounts, looking for evidence of
fraud.GO UP (RISE)
If a price or the level of sth goes up, it increase
Cigarettes are going up in price.
GO WITH (no object)
Look pleasing together
You should buy that shirt. It will go well with your dark brown suit.
GO WITH (no object)
Date regularly and steadily
Is Gina going with Jim? I see them together all the time.
GOOF OFF (no object)
Be lazy; do nothing in particular
Do you have any special plans for your vacation?
No. Im just going to stay home and goof off.
GROW UP (no object)
Spend the years between being a child and being an adult
Did you know that Frank grew up in Malaysia?
GROW UP (no object)
Behave responsibly; behave as an adult, nor a child (mature)
Lee really irritates me sometimes. Hes really silly and childish. I agree. I
wish he would grow up.
HAND IN (separable)
Submit homework, an assignment, etc.
Youd better get started on your report. You know that you have to hand
it in at 8:30 tomorrow morning!HAND OUT (separable)
Distribute
Why dont you have a course description and list of assignments? The
teacher handed them out on the first day of class.HANG AROUND
(ROUND)

To spend time somewhere not doing anything, for example because you
have nothing to do, or because you are waiting for sth or someone.
You hang around here in case he comes, Ill go on ahead.HANG UP (no
object)
End a phone conversation by replacing the receiver.
Id like to talk longer, but Id better hang up. My sister needs to make a
call.HEAD FOR
to travel towards a place
Where do you head for?
HOLD UP (separable)
Delay
Im sorry Im late. There was an accident on the freeway and traffic held
me up.HOLD UP (separable)
Rob, threaten someone with harm unless he/she gives her/his money
or other valuable things.
Sarah is very upset. When she was walking home last night, two men
held her up and took her purse and jewelry.
IMPROVE ON
To do sth better than before or to make it better than before
Weve certainly improved on last years figures.JACK UP (separable)
Raise (used for prices)
The car dealer bought my old Ford for $750 and jacked the price up to
$1,500 when they sold it.
KEEP AWAY
To not go near a person, place or animal
Keep away from the edge of the cliff.
KEEP ON
Continue (inseparablefollowed by an ing verb) Im not ready to stop
yet. I think Ill keep on working for a while.KICK OFF
If an event kicks off or you kick it off, it starts
What time shall we kick off?
Tom will kick off with a few comments.
KNOCK OUT (separable)
Make unconscious
The boxing match ended when one boxer knocked the other one out.
That medicine really knocked me out. I slept for 14 hours straight!
KNOCK ONESELF OUT (separable)
Work much harder than normal or than what is expected

We completed the project on time because of Terry. He knocked himself

out to be sure we didnt miss the deadline.LAY OFF (separable)
Dismiss someone from a job because of lack work or money (not
because of poor performance)
I feel really sorry Sallys family. Her father was laid off yesterday.LEAVE
OUT (separable)
Forget; omit
Oh, no! When I made the list of those who attended the meeting, I left
your name out!
LET DOWN
Disappoint
I know I let you down when I didnt do what I promised. Im really
sorry.LOOK AFTER
To spend time with someone and make sure that they are safe and have
the things they need, especially a child or someone who is sick.
LOOK AWAY
To turn your eyes away from someone or something so that you cannot
see them
Look away from them! They are real the mob.
LOOK DOWN ON (inseparable)
Hold in contempt; regard as inferior
Its not surprising that Fred has few friends. He seems to look down on
anyone who doesnt like the same things that he does.LOOK FORWARD
TO (inseparable)
Anticipate pleasantly; think about a pleasant thing before it happens
Im really looking forward to vacation. I cant wait for it to begin!LOOK
INTO (inseparable)
Investigate / get more details about something
Someone said there was a meeting at 9:30 but I havent heard anything
about it. Shall I look into it?LOOK LIKE (inseparable)
Resemble (in appearance)
Does he look like his father or his mother?
LOOK OVER (separable)
Check; review
I think I may have some typos in this report. Could you look it over?
LOOK UP (separable)
Find something in a reference work
Im sorry, but I dont know what that word means. Ill have to look it

up.LOOK UP TO (inseparable)
Respect
Everyone looks up to Joyce because she always makes time to help
others.
MAKE FUN OF (inseparable)
Make jokes about (usually unkindly)
I agree that Bob looks ridiculous since he shaved his head, but dont
make fun of him. Youll hurt his feeling.MAKE UP (separable)
Invent / create (imaginary) information
Judys story is hard to believe. Im sure she made it up.MAKE SB UP
(separable)
To put colored creams, powders, etc., onto someones face to change the
way they look.MAKE UP (RETAKE) (separable)
Compensate for something missed or not done by doing extra or
equivalent work
Im sorry I missed the test. May I make it up?MAKE UP (WITH)
(inseparable)
Re-establish a friendly relationship by admitting guilt.
Jack and his girlfriend were very angry at each other, but last night they
finally made up (with each other).
MAKE OUT (Note: often negative) (separable)
See / hear something well enough to understand what it means
Ruths writing is very small. I almost need a magnify glass to make it
out. What were the last two examples that he gave? I couldnt make
them out.MAKE FOR (inseparable)
Go to or toward
Her teen-aged children are always hungry. As soon as they arrive home
from school, they make for the refrigerator.
MAKE FOR (inseparable)
Result in; cause
Many hands make for light work. (If many people work together, theres
less work for everyone.)MARK UP (separable)
Increase the price
Mrs. Whites import shop is profitable because she buys things
inexpensively and then marks them up.MAKR DOWN (separable)
Reduce the price
These shoes were really a bargain! The store marked them down by 40%!
MIX UP (separable)

Cause to become confused

I didnt complete the assignment because I didnt know how. The
directions mixed me up.MOVE OVER
If you ask someone to move over, you are asking him or her to change
his or her position or seat so that there is space for you.
Could you move over a little?
PASS AWAY (no object)
Die
I was very sorry to hear that your grandfather passed away.
PASS OUT (hand sth out) (separable)
Distribute
Everyone in the room needs one of these information sheets. Who will
help me pass them out?
PICK OUT (separable)
Choose; select
Billys grandmother especially liked her birthday card because Billy had
picked it out himself.PICK UP (separable)
Lift; take up
Those books dont belong on the floor. Will you help me picked them
up?PICK UP STH (separable)
To learn how to do sth by watching or listening to other people or by
practicing doing it, rather than by being taught.
Where did you pick up that word?
PICK UP (separable)
Arrange to meet someone and give her/him a ride
Of course we can go there together. What time should I pick you up?
PICK UP (separable)
Get; buy
The children just drank the last of the milk. Could you pick some more
up on your way home this evening?
PITCH IN (no object)
Help; join together to a accomplish something.
Well be finished soon if everyone pitches in.PULL OVER (no object)
Drive a vehicle to the side of the rode
When the policeman indicated that I should pull over, I knew he was
going to give me a ticket.
PUT AWAY (separable)
Return something to the proper place

I just took these clothes out of the dryer. Will you help me put them
away?
PUT STH BACK (separable)
To put sth in the place where it was before
Could you put the diary back? It is a private stuff.
PUT SB DOWN (separable)
To criticize someone in an unkind way that makes them seem stupid or
unimportant, when other people are present
Dont put me down!PUT SB THROUGH (separable)
To connect someone to the person they want to speak to, on the
telephone
Can you put me through human-resource department?
PUT STH OFF (separable)
To delay doing sth until later, or arrange for sth to happen at a later time,
especially because there is a problem, or you dont want to do it now
Weve had to put off our wedding until September. He keeps putting off
going to the dentist.
PUT STH ON (separable)
To put clothes on your body
Hurry up! Put your coat on!
PUT STH ON (separable)
To switch on a piece of equipment
Ill put the kettle on for tea.PUT STH ON (separable)
To make a tape, CD, etc. begin to play
Do you mind if I put some music on?
PUT STH ON (separable)
To become heavier, especially by the amount mentioned
She looks like shes put on weight.PUT STH OUT (separable)
To make a fire, cigarette, or candle stops burning
Firefighters soon put the fire out.
PUT UP WITH SB/STH (tolerate)
To accept an unpleasant situation or someones annoying behavior
without complainingI dont know how she puts up with him. Im not
going to put up with their smoking any longer.READ STH OUT
To read sth and say the words, especially the words or numbers that are
writer in a list, message, etc.
Could you read it out? I havent brought my glasses.RELY ON/UPON
To need or use sth/someone in order to exist or do sth successfully.

You should rely on your own judgment.

You can rely on me to keep your secret.
RIP OFF (separable)
Cheat; take advantage of; charge too much
Dont even think about buying a car there. Theyll rip you off.ROUND
OFF (separable)
Change from a fraction to the nearest whole number
Round all prices off to the closest whole-dollar amounts. For example,
round $33.73 off to $34.00.
RUN AFTER SB/STH
To chase someone or something
Run after him! He is suspected to be a criminal.
RUN INTO (inseparable)
Meet by chance
Yesterday at the supermarket, Jan ran into her former roommate. Before
yesterday, they hadnt seen each other for nearly five years.RUN OVER
SB
To drive over someone especially with the result that they are injured or
killed
Look at! That car ran over the child and drove away.
RUN OUT OF (inseparable)
Use the last of
On the way home from work, Terry ran out of gas.
SAVE UP
To keep money so that you can use it in the future, especially when you
add more money every week, month, etc.
SEE SB OFF (separable)
To go to the airport, train station, etc., to say goodbye to someone who is
leaving
I went to the airport to see my sister off.
SEE THROUGH SB
To realize the truth about sb/sth so that you are not deceived
We saw through him from the start.
I can see through your little game (=I am aware of the trick you are
trying to play on me.)
SET UP (separable)
Make arrangements for something
Youll see Mr. Thomas tomorrow. Ive set a meeting up for 9:30

AM.SELL OUT
If a shop sells out sth, it has no more of that particular thing left to sell
Have you sold the CD out?
SET ASIDE
To keep sth, especially time or money, for a special purpose, or only use
it fir that purpose
Lets set aside this problem.SET BACK (separable)
Cause a delay in scheduling
Weve had some problems with the project that have set us back at least
two days. Well give you a progress report tomorrow.SET OFF
To start to go somewhere
We set off for London just after ten.
SET UP STH
To start a business or organization
A fund will be set up for the dead mens families.SHOW OFF
To try to make other people admire you, by behaving in a way that you
think makes you seem intelligent, skilful, or rich, but in fact is just
annoying or silly
Hes just showing off because that girl he likes is here.SLIP UP (no
object)
Make a mistake
You slipped up here. The amount should be $135.28, not $132.58.
SLOW DOWN
To start to move slowly or to make someone do this
STAND OUT (no object)
Be noticeably better than other similar people or thing
Good job, Ann! Your work really stands out!
SORT OUT STH
To deal with sbs/your own problems in a satisfactory way If you can
wait a moment, Ill sort it all out for you.SPEAK UP
To begin to speak more loudly
Could you speak up a little?
STAND UP (no object)
Rise to a standing position
When the chairperson entered the room, everyone stood up.
STAND UP (separable)
Make a date but not keep it
Angela was supposed to go to the dance with Fred, but she stood him

up and went with Terry instead.

SHOW UP (no object)
Arrive appearThe boss was very upset when you didnt show up for the
meeting. What happened?STAND FOR (no object)
Represent
These letters seem to be an abbreviation. Do you know what they stand
for?
STAND FOR (inseparable)
Tolerate; permit (usually negative)
Im not surprised that Mrs. Johnson rejected your report. She wont
stand for shoddy work.TAKE AFTER (inseparable)
Resemble favor (in appearance) Both my sister and I take after our
father.
TAKE / BRING BACK (separable)
Return
This book is due tomorrow. I guess I should take it back to the library.
Yes, you can borrow my pen, but dont forget to bring it back to me
when youre finished.TAKE CARE OFF (inseparable)
Provide care for watch ones health Lois has been taking care of her
father since he returned home from the hospital
Youve been working too hard lately. Youd better take care of yourself!
TAKE SB OFF (separable)
To copy the way that someone speaks or behaves in order to make
people laugh
He is good at taking out teacher off.
TAKE OFF (separable)
Remove (something youre wearing) Please take your hat off when you
go inside a building.
TAKE OFF (no object)
Leave; depart (often suddenly or quickly)
Was something wrong with Jill? She took off without saying goodbye.
When does your plane take off?
TAKE SB OUT (separable)
To go with someone to a place such as a restaurant, theater or club,
when you are paying for evening, or when you are showing them a
place that they have not been to before
Why dont we take out mother out for her birthday?TAKE UP
(separable)

Begin (a hobby or leisure-time activity)

Do you like to ski?
Ive never been skiing, but I think Id like to take it up.TAKE STH OUT
(separable)
To remove sth from a bag, your pocket, etc
TAKE STH OVER (separable)
To start being responsible for sth or doing a job that someone else was
responsible for before you
TELL OFF (separable)
Speak to someone bluntly and negatively, saying exactly what she/he
did wrong
Julie was really angry with Bob; she told him off in front of all of us.
THINK OF STH (separable)
To find a new idea, suggestion, etc., by thinking about it
Can anybody think of a way to raise money?
Have you thought of a name for the baby yet?
I think of this place as my home.
THINK STH OVER (separable)
To think very carefully about an idea or plan before you decide whether
you will accept it or not agree to it
Ive been thinking over what you said.TIDY STH UP (separable)
To arrange or deal with sth so that it is well or correctly finished
I tidied up the report before handing it in.
THROW AWAY (separable)
Discard; put in the garbage
You shouldnt throw those newspapers away theyre recyclable.THROW
OUT (separable)
Discard; put in the garbage
This food smells bad. Youd better throw it out.THROW UP (usually no
object; with an object, separable)
Vomit
Paul was so nervous about his job interview that he threw up just before
he left for it.
TURN UP
To arrive somewhere. Particularly when you are expected there
We arranged to meet at 7:30, but she never turned up.
TRY ON (separable)
Wear something briefly to check its fit, how it looks, etc.

Im not sure that jacket is large enough. May I try it on?TURN STH
DOWN (separable)
To reduce the amount of sound, heat, etc., produced by a machine such
as a radio or a cooker
He turned the lights down low.
TURN DOWN SB/STH (separable)
To decide not to accept an offer or an opportunity to do sth
Please, dont turn it down.TURN OUT (separable)
To happen in a particular way or have a particular result
Despite our worries everything turned out well.
You never know how your children will turn out!
If the day turns out wet, we may have to change our plans.
WASH STH UP (separable)
To wash plates, dishes, knives, etc., especially after a meal
You didnt wash up the pans.WORK AT STH
To try hard to improve or achieve sth
WAIT FOR (inseparable)
Wait until someone / something arrives or is finished with something
else
When will Kenny be finished with work? Ive been waiting for him for
almost an hour!WAKE UP (no object)
Stop sleeping
I usually wake up around 7:00 AM each day.
WAKE UP (separable)
Rouse someone; cause someone to stop sleeping
I have an important meeting tomorrow and Im afraid I wont hear my
alarm. Will you wake me up at 6:00 AM?WATCH OUT FOR
(inseparable)
Be careful of; be aware of
Theres a school at the end of this block. Watch out for children crossing
the street.If you take that road, watch out for ice during the winter.
WEAR OUT (separable)
Wear something / use sth until it can no longer be worn / be used
I need a new pencil sharpener. I wore this one out.
I suppose o should get some new shoes. Ive almost worn this one
out.WRITE BACK
To reply to a letter that someone sent you, by writing a letter
Im afraid I never wrote back. She wrote back saying that she couldnt

come.WORK OUT (no object)

Exercise (usually in a gym, etc.) to build muscles, body tone, etc.
Instead of eating lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Sheila goes
to the recreation center to work out.
WORK OUT (separable)
Solve a problem / resolve a difficult situation (usually by working
together)
I know we disagree on my points, but I believe we can work things out.
WRAP UP (no object)
Wear enough clothes to keep warm
Its really cold today. Be sure you wrap up when you leave the
house.WRAP UP (separable)
Finish sth; bring sth to a conclusion
Weve been talking about the problems for nearly three hours. I hope
well be able to wrap the discussion up soon.WRITE DOWN (separable)
Record sth in writing
Could you tell me your e-mail address again? I want to write it down.
WEAR ON
To pass, especially in a way that seems slow
As the evening wore on, she became more and more nervous.