Great Phrasals 1

If you ... you think about it for a long time before deciding what to do.

mull sth over

to kill people, usually in large numbers, by shooting them or driving a vehicle into them:

mow sb down

to get away from someone or something that will not stop following you:

shake off

to remove someone or something, such as a name, from a list by drawing a line through it:

cross something off (out)

to disappoint someone by not meeting them or not doing something that you had arranged to do together:

blow somebody out

When something unpleasant..., it begins and seems likely to continue in a serious way:

set in

If a number of different people or things are ......, they are considered as a group rather than separately.

lump together

If you ........ a drink, you put some of it in a cup or glass.

pour out

When you ........ an amount of liquid, you finish it completely.

drink sth up

If you ........ a problem, a mistake, or an embarrassing moment, you try and make it seem unimportant by ignoring it or by dealing with it very quickly.

gloss over sth

If you ... a flame or a candle, you blow at it so that it stops burning.

blow out

(of a tyre) to puncture suddenly, esp at high speed

blow out

If you ... an object or a situation, it remains after you have left a place.

leave something behind

If you ... someone or something ..., you go away permanently from them.

leave somebody behind

If you ... strong feelings, you do not express them or show them, especially when this makes you tense or angry.

bottle up

to remove clothing quickly and easily:

slip off something

If you ... something that you see or hear, you pay a lot of attention to it and enjoy it.

drink something in

If a person or animal ... you, they move towards you in a threatening way and try to attack you.

come at somebody

If people ......, they try to stop that person revealing information which they want to keep secret.

hush somebody up

to finish a supply of something:

use something up

to make a price or amount rise to a higher level

drive something up

If you ... a lie or trick, you believe it or are deceived by it.

fall for something

If you ... someone, you are strongly attracted to them and start loving them.

fall for somebody

If you ..., you continue with a task or activity in a determined way, and do not allow any problems or difficulties to delay you.

press on

to do something because you have been advised or told to do it or because of findings/information

act on

If someone, especially a child, ......, they speak rudely to you when you speak to them.

answer back

to be liable or responsible for (a person's actions, behaviour, etc)

answer for something

If you say that you can ... someone or for a quality that they have, you mean that you know from experience that they can be trusted, or that they have that quality:

answer for somebody

to take orders from, obey, and explain your actions to someone:

answer to somebody

If someone ... you, they ask someone how you are.

ask after somebody

to behave in a provocative manner that is regarded as inviting (trouble)

ask for something

to invite someone to come with you to a place such as the cinema or a restaurant, especially as a way of starting a romantic relationship:

ask somebody out

If the sky ..., the air becomes less clear, especially because of heat:

haze over

Invite them to come from their house to your house

ask somebody over

To take something out (of something or some place) and present it with great alacrity or flourish.

whip something out

If you ... a piece of writing or a speech with unnecessary words or pieces of information, you include them in it to make it longer and hide the fact that you have not got very much to say.

pad out

If something is..., it has been destroyed or damaged in some way.

chew something up

to show how much you admire and like someone, in a way that shows little control

slobber over somebody

to touch someone sexually, especially someone you do not know, for your own excitement:

feel somebody up 🇺🇸 /touch somebody up 🇬🇧

to switch allegiance, as from one political party to another

cross over

If something...+...., it is very noticeable.

stand out

If you...+...., you find, discover, or notice it.

turn something up

If you ...+..... a prize or a trophy, you win it

carry something off

to bring or take something with one; to have something with one and have it handy at all times.

carry something along

When a vehicle or driver... +..., the vehicle slows down and stops.

pull up

If you...+..... a chair, you move it closer to something or someone and sit on it.

pull up

If someone...+.... or if you...+..... yourself...+..., you improve your situation or your skill at something.

pull up

To cause someone to falter, hesitate, or make an error

trip somebody up

To prank, trick, or deceive one. Often used sarcastically to indicate indignation or incredulity. Usually used in the continuous tense. Primarily heard in 🇬🇧

have somebody on

If something such as war, fighting, fire (natural disaster) or disease...... +......., it begins suddenly.

break out

[for a car or other vehicle] to roll backwards over someone or something

back over somebody/ something

To ... +... a building or statue means to deliberately destroy it.

pull something down/ knock down

... +... means to earn a particular amount of money

pull down something

to make a figure or an amount of the cost/price/value of sth etc. lower:

pull down

to become gradually smaller or weaker, or happen less often:

taper off

to give something, especially money to someone, especially when you do not want to:

fork over

to encourage someone to do something stupid or dangerous

put somebody up to something

to include something when you are doing a calculation, or when you are trying to understand something:

factor something in

to swallow a liquid (e. g. beer, drink) completely without stopping to breathe:

chug down

If you ... +... a particular thing, you choose it after considering other possible choices.

settle on something

If something ... +... it is successful or effective.

come off

If you ... +... a drug or medicine, you stop taking it.

come off something

If a discussion, relationship, or system..., it fails because of a problem or disagreement.

break down

If a machine or a vehicle..., it stops working

break down

If you... +... to something, you understand it or realize it, especially without people telling you about it.

cotton on

When a vehicle or driver... +..., the vehicle moves out into the road or nearer the centre of the road.

pull out

If troops... +... of a place or if their leader... them..., they leave it.

pull out

If a country... +... of recession or if someone... it..., it begins to recover from it.

pull out

If you... +... of an agreement, a contest, or an organization, you withdraw from it.

pull out

to depart

pull out

To cause someone to become calmer.

cool someone out

If people... +... a wall, building, tent, or other structure, they construct it so that it is upright.

put up

If you... +... a poster or notice, you fix it to a wall or board

put up

To... +... resistance to something means to resist it.

put up

If you... +... money for something, you provide the money that is needed to pay for it.

put up

To... +... the price of something means to cause it to increase.

put up

If a person or hotel... you... or if you... +... somewhere, you stay there for one or more nights.

put up

If a political party... +... a candidate in an election or if the candidate... +..., the candidate takes part in the election.

put up

If you... +... for something, you spend a lot of money on it.

shell out

If something is ...+...., it is not working properly.

act up

If a child is ...+..., they are behaving badly.

act up

If facts or events do not ...+.... they make you confused about a situation because they do not seem to be consistent. If something that someone has said or done ..., it is reasonable and sensible.

add up

If you...+....., you decide not to do something that you previously agreed to do.

back out

If someone or something ...+..... a statement, they supply evidence to suggest that it is true.

back up

If an idea or intention is ...+..... by action, action is taken to support or confirm it.

back up

If you ... someone ..., you show your support for them.

back up

If you ... someone ..., you help them by confirming that what they are saying is true.

back up

If you ...+...., the car or other vehicle that you are driving moves back a short distance.

back up

If vehicles ...+...., they form a line of traffic which has to wait before it can move on.

back up

If you ...+..., you move backwards a short distance.

back up

If someone ... you ..., they shout at you angrily because you have done something wrong.

bawl somebody out

If someone or something ...+.... on you, they move quickly towards you in a threatening way

bear down on

take strong measures against

bear down on

to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to

bear on

If you ask someone to ...+.... you, you are asking them to be patient.

bear with

to arrive or enter suddenly

blow in

If something such as trouble or an argument ...+...., it ends without any serious consequences.

blow over

If an alarm bell..., it makes a sudden loud noise.

go off