Complete CAE Phrasal Verbs Wordlist

A collection of phrasal verbs with their definitions as presented in the Complete CAE wordlist.

act on sb’s (advice)

to do something because someone has said that you should

back sth up

to make an extra copy of computer information, for example on a disk or a hard drive

be up to sth

to be doing something

break up sth

to divide something into different areas

call for sth

to demand that something happens

call sth off

to decide that a planned event or activity will not happen because it is not possible or wanted now

clutter sth up

to cover a surface or fill a place with things that are not tidy or well organised

come across sb/sth

to discover something or someone by chance

come round

to visit someone at their house

cope with sth

to deal successfully with a difficult situation

deal with sth

to take action in order to achieve something or to solve a problem

die out

to become more and more rare and then disappear completely

dream sth up

to think of a new idea or plan

drop off (to sleep)

to start to sleep

drop out

to stop working and doing things that most people do because you do not want to be part of society any longer

end up

to finally be in a particular place or situation

fiddle with sth

to move things about or touch things with no particular purpose

fit in

to feel that you belong to a particular group and are accepted by them

get down to sth

to start doing something seriously and with a lot of attention and effort

go about doing sth

to start to do something in a purposeful way

go for + n (a break/walk/coffee)

to go somewhere in order to take a break/walk/drink a cup of coffee, etc.

go for sth

to choose something

go off (alarm)

if something that makes a noise goes off, it suddenly starts making a noise

head for sth

to move towards something

hit up sb for sth

(US) to ask someone for something, e.g. money

hold down a job

to manage to keep a job

keep up with sth

to manage to do work as it is given to you and not be late in doing what you have to do

lap sth up

to enjoy something very much

live sth down

if you say you will never live something down, you mean that it is in an embarrassing experience that other people will not let you forget

live off sth

if you live off money, you use that money to buy the things that you need to live, such as food, clothes, etc.

meet up with sb

to meet another person in order to do something together

move on

to leave the place where you are and go somewhere else

move out

to stop living in a particular home

pay up

informal to give someone all of the money that you owe them

pick up sth

to start learning something or doing something regularly without intending to

pick sth out

to choose something from a group of things

pull over

if a vehicle pulls over, it moves to the side of the road and stops

pull up

if a vehicle pulls up, it stops

put sth off

to arrange to do something at a later time

set off sth

to cause something to explode

set sth out

to arrange a number of things in a particular way

set up sth

to arrange for something to happen, for example to start a new business

settle down

to start living somewhere that you are going to live for a long time, usually with a partner

settle into sth

to start to feel relaxed and comfortable in a new situation

settle on sth

to make a decision after spending a period of time thinking about the choices

settle up

to pay someone the money that you owe them

study under sb

formal to be taught by someone

sweep sth aside

to replace or destroy something

tease out sth

to manage to reveal something

turn out

to happen in a particular way

turn over

if someone who is lying down turns over, they change position so that they are facing a different direction

vote sb off

if a person in a television show is voted off, the people watching the programme vote in order to make that person leave the show

wind sb up

informal to annoy someone, often on purpose

wipe sth out

to destroy something completely