Ready for C2 Wordlist - Unit 7

catch up with

(phrasal verb) to begin to have an effect on someone

hit upon

(phrasal verb) to suddenly have or find (an idea or solution)

keep back

(phrasal verb) to not tell someone something, or to not show how you feel

mull over

(phrasal verb) to think carefully about something over a period of time

nose around

(phrasal verb) to try to find out information about someone or something

root out

(phrasal verb) to find something bad or illegal and get rid of it

size up

(phrasal verb) to think carefully and form an opinion about a person or a situation

sound out

(phrasal verb) to try to find out someone’s opinions, ideas, feelings etc. by talking to them

stake out

(phrasal verb) to explain your opinion clearly and defend it in a determined way

stake out

(phrasal verb) to wait outside a building and watch it, especially because something exciting or illegal is happening

stake out

(phrasal verb) to mark an area with fences or posts to show that it belongs to someone

stumble across

(phrasal verb) to find something by accident

track down

(phrasal verb) to find someone or something after a long search

baffle

if a problem, someone’s behaviour etc. ____ you, you cannot understand it or solve it

blackmail

to make someone give you money or do what you want by threatening to give information about them

bluff your way through

to deliberately give a false idea to someone about what you intend to do, or about the facts of a situation, especially in order to gain an advantage

con into

to make someone believe something that is not true in order to persuade them to do something

confound

to make someone feel confused or surprised, especially by not behaving in the way they expect

delude yourself

to choose to believe something that is not true

double-cross

to cheat someone, usually when you and this person are doing sth illegal together or planning to cheat someone else together

dupe into

to trick someone into believing something that is not true or into doing something that is stupid or illegal

hoodwink

to make someone believe something that is not true

hustle

to make someone do what you want them to do, especially buy something, before they are sure or ready

perplex

to make someone feel confused

scam

to trick someone in order to get money or something from them

stump

if you are ____ by something, you cannot explain or answer it

swindle

to cheat someone in order to get their money

be barking up the wrong tree

to be doing something that will not get the result that you want

be caught red-handed

to be caught doing something wrong

keep under wraps

to keep something secret

let the cat out of the bag

to tell someone something that was intended to be secret

put your finger on

to discover or understand exactly why a situation is the way it is, especially when something is wrong

red herring

something that is not relevant that makes you confused or takes your attention away from what you should be concentrating on

ring a bell

something that ____ ____ ____ sounds familiar to you, although you cannot remember the exact details

skeleton in the cupboard

an embarrassing secret about your past that you do not want anyone to know

smell a rat

to believe that something dishonest, illegal, or wrong has happened

more than meets the eye

used for saying that someone or something is more interesting, impressive, complicated etc. than they seem to be