Advanced Language Practice: Phrasal Verbs (Units 23-25)

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering phrasal verbs, meanings, and colloquial usages from Advanced Language Practice Units 23 through 25.

Add up

Make sense.

Example: His evidence just doesn't add up.

Ask after

Inquire about.

Example: Jim was asking after you.

Back down

Yield in an argument.

Example: Sheila was right, so Paul had to back down.

Bargain for

Take into account.

Example: We hadn't bargained for there being so much traffic, and we missed the plane.

Bear out

Confirm the truth.

Example: Helen's alibi was borne out by her sister.

Bring round

Influence someone to your point of view.

Example: After much discussion, I brought the committee round to my point of view.

Carry off

Complete successfully - perhaps despite a problem.

Example: Jane had a difficult role to play, but she carried it off.

Catch on

Become popular (colloquial).

Example: This new hair style is beginning to catch on.

Come down to

Be in the end a matter of.

Example: It all comes down to whether you are prepared to accept less money.

Come in for

Receive - especially criticism, blame.

Example: The government has come in for a lot of criticism over the decision.

Come off

Take place successfully.

Come up against

Meet a difficulty.

Come up with

Think of - especially an answer, a plan, a solution.

Crop up

Happen unexpectedly (colloquial).

Do away with

Abolish (colloquial); murder (colloquial).

Draw up

Come to a stop; organise - especially a document.

Face up to

Have courage to deal with - especially responsibilities.

Fall about

Show amusement - especially laughing (colloquial).

Fall back on

Use as a last resort.

Fall for

Be deceived by (colloquial); fall in love with (colloquial).

Fall out with

Quarrel with.

Fall through

Fail to come to completion.

Get across

Be understood - especially get an idea across.

Get at

Imply - about personal matters (colloquial).

Get off with

Avoid punishment.

Get round to

Find time to do (also get around to).

Get up to

Do something - usually bad when about children (colloquial).

Give off

Send off a smell - liquid or gas.

Give out

Be exhausted.

Give over

Abandon, devote; stop (colloquial).

Go back on

Break a promise.

Go in for

Make a habit of; enter a competition.

Go through with

Complete a promise or plan - usually unwillingly.

Grow on

Become more liked (colloquial).

Have it in for

Be deliberately unkind to someone (also as have got it in for).

Have it out with

Express feelings so as to settle a problem.

Have someone on

Deceive (colloquial).

Hit upon/on

Discover by chance - often an idea.

Hold out

Offer - especially with hope.

Hold with

Agree with - an idea.

Lay down

State a rule - especially lay down the law.

(not) Live down

Suffer a loss of reputation.

Make for

Result in.

Make off with

Run away with.

Make someone out

Understand someone's behaviour.

Make up for

Compensate for.

Miss out

Fail to include; lose a chance (colloquial).

Own up

Confess (colloquial).

Pack in

Stop an activity (colloquial).

Pin someone down

Force to give a clear statement.

Play up

Behave or work badly.

Pull off

Manage to succeed.

Push on

Continue with some effort (colloquial).

Put down to

Explain the cause of.

Put oneself out

Take trouble - to help someone.

Rip off

Charge too much (colloquial).

Run down

Criticise; lose power, allow to decline.

Run to

Have enough money.

Run up

A bill - let a bill get longer without paying.

See through

Realise the truth about.

Send up

Make fun of by imitating.

Set about

Start working.

Set in

Establish itself - especially weather.

Set out

Give in detail in writing; arrange; start an action.

Set (up)on

Attack.

Sink in

Realise slowly (colloquial, intransitive).

Slip up

Make a mistake (colloquial).

Stand by

Keep to an agreement.

Stand in for

Take the place of.

Stand up to

Resist, bear stress.

Step down

Resign (colloquial).

Step up

Increase.

Stick up for

Defend - especially yourself, your rights (colloquial).

Take (it) out on

Make someone else suffer because of one's own sufferings.

Take off

Imitate (colloquial).

Take to someone

Develop a liking for.

Talk out of or into

Dissuade from, persuade into.

Tell off

Scold (colloquial).

Tie in with

Be in agreement with.

Track down

Trace the whereabouts of.

Turn down

Reject an offer.

Turn out

Happen to be in the end; come to a meeting or to form a crowd.

Turn up

Be discovered by chance; arrive - often unexpectedly.

Wear off

Lose effect - especially a drug.

Work out

Calculate (also work out at for specific amounts).