PHRASAL VERBS WITH MEANINGS AND EXAMPLES
PHRASAL VERBS WITH MEANINGS AND EXAMPLES
LETTER"C"
1.call back
Return a phone call
I'll call you back as soon as possible.
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2.call off
Cancel
The meeting was called off because of the strike.
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3.call on/upon
Formally invite or request.
I now call upon the President to address the assembly.
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4.calm down
Become more relaxed or less angry/upset.
He was angry at first, but he eventually calmed down.
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5.carry on
Continue.
He carried on gardening in spite of the rain.
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6.carry out
1) Do something as specified (plan, order, threat...)
2) Perform or conduct (test, experiment ...)
1) The plan was carried out to perfection.
2) Tests are carried out to determine the efficiency of a new drug.
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7.carry over
Postpone until later.
As regards holidays, can we carry over days from one year to the next?
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8.catch up on
Acquire information you have missed.
I must call by mother to catch up on the latest family events.
9.catch up with
Reach the same stage as someone else.
I've missed some classes so I'll have to work hard to catch up with the others.
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10.check in
Register at a hotel or airport.
For security reasons, you have to check in two hours before your flight.
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11.check out
1) Pay one's bill and leave (a hotel)
2) Investigate or verify.
1) Is Mr. Bush still at the hotel? No, he checked out this morning.
2) I don't know if the address is still valid.
I'll check it out.
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12.cheer up
Put someone in a better mood.
I told her a joke to try and cheer her up.
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13.chip in
Contribute to, or participate in, something done by a group.
Bob has decided to retire and we're going to buy him a present. Do you want to chip in?
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14.clam up
Refuse to speak.
When the teacher arrived, she clammed up.
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15.clamp down on
Act strictly to prevent something.
The government decided to clamp down on smoking in public areas.
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16.close down
Stop operating (company, restaurant, cinema ...)
When the factory closed down, the employees lost their jobs.
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1) Find by chance, encounter
2) Appear, seem, make an impression.
1) Julie came acrosssome photographs of her grandparents in the attic.
2) The candidate came across as a dynamic person during the interview.
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18.come down with
Become ill with ...
The architect planned to attend the inauguration but unfortunately he came down with the flu over the weekend.
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19.come forward
Present oneself; volunteer
The police have asked any witnesses to come forward.
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20.come up against
Be faced with or opposed by.
The project came up against a lot of criticism.
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21.come up with
Produce an idea or plan.
Sacha came up with a great idea for the party.
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22.conk out
1) Stop working.
2) Stop or fall asleep (from exhaustion).
1) The car conked out on the motorway.
2) He was so exhausted, he conked out in front of the TV.
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23.consist in
Have something as its principal or only feature
The elegance of the building consists in its simplicity.
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24.consist of
Be composed or made up of
The jury consists of five members.
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25.count on
Rely or depend on.
I'm counting on the taxi driver to find the theatre.
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26.cross out
Remove by drawing a line through.
In some exercises you are asked to cross out the incorrect word.
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27.cut down on
Reduce in number or size.
The doctor told him to cut down on cigarettes.
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28.cut out
1) Remove using scissors.
2) Stop doing something.
1) She cut out a picture in a magazine.
2) I'm going to cut out eating sweet food
LETTER "D"
1.deal with
Handle, take care of, address (problem, situation)
The manager is good at dealing with difficult customers.
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2.deck out (in/with)
Dress; decorate
1) The women were all decked out in beautiful
dresses.
2) The exhibition hall will be decked out in the colours of Europe.
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3.die down
Calm down, become less strong.
When the applause died down, she started to sing.
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4.dig into
1) Try to find deep inside something.
2) Start to do something.
3) Take from something.
1) He dug into his pocket and found a coin.
2) It was time to dig intothe work that had
accumulated on her desk.
3) Dad had to dig into his savings to repair the
roof.
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5.dig up1) Break up the soil/remove by digging.
2) Discover or reveal information.1) He tried to dig up the tree by its roots.
2) Some newspapers often try to dig up
scandalous information.
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Distribute or give away a lot.
He spent the day dishing out invitations to tourists.
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7.dispense with
Decide to do without something.
I'm afraid you'll have to download it.
They've dispensed withthe paper version.
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8.do away with
Get rid of; abolish.
Some people think it's time to do away with the monarchy.
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9.do over
Clean or redecorate.
My parents will need to do over their living-room soon.
The paintwork needs refreshing.
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10.do up
Fasten (a garment)
Good boy Alex! You know how to do up your coat now!
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11.do without
Manage without.
The shops are closed so we'll have to
do without sugar.
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12.drag on
Last longer than expected.
We expected a short speech but it dragged on and on!
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13.drag out
1) Make something longer than necessary.
2) Make someone reveal or give information unwillingly.
1) Let's decide now and not drag out this
discussion.
2) The police finallydragged out a confession
from the suspect.
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14.draw up
Write (contract, agreement, document).
An agreement as drawn up and signed by the two parties.
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14.dress up
1) Wear elegant clothes.
2) Disguise oneself.
1) Do people dress up to go to the opera in your
country?
2) Children love to dress up at Halloween.
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15.drift apart
Become less and less close.
We were childhood friends but we drifted apart over the years.
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16.drift off
Gradually fall asleep.
He sat back, closed his eyes and drifted off.
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17.drive at
Insinuate; be trying to say.
What exactly are you driving. at?
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18.drop behind;
fall into a position behind others.
Our sales have dropped behind those of our competitors.
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19.drop in
Visit, usually on the way somewhere.
I sometimes drop in to see my grandparents on my way home from school.
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20.drop off
1) Deliver someone or something.
2) Fall asleep.
1) I'll drop you off at the bus stop if you like.
2) Granddad often drops off in front of the TV.
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21.drop out
Leave school without finishing.
She decided to go to art school, then dropped outafter the first term.
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22.drown out
Be louder in order to cover another sound.
She turned up the music to drown out the noise of the children outside.
