New Phrasal Verbs
Beat out - Narrowly win in competition Notes:
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Example: The marathon runner barely BEAT OUT his rival at the tape. |
Bail out of - Pay a bond to release someone from jail Notes:
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Example: I must BAIL my drunken brother OUT OF jail. |
Back up - Make a copy of computer data Notes:
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Example:You should always BACK UP important files and documents so that you won't lose all your work if something goes wrong with the hardware. |
Back up - Support Notes:
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Example: The rest of the staff BACKED her UP when she complained about working conditions. |
Back up - Drive a vehicle backwards Notes:
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Example: Tom BACKED UP without looking and ran over his laptop. |
Back out of - Fail to keep an agreement, arrangement Notes:
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Example: She BACKED OUT OF the agreement at the last minute. |
Back out of - Exit a parking area in reverse gear Notes:
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Example: She BACKED the Rolls OUT OF its parking space. |
Back into - Enter a parking area in reverse gear Notes:
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Example: He prefers to BACK his car INTO the garage. |
Snuff out - Extinguish a small flame by covering it Notes:
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Example: I SNUFFED OUT the candles before I went to bed. |
Snuff out - Kill Notes:
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Example: He got SNUFFED OUT in a gang war. |
Snuff out - End something suddenly Notes: |
Example: I messed up the first question, which SNUFFED OUT my chances of getting a good grade. |
Come around to - Agree with or accept something you had previously disapproved of or disliked. Notes: |
Example: They have started COMING AROUND TO our way of thinking and are less hostile. |
Come around - Recover consciousness Notes: |
Example: It took several hours after the operation before he CAME AROUND. |
Check out - Pay the bill when leaving a hotel Notes: |
Example: She CHECKED OUT and took a cab to the airport. |
Check out - Die Notes: |
Example: She CHECKED OUT last week; the funeral's tomorrow. |
Keep up - Not let someone go to bed Notes: |
Example: My neighbours KEPT me UP till after 4 am with their loud music last night. |
Keep up - Maintain a continuous action, persist Notes: |
Example: First I phoned you and left a message that you should phone me; then you phoned and I was out, so you left a message; then...! How long can we KEEP this UP without ever speaking to each other directly? |
Come over - Feel strange Notes: |
Example: I CAME OVER all faint and weak because my sugar level was too low. (British) |
Come over - Affect mentally in such a way as to change behaviour (possibly related to 'overcome') Notes: |
Example: I'm sorry about last night - I don't know what CAME OVER me. |
Go for it - Be assertive and ready to initiate action. (Related to the meaning 'attack') Notes: |
Example: He was not always successful, but whatever he tried to do he would always GO FOR IT. |
Cheat on - Be sexually unfaithful Notes: |
Example: She CHEATED ON me with my friend. |
Cheat on - Deceive or betray, often in a sexual and/or emotional context Notes: |
Example: She thought he had always been faithful to her, but he had been CHEATING ON her ever since their wedding day (with one of the bridesmaids). |
Spin out - Lose control (vehicle) Notes:
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Example: The car hit the water and SPUN OUT. |
Spin out - Make something last as long as possible Notes: |
Example: I SPUN the work OUT to make as much money from the job as I could. |
Spin off - Produce an unexpected additional benefit Notes: |
Example: The research SPUN OFF a number of new products as well as solving the problem. |
Spin off - Form a separate company from part of an existing one Notes: |
Example: They SPUN OFF the retail division last year. |
Spin off - Create a TV show using characters from a popular show Notes: |
Example: They SPUN it OFF from the main show, but it didn't really attract many viewers. |
Vacuum up - Consume Notes: |
Example: He VACUUMED UP all of the food. |
Break up - Break into many pieces Notes: |
Example: The plate BROKE UP when he dropped it on the floor. |
Break up - Close an educational institution for the holidays Notes: |
Example: Schools BREAK UP at the end of June for the summer holidays. |
Break up - Finish a relationship Notes: |
Example: They had been going out for a couple of years before they BROKE UP. |
Break up - Become inaudible over the telephone because of interference Notes: |
Example: You're BREAKING UP; I'll call you back in a minute and see if we get a better connection. |
Ask for - To provoke a negative reaction Notes: |
Example: You're ASKING FOR trouble. |
Ask for - Request to have or be given Notes: |
Example: I ASKED FOR the menu. |