Phrasal Verbs a - Y and Idioms

7/31/2019 Phrasal Verbs a - Y and Idioms

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aim at : The hunter aimed his gun at the elephant but did not shoot.

allude to : John often alluded to his difficulties with his mother-in-law.alternate with : Jack and Jill alternated with each other in bathing the dog.amazed at : We were amazed at her sudden change in attitude.amount to : His decision amounts to an outright refusal.answer for : David will have to answer for his impoliteness.

apologize for : He apologized for the awful thing he said.appeal to : The organization appealed to the public for blood donation.appear from : It appears from what he says that he did all the work.apply to : The restrictions do not apply to foreigners.approve of : His mother does not approve of his smoking.

argue against : He argued against inviting her to the party.argue for : She argued for having her at the party.argue with : Why do you argue with everybody including me?arrange for : We have arranged for Bob to meet you at the airport.arrive at : By the time we arrived at his place, he had already left.ascribe to : Some ascribed his exemplary behaviour to his religious upbringing.ask for : Paul got drunk and asked the police for money to take a taxi home.aspire to : He aspired to a better position in life.assent to : The members assented to the proposal without much debate.assist in : He volunteered to assist me in organizing the festival.

associate with : His parents have been advising him to stop associating with those loafers.atone for : She felt that she should do more good deeds to atone for her sin.attend to : There were not enough salespersons to attend to the customers.attribute to : He attributed his success to his wife's constant encouragement.avail of : He always avails himself of every opportunity to complain about other people.

back down : The government backed down over the issue after widespread protests.back off : They told him to back off after he put too much pressure on them.back out : We were shocked when he backed out of the project at the last minute.back up : The witnesses backed up his account of the incident.


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balk at : Jim balked at doing what he has to do.

band against : The workers banded against the takeover of the business by an outsider.bank on : We can bank on him leading us on the long trek.bargain for : The union intends to bargain for a minimum wage.bargain with : The retailer bargained with the wholesaler for bulk discounts.base on/upon : The film is based on an actual event.

bear with : You should bear with his tempers while you are staying with him.become of : I've not heard from her for quite sometime; what has become of her I wonder.beg for : I beg for forgiveness from God for all the sins I've committed.beg with : I beg with her that she will leave me for good.begin by : The comedian began the show by performing the pigeon mating dance.

believe in : He believes in ghosts but does not believe in God.benefit from : The whole of mankind has benefited from the advancements in science.bequeath to : What her father bequeathed to her included a collection of rare stamps.beset with : His journey across the desert was beset with all sorts of danger.bestow on : The President bestowed a medal for bravery on him.

betray to : The leader was betrayed to the police by gang members.beware of : We should always beware of pickpocket in crowded places.blame for : He was unfairly blamed for something he did not do.blow out : One of our tyres blew out while we were on our way to catch a train.blow over : We waited until the storm blew over before continuing our journey.

blow up : A suicide bomber blew up a van carrying soldiers.blush at : He blushes at the thought of befriending her.boast about : Crocket always boasts about his knowledge of crocodiles.boast of : He keeps boasting of his new wife.boil away : The soup really boiled away ; it's so much less now.

boil down to : What his endless arguments boil down to is that he wants others to believe


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him.boil over : The discussion boiled over into a shouting match.border on : His attitude towards foreigners often borders on hostility.borrow from : Each time I borrow six books from the library.bother about : I'm not really bothered about getting along with my mother-in-law.

bother with : Let's don't bother with waiting for a bus. Let's go by taxi.brag about : He's always bragging about his newfound wealth.brag of : Brain likes to brag of having the most beautiful girlfriend.break away : Smaller pieces of ice broke away from the main iceberg and floated away.break down : After ten years, their marriage broke down irretrievably leading to a divorce.

break into : They broke into a research laboratory and removed all the animals.break of : She found it hard to break herself of biting nails.break off : Jack broke off with Jill after only three months.break out : A plan by some prisoners to break out of the prison was foiled by the prisonguards.break up : The police used tear gas to break up the protest demonstration.

bring about : Global warming will bring about changes in man's attitude towards theenvironment.bring back : More and more people are advocating that the death penalty be brought back .bring down : Corruption and bribery scandal had brought down the government.bring forth : High-level corruption within the government brought forth deep shame.bring forward : The matches have been brought forward to avoid the bad weather.

bring in : The police had to be brought in to settle a seemingly private dispute.bring on/upon : There are people who bring misfortune upon themselves.bring out : Disasters bring out the best in human nature when they volunteer in rescueoperations.bring together : What brought them together is their common interests.bring up : The divorcee brought up her six children single-handedly.

brood over : She's still brooding over the separation between her and her husband.brush off : The film star brushed off a rumour of his impending divorce.


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brush up : I must brush up on my driving before I get a car.build of : One of the three little pigs' houses was built of straw.burden with : Mary burdens me with her troubles as if I have no problems of my own.

burn away : Fire burnt away the building leaving only the pillars standing.burn down : By the time the firemen arrived, the fire had burnt the houses down .burn out : The fire was too huge to be extinguished and had to be left to burn itself out .burn up : The forest fire burnt up vast tracts of woodland.burst into : The audience burst into laughter when the clown's foot slipped and he fell.

burst out : When the clown fell down, the audience of children burst out laughing.buy into : That's your personal belief; I'm not buying into it.buy off : The accused man's father tried to buy the judge off but was arrested.buy out : He bought out some shareholders and now he has a controlling interest in thebusiness.buy up : Lee bought up a huge quantity of a scarce commodity in anticipation of its priceincrease.

call back : I have already called her ten times and she hasn't called back .call for : The people are calling for a change of government.call in : They tried to settle the matter without calling in the police.call off : The couple called off their engagement by mutual consent.call on : She's never in when I called on her.

call up : That was the first time he was called up to play for the national tem.capitalize on : We capitalized on the opportunity to learn French when we were in France.care about : All she cares about is talking about other people.care for : Gray cared for her aged parents when they were alive.carry on : When the rain started to fall, we carried on playing football as if nothinghappened.

carry out : She got into trouble for not carrying out her assignment.carry over : Leave not used up may be carried over into next year.catch on : He became popular when his new song caught on very fast.catch up : Having been ill for the last few days, I now have got to catch up on my studying.


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catch up with : After all these years the law finally caught up with him.

cater to : That boutique caters to wealthy people.caution about : The policeman cautioned him about his fast driving.caution against : The zookeeper cautioned them against feeding the animals.cede to : Alaska was ceded to the United States by Russia.celebrated for : The country celebrated for its scenery, food and wine.

chagrin at : The football coach was chagrined at losing the match to a weaker team.chance on/upon : I was very shocked to chance upon a decaying human body.change for : There was joy when the weather took a sudden change for the better.change into : The magician claimed he could change a man into a woman.characterize by : Must we always characterize people by their appearances?

charge against : We are not allowed to charge personal expenditure against profits.charge at : Last night I dreamed about ten rhinoceroses charging at me in a shopping mall.charge for : I will not buy it if they charge for delivery.charge in : A woman has been charged in connection with the bank robbery.charge into : She charged into my room uninvited.

charge of : The son has charge of the factory while his father is away.charge to : My wife charged all her shopping to my account.charge with : They finally arrested the man and charged him with multiple murders.check up on : He begins checking up on his wife after suspecting her unfaithfulness.cheer up : Being with her cheers me up a lot.

choose between : She had to choose between giving up her career or hiring a nanny.cite for : Lack of sleep was cited as the main reason for her frequent feelings of exhaustion.clamour for : The crowd clamoured noisily for his instant resignation.clean out : They have to clean out the attic before they move out.clean up : The group of volunteers gathered to clean up the beach.

clear away : The children quickly cleared away all their toys before mum reached home.


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clear of : We are clearing the blocked drain of debris.clear off : Could you clear that clutter off your desk?clear out : It's time to clear your bedroom out ; it's cluttered up with piles of books andmagazines.clear up : The weather cleared up and we went for a drive along the coast.

cling to : The villagers still cling to old habits and traditions.close down : The factory was forced to close down by falling demand for its products.close in : The police are closing in on the gang's hideout.close off : Two lanes were closed off due to an accident.close out : The store is closing out a particular brand of shoes.

close up : The supermarket is closed up for renovation.clutter up : My desk is always cluttered up with piles of papers, books and stationery.coincide with : My view on this case coincides exactly with yours.collect for : So far they have collected only a few signatures for the petition.collide with : Her car collided with a taxi.

combine with : She successfully combines her career with family responsibilities.come across : I came across a life-size bronze statue of a horse in an antique shop.come about : How did it come about that we didn't meet when we're both there at the sametime?come along : I wanted to go to the cinema but nobody wanted to come along with me.come apart : My glasses came apart when I accidentally dropped them.

come around : He came around after I showed him all the evidence.come at : I dreamed he came at me with a dagger and demanded my wallet.come back : He comes back from five-nil down to level at seven-all.come between : He doesn't allow anything, not even his wife, to come between him and hiswork.come by : Plum jobs are hard to come by these days.

come down : He just came down with a cold, so we have to postpone the trip.come down on : Her parents really came down hard on her for playing truant.come down to : When it comes down to her political beliefs, she is not prepared to


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compromise.come for : You had better hide; they are coming for you.come forward : No one has come forward to claim the first prize.

come from : He comes from a long line of actors.come in : These small tools come in handy when we need them.come into : She came into my life just at the right time.come into being : It is believed the custom came into being some five hundred years ago.come of : His persistent cough comes of smoking heavily.

come off : Despite all our efforts, the social gathering did not come off very well.come upon : We came upon a headless corpse when we stepped into a disused mine.come out : Despite the torture to extract information from him, not a word came out of hismouth.come out of : The police combed the entire area for evidence, but nothing came out of it.come out with : He came out with his own interpretation which is not entirely accurate.

come over : If you come over next week, we can do it together.come round : I expected you to come round for the drinking session, but you didn't.come to : She came to about an hour after he was admitted to the hospital.come under : The politician came under widespread criticism for what he proposed.come up : They intend to come up with a solution soon.

come up against : In parliament, he had to come up against experienced oppositionmembers.come up for : The proposal will come up for revision next week.come upon : The police finally came upon the spot where the murder supposedly took place.come up with : We welcome anybody who can come up with an alternative plan.comment on : People are always commenting on my big ears.

commit to : He ought to be committed to a mental asylum for the way he behaves.communicate with : I've learnt how to use sign language to communicate with thechimpanzee.commute between : People commute daily between their home and workplace.commute from :. His sentence was later commuted from death sentence to life


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imprisonment.compare to : Compared to the monkey, our bodies are less hairy.

compensate for : The company will compensate you for the loss of a thumb.compete with : Small independent shops find it hard to compete with the large supermarkets.compete against : Businesses have to compete against each other to survive.complain about : My mother-in-law always complains about the weather.compliment on : Many members of the audience complimented her on her speech.

comply with : Most of the time we have to comply with regulations.compose of : How many letters does the longest word compose of ?conceal from : He had to conceal the truth from his wife.concede to : The candidate conceded victory to his opponent.conceive of : It is rather difficult to conceive of a crime-free environment.

concentrate on : It is hard to concentrate on my reading with the dogs barking loudlyoutside.concern about : Some parents do not show concern about what their children do.concern with : She does not concern herself with other people's problems.conclude by : He concluded his speech by thanking everyone for being present.concur with : After the discussion, they concurred with each other on this issue.

condemn to : The criminal was condemned to death.confer with : The councilors are conferring with each other to find a solution to the problem.confer on : An honorary degree was conferred on him by the university.confess to : He confessed to being a double agent.confide in : She doe not trust anyone, so she confides in no one.

confine to : Dr Quack was confined to his room by a bout of flu.confirm by : The public negative perception of the crisis was confirmed by the latest pollresults.conform to : The imported toys conform to the official safety standards.confuse with : The teacher always confused one twin with the other they look so alike.congratulate on : They congratulate her on her superb performance on stage.


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consent to : Her mother would not consent to her marriage.consign to : The cases of wine have already been consigned to the wine merchant.consist of : My life nowadays consists almost entirely of eating and sleeping.consort with : He was suspected of consorting with the enemy.consult about : She consulted her doctor about the painful lump on her nose.

contend with : Jack has to contend with a few others for the gold medal.contract for : The company contracted for the supply of fuel.contrast with : He contrasted his present girlfriend with his former one.contribute to : Many people contributed generously to the building fund.converge on : A huge crowd converged on the palace ground to listen to the President.

converse with : They find it hard to converse with each other as each holds a different view.convert from : John was converted from paganism to Christianity at an early age.convert into : We were shown the process of converting iron into steel.convince by : He was not easily convinced by her arguments.convince of : She tried to convince me of her non-involvement.

convulsed with : They were convulsed with laughter to see the circus clown perform.cooperate with : The accused's colleagues are cooperating fully with police investigation.cope with : Although a single mother, she has no problem coping with a baby and a full-time

job.correlate with : Meagre wages were found to correlate with high staff turnover.correspond to : Information on the first copy does not correspond to that on its duplicatecopy.

correspond with : I still correspond regularly with her although we are both married.count in : If you are having a drinking session this evening, you can count me in .count on : You can count on my help whenever you need it.count out : If you are going on a shopping spree this weekend, count me out .couple with : Heavy drinking coupled with late nights caused his health to deterioraterapidly.


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crack down : The public are demanding police action to crack down hard on vandalism.cram for : Study throughout the year and you avoid cramming for the exam at the lastminute.cram with : She crammed her attic with a lot of worthless stuff.crave for : Since the death of her mother, she has been craving desperately for affection.credit to : The refund was credited to my account.

crop up : Unexpected problems cropped up and caused the delay.cross off : As you perform each task, cross it off the list.cross out : When you make a mistake, cross it out .crow about : I still think passing my exam is nothing to crow about .cry over : Why waste our time crying over him?

cry out : She finally cried out to him not to act so stupidly.cure of : His doctor assured him that he would be completely cured of his illness.cut across : We'd better cut across the park and get home before it rains.cut away : We spend the whole afternoon cutting away the dead branches.cut back : Businesses are cutting back on staff to remain profitable.

cut down : You ought to cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke.cut in : His annoying habit is to cut in whenever a conversation is going on.cut off : He tried to explain but they cut him off and warned him not to be late again.cut out : Can you fellows cut it out ? I'm trying to read.cut up : The murderer cut up the victim's body into eight pieces.2. D - F

dabble in : When I was little I used to dabble in water.dance to : As soon as the music was played, couples got up and danced to it.dash off : He dashed off a quick note and left it on the table for the family.date from : Some of these coins date from the 12th century.dawn on : The truth finally dawned on him that she really meant what she said.

deal in : My uncle's shop deals in genuine antiques.deal with : They seem unable to deal with the long-standing problem.debate on : People are unhappy that there has been no public debate on these issues.debate with : I see no point in debating with someone who holds extremist views.decide on : Have you decided on the dress you will be wearing for the occasion?

declare to : He declared to us that he will be unable to chair the meeting.


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declare war on : The African nation has declared war on locusts which destroyed crops.decrease from : The prison population has decreased from ten thousands to nine thousands.decrease in : Human beings decrease in size as they grow older.dedicate to : He has dedicated his entire life to helping the homeless.

deduce from : The police deduced from the evidence that more than one person wereinvolved.defeat by : Our team was defeated by two goals to one.defer to : Young people are expected to defer to the wishes of their elders.defraud of : The accountant defrauded his company of tens of thousands of dollars.delegate to : An able administrator should be able to delegate authority to the right person.

deliberate about/on : They spent hours deliberating on the matter.delight in : Jack delights in telling stories about his days in the army.deliver to : The postman delivered the letter to her house.demand from : They demanded an apology from me for something I said.demote from : The soldier was demoted from sergeant to corporal.

denounce for : He was widely denounced for his deviant religious teachings.depart from : The first train departs from Birmingham at 6.00 a.m. tomorrow.depend on/upon : Their future depends on their hard work, and not on their teachers.deprive of : The prisoners of war were deprived of proper medical attention.derive from : The country derived enormous benefit from direct foreign investments.

descend from : The plane started to descend from high altitude as it approached itsdestination.describe to : The main witness described briefly to the police what happened.desist from : He was warned to desist from such undesirable behaviour.despair of : She despaired of reviving the relationship that existed between her and Jack.destined to : The emperor's son is destined to succeed him.

detect in : He detected a change in her attitude towards her.deter from : Heavier penalties may deter motorists from committing more traffic offences.detract from : A blemish detracts from the beauty of her skin.deviate from : We had to deviate from our usual route due to a fallen tree across it.


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dissent form : John dissented from the majority opinion.dissociate from : Jack dissociated himself from the views expressed by Jill.dissuade from : His mother dissuaded Mike from taking up car racing.distance from : He distanced himself from all the remarks made by her.

distinguish between : It is important to distinguish between fact and fiction in the film.distinguish from : It's difficult to distinguish one of the twins from the other.distinguish by : He distinguished himself by scoring the highest number of goals in theseason.distract from : He is easily distracted from whatever he's doing by the slightest noise.diverge from : The path diverges from here and we don't know which one to follow.

divert from : Traffic had to be diverted from the main road due to a major accident.divest of : Sons of aristocrats were divested of their power.divide between/among : The money was to be divided equally among the children.do away with : My wife wants me to do away with my vast collection of old magazines.do for : Employing a temporary worker will do for the time being.

do in : Painting the house really did me in ./It is believed a hired killer did his boss in .do out of : She was done out of $100 by a door-to-door salesman this morning.do over : The report contains errors and the boss wants him to do it over .do up : He bought an old car and did it up ./She looks more beautiful when she did her hairup .do with : With this warm weather, I could do with a cold drink.

do without : I wish she would keep quiet; I can do without all this grumbling.double as : The secretary doubled as the receptionist just for that day.doze off : I dozed off when I was watching television.drag into : I had nothing to do with it but was dragged into the embarrassing situation.draw on : Luckily I have a savings to draw on to buy her a present.

draw up : Thinking he's going to die soon, he drew up a will./The taxi drew up in front of me.dream away : At times, I couldn't help but dream away the hours.dream of : He told me he had always dreamed of striking the first prize of the lottery.


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dream on : When I asked if she's going to help me with the cooking, she told me to dream on .drive at : He didn't say exactly what he meant. But I knew what he was driving at .

drive for : You look tired; why not let him drive the car for you?drive to : I always like to drive to the sea-side.drive away : His bossiness has driven his friends away .drive off : He was probably angry when without a word, he just got into his car and drove off .drive up : The rise in oil price drives up other prices.

drop in : He always drops in for a chat without prior notice.drop out : He shouldn't have dropped out of school, but he did.dry out : Our washing dried out very quickly in this hot weather.dry up : The prolonged drought had caused all the rivers to dry up .dwell on/upon : Nobody likes to be with Bobbie because she always dwells on the past.

eat in : I am cooking tonight so we are eating in .eat into : The high bills are eating into my savings.eat out : It's your birthday; let's eat out and celebrate tonight.eat up : Who ate up all my potato chips?egg on : The boys didn't want to fight but their friends kept egging them on.

elaborate on : He refused to elaborate on his next course of action.eliminate from : Jack was eliminated from the competition by a stronger opponent.embark on/upon : John has finally decided to embark on a career in banking.embody in : The ideals of equality and freedom are embodied in the country's constitution.embroil in : Bob found himself unexpectedly embroiled in a heated argument.

emerge from : When the deer emerged from behind the bush, the hunter shot it dead.emigrate from : When his family emigrated from their homeland, he was only five years old.employ as : Ryan was employed as a security officer at the airport.encompass by : The entire area was encompassed by a dense forest.encourage by : We were greatly encouraged by the massive support for our proposal.


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encroach on/upon : The expansion of farmland is encroaching on animals' habitat.end in : Their argument ended in a fist fight.end up : The driver took a wrong road and we ended up somewhere else.end with : We ended our tour of the area with a visit to the souvenir shops.endear to : Her friendly attitude endeared her to everybody she met at the social gathering.

endow with : Ronnie is certainly endowed with a good sense of humour.endue with : She seems to be endued with a good sense of direction.engage in : I tried to engage her in conversation.engage to : Jill is engaged to my brother./I engaged a private tutor to improve my writtenwork.engross in : Granny often engrossed herself in her writing.

enjoin from : He was enjoined by law from stalking her.enlarge on/upon : Could you please enlarge on your last statement?enrage by : She was enraged by his derogatory comments.enrich by : My life has certainly been enriched by extensive reading.entitle to : Everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion.

entrust to : The parents entrusted their baby to a nanny when they had to go overseas.entrust with : I entrusted her with the responsibility to manage the business while I wasaway.envelope in : The mountain peaks were enveloped in clouds.equip for : I think we are well equipped for the climb.escape from : To date many prisoners have escaped from that prison.

escape into : The enemy soldiers escaped into the forest.escape with : She was very lucky to escape with her life.estimate at : The crowd of protesters was estimated at three thousands.excel in : Johnny excels in a number of things including swimming.exclude from : They exclude us from the trip.

excuse from : We requested to be excused from participating.expatiate on : Once again he is expatiating on his favourite topic of communism.expect from : Wives expect faithfulness from their husbands.


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expect of : Faithfulness is expected of a husband.expend on : The government has to date expended two million dollars on the housing project.

explain to : The mystery was not fully explained to the viewers.export to : The country exports huge quantities of military wares to third world countries.expose to : His behaviour exposes himself to ridicule and criticism.extract from : After five hours of interrogation, the police extracted a confession from him.extricate from : Finally he managed to extricate himself from a very difficult situation.

face up to : He has to face up to the fact that he has to study hard to pass the exam.face with : The scientist was faced with many unknown factors.fall back on : She has her big savings to fall back on if need be.fall behind : I'd better hide the car as I have fallen behind in my payments.fall in : Poor construction let the roof and ceiling fall in after a few years.

fall into : He fell into the habit of talking to himself.fall in with : He falls in love with every girl he meets.fall off : Business along the main road fell off after a series of public demonstrations.fall out : Sarah fell out with her boyfriend after knowing her for only two months.fall through : The plan fell through and they agreed to renegotiate.

fall to : It fell to the eldest son to manage the business after the death of his father.familiarize with : The new guard familiarized himself with the internal layout of thebuilding.find with : They find fault with everything the new staff does.feel for : We certainly feel for the victims of the plane crash.feel like : Sometimes I feel like taking a walk in the rain.

feel toward : I can't describe how I feel toward that girl but I think I like her.fend for : Everyone has to fend for himself in this world.ferret out : The police managed to ferret out his motive for the killing.fight against : The defending champion is going to fight against the challenger tonight.fight for : Freedom is something that is always worth fighting for .


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fight off : The leader of the party has to fight off his image as a dictator.figure on : I was figuring on meeting him tomorrow.figure out : We spent the whole night figuring out how to make him change his mind.fill in : We found someone to fill in for Sarah when she was away on medical leave.fill out : I have to fill out the form and hand it in as soon as possible.

fill with : We have filled all the glasses with wine and are now ready to propose a toast.find out : We were shocked when we found out that he was a man and not a woman.fit in : The new member has learned quickly to fit in with the others.fit out : The entire building was fitted out with air conditioners but they were not working.fix on : They haven't fixed on a venue for the next match.

fix up : We have to fix the spare room up for our guests.focus on : The astronomer focused his telescope on the comet.follow around : Quit following me around , will you?follow through : Ensure the report is followed through so that all amendments are included.follow up : The investigation was followed up with the arrest of the gang leader.

fool around : You want to fool around ; it's up to you, but surely not in the office.fool with : He fooled with his neighbour's dog once too often and got badly bitten on the hand.force on/upon : He forced another big pizza on us when we already had more than enough.forget about : James drank a bit too much and forgot about catching the train home.forgive for : I will not forgive him for not forgiving me for what I said about him.

foul up : Heavy rain fouled up our trip to the mountain.freeze over : Whatever the lake freezes over , there's bound to be people skating on it.fret about : She always has something to fret about .frighten by : Mrs. Muffet was frightened by a hairy spider while sitting on a park bench.frighten away : Rumours of a big white shark frightened many people away from the beach.

fritter away : The boy frittered away whatever money he had on the gaming machine.frown at : The lady frowned at him for talking very loudly on his cell phone.frown on/upon : She can't help frowning on those who sport multi-coloured hair.


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furnish with : Each of the six bedrooms is furnished with a big desk, swivel chair and softrug.fuss over/about : Their only child fussed about not having a window seat on the plane.3. G - I

get about : She's an old woman now and doesn't get about much any more.get across : Somehow or other, I just couldn't get my message across to them.get ahead : We can't afford to stall; we must get ahead in order to meet the deadline.get ahead of : Instead of getting ahead of others, we are actually falling further behind.get along : They are trying to get along but they are arguing all the time.

get around : Rumour is getting around that I'll be marrying a wealthy man's daughter.get at : We still think he's the one who stole it; somehow, we will get at the truth.get away : I want to know who deliberately opened the cage and let the bird get away ?

get away from : It'd be nice to get away from the office for a few days and not to return to it.get away with : He must have thought he could get away with murder; he's now in prison forlife.

get back to : I'll get back to him after he has calmed down completely.get by : He has to stop smoking and drinking as his old age pension is barely enough to get by .get down : These pills are a bit too big to swallow; I have a hard time getting them down .get down to : It's time you got down to clearing out your bedroom.get even with : I'll get even with you sooner or later for eating my pizza.

get in : The lift was full and we couldn't get in .get off : The post office has just closed; now how am I going to get this letter off ?get off of : At bus stop I sometimes get off of a bus while it's still moving.get on : I got on a wrong bus the other day and ended up somewhere else.get out : I am getting the next edition of my book out by the end of the month.

get out of : We're having dinner with my mother-in-law tonight, but I'm planning to get out of it.get over : I still haven't got over the death of my parrot.get through : I nearly killed myself when I failed to get through my final exam.get to : When she got to talking about politics, nothing could stop her.get together : We always end up arguing when we get together for a drink.


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get up : Everybody gets up when the national anthem is played.give away : It is the bride's father, mother or eldest brother who gives the bride away ?give back : He hasn't given back the money I lent him two years ago.give in : A henpecked husband always gives in to his wife.give out : Santa Claus gives out presents once a year.

give rise to : A bomb explosion in the city gave rise to speculation as to who was responsible.give up : They searched for their missing puppy, but eventually gave up .give up to : The family of the deceased gave up his organs to research.give way : All the other vehicles gave way to the ambulance.given to : He is given to occasional outbursts of temper.

gladden by : Harry was gladdened by the birth of his first child.glance at : John glanced at his watch and realized his watch had stopped working.glance off : The bullet glanced off the side of a metal bin and struck a car.glance through : He had just enough time to glance through the paper at breakfast.gloat over : The miser gloated over his money.

gloss over : Mike glossed over the loss of his job and started talking something else.glow with : He entered the interview room glowing with confidence.go about : I think we should discuss how to go about imposing discipline in the workplace.go against : She went against her mother's advice when she divorced her husband.go ahead : We went ahead with the project despite strong objection.

go along : You go along with him now; I'll be late.go along with : I'm afraid I can't go along with your idea.go around : A rumour is going around that someone is going to commit suicide.go at : He went throwing punches at his opponent.go back : I left my wallet at home and now I've to go back for it.

go back on : She promised to marry me, but now it appears she has gone back on her word.go by : Go by the rules or I am not playing/You go by that old map and now we are lost.go far : He is a smart person and will go far in what he does.


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go for : Jenny goes for tall and handsome men with considerable wealth.go in for : The rodent was injured and the hawk went in for the kill.

go off : The bomb went off prematurely and killed the bomber.go off with : She has gone off with her brother-in-law.go on : As time went on , I became more attracted to her.go on to : Can you go on to the next topic? This one is very boring.go over : I saw the horrific accident and it kept going over and over in my mind.

go through : She went through the terrible five-hour ordeal.go through with : Jane feels she isn't ready yet to go through with the wedding.go under : Many small businesses go under in the first year of operation.go with : Ivan's baldness does not go with his bushy beard.go without : Little Jonny went out without his parents' permission.

gossip about : Mrs. Goss loves to gossip about other people, especially her neighbours.graduate from : He graduated from university with a degree in palmistry.grapple with : Let the Govt grapple with the problem of wages not keeping pace withinflation.grasp at : Let us grasp at every opportunity that comes along to make money.grasp of : All the students have already got a good grasp of the basic principles of mathematics.

grieve about : She still grieves deeply about the loss of her father.grind out : That author has been grinding out short hard-luck stories non-stop.ground on/upon : You should ground your analysis on facts.ground in : The new students were grounded in the basic principles of mathematics.grow out of : Children grow out of many bad habits such as biting nails, etc.

grow up : This boy wants to be superman or spiderman when he grows up .grumble about/at : My mother-in-law, like the farmers, is always grumbling about theweather.guard against : We should guard against pickpocket in crowded places.guess at : I have not studied hard, so I guess I have to guess at the answers in the exam.


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gun down : Rival gang members gunned each other down in broad daylight.

haggle over/about : I haggled over the price with the car salesman.hand back : We handed back the form after filling it.hand down : These stories and legends have been handed down from generation to generation.hand in : The students handed in their homework without being told to.hand out : I helped to hand out parcels of food to people in need.

hand over : They handed over power to the new government after their defeat in the election.hang around : He spends his time hanging around with friends in the shopping centre.hang back : He is often advised not to hang back but to mix freely at school.hang on to : We all hung on to the strap when the subway train was moving.hang out : After school, he hangs out with his classmates in a snooker hall.

hang together : They hung together while waiting for the rescue team to find them.hang up : She was so angry she hung up before I could explain.happen on/upon : We happen on our former lecturer in a restaurant.:happen to : I just don't know what is happening to me.harp on : My mother-in-law is always harping on about my laziness.

head for : We've been driving around for hours; let's turn here and head for home.hear about : Did you hear about the latest mass killing?hear from : We haven't heard from John since he left port to sail round the world.hear of : I'm very sorry to hear of your mother's death.help with : I helped her with the application form.

help out : He helped the old lady out of the taxi.hide from : John would always hide under the bed from his drunk father.hinder from : He's hindered from a good night sleep by the constant noise from theexpressway.hint at : The spokesman hinted at the possible change of leadership.hit on : He hit on the idea of mechanization when thinking about how to solve the problems.


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hold back : She struggled to hold back her tears.hold down : Mick seems unable to hold down a job for longer than a month.hold forth : The speaker held forth on the inevitable end of the world.hold off : He always holds off making decisions until the very last moment.hold on : How long more do you want me to hold on ?

hold on to : We held tightly on to the rail as the bus sped on.hold out : The supermarket held out the chance for customers to win a brand new car.hold out on : Why do you hold out on me all the things I need to know?hold over : The match was held over because of the snowy conditions.hold to : The home team held the away team to a 2-2 draw.

hold together : The different factions within the party are held together by a charismatic leader.hold up : We arrived late as we were held up by traffic jam.hold up as : The Governor was held up as a model of integrity and decency.hunt for : The police are hunting nationwide for the serial killer.hurry up : I don't quite like the way she's always hurrying me up.

identify with : I can't identify myself with men like him.identify by : He was identified at an identity parade by a witness as the culprit.imbue with : The coach imbued the players with a sense of team work.immerse in : For months the novelist totally immersed herself in her work.impart to : The barman was happy to impart his knowledge of taming lions to me.

impose on/upon : A ban has been imposed on the sale of cigarettes to those below 18 yearsold.impress by : We were impressed by the beauty of the rural landscape.impress on : Father impressed on me the value of hard work.impress with : We were really impressed with the craftsmanship.improve by : His musical skill can be improved by engaging a professional coach.

improve in : It is very advantageous to improve in whatever we are do.improve on : The second edition greatly improves on the first edition.include in : Labour charges are included in the bill for the repairs.incorporate in : Not all the proposals and up-to-date information are incorporated in the


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report.increase from : Budget for the welfare program has been increased from $500,000 to$800,000.

increase in : The sharp increase in crime is attributed to the current state of the economy.inculcate in : Parents should inculcate a sense of discipline in their children.indict for : The suspect was indicted for the crime of arson.indulge in : I think we shouldn't indulge in too much lunchtime drinking.infect with : Some insects can infect human beings with deadly diseases.

infer from : One can reasonably infer from the evidence presented that insanity is hereditary.infest with : The whole wasteland was heavily infested with rats.inflate with : The egos of some people are really inflated with self-importance.inflict on/upon : He's found guilty for deliberately inflicting grievous bodily harm on hisgranny.inform of : The doctor will immediately inform you of any changes in her condition.

inform against/on : He was summarily arrested when his comrades informed on him.infringe on : Discussing a politician's divorce is tantamount to infringing on his private life.infuse with : The good news infused her with happiness.inherit from : He inherited his loud and powerful voice from his grandfather.inhibit from : The fear of ridicule inhibited students from raising questions.

initiate into : Last evening he was initiated into a religious cult.inquire after : I think Amy likes you; she's always inquiring after you.insert in/into : Nick inserted a coin into the vending machine for some cigarettes.insist on : She insisted on keeping a baby armadillo as a pet.inspire by : The movie was really inspired by an actual event.

inspire to : Her dogged perseverance to succeed inspires others to do likewise.instigate against : Foreigners were blamed for instigating a revolt against the government.instill in/into : The parents instilled ethical values into their children at an early age.instruct in : Ms. Olive instructed students in Latin.insure against : My uncle insured against damage to or loss of his yacht.


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intend for : The author's second book was intended for golfing enthusiasts.intercede with : The organization interceded with the authorities on my behalf.interfere with : Lack of confidence has seriously interfered with his performance at school.interpolate in : Mary interpolated a casual remark in our conversation.interrupt in : The leader was rudely interrupted in his speech by loud jeers.

intervene in : The police don't usually intervene in what was essentially a private dispute.introduce into : New subjects will be introduced into the syllabus next year.intrude on/upon : We deeply resented her intruding on our conversation.inure to : In his early life Simon soon became inured to the considerable hardship of life.invest in : The company invests heavily in research and development.

invite to : We have always been invited to her birthday.involve in : I don't see why I should involve myself in their affairs.irritate b y: He was irritated by the frequently loud argument that went on next door.isolate from : The exceptionally violent child is isolated from other children.issue from : From a long distance, we could see smoke issuing from a lone cottage chimney.4. J - O

jack up : The storekeeper dare not jack up prices because of a supermarket nearby. jam with : The entrance was jammed with crowds trying to get in.

jar on : The constantly loud music from next-door neighbour is starting to jar on my nerves. jeer at : The spectators jeered at their own team for their poor performance. jockey for : The riders jockeyed for the best position.

join in : We join them in clearing up the beach. joke with : The more we joked with each other, the closer we became. jot down : I jotted her telephone number down on a piece of paper but I lost it on my wayhome,

judge by : We do not judge a book by its cover, do we? judge from : Judging from the look on his face, we suspected he's the one who took it.

jumble up : I arranged those things in a neat order but someone came along and jumbled themup .

jump at : I jumped at the chance to visit the Niagara Falls. jump on : My mother never failed to jump on me whenever I was home late.


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justify to : He tried to justify his decision to us by saying that he had no alternative. jut out : We marveled at the huge rocks jutting out from the steep side of the cliff.

keep at : We kept at it until we completed it ahead of schedule.keep away from : You should keep away from the dangers of heavy smoking.keep back : I think she is keeping something back that she does not want us to know.keep from : He has only two months to live and we should keep him from knowing.keep off : Keep your hands off my pizza.

keep on : She keeps harping on the one little mistake I made.keep out : She should keep the puppy out instead of sleeping with it.keep out of : Why don't they keep out of the politician's personal affair.

keep to : Why did you beat about the bush? Keep to what you wanted to say.keep to (oneself) : He trusts no one and so keeps to himself most of the time.

keep up : The furious barking of the neighbour's dog kept me up the whole night.keep up with : She's always trying to keep up with her siblings.keep/bear in mind : These are well-known sayings; keep them in mind .knock down : The speeding car knocked down a villager's goat.knock off : James can't knock off work at the same time every day.

knock over : His dog was knocked over by a motorcyclist when it was running across thestreet.knock out : The underdog knocked out his opponent in the last round.know about : Nobody in the area knows much about the accident.know of : I know of one policeman who always receives bribe.knuckle down : He had better knuckle down soon or else he'll never get through those exams.

lapse into : He lapsed into a coma and died two days later.laugh at : Everybody will laugh at a funny clown.lay off : Mark was laid off after working for the company for twenty years.lead to : We took the wrong way which led us to the cemetery.leaf through : Bob leafed through many magazines while waiting at the clinic.


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lean on : In times of difficulty it would be great to have someone to lean on for support.learn about : When we were children we learned about the birds and the bees.leave for : We're leaving for funfair.leave off : Let's continue from where we left off , shall we?leave out : This is the first time he is left out of the squad for the World Cup.

lecture about/on : He lectures on the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome.lend to : I lent the lawn mover to my neighbour.let in : Let's open the windows and let the air in .let off : If you pluck my apples again, I'll not let you off .let out : Every evening we let the dog out .

let up : It looks like the rain is not going to let up , so what shall we do?level at : All he can do is level criticism at others.level with : The developer leveled the old building with an explosive charge.levy (a tax/fine/charge, etc.) on : The state government has levied a new tax on gasoline.lie down : He was told to lie down for the doctor to examine him.

lie on : Joe likes to lie on a bench in the park.liken to : I can never forgive him for likening me to an old turkey.limit to : Each customer is limited to two packets.

listen for : John must listen for the right signal before he can respond.listen in : He listened in to their whispering.

listen to : We listened in silence to his cock-and-bull stories.live at : As far as I know, he still lives at the same address.live in : I would like to live in an igloo one day.live off : They were a weird bunch who lived off welfarelive on : I live on a street where there are many stray dogs.

lock out : This is the second time I've locked myself out .long for : Bob longed for an exciting experience at Antarctic.long to : He longed desperately to be with her.look after : Who is going to look after our parrots when we go on vacation?look ahead : Let's forget the past and look ahead .


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look around : We were looking around for a public toilet.look at : The officer looked at my passport and waved me through.look away : When I smiled at her again, she looked away again.

look back on : When I look back on those moments, I realize how foolish I was.look down : She often looks down to avoid meeting her eyes.

look down on : He looks down on anyone whom he thinks is not successful.look for : Police are looking for a man with a heavily tattooed face.look forward to : I look forward to seeing that clown again.look in : Every other day we look in on grandpa and see if he needs anything.look into : We had better look into the high turnover of staff.

look like : It looks like she is going to demand an explanation from him.look on : Only one person helped him, the others just looked on .look out for : Look out for pickpocket while we are at the airport.look over : I looked the shorts over and found they had no pockets.look through : I looked through your drawers but I couldn't find your bunch of keys.

look to : They are looking to the last runner to win the relay.

look up : I enjoy enormously looking words up in the dictionary.look up to : He is the kind of man most people look up to .lure away : The company tried to lure the salesman away from their competitor.lurk around : They called the police when they saw a man lurking around outside their house.

make (a fool) of : Whenever he is drunk, he is certain to make a fool of himself.make (a fuss) about/over : She made a big fuss about not being offered a drink.make away with : When no one was looking, I made away with a bar of chocolate.make for : We quickly made for the river bank when our boat started to leak.

make (fun) of : The kids always make fun of Mick's big ears.

make (love) to : He tried to make love to every girl he met.make of : His last word before he died was about poison; what do you make of that?make off : He made off when the alarm sounded.make off with : A pickpocket made off with my wallet.


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make out : She whispered angrily in my ear, but I could not make it out .

make over : He made over his entire estate to his children.make towards : She made towards the exit when she had made all her purchases.make up : It's pretty obvious she made that story up .make up : An indecisive leader, he often finds it hard to make up his mind.make up to : Jill made up to Jack in hopes of getting him to help her.

mark down : The store attracts a big crowd as most items on sale have been marked down .mark off : She marked off all the items she has bought.mark out : They have marked out the area for vehicles to park.marvel at : I marvel at his ability to maintain composure in any given situation.

matter to : I'll buy it, the colour does not matter to me.

meditate on/upon : He meditated on the different solutions to the problem.mention to : She didn't mention it to me when I met her last night.migrate between : Some whales migrate between one part of the ocean and another.migrate from : Some species of birds migrate from Europe to Africa.make up : Can't you make up your mind to buy the blue or red one?

mingle with : Participants from various nations mingled freely with each other after the events.minister to : Volunteers minister to the injured.mix up : I called the wrong number when I mixed your telephone number up with another.mix with : He does not mix well with other members.model on : This system is modeled on the one that originated in the United States.

move out : We decided to move out when the landlord increased the rent again.mull over : We mulled over the procedure for possible adoption.

multiply by : Two multiplied by two is four.muse on/over : He sat musing over the sudden change of attitude of his girlfriend.muster up : He failed to muster up the minimum support required to stand for election.

name after : The street is named after the Prime Minister's son.narrow down : The judges have narrowed the finalists down to the last five.


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news break (the news) to: The doctor had to break the news to his family.nibble away at : She likes to nibble away at something when she watches television.nod off : He often nods off while watching television.

object to : I object to your casual comments about my hair.obtain from : All this false information was obtained from the Internet.occur to : It never occurred to me that you really believe the world is flat.operate on : The doctors had to operate on him immediately to save his life.oppress by : Ethnic minorities had been oppressed by the occupying forces for years.

originate in : This crazy idea could only originate in your head.outrage by : Women nationwide were outraged by his sexist remarks.

overcome by : His stammering was eventually overcome by speech therapy.overrun by : The wasteland was overrun by rodents.overwhelm by : He was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response.5. P - Rpan out : At this moment, no one can tell how the enterprise will pan out .parallel to : There's never been any close parallel elsewhere to China's rate of economic growth.part from : I had to part from Jill before the game ended.part with : Our dog has given birth to six puppies; we're not going to part with any of them.partake of : The guests partook of the ample food available at the gathering.

participate in : Everyone present was encouraged to participate in the discussions.pass away : Grandpa passed away in his sleep.pass by : The small child watched open-mouthed the parade passing by .pass down : The centuries-old tradition still passes down from generation to generation.pass for : My mother-in-law in mini-skirt could easily pass for a young girl.

pass in : He passes in his authorization card before leaving the office for the day.pass off : There is no reason for me to pass myself off as anyone else.pass on : You passed your cough on to me; see, I'm coughing now.pass out : During a heavy drinking session, he suddenly passed out .pass over : Jane threatened to resign when she was passed over for promotion.

pass up : I regret passing up the opportunity for promotion.


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patch up : He's going to die so you had better patch up your quarrel with him.pattern after : An ardent fan of Elvis Presley, he patterned his behaviour after him.pay back : I'll pay him back for the highly critical comments he made about me.pay for : Let's hope he will pay for the evil deed he committed.

pay off : I had to pay him off substantially to keep quiet about something I did.pay out : A huge sum of money was paid out to the winner of the football pools jackpot.pay up : I was told to pay up by Monday or have my car repossessed.pep up : A brief round of aerobics pepped the participants up before the discussion.perk up : They did some singing to perk up the atmosphere before they started the discussion.

perpetrate about : They perpetrated all sorts of malicious rumours about him

persevere in : She persevered in her studies to achieve the result she had hoped for.persist in : Why do many people persist in believing mistakenly that UFOs are alien spaceships?pertain to : Documents pertaining to the illegal transactions have been seized by police.petition for : Local residents petitioned for better bus services.

pick off : The captive soldiers were picked off one by one for interrogation.pick on : I don't think she likes me; she's always picking on me.pick out : It's easy to pick out Rose's father in a crowd because he is exceptionally tall.pick up : Andy picked up a number at random and won the first prize.

piece together : Investigators are piecing together evidence to uncover what caused theaccident.

pile up : His debts piled up but he made no attempt to settle any of them.pin down : He hints at his resignation but no one can pin him down on the exact date yet.pin on : They pinned the blame on me although I didn't do anything wrong.pine away : After his grandmother died, his grandfather pined away and died shortly after.pine for : Months after their separation, Jill still pines for Jack.

pit against : Dean is ready to pit his skills against any serious competitors.pitch in : Bob pitched in to help complete the project before the deadline.pitch into : He would pitch into anyone who commented that he was uncooperative.plan for : She plans for the future by saving considerably.plan on : He planned on becoming the first athlete to win a gold medal for his school.


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play along : He played along with her so as to gain a special favour.play at : Children love to play at being Cowboys and Red Indians.play back : I played back the tape-recorder to listen to my voice with a view to improving it.

play on : He's always playing on his friends' generosity to get free treats.play up : A pro-government newspaper played up the resignation of an opposition's activemember.

play up to : Many politicians are expert at playing up to voters' sentiments to gain their votes.play with : Every day he spends at least an hour playing with his dog.plead with : Jack pleaded with Jill not to leave her.plunge into : A sudden blackout plunged the whole place into total darkness.ply with : Our host plied us with excess food and drinks.

point at : It is not respectable to point at someone.point out : The leader pointed out the things we should or shouldn't do while jungle trekking.point to : The government pointed to the measures taken to lift the living standards of thepeople.poke fun at : The kids at school poked fun at Adam's clothes.polish off : David could easily polish off five sandwiches at one sitting.

polish up : I had better polish up my English before I visit London.pore over : He spends hours poring over his vast collection of stamps.pounce on/upon : The teacher was ever ready to pounce on any little mistake anyone of usmade.pray to : Every night the family prayed to God for good health and happiness.predicate on : His success in his exams is predicated on his determination to succeed.

prefer to : I prefer red colour to any of the other colours for my car.

prepare for : How many of us prepare ourselves for every eventuality in life?present to : They presented the best actress award to her before a live audience.present with : They presented him with an outstanding achievement award.preserve for : The large number of historical records is preserved for posterity.

preserve from : The tribe preserved corpses from decomposition by wrapping them in cloth.


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preside over : A clergyman friend of the family presided over the funeral gathering.press for : The opposition pressed the government for the release of the political detainees.press on : Reporters pressed him further on the issue.prevail on/upon : Jill finally prevailed on Jack to attend the dog show.

prevent from : The new legislation was to prevent whistleblowers from being publiclyidentified.prey on/upon : It was so moving to watch on television a lion preying on a deer.price out : The dentist has priced himself out of business by charging too heavily for hisservices.pride (oneself) on : The parents prided themselves on their child's achievement.proceed with : The protesters were not allowed to proceed with their political speeches.

produce from : They produce wine from grapes.profit from : I profit immensely from reading biographies of famous people.prohibit from : Nowadays people are prohibited from smoking in many areas.propose to : At the meeting, he proposed measures to enlarge the club membership.protect from : The legislation is to protect public property from vandalism.

protest against : The demonstration was organized to protest against police brutality.prove to : Prove to me what you said that you can make a rabbit disappear.

provide for : Many people have not taken measures to provide for their old age.provide with : The evacuees were provided with tents, blankets, and other necessities.provoke to : What he did is certain to provoke them to retaliate.

pry into : Continual prying into other people's private affairs will get him into trouble soon.pull ahead : He was leading all the way until a fellow competitor pulled ahead of him.pull apart : They pulled the two fighting cocks apart to end the cockfighting contest..pull at : She pulled at her mother's coat sleeve.pull away : He pulled away from the car park and sped down the highway.

pull down : They had to pull down the old disused crumbling building.pull in : The train pulled in just as we arrived at the station.pull off : Three men pulled off the biggest bank robbery in town.pull out : They pulled out of the business deal when they sensed something amiss.


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pull over : The policeman waved me to pull my car over .

pull through : He was badly injured in a road accident but he finally pulled through .

pull up : He pulled up at the side of the road to park.punish for : The serial killer will be severely punished for his crimes.purchase from : We purchased some statuettes from a souvenir shop at the tourist resort.purge from : All dissidents were purged from the party.

put across : The leader put his proposals across to the grass roots members.put aside : Every month she puts aside a little money for future use.put away : The boys rushed to put away the scattered toys when they heard their mummy ishome.

put by : I'm putting some money by each month for a new camera.put down : The public demonstration was brutally put down by troops.

put in : Every day I have to put in extra time to complete it before the deadline.put off : Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today.put on : Despite her hurt feelings she put on a smiling face.put out : The firemen took hours to put out the huge fire.put through : John's parents managed to put him and his siblings through university.

put to : After the speeches were delivered, we were allowed to put questions to the speakers.put up : Despite being an underdog, the team put up an outstanding performance.put up with : I think I'm not going to put up with my nagging wife any longer.puzzle about/over : We were puzzled about her enigmatic remark.puzzle out : We can't puzzle out why she left suddenly and has not called.

qualify for : So far, only three teams have qualified for the finals.

quarrel about : No one knows what the twins are quarrelling about .quarrel with : These twins can never stop quarrelling with each other.query about : The auditors queried the company's accountants about their financial statement.question about : The police questioned him about his whereabouts on the night of the murder.

rage about/against : Joe raged against the bureaucratic and corrupt system.


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rail against/at : Mary has been railing against the unjust system.range from : The bookstore is selling books at prices ranging from about $5 to $500.rank as/with : His performances rank him as one of the top five players in the country.rate as : He is generally rated as one of the best writers of this century.

reach for : He was shot dead by the police before he could reach for his gun.react to : Her boss reacted favourably to her decision to resign.read about/of : Have you read the latest news about a man with three eyes?read in : I read that rags-to-riches story in a magazine.read to : I used to read to you when you were a child.

read for : She's reading for a degree in economics at one of the universities.

read out : He read out the speech on behalf of the Prime Minister who is overseas.read through/over : I read through the passage for him and discovered some mistakes.read up : I have to read up on the subject before the discussion tomorrow.reason with : I tried to reason with her but she wouldn't listen.

rebel against : Those who rebelled against the government were captured and executed.reckon on : We didn't reckon on the shop charging handling charges.reckon with : They didn't reckon with a puncture when they went for a drive.recommend to : I definitely recommend this book to those of you interested in raising hamsters.

reconcile to : You must reconcile yourself to the death of your daughter.

recover from : Mrs. Dean has yet to recover fully from her husband's death.recuperate from : She went to stay with her daughter to recuperate from her operation.reduce to : Modern medical treatment has reduced death from tuberculosis to a minimum.reel off : May reels off a list of things to buy.refer to : We had to refer to our map when we lost our way in the city.

reflect on : A series of burglaries at the building reflects on its lax security against break-ins.refrain from : The nurse asked me to refrain from using my cell phone.regard as : The team's last performance was regarded as the best ever .reign over : The king reigned over the country for many years.relate to : Can we relate an aging population to a low economic growth?


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release from : He was released unconditionally from police detention.relieve of : The officer was relieved of his command on disciplinary grounds.rely on/upon : Landlocked countries rely on other countries for their export and import of goods.

remark on : Friends at the party remarked on her new hairstyle.remind of : The song reminds him of his former girlfriend.

remove from : He was removed from office for sexual misconduct.reply to : Why should I reply to those baseless allegations?report back : He reported back that the violence had escalated.report on : His newspaper sent him to Africa to report on the situation in Zimbabwe.report to : We were told to report to the new manager tomorrow.

reprimand for : He was reprimanded for his negligence in duty.reproach for : The teacher reproached them for not completing their homework.request for : She likes to request for songs to be played on some radio programsrescue from : Dogs and cats were also rescued from the burning building.reserve for : They reserved the three front rows of seats for VIPs.

reside in : The family resides in the suburb.

resort to : Ben became desperate and resorted to begging for money.respond to : His illness failed to respond to the treatment.rest on : The success in selling rests solely on the marketing manager.restrain from : Many times I had to restrain myself from arguing with her.

result from : The accident resulted from his own carelessness.result in : The new policy will result in the high turnover of staff.result of : The tragedy was the result of failure to plan carefully.retire from : He retired from his job for health reason.

return to : She never returned to me or to anybody any of the books she borrowed.

reveal to : Jan never revealed her origins to anybody.revenge on : Jane seems intent on revenging herself on her husband for his disloyalty.revert to : Now we are talking about something else; let's revert to the original subject.revolt against : A revolt against the leadership in the party has broken out.


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reward for : He was rewarded for providing information that led to the arrest of the culprit.

reward with : She rewarded me with a kiss.

rid of : She made a police report, hoping to rid herself of the stalker.ring back : I've called her ten times and she has yet to ring back .ring in : He rang in to inform that he had broken his leg.ring off : After a long conversation, we agreed to ring off .

ring up : I ring her up at least twice a week.rise against : The people rose in rebellion against the dictatorial government.rise from : From a distance, we could see smoke rising from chimneys.rival in : Our best players simply cannot rival our opponents in stamina.

rob of : The bus was hijacked and the passengers were robbed of all their possessions.

root in : The plants were rooted firmly in the hard earth and it wasn't easy to just pull them out.rope in : We roped in a few more guys to help with the campaign.round out : We rounded out the drinking session by having supper at a restaurant.round up : Police rounded up the remaining troublemakers.rub in : I know I've made an embarrassing mistake, so why has he to keep rubbing it in?

rule on : The judge will shortly rule on who will get custody of the child.rule out : The government has ruled out the abolition or even revision of the Act.rule over : The absolute ruler ruled over a large empire.run across : Unfortunately, I ran across my ex this morning.run after : She is so attractive that I can't help wanting to run after her.

run against : He intends to run against his father in the by-election.run along : I've something to do; I'd better run along .

run away : We decide to run away together to get married.run down : He habitually runs you down - probably out of jealousy.run for : The villagers ran for their lives when there was a sudden volcanic eruption.

run into : I ran into my former wife last night.run off : Her husband ran off with a younger woman.


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run on : The practice session was supposed to end at 10 o'clock, but ran on until 11 o'clock.run out : I felt like screaming at him when my patience ran out .run out of : I can't post my letters now; I've run out of stamps.

run out on : She deeply regrets running out on her parents a few months ago.run over : My dog was run over by a taxi and died shortly after.run through : Let's run through the solutions to the exercises again.run to : The mechanic is overcharging me; how could my car repair bill run to a hundreddollars?run up : Have to get rid of the phone; they have run up the phone bill to such a huge amount.

run up against : They have to stop work as they ran up against some unforeseen problems.

rush around : We rushed around informing all the members of the last-minute cancellation.rush into : John regrets rushing into that venture without careful thought.rush out : The manufacturer is rushing out the novelties for the festive season.rush through : The staff rushed through the paper work to meet the deadline.6. S -T

saddle up : We have to saddle up and ride out of here now.saddle with : I'm not even an assistant manager, but I'm saddled with his duties while he's away.sail from : We'll be sailing from this harbour to Calais next week.sail into : Mary sailed into the hall where a party was going on.satisfy with : Anne is still not satisfied with his explanation.

save for : Pam saved a piece of pizza for my supper.save from : Firemen saved the occupants of the building from being burnt to death.say about : She wasn't pleased when she overheard what I said about her.say to : What do you want to say to her now that she has left you?scare of : Those crows are not really scared of the large scarecrow.

scare off : That big human-like scarecrow failed to scare off the crows.scare up : See if I can scare up enough money to buy you a nice Christmas present.scoff at : He scoffed at my suggestion that we renovate the clubhouse.scrape up : She scraped up whatever money she has to pay off the car.screw up : The negotiation failed because you really screwed it up .


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search for : The police searched the whole woodland for the escaped convict.secede from : Why did the state secede from the Union in 1816?see about : I asked if she would join me for dinner tonight, she said she would see about it.

see after : We chose him to see after the organization of the party.see into : The accountant will see into the discrepancies in the books.

see off : Of course, I would be most grateful to see my mother-in-law off at the airport.see through : He is determined to see the whole project through .see to : When I was staying with them, Mary saw to all my needs.sell for : Jack has been selling tickets for the concert at a higher price.sell out : Their new batch of Hawaiian shirts is completely sold out

send for : An accident has occurred and someone has already sent for an ambulance.separate from : Her father is separated from her mother.serve as : This spare room will serve as a bedroom while they are staying with us.serve under : He is serving under his father-in-law as an assistant manager.set about : We set about clearing up the whole garage.

set against : The increases in our salaries have to be set against the rising cost of living.

set aside : Every month we set aside a portion of our salaries for the purchase of a car.set back : The raining season will set back the completion of the building project.set down : I woke up and set down in detail the dream I just had.set forth : Together, they set forth for an unknown destination.

set off : Someone set the bomb off with remote control.set in : Global warming has set in and with it more problems will arise.set on : The farmer threatened to set his dogs on the trespassers.set out : They set out on a journey to the Far East.

set up : Jack and Jill have set up a retail business.

settle down : She felt she would settle down only when she was ready to.settle for : John felt his compensation claim was justified and would not settle for anything less.settle on : They have settled on the date for the next meeting.settle up : We decided to settle up and leave this bar for home.


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sever from : He severed branches from the tree with a chainsaw.

shake with : At the reunion we shook hands warmly with each other.

share in : The wife does not share in her husband's enthusiasm for jogging.shell out : I had to shell out three dollars just for one parking place.shield from : New import tariffs will be introduced to shield local firms from foreigncompetition.shoot up : Prices of most kinds of food for small children have shot up .

shop for : I have been shopping for a Mexican hat, but haven't found anything I like.shout at : Please don't shout at the dogs; it will not stop them from barking.shout for : Why do you shout for help when you are not in danger?

show off : Tim showed off his new toys to his friends.show up : He has just shown up when he was supposed to have done so two hours ago.

shrink from : Bob shrank from the first sight of blood.shudder at : I shudder at the thought of the child dying from injuries in the crash.shut off : Mum always remembered to shut off the stove when she finished cooking.shut up : She's done all the talking since we started; she should shut up and give others a chance.side against/with : The two sisters always side with each other against their mother.

sin against : I feel I've sinned against my religion by raising doubts and querying about it.sit around : He would sit around quietly for hours and watch was happening.sit at : He would sit at the table without eating but watch other people eating.sit in : As the show has to go on, Joe agreed to sit in for Bozo the clown who is absent.sit on : Sometimes we would sit on a long bench in the park and chatted away to each other.

sit through : Our boss delivered a lengthy boring speech and we had to sit through it.

sit up : Whenever there's a late football match on television, we would sit up and watch.slack off : Tourism business at the resort slacks off during the winter.slide on : The kids enjoyed themselves sliding on the ice.slip up : The police slipped up when the wrong person was arrested.

slow down : The police roadblock had slowed down traffic to a big snarl-up.


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smile at : I mistakenly smiled at her, thinking I knew her, but she looked away.snap at : I don't understand why she often snapped at me for no good reason.snap off : She stopped reading, snapped off the light and closed her eyes to sleep.snap on : She snapped on the light when she entered the bedroom.

sneer at : They sneered at his ludicrous suggestion.sound off : Mike is always sounding off about every current issue.speak about : His grandfather would speak to you about anything under the sun.speak of : He had his reason for never ever speaking of his ex.speak on : George loved to speak to women on women's issues.

speak to : Frankly, if I could help it I wouldn't want to speak to her.

specialize in : The store specialized in coffins for dogs and cats.spring at : The showman touched the head of a cobra with a stick and it sprung at him.spur on : His initial success spurred him on .stamp out : The government is determined to stamp out corruption.

stand against : Her daughter will be standing against her in the parliamentary election.stand around : The crowd just stood around waiting for the ambulance to arrive.stand by : Two calls were received for ambulance, but only one ambulance is standing by .stand for : He is not going to stand for her personal insult much longer.

stand on : She stood on tiptoe to pluck a pear.

stand out : Your dyed red hair will certainly make you stand out in any crowd.stand up : He looks taller if he stands up straight.stand up fo r: We have to stand up for our rights.stand up to : He wouldn't dare stand up to his boss when he knew he's right.star in : She will star in a new movie whose title is yet to be announced.

stare at : They just stared at each other not believing they had not seen each other for fortyyears.start for : The weather turned bad and we had no choice but to start for home.start off : He started off as a postman and now he's postmaster.start on : I've finished reading the first chapter, so now I can start on the second chapter.start with : Let's start our training session with doing some warm-up exercises.


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stay at : His wife resents his staying late at the office almost every night.stay up : Sometimes I stay up late to watch television.stay with : I prefer staying at home with my dog to going out.

steal from : Two policemen were arrested for stealing from the police station.stem from : The high volume of sales of ice cream stemmed from the exceptionally hot weather.

step up : The police are stepping up their regular patrols of the area.stick around : Stick around until he arrives, then we will go for a meal.stick to : Stick to the point, otherwise our meeting will never end.stick up : A stranger tried to stick him up , but he fought him off.stick up for : Will you stick up for me? There are too many of them.

stir up : You like to stir up her emotions. Look how excited she is now.stoop to : You don't have to stoop to his level and quarrel with him.stop from : His parents tried to stop him from smoking excessively.straighten out : We managed finally to straighten out our differences before he passed away.straighten up : You'd better straighten yourself up if you want to gain respect.

stricken with : One wonders how long he will live now that he's stricken with a fatal disease.

strike against : The ship sank after its side struck against an iceberg.strike for : The workers unanimously decided to strike for higher wages.strike up : I have struck up a friendship with her after meeting her a few times in the library.strip from : Some members of a tribe stripped the bark from the trees to use as medicine.

strip of : The president had been completely stripped of his power in a military coup.strive after : Artists continuously strive after artistic beauty.strive against : Man has to constantly strive against the elements.strive for : We must always strive for perfection in whatever we do.

struggle with : Alone, he had to struggle furiously with his attackers till help arrived.

study for : She knows she has only two weeks left to study hard for her A level exam.submit to : Both parties agreed to submit their dispute to arbitration.subscribe to : There are still people who subscribe to the flat-earth theory.subsist on : They subsisted on canned food during the winter.


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subtract from : He thought he could subtract his personal expenses from his gross profit.

succeed in : The escaped prisoner succeeded in evading capture for several months.

sue for : The minister threatened to sue the opposition member for slander.suffer from : Millions of children in the world today suffer from malnutrition.suggest to : She suggested to me that I should buy her more fresh flowers.suit to : I think you did not suit your dress to the occasion.

sum up : He finally summed up his speech to the relief of the audience.supplement by : Jack supplemented his income by training parrots to sing.supply with : Only two companies supply the hospital with medical equipment.surpass in : Mary surpasses her sister in beauty.

surround by : He emerged from the conference centre and was surrounded by noisy reporters.

swarm with : On weekends the zoo is swarmed with visitors.sweat it out : The boxer is sweating it out in the gym until his next fight.swerve off : Driving quickly on a wet road caused his car to swerve off the road into a ravine.switch over : They are going to switch over to the new teaching method.sympathize with : I sympathize deeply with the bereaved family.

take aback : I was taken aback by what he said.take after : Jenny certainly takes after her mother.take back : OK, I take back what I just said. Now, don't you curse me anymore.take down : Please take down what I'm going to say.take for : Now, don't you take me for a fool.

take in : Jill was taken in by the company's false claims about its products.take off : I was late and the plane took off without me.

take on : After a new coat of paint, the old house takes on a new look.take out : It's your turn to take out the rubbish.take out on : It's your own fault, why take it out on the children?

take over : When you take over the driving, don't sound the horn unnecessarily.take stock of : You should take stock of your bad habits and eliminate them.


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take to : Jim took to excessive drinking when his girlfriend left him.take up : Since my retirement, I've taken up stargazing.take up with : He's taken up with his new neighbour's kids.

take upon : Mark took it upon himself to paint the whole house.talk about : Will you stop talking about me behind my back?talk around : She doesn't agree with me; do you think you can talk her around ?talk back : This kid will never hesitates to talk back to her mother.talk down : Mike often talked down the good things Betty did for him.

talk down to : It's wrong to talk down to them like that; they are cleverer than you think.talk into : I didn't want to get involved in the robbery, but he talked me into joining them.

talk out of : She talked me out of seeking work overseas.talk over : I think we'd better talk it over before we decide to buy a yacht.talk to : I talked to his parents about his throwing stones at my dogs.

talk with : I talked with her on the telephone, but she suggested we talk in person.tally with : The two witnesses' accounts of the accident don't tally with each other.tamper with : The defence lawyer is going to prove that the evidence had been tampered with .tantamount to : His statement is tantamount to a confession.taste like : The new sauce tasted exactly like sour milk.

taste of : The soup tasted strongly of water.tear down : Several houses were torn down to make way for the new highway.tear into : I said she might be wrong and she tore into me.tear up : She tore up the letter after reading it.tease about : We teased her about her many childhood fights with boys.

tell about : She never told me about the big money she won in a lottery.tell off : John ran for a bus but bumped against a woman who told him off .tell on : Her constant worrying is beginning to tell on her face.tend toward : Joe tends towards obesity.terms come to (terms) with : He felt he had to come to terms with being a prisoner.


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thank for : I thanked her warmly for not grumbling the whole day.think about : Money i