Phrasal Verb Explanation Example Sentence Synonyms

My car broke down on the way to work this

Break down To stop functioning or fail. Malfunction, conk out
morning.

They had to call off the meeting due to bad

Call off To cancel or abort something. Cancel, postpone
weather.

To raise a topic or start a conversation She brought up an interesting point during

Bring up Raise, mention
about something. the discussion.

Give up To quit or stop doing something. I decided to give up smoking for my health. Quit, relinquish

Take off To remove clothing or depart on a flight. The plane will take off in 30 minutes. Remove, depart

Unfortunately, they turned down my job

Turn down To reject an offer or request. Decline, refuse
application.

She looks after her younger brother when

Look after To take care of someone or something. Care for, attend to
her parents are at work.

To deplete or exhaust a supply of We ran out of milk, so I need to buy some

Run out of Exhaust, deplete
something. more.

Can you pick up some groceries on your

Pick up To lift or collect something from a place. Lift, collect
way home?

They had to put off the wedding until next

Put off To delay or postpone something. Postpone, defer
year.

Set up To establish or arrange something. We're planning to set up a new business. Establish, organize

He didn't RSVP, but he turned up at the

Turn up To arrive or appear, often unexpectedly. Arrive, appear
party anyway.

Have a good
To have a good relationship with They get along well despite their
Get along relationship, be on good
someone. differences.
terms

To register at a hotel or arrive at an We need to check in at the hotel before 3

Check in Register, report
airport for a flight. PM.

I'll look up the restaurant's reviews before

Look up To search for information. Search for, research
we go.
 To surrender or yield to a demand or After hours of negotiation, they finally gave
Give in Surrender, yield
pressure. in.

To encounter or meet someone

Run into I ran into an old friend at the mall yesterday. Encounter, meet
unexpectedly.

To disconnect or separate something The storm cut off power to the entire
Cut off Disconnect, separate
from its source. neighborhood.

Please hold on while I find the information

Hold on To wait or pause for a moment. Wait, pause
you need.

Their hard work and dedication brought

Bring about To cause or make something happen. Cause, generate
about positive change.

Idioms:

Idiom Explanation Example Sentence Synonyms

To face a difficult or unpleasant situation She had to bite the bullet and tell her boss Face the music, tough it
Bite the bullet
with courage and determination. about the mistake. out

Cost an arm That designer handbag must have cost her Break the bank, be a
To be very expensive.
and a leg an arm and a leg. fortune

Hit the nail on To describe or identify something John hit the nail on the head when he Be spot on, be on the
the head exactly right. explained the problem. money

A way to wish someone good luck, "Break a leg!" I told my friend before her big
Break a leg Good luck, best wishes
especially before a performance. audition.

Passing the exam was a piece of cake for A walk in the park, a
Piece of cake Something that is very easy to do.
her. breeze

The ball is in It's your turn to make a decision or take I've given you all the information; now the
It's up to you, your move
your court action. ball is in your court.
 Don't waste time worrying about things
Don't cry over I know you made a mistake, but don't cry Let bygones be bygones,
that have already happened and can't
spilled milk over spilled milk; learn from it. water under the bridge
be changed.

Once in a blue We only go on vacation once in a blue

Something that happens very rarely. Rarely, infrequently
moon moon.

Burning the She's been burning the midnight oil to finish Working late, staying up
Working late into the night.
midnight oil her project on time. late

Don't put all

Don't risk everything on a single plan or Diversify your investments; don't put all Hedge your bets, spread
your eggs in
opportunity. your eggs in one basket. the risk
one basket

A penny for A polite way to ask someone what they You seem lost in thought. A penny for your What's on your mind,
your thoughts are thinking or feeling. thoughts? mind sharing?

Jumping on the Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and Following the crowd,
Joining a popular trend or activity.
bandwagon trying that new diet. going with the flow

Under the I can't come to work today; I'm feeling a bit

Feeling unwell or sick. Not feeling well, a bit off
weather under the weather.

To understand a deeper or hidden

Read between When she said she was "fine," I had to read
meaning in what someone says or Infer, deduce
the lines between the lines to know she was upset.
writes.

To become nervous or anxious, often He got cold feet and decided not to go
Get cold feet Lose nerve, hesitate
just before taking an important action. through with the plan.

To ignore or pretend not to notice

Turn a blind The manager chose to turn a blind eye to Look the other way,
something, typically something wrong
eye the employee's misconduct. ignore
or unethical.

After he proposed, she felt like she was On cloud nine, over the
Walking on air Feeling extremely happy and excited.
walking on air. moon
 To reveal a secret or confidential She accidentally spilled the beans about the Let the cat out of the
Spill the beans
information. surprise party. bag, disclose

Grab someone's
Catch The bright colors of the painting caught my
To attract someone's attention. attention, draw
someone's eye eye in the art gallery.
someone's gaze

The final problem or annoyance that When he was late again, it was the last Breaking point, tipping
The last straw
makes a situation unbearable. straw, and I ended our partnership. point