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Phrasal verbs

What are phrasal verbs?

Many English verbs can be followed by prepositions or adverb particles. These combinations are often called phrasal verbs. There are numerous phrasal verbs in English. It is not easy to learn all of them; it is not necessary either. However, you must be familiar with the most important ones.

Are phrasal verbs important?

Phrasal verbs are not commonly used in formal writing. Instead, people use one-word verbs that express the same idea. On the other hand, phrasal verbs are very common in the speech of native English speakers. So if you live in an English speaking country where you have to converse with native English speakers on a regular basis, learning phrasal verbs is a must. The problem with phrasal verbs is that you can’t guess their meaning because the meaning of a phrasal verb is sometimes very different from the meanings of the two parts taken separately. That means, you have to make a conscious effort to learn them.

Separable and non-separable phrasal verb

Phrasal verbs can be separable or non-separable. The adverb particle in a separable phrasal verb can go before or after a noun object. When the object is a pronoun, the particle always goes after the object.

She switched off the TV. OR She switched the TV off. (Switch off is a separable phrasal verb. That means the particle off can go before or after the object TV.)

She switched it off. (NOT She switched off it.) (When the object is a pronoun, the particle always goes after it.)

The two parts of a non-separable phrasal verb cannot be separated.

She fell off the horse. (NOT She fell the horse off. Fell off is a non-separable phrasal verb.)

Important phrasal verbs?

Here is a list of the most commonly used phrasal verbs in English. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning / definition and example sentences. Note that a phrasal verb can be separable or non-separable.

Ask out (separable)

To ask out is to ask someone to go on a date with you.

I asked her out but she said ‘no’.
I am going to keep asking her out until she says ‘yes’.

Bring about (separable)

To bring something about is to cause it to happen.

It was the invention of the steam engine that brought about the industrial revolution.

Bring up (separable)

1) look after during childhood 2) cause something to be considered 3) vomit

He was brought up by his grandmother.
She brought up an interesting proposal.

Call back (separable)

Return a telephone call

I will call you back.

Call in (separable)

Ask someone to come to a place for a special reason

We have called the doctor in. (= We have asked the doctor to come.)

Call off (separable)

To call something off is to cancel it.

She has called off her wedding.

Call on (non-separable)

1) visit 2) ask a student a question in class

Jane called on me yesterday. (NOT Jane called me on yesterday.)

Call up (separable)

To call somebody up is to call them on the telephone.

I will call you up when I have time.

Catch up with (non-separable)

To catch up with somebody is to reach the same position or level as them.

Her husband is struggling to catch up with her.

Check in (non-separable)

To check in is to register at a hotel.

They checked in at 8 am.

Check into (non-separable)

To check into something is to investigate it.

The officer said that he would check into the matter.

Check out (separable)

1) borrow a book from a library 2) complete a purchase by making payment 3) examine

Here is an article you might like. Check it out.

Cheer up (separable)

To cheer somebody up is to make them happier.

Her kind words cheered me up.
I will buy you an ice cream if that will cheer you up.

Clean up (separable)

Make clean and orderly

Clean up the room after you have finished working.

Come across (non-separable)

To come across something is to find it by chance.

The other day, I came across an old friend of mine.
While reading the newspaper, I came across an interesting advert.

Cross out (separable)

To cross something out is to draw a line through it.

Cross out the wrong answers.

Cut off (separable)

To cut something off is to stop, separate or interrupt it.

As he hadn’t paid the bill, his electricity was cut off.

Three word phrasal verbs

Some phrasal verbs have three parts. These are inseparable. Here is a list of the most common three-word phrasal verbs.

Break in on

To break in on is to interrupt (a conversation).

I was talking to Susie when James broke in on our conversation.

Catch up with = keep abreast

As I was holidaying I couldn’t catch up with the news.

Check up on = examine, investigate

He has agreed to check up on the condition of the holiday house from time to time.
We have employed a person to check up on the condition of our ancestral home from time to time.

Come up with

To come up with is to contribute a suggestion or money.

Can you come up with a better idea?

Cut down on = curtail, reduce

She must cut down on the money she is spending on cosmetics.

Drop out of = leave school

He dropped out of school before the end of the term.

Get along with = have a good relationship with

I find it hard to get along with my mother-in-law.

Get away with = escape punishment

He cheated on the exam and then tried to get away with it.

Get rid of = eliminate

We must get rid of corruption.

Keep up with = maintain pace with

Slow down! I can’t keep up with you.

Look forward to = anticipate with pleasure

I look forward to your next visit.

Look down on = despise

He looks down on his subordinates.

Look in on = visit somebody

We are going to look in on your father.

Look out for = be careful, anticipate

If you are on the road on a Saturday night, look out for drunk drivers.

Look up to = respect

We all look up to him.

Make sure of = verify

Make sure of the identity of every visitor before you let him in.

Put with up = tolerate

It is hard to put up with her little ways.

Run out of = exhaust supply

We are running out of oil.

Take care of = be responsible for, look after

She takes care of her younger siblings.

Talk back to = answer impolitely

The teacher was really upset with the boy who talked back to her.

Walk out on = abandon

Her husband walked out on her and their children.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with A

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter A.

Act up

When something acts up it functions improperly. When somebody acts up, they behave improperly.

Your little girl has started acting up again.
You had better get that computer repaired. It is acting up again.

Add up to

When something adds up to a certain amount, it equals that amount.

The total revenues from all forms of advertisement added up to $835.

Add up

When something adds up, it makes sense.

I don’t think that she is telling the truth. Her story just doesn’t add up.

Ask around

To ask around is to ask many people the same question.

I asked around but nobody had seen my kitten.

Ask out (separable)

To ask somebody out is to invite them on a date.

I am going to ask her out.

Ask over (separable)

To ask somebody over is to invite them to your home.

I have asked Susie over for dinner.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with B

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter B.

Back down

To back down is to stop defending your opinion.

Don’t argue with her. She will never back down.
At last he backed down and conceded that he was indeed wrong.

Back out

To back out is to escape or withdraw from a promise, deal etc.

John had promised to lend me 1000 dollars but at the last moment he backed out.
He will never back out of his promises.

Back up (separable)

To back something up is to support it.

Back up your arguments with real-life examples.

Back up can also mean ‘move backwards’. When used with this meaning it is inseparable.

Seeing the dog the boy backed up.

Bawl out (separable)

This is used only in informal English. To bawl somebody out is to criticize them.

The teacher bawled him out for coming late.

Bear down on

To bear down on somebody is to take strong actions against them.

The government must bear down on all anti-social elements.

Bear up

To bear up is to be brave against misfortune etc.

I never thought that he would bear up so well in such a tough situation.

Bear up under (= withstand)

I can’t believe that he bore up under such extreme pressure.

Bear with

To bear with somebody is to be patient with them.

Please bear with us while we clean the rooms.

Blow over

When something blows over it passes without creating a problem.

The scandal blew over in a couple of weeks.

Blow up (separable)

To blow something up is to destroy it using explosives.

The terrorists blew the bridge up.

Blow up can also mean ‘become very angry’.

She blew up when she heard the news.

Break down

When a machine breaks down it stops working properly.

The car broke down on the way to work.

Break down can also mean ‘become mentally ill’ or ‘cry’.

She broke down when she heard the news.
She broke down after her only son died.

Break in

To break in is to interrupt.

My mother-in-law always breaks in while we discuss personal matters.

Break in can also mean ‘enter a place unlawfully’.

The burglars broke in at 2 am.

Break in on

When somebody breaks in on a conversation, they interrupt it.

The supervisor broke in on our conversation and told us to go back to our seats.

Break into

To break into a place is to enter unlawfully.

Thieves broke into the house when the family was away on a vacation.

Break off (separable)

To break something off is to end it.

Her parents were shocked when she broke off her engagement to her cousin.

Break out

To break out is to appear violently.

Riots broke out in many parts of the city.

Break up (separable)

To break something up is to break it into pieces.

She broke the chocolate up into equal pieces and gave them to the kids.

Break up can also mean ‘disperse a crowd’.

The police broke up the mob before things went out of control.

Break up

To break up is to end a relationship.

She has broken up with her boyfriend.

Bring about

To bring something about is to cause it to happen.

Internet has brought about great changes in the way people communicate with one another.

Bring along

To bring somebody along is to bring them with you.

Can I bring my kids along?

Bring around (separable)

To bring somebody around is to change their mind.

She didn’t want to go abroad, but eventually they managed to bring her around.

Bring off

To bring off is to succeed in an attempt.

Bring out (separable)

To bring something out is to highlight it.

She was wearing a blue gown which brought out her fair complexion.

Bring over (separable)

To bring somebody over is to bring them to your house.

Can I bring a friend over for dinner?
She brings over her friends late at night.

Bring up (separable)

To bring something up is to mention it.

You shouldn’t have brought up the fact that she was a divorcee.

Bring up (separable)

To bring a child up is to raise him / her.

She was brought up by her aunt.

Brush off (separable)

To brush something off is to ignore it.

She brushed off my concerns about her safety.

Burn up

To be burned up is to be consumed by fire.

The documents were burned up in the fire.

Buy out

To buy out is to buy the shares of a company.

Alpha Inc. was bought out by a rival firm.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with C

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter C.

Call for = demand or require

This achievement calls for a big celebration.
Now that laptops have become ubiquitous, there is not much call for desktop computers.
This recipe calls for butter, not ghee.

Call off (separable) = cancel something

Her parents were shocked when she called off her wedding to Peter.
The meeting has been called off.
We had to call the picnic off because of bad weather.

Call on = visit; ask somebody to speak in a meeting, classroom etc.

Whenever he is in Sydney, he makes it a point to call on his old friends and colleagues.
The teacher called on the boy to answer the question, but he couldn’t.

Call up (separable) = to call somebody up is to telephone them

I called up to see if she had reached safely.
I have been calling him up since morning, but he hasn’t answered my calls yet.

Calm down (separable) = make someone relax

The doctor calmed the patient down with a mild dose of sedatives.

Care for = nurse somebody or something; like somebody or something

She cared for the stray cat until its legs healed.
He spent years caring for his sick wife.
I don’t care for cold coffee. (= I don’t like cold coffee.)

Carry on = continue an activity

Please carry on. I will wait until you have finished.

Carry on about = continue an activity in an annoying way

He kept carrying on about his achievements although none of us were keen on listening.

Carry out (separable) = accomplish or complete something

They couldn’t carry out their plans.
If you don’t carry out my instructions, you will be sacked.

Catch up with = try to be at the same place as the person in front of you

You will have to work twice as hard if you want to catch up with her.

Check back = return to see if everything is all right

We will check back tomorrow to make sure that all arrangements are in proper place.

Check by = go to a place to see if something has happened

We will have to check by his house to see if he has already left.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with D

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter D. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning. Example sentences are also given.

Die away / die down: diminish in intensity

The excitement soon died away.
The controversy about the minister’s involvement in the scam soon died down.

Die off / die out = become extinct

Asiatic lions are in danger of dying off.

Disagree with = used to talk about foods or drinks that make a person sick.

Alcohol disagrees with me. (= Alcohol makes me sick.)

Do away with = abolish

Many countries have done away with the death penalty.

Do over (separable) = repeat a job

The teacher asked the boy to do the sum over.

Do without = manage to live without something that one wants

We can’t do without food or water.

Dress down (separable) = reprimand severely; wear casual clothes

The teacher dressed the boy down because he was always late for school.
She always dresses down.
I guess you can dress down a bit. After all, we aren’t going to a business meeting.

Dress up (separable) = decorate, wear elegant clothes

She likes to dress her baby up.
They dressed the venue up with bright lights.

Drive at = mean

What’s he driving at? (= What is the purpose behind what he is saying?)

Drive back (separable) = repulse; force someone to go back

The militants were driven back by the army.

Drop behind = fail to keep up with

If you don’t work hard you will drop behind your peers.

Drop in = visit unexpectedly

She always drops in when you least expect it.

Drop in on somebody = visit somebody unexpectedly

As we were driving by her house, we decided to drop in on Sophia.

Drop out = quit

I can’t keep up with the schedule so I am thinking about dropping out.

Drop out of = quit school etc.

As he had dropped out of school, he found it difficult to get a good job.

Drop off = become fewer or less; fall asleep

His customers are dropping off.
The baby kept crying until she dropped off.

Drop at (separable) = allow somebody to get out of a car, etc.

Can you drop me at the bus station?

Drop over = visit casually

Feel free to drop over any time.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with E

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter E. Each phrasal verb is followed by its meaning. Example sentences are also given.

Eat away = destroy gradually

Recession has eaten away profits.
Termites have eaten away the furniture.

Eat up (separable) = devour

He was so hungry he ate the cake up.

Eat in = eat inside the home

She doesn’t like to eat in. She only eats restaurant food.

Eat out = eat outside the home

How often do you eat out?
They eat out very often.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with F

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter F. Each phrasal verb is followed by its definition and example sentences.

Face up to = acknowledge something embarrassing; accept an unpleasant reality

He couldn’t face up to the fact that he had been sacked.
People often find it difficult to face up to the fact that they are getting old.

Fall back on = begin to use something held in reserve

As the family had no savings to fall back on they found it difficult to get through the hard times.
Susie has done an MBA in event management, so even if her acting career doesn’t take off she will still have something to fall back on.

Fall behind = go slower than planned

If you don’t work hard, you will fall behind your colleagues.

Fall off = decrease

Gold prices are unlikely to fall off.

Fall out with = have an argument with

He fell out with his boss over something silly.
They are constantly falling out with each other.

Feel up to = have the energy to do something

Sometimes I just don’t feel up to doing anything.
She was unwell and didn’t feel up to going out.

Figure out (separable) = understand

I can’t figure out why she hates me.
I just can’t figure out her motives.

Fill in = complete

Please fill in this form.
We will have to find someone to fill in for Jack. (= We will have to find someone to substitute for Jack.)

Fill out (separable) = complete (an application)

Please fill out this form and give it to the Secretary.

Find out = discover

It took me quite some time to find out his true intentions.

Phrasal Verbs Beginning with G

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with letter H. Each phrasal verb is followed by its definition and example sentences.

Get across = cause to be understood

Good communication skills are essential to get your message across.

Get ahead = make progress

I can’t get ahead even though I work overtime.

Get ahead of = overcome; surpass

You will have to work twice as hard in order to get ahead of schedule.

Get along / get along with = have a good relationship with.

She doesn’t get along with her neighbors.

Get around = avoid something

Do you want to get around paying taxes? You just need to hire a good accountant.

Get away = escape

He was hoping that he would be able to get away after committing such a heinous crime, but they proved him wrong.

Get away with = do something against the rules and still not get caught

She is very influential. She gets away with everything.

Get by = survive without the basic necessities

He doesn’t earn enough to get by.

Get by with = manage with

Before computers became common people had to get by with the typewriter.

Get down to = get serious about a topic

When he gets down to business there is no stopping him.

Get off (separable) = remove

Can you get that spider off the piano?

Get off = leave a bus etc.

As there was no room, we got off the bus.
We will get off at the next station.

Get on = enter a bus, train; mount a bike

The bus is leaving. Quick, get on.
Get on my bike and I will drop you at the railway station.

Get on / get on with = have a good relationship with

She doesn’t get on with her mother-in-law.

Get out of = exit a small boat, car etc.

The boy fell into the water while trying to get off the boat.

Get over = recover from illness or disappointment

It took her quite some time to get over her breakup with James.

Get through = complete

Do you think we can get through these assignments by 5 pm?

Get through (with) = finish

You can go to the park after you have gotten through with your homework.

Get through to = contact by telephone

It is hard to get through to Mercy. Her cellphone is always busy.

Get up = rise from a lying or sitting position to a standing position

I usually get up at 6 am.

Give away (separable) = to give something away is to give it without asking for anything in exchange

Before joining the convent, she gave away all of her possessions.

Give away = betray; reveal a secret

I had wanted the party to be a secret, but Jennifer gave my surprise away by acting suspicious.

Give back = return something you borrowed

When are you going to give me my money back?

Give in = stop trying

She gave in without even making an attempt.

Give off = emit a smell, light etc.

Roses give off a pleasant fragrance.

Give out (separable) = distribute

He makes a living by giving out newspapers on the street.

Give up (separable) = surrender something

The doctor asked him to give up smoking.

Go by = go past, visit quickly

Did you see the boy who just went by the window?

Go back on = not keep one’s word, promise etc.

You can trust Peter. He will never go back on his promises.

Go for = try to achieve

Our team is going for the first prize in the quiz competition.

Go into = discuss in detail

I don’t want to go into that at the moment.

Go off = explode

The bomb went off with a loud noise.

Go off = begin, start

The alarm clock went off at 6 am.

Go off = become angry

Peter went off when I told him that I had broken his camera.

Go on = continue

Please, go on.

Go on with = continue a plan, conversation etc.

I think we should go on with the discussion without wasting any more time.

Go out = stop burning

All lights went out.

Go out = take part in social activities

She likes to go out.

Go through = study carefully

I have to go through this contract before I sign it.

Go through = endure difficulties or traumas

She has gone through so much in her life.

Go through with = proceed despite difficulties or fear

There was little chance of success; nonetheless, they decided to go through with the operation.

Go with = match (clothing)

Those earrings go well with your dress.
Green goes well with red.

Go with = have a boyfriend/girlfriend

He is going with a French girl.

Go without = survive without something you want

We cannot go without food or water for long.

Grow up = mature

That boy needs to grow up.

Common separable phrasal verbs

Some phrasal verbs are separable. That means we can put an object between the two parts of the phrasal verb. Note that the two parts of a separable phrasal verb must be separated when the object is a pronoun.

Here is a list of common separable phrasal verbs.

Blow up = explode

The terrorists blew up the bridge.
They blew it up. (NOT They blew up it.)

Bring up = mention a topic

Why do you always have to bring up this topic?

Bring up = raise children

My grandparents brought me up. (NOT My grandparents brought up me.)
She has to bring up three small children.

Call off = cancel

They called off the meeting.

Do over

To do a job over is to repeat it.

The teacher asked the boy to do the sum over.

Fill out = complete a form

Fill out this form and send it in.

Fill up = fill to capacity

She filled up the can with water.

Find out = discover

She was devastated when she found out that her husband had been cheating on her.

Give away

To give something away is to give it to someone else for free.

The textile shop was giving away free clothes to attract customers.

Give back = return an object

When are you going to give me my camera back?

Hand in = submit an assignment etc.

The students have handed in their papers.

Hang up = put something on hook or receiver

Before I could say anything she hung up the phone.

Hold up

To hold something up is to delay it.

We don’t want to hold up the payment, but unfortunately there is no other way.

Hold up can also mean ‘rob’.

Gunmen held up the State Bank this afternoon.

Leave out = omit

The relative pronoun can be left out in a few cases.

Look over = examine, check

The examiner looked over the answer sheets carefully.

Look up = search in a dictionary

If you find unfamiliar words, look them up in a dictionary.

Make up = invent a story or lie

When asked why he was late, the boy made up a story about getting stuck in the traffic jam.

Common separable phrasal verbs

Here is a list of common separable phrasal verbs.

Blow up = explode

The terrorists blew up the bridge.
They blew it up. (NOT They blew up it.)

Bring up = mention a topic

Why do you always have to bring up this topic?

Bring up = raise children

My grandparents brought me up. (NOT My grandparents brought up me.)
She has to bring up three small children.

Call off = cancel

They called off the meeting.

Do over

To do a job over is to repeat it.

The teacher asked the boy to do the sum over.

Fill out = complete a form

Fill out this form and send it in.

Fill up = fill to capacity

She filled up the can with water.

Find out = discover

She was devastated when she found out that her husband had been cheating on her.

Give away

To give something away is to give it to someone else for free.

The textile shop was giving away free clothes to attract customers.

Give back = return an object

When are you going to give me my camera back?

Hand in = submit an assignment etc.

The students have handed in their papers.

Hang up = put something on hook or receiver

Before I could say anything she hung up the phone.

Hold up

To hold something up is to delay it.

We don’t want to hold up the payment, but unfortunately there is no other way.

Hold up can also mean ‘rob’.

Gunmen held up the State Bank this afternoon.

Leave out = omit

The relative pronoun can be left out in a few cases.

Look over = examine, check

The examiner looked over the answer sheets carefully.

Look up = search in a dictionary

If you find unfamiliar words, look them up in a dictionary.

Make up = invent a story or lie

When asked why he was late, the boy made up a story about getting stuck in the traffic jam.
Make out = hear properly, understand

I couldn’t make out anything that she said.

Pick out = choose

Pick out the correct answer from the options given below.

Pick up = lift

She picked the baby up.
I picked her up.
They used a crane to pick up the van.

Point out

To point something out is to call attention to it.

Can you point out the spelling mistakes in this essay?

Put away

To put something away is to save or store it for future use.

She put the chocolate boxes away.
You must put away some money for your retirement.

Put off = postpone

They have decided to put off the meeting until tomorrow.

Put on = wear clothes

He put on a sweater.

Put out = extinguish

The firemen put out the fire before it could spread.

Read over = read again, study, peruse

I read over the document, but I couldn’t understand anything.

Set up = arrange

I absolutely love the way you have set up your living room.

Take down = make a written note

Take down what I say.

Take off = remove clothing

He took off his shoes and went to bed.

Talk over = discuss

This is a serious problem. We must talk it over.

Throw away: discard

Don’t throw away anything useful.

Phrasal verbs with go

Go about something – set to work at it

We are not going about it in the right way.

Go ahead – start; make progress

Go after – try to obtain or overtake

There is no point in going after him.

Go away – leave home

Go back on / go back upon – withdraw from a promise etc.

He went back on his promise.

Go by – pass; be guided by

It is a good rule to go by.

Go down

When a ship goes down, it sinks. When the sea or wind goes down, it becomes calm. When a story goes down it becomes accepted by the reader.

His explanation didn’t go down well with his wife. (= His wife didn’t accept his explanation.)

Go for – attack; be sold for

That house went for a huge amount.
All his work went for nothing.

Go in for – take part in a competition, examination; take up as a hobby

He went in for gardening on retirement.
He goes in for classical music. (= He has a special interest in classical music.)

Go into – enter; examine

The investigators went into the evidence. (= The investigators examined the evidence.)
Let’s go into the details.

Go off – (of a gun) explode; (of food) lose quality

The milk has gone off.
The goods in this shop have gone off. (= The goods in this shop are now inferior to the goods in other shops.)
The gun went off all of a sudden.

Go off – have the result hoped for

The program went off well.

Go on – continue; happen

Go out – (of a fire or light) stop burning

Suddenly the lights went out.

Go over – examine or study thoroughly

Students must go over the study materials before taking the exam.

Go around – be enough for everyone

We don’t have enough food to go around.

Go through – suffer

After her husband’s death, the poor woman had to go through a lot of hardships.

Go with – (of colors) be in harmony with

Green goes well with orange.

Go without – endure the lack of

Plants can’t go without water. (= Plants cannot endure the lack of water.)

Phrases with go

Go to law – start legal action against somebody

Go to pieces – break up

Go to seed – become less active intellectually

Full of go – energy, enthusiasm

He is full of go. (= He is full of energy.)

Have a go at something – attempt

Next week, I am going to have a go at TOEFL. (= I am going to attempt TOEFL next week.)

On the go – busy, active

A laptop is an indispensable companion for professionals on the go.

Phrasal verbs with hold

Hold is used in a large number of common idiomatic phrasal verbs. Here is a list of them.

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a two-word verb whose meaning is sometimes very different from the meanings of the two-words taken separately.

Phrasal verbs with hold

Hold off

To hold off is to delay something.

We had to hold off buying a new apartment because we were short of money.

Hold off can also mean ‘keep at a distance’.

The police used tear gas shells to hold off the mob.

Hold on

Hold on can mean ‘wait’. It can also mean ‘grip tightly’.

Hold on a minute. I will be back in a second.
Get a good hold on the rope before you try to climb.

Hold onto

To hold onto something is to hold it tightly.

Hold onto to the rope. I’m going to pull you up.

Hold onto can also mean ‘keep something longer than necessary’.

She likes to hold onto old newspapers and magazines.

Hold out

To hold out is to keep one’s position or strength.

He held out until he got what he wanted. (= He kept his position until he got what he wanted.)

To hold out your arms is to extend them in front of you.

The magician asked them to hold out their arms.

Hold out for

To hold out for is to wait for something better.

Hold out on

To hold out on somebody is to hide something from them.

You can’t hold out on me. Tell me what you were doing there.

Hold over

To hold something over is to postpone it.

The meeting was held over because the chairperson was ill.

Hold over can also mean ‘go longer than planned’.

The suspense was held over until she returned home from work.

Hold up

To hold something up is to delay it. To hold somebody up is to stop them by force for the purpose of robbery.

We were held up by a huge traffic jam.
The shop was held up by gunmen wearing masks.

Hold with = approve of

I don’t hold with your opinion that all politicians are corrupt.

Miss Sianturi

Senin, 19 November 2012

PHRASAL VERBS

English Speaking