VERB COLLOCATIONS

have do make
Have a bath Do business Make a difference
Have a drink Do nothing Make a mess
Have a good time Do someone a favour Make a mistake
Have a haircut Do the cooking Make a noise
Have a holiday Do the housework Make an effort
Have a problem Do the shopping Make furniture
Have a relationship Do the washing up Make money
Have a rest Do your best Make progress
Have lunch Do your hair Make room
Have sympathy Do your homework Make trouble

take break catch

Take a break Break a habit Catch a ball
Take a chance Break a leg Catch a bus
Take a look Break a promise Catch a chill
Take a rest Break a record Catch a cold
Take a seat Break a window Catch a thief
Take a taxi Break someone’s heart Catch fire
Take an exam Break the ice Catch sight of
Take notes Break the law Catch someone’s attention
Takes someone’s place Break the news to someone Catch someone’s eye
Take someone’s temperature Break the rules Catch the flu

pay save keep

Pay a fine Save electricity Keep a diary
Pay attention Save energy Keep a promise
Pay by credit card Save money Keep a secret
Pay cash Save one’s strength Keep an appointment
Pay interest Save someone a seat Keep calm
Pay someone a compliment Save someone’s life Keep control
Pay someone a visit Save something to a disk Keep in touch
Pay the bill Save space Keep quiet
Pay the price Save time Keep someone’s place
Pay your respects Save yourself the trouble Keep the change

come go get
Come close Go abroad Get a job
Come complete with Go astray Get a shock
Come direct Go bad Get angry
Come early/late Go bald Get divorced/married
Come first/second/last Go bankrupt Get drunk
Come into view Go blind/deaf Get frightened/upset/worried
Come on time Go crazy/mad Get home
Come prepared Go dark Get lost
Come right back Go fishing/sailing Get nowhere
Come to a compromise Go missing Get permission
Come to a decision Go on foot Get pregnant
Come to an agreement Go online Get ready
Come to an end Go out of business Get started
Come to a standstill Go overseas Get the impression
Come to terms with Go quiet Get the message
Come to a total of Go to war Get the sack
Come under attack Go yellow Get wet
MISCELLANEOUS
COLLOCATIONS

time Business English classifiers

Bang on time Annual turnover A ball of string
Dead on time Bear in mind A bar of chocolate
Early 12th century Break off negotiations A bottle of water
Free time Cease trading A bunch of carrots
From dawn till dusk Chair a meeting A cube of sugar
Great deal of time Close a deal A pack of cards
Late 20th century Close a meeting A pad of paper
Make time for Come to the point
Next few days Cut to the chase
Past few weeks Dismiss an offer
Right on time Draw a conclusion
Run out of time Draw your attention to
Save time Launch a new product
Spare time Lay off staff
Spend some time Go bankrupt
Take your time Go into partnership
Tell somebody the time Make a loss
Time goes by Make a profit
Time passes Market forces
Waste time Sales figures
Take on staff
VERB COLLOCATIONS
A
Above average more than average, esp. in amount, age, height, weight, etc.
Absolutely necessary completely necessary
Abuse drugs to use drugs in a way that’s harmful to yourself or others
Abuse of power the harmful or unethical use of power
Accept (a) defeat to accept the fact that you didn’t win a game, match, contest, election, etc.
Accept a challenge to agree to do something difficult or dangerous
Accept an apology To forgive someone who says they’re sorry
Accept an invitation To say ‘yes’ after getting an invitation
Accept responsibility To take the blame when something goes wrong
Aches and pains Mild pains that come and go
Achieve a goal To do what you’d planned or hoped to do
Act suspiciously To behave in a way that makes people suspicious
Action movie A movie with lots of action and violence
Active ingredient The chemical in a drug, medicine or pesticide that makes it work
Active volcano A volcano that could erupt at any time
Actively involved Playing an active role
Admit defeat To accept that you can’t win a competition or achieve a goal
Against the law Illegal
All alone Completely alone
All along Continuously from when something begins
All over Completely finished
Almost certainly Almost definitely
Alternative energy Power or electricity produced by using energy from the sun, wind, water
Alternative medicine Medical treatments using natural substances and traditional knowledge
Answer a letter To write back to someone who sent you a letter
Answer a question To reply with information or an opinion after being asked a question
Answer an advertisement To contact a person or company after seeing their advertisement
Answer the door To go to the door and open it after someone knocks or rings the doorbell
Answer the phone To pick up a phone that’s ringing
More of something you’ve already had or got
Any more
To any further extent, any longer
Apply for a job To ask to be considered for a job
Arrive on time To arrive exactly when expected or scheduled to
Artificial limb A prosthetic arm or leg
Ask a favour To ask someone to do something for you
Ask a question To ask somebody to tell you something
Ask about/after To ask for information about someone, esp. about his or her health
Ask for advice To ask someone what they think you should do
Ask for directions To ask someone to tell you the way to a place
Ask permission To ask your boss, teacher, parent, etc, if you can do something
Ask sb out to ask on a date
Attract attention To create interest
Attract sb’s attention To do something to make someone notice you
Awful lot More than expected, usual, normal, etc.

B
Back pay Money a worker earned in the past but hasn’t been paid yet
Back road A small country road
Back street A street in a town that’s away from major roads or central areas
Back taxes Taxes that weren’t paid when they were due
Bad breath Breath that doesn’t smell nice
Bad diet An unhealthy diet
Bad habit A habit that badly affects you or other people or that others think is wrong
Bad loser Someone who gets upset or angry when they lose
Bad mood A mood in which you’re easily annoyed or angered
Bad temper A tendency to become angry quickly and easily
Badly damage To do a lot of damage to something
Badly hurt Seriously injured
Balance a budget To make income and expenditure equal in a budget
Balanced diet A diet with the proper amounts of all necessary nutrients
Bare essentials Things that are needed the most
Bare able (to do sth) Only just able to do something
Basic right A fundamental right that we all share, or that animals share
Bear a resemblance (to) To look like, or to be similar to, somebody or something
Beat a record To do something better, faster, longer, etc. than somebody else
Beat to death To beat a person or animal so badly it causes death
Become increasingly Become more and more
Best ever Best until now
Best friends Closest friends
Best possible The best that can be found or achieved
Big brother/sister Older brother/sister
Big deal Something that’s very important or very special
Big decision Very important decision
Big money A lot of money
Bitterly cold Extremely cold, of weather, wind, rain, etc.
Bitterly disappointed Extremely disappointed
Blind faith Unquestioning belief in something, even when it’s unreasonable or wrong
Blind loyalty Unquestioning support under any circumstances
Blind obedience Unquestioning obedience, even when you’re told to do something you know is wrong
Blissfully ignorant Unaware of something that might sadden or disturb you if you knew about it
Block of flats A building with flats or apartments on several levels or floors
Blow your nose To clear your nose of mucus by forcing air through it
Book a flight To buy a ticket for a flight on a plane
Boost morale To increase morale or enthusiasm within a group of people
Break a code To succeed in understanding something that is written in a secret way
Break a habit To stop doing something that is a habit, esp. something bad, harmful or annoying
Break a law To do something illegal
Break a promise To fail to do what you promised to do
Break a record To beat a previous record in sport, speed, sales, etc.
Break even To reach a point in a business venture when the profits are equal to the costs
Escape from someone’s hold
Break free
Escape from the control of a person, group or practice
Break ground Do something innovative and beneficial
To suddenly become loose or to being attached to something
Break loose
To get away from someone or something by using force or effort
Break news To tell someone bad news
Breaking news Current news that a media organization gives special or live coverage to
Bright future Successful or happy future
Bring about change To cause or create change in something or someone
Bring attention to To make people aware of something
Bring to an end To conclude an event, a process, a sequence, etc.
Bring to justice To make somebody face trial or punishment for their crime
Broken home A family in which the parents have separated or divorced
Budget deficit A negative balance between revenues and spending

C
Call a meeting To order or invite people to hold a meeting
Call a name To say somebody’s name loudly
Call a strike To decide that workers will protest by not going to work
Call an election To decide that an election will be held
Call attention to To make someone notice or consider someone or something
Call in sick To telephone your place of work and say you’re not coming because you’re sick
Call sb names To tease or bully somebody by calling them nasty or offensive names
Can’t afford Unable to buy or do something because it’s too expensive
Can’t help Unable to stop yourself doing something you shouldn’t do
Can’t stand Dislike someone or something very much
Carry weight To have authority or influence
Cast a spell To use magic to make something happen
Cast a vote To vote in an election or a poll
Cast doubt To make something seem less believable or less reliable
Casual clothes Comfortable clothes you wear in your free time
Casual relationship A relationship that isn’t serious or long-term
Catch (on) fire To begin burning
Catch a ball To take hold of something so as to retain
Catch a bus/train To get on a bus/train
Catch a chill To have a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering (as due to illness)
Catch a cold To become sick after being infected with a cold virus
Catch a glimpse To see something or someone for a moment only
Catch a whiff To smell something for a moment only
Catch sight of To suddenly see something or someone
Catch sb red-handed To catch a person in the act of doing something wrong
Catch sb in the act To discover someone doing something wrong or committing a crime
Catch sb’s attention To make someone notice something and feel interested
To get someone’s attention
Catch sb’s eye
To be attractive or different enough to be noticed by someone
Catch the flu To become sick after being infected with the flu (influenza)
Catch you later! Used for saying ‘goodbye’ to someone when you expect to see them soon
To cease breathing momentarily in surprise or fear
Catch one’s breath
To rest after exercise to restore normal breathing
Cause trouble To create problems or difficulties for somebody or something
Centre of attention The main focus or interest or attention
Certain amount Some, or not very much but more than very little
Change course To go in a different direction
Change the subject To start talking about a different topic
Change your mind To change your opinion or decision
Claim responsibility To say that you’re responsible for something
Clean energy Energy that doesn’t pollute or damage environments in its production or use
Clear message A message that’s easy to understand
Clear understanding An understanding that’s free of confusion or doubt
Close the gap To reduce the difference between people or things
Close together Very near to each other, or separated by a short distance or time
Come alive Become lively, active or exciting
Come cheap
Come clean about To tell the truth about something that you have been keeping secret
Come close (to) Almost do something, achieve something, complete something, etc.
Come complete with If one thing comes complete with another, it has that thing as an additional part
Come direct
Come early/late
Come first/second/last
Come into sth
Come into view/sight If something comes into view, you begin to see it
Come on time If you are on time, you are not late.
Come prepared
Come right back
Come to a compromise To come to an agreement
Come to a conclusion To conclude, decide or believe something after thinking about it
Come to a decision To make a decision or decide what to think about something
Come to a realization To become aware of something
Come to a standstill To slow down and finally stop, esp. work, traffic, negotiations, etc.
Come to a stop To stop moving or happening
Come to a total of
Come to an agreement To find a solution that pleases or suits everyone
Come to an end To finish, of an event, a performance, a meeting, etc.
Come to expect Learn to expect that something is likely to happen
To regain consciousness or return as if from death
Come to life
To become active, lively or interesting
Come to power
Come to sb’s rescue To save someone or something from danger or failure
Come to terms with To come to accept (a new and painful or difficult event or situation)
Come under attack To be attacked
Come true To become real, or what you’d hoped for
Comfort food Food you eat to make yourself feel better, esp. food you liked as child
Commit suicide To deliberately kill oneself
Common knowledge Something that nearly everyone knows
Common language A language that both you and the person you’re talking to can speak
Completely different Totally different
Concern oneself To become involved with something, or worried about something
Conduct research To organize and carry out research into something
Consider a possibility To think about a possible choice, solution, outcome, etc.
Contact details Details you need to contact someone, like a telephone number, email, etc.
Cost a fortune Cost a lot of money
Cover costs To make enough money to pay for costs like production, materials, labour, etc.
Cross sb’s mind To briefly think of something
Crystal clear Completely clear or transparent/ easy to understand or very obvious
Cut costs To reduce costs

D
Daily life Life as experienced from day to day
Dead ahead Straight ahead
Dead body Corpse, or the body of someone who’s died
A point at which no further progress seems possible/
Dead end
A street or road that traffic enters and leaves at one end only
Dead tired Very tired
Dead-end-job A job with no prospects for advancement
Deadly weapon Any object that’s used for killing
Deafening silence A silence that everyone notices
Declare war To officially announce that a country is going to war against another country
Deep sleep If you’re in a deep sleep, you can’t be easily woken
Deeply divided Seriously split by disputes or different opinions
Deeply held Strongly held, esp. of beliefs, views, convictions, etc.
Deeply rooted (in) Strongly connected to the past, esp. of beliefs, culture, prejudice, etc.
Deliver a baby To manage or assist in the birth of a baby
Departure time The exact time at which a plane, train, etc. is scheduled to leave
Desk job A job at a desk or in an office
Detailed description A description that includes many details
Diametrically opposed Completely different
Direct flight A flight that doesn’t stop on its way to a destination
Direct quote The exact words that a quoted person said or wrote
Directly opposite Straight across from
Dirty joke A joke that’s related to sex
Dirty laundry Unwashed clothes, sheets, towels, etc.
Dirty player A player who breaks the rules or tries to hurt other players
Distant relative A relative you share distant family ties with
Do anything
Do business
Do/take a course To enrol in, attend and work toward the completion of an academic course
Do a deal To make an arrangement, esp. in business
Do a drawing
Do (sb) a favour Do something to help somebody
Do a good/great/
To do something very well or not so well
terrible job
Do a report To prepare or write a report
Do badly If something is done badly, it is not very successful or effective
Do better To improve in performance or condition
Do business (with) To engage in business activity
Do crosswords To attempt to solve a crossword
Do damage To cause harm or damage
Do everything
Do exercises
Do friends
To complete the schoolwork that has been assigned to be done at home
Do homework To be thoroughly prepared and informed about someone or something, esp. in
advance of some progress, action or decision
Do good To have a good effect on somebody or something
Do harm To have a bad effect on somebody or something
Do likewise Do the same thing
Do nothing
Do research To search or investigate exhaustively
Do sport
Do the cleaning To remove the dirt from things and places, esp. in a house
Do the cooking To prepare food for eating esp. by heating
Do the dishes To wash plates, cups, pots, pans, etc. used to cook and eat a meal
Do the exam
Do the housework
Do the ironing To iron clothes
Do the math
Do the maximum/minimum Do the highest/lowest or biggest/smallest amount possible or acceptable
To do written or clerical work, as records or reports, forming a necessary but
Do the paperwork
often a routine and secondary part of some work or job
Do the right thing To act or behave correctly, appropriately, or with the best intentions
Do the shopping To buy food and groceries
Do the washing/laundry To wash clothes, sheets, towels, etc.
Do well To perform well in a job, a game, an exam, etc.
Do work To put effort into a task or a job
Do your best Do all you can to succeed
Do your chores
Do your duty Do what you should do at work, at home, or for your community
Do your hair/make up/nails To tidy or fix one’s hair
Doesn’t matter Doesn’t have any effect
Don’t care To not be upset or concerned about something
Don’t care
Don’t mind
To not dislike, or to not have an aversion to something
Dream about/of sth To think about something that you want very much
Drive (sb) crazy To make somebody feel very annoyed or upset
Drop the subject To stop talking about something
Dual nationality Having citizenship in two different countries

E
Early days Soon after something begins
Early night Earlier bedtime than usual
Early riser Someone who usually gets up early in the morning
Early start A beginning or departure early in the morning
Earn a living To work and earn money for yourself or your family
Easy answer A solution that’s easy to find and adopt
Easy money Money that’s made without working hard
Easy question A question that most people can answer correctly
Easy target Someone or something that’s easy to attack or criticise
Eat properly To eat proper amounts of healthy food
Eat well To eat plenty of food
Eating habits What you usually eat and the way you eat it
Economic growth An increase in the size of an economy, or the rate of this
Educational game A game that helps students to learn
Eke out a living To earn just enough money to survive
Empty promises Promises that probably won’t be kept
Empty words Words that aren’t really meant, or that won’t lead to action
Enter a plea To plead guilty or not guilty in a court of law
Enter politics To begin a career in politics
Entry-level-job A job at the lowest level of pay or responsibility
Equal rights Rights that are the same for all races, genders, classes, etc.
Equally important Of the same importance
Essential services Basic services like water, electricity, medical care, free education, etc.
Ethical investment Investment in a company that’s ethical, not harmful or exploitative
Ethical standards Ethically acceptable levels of behaviour
A group of people living in a country in which most other people are from another
Ethnic minority
culture or race
Ethnic tensions Bad feelings between people from different races or ethnic groups
Even number Any whole number that can be exactly divided by two, such as 2, 4, 6, etc.
Evenly matched If two opponents are evenly matched, they are equally likely to win
Every single All of them
Exactly the same Identical
Exceed expectations Be more or better than expected
Express concern To say or show that you’re worried about something
Express interest (in) To show that you’re interested in something
Extend a deadline To give someone more time in which to do something

F
Face a challenge To have a deal with a challenging situation
Face down With the front or face towards the ground
Face the fact(s) To accept that something is real or true, esp. if it’s difficult to accept
Fail miserably To fail very badly
Fair deal A reasonable deal in business or a morally correct arrangement
Fall asleep To go to sleep
Fall dramatically To fall quickly, esp. of prices, sales, rates, temperatures, etc.
Fall in love To suddenly feel love for someone you’re attracted to
False impression A misleading or incorrect image
False teeth Teeth that aren’t natural
Familiar face Someone you know personally
Far away A long way from somewhere
Be much better
Far better
Do much better
Far more Much more, or to a much greater degree
Fast asleep Sleeping deeply, or in a deep sleep
Fast becoming Quickly becoming
Fatal accident An accident in which someone dies
Fatal mistake A bad mistake that has terrible consequences
Feel guilty To feel bad about what you have or haven’t done
Feel strongly (about) To have a very strong, or passionate opinion about something
Fight a fire To try to put out a fire
Fight a war To engage in, or resort to, war
Fight corruption To try to prevent corruption in government and business
Fight hard To try very hard to get or achieve something
Figure prominently To be an important part of a process, an event, a story, etc.
Fill a gap To fill a space or an opening
Fill in a form To complete a form by writing in the spaces
Find difficult To feel that something’s difficult, esp. while trying to do it
Find time To make time available, or find room in your schedule
Fire a shot To make a gun shoot a bullet
Firmly established Well established and unlikely to change
Fish for compliments To try to make people say good things about you
Flat battery A battery that no longer works, or needs recharging
Flat tire A tire that doesn’t have enough air in it
Follow a pattern Happen in a regular way, or according to a pattern
Follow advice To do what someone advises you to do
Follow directions To go the way you’ve been told to go, or do something as directed
Follow instructions To do what instructions or instructors tell you to do
Foreign policy Policy relating to international or foreign issues
Free speech Speech that isn’t restricted by law, religion, censorship, etc.
Free spirit A person who doesn’t behave in a conventional way
Front door The door at the front of a house
Front page The first page of a newspaper
Front row A row of seats at or near the front
Front seat Any seat in the front of a vehicle, or the seat next to a car’s driver
Fully understand To understand the full meaning or importance of something

G
Gain access To get into a place, or be given access to something or someone
Generally accepted Accepted by most people
Get (sb) ready Prepare yourself, or somebody else, for something
Get (sth) ready Prepare something
Get a call To receive a telephone call from somebody
Get a chance To have an opportunity, or the time, to do something
What came just out of your mouth was not even close to being true, you don’t have the
Get a clue
faintest idea what you’re talking about
Get a cold
Get a degree/diploma To graduate after having taken a whole course of study
Get a job To start working somewhere
Get a joke To understand a joke
Get a letter To receive or be given a letter
Get a shock To be very surprised by something
Get a splitting
To start having a very bad pain in your head
headache
Get a tan
Get a ticket To get a fine for parking illegally, speeding, etc.
Get angry To become angry about something
Get back together To become a couple or group again after being apart
Get better To improve
Get better at To improve in skill or ability
To be changed by someone or something
Get changed
To put on different clothes
Get dark To become dark, esp. when the sun goes down
to stop all activities or communication, especially temporarily but for a fairly long period
Get dressed/undressed To put on clothes
Get drunk To intoxicate oneself with alcohol
Get enthusiastic To start showing intense and eager enjoyment, interest or approval
Get fired To lose one’s job, esp. as a result of poor performance, a violation of a company policy, etc.
Get good/high/top/bad To score good/high/top/bad marks on an exam
marks To be praised or not for excelling or not at something, e.g. honesty
Get home To go to one’s home
To become hot in temperature
Get hot(ter)
To turn on, or get sexually excited
Get hungry To start feeling the desire to eat
Get into trouble To become involved in a bad, difficult or dangerous situation
Get lost To become lost, or be misplaced
Get married/divorced To marry somebody, or marry each other
Get nowhere To make no progress
Get old To become an old or elderly person
Get one’s hair cut
Get out of breath
Get permission To ask permission to do something and are given it
Get pregnant
Get ready for
To throw away, give away or sell something you don’t want anymore
Get rid of
To stop, or remove, something or someone that’s annoying or upsetting you
Get sleep To spend time asleep
Get stuck
Get the impression
Get tired To become tired and feel like resting or sleeping
Get tired of To become bored or annoyed with something or somebody
Get to know To get familiar with somebody after spending time with them
Get to sleep To start sleeping
Get together
Get upset To become unhappy, disappointed or annoyed because of something
Get used to To become accustomed to something
Get wasted To get drunk or take drugs
Get wet
Get worried
Give a call To call someone on the telephone
Give a chance To offer somebody an opportunity to do something
Give a damn To care at all about someone or something – used in negative statements
Give a hand To give help, support or assistance
Give a headache To irritate someone intensely; to cause him problems
Give a hug or kiss To hug or kiss someone
To give a discourse before an audience esp. for instruction/ to speak in public/ to perform
Give a lecture/speech/
in public
performance
Give a lecture: to give someone a serious talk to criticize or give advice
Give advice To tell somebody what you think they should do
Give an answer When you answer someone who has asked you something
Give an example To be specific, giving examples
Give an opinion To tell someone about a feeling, opinion, or aim by speaking or writing about it
Give birth If a mother gives birth, her unborn baby passes into the outside world
Give credit To have confidence or trust in; believe that someone is good at something
Give evidence To say what you witnessed or know in a court of law or at an inquiry
Give notice To tell somebody that a job, or the occupation of a property, will end at a certain time
Give permission To allow or permit somebody to do something
To express a favorable judgement of someone or something
Give praise to
To glorify a god or saint
Give priority To deal with or do something first
Give rise to To cause or result in something
Give sb a call To telephone somebody
Give sb a chance To give somebody the opportunity to do something
Give sb a lift/ride To take somebody somewhere in a car or other vehicle
Give sth a go To attempt something, esp. something you’ve never tried to do before
Give the
To make someone think about something in a particular way
impression/idea
Give thought (to) To think about or consider something
Give up hope To stop hoping for something because you think it’s no longer possible
To collapse due to weight or pressure
Give way
To yield, or let another vehicle go first, when driving in traffic
Go abroad To go to a foreign country
Go astray To become lost or mislaid
Go bad To no longer be fresh enough to eat or drink
Go bald To become bald, or have hair fall out
Go bankrupt To be unable to pay debts and go out of business or into receivership
Go blind/deaf To become blind/deaf
To become mentally ill
Go crazy/insane
To get very excited
To become mentally ill
Go mad/angry
To act in a way that is out of control
Go missing To become lost or absent, often under suspicious circumstances; to disappear
Go on a date To go out with someone you’re dating
Go on a picnic To have a picnic
Go on foot To walk, rather than use any form of transport
Go online To start to use the internet or to connect to the internet
Go out of business (a shop or company) to stop trading because it is not making enough money
Go out of fashion To become unfashionable
Go overseas To go to a foreign country
Go quiet To stop talking and become quiet
Go smoothly Happen without problems, difficulties or delays
Go unchallenged To not be challenged or corrected
Go unnoticed To not be seen or noticed
Go wrong To not go well, or to have bad results
Good cause An organization, activity or charity that helps people or animals in need
Good chance Quite a high probability or likelihood
Good company If someone says you’re a good company, they enjoy spending time with you
Good deal A fair deal or fair price
Good enough As good as necessary
Good luck Good fortune
Good time An enjoyable or fun experience
Great deal of A very large amount of
Greatly appreciate To appreciate very much
Growing number (of) More and more, or an increasing number
Guilty conscience A feeling of shame or remorse after doing something wrong or bad
Guilty party Person or organization guilty of doing something wrong or bad

H
Happy ending The last part of a story is a ‘happy ending’ if all ends well for the main characters
Happy hour A scheduled time when alcoholic drinks cost less than usual
Hard job A difficult job or task
Hard to believe Difficult to believe
Difficult to see
Hard to see
Difficult to imagine
Hard to tell Difficult to know or deduce something
Hard work Any activity that requires a lot of energy or concentration
Hardly any Almost none
Hardly ever Almost never
Hardly likely Very unlikely or very improbable
Hate to think To be afraid to, or not want to, imagine something
Have a baby To give birth to a baby
Have a bad fall To have a fall that causes an injury
Have a bad temper To be easily annoyed or angered
Have a bath To wash oneself in a bath; to bath
Have a bite To have some light food, to eat a small meal
Have a break To have a short rest period in one’s work or studies or other activities
Have a busy day (ahead) To have lots of things to do (today)
Have a career/a goal To have a job that I studied for/was trained for/had work experience
Have a chance To have the opportunity, to have the time (to do something)
Have a chat To have a friendly talk with someone
Have a confrontation A hostile or argumentative situation or meeting between opposing parties
Have a cup of
To drink a cup of tea/coffee
tea/coffee
Have a dance To dance
Have a day off To decide not to work on a particular day
Have a discussion When people talk about something and tell each other their ideas or opinions
Have a dispute with sb To engage in argument; to argue irritably or with irritating persistence
Have a doubt To feel uncertain about something and to not know whether it is true or possible
Have a feeling To think or believe something, usually based on a guess or on your emotions
Have a fight To fight with someone
Have a fit To be very shocked or angry
To have a turn at doing something
Have a go
To attempt to do something
Have a good time To enjoy oneself; to find pleasure in a particular situation or activity
Have a good/nice day Used to say one hopes the person spoken to will have an enjoyable day
Have a hard time To experience difficulty doing something
Have a headache To have a pain in your head
Have a holiday To not go to work/school and to be free to do what you want
To joke or kid around; to act in a foolish manner
Have a laugh
To have a fun or enjoyable time or experience
Have a lesson To be occupied with a lesson, as a teacher or a student
Have a lie down To have a short rest, usually in bed
Have a lisp To not manage to pronounce sounds correctly
Have a listen To listen
Have a look To look at something
Have a meal To eat
To attend a planned occasion with other people as a group, either in person or online,
Have a meeting
to discuss something
to be very popular or fashionable at a particular time
Have a moment to not be acting normally for a short time, for example because you are not thinking
about what you are doing, or because you are feeling a strong emotion
Have a nightmare To have upsetting or frightening dreams
Have a party/concert To plan/hold a party or work at a party or take part in a party
Have a passion for To have a very strong interest in something
Have a plan To intend to do a particular thing
Have a problem with to find something or someone annoying or offensive
Have a quarrel To have a heated argument or disagreement
Have a relationship To be related or connected with someone
Have a right Have a moral or legal claim or ability
Have a run of To have a continuous series of events, e.g. of bad luck, crimes, huge sales, etc.
Have a safe journey A pleasant valediction to someone who is about to travel somewhere
Have a shave To shave
Have a shower To shower
Have a good/bad smell To smell good/bad
We say that someone ‘had a stroke’, when a blood flow ‘accident’ has taken place in
Have a stroke
the brain
Have a swim To go to swim for pleasure
Have a talk To have a serious discussion about something
Have a temperature To have an abnormally high body temperature (a fever)
Have a try To make an attempt, to try
Have a walk To walk
Have a wish To have a desire for something
Have a word To talk about something with somebody
Have access (to) To be able to get or use something
To unintentionally do or experience something, usually with unpleasant consequences
Have an accident
To lose control of the bowels or the bladder
Have an appointment
To set an official date and time at which to meet or deal with someone
with
Have an argument
To engage in a verbal fight or disagreement with someone; to argue
(with sb)
Have an effect (on) To cause a change
To give a reason to explain why you have done something bad or why you have not
Have an excuse
done something that you should have done
Have an idea To think of something
Have difficulty To not be able to do something easily
Have faith in To believe that someone or something deserves to be trusted
Have food To eat
Have fun/a good time To enjoy oneself, to amuse oneself
Have got To own, possess or have
Have got to Must
Have patience To remain calm, to be able to accept and tolerate
Have room To have enough space for something
Have self-esteem To have confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; to have self-respect
Have sex To have sexual contact with someone
Have skills To be able to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution
Have success To be successful
Have sympathy To feel that you care about and are sorry about someone else’s troubles, grief, etc.
Have the chance (to) To have the opportunity or the time
Have time To have enough time to do something
Have trouble To find it difficult to do something
Have work To undertake a task; to be engaged in physical or mental activity
Healthy diet A diet that’s good for body’s health
Heavily armed Having or carrying many weapons
Heavily guarded Guarded by many people
Heavy drinker Someone who drinks a lot of alcohol
Heavy losses Large or high losses, esp. of money or lives
Heavy schedule A schedule with many meetings, appointments, dates, etc.
Heavy smoker Someone who smokes a lot of cigarettes
Heavy traffic Traffic that’s congested and moving slowly
Heavy workload A lot of work
Hidden extras Extra costs that companies or sellers try to hide from buyers
High level A level that’s above the normal or expected level
High quality Very good quality
High standard Very good standard
Highly regarded Thought to be very good by many people
Highly unlikely Very unlikely
If a country holds a referendum, citizens can vote for or against introducing a new
Hold a referendum
law or piece or legislation
Hold an election To have or conduct an election
Hold an inquiry To have or conduct an official inquiry
Hold hands If two or more people hold hands, each person holds another person’s hand
Hold office To occupy a powerful position or role, esp. in government
Hold sb hostage To imprison somebody and demand something in exchange for their release
Hold sb prisoner To force somebody to stay somewhere
Hold talks To have formal or official discussions about an issue or a situation
Honest mistake A mistake that wasn’t made deliberately, or had no bad intent
Hope so Used to express hope that something’s true
Damage or loss caused to people or societies, incl. material loss, social costs,
Human cost
psychological damage, etc.
Human error A mistake caused by a person, and not by mechanical failure or natural forces
Human life Human existence or human experience
Hurt sb’s feelings To upset somebody by being insensitive to their feelings

I
Icy cold Extremely cold
Icy wind Very cold wind
Ill effects Bad effects caused by something
ill health Poor health
Immediate action Action taken right away, or without waiting
Immediate family Your closest relatives by birth (parents, brothers, sisters and children)
Immediate future The period of time directly following the present
Impose conditions To set conditions or requirements that must be met or satisfied
Impose restrictions To place limits or bans on particular actions or activities
To ban or limit trade or contact with a country in order to bring about a change of
Impose sanctions
government policy
If two or more thinks are inextricably linked, the connection between them are
Inextricably linked
essential or extremely close
Innocent victim A person who wasn’t involved in the events or actions that harmed them
Insect bite A bite or sting from an insect
Inside information Information only known by people inside a particular organization
Intense pressure Very strong or extreme pressure
The percentage of a loan that borrowers must pay back in addition to the amount they
Interest rate
borrowed
Internal injury An injury inside the body
Internal organ An organ inside the body
Invest heavily To spend a lot of money on something to improve or develop it
Irreparable damage Damage that’s too serious to repair
Issue a permit To give somebody an official document that permits them to do something

J
Jet fighter Armed jet plane used in war
Job interview An interview you attend if you’re trying to get a job
Job losses Reductions in the number of jobs available
Job opportunity Prospect or chance of finding a job
Join a club To become a member of a club
Join forces If two or more people or groups join forces, they work together to achieve a common goal
Join the army To enlist and serve in the army
Joint account A bank account held jointly by two or more people
Joint effort Something achieved or created by two or more people working together
Joint owners Two or more people or parties who share ownership of something
Jump to a conclusion To decide, or make up your mind, before knowing all the facts
Junk food Unhealthy food, esp. processed food with lots of fats, salt, sugar, etc.
Junk mail Advertising material that’s sent to people who haven’t asked for it
Just about Almost or very nearly
Just cause A cause that it is morally right or just
At this moment
Just now
A moment ago, or a very short time ago

K
Keep a diary To own and write in a diary
Keep a promise To do what you promised to do
Keep a secret To not tell anyone a secret
Keep an appointment To meet somebody at the time you agreed to
Keep busy To have or find many things to do
Keep calm To stay calm
To stay calm and composed
Keep control
To retain authority
Keep fit To stay in good physical condition by exercising
To continue in the same direction
Keep going To continue driving, riding, running, walking, etc.
To continue doing whatever you’re doing
Keep in touch To have regular contact with somebody by phone, mail, email, etc.
Keep quiet To make very little noise
Keep records To store detailed information, e.g. in a business, legal cases, health care, etc.
Keep safe To prevent loss or damage
Keep sb waiting To make somebody wait
Keep sb/sth quiet To stop somebody or something from making too much noise
Keep score To keep a record of the score in a game or a match
Keep sb in his/her place To prevent someone from achieving a higher social status, e.g. women, minorities
Keep one’s place To exhibit only the behaviour appropriate to one’s position or status in life
Keep still To not move
Keep the change To not return the change after someone has paid for something
Keep your balance To remain steady on your feet and not stumble or fall
Key issue The most, or one of the most, important issues
Key role The most, or one of the most, important roles
Keynote address The main speech or lecture at a conference, seminar, meeting, etc.
Keynote speaker The main speaker at a conference, seminar, meeting, etc.
Kick a goal To score a goal by kicking a ball
Kill time To do something to fill in spare time
Know best To know what the best thing to do is
Know better To be sensible enough to know that it’s better not to do something
Know the score To know the truth or the facts about something

L
Language skills Skills related to using a language
Last long Continue for a long time
Late night A night when you go to bed later than usual
Laugh out loud To laugh audibly, or laugh aloud so people can hear you
Law and order Public order that police or military forces maintain
Lay the groundwork To do preliminary work in preparation for future work
Lead the field To be winning in a race
To go first to show others the way
Lead the way
To do something first or best
Lead the world To be the most successful or advanced in the world
Lead to believe To encourage somebody to believe something, or to hint that something might happen
Leading role The most important role in a film, play or TV show
To understand something because of an unpleasant experience, esp. when this means
Learn a lesson
you will not do it again
Leave a message To leave information for someone you haven’t been able to meet or talk to
Leave home To move out from the home you grew up in
Leave sb alone To stop annoying, bothering or criticizing somebody
Leave school To stop going to school
Leave sth alone To not touch, change or use something
Legal advice Advice from a lawyer, a solicitor, or any other legal expert
To allow somebody or something to go free
Let go
To stop holding on to something
Let sb know To tell or inform somebody
Level playing-field A situation that’s fair for everyone, or in which everyone has the same opportunities
Level teaspoon A teaspoon filled to the level of the sides of the spoon
Lie ahead If something lies ahead, it’s going to happen in the future
Light a fire To start a fire
Liquid refreshments Alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks
Little bit Slightly, or a little
Little brother/sister Younger brother/sister
Little known Not known by many people
Little rest A short sleep
Live at home To live in the home you grew up in, or with the people who raised you
Live music Music played on instruments in front of an audience
Living conditions Physical conditions in which people live
Living things All thing that are alive, incl. microorganisms, plants, animals, etc.
Long ago In the distant past
Long overdue Should have been done, or should have happened, a long time ago
Long time A great amount of time
Long way A great distance
Look nice Appear attractive, pleasant, enjoyable, delicious, etc.
Lose a game To be defeated in a game
Lose a job To be told you no longer have your job
Lose control To no longer be in control of something
Lose faith To no longer have faith in something you once believed in or trusted
Lose hope To no longer have hope
Lose interest To no longer be interested in something
Lose money To have less money after gambling, investing, starting a business, etc.
Lose weight To become lighter in weight
Lose your life To die because of an accident, war, illness, crime, etc.
Lose your temper To suddenly become angry
Love dearly To love very much, esp. of family members and friends
Loved one Someone you love, esp. a family member or partner
Lucky escape If you had a lucky escape, you came close to being killed or badly injured

M
Main course The largest course in a meal
Main road A wide road with lots of traffic
Main thing The most important thing
Make a bed To neatly arrange the sheets, blankets and pillows on a bed
Make a break with To intentionally not continue doing something that is normal, expected or traditional
Make a bundle To make a very large amount of money, esp. by doing something very successfully
Make a cake To bake a cake
Make a choice To decide which of two or more possibilities or alternatives is best
Make a comment on To say or write something that expresses your opinion
Make a complaint To express your dissatisfaction with something
Make a confession To admit that you have done something wrong or illegal
Make a cup of tea To prepare some tea
Make a deal with sb To agree to a contract, an arrangement, a transaction, an understanding
Make a decision To decide what to do
Make a difference To cause a situation or condition to change
Make a discovery To become aware of something that they did not know about before
Make a fool of sb To do something that makes someone or oneself seem stupid or ridiculous
Make a fortune To make a huge amount of money
Make a fuss To create unnecessary excitement or concern about something
Make a habit of sth To do something regularly, often without thinking about it
Make/crack a joke To say something in order to make people laugh
Make a joke of sth To laugh or be humorous about (something that is not funny in itself)
Make a list To write down short pieces of information, e.g. food to buy, things to do, etc.
Make a living To earn money for the things you need in life
Make a mess To create an untidy or disorganized state or situation
Make a mistake To do something that’s wrong or has bad results
To take action
Make a move
To set off, to leave somewhere
Make a move on sb To make a proposition to someone, esp. of a sexual nature
Make a noise about sth To talk about or complain about something a lot
Make a note (of) To write down something so that you don’t forget it
To do or say something that clearly shows one wants to begin a romantic or sexual
Make a pass at
relationship with someone
Make a phone call To dial someone’s phone number and speak with them by phone
Make a point of If you make a point of doing something, you do it in a very deliberate or obvious way
Make a prediction To predict, to forecast, to guess something about the future
Make a presentation To give a formal talk, often in order to sell something or get support for a proposal
Make a profit To make money from business or investments
Make a recovery To become well again (make a complete or full recovery)
Make a remark
To say something about someone or something
about sb/sth
Make a reservation To book or reserve a seat on a train, a table in a restaurant, a room in a hotel, etc.
Make a rude gesture To create a sign, symbol, or impolite gesture with one’s hands and display it in one’s
at sb direction
Make a statement To express an idea or mood by behaving in a particular way, usually without using words
Make a suggestion To put forward an idea or plan for someone to think about; to suggest
Make a takeover bid To make an offer to purchase another company, by buying enough of its shares
Make amends To do something to show you’re sorry for your bad behaviour in the past
Make an appearance To go to an event, gathering, etc., usually for a short period of time
Make an appointment To arrange a date and time to visit an office, clinic, dentist, doctor, etc.
Make an arrangement To organize, plan or prepare; for someone or something, or to do something
Make an attempt To try
Make an effort To put time and energy into doing something
Make an excuse To give a reason for doing sth you shouldn’t do, or for not doing something you should do
Make an impression To produce a strong effect on someone or a situation
Make/raise an
To say that you do not like it or agree with it
objection to sth
Make an observation To make a comment about something/someone, as a result of watching how they behave
Make an offer To state a price you’re willing to pay for something
Make arrangements To arrange all aspects of an event such as a wedding, funeral, meeting, etc.
Make believe To pretend that something is real or true
Make breakfast/lunch/
To prepare breakfast/lunch/dinner
dinner
Make changes To change something in specific ways
Make coffee To brew some coffee
Make clear To make something easy to understand, or to express yourself clearly
Make contact To contact a person or an organisation
Make ends meet To earn just enough money to live on
Make friends To form new friendships
Make fun of sb To tease, laugh at, or joke about someone in a mocking way
Make love To have sex with someone, esp. someone you love
Make money To earn money; to make a profit
Make noise To not be quiet
To show what you think or feel by what you say, without stating it directly
Make noises about sth
To complain or make trouble (= make a noise)
Make one’s bow To make one’s first formal appearance in a particular role
Make one’s name To become well-known or famous in a field
Make one’s own To progress back toward one’s point of origin, esp. in a slow, gradual, or considered
way back manner
Make peace To re-establish friendly relations; become reconciled
Make plans To plan what you’re going to do with someone on a certain day and time
Make progress To get closer to a goal, or to improve an ability
Make room To create space by moving something
Make sb feel sth To cause somebody to feel a certain way
If an idea, plan or action ‘makes sense’, it’s sensible and rational
Make sense
If a sentence or statement ‘makes sense’, it can be understood
Make sb angry/mad/ To say something that is intended to annoy or offend someone/ to make someone feel
Happy/sad happy and satisfied/ to make someone feel sad
Make some noise for To support someone or something in a loud and obvious way
Make sth easy To cause something to be less difficult
Make sure To check so that you’re sure about something
Make time To find an occasion when time is available to do something
Make tracks To leave a place
Make trouble To cause problems or issues
To invent a story or plan
Make up
(of parts) To compose or constitute a whole
Make up one’s mind To make a decision; to decide
Married couple Two people who are married to one another
Mass market The great majority of people who buy goods in a society
May (very) well Could or might
Medical care Help given to someone who’s sick or injured
Medical history All the illnesses, injuries and treatments that someone has had in the past
Meet a need To provide what is needed
Meet a standard To reach a certain standard or level of quality, safety, etc.
Meet a target To reach the number or amount set as a target, e.g. in sales, profits, savings, etc.
Meet opposition To receive a negative response or reaction
Meet with approval To receive a positive response or reaction
Mental illness Illness causing thoughts/feelings that seriously disrupt a person’s normal state of mind
Miles away Far away, or a long way from a particular place
Miss a flight To arrive too late to board a flight on a plane
Miss a goal To try to score a goal, but fail
Miss an opportunity To have an opportunity to do something, but fail to do it
If someone is ‘missing in action’, they haven’t been seen or contacted since being involved
Missing in action
in military action
Mixed feelings Different emotions, or conflicting impulses, felt at the same time
Moral obligation Moral requirement to do something because you know it’s the right thing
Somewhat, fairly or almost
More or less
Approximately
Murder mystery A book, play or film about the investigation of a murder
Mysterious
Circumstances that aren’t understood, or haven’t been revealed or explained
circumstances

N
Nasty habit A bad or unpleasant tendency
Nasty shock An unpleasant surprise
Native country The country in which you were born
Native speaker Someone for whom a particular language is their first or native language
Natural causes If you die of natural causes, your life ends naturally
Natural disaster A natural event that causes great harm, e.g. an earthquake, cyclone, tornado, etc.
Natural resources Things from nature that we can use, e.g. oil, coal, rivers, lakes, trees, forests, etc.
Neat and tidy Not messy
Need badly To need very much
Negative attitude An attitude that shows a critical viewpoint or a negative bias
Nervous wreck A person who’s very stressed or nervous
Net profit Profit remaining after taxes and costs have been deducted
Net result The final or overall effect or result of something
Net worth The total value of everything you own, including property and money, minus any debts
Never knew To not know something
New generation A new group of people or products that appeared around the same time
New job A different job or a job you’ve found recently
Next time The time after this time
Next-door neighbours People living in a house next to yours
Nice time A pleasant or enjoyable experience
Non-stop flight Flight that doesn’t stop over on its way to a destination
Not necessarily (so) Not always or not definitely
Nothing else No other thing or things
Nothing much Nothing that’s important
Nothing wrong with Nothing that’s causing a problem
Far away from
Nowhere near
Not almost, or not similar to
Null and void Having no legal effect or force

O
Obey an order To do what someone orders or commands you to do
Occupational hazard A danger that people doing a particular job face
Odd number Any whole number that can’t be exactly divided by two, such as 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.
Odd socks Socks that don’t match
Offer a job To tell someone they can have a job if they want it
Offer an explanation To explain why something was done
Offer condolences To convey sympathy to the family or friends of someone who’s died
Offer your services To offer your time and skills to help a person or an organization
Office block A large building that houses many offices
Office hours Hours when an office is open for business
Office job A job that’s done at a desk in an office
Old age The time in life after middle age
Old friend A friend you’ve known for a very long time
Only just By a very small amount
Open an account To start an account with a bank, credit union, building society, etc.
Open an investigation To begin an investigation into something
Open fire To start shooting with a weapon
Opening hours The time during which a club, park, library, shop, gallery, etc, is open
Openly gay If you’re openly gay, you don’t hide your homosexuality
Opposition party A political party that’s in opposition to the party or parties in power
Optional extras Special features a product can have if you pay extra for them
Organic farming Farming without using artificial chemicals
Overall effect The general effect, or overall result, of something
Owe an apology If you think you owe somebody an apology, you think you should say sorry to them
Owe an explanation To explain to someone why you did something that badly affected them

P
Pack a suitcase To put clothes and other possessions into a suitcase
Pack of cards A full set of playing cards
Painful memory A memory that’s upsetting or disturbing
Painful reminder If something’s a painful reminder, it reminds you of something you find upsetting
Painfully shy Extremely shy, or so shy that other people find it disturbing
Painfully slow Extremely slow, or so slow that people become impatient
Painfully thin Extremely thin, of a person or animal
Pair work A type of learning activity in which two students work together
To end a relationship or partnership
Part company
To stop travelling or spending time together and go different ways
Pass (the) time To do something to fill in time when you’re bored or have nothing to do
Pass a law To bring in a new law by voting in parliament or by decree
Pass a test To not fail a test
Pay a bill To pay the amount stated on a bill
Pay a compliment To say something nice about someone
Pay a fine To pay a sum imposed as punishment for an offense
Pay a visit To visit someone or something
Pay attention To watch closely or listen carefully to someone or something
Pay by credit card Pay with a credit card
Pay cash Pay for something with cash
Pay increase An increase in the amount of money paid as a wage or salary
Pay one’s respects to sb To make a polite visit to someone
Pay tribute to To honour and praise someone; to express admiration of someone
Peace and quiet No noise or disturbance
Perfectly normal Not unusual at all
Personal belongings Personal possessions that belong to you
Phone rings If your phone rings, it makes a noise to let you know someone’s calling you
Pick your nose To use a finger to remove a dried mucus from inside your nose
Piece of advice One particular suggestion given as advice
Piece of equipment One particular item used as equipment
Piece of information A particular fact or item of information
Piece of music Any musical work
Piece of paper One sheet or scrap of paper
Place an order Put in an order to buy something
Play a part Perform a particular role, or be involved in a particular way
Play music To make music with an instrument, or to broadcast recorded music
Point of view A particular perspective or way of seeing things
Political prisoner Someone who’s imprisoned because of their political beliefs
Poor eyesight Not very good eyesight
Poor health Not very good health
Popular belief An idea that most people believe is true
Pose a risk To create risk of danger or harm
Pose a threat Create the threat of danger or harm
Press a key To put a finger on a key on a keyboard and press down
Pretty good Quite good or fairly good
Pretty well Fairly well or reasonably well
Private life Aspects of someone’s life that aren’t related to work or other public roles
Public opinion The opinions of the majority of people in a society
Pull a muscle To injure a muscle by lifting something heavy or moving too quickly
Push a button To press a button on a machine or an appliance
Put on weight To become heavier or fatter, of a person or an animal
Put out a cigarette To stop a cigarette from burning
Put out a fire To stop a fire from burning
Put up prices To increase prices
Put up wages To increase wages
To raise your arm if you want to say something, ask or answer a question, show
Put up your hand
you’re present, etc.

Q
Quality of life The level of personal satisfaction, happiness and health in somebody’s life
A solution to a problem that can be quickly or cheaply implemented, but may not be a
Quick fix
good or long-lasting solution
Quick reply A prompt or almost immediate reply to a letter or email
Quiet life A simple and peaceful way of living
Quiet night A night when you stay at home instead of going out
Quietly confident Feeling confident, but not saying much about it
Quit a job To tell an employer you no longer want your job
Quit drinking To stop drinking alcohol
Quit smoking To stop smoking cigarettes
Quite a lot Quite often, or quite a large amount
Quite agree Agree completely
Quite enough As much as necessary
Quite good Fairly good
Quite often Fairly often
Quite right Completely correct
Quite sure Completely sure

R
Racial discrimination Unfair treatment of someone because of their race
Radical reform Major and fundamental reform
Rain hard Rain heavily, as during a storm or a downpour
Rainy day A day during which it rains quite a lot
Raise a family To raise one or more children in a family setting
Raise doubts To express doubts or concerns about something
Raise hopes To make somebody feel more hopeful
Raise money To collect money for a special purpose
Raise questions To bring issues or questions to somebody’s attention
Raise taxes To increase the rate of taxation
Raise your voice To show anger by speaking louder than usual
Rapid growth Fast growth, or growth in a short period of time
Rat race The unpleasant life of people who have jobs that require them to work very hard in
order to compete with others for money, power, status, etc.
Rate of return The percentage of an original investment that is returned as profit
Rave review A very good review of a book, movie, play, concert, etc.
Reach a verdict To decide if the accused is guilty or not
Reach an agreement To finally agree after discussing or negotiating something
Read aloud To say words out loud as you read them
Readily available Easy to obtain or easy to find
Real life Life as it’s really experienced, or life in the real world
Real live Present in reality, and not in a film, on TV, etc.
Real wages The true value of wages, in terms of what you can buy with the money
Reasonable explanation An explanation that most people can accept or believe
Reasonably happy Fairly pleased or reasonably satisfied
Reasonably priced For sale or rent at a fair price
Reasonably well Fairly well or satisfactorily
Recommend highly To strongly recommend someone or something
Regain control To get control of something again after losing control
Repair damage To fix the damage to something
Resort to violence To use violence when other methods have failed
Restore confidence To bring back confidence, trust or belief in something
Restore order To bring back order after a period of revolt or disorder
Retain control To maintain control of, or keep control over, something
Return a call To call someone back after not answering their call
Return address A sender’s address, for replying to or returning a letter or parcel
Return fire To fire back when someone’s firing a weapon at you
Return flight The flight back from where your first flight took you
Return home To come back home, or to go back home
Return ticket A ticket for travelling to a place, and then back again
Rhetorical question A question that’s asked to make a point, not get an answer
Right away Immediately, or without delay
At this moment
Right now
Immediately, or without delay
Road safety Safety on roads for drivers, passengers and pedestrians
Room for improvement The possibility or need for something to improve
Root cause The main or fundamental cause of something
Root crop A plant with roots or other underground parts that can be eaten, like carrots, etc.
Rough draft An unedited or unpolished version of an essay, book, speech, screenplay, etc.
Rough estimate An approximate estimate
Rough idea A vague or approximate idea, concept, memory, etc.
Round number Any whole number that ends in 0, such as 10, 150, 1250
Run a business To be in charge of a business
Run the risk of To do something risky, or that could have a bad result
Running late Behind schedule
Running low Almost used up or almost exhausted, esp. of fuel, supplies, foods, drinks, etc.
Runny nose If you’ve got a runny nose, liquid mucus is running from your nose
S
Safe and sound Not harmed, hurt or damaged in any way
Safe distance Far enough away from danger to be safe
Safety hazard Something that isn’t safe or creates danger
Safety net Government programs that help people in trouble, esp. the poor, sick, old, etc.
Safety record A record showing how effectively safety measures have been
Sales figures Figures showing the number of products sold
Sales force All the people employed to sell a company’s products
Satisfy a need To give or provide what somebody needs
Satisfy a requirement To have what a requirement states or specifies
Satisfy demand To sell products in the quantities demanded by the market
Save energy To use less, to conserve power (electricity, etc.)
Save lives To prevent deaths, or stop people from dying
To keep money for the future
Save money
To pay less money
Save one’s strength To not waste one’s energy
Save someone a seat To keep a seat for someone
Save someone the
To avoid involving someone in useless or pointless effort
trouble/bother of
To prevent someone’s (or one’s own) death
Save someone’s life
To provide much-needed relief from boredom or a difficult situation
Save something To keep something from being lost or wasted
Save space To occupy little space; to enable the available space to be used economically
Save time To use less time
Say a few words To make a short speech or statement
Say/breathe a word To tell other people about something
Say for certain/sure To say something without doubt
Say goodbye/hello To say a parting word as you leave, or as somebody else leaves
Say no more Used to tell someone that it is not necessary to explain something further
Say something To speak to one; to tell one a word or phrase
Say sorry To apologize to someone
Say yes/no to To say that one accepts or agrees to something
Scare tactic A tactic that uses fear to make people behave a certain way
Score a goal To get a goal in sport
Screen time The time you spend looking at screens e.g. TV, phone, computer
Security forces Military and police forces
See reason To see that your view is unreasonable or wrong, and reconsider
See what sb means To understand somebody’s viewpoint or observation
Sense of direction A natural ability to know which direction you’re going in
Sense of humour A natural ability to see and express humour, or the funny side of things
Serious accident An accident in which someone is badly injured or killed
Serious illness A very harmful or dangerous illness
Serious injury A very bad injury
Serious mistake A very bad mistake
Serious relationship A romantic relationship that you take seriously
Badly damage (of material objects)
Seriously damage
Badly affect (of non-material or abstract things)
Seriously ill Very sick
Seriously injured Badly hurt or injured
Seriously wounded Badly hurt by a weapon
Serve a purpose To be useful, esp. in achieving an aim or performing a function
Serve interests To benefit or support the interests of someone or something
Set a date To decide the date on which something in the future will happen
Set a goal To decide what it is you’ll try to achieve
Set a record To achieve a new record in sport, sales, profits, losses, etc.
Set a standard To set or establish a certain level of quality
Set a table To put forks, knives, spoons, plates, etc. onto a table before a meal is served
Set an alarm To set the time at which the alarm in a phone or alarm clock will ring
Set fire to/set on fire To make something start burning
Set free To let someone or something go free
Set menu A complete meal with several courses for a fixed price
Short memory If you have short memory, you can forget things soon after they’ve happened
Social justice Fair distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges in society
Social life The part of life involving friends and social activities
Solve a crime To find out who committed a crime
Solve a problem To find the solution to a problem
Spare time Time when you’re free to do whatever you want to do
Speedy recovery A quicker recovery from illness or injury than usual
Spend time To do something or be somewhere for a certain time
Spend your life To use the time you have in life
Stall for time To intentionally cause a delay; to stop; to wait
Stand trial To be judged for a crime in a court of law
Stay awake To remain awake, or not go to sleep
Stay put To stay in the same place or situation
Stay tuned Keep watching a television broadcast or keep listening to a radio broadcast
Steady job A job that offers constant work and a reliable income
Steady relationship A serious and stable romantic relationship
Steady stream Constant sequence, or many things one after another
Stiff competition Strong competition from rivals or opponents
Still (be) alive Not yet dead
Straight after Immediately after something happen or finishes
Straight ahead Directly in front
Straight answer An honest and direct answer to a question
Straight away Immediately
Strictly speaking According to a strict definition of a meaning or a regulation
Strike a balance (btw) To find a balanced position that’s reasonable and fair for all or both sides
Strongly support To support or believe in somebody or something very much
Sure sign A sign or evidence that something is happening or definitely true

T
Take (sb’s) temperature To measure somebody’s body temperature
Take (sb) to court To begin a legal case against someone
Take a bath/shower
Take a bite To eat a quick, light snack
Take a bow (of a performer) acknowledge applause after a performance by bowing
Take a break To stop doing something for a short time, e.g. to eat, rest, go to the toilet, etc.
Take a call To answer or accept an incoming telephone call
Behave in a way that leaves one vulnerable to danger or failure
Take a chance
Put one’s trust in someone or something knowing that it may not be safe or certain
Take a class/course To register for and then attend the class or course
Take a decision
Take a hike
Take a holiday To go on holiday
Take a lesson/lessons To learn, to be taught; to have, to take classes
Take a long time
Take a look To examine, inspect or look at something
Take a message To write down or memorize a message for somebody
Take a nap To rest, usually during the daytime
Take a photo To create an image with a camera, to capture a picture
Take a picture To take photographs
Take a rest To stop what you’re doing for a period of time in order to relax
Take a risk To do something you know is dangerous
Take a seat To sit down on a chair, bench, sofa, etc.
To put one foot in front of the other, as when walking
Take a step
To do something that helps to achieve a goal
Take a survey
Take a taxi/bus/
To travel by taxi/bus/train/plane
train/plane
Take a test To sit an examination or do a test
Take a trip/vacation
Take a while/a minute/ To require some time, a little longer than you would probably expect/ to require a
five minutes short length of time
Take action To do something to achieve a goal or solve a problem
To exploit for one’s own benefit
Take advantage of
To make good use of the opportunities offered by
Take advice To do what somebody advises you to do
Take ages To take a long time
Take an exam/a test/ To answer the questions of an exam/a test
a course To attend and work toward the completion of an academic course
Take care Be careful
Take care of To care for or look after somebody or something
Take charge To take control or assume responsibility
Take drugs To use mind-altering or mood-altering drugs
Take effect
Take exercise To exercise your body for health or fitness
Take heart
Take hostage To capture and threaten somebody in order to get something
Take it apart
Take it seriously
Take long To take a long time to do or finish
Take medicine To swallow a tablet or syrup to cure an illness
Take notes To write notes in a lecture or when reading
Take notice To pay attention to something
Take part in sth To be involved, or to participate in something
Take place To happen or occur
Take pride in To be proud of your talent, skills, work, achievements, etc.
Take prisoner To capture and imprison somebody, esp. in a war or battle
Take sb’s place To replace somebody, or to do something instead of somebody else
Take seriously To think that somebody or something is important or deserves your full attention
Take the time To make an effort (to do something)
Take time To take a long time
If you take time off, you do not work because of illness or holidays, or because your
Take time off from
employer has given you permission to do something else
Take turns If people take turns, they do something one after the other, or alternately
Take up space To occupy or fill up space
Take your time To take as long as you like, without rushing
Tax cut A reduction in the rate of taxation
Tell a joke To tell a funny story, to make people laugh
Tell a lie To say something you know isn’t true
Tell a secret To tell a piece of information that should not be told
Take a sit
Tell a story To share a story by reading it, recalling it, or making it up
Tell one’s name To tell someone what your name is
Tell sb the time To tell somebody what time it is
Tell the difference To notice differences and be able to distinguish between similar things
Tell the future To declare or tell in advance; predict; foretell
Tell the time To be able to look at a clock, a sundial, stars, etc. and know what time it is
Tell the truth To say what’s true or what really happened
Tight budget A budget that severely limits the amount of money that can be spent
Tight grip A firm hold
Tight schedule A schedule with very little time between appointments, meetings, etc.
Time off Time away from work
Top floor The highest level or storey in a building
Top priority The most important of several issues, goals, tasks, etc.
Top speed The fastest speed that something can travel at
Travel light To travel without much luggage
Try hard To put a lot of effort into doing something
Turn a corner To go around a corner
Turn around To turn your body or head so that you’re facing the opposite way
U
Ulterior motive The hidden reason or purpose behind an action
Ultimate goal Final objective or goal
Uncertain future A future that’s likely to be worse than the present
Unconditional love Love that isn’t based on conditions or requirements
Undergo surgery To have a surgical procedure or operation
Undergo treatment To have treatment for a medical condition
Unemployment benefit A regular payment from the government to help someone who can’t find a job
Unfair advantage An advantage that isn’t fair or hasn’t been earned
Unfair dismissal Unjust or unfair firing of a worker
Unrequited love Love you feel for someone who doesn’t love you
Unusually wealthy Much wealthier than other people in the same position or with the same job
Upper deck Deck of a ship that’s above lower decks and open to the sky
Upper echelons The highest ranks in a society or organization
Upper limit The highest level or amount allowed
Upset sb’s stomach If something upset your stomach, it causes a stomach problem that makes you feel sick
Upset stomach If you’ve got an upset stomach, you feel sick in the stomach
Urban development The building or development of towns and cities
Urban renewal The renewal of poor parts of a city by improving services and attracting investment
Urban sprawl The poorly regulated spread of urban development into the countryside near a city
Use sb’s phone To make a call on somebody else’s phone
Used car A car that’s already been owned by someone
Utterly ridiculous Completely ridiculous or unreasonable

V
Vague idea An approximate or imprecise idea
Vague memory Unclear or incomplete memory
Valid point A point that most people would find reasonable and logical
Valid reason A reason that most people would find acceptable or believable
Valuable contribution An important contribution to something’s development or success
Valuable information Important or useful information
Valuable lesson If an experience becomes a valuable lesson, it teaches you something important
Vary widely To vary a lot, or include very different types, amounts, degrees, etc.
Vast majority Great majority, or the most by far
Victory lap A lap around a field or track to celebrate a victory
Victory parade A parade held to celebrate a victory, esp. in sports, war, politics, etc.
Violent crime A crime that causes injury or death
Violent movie A movie with many violent scenes
Visiting hours Hours of the day when you can visit a hospital, museum, zoo, government office, etc.
Vital organs Organs that are essential for life, incl. the brain, heart, kidneys, liver and lungs
Vital role A very important role
Vocal critic A person who often criticizes something or someone in public
Vocal minority A group that voices an opinion that the majority of people don’t agree with
Vocal music Music that includes parts for one or more singers, with or without instruments
Vocal organs Organs used when speaking or making sounds
Vote against To not support someone or something with your vote
Vote for To give someone or something your vote

W
Wage increase An increase in the amount of money a wage-earner is paid
Wage war To begin a struggle or campaign to fight something
Wait your turn To wait until your turn comes
Warm welcome A friendly or positive reception
Warning sign A sign or indication that something’s wrong
Waste an opportunity To not make use of an opportunity or chance
Waste money To spend money on something you don’t really need or want
Waste of time Something that’s not worth spending time on
Waste time To spend time doing something that brings no results
Waste water Used water that’s discharged from factories, farms, homes, etc.
Watch your weight To be careful about what you eat so you don’t put on weight
Wave goodbye To wave your hand when leaving, or when someone else is leaving
Way ahead Far ahead, or a long way in front
Weak point Part of something that’s easy to attack or criticize
Wear and tear Damage caused by normal use over time
Welcome change A pleasant or long-awaited change
Well after A long time after
Well ahead/behind A long way ahead/behind
Well aware of Fully or completely aware or informed
Well before A long time before
Well worth Definitely worth doing, getting, seeing, etc.
White coffee An ‘americano’ coffee with milk
Whole thing The entire thing, or all of something
Wide awake Completely awake or fully alert
Wide open Fully open, of a door, window, eyes, mouth, etc.
A large number of similar products, services, styles, options, etc.
Wide range
Many different types, esp. of people, opinions, choices, results, etc.
Widely used Used by many people or in many places
Wild animal An animal that’s living free in its natural habitat
Win a game To beat your opponent in a game
Win a war To defeat the enemy in a war
Win an award To receive an award
Win an election To be awarded victory by those running an election
Work hard To put a lot of effort into what you’re doing
Work well Operate or function properly, efficiently, smoothly, etc.
Working conditions Environment and conditions in which you work
Worth a fortune Worth a lot of money
Wrong number An incorrect telephone number
Wrong direction
Wrong way
Incorrect method, technique, strategy, etc.

XYZ
x-ray vision The ability to see into or through objects made of non-transparent materials
Yawning gap A very wide gap
Yet again One more time, after many other times
Yield results To produce or provide results
Young child A person who’s very young, but not a baby
Young couple Two young people in a romantic relationship
Young person A person who’s still young, but no longer a child
Youthful enthusiasm Great enthusiasm that a young person feels
Legal policy that allows politicians to set mandatory punishments that judges must
Zero tolerance apply
Absolutely no tolerance for something
Zero visibility Absolutely no visibility due to darkness, poor weather, etc.

VERB + PREPOSITIONS COLLOCATIONS

verb + about verb + at verb + for
argue about aim at account for keep for
ask about arrive at admire for long for
be about hint at apologize for pay for
boast about laugh at ask for pray for
care about look at be for prepare for
dream about marvel at blame for scold for
forget about peer at care for search for
know about point at charge for substitute for
laugh about smile ate congratulate for thank for
 protest about stare at count for vote for
think about wink at earmark for vouch for
worry about work at excuse for wait for
forgive for wish for
head for work for

verb + from verb + in verb + of

abstain from hide from absorb in/into accuse of
benefit from prevent from arrive in approve of
borrow from prohibit from be engrossed in consist of
derive from protect from believe in convict of
deter from recover from confide in dream of
differ from refrain from implicate in get rid of
distinguish from rescue from involve in remind of
distract from resign from participate in suspect of
choose from retire from result in take advantage of
come from rest from specialize in take care of
escape from result from succeed in
exempt from save from trust in
expel from separate from
emerge from stem from
expect from stop from
forbid from subtract from
graduate from suffer from
hear from

verb + on verb + with verb + to

agree on acquaint with adapt to invite to
base on agree with add to lend to
be on associate with admit to listen to
blame on charge with answer to look forward to
comment on clutter with apologize to matter to
concentrate on coincide with appeal to object to
congratulate on collide with apply oneself to pray to
count on compare with ask to prefer to
decide on comply with attend to react to
depend on confront with attribute to refer to
elaborate on confuse with be resigned to reply to
impose on cover with belong to resort to
insist on deal with complain to respond to
play on discuss with confess to see to
pride on help with consent to speak to
rely on ingratiate oneself with contribute to subject to
work on meet with devote to subscribe to
pack with explain to talk to
provide with happen to travel to
speak/talk with introduce to turn to
trust with

Verb + preposition collocation example sentences:

They were arguing about/over which film to go and see.

I was about to leave when Mark arrived.
Parents enjoy boasting about their children’s achievements.
She’s never cared very much about her appearance.
I completely forgot about Jenny’s party.
I don’t know anything about it.
I tried to laugh about it, hiding the tears in my eyes.
Lots of people protested about the new working hours.
What do you think about the latest plans for improving the underground system?
It’s silly worrying about things which are outside your control.
He works at the hospital.
It was dark by the time we arrived at the station.
He’s hinted at the possibility of moving to Canada.
We paused to marvel at the view.
When he smiled at me, I knew everything was all right.
Don’t stare at people like that, it’s rude.
The judge peered over his glasses at the jury.
Students account for the vast majority of our customers.
I admired him for his determination.
I can’t excuse myself for not doing it.
He doesn’t care for playing golf.
Let me pay for Tom.
She said goodbye and thanked us for coming.
She shut her eyes and wished for him to get better.
Trains may be subject to delay – we apologize for any inconvenience caused.
A hotel room is being prepared for them.
My opinion doesn’t count for anything around here.
You can substitute oil for butter in this recipe.
I waited for her outside while she went in to see the doctor.
Patricia has checked the reports and can vouch for the accuracy of the information.
Hugh blames his mother for his lack of confidence.
Hugh blames his lack of confidence on his mother.
I like to pride myself on my ability to concentrate.
We couldn’t agree on what to buy.
My mum always comments on what I’m wearing.
The company is concentrating on developing new products.
I don’t want them to impose their religious beliefs on my children.
She insisted on seeing her lawyer.
You can’t rely on good weather for the whole trip.
The film is based on a short story by Thomas Mann.
It was hard to distinguish one twin from the other.
The swimmer emerged from the lake.
I got a letter today. I finally heard from him.
Motor vehicles are prohibited from driving in the town centre.
He is forbidden from leaving the country.
We refrained from talking until we knew that it was safe.
She had to apologize to the whole family.
Professor Samson attributes this painting to Leonardo.
She committed herself to finding a new job.
Please contribute to the fund for the needy.
Something awful happened to your car.
I object to your opinion.
He reacted poorly to the news.
I dream of one day working for myself and not having a boss.
The police suspect him of carrying out two bomb attacks.
He has twice been convicted of robbery.
I hope that this will result in the police finding your car.
The drug is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.
As sisters, they have always confided in each other.
A good teacher tries to involve children in activities where they interact with each other.
The campaign has certainly succeeded in raising public awareness of the issue.
Sometimes you have to trust in the goodness of human nature.
My birthday coincides with a national holiday.
He complies with each and every order.
The congressman met with strong opposition to his plan.

ADJECTIVES + PREPOSITIONS COLLOCATIONS

adj. + about adjective + at adjective + by
angry about hopeful about amazed at skilled at amazed by
annoyed about mad about angry/mad at successful at delighted by
anxious about nervous about annoyed at surprised at excited by
careful about optimistic about awful at terrible at fascinated by
careless about pessimistic about brilliant at slow at impressed by
certain about puzzled about clever at lucky at selfish by
concerned about sensitive about delighted at surprised by
crazy about serious about disappointed at
curious about sorry about excellent at
depressed about sure about excited at
enthusiastic about sympathetic about good/bad at
 excited about terrible about hopeless at
furious about upset about presented at
guilty about worried about
happy about wrong about

adjective + for adjective + adjective + in

from
eligible for grateful for different from comfortable in
eager for hard for safe from connected in
late for known for rude from experienced in
mean for notorious for free from interested in
qualified for prepared for polite/impolite in
thankful for ready for present in
concerned for renowned for skilled in
clever for responsible for slow in
happy for serious for successful in
true for suitable for talented in
good for thirsty for
free for famous for
bad for sorry for
difficult for

adjective + of adjective + to adjective + with

accused of jealous of happy to eager to angry with
afraid of kind of delighted to eligible to associated with
ashamed of made of pleased to exposed to blessed with
aware of nasty of familiar to faithful to busy with
capable of nervous of proud to grateful to comfortable with
certain of nice of kind/rude to identical to connected with
clever of proud of scared to immune to content with
conscious of rid of free to indifferent to coordinated with
envious of scared of good/nice to inferior to crowded with
fond of selfish of nasty to limited to delighted with
free of sensible of accustomed to married to familiar with
frightened of sick of addicted to mean to fed up with
full of silly of allergic to related to friendly/unfriendly with
generous of stupid of anxious to relevant to furnished with
guilty of sure of apposed to sad to generous with
hopeful of suspicious of attached to sensitive to happy with
in charge of tired of beneficial to similar to cluttered with
in danger of true of cruel to superior to patient with
in favour of typical of curious to shocked to careful with
innocent of unkind of disappointed to popular with
satisfied with
wrong with

Adjective + preposition collocation example sentences:

The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest.

He was quite certain about this attacker’s identity.
They were very curious about the people who lived upstairs.
I feel so guilty about forgetting her birthday.
You were wrong about the time – the bank closed at 3.30.

He’s brilliant at football.

They are excellent at planning fun parties.
Please, don’t be mad at me!
Dustin is terrible at texting.
I was delighted at/by the news.
We were very surprised at the result.
She was amazed at how calm she felt after the accident.
She is excited at the chance to share what she’s learned with others.
Your mother was clearly not impressed by our behaviour in the restaurant.
He seemed surprised by the question.

Are you eligible for maternity leave?

They crowded around the spokesperson, eager for any news.
Marie Curie is famous for her contribution to science.

Emily is completely different from her sister.

Rescuers took several hours to cut the survivors free from the wreckage.

She is very experienced in marketing.

Yes, I’d be very interested in knowing more about the services your firm offers.
My mother is very skilled in/at dressmaking.
You have to be tough to be successful in politics.

It was generous of him to offer to pay for us both.

You are in danger of being robbed.
It was nice of you to give me a present.
I’m sick of the way you’ve treated me.
I’m sick and tired of all the arguments.
It was unkind of you to take his toy away.
I’m very envious of your new coat – it’s beautiful.
He firmly believes that she is innocent of the crime.
They are deeply suspicious of each other’s motives.

He’s got no manners – he’s rude to everyone!

It’s good to see you again.
She had grown accustomed to his long absences.
I’ve never seen two people so attached to each other.
Everyone in the class seemed eager to learn.
Her dress is almost identical to mine.
It’s too late to start complaining now.
How are you related to him? Is he your cousin?
He was shocked to discover that he had no money left in his account.

Are you acquainted with your classmate?

I’m really angry with John for his total lack of responsibility.
He’s annoyed with Tim because he told his secret.
The kids are busy with their homework.
You are blessed with many talents.
You get bored with doing the same thing every day.
The cancer risks associated with smoking have been well documented.
My mother is very clever with her hands.
The airport is crowded with stranded travellers.
He’s fed up with his job. He wants to quit.
She was very gentle with the children.
The author of the book seems to be obsessed with sexual perversity and death.
I’m not comfortable with the idea of leaving her on her own.

COMMON PHRASAL VERBS

act for sb
do something in favour
Mr Kim acts for my father.

ask sb out
invite on a date
Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.

ask around
ask many people the same question
I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.

add up to sth
equal
Your purchases add up to £205.32.

back sth up
reverse
You’ll have to back up your car so that I can get out.

back sb up
support or defend someone
My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.

bear with
tolerate
I can’t bear to continue with this suffering.

blow up
explode
The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.

blow sth up
add air
We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.

break down
get upset
The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.

break down
stop functioning (vehicle, machine)
Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.

break sth down

divide into smaller parts
Out teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.

break in
force entry to a building
Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.

break into sth

enter forcibly
The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.

break sth in
wear something a few times so that it doesn’t look/feel new
I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.

break in
interrupt
The TV station broke in to report the news of the president’s death.

break up
end a relationship
My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to Sweden.

break up
start laughing (informal)
The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.

break out
escape
The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren’t looking.

break out in sth

develop a skin condition
I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.

bring about
make something happen
Social changes that have been brought about by new technology.

bring sb/sth along

bring someone or something to certain place
You can bring your friends along if you like.

bring sb around
persuade or convince someone
It took us ages to bring him around to our point of view.

bring sth around

bring something with you when you visit
He brought some books around when he came last night.
bring back
cause someone to remember
Visiting my old school brought back memories of when I was a pupil there.

bring sb down
make unhappy
This sad music is bringing me down.

bring sb up
raise a child
My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.

bring sth up
start talking about a subject
My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.

bring sth up
vomit
He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.

call around
phone many different places/people
We called around but we weren’t able to find the car part we needed.

call sb back
return a phone call
I called the company back, but the offices were closed for the weekend.

call for
demand
Mrs Selina calls for some money.

call sth off

cancel
Jason called the wedding off because he wasn’t in love with his fiancé.

call on sb
ask for an answer or opinion
The professor called on me for question 1.

call on sb
visit sb
We called on you last night, but you weren’t home.

call sb up
phone
Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.

calm down
relax after an energetic or irritated state
You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.

not care for sb/sth

not like (informal)
I don’t care for his behaviour.

carry on
continue
Let the task carry on.

catch up
get to the same point as somebody else
You’ll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.

check in
arrive and register at a hotel or airport
We will get the hotel keys when we check in.

check out
leave a hotel
You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00am.

check sb/sth out

look at carefully, investigate
The company checks out all new employees.

check out sb/sth

look at (informal)
Check out the crazy hair on that guy!

cheer up
become happier
She cheered up when she heard the good news.

cheer sb up
make someone happy, especially if they were previously sad
I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.

chip in
help
If everyone chips in, we can get the kitchen painted by noon.

clean up
stop questionable behaviour, such as consuming drugs or alcohol
Her boss said she had to either clean up or find a new job.

clean sth up
tidy, clean
Please, clean up your bedroom before you go outside.

come across sth

find unexpectedly
I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.

come after sb
try to find or capture
The police come after the robber.

come apart
separate
The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.

come around
change an opinion or see a new point of view
I never liked seafood but came round after trying fried calamari.

come between
disturb a relationship
After more than fifty years of marriage, nothing could come between them.

come down with sth

become sick
My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.

come forward
volunteer for a task or to give evidence
The woman came forward with her husband’s fingerprints.

come from some place

originate in
The art of origami comes from Asia.

come on
arrive faster
They came on a few minutes ago.

come round
recover consciousness
The patient will come round soon.

come out of
happen as a consequence of another event
We missed a day of school, so at least some good came out of our boring class trip.

come up
become the topic of discussion or receive attention
Everyone talked about how much they enjoyed the movie, but the run time never came up in
the conversation.

come up
approach or come near
While walking outside the fence, a cow came up right next to me and licked my face.

come up
happen or occur, as with an event or situation
Don’t worry about a problem until after it comes up.

come up against
be faced with or opposed by something such as an enemy or problem
I’d come up against this kind of problem before.

come up with
think of an idea, especially as the first person to do so, or to produce a solution
He keeps coming up with all kinds of lame excuses.

count on sb/sth
rely on
I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.

cross sth out

draw a line through
Please cross out your old address and write your new one.

cut back on sth

consume less
My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.

cut sth down

make something fall to the ground
We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.

cut sth down

reduce the size, amount, or quality of something
I should cut down my sugar intake.

cut in
interrupt
Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.

cut in
pull in too closely in front of another vehicle
The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.

cut in
start operating (of an engine or electrical device)
The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22˚C.

cut sth off

remove with something sharp
The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.

cut sth off

stop providing
The phone company cut off our phone because we didn’t pay the bill.

cut somebody off

take out of a will
My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.

cut sth out

remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)
I cut this ad out of the newspaper.

dive into
occupy oneself with something; to pore over quickly or reach into quickly
I’ll dive into that new TV show later tonight.

do sb/sth over
beat up, ransack (BrE, informal)
He’s lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.

do sth over
do again (AmE)
My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn’t like my topic.

do away with sth

discard
It’s time to do away with all of these old tax records.

do sth up
fasten, close
Do your coat up before you go outside. It’s snowing!

dress up
wear nice clothing
It’s a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.

drop back
move back in a position/group
Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.

drop in/by/over
come without an appointment
I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.

drop sb/sth off

take sb/sth somewhere and leave them/it there
I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.

drop out
quit a class, school, etc.
I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.

eat out
eat at a restaurant
I don’t feel like cooking tonight. Let’s eat out.

end up
eventually reach some conclusion or destination
We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.

fall apart
break into pieces
My new dress completely fell apart after just two washes.

fall apart
(of a person) lose one’s capacity to cope
I fell apart after his death.

fall back
move or turn back
They fall back from their mission.

fall down
fall to the ground
The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning.

fall in with sth

act in accordance with someone’s ideas or suggestions; agree to something
They are willing to fall in with the agreement.

fall into
separate
The apple is fallen into three parts.

fall off
become detached and drop to the ground
My sunglasses fell off and broke on the pavement.

fall off
decrease in number, amount, intensity or quality
Attendance is bound to fall off if the major parts are always taken by the same children.

fall out
separate from an interior
The money must have fallen out of my pocket.

fall out
(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached
His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.

figure sth out

understand, find the answer
I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.

fill sth in
to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE)
Please fill in the form with you name, address and phone number.

fill sth out

to write information in blanks, as on a form (AmE)
The form must be filled out in capital letters.

fill sth up
fill to the top
I always fill the water jug up when it is empty.

find out
discover
We don’t know where he lives. How can we find out?

find sth out

discover or learn
We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.

get sth across/over

communicate, make understandable
I tried to get my point across/over to the judge, but she wouldn’t listen.

get ahead
succeed or progress
You’ll never get ahead at this company unless you follow the rules.

get along/on
like each other
I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.

get along with sb

be friendly with
My dog gets along with everyone as long as they’re not a cat.

get around
have mobility
My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.

get around to sth

do something eventually
I’ll get around to fixing the table after the playoffs.

get at
reach
There’s an itch on my back that I can’t get at.

get away
go on a vacation/ escape
We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.
The criminal has gotten away from jail.

get away with sth

do without being noticed or punished
Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.

get back
return
We got back from our vacation last week.

get sth back

receive something you had before
Liz finally got her Science notes back from my roommate.

get back at sb
retaliate, take revenge
My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.

get back into sth

become interested in something again
I finally got back into my novel and finished it.

get by
manage with difficulty to live
It’s impossible to get by without my father.

get down
enjoy oneself without inhibitions, especially with music or dancing
Vicente may be overly formal at work, but he sure knows how to get down to hip-hop.

get down to +ing

begin or start
Once everyone arrives, we’ll get down to picking teams.

get in on
join an activity
After Bitcoin started going up, everyone wanted to get in on cryptocurrency.

get in
arrive
The boy has got in a few minutes ago.

get into sth

discuss something thoroughly
I don’t want to get into our finances now; we’ll talk after our guests leave.

get into/on sth

step onto a vehicle
We’re going to freeze out here if you don’t let us get into/on the bus.

get on
proceed
You have to get on in this way.

get out
go out
Please get out from here right now.

get sth out of

receive a benefit from something
Babysitting the Cohles was a nightmare, but at least Janelle got some money out of it.

get over sth

recover from an illness, loss, difficulty
I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.

get over sth

overcome a problem
The company will have to close if it can’t get over the new regulations.

get round to sth (AmE: get around to sth)

finally find time to do
I don’t know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.

get through
complete or endure an unpleasant task
Alessandra can’t get through a morning without coffee.

get to
annoy or bother someone
People who don’t clean up after their dogs really gets to me.

get together
have a social event
Let’s get together for a BBQ this weekend.

get up
get out of bed
I got up early today to study for my exam.

get up
stand
You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.

give sb away
reveal hidden information about somebody
His wife gave him away to the police.

give sb away
take the bride to the altar
My father gave me away at my wedding.

give sth away

ruin a secret
My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.

give sth away

donate something or give something for free
The library was giving away old books on Friday.

give sth back

return a borrowed item
I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game.

give in
reluctantly stop fighting or arguing
My boyfriend didn’t want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.

give sth out

give to many people (usually at no cost)
They were giving out free perfume samples at the department store.

give sth up
quit a habit
I am giving up smoking as of January 1st.

give up
accept defeat, quit or surrender
My maths homework was too difficult, so I gave up.

go about
begin or carry on with an activity
You are going about this in the wrong way.

go after sb
follow somebody
My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.

go after sth
try to achieve something
I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.

go against sb/sth
contradict, oppose or fight against
A group of students were against the school dress code yesterday and wore ripped jeans.

go ahead
proceed or move forward
Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.

go along with sb/sth

consent or agree to a person or proposal
He will probably go along with the idea.

go back
return to a place
I have to go back home and get my lunch.

go back on/upon
withdraw
I want to go back on my opinion.

go for
decide on, choose; try or attempt to achieve something
I went for the rose flower.

go in for
like or habitually take part in
I go in for sports.

go on
continue (doing something)
Please go on your duty.

go out
leave home to go on a social event
We’re going out for dinner tonight.

go out with sb
date
Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last winter.

go over sth
review
Please go over your answers before you submit your test.

go over
visit somebody nearby
I haven’t seen Tina for a long time. I think I’ll go over for an hour or two.

go through
undergo a difficult period or experience
The country is going through a period of economic instability.

go through
search through or examine something, especially methodically
She started to go through the bundle of letters.

go without sth
suffer lack or deprivation
When I was young, we went without winter boots.

grow apart
stop being friends over time
My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.
grow back
regrow
My roses grew back this summer.

grow into sth

grow big enough to fit
This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.

grow out of sth

get too big for
Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones.

grow up
become an adult
When Jack grows up, he wants to be a fireman.

hand sth down

give something used to somebody else
I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.

hand sth in
submit (especially an assignment)
I have to hand in my essay by Friday.

hand sth out

to distribute to a group of people
We will hand out the invitations at the door.

hand sth over

give (usually unwillingly)
The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons.

hang in
stay positive (informal)
Hang in there. I’m sure you’ll find a job very soon.

hang on
wait a short time (informal)
Hang on wile I grab my coat and shoes!

hang out
spend time relaxing (informal)
Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang out at my place.

hang up
end a phone call
He didn’t say goodbye before he hung up.

hold sb/sth back

prevent from doing/going
I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park.

hold sth back

hide an emotion
Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather’s funeral.

hold on
wait a short time
Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department.

hold onto sb/sth

hold firmly using your hands or arms
Hold onto your hat because it’s very windy outside.

hold sb/sth up
rob
A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.

keep on doing sth

continue doing
Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.

keep sth from sb

not tell
We kept our relationship from our parents for two years.

keep sb/sth out

stop from entering
Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.

keep sth up
continue at the same rate
If you keep those results up, you will get into a great college.

leave sb/sth out

omit or disregard
It seemed unkind to leave Daisy out, so she was invited too.

let sb down
fail to support or help, disappoint
I need you to be on time. Don’t let me down this time.

let go of sb/sth
release or free
Let go of my hand. He let go of the rope.

let sb in
allow to enter
Can you let the cat in before you go to school?

log in/on
sign in (to a website, database, etc.)
I can’t log in to Facebook because I’ve forgotten my password.

log out/off
sign out (of a website, database, etc.)
If you don’t log off somebody could get into your account.

look after sb/sth

take care of
I have to look after my sick grandmother.

look at sb/sth
gaze
Please look at the window.

look down on sb
think less of, consider inferior
Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me.

look for sb/sth

try to find, search
I am looking for a red dress for the wedding.

look forward to sth

expect eagerly
I’m looking forward to the Christmas break.
I look forward to doing this job.

look into sth

investigate
We are going to look into the price of snowboards today.

look out
be careful, vigilant, and take notice
Look out! That car’s going to hit you!

look out for sb/sth

be especially vigilant for
Don’t forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail.

look sth over

check, examine
Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?

look sth up
search and find information in a reference book or database
We can look her phone number up on the internet.

look up to sb
have a lot of respect for someone, admire
My little sister has always looked up to me.

make sth up
invent a story or plan
Josie made up a story about why we were late.

make up
forgive each other
We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.

make sb up
apply cosmetics to
My sisters made me up for my graduation party.

make up for
compensate for something lost, missed or deficient
He was eager to make up for lost time.

mix sth up
confuse two or more things
I mixed up the twins’ names again!

pass away
die
His uncle passed away last night after a long illness.

pass out
faint
It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed out.

pass sth out

give the same thing to many people
The professor passed the textbooks out before class.

pass sth up
decline (usually something good)
I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.

pay sb back
return owed money
Thanks for buying my ticket. I’ll pay you back on Friday.

pay for sth

be punished for doing something bad
That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.

pick sth out

choose
I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.

point sb/sth out

indicate with your finger
I’ll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.

pull over
to safely stop in a car at the side of a road
Pull over at the next lay-by and I’ll take a look at your tyres.

put sth down

put what you are holding on a surface or floor
You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter.

put sb down
insult, make somebody feel stupid
The students put the substitute teacher down because his pants were too short.

put sb/sth forward

recommend someone as a suitable candidate for a job/ submit a plan, proposal or
theory for consideration
He put me forward as head of publicity.
The authority put forward positive proposals.

put sth off

postpone
We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.

put sth on
wear
I put on my shoes.

put sth out

extinguish
The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.

put sth together

assemble
I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives.

put up with sb/sth

tolerate
I don’t think I can put up with three small children in the car.
put sth on
put clothing/ accessories on your body
Don’t forget to put on your new earrings for the party.

run after
chase
He runs after his aim.

run away
leave unexpectedly escape
The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days.

run into sb/sth

meet unexpectedly
I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.

run over sb/sth

drive a vehicle over a person or thing
I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.

run over/through sth

rehearse, review
Let’s run over/through these lines one more time before the show.

run out of
have none left
We ran out of shampoo, so I had to wash my hair with soap.

save up
keep money so that you can buy something with it
She spent all the money I had saved up for our trip.

screw up
make a mistake
I really screwed up this time, didn’t I?

see sb around
to notice somebody often in places that you go to regularly
I’ve never actually met her, but I’ve seen her around.

see sb off
accompany a person who is leaving to their point of departure
They came to the station to see him off.

see to
make sure something is done
You try to get some sleep. I’ll see to the children’s breakfast.

set about
begin doing sth, in a determined or enthusiastic way
She set about the problem with her usual energy.

set off/out
start a journey
We set off/out early the next morning.

set sth off

make something to start working
Jeff pushed open the door, which set off the alarm.

set up
start a business/organization or institution
The group plans to set up an import business.

set sth up
make a piece of equipment ready to use
Will you be able to set up my PC?

set sth up
organize or plan an event or system
Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the company.

set sb up
trick, trap
The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera.

set up (with)
arrange for two people to go out together
I think we should set Ryan up with my cousin.

settle down
begin to live a quieter life by getting married or staying permanently in a place
Are you ever going to settle down and get married?

shop around
compare prices
I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots.

show around/round
lead someone around a place for the first time
I’ll get someone to show you around.

show off
deliberately display abilities or accomplishments in order to impress people
He always shows off on his skateboard.

show up
arrive or turn up for an appointment
I’ll be very surprised if they show up on time.

shut sth off

turn off, especially a machine
Don’t forget to shut the water off after your shower.

sign up
arrange to take part in an activity
She’s decided to sign up for evening classes.

sleep in
sleep longer in the morning than you normally do
The whole family sleeps in on Sundays.

sleep on
wait until the next day before you decide what to do
Let me sleep on it and give you an answer tomorrow.
sleep over
stay somewhere for the night (informal)
You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.

slow down
become less active or effective than before
This cold is really slowing me down.

sort sth out

organize, resolve a problem
We need to sort the bills out before the first of the month.

speak out
publicly express your opinions
He had always spoken out in favour of gay rights.

speak up
talk louder
You have to speak up. We can’t hear at the back.

speak up
express your opinion
If anyone has a better idea, please speak up.

split up
end a marriage or relationship
Her parents split up a few months ago.

stand against sb/sth

oppose someone or something, especially in a brave or determined way
I want to stand against the matter.

stand by
not take action when you should
We can’t just stand by and watch her die.

stand by sb
be loyal to someone who is in a difficult situation
I know he would stand by me no matter what I’d done.

stand in for sb
do someone else’s job for a short period of time
I’ll be standing in for Peter while he’s away.

stand out
be very noticeable
This lettering really stands out on that pink background.
stand out
be much better than other similar things or people
We had lot of good applicants for the job, but one stood out from the rest.

stand up for sb/sth

defend somebody or something that is being criticised or attacked
You’ve got to stand up for what you believe in.

stand up to sb
not allow yourself to be treated badly
Nobody thought he would be brave enough to stand up to her.

stay/keep/get ahead of
continue to be more advanced and successful than other people
Our industries have to stay ahead of the game in Europe.

stay in
remain at home
I think I’d rather stay in tonight.

stay out
remain out of your home for a period of time
Please, don’t stay out all night again!

stay out of
avoid becoming involved in something
He will go to jail if he doesn’t stay out of trouble.

stay up
not go to bed
Josh could stay up all night without getting tired.

step up sth
increase
Police decided to step up security plans for the game.

stick at/to
continue to work hard at one particular thing
You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.

sum up
give a summary of something
I’ll sum up briefly and then I’ll take questions.

switch sth off

stop the energy flow, turn off
The light’s too bright. Could you switch it off?

switch sth on
start the energy flow, turn on
We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio.

take after sb
look or behave like an older relative
I take after my mother. We are both impatient.

take sth apart

purposely break into pieces
My watch stopped, so I took it apart.

take sth back

return an item
I have to take our new TV back because it doesn’t work.

take sth back

admit that something you said to or about somebody was wrong
I didn’t mean what I said – I take it back.

take off
start to fly
My plane takes off in five minutes.

take off
leave a place suddenly
As soon as she saw George arrive, she just took off.

take off
become successful or popular very fast
her business has really taken off.

take sth off

remove something (usually clothing)
Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!

take on sb
begin to employ someone
We’re not taking on any new staff at the moment.

take sth out

move something outside
Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?

take sb out
pay for somebody to go somewhere with you
My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.

take it out on sb
relieve frustration or anger by mistreating somebody or something
When he’s under pressure at work, he takes it out on me.

take it out of sb
make someone feel very tired
Playing tennis in this heat really takes it out of you.

take off
to suddenly start to be successful or popular
If this next campaign takes off, you might get a pay rise!

take over
begin to do something that someone else was doing
Can you take over the cooking while I walk the dog?

take over
take control of something
Gibraltar was taken over by Spain in 1462.

take sb through sth

explain something to somebody or show someone how to do something
Here’s my report. I’ll take you through it if you like.

take up
become interested or engaged in a pursuit
She took up tennis at the age of 11.

talk down to sb
talk to someone as if they were less clever than you
Try not to talk down to your employees.

talk over
discuss a problem or a plan
You both need to talk over what happened that day.

talk sb into
persuade someone to do something
He’s against the idea, but I think I can talk him into it.

talk sb out of
persuade someone not to do something
Her parents tried to talk her out of getting engaged.

tear sb/sth apart

criticize somebody or something very strongly
She tore us apart with a real tongue-lashing.

tear sb apart
make someone fee very sad, upset or worried
It just tears me apart to see you suffering like this.

tear apart
make people argue and damage their relationship
This issue is tearing their marriage apart.

tear sb up
make somebody feel very unhappy or upset
It tears me up to leave you.

tear sth up
rip into pieces
I tore up all the photos of my old boyfriend.

tell apart
recognize the difference between two people or things that are very similar
The two women are so similar that only their husbands can tell them apart.

tell sb off
speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong
The teacher told me off for talking again today.

think back
remember (often + to, sometimes + on)
When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.

think sth over

consider a problem or decision carefully
I’ll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision.

throw sth away

dispose of something
We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.

throw yourself into

start doing something with a lot of enthusiasm and energy
After my girlfriend left me, I threw myself into work.

throw sb out of
force someone to leave
She threw him out of the house.

throw up
vomit
I feel terrible – I’ve been throwing up all night!

top off
fill something to the top; to complete something in a special or spectacular way
May I top off your beverage?

touch on/upon sth

mention something when you are talking or writing
He did not touch on the issue of immigration.

track sb/sth down

find somebody or something after a long search
I finally managed to track him down in Manchester.

try sth on
put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits or suits you
Why don’t you try this dress on?

try sth out

test
I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.

try sth out on sb

find out what someone thinks about something
We tried out the new song on a couple of friends, but they didn’t like it.

turn sth down

decrease the volume or strength (heat, light, etc.)
Please, turn the TV down while the guests are here.

turn sth down

refuse an offer or request, reject
I turned the job down because I don’t want to move.

turn sb in
hand someone over to the authorities
His own brother turned him in.

turn sth off

stop the energy flow, switch off
Will you turn the TV off, please?

turn sb off
make someone feel no longer interested in something
This sort of talk could turn a lot of voters off.

turn sth on
start the energy flow, switch on
It’s too dark here. Let’s turn some lights on.

turn sb on
make somebody interested in something
That book really turned me on to astronomy.
turn out
develop in a particular way
I’m sure it will turn out well in the end.

turns out
be discovered to be something
It turns out that I was right all along.

turn to sb
ask someone for help, sympathy or advice
I’m sorry, but I had no one else to turn to.

turn to sth
start to do or take something bad (e.g. crime, drugs, drink)
He turned to drugs after his wife left him.

turn sth up
increase the volume or strength (heat, light, etc.)
Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song.

turn up
come somewhere
She failed to turn up for work on Monday.

use sth up
finish the supply
The kids used all of the toothpaste up, so we need to buy some more.

wake up to sth
start to realize something
He needs to wake up to the fact that the planet is in danger.

walk into
get a job very easily
She walked straight into a well-paid job after graduating.

walk out
leave somebody or something that depends on you
I was afraid you’d walk out of my life again.

warm to sb/sth
begin to like somebody or something
It might take them a while to warm to the idea.

warm sb/sth up
increase the temperature
You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.

watch out for sb/sth

be careful to somebody or something
Watch out for snakes!

wear sb down
make somebody gradually lose their energy
Slowly he wore his opponent down.

wear off
fade away
Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party.

wear yourself out

make yourself feel very tired
You need a holiday, or you’ll wear yourself out.

wear out
use something a lot so that it no longer works or can no longer be used
The children have all worn out their shoes.

whip up
cook something quickly with little effort
I’m so hungry. I think I’ll whip up some pasta and pesto. That’s always fast.

wind down
end or finish something gradually
The party started to wind down around 2.00am.

work at sth
try hard to achieve something or improve something
Successful relationships don’t just happen – you have to work at them.

work on sth
be dealing with something
Don’t worry about that, I’m working on it.

work on sb
try to influence someone
We’ll have to work on Joey to find out what’s going on.

work out
exercise
I work out at the gym three times a week.

work out
be successful
Things worked out pretty well in the end.

work sth out

make a calculation
We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.

work towards sth

try hard to achieve something
Both countries are working towards peace in the region.