Note that there may be other meanings for the verbs listed here.
Rip off (charge too much - colloquial)
You paid £50? They really ripped you off!
Run down (criticise)
She's always running down her husband.
(lose power, allow to decline)
/ think the batteries are running down.
Run into (meet)
Guess who I ran into at the supermarket!
Run to (have enough money)
I don't think we can run to a holiday abroad this year.
Run over (check - also run through)
Let's run over the plan once more.
Run up (a bill - let a bill get longer without paying)
I ran up a huge telephone bill at the hotel.
Run up against (encounter - usually a problem)
We've run up against a slight problem.
See someone off (go to station, airport, etc to say goodbye to someone)
/ went to the station to see them off.
See through (realise the truth about)
I saw through his intentions at once.
Send up (make fun of by imitating)
Jean is always sending up the French teacher.
Set about (start working)
We must set about re-organising the office.
Set in (establish itself - especially weather)
/ think this rain has set in for the day.
Set out (give in detail in writing)
This document sets out all the Union demands.
(arrange)
I've set out the refreshments in the hall.
(start an action)
Sue set out to write a biography but it became a novel.
Set up (establish)
An inquiry into the accident has been set up.
Set (up) on (attack)
We were set upon by a gang of hooligans.
Sink in (realise slowly - colloquial, intransitive)
Slowly the realisation that I had won began to sink in.
Slip up (make a mistake - colloquial)
Someone slipped up and my application was lost.
Sort out (find a solution - colloquial)
Don't worry, Mary will sort out your problems.
Stand by (keep to an agreement)
The company agreed to stand by its original commitment.
Stand for (represent - initials)
E.g. stands for exempli gratia, it's Latin.
(tolerate)
/ will not stand for this kind of behaviour in my house!
Stand in for (take the place of)
Carol has kindly agreed to stand in for Graham at the monthly meeting.
Stand up to (resist, bear stress)
The engine won't stand up to the strain.
Step down (resign - colloquial)
The Chairman has stepped down after criticism from shareholders.
Step up (increase)
Production at the Leeds plant has been stepped up.
Stick up for (defend - especially yourself, your rights - colloquial)
You must learn to stick up for yourself.
Take in (deceive)
Don't be taken in by her apparent shyness.
Take (it) out on (make someone else suffer because of one's own sufferings)
/ know you are unhappy, but don't take it out on me!
Take off (imitate - colloquial)
Dave takes off the Prime Minister really well.
Take on (acquire a new characteristic)
My grandmother has taken on a new lease of life since her operation.
(do something extra)
She has taken on too much with a full-time job as well.
Take out (insurance - sign an insurance agreement)
Ann has taken out life insurance.
Take over (gain control of)
The army tried to take over the country.
Take to someone (develop a liking for)
You'll soon take to your new boss, I'm sure.
Take up (time - occupy time)
The meeting took up a whole morning.
Talk out of or into (dissuade from, persuade into)
Paul talked me into going skiing, against my better judgement.
Tell off (scold - colloquial)
Our teacher told us off for being late.
Tie in with (be in agreement with)
I'm afraid your party doesn't quite tie in with our arrangements.
Track down (trace the whereabouts of)
The police tracked down the killer and arrested him.
Try out (test - a machine)
Let's try out the new washing machine.
Turn down (reject an offer)
Another company offered me a job but I turned them down.
Turn out (happen to be in the end)
He turned out to be an old friend of Helen's.
(come to a meeting or to form a crowd)
Thousands of fans turned out to welcome the team.
Turn up (be discovered by chance)
Don't worry about that missing book, it's bound to turn up sooner or later.
(arrive - often unexpectedly)
Not many people turned up for the lesson.
Wear off (lose effect - especially a drug)
These painkillers wear off after about two hours.
Work out (calculate - also work out at for specific amounts)
The hotel bill worked out at over £500.
Note that there may be other meanings for the verbs listed here.
Give away (betray)
His false identity papers gave him away.
Give off (send off a smell - liquid or gas)
The cheese had begun to give off a strange smell.
Give out (be exhausted)
When our money gave out we had to borrow some.
Give over (abandon, devote)
The rest of the time was given over to playing cards.
(stop - colloquial)
Why don't you give over! You're getting on my nerves.
Give up (surrender)
The escaped prisoner gave herself up.
(believed to be dead or lost)
After ten days the ship was given up for lost.
Go back on (break a promise)
The management has gone back on its promise.
Go in for (make a habit of)
/ don't go in for that kind of thing.
(enter competition)
Are you thinking of going in for the race?
Go off (become bad - food)
This milk has gone off.
Go on (happen - usually negative)
Something funny is going on.
Go round (be enough)
There weren't enough life-jackets to go round.
Go through with (complete a promise or plan - usually unwillingly)
When it came to actually stealing the money, Nora couldn't go through with it.
Grow on (become more liked - colloquial)
This new record is growing on me.
Hang onto (keep - colloquial)
/ think we should hang onto the car until next year.
Have it in for (be deliberately unkind to someone - also as have got)
My teacher has (got) it in for me.
Have it out with (express feelings so as to settle a problem)
/ put up with the problem for a while but in the end I had it out with her.
Have someone on (deceive - colloquial)
/ don't believe you. You're having me on.
Hit it off (get on well with - colloquial)
Mark and Sarah really hit it off at the party.
Hit upon/on (discover by chance - often an idea)
They hit upon the solution quite by chance.
Hold out (offer - especially with hope)
We don't hold out much hope that the price will fall.
Hold up (delay)
Sorry I'm late, I was held up in the traffic.
(use as an example - i.e. a model of good behaviour)
Jack was always held up as an example to me.
Hold with (agree with - an idea)
I don't hold with the idea of using force.
Keep up (continue)
Well done! Keep up the good work!
Lay down (state a rule - especially lay down the law)
The company has laid down strict procedures for this kind of situation.
Let down (disappoint, break a promise)
Sony to let you down, but I can't give you a lift today.
Let in on (allow to be part of a secret)
We haven't let Tina in on the plans yet.
Let off (excuse from punishment)
As Dave was young, the judge let him off with a fine.
Let on (inform about a secret - colloquial)
We're planning a surprise for Helen, but don't let on.
Live down (suffer a loss of reputation)
If City lose, they'll never live it down.
Live up to (reach an expected standard)
The play quite lived up to my expectations.
Look into (investigate)
The police have promised to look into the problem.
Look on (consider)
We look on this town as our real home.
Look someone up (visit when in the area)
If you're passing through Athens, look me up.
Make for (result in)
The power steering makes for easier parking.
Make off with (run away with)
The thief made off with a valuable necklace.
Make out (pretend)
Tim made out that he hadn't seen the No Smoking sign.
(manage to see or understand)
/ couldn't quite make out what the notice said.
Make someone out (understand someone's behaviour)
Janet is really odd. I can't make her out.
Make up (invent)
/ think you made up the whole story!
Make up for (compensate for)
Our success makes up for all the hard times.
Miss out (fail to include)
You have missed out a word here.
(lose a chance - colloquial)
Five people got promoted, but I missed out again.
Own up (confess - colloquial)
None of the children would own up to breaking the window.
Pack in (stop an activity - colloquial)
John has packed in his job.
Pay back (take revenge - colloquial)
She paid him back for all his insults.
Pick up (improve - colloquial)
The weather seems to be picking up.
Pin someone down (force to give a clear statement)
/ asked Jim to name a suitable day, but I couldn't pin him down.
Play up (behave or work badly)
The car is playing up again. It won't start.
Point out (draw attention to a fact)
I pointed out that 1 would be on holiday anyway.
Pull off (manage to succeed)
It was a tricky plan, but we pulled it off.
Push on (continue with some effort - colloquial)
Let's push on and try to reach the coast by tonight.
Put across (communicate ideas)
Harry is clever but he can't put his ideas across.
Put down to (explain the cause of)
Diane's poor performance was put down to nerves.
Put in for (apply for a job)
Sue has put in for a teaching job.
Put oneself out (take trouble - to help someone)
Please don't put yourself out making a meal. A sandwich will do.
Put off (discourage, upset)
The crowd put the gymnast off, and he fell.
Put up (offer accommodation)
We can put you up for a few days.
Put up with (tolerate, bear)
/ can't put up with all this noise!
Note that there may be other meanings for the verbs listed here.
Add up (make sense)
His evidence just doesn't add up.
Ask after (inquire about)
Jim was asking after you.
Back down (yield in an argument)
Sheila was right, so Paul had to back down.
Bargain for (take into account)
We hadn't bargained for there being so much traffic, and we missed the plane.
Bear out (confirm the truth)
Helen's alibi was borne out by her sister.
Break down (lose control of the emotions)
David broke down and wept when he heard the news.
Break off (stop talking)
He broke off to answer the phone.
Break up (come to an end)
The party finally broke up at 3.00 am.
Bring about (cause to happen)
The crisis was brought about by Brenda's resignation.
Bring off (succeed in doing something)
The team tried for years to win the competition and they finally brought it off.
Bring on (cause the onset of an illness)
Sitting in the damp brought on his rheumatism.
(cause trouble to happen to oneself)
You have brought this on/upon yourself.
Bring round (influence someone to your point of view)
After much discussion, I brought the committee round to my point of view.
Bring up (mention)
/ feel I ought to bring up another small matter.
Call up (mobilise for military service)
Mark was called up when the war broke out.
Carry off (complete successfully - perhaps despite a problem)
Jane had a difficult role to play, but she carried it off.
Carry out (complete a plan)
The attack was successfully carried out.
Catch on (become popular - colloquial)
This new hair style is beginning to catch on.
Come about (happen)
Let me explain how the situation came about.
Come down to (be in the end a matter of)
It all conies down to whether you are prepared to accept less money.
Come in for (receive - especially criticism, blame)
The government has come in for a lot of criticism over the decision.
Come off (take place successfully)
I'm afraid that deal didn't come off after all.
Come out (appear)
All the flowers have come out.
When the news came out, everyone was shocked.
My photos didn't come out very well.
Come up (occur - usually a problem - colloquial)
Look, something has come up, and I can't meet you.
Come up against (meet a difficulty)
We've come up against a bit of a problem.
Come up to (equal - especially expectations, standard)
The play didn't come up to expectations.
Come up with (think of - especially an answer, a plan, a solution)
We still haven't come up with a solution to the problem.
Count on (rely on)
Don't worry, you can count on me.
Crop up (happen unexpectedly - colloquial)
/ can't come to your party, something has cropped up.
Do away with (abolish - colloquial)
Dog licences have been done away with.
(murder - colloquial)
What if they do away with the old man?
Do up (decorate - colloquial)
We are having our living room done up.
Draw up (come to a stop)
A white sports car drew up outside the door.
Draw up (organise - especially a document)
The contract is being drawn up at the moment.
Drop in (pay a visit - colloquial)
Drop in any time you're passing.
Drop off (fall asleep - colloquial)
The baby has just dropped off.
End up (finish in a certain way, or place)
We ended up staying there for lunch.
The car ended up in a ditch.
Face up to (have courage to deal with - especially responsibilities)
You have to face up to your responsibilities.
Fall about (show amusement - especially laughing - colloquial)
Everyone fell about when Jane told her joke.
Fall back on (use as a last resort)
If the worst comes to the worst, we've got our savings to fall back on.
Fall for (be deceived by - colloquial)
It was an unlikely story but he fell for it.
(fall in love with - colloquial)
/ fell for you the moment I saw you.
Fall out with (quarrel with)
Peter has fallen out with his boss.
Fall through (fail to come to completion)
The plan fell through at the last minute.
Feel up to (feel capable of doing)
Old Mr Smith didn't feel up to walking all that way.
Follow up (act upon a suggestion)
Thanks for the information about that book. I'll follow it up.
(take more action)
We'll follow up this lesson next week.
Get across (be understood - especially get an idea across)
I had the feeling I wasn't getting the meaning across.
Get at (imply - about personal matters - colloquial)
What are you getting at exactly?
Get down to (begin to seriously deal with)
It's time we got down to some real work.
Get off with (avoid punishment)
They were lucky to get off with such light sentences.
Get on for (approach a certain age/time/number)
He must be getting on for seventy.
Get on (make progress - especially in life)
Sue is getting on very well in her new job.
Get over (be surprised)
7 couldn't get over how well she looked.
Get over with (come to the end of something, usually unpleasant)
/'// be glad to get this awful business over with.
Get round to (find time to do - also around)
Sorry, but I haven't got round to fixing the tap yet.
Get up to (do something - usually bad when about children - colloquial)
The children are getting up to something in the garden.
What have you been getting up to lately?
