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.
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