Build

Phrasal Verbs: build in/into To construct or include as an integral part of: a wall with shelving that was built in; build stability into the economy. build on/upon To use as a basis or foundation: We must build on our recent success. build up 1. To develop or increase in stages or by degrees: built up the business; building up my endurance for the marathon. 2. To accumulate or collect: sediment building up on the ocean floor. 3. To bolster: build up the product with a massive ad campaign; built up my hopes after the interview. 4. To fill up (an area) with buildings. Idiom: build on sand To provide with an unstable foundation: Having bought only high-risk stocks, my portfolio was built on sand.

Come
Phrasal Verbs: come about 1. To take place; happen. 2. To turn around. 3. Nautical To change tack. come across 1. To meet or find by chance: came across my old college roommate in town today. 2. Slang a. To do what is wanted. b. To pay over money that is demanded: came across with the check. 3. To give an impression: "He comes across as a very sincere, religious individual" (William L. Clay). come along

1. To make advances to a goal; progress: Things are coming along fine. 2. To go with someone else who takes the lead: I'll come along on the hike. 3. To show up; appear: Don't take the first offer that comes along. come around/round 1. To recover, revive: fainted but soon came around. 2. To change one's opinion or position: You'll come around after you hear the whole story. come at 1. To obtain; get: come at an education through study. 2. To rush at; attack. come back 1. To return to or regain past success after a period of misfortune. 2. To retort; reply: came back with a sharp riposte. 3. To recur to the memory: It's all coming back to me now. come between To cause to be in conflict or estrangement. come by 1. To gain possession of; acquire: Mortgages are hard to come by. 2. To pay a visit. come down 1. To lose wealth or position: He has really come down in the world. 2. a. To pass or be handed down by tradition: customs that come down from colonial times. b. To be handed down from a higher authority: An indictment finally came down. 3. Slang To happen; occur: What's coming down tonight? 4. Slang To experience diminishing effects of a recreational or hallucinogenic drug. come in 1. a. To arrive: Fall clothes will be coming in soon. b. To become available for use: New weather information just came in. c. To start producing. Used of an oil well. 2. To arrive among those who finish a contest or race: came in fifth. 3. To perform or function in a particular way: A food processor comes in handy. 4. To reply in a specified manner to a call or signal: The pilot's voice came in loud and clear. 5. To take on a specified role: When editorial review commences, that's where you come in. come into To acquire, especially as an inheritance: She came into a fortune on her 21st birthday. come off 1. To happen; occur: The trip came off on schedule. 2. To acquit oneself: She is sure to come off badly if challenged to explain. 3. To turn out to be successful: a party that came off. come on 1. To convey a particular personal image: comes on as an old-fashioned reactionary. 2. Slang To show sexual interest in someone: trying to come on to me during the party. 3. a. To progress or advance in increments: Darkness came on after seven. b. To begin in small increments or by degrees: Sleet came on after one o'clock. 4. To hurry up; move rapidly. Often used in the imperative: Would you please come on! We'll be late!

5. To stop an inappropriate behavior; abandon a position or an attitude; be obliging. Used chiefly in the imperative: You've used the same feeble excuse for weeks. Come on! come out 1. To become known: The whole story came out at the trial. 2. To be issued or brought out: The author's new book just came out. 3. To make a formal social debut: She came out at age 18 in New York City. 4. To end up; result: Everything came out wrong. 5. To declare oneself publicly: The governor came out in favor of tax breaks. 6. To reveal that one is a gay man, a lesbian, or a bisexual. come over 1. To change sides, as in a controversy. 2. To pay a casual visit. come through 1. To do what is required or anticipated: I asked for their help, and they came through. 2. a. To become manifest: The parents' tenderness comes through in their facial expressions. b. To be communicated: The coach's displeasure came through loud and clear. come to 1. To recover consciousness: The fainting victim came to. 2. Nautical a. To bring the bow into the wind. b. To anchor. come up 1. To manifest itself; arise: The question never came up. 2. To rise above the horizon: The sun came up. 3. To rise, as in status or rank: a general who came up from the ranks. 4. To draw near; approach: came up and said hello. come upon To discover or meet by accident. come with Informal To accompany someone; go along: I'm going to the store; do you want to come with? Idioms: come a cropper To fail utterly. come again Used as a request to repeat what was said. come clean To confess all. come down on To punish, oppose, or reprimand severely and often with force: a district attorney who came down hard on drug dealers. come down to 1. To confront or deal with forthrightly: When you come right down to it, you have to admit I'm correct. 2. To amount to in essence: It comes down to this: the man is a cheat. come down with To become sick with (an illness): came down with the flu. come in for To receive; be subjected to: came in for harsh criticism.

come into (one's) own 1. To get possession of what belongs to one. 2. To obtain rightful recognition or prosperity: a concert pianist who has at last come into his own. come off it Slang To stop acting or speaking foolishly or pretentiously. Often used in the imperative. come out with 1. To put into words; say: always comes out with the truth. 2. To reveal publicly: came out with a new tax package. come to blows To begin a physical fight. come to grief To meet with disaster; fail. come to grips with To confront squarely and attempt to deal decisively with: "He had to come to grips with the proposition" (Louis Auchincloss). come to light/hand To be clearly revealed or disclosed: "A further problem . . . came to light last summer as a result of postflight inspections" (John Noble Wilford). come to terms 1. To confront squarely and come to understand fully and objectively: "He attempts to come to terms with his own early experiences . . . and with his father, a con man of extravagant dimensions" (Peter S. Prescott). 2. To reach mutual agreement: The warring factions have at last come to terms. come true To happen as predicted: My fondest dreams have at last come true. come up against To encounter, especially a difficulty or major problem. come up with To bring forth, discover, or produce: came up with a cure for the disease. 21. come about, a. to come to pass; happen. b. Naut. to tack. 22. come across, a. Also, come upon. to find or encounter, esp. by chance. b. to do what one has promised or is expected to do. c. to be understandable or convincing: The humor doesn't come across. d. to make a particular impression: He comes across as a cold person. e. Slang. (of a woman) to consent to sexual intercourse at the urging of a man. 23. come again, (used as a request to repeat a statement.) 24. come along, a. to accompany a person or group on a trip or the like. b. to proceed or advance: The project is coming along on schedule. c. to appear: An opportunity came along to invest in real estate. 25. come apart, to break up; break into pieces. 26. come around or round, a. to recover consciousness; revive. b. to change one's opinion, decision, etc., esp. to agree with another's. c. to visit.

d. to cease being angry, hurt, etc. 27. come at, a. to arrive at; attain. b. to rush at; attack. 28. come back, a. to return, esp. to one's memory. b. to return to a former position or state. 29. come between, to estrange; separate: Jealousy came between the brothers. 30. come by, to obtain; acquire. 31. come down, a. to lose wealth, rank, etc. b. to be handed down by tradition or inheritance. c. to be relayed or passed along from a higher authority: Our orders will come down tomorrow. d. to lead or point fundamentally: It all comes down to a sense of pride. 32. come down on or upon, a. to voice one's opposition to. b. to reprimand; scold. 33. come down with, to become afflicted with (an illness). 34. come in, a. to enter. b. to arrive. c. to come into use or fashion. d. to begin to produce or yield: The oil well finally came in. e. to finish in a competition, as specified: Our team came in fifth. 35. come in for, to receive; get; be subjected to: to come in for much praise. 36. come into, a. to acquire; get. b. to inherit. 37. come off, a. to happen; occur. b. to reach the end; acquit oneself: to come off well. c. to be effective or successful: The last chapter just doesn't come off. 38. come on, a. Also, come upon. to meet or find unexpectedly. b. to make progress; develop; flourish. c. to appear on stage; make one's entrance. d. to begin to be shown, broadcast, etc. e. (used chiefly in the imperative) to hurry; begin: Come on, before it rains! f. please (used as an entreaty or in persuasion): Come on, have dinner with us. g. Slang. to make sexual advances. 39. come out, a. to be published; appear. b. to become known; be revealed. c. to make a debut in society, the theater, etc. d. to end; terminate; emerge: The lawsuit came out badly for both sides. e. to make more or less public acknowledgment of being homosexual. 40. come out with, to reveal by stating; blurt out. 41. come over, to happen to; affect: What's come over him?

42. come round, a. (of a sailing vessel) to head toward the wind; come to. b. to come around. 43. come through, a. to endure adversity, illness, etc., successfully. b. to fulfill needs or meet demands. 44. come to, a. to recover consciousness. b. to amount to; total. c. to take the way off a vessel, as by bringing her head into the wind or anchoring. 45. come under, to be the province or responsibility of: This matter comes under the State Department. 46. come up, a. to be referred to; arise: Your name came up in conversation. b. to be presented for action or discussion: The farm bill comes up on Monday. 47. come up against, to face; confront. 48. come up to, a. to approach; near. b. to compare with as to quantity, excellence, etc.; equal. 49. come up with, to produce; supply. n. 50. Slang. semen. Idioms: come off it, Informal. (used in the imperative) stop talking or acting foolishly.

Put
Phrasal Verbs: put about Nautical To change or cause to change direction; go or cause to go from one tack to another. put across 1. To state so as to be understood clearly or accepted readily: put her views across during the hearing. 2. To attain or carry through by deceit or trickery. put away 1. To renounce; discard: put all negative thoughts away. 2. Informal To consume (food or drink) readily and quickly: put away the dinner in just a few minutes. 3. Informal To confine to a mental health facility. 4. a. Informal To kill: The injured cat was put away. b. To bury. put by To save for later use: "Some crops were so abundant they could even be put by" (Carole Lalli). put down 1. a. To write down. b. To enter in a list.

2. a. To bring to an end; repress: put down a rebellion. b. To render ineffective: put down rumors. 3. To subject (an animal) to euthanasia. 4. Slang a. To criticize: put me down for failing the course. b. To belittle; disparage: put down their knowledge of literature. c. To humiliate: "Many status games seem designed to put down others" (Alvin F. Poussaint). 5. a. To assign to a category: Just put him down as a sneak. b. To attribute: Let's put this disaster down to inexperience. 6. To consume (food or drink) readily; put away: puts down three big meals a day. put forth 1. To grow: Plants put forth new growth in the spring. 2. To bring to bear; exert: At least put forth a semblance of effort when you scrub the floor. 3. To offer for consideration: put forth an idea. put forward To propose for consideration: put forward a new plan. put in 1. To make a formal offer of: put in a plea of guilty. 2. To introduce, as in conversation; interpose: He put in a good word for me. 3. To spend (time) at a location or job: I put in eight hours at the office. 4. To plant: We put in 20 rows of pine trees. 5. To apply: put in for early retirement. 6. Nautical To enter a port or harbor: The freighter puts in at noon. put off 1. a. To delay; postpone: put off paying the bills. b. To persuade to delay further action: managed to put off the creditors for another week. 2. To take off; discard: put off a sweater. 3. To repel or repulse, as from bad manners: His indifferent attitude has put us off. 4. To pass (money) or sell (merchandise) fraudulently. put on 1. To clothe oneself with; don: put on a coat; put socks on. 2. To apply; activate: put on the brakes. 3. To assume affectedly: put on an English accent. 4. Slang To tease or mislead (another): You're putting me on! 5. To add: put on weight. 6. To produce; perform: put on a variety show. put out 1. To extinguish: put out a fire. 2. Nautical To leave, as a port or harbor; depart. 3. To expel: put out a drunk. 4. To publish: put out a weekly newsletter. 5. a. To inconvenience: Did our early arrival put you out? b. To offend or irritate: I was put out by his attention to the television set.

6. To make an effort. 7. Baseball To retire a runner. 8. Vulgar Slang To be sexually active. Used of a woman. put over 1. To postpone; delay. 2. To put across, especially to deceive: tried to put a lie over, but to no avail. put through 1. To bring to a successful end: put the project through on time; put through a number of new laws. 2. To cause to undergo: He put me through a lot of trouble. 3. a. To make a telephone connection for: The operator put me through on the office line. b. To obtain a connection for (a telephone call). put to Nautical To head for shore. put together To construct; create: put together a new bookcase; put together a tax package. put up 1. To erect; build. 2. To preserve; can: put up six jars of jam. 3. To nominate: put up a candidate at a convention. 4. To provide (funds) in advance: put up money for the new musical. 5. To provide lodgings for: put a friend up for the night. 6. Sports To startle (game animals) from cover: put up grouse. 7. To offer for sale: put up his antiques. 8. a. To make a display or the appearance of: put up a bluff. b. To engage in; carry on: put up a good fight. put upon To impose on; overburden: He was always being put upon by his friends. Idioms: put an end/a halt/a stop to To bring to an end; terminate. put down roots To establish a permanent residence in a locale. put in an appearance To attend a social engagement, especially for a short time. put it to (someone) Slang 1. To overburden with tasks or work. 2. To put blame on. 3. To take unfair advantage of. 4. To lay out the facts of a situation to (another) in a forceful candid manner. 5. To defeat soundly; trounce. put (one) in mind To remind: You put me in mind of your grandmother. put (oneself) out To make a considerable effort; go to trouble or expense. put (one's) finger on To identify: I can't put my finger on the person in that photograph.

put (one's) foot down To take a firm stand. put (one's) foot in (one's) mouth To make a tactless remark. put paid to Chiefly British To finish off; put to rest: "We've given up saying we only kill to eat; Kraft dinner and freeze-dried food have put paid to that one" (Margaret Atwood). put (someone) in (someone's) place To lower the dignity of (someone); humble. put (someone) through (someone's) paces To cause to demonstrate ability or skill; test: The drama coach put her students through their paces before the first performance. put (someone) up to To cause to commit a funny, mischievous, or malicious act: My older brother put me up to making a prank telephone call. put something over on: To deceive, cheat, or trick. put the arm/bite/squeeze on Slang To ask another for money. put the finger on Slang To inform on: The witness put the finger on the killer. put the make/moves on Slang To make sexual advances to. put the screws to/on Slang To pressure (another) in an extreme manner. put the skids on Slang To bring to a halt: "Sacrificing free speech to put the skids on prurient printed matter is not the correct path, the courts said" (Curtis J. Sitomer). put to bed Informal 1. To make final preparations for the printing of (a newspaper, for example). 2. To make final preparations for completing (a project). put to it To cause extreme difficulty for: We were put to it to finish the book on time. put to sleep 1. To make weary; bore. 2. To subject to euthanasia. 3. To subject to general anesthesia. put two and two together To draw the proper conclusions from existing evidence or indications. put up or shut up Slang To have to endure (something unpleasant) without complaining or take the action necessary to remove the source of the unpleasantry. put up with To endure without complaint: We had to put up with the inconvenience.

Take
Phrasal Verbs: take after 1. To follow as an example. 2. To resemble in appearance, temperament, or character. take apart 1. To divide into parts after disassembling. 2. To dissect or analyze (a theory, for example), usually in an effort to discover hidden or innate flaws or weaknesses. 3. Slang To beat up; thrash. take back To retract (something stated or written). take down 1. To bring to a lower position from a higher one. 2. To take apart; dismantle: take down the Christmas tree. 3. To lower the arrogance or the self-esteem of (a person): really took him down during the debate. 4. To put down in writing. take for 1. To regard as: Do you take me for a fool? 2. To consider mistakenly: Don't take silence for approval. take in 1. To grant admittance to; receive as a guest or an employee. 2. To reduce in size; make smaller or shorter: took in the waist on the pair of pants. 3. To include or constitute. 4. To understand: couldn't take in the meaning of the word. 5. To deceive or swindle: was taken in by a confidence artist. 6. To look at thoroughly; view: took in the sights. 7. To accept (work) to be done in one's house for pay: took in typing. 8. To convey (a prisoner) to a police station. take off 1. To remove, as clothing: take one's coat off; take off one's galoshes. 2. To release: took the brake off. 3. To deduct as a discount: took 20 percent off. 4. To carry off or away. 5. Slang a. To go off; leave: took off in a hurry. b. To achieve wide use or popularity: a new movie that really took off. 6. To rise into the air or begin flight: The plane took off on time. 7. To discontinue: took off the commuter special. 8. To withhold service due, as from one's work: I'm taking off three days during May. take on 1. To undertake or begin to handle: took on extra responsibilities. 2. To hire; engage: took on more workers during the harvest. 3. To oppose in competition: a wrestler who took on all comers. 4. Informal To display violent or passionate emotion: Don't take on so!

5. To acquire (an appearance, for example) as or as if one's own: Over the years he has taken on the look of a banker. take out 1. To extract; remove: took the splinter out. 2. To secure (a license, for example) by application to an authority. 3. Informal To escort, as a date. 4. To give vent to: Don't take your frustration out in such an aggressive manner. 5. To obtain as an equivalent in a different form: took out the money owed in services. 6. Informal To begin a course; set out: The police took out after the thieves. 7. Slang a. To kill; murder: Two snipers took out an enemy platoon. b. To search for and destroy in an armed attack or other such encounter: Combat pilots, flying low to avoid radar, took out the guerrilla leader's bunker in a single mission. take over 1. To assume control, management, or responsibility. 2. To assume the control or management of or the responsibility for: She took over the job after he left. 3. To become dominant: Our defense took over in the second half of the game. take to 1. To have recourse to; go to, as for safety: took to the woods. 2. To develop as a habit or a steady practice: take to drink. 3. To become fond of or attached to: "Two keen minds that they are, they took to each other" (Jack Kerouac). take up 1. To raise; lift. 2. To reduce in size; shorten or tighten: take up a gown. 3. To pay off (an outstanding debt, mortgage, or note). 4. To accept (an option, bet, or challenge) as offered. 5. To begin again; resume: Let's take up where we left off. 6. To use up, consume, or occupy: The extra duties took up most of my time. 7. To develop an interest in or devotion to: take up mountain climbing. 8. To deal with: Let's take up each problem one at a time. 9. To assume: took up a friendly attitude. 10. To absorb or adsorb: crops taking up nutrients. 11. To enter into (a profession or business): took up engineering. Idioms: on the take Informal Taking or seeking to take bribes or illegal income: "There were policemen on the take" (Scott Turow). take a bath Informal To experience serious financial loss: "Small investors who latched on to hot new issues took a bath in Wall Street" (Paul A. Samuelson). take account of To take into consideration. take away from To detract from: Drab curtains took away from the otherwise lovely room. take care To be careful: Take care or you will slip on the ice. take care of To assume responsibility for the maintenance, support, or treatment of.

take charge To assume control or command. take effect 1. To become operative, as under law or regulation: The curfew takes effect at midnight. 2. To produce the desired reaction: The antibiotics at last began to take effect. take exception To express opposition by argument; object to: took exception to the prosecutor's line of questioning. take five/ten Slang To take a short rest or break, as of five or ten minutes. take for granted 1. To consider as true, real, or forthcoming; anticipate correctly. 2. To underestimate the value of: a publisher who took the editors for granted. take heart To be confident or courageous. take hold 1. To seize, as by grasping. 2. To become established: The newly planted vines quickly took hold. take it 1. To understand; assume: As I take it, they won't accept the proposal. 2. Informal To endure abuse, criticism, or other harsh treatment: If you can dish it out, you've got to learn to take it. take it on the chin Slang To endure punishment, suffering, or defeat. take it or leave it To accept or reject unconditionally. take it out on Informal To abuse (someone) in venting one's own anger. take kindly to 1. To be receptive to: take kindly to constructive criticism. 2. To be naturally attracted or fitted to; thrive on. take lying down Informal To submit to harsh treatment with no resistance: refused to take the snub lying down. take notice of To pay attention to. take (one's) breath away To put into a state of awe or shock. take (one's) time To act slowly or at one's leisure. take place To happen; occur. take root 1. To become established or fixed. 2. To become rooted. take shape To take on a distinctive form. take sick Chiefly Southern U.S. To become ill. take sides

To associate with and support a particular faction, group, cause, or person. take stock 1. To take an inventory. 2. To make an estimate or appraisal, as of resources or of oneself. take stock in To trust, believe in, or attach importance to. take the bench Law To assume a judicial position. take the cake 1. To be the most outrageous or disappointing. 2. To win the prize; be outstanding. take the count 1. To be defeated. 2. Sports To be counted out in boxing. take the fall/hit Slang To incur blame or censure, either willingly or unwillingly: a senior official who took the fall for the failed intelligence operation. take the floor To rise to deliver a formal speech, as to an assembly. take the heat Slang To incur and endure heavy censure or criticism: had a reputation for being able to take the heat in a crisis. take to the cleaners Slang To take all the money or possessions of, especially by outsmarting or swindling. take up for To support (a person or group, for example) in an argument. take up the cudgels To join in a dispute, especially in defense of a participant. take up with Informal To begin to associate with; consort with: took up with a fast crowd.

Bring
Phrasal Verbs: bring around/round 1. To cause to adopt an opinion or take a certain course of action. 2. To cause to recover consciousness. bring down 1. To cause to fall or collapse. 2. To kill. bring forth 1. To give rise to; produce: plants bringing forth fruit. 2. To give birth to (young). bring forward 1. To present; produce: bring forward proof. 2. Accounting To carry (a sum) from one page or column to another. bring in 1. Law To give or submit (a verdict) to a court. 2. To produce, yield, or earn (profits or income). bring off To accomplish: bring off a successful advertising campaign. bring on To cause to appear: brought on the dessert. bring out 1. a. To reveal or expose: brought out the facts. b. To introduce (a debutante) to society. 2. To produce or publish: bring out a new book. 3. To nurture and develop (a quality, for example) to best advantage: You bring out the best in me. bring to 1. To cause to recover consciousness. 2. Nautical To cause (a ship) to turn into the wind or come to a stop. bring up 1. To take care of and educate (a child); rear. 2. To introduce into discussion; mention. 3. To vomit. 4. To cause to come to a sudden stop. Idioms: bring down the house To win overwhelming approval from an audience. bring home To make perfectly clear: a lecture that brought home several important points. bring home the bacon 1. To earn a living, especially for a family. 2. To achieve desired results; have success. bring to bear 1. To exert; apply: bring pressure to bear on the student's parents.

2. To put (something) to good use: "All of one's faculties are brought to bear in an effort to become fully incorporated into the landscape" (Barry Lopez). bring to light To reveal or disclose: brought the real facts to light. bring to mind To cause to be remembered: Thoughts of fishing brought to mind our youth. bring to (one's) knees To reduce to a position of subservience or submission. bring to terms To force (another) to agree. bring up the rear To be the last in a line or sequence.

Drop
drop back Football To back away from the line of scrimmage. drop behind To fall behind: dropped behind the rest of the class during her illness. drop by To stop in for a short visit. drop off 1. To fall asleep. 2. To decrease: Sales dropped off in the fourth quarter. drop out 1. To withdraw from participation, as in a game, club, or school. 2. To withdraw from established society, especially because of disillusion with conventional values. Idioms: at the drop of a hat 1. Immediately; without delay: would sign the contract at the drop of a hat. 2. With only the slightest provocation: ready to argue at the drop of a hat. drop a dime Slang To make a telephone call, especially to the police to inform on or betray someone. drop in the bucket A small, inadequate quantity. get/have the drop on To achieve a distinct advantage over.