Phrasal Verb A
- abide by| Accept, follow or obey a decision, agreement or rule| I have to ABIDE BY what my father says.
- account for| To explain| Can he account for his action?
- ache for| Want something or someone a lot| My partner’s been away for a fortnight- I am ACHING FOR her.
- act on| To do something because you have been given information or advice.| They have the right and power to act on their ideas.
- act out|To express your thoughts or feelings with actions and gestures.|Children act out what they read.|1
- act up|Behave badly, inappropriately or strangely|My motorbike is acting up again.|1
- act upon|To do something because you have received information.|You had better act upon my advice.|1
- add on|Include an extra thing or amount in something.|I have nothing to add on my part.|1
- add up|To calculate the sum or total.|Our business expenses add up to around $500 a month.|1
- add up to|Have a certain result|Trains delays are getting worse and with the high fares, it all ADDS UP TO misery for the commuters.|_
- agree with|Affect- usually used in the negative to show that something has had a negative effect, especially is it makes you feel bad|I feel terrible- that food didn’t AGREE WITH my stomach.|_
- aim at|To target|The magazine is AIMED AT teenagers.|_
- allow for|Include something (some extra time or money) in your planning.|We must allow for some delays.|1
- allow of|Make possible, permit|The rules don’t ALLOW OF any exceptions.|_
- angle for|Try to get something indirectly, by hinting or suggesting|He’s been ANGLING FOR an invitation, but I don’t want him to come.|_
- answer back|To reply rudely to someone in authority|Her mother was shocked when she started ANSWERING her BACK and refusing to help.|_
- answer for|To be responsible for something bad or wrong.|He must be made to answer for his terrible behaviour.|1
- argue down|Beat someone in a debate, discussion or argument|The teacher tried to ARGUE the girl DOWN, but she couldn’t.|_
- argue out|Argue about a problem to find a solution|If we can’t ARGUE our differences OUT, we’ll have to take them to court.|_
- ask about|Ask how someone is doing, especially professionally and in terms of health|He ASKED ABOUT my father.|_
- ask after|Enquire about someone’s health, how life is going|Jenny rang earlier and ASKED AFTER you, so I told her you were fine.|_
- ask around|Ask a number of people for information of help|I have no idea, but I’ll ASK AROUND at work and see if anyone can help.|_
- ask for|Try to obtain by requesting.|Joel asked for help.|1
- ask in|To invite someone into your house or a room.|Your boyfriend is at the door. Ask him in.|1
- ask out|To invite someone to come with you to a place.|You should ask her out this evening.|1
- ask over|To invite someone to one’s house.|Jerry has asked us over for drinks.|1
- ask round|To invite someone to one’s house.|Can I invite you for dinner on Sartuday night?|1
- auction off|Sell something in an auction.|The painting will be auctioned off for charity.|1