Phrasal Verb D

  • damp down|Calm or reduce feelings, emotions|They tried to DAMP DOWN the anger over the announcement.|_
  • damp off|When there is too much moisture and a plant is affected by fungal parasites|The seedlings DAMP OFF in the spring if it’s very wet.|_
  • dash down|Write something quickly|He DASHED DOWN a memo and sent it to everybody.|1
  • dash off|Leave somewhere quickly|It’s late- I’m going to DASH OFF home.|1
  • dawn on|Finally realise or understand something|The truth only DAWNED ON me much later.|_
  • deal in|Do business, trade|She DEALS IN paintings.|_
  • deal with|Be about, use as a subject matter|The film DEALS WITH alienation in modern life.|_
  • decide on|Choose, select|Trevor spent a long time looking at flats before he bought one, but eventually DECIDED ON one near his work.|_
  • decide upon|Choose, select|Jane spent a long time looking at houses before she bought one, but eventually DECIDED UPON one near her office.|_
  • dial in|Join a teleconference|They reported the meeting and people DIALLED IN to listen.|_
  • dial into|Join a teleconference|People DIALLED INTO the conference call.|_
  • dial up|Connect to a computer with a phone and modem|You can DIAL UP and access your information.|_
  • die away|Become quieter or inaudible (of a sound)|The last notes DIED AWAY and the audience burst into applause.|1
  • die back|When the parts of a plant above ground die, but the roots remain alive|The plant DIES BACK in the winter.|1
  • die down|Decrease or become quieter|It was on the front pages of all the papers for a few days, but the interest gradually DIED DOWN.|1
  • die for|Want something a lot|I’m DYING FOR the weekend- this week’s been so hard.|_
  • die off|Become extinct|Most of the elm trees in the UK DIED OFF when Dutch elm disease arrived.|1
  • die out|Become extinct or disappear|Some scientists say that the dinosaurs DIED OUT when a comet hit the earth and caused a nuclear winter.|1
  • dig in|Start eating greedily|We were starving so we really DUG IN when the food finally did arrive.|1
  • dig into|Reach inside to get something|She DUG INTO her handbag and pulled out a bunch of keys.|1
  • dig out|Find something you haven’t used, seen, etc, for a long time|I DUG OUT my old university essays.|1
  • dig up|Find something that is supposed to be secret|The reporters eventually DUG UP the truth about the affair.|1
  • dime out|Report someone to authorities, etc|His friends DIMED him OUT and he was arrested.|_
  • dine out|Have dinner outside your home|We DINED OUT because we couldn’t be bothered to cook.|1
  • dine out on|Tell a story repeatedly that is well received|I’ve DINED OUT ON the story of his accident.|_
  • dip in|Put something in a liquid for a short time|I DIPPED the brush IN the paint and began painting the wall.|_
  • dip into|Read parts of a book, but not all|I’ve been DIPPING INTO the book, but haven’t read it properly.|1
  • dip out|Leave a place without telling anyone|The party was so dull I DIPPED OUT.|_
  • disagree with|Make someone feel sick or ill|I feel dreadful; the prawns I had for lunch are DISAGREEING WITH me.|1
  • dish out|Serve food|I DISHED OUT the dinner.|1
  • dish up|Serve food|He DISHED UP a great dinner when we got back.|1
  • dive in|Start doing something, usually without planning|When we saw what was happening, we all DIVED IN to help.|_
  • dive into|Reach inside something quickly|She DIVED INTO her bag and pulled out a lighter.|_
  • divide up|Share|They divided up the profits.|_
  • divvy out|Divide, share|The waiters and waitresses DIVVY OUT the tips at the end of the night.|_
  • divvy up|Divide, share|We DIVVIED UP the money equally.|1
  • do away with|Abolish, get rid of|The United Kingdom DID AWAY WITH the death penalty in 1965.|1
  • do in|Kill|After he reported the gang, he feared they would DO him IN.|1
  • do out of|Cheat somebody out of something that is rightfully theirs|They lied on the reference and DID me OUT OF any chance of getting the job.|_
  • do over|Do something again from the beginning, especially because you did it badly the first time|OK, we’ll DO it OVER, but try to sing the right words this time.|_
  • do up|Close or fasten clothes, etc.|You must DO UP your safety belt in the back of cars and taxis now.|1
  • do with|Wish for or ask for (usually after can or could)|I could DO WITH a cold beer about now.|_
  • do without|Manage without something|There’s no sugar, so you’ll have to DO WITHOUT.|_
  • dob in|Report someone to teachers, authorities, etc|He DOBBED me IN to the teacher.|_
  • dole out|Give out, distribute|They were DOLING OUT leaflets in front of the station.|1
  • doss about|Spend time doing very little or being unproductive|I couldn’t get down to my work and DOSSED ABOUT all night.|_
  • doss around|Spend time doing very little or being unproductive|I spent the afternoon DOSSING AROUND.|_
  • doss down|Sleep somewhere temporarily because you don’t go home|I was feeling really tired, so I DOSSED DOWN on his sofa for the night.|1
  • double as|Have a second function or purpose|My study DOUBLES AS a spare bedroom when we have visitors.|_
  • double back|Go back the way you were coming|When he saw the police, he DOUBLED BACK and went home.|1
  • double down|Increase commitment to something, especially when this is risky|The results were not particularly good, but they decided to DOUBLE DOWN.|_
  • double down on|Increase commitment to something, especially when this is risky|The government has DOUBLED DOWN ON its policy of giving tax breaks.|_
  • double over|Bend over at the waist|She DOUBLED OVER in pain after being hit in the stomach.|1
  • double up|Bend over at the waist|He DOUBLED UP in pain after being hit in the stomach.|1
  • double up as|Have a second function or purpose|The display screen DOUBLES UP AS a solar panel.|_
  • doze off|Fall asleep|The movie was a bit boring and I DOZED OFF halfway through.|1
  • drag on|Be unnecessarily long|The meeting DRAGGED ON for two and a half hours.|1
  • draw back|Retreat, move backwards|He DREW BACK when the dog barked.|1
  • draw down|Reduce levels|The administration want to DRAW DOWN troop numbers as soon as they can.|_
  • draw even|Equalize one’s competitive position|The exhausted horse DREW EVEN at the finish line.|_
  • draw in|Get dark earlier|The nights are DRAWING IN now it’s winter.|1
  • draw into|Get involved in something unpleasant|I didn’t want to take sides because I didn’t want to get DRAWN INTO their arguments.|_
  • draw on|Pass slowly (time)|As the lesson DREW ON, the students started to get bored.|_
  • draw out|Make something continue longer than needed|The director DREW the meeting OUT with a lengthy speech.|1
  • draw up|Prepare a contract|The contract was DRAWN UP by our solicitor.|1
  • draw upon|Exploit or use knowledge, skills or information for a specific purpose or aim|I DREW UPON my previous experience to find the solution.|_
  • dream of|Not think or consider|I wouldn’t even DREAM OF telling her that.|_
  • dream up|Invent something, have an idea|They DREAMED UP the scheme for the improvements and it was accepted by the board.|1
  • dredge up|Discover things about someone’s past|The newspapers DREDGED UP the details of his affair with his research assistant.|1
  • dress down|Dress casually|The staff are allowed to DRESS DOWN on Fridays.|1
  • dress up|Dress very smartly|It’s an informal party so there’s no need to DRESS UP.|1
  • drift apart|Slowly cease to be close to or friends with someone|We were great friends at school but DRIFTED APART when we went to different universities.|1
  • drift off|Start to fall asleep|I was DRIFTING OFF when the noise disturbed me.|1
  • drill down|Search through layers of information on a computer|I really had to DRILL DOWN to get the answers from the database.|_
  • drill down through|Get to the bottom of something, get detailed data|They DRILLED DOWN THROUGH the information to find the truth.|_
  • drill into|Repeat something many times to make someone learn it|The teacher DRILLED the rules INTO the students.|_
  • drink up|Finish a drink|DRINK UP, please; it’s closing time.|1
  • drive away|Force an animal or someone to leave a place|Their unfriendliness DRIVES customers AWAY.|1
  • drive back|Repulse, force back|The police DROVE the crowd BACK to give the rescue workers more space.|1
  • drive by|Do something out of a car|He was killed in a DRIVE-BY shooting.|_
  • drive off|Drive away from a place|She slammed the car door shut and DROVE OFF without saying a word.|1
  • drive out|Force someone to leave a place|The soldiers DROVE them OUT of their homes.|1
  • drive up|Make something increase|The market uncertainty has DRIVEN prices UP.|1
  • drone on|Talk boringly for a long time|The minister DRONED ON for an hour and the audience looked increasingly bored.|1
  • drop around|Visit someone, often without making an arrangement|We DROPPED AROUND to collect the stuff we’d left there last week.|_
  • drop away|Become smaller- amount, numbers|The numbers of people attending began the DROP AWAY after a few months.|1
  • drop back|Move towards the back of a group|He stared at the front, but got tired and DROPPED BACK as the race went on.|1
  • drop behind|Move towards the back, not keep up|I DROPPED BEHIND at school when I fell ill and couldn’t study.|1
  • drop by|Pay a brief visit|He DROPPED BY on his way home from work.|1
  • drop in|Visit without having made arrangements|I was in the area so I DROPPED IN at the office to see her.|1
  • drop off|Take something or someone to a place and leave it or them there.|I DROPPED the kids OFF at school on my way to work.|1
  • drop out|Quit a course|She DROPPED OUT of college and went straight into a good job.|1
  • drop over|Visit for a short time|I’ll DROP OVER on my way back.|_
  • drop round|Visit someone, often without making an arrangement|We DROPPED ROUND their house on our way.|_
  • drop someone in it|Get someone into trouble|I really DROPPED him IN IT when I told them what he’d done.|_
  • drop through|Come to nothing, produce no results|The big scheme he was talking about seems to have DROPPED THROUGH.|_
  • drown in|Cover excessively|They DROWN the food IN sauce.|_
  • drown out|Be so loud that another sound cannot be heard|The music DROWNED OUT the sound of the phone ringing.|1
  • drum into|To make someone learn or believe something by constant repetition|They DRUM all the traps INTO you before the test, so you can’t go wrong.|_
  • drum out|Force someone out of their job or position|They DRUMMED the minister OUT when she was caught lying. The minister was DRUMMED OUT of her post for lying. (The passive form with OF is more common)|1
  • drum up|Increase support or interest|They are trying to DRUM UP support for the referendum.|1
  • dry off|Dry something quickly, or dry the surface|I had a shower and DRIED myself OFF.|_
  • dry out|Stop drinking or taking drugs when addicted|He checked into a clinic to DRY OUT after being arrested for drink-driving.|1
  • dry up|Lose all the water from a river, lake, source, etc|The lake DRIED UP because of the water extraction for cotton farming.|1
  • duck out of|Avoid doing something|He DUCKED OUT OF helping us last night.|_
  • duff up|Beat or hit someone repeatedly|He was DUFFED UP in a night club last night.|_
  • dumb down|Reduce the intellectual level of something in search of popularity|Television has been DUMBING DOWN the news for years.|_
  • dump on|Treat someone badly|Her boss DUMPS ON everyone when things go wrong.|_
  • dust down|Prepare something for use that hasn’t been used for a while|The government is DUSTING DOWN its plans for dealing with an Ebola epidemic.|_
  • dust off|Prepare something for use that hasn’t been used for a while|They are DUSTING OFF their plans for handling conflict in the area.|_
  • dwell on|Spend a lot of time on something|The programme DWELLED ON little other than the scandal.|1
  • dwell upon|Spend a lot of time on something|She DWELT UPON the economic situation in her speech.|_
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