#englishphrasalverbs

To blow in means A) to be carried towards you in the air Example sentence: A cool breeze is blew in from the lake. B) for windows to be broken and the peaces fall inside the building The hurricane would

Image Source To bring someone down means A) to cause someone to fall Example sentence: The forward was brought down by a nasty tackle before he could shoot towards the goal. B) to discourage someone Example

Saddam Hussein's statue being pulled down To pull down something (a building or a statue) means to demolish an old building or a statue. Example sentence: Saddam Hussein's statues were pulled down after

Wheel of Fortune contestants losing out on a million dollars. To lose out on something means to fail to take advantage of or to gain something. Example sentences: If you neglected to find out about altcoins

A time lapse of a storm building up To build something/someone up / build up something/someone means A) to gradually increase something or make it stronger, to increase to become stronger Example sentence:

To foray into something literally means to invade a territory and take spoils. It is often used figuratively to mean branching out into new areas in business or other type of activities. Example sentences:

To warm up to someone means to begin to like someone whom you're spending time with particularly if you didn't like them initially. Example sentence: It's a cop movie trope to assign a rookie to be an

To make for something means to A) move towards something Example sentence: Suddenly, the prisoner made for the door and managed to jump overboard seconds later. He was never found. B) contribute to or

Trade War Reality Sets in as U.S. and China Stick to Their Guns To set in means (for something unpleasant) to begin and seem to be likely to continue. Example sentences: After the latest crypto bubble

Image Source To chip away at something means to gradually weaken something or to make it less effective. Example sentence: Bitcoin dominance is being chipped away by the expansion of the cryptocurrency

To talk someone/something down can mean A) to talk louder than someone Example sentence: I wish that guy would stop talking everyone down. It would be nice to be able to have a conversation over dinner.

Trains move about the railyard To move about/around means to move from place to place. Example sentences: Military families tend to move around quite a bit because soldiers are usually not stationed in

To turn down something/turn something down means A) to decrease the volume of something Example sentence: I can't think straight when the music is so loud. Turn it down! B) to refuse something/somebody

To wise up means to understand and accept something that is unpleasant but true. Example sentence: China is up to no good in Africa and it's time Africans wise up to that.

To back into something means to enter a parking space in reverse. Example sentences: I prefer to back my car into the garage. When I come home, I'm not in a hurry but I usually am in the morning. I backed

She didn't sign up for this! To sign up for something means to agree to do something or to join an organization, a course etc. Example sentences: Our sergeant made us clean toilets with a toothbrush. I

Image Source You need to work in the butter. To work in something means A) to make time in a busy schedule for someone or some activity (American English) Example sentence: My dentist was able to work

Image Credit CC BY-SA 3.0 To cancel out something means doing something that take away the effect of something else. Example sentences: Ryanair ticket prices may look cheap at first glance. But they don't

Image Source To ask after someone means to ask about someone's health or how they are doing. Example sentence: I met your cousin yesterday. He was asking after you.

To walk out on someone/something means to abandon someone or not do something you've promised to do or are responsible for. Example sentences: They walked out on the deal. Respectable people don't walk