C1 PHRASAL VERBS SHORT LIST
1. They’ve made their demands and they’re not going to back down. – stop demanding
something / admit that you were wrong or that you’ve been defeated
2. My parents died when I was very young so my grandma brought me up. –
raise/educate/care for (a child)
3. I bumped/ran into an old friend from uni in the street. – to meet someone
unexpectedly
4. They’ve had to call off the match due to bad weather. – cancel (an event) or end an
activity
5. I kept dropping hints about what I wanted for my birthday but my wife didn’t catch
on. - to understand/realise after a long time
6. I came across my old school books while I was clearing out the attic. – find by
chance
7. Come round after school and we’ll work on the science project together. – come to
your house
8. I’ve come up with a great idea for our Halloween costumes. – think of and suggest
an idea
9. The topic of a pay rise came up in my meeting with the boss. – be mentioned, arise
or appear (in class / an exam / a meeting)
10. My New Year’s resolution is to cut down on fast food.– reduce the amount you
consume
11. Sorry, the call got cut off when we went through a tunnel. – separate / isolate /
interrupt
12. My Dad dropped by on his way home to work to say hello. – to visit informally or
unexpectedly
13. He didn’t enjoy the economics degree course and dropped out after 6 months. –
stop taking part in (a competition, a university, etc.)
14. She fell for him the moment she met him. – fall in love with
15. She stole €10 from his mum’s purse and got away with it, she blamed his brother. –
not be punished for doing something
EXERCISE:
1. As a kid I was always ( ) all the bad stuff that I did, I only remember being caught
once or twice.
2. I was ( ) by the streets.
3. ( ) your friend Lola at the supermarket.
4. Why don’t you ( ) after work?
5. He doesn't take hints very easily, but he'll ( ) eventually.
6. Local residents have forced the local council to ( ) from its plans to build a nightclub
on their street.
7. Is that the best you can ( )?
8. I'm trying to ( ) on caffeine.
9. I didn’t hear what you said about your dog, that’s when the call got ( )
10. ( ) and pick up that book sometime.
11. I think I’m going to ( ), I wanna be a dancer.
12. She’s ( ) the wedding.
13. She always ( ) older men.
14. I ( ) these old photos recently
15. If the subject of divorce ( ), try to change the subject.
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16. I don’t earn much but it’s enough to get by. – manage to survive / live
17. I’m cleaning out my garage this weekend, I’m going to get rid of so much old stuff. –
eliminate/discard
18. A: We should decorate the kitchen. B: Yeah, I’d go along with that. – support an
idea or agree with someone’s opinion
19. The milk has gone off, we’ll have to buy some more. A bomb went off outside the
airport, luckily nobody was hurt. – explode; become bad (food); stop working
(machine)
20. My Dad’s threatening to take away my car keys if I don’t tidy my room but I don’t
think he will go through with it. – complete a promise or plan
EXERCISE:
1. I used a weedkiller to (get rid of) the weeds in the garden.
2. Eventually, Roberto (backed down) and apologized.
3. The G7 will decide the matter, and the IMF is expected to (go along with) the
decision.
4. We (came up) with this little script for the introduction, what do you think?
5. He was (brought up) on jazz.
6. Tomorrow's match has been (called off) because of the icy weather.
7. The lights (went off) in several villages because of the storm.
8. He’d threatened to quit many times, but I never thought he’d (go trough with) it.
9. I (came across) my old video games and it got me in my feels, man, what a time.
10. She really needs to (cut down on) weed, she’s losing focus.
11. I may ( ) to say hi just before I leave town.
12. We were teasing Jim, but he was slow to ( ) that we were joking.
13. We were talking, and then there was gunfire, a lot of it, and the call got ( ).
14. Are you ( ) me, Eddie?
15. Nick ( ) earlier.
16. How can he ( ) on so little money?
17. If I thought I could ( ) it, I wouldn't pay my taxes at all.
18. She’s always ( ) your sister around the neighborhood.
19. Many successful people ( ) of college to focus on their careers.
20. What points ( ) at the meeting?
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21. The government cannot be seen as giving in to terrorists' demands. - agree to
something you do not want to
22. They’re upset that you didn’t call, but they’ll get over it. - to accept an unpleasant fact
or situation after dealing with it for a while
23. After several efforts to learn Chinese, he finally gave up. - to stop trying to do
something (often because it is too difficult); to stop trying to guess; to resign from a
job; to concede someone else something that you previously owned; to give
yourself up: entregarse a las autoridades
24. My best friend from primary school and I grew apart over the years and now we
hardly speak. – get distant from someone, like a friend
25. We hung around outside the concert hall for 2 hours after the show trying to get an
autograph. – to wait or spend time somewhere, doing nothing
26. I’m just going to hang out with my friends tonight. – spend time relaxing (informal)
EXERCISE:
1. Do you still ( ) at the pool hall?
2. It's time to ( ) of this trash
3. He had to ( ) on plans to modify the tax changes.
4. A 28-year-old man later ( ) and will appear in court today.
5. Kate's already agreed, but it's going to be harder persuading Mike to ( ) it.
6. The subject ( ) at a news conference in Beijing today.
7. She ( ) four children.
8. He has ( ) the trip.
9. He nagged me so much for a new bike that eventually I ( ).
10. As the water came in the windows, all the lights ( )
11. She tells Tony she can't ( ) the wedding.
12. I ( ) a group of children playing.
13. It took me a very long time to ( ) the shock of her death.
14. He ( ) on coffee and ate a balanced diet.
15. I may ( ) to say hi just before I leave town.
16. We were teasing Jim, but he was slow to ( ) that we were joking.
17. We were talking, and then there was gunfire, a lot of it, and the call got ( ).
18. Are you ( ) me, Eddie?
19. He got sick of ( ) waiting for me.
20. Nick ( ) earlier.
21. How can he ( ) on so little money?
22. If I thought I could ( ) it, I wouldn't pay my taxes at all.
23. It sounds as if you ( ) from Tom.
24. She’s always ( ) your sister around the neighborhood.
25. Many successful people ( ) of college to focus on their careers.
26. What points ( ) at the meeting?
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27. Don’t leave your shirts on the floor, you need to hang them up. She finished the call
and then hung up. – to hang clothes or an object on a hook or line; to end a phone
call
28. Go down this street and then head for the big church, your hotel is right next door to
it. – go towards
29. My shyness always holds me back in social situations. – prevent someone from
making progress / to not do something
30. Just keep on walking this way and you’ll get to the station in no time. – to continue
doing something
31. Where were you on Saturday? I really needed your help and you let me down. –
disappoint
32. The police decided to let the kids off with a warning because it was their first offence.
– give someone a lighter punishment than they expected (or not punish at all)
33. I can’t come out, I need to look after my baby brother. – take care of
34. I hate it when people look down on those who are less fortunate than them. – feel
superior to
35. I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year. – feel happy about something that
is going to happen, wait for something to happen with excitement
EXERCISE:
27. They're ( ) disaster if they're not careful.
28. He ( ), terrified of going into the dark room.
29. The US mutual fund industry ( ) $7 trillion of savings.
30. She ( ) asking me questions the whole time.
31. She thinks they ( ) her because she doesn't have a job.
32. You won't be ( ) so lightly the next time.
33. I’m ( ) to my vacation.
34. He started shouting so I ( ).
35. When I was sent to prison, I really felt I had ( ) my parents ( ).