use a machine briefly to determine how well it works.
"I really like the way this car looks. May I try it out?"
run into:
meet by chance.
"Yesterday at the supermarket, Jan ran into her former roommate. Before yesterday, they hadn't seen each other for nearly five years."
put up with:
tolerate.
"It's really important to come to work on time. The boss won't put up with tardiness."
knock out:
make unconscious.
"That medicine really knocked me out. I slept for 14 hours straight!"
make up:
invent imaginary information. "Judy's story is hard to believe. I'm sure she made it up."
turn around:
move so that you are facing the opposite direction.
"Everyone turned around and stared when I entered the meeting late."
turn up:
appear unexpectedly.
"We were all surprised when Pam turned up at the party. We didn't even know she was in town."
pick out:
choose; select.
"Billy's grandmother especially liked her birthday card because Billy had picked it out himself."
hold up:
delay.
"I'm sorry I'm late. There was an accident on the freeway and traffic held me up."
pull over:
drive a vehicle to the side of the rode.
"When the policeman indicated that I should pull over, I knew he was going to give me a ticket."
stand for:
represent.
"These letters seem to be an abbreviation. Do you know what they stand for?"
put off:
postpone; delay; avoid.
"I can't put this work off any longer. If I don't do it soon, it'll be impossible to finish it in time."
find out:
learn, get information.
"I'm sorry that you didn't know the meeting had been canceled. I didn't find out myself until just a few minutes ago."
break up:
end a personal relationship.
"I'm sorry to hear that their marriage broke up. I'm sure the divorce will be difficult for the children."
do over:
do something again.
"Oh, no! I forgot to save my report before I turned the computer off! Now I'll have to do it over!"
make fun of:
make jokes about.
"I agree that Bob looks ridiculous since he shaved his head, but don't make fun of him. You'll hurt his feelings."
get by:
survive, financially, in a difficult situation.
"It's going to be hard to pay the rent now that you've lost your job, but somehow we'll get by."
catch up with:
stop being behind.
"Terry stopped to rest for a few minutes. He'll catch up with us later."
work out:
exercise to build muscles, body tone, etc.
"Instead of eating lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Sheila goes to the recreation center to work out."
eat out:
have a meal in a restaurant.
"I'm too tired to cook tonight. Why don't we eat out?"
pass out:
faint; lose consciousness.
"When Ella heard that she'd won a million dollars, she was so shocked that she passed out."
act up:
misbehave (for people); not work properly (for machines).
"The babysitter had a difficult time. The children acted up all evening."
hang up:
end a phone conversation by replacing the receiver.
"I'd like to talk longer, but I'd better hang up. My sister needs to make a call."
back off:
not follow a threat.
"Tom was ready to call the police when I told him I'd wrecked his car, but he backed off when I said I'd pay for the damages."
show up:
arrive; appear.
"The boss was very upset when you didn't show up for the meeting. What happened?"
mix up:
cause to become confused.
"I didn't complete the assignment because I didn't know how. The directions mixed me up
give up:
stop doing something (usually a habit).
"He knows smoking isn't good for his health, but he can't give it up."
burn up:
cause someone to become very angry.
"Did you hear how rudely Fred talked to me? That really burned me up!"
call off:
cancel something that has been scheduled.
"We don't have school today. The mayor called classes off because of the snow."
keep on:
continue.
"I'm not ready to stop yet. I think I'll keep on working for a while."
pick up:
lift; take up.
"Those books don't belong on the floor. Will you help me pick them up?"
add up:
find the total.
"What's the total of those bills? Could you add them up and see?"
blow up:
explode; destroy by exploding. A: "That old building really came down
quickly!"
B: "That's because the construction company
used dynamite to blow it up"
let down:
disappoint.
"I know I let you down when I didn't do what I promised. I'm really sorry."
check out:
follow procedures for leaving a hotel, etc.
"Don't forget to take your room key to the front desk when you check out.
look up:
find something in a reference work. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what that word means. I'll have to look it up."
turn down:
decrease the volume.
"Your music is giving me a headache! Please turn it down or use your headphones!"
hand in:
submit homework, an assignment, etc.
"You'd better get started on your report. You know that you have to hand it in at 8:30 tomorrow morning!"
take off:
remove something you're wearing. "Please take your hat off when you go inside a building."
fill out:
complete a form by adding required information.
"Of course I completed my application! I filled it out and mailed it over three weeks ago!"
turn off:
stop by turning a handle or switch. "I'm cold. Do you mind if I turn the air conditioner off?"
stand out:
be noticeably better than other similar people or things.
"Good job, Ann! Your work really stands out!"
hand out:
distribute.
"Why don't you have a course description and list of assignments? The teacher handed them out on the first day of class."
take after:
resemble; favor (in appearance). "Both my sister and I take after our father."
get along:
have a friendly relationship with; be friendly.
"Why can't you and your sister get along? Everyone else gets along with her just fine!"
turn on:
start by turning a handle or switch.
"It's cold in here. I'm going to turn the heater on"
turn in:
give, deliver, submit to someone. "I've written my report, but I haven't turned it in."
bring up:
raise; rear.
"Lucy's parents died when she was a baby. Her grandparents brought her up."
come across:
find unexpectedly.
"I've lost my extra car keys. If you come across them while you're cleaning the room, please put them in a safe place."
take care of:
provide care for; watch one's health.
"You've been working too hard lately. You'd better take care of yourself!"
cut back:
use less of something.
"You drink too much coffee. You should cut back."
put on:
begin to wear.
"It's a little bit chilly outside. You'd better put a sweater on."
write down:
record something in writing. "Could you tell me your e-mail address again? I want to write it down."
come down with:
become ill with.
"George won't be at the office today. He came down with the flu over the weekend."
care for:
take care of; supply care to; attend, watch.
"Amy's father got out of the hospital last week. The family is caring for him at home."
count on:
depend on; trust that something will happen or that someone will do as expected.
"I'm counting on you to wake me up tomorrow. I know I won't hear the alarm."
calm down:
become calm, less agitated or upset.
"Why are you so upset? Suzie didn't intend to spill orange juice on you. Calm down!"
look into:
investigate, get more details about something.
"Someone said there was a meeting at 9:30 but I haven't heard anything about it. Shall I look into it?"
break down:
stop working or functioning. "Sharon will be late for work today. Her car broke down on the freeway."
look forward to:
anticipate pleasantly; think about a pleasant thing before it hap- pens
"I'm really looking forward to vacation. I can't wait for it to begin!"
get rid of:
dispose of; give away or throw away.
"That shirt is really ugly. Why don't you get rid of it?"
run out of:
use the last of.
"On the way home from work, Art ran out of gas."
pass away:
die.
"I was very sorry to hear that your grandfather passed away."
fill in:
add information to a form.
"The office needs to know your home address and phone number. Could you fill them in on this form?"
leave out:
forget; omit.
"Oh, no! When I made the list of those who attended the meeting, I left your name out!"
break in:
enter by using force and breaking a lock, window, etc.
"Jane's apartment was burglarized last night. Someone broke in while Jane was at the movies."