More Phrasal Verbs and Their Meanings.
There are three types of phrasal verbs: separable, inseparable, and intransitive.
Note: There's no way to tell if a phrasal verb is separable, inseparable, or intransitive. They must be learned and memorized, one by one. Remember that phrasal verbs are truly verbs, and are used in the present, past, and future tenses. You will notice that some phrasal verbs fit in more than one category, depending on their meaning.
Separable Phrasal Verbs K-M |
keep up continue, maintain the pace
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kick out expel a person
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knock out to hit someone and make them unconscious/be hit and made to be unconscious;
to remove something by breaking or destroying it
informal idiomatic usage: to do a task quickly and effortlessly
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knock (oneself) out work much harder than normal
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lay off to dismiss employees from a job because a company doesn't have the money to pay them
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leave out to omit
opposite of "bring in"
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let down disappoint
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let out allow to leave
make bigger (in sewing, to open seams of a garment)
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light up light, brighten
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live down to do something morally wrong, and make people forget that you did it
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look over read, inspect/review
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look up search for a person's address or telephone number in a telephone directory look for the meaning or spelling of a word in a dictionary
visit/call on the telephone
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make out to understand something one sees or hears
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make over redo, remake
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make up create fantasy, invent imaginary information, i.e., lies
compensate for discomfort, or time/goods used
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mark up raise the price
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mark down reduce the price, put on sale
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mix up to be confused; put things in a different order, or the wrong order
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move over move to the side
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Inseparable Phrasal Verbs K-M |
keep at persevere/put time and energy into something until it's finished
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keep on (followed by an "ing" ending) do something repeatedly
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keep up maintain the pace
be able to get correct and current information when it changes often
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lie down on fail to take care of a responsibility because of laziness
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live on support oneself by
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look after take care of, tend
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look back on remember with nostalgia
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look down on regard someone as inferior
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look forward to anticipate with pleasure (thoughts about something happening in the future)
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look in on check on someone by actually seeing them
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look into investigate
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look like resemble
to seem like
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look up to respect for a person
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make fun of make jokes about someone in an unkind way/insult
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make out
to "neck" ( lovers hugging/kissing/touching each other)
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make up for compensate
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make up/make up with to get along well with a person after having had an argument/re-establish a relationship
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make for (very informal usage) go toward
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Intransitive K-M |
keep on continue
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let up slower or less intense
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lie down recline
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look on watch something that's happening, i.e., a fight, an accident, etc., but not get involved
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luck out (informal usage) have something of good fortune occur
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make out progress, success
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Separable Phrasal Verbs N-S |
pass on transmit
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pass out distribute by personal contact
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pass up not be able to receive the benefit of something because you refused it
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pay back repay
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pay off pay a debt in full
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pick out choose
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pick up lift
give someone a ride
buy or get
refresh/give or expend more energy
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play down de-emphasize/minimize
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play up emphasize
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point out indicate
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point up
emphasize
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pull down destroy
pull in a downward direction
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pull out leave or remove
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pull over drive to the side of the road
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push through cause to be accepted
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put away place an item in the right or safe place
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put back return to the right place
(what could be said to a child in a toy store) |
put off procrastinate/delay
to cause displeasure/dislike
(made him not want to be with her) |
put on get dressed in clothes
to put [someone] on to deceive or pretend (often by teasing or joking)
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put a person out cause inconvenience
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put up preserve food
place something on a higher level, out of easy reach
give someone a place to sleep
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quiet down be silent
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ride over go by car or bicycle to where something is
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rinse off rinse the surface of
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rinse out rinse the inside of
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rip off cheat/steal from
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round off change a fraction to the nearest whole number
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rule out reject, eliminate as a choice
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run down looks for and finds
say unflattering things about
hit with a vehicle
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run off chase someone
make copies of
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save up accumulate
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see off be with someone when they leave (for a trip)
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see through complete in spite of obstacles
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send back return to the former place
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send over send to someone else
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set back a delay
the price someone paid for something when you think it's expensive (informal usage)
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set up make arrangements, plan
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show off behaving as though one is superior to other people/exhibit possessions in a boastful way
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show up do a better job than
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shut off (same as 'turn off') You cannot say "shut on"; only "turn on") cause to stop working
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slow up/slow down cause to move more slowly
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spell out sarcastic way to say something, and be sure that there definitely is no misunderstanding
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stand up not keep a date or appointment
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sweep out sweep the inside of
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Inseparable Phrasal Verbs P-S |
pass on not accept something that's offered
to die
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pick on tease
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play up to insincerely flatter
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to feel put out to feel annoyed or angry
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put up with tolerate
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read up on to research
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ring off hang up the telephone
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run against compete in an election
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run away with escape/elope
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run for campaign for election
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run into (also said "bump into") a chance meeting
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run off to get away quickly
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run out of use the last of something
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see about find out about/make arrangements
threaten to keep someone from doing something you don't like
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see through (a person or a claim or statement) the ability to recognize when a person is dishonest
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see to arrange, supervise, tend to
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settle for
agree to accept something that wasn't your first choice
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settle on make a choice/decision
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slow up/slow down reduce speed
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stand for represent
tolerate (same as 'put up with)
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stand up for defend
demand
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stand up to confront
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stick to refuse to change/honor an agreement
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stick up for defend
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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs N-S |
nod off fall asleep
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pan out succeed
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pass away (same as "pass on") die
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pick up increase
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pitch in contribute time/energy to help someone
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pull in arrive
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run away leave quickly, escape
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run off leave, running
drain
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sell out sell ownership
sell all the merchandise in a store
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settle up pay a bill or debt
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show up arrive/appear
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shut up stop talking
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slip up make a mistake
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stand by wait
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stand out be noticeable
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stand up rise from a sitting position
endure
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stay over spend one night or longer with someone
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step aside move to one side
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Separable Phrasal Verbs T-Z |
take back return
retract
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take down write from dictation
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take off remove a piece of clothing
be absent from work
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take up begin or start a hobby
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talk over discuss
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tell off tell someone bluntly what he or she did wrong
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tick off make someone angry
write a check mark next to items on a list
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throw away discard
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throw out discard
force someone to leave
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take down remove from a high place
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tear down Mock, belittle/criticize
destroy
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tear up rip into pieces
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tell off scold
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tell on (slang: rat on/snitch on) report misbehavior
(rat on and snitch on are only inseparable) |
think over consider something for some period of time
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think up create
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think through consider a decision/action from start to finish
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throw away discard
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throw up to remind someone (in a scolding or mocking tone of voice) of something they did wrong
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throw over reject a person
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tie up bind
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tire out exhaust
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touch up repair (can also mean a woman fixing her makeup or hair)
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try on wear a garment to check the fit and how it looks
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try out uses a machine to see if it works
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turn around face the opposite direction; make a radical change in things ( usually from bad to good)
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turn down reduce the volume
refuse
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turn in deliver to the authorities, or someone in charge (boss, parents, teachers)
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turn into become
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turn off bore or repulse (informal)
stop the action of something by using a handle or switch
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turn on activate by using a handle or switch
to be very interested in something, or enjoy something very much (informal)
to be turned on (only informal usage) to feel sexually stimulated by something
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turn out produce
extinguish (a light)
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turn up increase the volume
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wake up make some one stop sleeping
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wash off wash the surface
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wash out wash the inside
to do a small amount of laundry
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wear out/to be worn out no longer useable
to be tiring/exhausted
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wind up finish
tighten springs of a clock/watch
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wipe off wipe the surface
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wipe out wipe the inside of
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work out solve a problem
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wrap up finish
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write down record in writing
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write out write every detail
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write someone up a negative report written by a supervisor about an employee
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Inseparable Phrasal Verbs T-W |
take after physically resemble/inherit certain qualities
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take care of help/provide for
watch your health
make arrangements for
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talk back to answer rudely
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touch on briefly mention
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try out for audition
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watch out for be careful of
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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs T-Z |
take off leave
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take over assume command
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throw up vomit
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turn around face 180 degrees opposite to the direction you're facing
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turn in go to bed
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turn out attend
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turn up something or someone that's been lost suddenly appears
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wait for wait until someone or something arrives or is finished
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wait up for stay awake to wait for something or someone
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wake up awaken, stop sleeping
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walk back return to a previous point
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walk over walk to where someone/something is
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wash out fail, not be up to a standard
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watch out be careful
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wear off fade and disappear, or lose effect through use or time
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wear out become used up
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work out exercise
be successful
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wrap up (also said "bundle up") dress warmly
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zonk out fall asleep quickly because of being very tired
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