letSpeak Up!: Super-Expert-level 1-phrasal verb

Super-Expert-level 1-phrasal verb

1. Act upon – take action based on information or advice

She acted upon the lawyer’s advice immediately.
The government acted upon the new intelligence report.
He acted upon his instincts and avoided danger.

2. Bear down on – exert pressure or authority over something

The boss bore down on the employees to meet the deadline.
With the storm bearing down on the city, residents evacuated.
The detective bore down on the suspect during questioning.

3. Bow out – withdraw from a commitment or position

He bowed out of the competition due to an injury.
The CEO bowed out after years of service.
She gracefully bowed out of the project, allowing others to lead.

4. Call forth – bring something into existence or action

The speech called forth a strong emotional reaction.
The crisis called forth unprecedented measures from the government.
Her performance called forth praise from critics.

5. Claw back – gradually regain something lost

The company is trying to claw back lost revenue.
After the scandal, he worked hard to claw back his reputation.
Investors hope to claw back their losses over time.

6. Close in on – approach or surround something/someone aggressively

The soldiers closed in on the enemy base.
The media closed in on the scandal.
The police closed in on the fugitive.

7. Do away with – eliminate or abolish

The law did away with outdated regulations.
They want to do away with unnecessary meetings.
The school did away with the dress code last year.

8. Draw upon – use resources, skills, or knowledge

She drew upon her years of experience to solve the issue.
The book draws upon historical documents for accuracy.
He drew upon his personal savings to fund the business.

9. Fend off – defend against something unwanted

He fended off the attackers with quick reflexes.
The company fended off a hostile takeover.
She fended off criticism with confidence.

10. Hammer out – work out a detailed solution

They hammered out a deal after long negotiations.
The committee hammered out the final details of the proposal.
The lawyers hammered out a settlement agreement.

11. Hold forth – speak at length about a subject

The professor held forth about quantum physics for hours.
He loves to hold forth on politics at dinner parties.
She held forth on the benefits of a plant-based diet.

12. Keep abreast of – stay updated on new information

It’s crucial to keep abreast of technological developments.
She keeps abreast of the latest fashion trends.
Doctors must keep abreast of medical advancements.

13. Lay out – explain something clearly and in detail

She laid out the marketing strategy in the meeting.
The instructions were laid out step by step.
The plan was laid out in the report.

14. Let on – reveal a secret or give a hint

She didn’t let on that she knew the surprise.
He let on about the company’s upcoming project.
I had no idea she was leaving—she never let on.

15. Measure up to – meet a standard or expectation

He struggled to measure up to his parents’ expectations.
The sequel didn’t measure up to the original movie.
Her performance measured up to the highest standards.

16. Paper over – conceal a problem instead of solving it

They tried to paper over the company’s financial troubles.
She papered over their relationship issues instead of addressing them.
The government papered over the economic crisis with temporary measures.

17. Play down – minimize the importance of something

The company played down the impact of the data breach.
He played down his achievements in the interview.
She tried to play down the seriousness of the situation.

18. Put forth – propose or suggest an idea

She put forth a new strategy for the project.
The scientist put forth a controversial theory.
He put forth his candidacy for mayor.

19. Rack up – accumulate a large amount of something

He racked up huge debts after years of overspending.
The company racked up record profits this quarter.
She racked up an impressive number of awards.

20. See through – realize the truth behind a deception

She quickly saw through his lies.
The public saw through the politician’s empty promises.
He saw through the company’s misleading claims.

21. Set forth – explain something clearly or begin a journey

The book sets forth a compelling argument.
He set forth his ideas in the speech.
They set forth on their journey at dawn.

22. Stand in for – temporarily replace someone

He stood in for the professor while she was away.
She stood in for the manager during the meeting.
The actor stood in for the lead role when needed.

23. Take issue with – disagree strongly with something

She took issue with his comments during the debate.
The lawyer took issue with the judge’s ruling.
He took issue with how the project was handled.

24. Wade through – struggle to process a large amount of information

She had to wade through hundreds of emails after vacation.
The students waded through difficult research papers.
He waded through piles of documents to find the right one.

25. Write off – consider something as a failure or loss

The bank wrote off the bad debt.
He wrote off his failed investment and moved on.
She wrote off the incident as a misunderstanding.

26. Abide by – follow or obey rules, laws, or decisions

You must abide by the contract’s terms.
The citizens are expected to abide by the law.
She refused to abide by the outdated traditions.

27. Bank on – rely on or expect something to happen

I wouldn’t bank on him arriving on time.
The company is banking on the new product’s success.
She banked on her experience to secure the job.

28. Bargain for – expect or anticipate something (often negative)

We hadn’t bargained for such bad weather.
He didn’t bargain for the competition to be so fierce.
The team bargained for a difficult negotiation process.

29. Be riddled with – be full of something (usually negative)

The report was riddled with errors.
His speech was riddled with inconsistencies.
The old house was riddled with termites.

30. Bring about – cause something to happen

The new law brought about significant changes.
The protest brought about policy reforms.
Technological advancements brought about a revolution in healthcare.

31. Cast aside – reject or discard something or someone

She cast aside her doubts and took the opportunity.
The outdated methods were cast aside in favor of innovation.
He felt cast aside by his former colleagues.

32. Cave in – surrender or give in to pressure

After hours of negotiation, they caved in to the demands.
She refused to cave in to peer pressure.
The ceiling caved in due to the heavy snowfall.

33. Clamp down on – take strict action against something

The government is clamping down on tax evasion.
The school decided to clamp down on cheating.
Authorities are clamping down on illegal trade.

34. Drum up – generate support, interest, or business

They worked hard to drum up interest in the new campaign.
She tried to drum up enthusiasm for the project.
The company is drumming up more investors.

35. Eat away at – gradually damage or consume something

Corruption has eaten away at public trust.
The debt was eating away at his savings.
Guilt ate away at her conscience.

36. Factor in – consider something as part of a decision

You need to factor in the additional costs.
The forecast factors in potential risks.
He didn’t factor in the time needed for training.

37. Fall back on – use something as a backup or last resort

She had to fall back on her savings after losing her job.
If the plan fails, we can fall back on our original idea.
They fell back on old methods when the new system failed.

38. Gloss over – avoid dealing with something in detail

He glossed over the issue to avoid controversy.
The report glosses over the company’s financial struggles.
She glossed over her past mistakes in the interview.

39. Iron out – resolve differences or small problems

They met to iron out the final details of the contract.
The two teams need to iron out their disagreements.
We need to iron out the logistics before launching the project.

40. Knuckle down – start working hard and seriously

It’s time to knuckle down and finish the project.
She knuckled down to study for her exams.
The team knuckled down to meet the deadline.

41. Lash out at – criticize or attack suddenly and aggressively

He lashed out at reporters after the scandal.
She lashed out at her friend in frustration.
The opposition party lashed out at the government’s policy.

42. Map out – plan or outline in detail

The team mapped out a strategy for expansion.
She mapped out her career path early on.
They mapped out their road trip in advance.

43. Phase out – gradually stop using or producing something

The company is phasing out plastic packaging.
They decided to phase out the old software system.
The government plans to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.

44. Pin down – determine or define something clearly

It’s hard to pin down the exact cause of the issue.
They finally pinned down the location of the meeting.
The scientist pinned down the origin of the disease.

45. Plow through – get through something difficult with effort

She plowed through hundreds of applications.
He plowed through his workload to meet the deadline.
The team plowed through the obstacles and succeeded.

46. Reel in – attract or persuade someone

The company’s marketing strategy reeled in new customers.
She reeled in investors with her pitch.
His charm reeled in the audience.

47. Shore up – strengthen or support something

The government is trying to shore up the economy.
They need to shore up their security measures.
The CEO is working to shore up investor confidence.

48. Stave off – prevent something bad from happening temporarily

She managed to stave off bankruptcy with emergency funds.
They took measures to stave off a crisis.
Drinking water can help stave off dehydration.

49. Talk down to – speak to someone in a condescending manner

The manager talked down to his employees, which created resentment.
She hates it when people talk down to her.
The teacher never talks down to her students.

50. Zero in on – focus closely on something

The research team zeroed in on the root cause of the issue.
She zeroed in on the most important details.
The detectives zeroed in on the suspect’s location.