letSpeak Up!: Super-Expert-level 2-phrasal verb

Super-Expert-level 2-phrasal verb

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

She acted upon the lawyer’s recommendations immediately.
The government must act upon the latest research findings.
He decided to act upon his instincts and change careers.

2. Angle for – try to get something in a subtle way

He’s clearly angling for a promotion by taking on extra work.
She was angling for an invitation to the exclusive event.
The politician is angling for public support before the elections.

3. Back out of – withdraw from a commitment

They backed out of the deal at the last minute.
She promised to help but backed out of it later.
The company backed out of the merger due to financial risks.

4. Bear with – be patient with someone

Please bear with me while I explain the process.
She asked the audience to bear with her during the technical difficulties.
If you could bear with us a little longer, we’ll have the issue resolved.

5. Brush off – dismiss someone or something as unimportant

He brushed off their criticism and continued his work.
She brushed off his concerns, saying they weren’t relevant.
The CEO brushed off the rumors about the company’s struggles.

6. Call out – publicly criticize or challenge someone

The journalist called out the politician for misleading statements.
She called out her boss for unfair treatment.
He was called out for spreading false information.

7. Catch on to – begin to understand something

It took me a while, but I finally caught on to the trick.
She quickly caught on to how the new software works.
He didn’t catch on to the joke until much later.

8. Chase up – remind or pursue someone for something overdue

Can you chase up the supplier about the late delivery?
She had to chase up the client for payment.
I’ll chase up the missing documents with HR.

9. Chip away at – gradually weaken or reduce something

The scandal has chipped away at his reputation.
Constant criticism can chip away at one’s confidence.
Inflation is chipping away at people’s savings.

10. Come down to – be the most important aspect of something

In the end, success comes down to hard work and persistence.
The decision comes down to who is more qualified.
It all comes down to money in the end.

11. Double down on – strengthen one’s effort or commitment

Despite criticism, the company doubled down on its strategy.
She doubled down on her studies before the final exam.
They doubled down on security after the cyber attack.

12. Drag on – continue for longer than necessary

The meeting dragged on for hours.
The trial dragged on for months without resolution.
His explanation dragged on, making everyone impatient.

13. Face off – confront an opponent or rival

The two leaders will face off in a debate tonight.
The teams faced off in the championship match.
She faced off against her strongest competitor in the finals.

14. Fan out – spread out in different directions

The search team fanned out across the forest.
The reporters fanned out to cover different angles of the story.
Protesters fanned out across the city streets.

15. Feed into – contribute to a result or process

Misinformation feeds into public distrust.
Her experience feeds into her ability to lead effectively.
The data feeds into our decision-making process.

16. Follow through with – complete something as planned

He started a project but never followed through with it.
The government failed to follow through with its promises.
She always follows through with her commitments.

17. Give off – emit or produce something

The chemical reaction gives off a strange odor.
His speech gave off an air of confidence.
The lamp gives off a warm, cozy glow.

18. Go overboard – do something excessively

She went overboard with the decorations.
He went overboard trying to impress his boss.
Don’t go overboard with the spices in the dish.

19. Hammer out – negotiate and reach an agreement

They hammered out a deal after long discussions.
The two sides are trying to hammer out a compromise.
The details were hammered out during the meeting.

20. Hold out for – wait for something better before making a decision

She’s holding out for a higher salary offer.
The union is holding out for better working conditions.
They held out for a better deal before signing the contract.

21. Jump on – seize an opportunity quickly

He jumped on the chance to work abroad.
They jumped on the opportunity to invest early.
She jumped on the new business trend immediately.

22. Let up – decrease in intensity or stop

The rain hasn’t let up all day.
Workload won’t let up until the project is finished.
He kept running until the pain let up slightly.

23. Measure up to – meet expectations or standards

The new employee doesn’t measure up to the company’s expectations.
Can this film measure up to the success of the first one?
She’s afraid she won’t measure up to her parents’ high standards.

24. Mull over – think carefully about something

I need time to mull over the offer.
He mulled over his decision for weeks.
She’s mulling over a career change.

25. Opt out of – choose not to participate in something

He opted out of the company’s pension plan.
She decided to opt out of the training session.
They opted out of receiving promotional emails.

26. Phase out – gradually stop using or producing something

The company is phasing out old technology in favor of AI.
Single-use plastics are being phased out to reduce pollution.
The government plans to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.

27. Pin down – establish details precisely or force someone to give a clear answer

We need to pin down the exact cause of the problem.
She tried to pin him down on his commitment, but he avoided the question.
The police finally pinned down the suspect’s location.

28. Play down – make something seem less important

The CEO tried to play down the financial losses.
She played down her role in the project’s success.
The government attempted to play down the crisis to avoid panic.

29. Press ahead with – continue with something despite difficulties

Despite criticism, they pressed ahead with the new policy.
She decided to press ahead with her plans to start a business.
The company is pressing ahead with its expansion despite economic uncertainty.

30. Pull off – succeed in doing something difficult

He pulled off an incredible comeback in the final match.
They managed to pull off the biggest deal of the year.
She pulled off the challenging presentation with confidence.

31. Reel in – attract or convince someone

The marketing campaign reeled in thousands of new customers.
She knows how to reel in investors with her persuasive skills.
They offered discounts to reel in more subscribers.

32. Ride out – endure a difficult situation without major harm

They had to ride out the storm before reaching land.
The company is trying to ride out the economic downturn.
He rode out the crisis with careful financial planning.

33. Rule out – eliminate as a possibility

Doctors have ruled out cancer as the cause of his symptoms.
The police ruled out foul play after the investigation.
We can’t rule out the possibility of delays.

34. Scale back – reduce something in size or amount

Due to budget cuts, the company had to scale back operations.
They decided to scale back the event due to low attendance.
The government is scaling back spending on unnecessary projects.

35. Scrape by – barely manage to survive or succeed

Many small businesses are just scraping by during the recession.
He scraped by in his exams with minimal studying.
They scraped by on a limited budget for years.

36. Settle for – accept something less than ideal

He didn’t get his dream job but had to settle for a lower-paying one.
She won’t settle for anything less than perfection.
They had to settle for second place in the competition.

37. Shore up – strengthen or support something

The government introduced new policies to shore up the economy.
They need to shore up their defense strategy before the next game.
Investors are looking to shore up struggling businesses.

38. Single out – choose or highlight one person or thing from a group

She was singled out for her exceptional performance.
The teacher singled out one student for special recognition.
The media singled out the athlete’s controversial statement.

39. Smooth over – make a problem seem less serious or fix a disagreement

They tried to smooth over the conflict between the two teams.
She apologized to smooth over the misunderstanding.
The manager stepped in to smooth over tensions in the office.

40. Step up – take responsibility or increase effort

He needs to step up and lead the team.
The company is stepping up efforts to reduce waste.
They stepped up security measures after the breach.

41. Stick to – continue doing something without changing

He promised to stick to his diet this time.
They need to stick to the original plan to meet deadlines.
She always sticks to her principles, no matter what.

42. Strike up – start a conversation or relationship

He struck up a conversation with a stranger at the airport.
She quickly struck up a friendship with her new coworker.
The musician struck up a tune and the crowd joined in.

43. Take stock of – assess a situation before making a decision

It’s time to take stock of where we are financially.
She paused to take stock of her career goals.
The company needs to take stock of its current strategy.

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

He hates when people talk down to him as if he’s inexperienced.
The boss was accused of talking down to his employees.
She doesn’t like being talked down to by anyone.

45. Taper off – gradually decrease

Sales usually taper off after the holiday season.
His enthusiasm tapered off after the initial excitement.
The medication’s effects taper off after a few hours.

46. Throw in – include something extra for free

The seller threw in free accessories with the purchase.
She threw in a few extra tips during the training.
They threw in a bonus for loyal customers.

47. Tone down – make something less extreme or intense

He was asked to tone down his aggressive speech.
The colors in the design need to be toned down a bit.
She toned down her criticism to avoid offending him.

48. Turn against – stop supporting someone and oppose them

The public turned against the politician after the scandal.
His own friends turned against him during the argument.
The media turned against the company after its controversial ad.

49. Wade through – struggle through a large or difficult task

She had to wade through hundreds of emails after vacation.
He spent hours wading through complex legal documents.
Students must wade through dense academic texts in college.

50. Zero in on – focus on something specifically

The scientist zeroed in on the cause of the problem.
The police zeroed in on the suspect’s location.
She zeroed in on the key points in her speech.