What does “to kick off” mean?

“to kick off” means start an event, meeting or project, often formally. Pronounced /ˌkɪk ˈɔf/. Close synonyms: begin, start, launch. For example: We kick off the pilot program on Monday with a short briefing for all regional managers.

What does “to set up” mean?

“to set up” means establish an organization, committee or inquiry. Pronounced /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/. Close synonyms: establish, found, form. For example: The board set up a committee to review how the contracts had been awarded.

What does “to lay out” mean?

“to lay out” means explain a plan or argument in a clear, ordered way. Pronounced /ˌleɪ ˈaʊt/. Close synonyms: present, explain, outline. For example: The minister laid out a three-year plan for cutting emissions in a speech to industry leaders.

What does “to put together” mean?

“to put together” means collect the parts of something and make it complete. Pronounced /ˌpʊt təˈgɛðər/. Close synonyms: assemble, compile, prepare. For example: Finance put together a short report on the shortfall before the board met on Friday.

What does “to pencil in” mean?

“to pencil in” means arrange a time or date that may still change. Pronounced /ˌpɛnsəl ˈɪn/. It is informal. Close synonyms: provisionally book, tentatively schedule. For example: Can we pencil in Thursday at ten and confirm once the client has replied?

What does “to line up” mean?

“to line up” means arrange for people, meetings or support to be ready. Pronounced /ˌlaɪn ˈʌp/. Close synonyms: arrange, schedule, organize. For example: The recruiter lined up four interviews for Tuesday and moved the rest to the following week.

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English Phrasal Verbs — Work & News Official

Phrasal verbs from the workplace, the news and formal writing, defined in English. Each card gives the single-word verb it replaces, whether it is safe in a report or only in speech, and the derived noun a headline uses. Most cards fall into three patterns: separable (bring the issue up, bring it up, never bring up it), inseparable (you dispense with the formalities), or no object at all (the car broke down). Each card says which.

CEFR B2–C1 — Upper Intermediate to Advanced

At this level you can follow news, debate topics, write essays. Vocabulary: ~4,000–6,000 words (cumulative).

Words in this deck

What does “to kick off” mean?: “to kick off” means start an event, meeting or project, often formally. Pronounced /ˌkɪk ˈɔf/. Close synonyms: begin, start, launch. For example: We kick off the pilot program on Monday with a short briefing for all regional managers.
What does “to set up” mean?: “to set up” means establish an organization, committee or inquiry. Pronounced /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/. Close synonyms: establish, found, form. For example: The board set up a committee to review how the contracts had been awarded.
What does “to lay out” mean?: “to lay out” means explain a plan or argument in a clear, ordered way. Pronounced /ˌleɪ ˈaʊt/. Close synonyms: present, explain, outline. For example: The minister laid out a three-year plan for cutting emissions in a speech to industry leaders.
What does “to put together” mean?: “to put together” means collect the parts of something and make it complete. Pronounced /ˌpʊt təˈgɛðər/. Close synonyms: assemble, compile, prepare. For example: Finance put together a short report on the shortfall before the board met on Friday.
What does “to pencil in” mean?: “to pencil in” means arrange a time or date that may still change. Pronounced /ˌpɛnsəl ˈɪn/. It is informal. Close synonyms: provisionally book, tentatively schedule. For example: Can we pencil in Thursday at ten and confirm once the client has replied?
What does “to line up” mean?: “to line up” means arrange for people, meetings or support to be ready. Pronounced /ˌlaɪn ˈʌp/. Close synonyms: arrange, schedule, organize. For example: The recruiter lined up four interviews for Tuesday and moved the rest to the following week.

English · definitions in English 218 words ~22 days at 10 words/day 0 downloads B2 C1

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Word List — click grammar notes to expand

Word	Translation	Example
to kick offB2neutral /ˌkɪk ˈɔf/ start an event, meeting or project, often formally Synonyms: begin, start, launch	start; begin officially	We kick off the pilot program on Monday with a short briefing for all regional managers.
Separable: kick off the campaign, or kick it off, never kick off it. Also used with no object: the meeting kicks off at nine. The noun is a kickoff, written as one word, and headlines drop the article.
to set upB2neutral /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ establish an organization, committee or inquiry Synonyms: establish, found, form	create formally	The board set up a committee to review how the contracts had been awarded.
Establish is the formal single word a statute would use. The verb separates: set up a commission, or set it up, never set up it. The noun setup is one word, means an arrangement, and often hints at something suspicious. Assembling a machine and fixing a meeting are the everyday uses of the same verb.
to lay outB2neutral /ˌleɪ ˈaʊt/ explain a plan or argument in a clear, ordered way Synonyms: present, explain, outline	present clearly; explain	The minister laid out a three-year plan for cutting emissions in a speech to industry leaders.
Most often passive in writing: the conditions are laid out in section four. The past form is laid, not layed. The noun layout means an arrangement on a page. Separable: lay out the terms, or lay them out.
to put togetherB2neutral /ˌpʊt təˈgɛðər/ collect the parts of something and make it complete Synonyms: assemble, compile, prepare	assemble; prepare	Finance put together a short report on the shortfall before the board met on Friday.
Separable, and with a pronoun it must split: put it together. Neutral for documents, teams and deals: put together a proposal, a package, a case. Compare compile, which works only for information.
to pencil inB2informal /ˌpɛnsəl ˈɪn/ arrange a time or date that may still change Synonyms: provisionally book, tentatively schedule	schedule provisionally	Can we pencil in Thursday at ten and confirm once the client has replied?
The whole point of the verb is that the arrangement is not final. Informal, but very common in work email; a formal letter says provisionally scheduled. Separable: pencil in a date, or pencil it in.
to line upB2neutral /ˌlaɪn ˈʌp/ arrange for people, meetings or support to be ready Synonyms: arrange, schedule, organize	arrange in advance	The recruiter lined up four interviews for Tuesday and moved the rest to the following week.
A lineup is the set of people or items arranged, and the passive is frequent: three candidates are lined up. Neutral in business writing. Separable: line up a speaker, or line her up.
to move upB2neutral /ˌmuv ˈʌp/ be promoted to a more senior position Synonyms: be promoted, advance, progress	rise to a senior job	She moved up to director two years after joining the claims team.
American English prefers move up where British English says bring forward. Used of people it means promote: she was moved up to director. Separable: move it up.
to push backB2neutral /ˌpʊʃ ˈbæk/ change a date so that something happens later Synonyms: reschedule, delay, move later	move to a later date	The agency pushed the hearing back two weeks after the lawyers requested more time.
A second sense takes on and means resist: staff pushed back on the new rules, and the noun for that sense is pushback. Both are standard in work email. Separable: push back the deadline, or push it back.
to hold off onB2neutral /ˈhoʊld ˈɔf ɑn/ wait before doing something you had planned to do Synonyms: wait, refrain, pause	not act just yet	We are holding off on the hire until the budget for next quarter is approved.
Useful in an email when a decision is not yet safe, because it postpones without refusing. The on is usually dropped before a verb: hold off hiring. All three words stay together and nothing can come between them.
to hold upC1neutral /ˌhoʊld ˈʌp/ survive close examination and prove to be true Synonyms: stand up, prove true, withstand scrutiny	survive scrutiny	The company's account of the incident did not hold up once the logs were released.
A claim, an alibi or a theory holds up on its own, and under or to adds the test: held up under questioning. Stand up is the everyday twin and withstand scrutiny the formal one. No object in this sense; given an object the same verb means delay, and that sense separates: held it up.
to carry overB2neutral /ˌkæri ˈoʊvər/ move something unused into the next period or year Synonyms: transfer, retain, roll forward	transfer to the next period	Unused vacation days can be carried over into January, but they expire in March.
Use into before the new period, and expect the passive in reports: losses carried over from last year. The noun carryover is used in accounting. Separable: carry over the balance, or carry it over.
to build inB2neutral /ˌbɪld ˈɪn/ include something as a fixed part of a plan or product Synonyms: include, incorporate, add	include from the start	We built in a two-week buffer, which is why the supplier delay did not hurt us.
The passive is frequent and uses into before a noun: safeguards are built into the contract. Built-in also works as an adjective: a built-in delay. Separable: build in a margin, or build it in.
to factor inB2neutral /ˌfæktər ˈɪn/ include something when you calculate or decide Synonyms: include, allow for, consider	include in a calculation	Once you factor in shipping, the cheaper supplier costs about the same as ours.
Take into account is the stiffer alternative; factor in is neutral in business and news writing. You can also factor something into a total. Separable: factor in inflation, or factor it in.
to set asideB2neutral /ˌsɛt əˈsaɪd/ keep money or time for one particular purpose Synonyms: reserve, allocate, earmark	reserve; keep for later	The city set aside four million dollars for repairs after the storm damaged two bridges.
A second, formal sense appears in court reporting: the judge set aside the verdict, meaning canceled it. Neutral to formal in writing. Separable: set aside funds, or set them aside.
to free upB2neutral /ˌfri ˈʌp/ release money, staff or capacity for another use Synonyms: release, redeploy, unlock	release for other use	Automating the invoices freed up two staff for work that customers actually notice.
It implies the resource existed all along and was being wasted, which is why it turns up in every efficiency announcement. Separating is optional: free up cash, or free it up. The objects are cash, capacity, staff and space, and a formal report prefers release resources.
to firm upB2neutral /ˌfɜrm ˈʌp/ make a plan or figure more definite Synonyms: confirm, finalize, settle	make more definite	We should firm up the numbers before the presentation, since the client will certainly ask.
A formal document says finalize; firm up is slightly loose in tone but acceptable in work email. Also used with no object: the offer is firming up. Separable: firm up the details, or firm them up.
to hash outC1informal /ˌhæʃ ˈaʊt/ discuss something in detail until you reach agreement Synonyms: negotiate, settle, work out	discuss until agreed	The two sides spent the weekend hashing out the wording of the final clause.
It implies long, difficult talk rather than a quick decision. News writing uses it freely, but it is informal and American, so a formal report says negotiate. Separable: hash out the details, or hash them out.
to flesh outC1informal /ˌflɛʃ ˈaʊt/ add more detail to a plan or argument that is too short Synonyms: expand, develop, elaborate	add detail to	The proposal needs fleshing out before the committee will even look at it.
Informal in tone, so write develop or expand when the reader is a client. Common in the passive and after needs: needs fleshing out. Separable: flesh out the section, or flesh it out.
to work outB2neutral /ˌwɜrk ˈaʊt/ find an answer or a solution by thinking or calculating Synonyms: calculate, determine, resolve	calculate; resolve	Accounting worked out the true cost of the delay at just under half a million.
With no object it means end well: the merger worked out. A workout is exercise and has nothing to do with this verb. Neutral in every context. Separable: work out the figure, or work it out.
to think throughB2neutral /ˌθɪŋk ˈθru/ consider every part and result of something before acting Synonyms: consider fully, examine, analyze	consider all consequences	The policy was announced before anyone had thought through what it meant for suppliers.
Separable, and a pronoun must come before the particle: think it through. Think through is about consequences, while think over is about deciding. Often passive, as poorly thought through.
to see throughC1neutral /ˌsi ˈθru/ continue with something difficult until it is finished Synonyms: complete, finish, sustain	finish despite difficulty	He agreed to stay another year and see the restructuring through to the end.
Separable in this sense, and a pronoun must split it: see it through, often with to the end. An inseparable sense means recognize a lie: we saw through the excuse immediately.
to close outC1neutral /ˌkloʊz ˈaʊt/ finish a period or an account and settle its final figures Synonyms: settle, conclude, finalize	bring to a final close	We closed out the quarter slightly ahead of target despite the shipping problems.
Its objects are periods and accounts rather than conversations, so a quarter, a year or a position gets closed out. A closeout is also a final clearance sale, which is a separate commercial sense. Mainly American, where British writing says close off, and it separates: close it out.
to sum upB2neutral /ˌsʌm ˈʌp/ give the main points of something in a short form Synonyms: summarize, recap, conclude	summarize briefly	To sum up, demand is stable, costs are rising, and margins will tighten next year.
Summarize is the formal single word. Very often frozen as an opening phrase, to sum up, at the end of a report or a talk. Separable: sum up the argument, or sum it up.
to write upB2neutral /ˌraɪt ˈʌp/ write a complete, finished account of something Synonyms: document, report, record	produce a full report	She wrote up the findings over two days and sent the draft to her supervisor.
The noun is a write-up, meaning a report or a review. A separate workplace sense is to record a formal warning: he was written up twice. Separable: write up the notes, or write them up.
to put inB2neutral /ˌpʊt ˈɪn/ spend a stated amount of time or effort on work Synonyms: contribute, devote, work	contribute time or effort	Everyone put in long hours before the audit, and nobody took a single day off.
With a request, claim or bid it means submit: they put in an offer on Friday. The related put in for means formally apply for something. Separable: put in ten hours, or put them in.
to farm outC1informal /ˌfɑrm ˈaʊt/ give work to another company instead of doing it yourself Synonyms: outsource, subcontract, delegate	give work to outsiders	The paper farmed out its printing to a regional plant to cut costs.
Slightly disapproving and informal; a contract or an annual report says outsource or subcontract instead. Use to before the company. Separable: farm out the design, or farm it out.
to step upB2neutral /ˌstɛp ˈʌp/ increase the amount or speed of an activity Synonyms: increase, intensify, boost	increase; intensify	Regulators stepped up inspections after two factories reported exactly the same fault.
With no object it means take responsibility when others will not: nobody stepped up. Common in news with efforts, pressure, checks and security. Separable: step up production, or step it up.
to ramp upC1neutral /ˌræmp ˈʌp/ increase production or activity quickly to a much higher level Synonyms: increase, expand, accelerate	scale up fast	The plant ramped up output to meet orders that arrived after a rival's recall.
Faster and steeper than step up, and it suits production, hiring and spending. Also used with no object: hiring is ramping up again. Separable: ramp up capacity, or ramp it up.
to scale backC1neutral /ˌskeɪl ˈbæk/ make a plan or operation smaller than first intended Synonyms: reduce, cut, curtail	reduce; make smaller	The airline scaled back its winter schedule after bookings fell sharply in October.
Standard in news for reducing something already announced, which makes it sound less blunt than cut and safer in an official statement. Separable: scale back the plan, or scale it back.
to roll outB2neutral /ˌroʊl ˈaʊt/ make a new product or service available, usually in stages Synonyms: launch, introduce, release	introduce gradually	The bank will roll out the new app to all customers by the end of March.
The noun is a rollout, and headlines drop the article: Rollout delayed again. The passive conveniently hides who decided: the changes were rolled out. Separable: roll out the update, or roll it out.
to roll backC1neutral /ˌroʊl ˈbæk/ remove or reduce a rule, price or change made earlier Synonyms: reverse, repeal, undo	reverse; undo	The agency rolled back an emissions rule that had taken effect two years earlier.
The noun is a rollback, common in political headlines. Frequent objects are regulations, protections, prices and sanctions. Separable: roll back the rules, or roll them back.
to wind downC1neutral /ˌwaɪnd ˈdaʊn/ slowly bring an activity or business to an end Synonyms: close, end, phase out	gradually close; end	The fund is winding down its operations and will return the remaining cash to investors.
Reports like it because it avoids naming whoever decided to close things. Wind is /waɪnd/ here. Also used with no object: the program is winding down. Separable: wind down the unit, or wind it down.
to drag outC1neutral /ˌdræg ˈaʊt/ make something continue for longer than necessary Synonyms: prolong, extend, delay	spin out too long	The seller dragged out the talks for months, hoping a better offer would appear.
Separable: drag out the process, or drag it out. Always disapproving, and the object is something that ought to be short: talks, a case, a decision, an apology.
to sign off onB2neutral /ˈsaɪn ˈɔf ɑn/ give official approval to a plan, payment or document Synonyms: approve, authorize, endorse	approve formally	Finance has to sign off on any purchase above ten thousand dollars.
The formal single word is approve. American English keeps the on, and plain sign off means end a message, which is a different verb altogether. All three words stay together: sign off on the budget, sign off on it.
to run throughB2neutral /ˌrʌn ˈθru/ look at or repeat something quickly from start to finish Synonyms: review, rehearse, recap	go through quickly	Let's run through the agenda quickly so everyone knows what we are deciding today.
The noun is a run-through, meaning a rehearsal. Lighter and faster than go over, which implies careful checking. Nothing goes between run and through.
to look overB2neutral /ˌlʊk ˈoʊvər/ read or examine something quickly in order to check it Synonyms: review, check, inspect	read through quickly	Could you look over the contract before I send it back to their lawyers?
A quick check, unlike look into, which means investigate at length. Neutral and very common in email requests. Separable, and a pronoun must split it: look it over.
to narrow downB2neutral /ˌnæroʊ ˈdaʊn/ reduce a large number of choices to a small number Synonyms: reduce, limit, shortlist	reduce to a few	The panel narrowed the list down to three candidates after the first round of interviews.
The result of the process is usually called a shortlist, and to introduces the smaller number. Neutral in reports. Separable: narrow down the options, or narrow them down.
to zero in onC1neutral /ˈzɪroʊ ˈɪn ɑn/ give all your attention to one part of a problem Synonyms: focus on, target, concentrate on	focus closely on	Investigators zeroed in on three payments made the week before the deal closed.
The focus is narrow and deliberate, never accidental, and the spelling of the past form is zeroed. American and slightly journalistic. All three words stay together: zeroed in on the cause, zeroed in on it.
to keep upB2neutral /ˌkip ˈʌp/ continue something at the same level without stopping Synonyms: maintain, sustain, continue	maintain; continue	Unions say they will keep up the pressure until the wage offer improves.
Do not confuse it with keep up with, which means move at the same speed as. Typical objects are pressure, momentum, standards and appearances. Separable: keep up the pressure, or keep it up.
to churn outC1informal /ˌtʃɜrn ˈaʊt/ produce large amounts of something quickly and with little care Synonyms: mass-produce, grind out, produce	produce quickly in quantity	The unit churns out weekly reports that almost nobody in management ever reads.
Separable: churn out reports, or churn them out. Always mildly disapproving, since it implies quantity bought at the cost of quality, so keep it out of writing meant to praise the work.
to work aroundC1neutral /ˌwɜrk əˈraʊnd/ find a way to continue despite a problem you cannot remove Synonyms: bypass, get past, avoid	avoid a problem	Engineers worked around the faulty sensor by taking readings manually twice a day.
The noun is a workaround, a temporary fix. Work around someone's schedule is a softer sense, meaning adjust to it rather than avoid it. Nothing goes between work and around.
to bring inB2neutral /ˌbrɪŋ ˈɪn/ employ or involve someone new to do a particular job Synonyms: hire, recruit, involve	hire; introduce; involve	The hospital brought in an outside firm to review how shifts are scheduled.
The same verb also means introduce a rule, bring in a new policy, and earn money, the contract brings in half our revenue. Neutral in all three senses. Separable: bring in consultants, or bring them in.
to fill outB2neutral /ˌfɪl ˈaʊt/ write the required information in the spaces on a form Synonyms: complete, finish	complete a form	Every applicant has to fill out the same form, even internal candidates.
A form is filled out; information is entered on it. Fill out is the American choice where British English says fill in, and both are neutral. Separable: fill out the form, or fill it out.
to send inB2neutral /ˌsɛnd ˈɪn/ send a document to an organization that has asked for it Synonyms: submit, forward, file	submit by mail or email	Applicants should send in a résumé and two references before the closing date.
The object is almost always a document, though a second sense is used in news of forces or help: troops were sent in. Neutral. Separable: send in your application, or send it in.
to put in forB2informal /ˈpʊt ˈɪn fɔr/ make an official request for a job, leave or payment Synonyms: apply for, request, bid for	formally apply for	She put in for the regional manager job the day it was posted internally.
A written application says apply for; put in for is what you say in the office. Common objects are a job, leave, a raise and expenses. All three words stay together: put in for a transfer, put in for it.
to weed outC1neutral /ˌwid ˈaʊt/ remove the people or things that are not good enough Synonyms: eliminate, remove, filter out	remove the unsuitable ones	The first screening weeds out applications that do not meet the licensing requirement.
The object is a group, and what remains is what you want. Neutral in reports, though it sounds blunt when the objects are people. Separable: weed out weak bids, or weed them out.
to sift throughC1neutral /ˌsɪft ˈθru/ examine a large number of documents to find what matters Synonyms: examine, search, review	work through a big pile	Two assistants spent a week sifting through nine hundred applications for six openings.
The object must be a large quantity, so you sift through data but not through one letter. Neutral in both business and news writing. Nothing goes between sift and through.
to call inB2neutral /ˌkɔl ˈɪn/ ask an expert or official body to come and deal with something Synonyms: summon, send for, bring in	summon for help	After the second complaint the board called in an independent auditor.
The object is usually an expert or an authority. A different fixed sense is call in sick, and in finance you call in a loan, meaning demand repayment. Separable: call in the police, or call them in.
to start outB2neutral /ˌstɑrt ˈaʊt/ begin your working life in a particular job or way Synonyms: begin, set out, start	begin a career	She started out as an intern in the newsroom and now runs the politics desk.
Usually followed by as plus a job or in plus a field. Neutral, and typical in profiles and interviews where a whole career is being summarized. It takes no object of its own.
to clock inB2neutral /ˌklɑk ˈɪn/ record the time you arrive at work, usually electronically Synonyms: check in, punch in	record your arrival	Warehouse staff clock in at six and are paid from that minute.
The opposite is clock out, and American English also says punch in. It is used of hourly work, so it sounds odd applied to salaried office staff. No object: you clock in, not clock yourself in.
to fill in forB2informal /ˈfɪl ˈɪn fɔr/ do another person's work while they are away for a short time Synonyms: cover for, substitute for, deputize	do someone's job temporarily	I'm filling in for the duty editor this week, so send corrections to me.
Slightly informal and used for short absences. Stand in for is the neutral written alternative, and the person doing it is a stand-in. All three words stay together: fill in for the manager, fill in for her.
to stand in forB2neutral /ˈstænd ˈɪn fɔr/ take the place of someone at an event or in a role Synonyms: substitute for, replace, deputize	take someone's place formally	The deputy mayor stood in for her at the ceremony after the flight was canceled.
Usual in news writing, where fill in for sounds too casual, and it suits an event or a formal role rather than a shift. The person is a stand-in. All three words stay together: stand in for the chair, stand in for him.
to pitch inB2informal /ˌpɪtʃ ˈɪn/ join others in doing work that needs to be finished Synonyms: help out, contribute, chip in	help with shared work	When the deadline moved, even the design team pitched in to check the tables.
Informal and warm in tone, so it belongs in speech or an internal message rather than a report to a client. Often followed by an infinitive: pitched in to check the tables. It takes no object.
to slack offC1informal /ˌslæk ˈɔf/ make less effort at work than is expected of you Synonyms: ease off, idle, let up	work less than you should	Managers worried that quality checks would slack off once the bonus ended.
Informal and always critical, so a written appraisal says performance declined instead. The related noun is a slacker, which is an insult rather than a job description. No object: staff slacked off.
to wear downC1neutral /ˌwɛr ˈdaʊn/ slowly reduce someone's strength or resistance Synonyms: weaken, exhaust, erode	gradually weaken	Weeks of delay wore down the union's resistance and a deal was finally signed.
The process is slow and deliberate, which is why negotiators use it. Past forms are wore and worn: worn down by the delays. Separable: wear down the opposition, or wear them down.
to answer toC1neutral /ˈænsər tu/ be under the authority of a particular person or body Synonyms: be accountable to, serve under	report to	The compliance team answers to the board, not to the chief executive.
It describes a reporting line, while answer for means take blame, and that is the pair learners confuse. Neutral, and common when an article explains who controls whom. Nothing goes between answer and to.
to report backB2neutral /rɪˌpɔrt ˈbæk/ give information to the person or group that asked for it Synonyms: update, respond, brief	return with information	The working group will report back to the council in June with costed options.
Neutral and formal enough for an official statement, where it often signals a delayed decision. No object of its own: use to before the person and on before the subject, report back to the committee on costs.
to reach outB2neutral /ˌritʃ ˈaʊt/ contact someone in order to ask, offer or discuss something Synonyms: contact, approach, get in touch	make contact	We reached out to three suppliers, and only one answered within the week.
Very common in American business email and slightly softer than contact; a formal letter says we wrote to or we approached. No object, and the person follows to: reach out to the vendor.
to loop inC1informal /ˌlup ˈɪn/ include someone in messages so they know what is happening Synonyms: include, copy in, inform	include in communication	Please loop in legal before you reply to their last email about the clause.
Informal office English, common in email but out of place in a formal letter, which would say copy or inform. Often paired with keep in the loop. Separable: loop in the client, or loop me in.
to check inB2informal /ˌtʃɛk ˈɪn/ contact someone briefly to see how something is going Synonyms: follow up, touch base, ask	see how things stand	I'm just checking in on the translation, since the printer needs files Thursday.
Informal and polite, because it makes a reminder sound like concern rather than pressure. No object of its own: with before a person, on before a task, check in with her, check in on the order.
to force outC1neutral /ˌfɔrs ˈaʊt/ make someone leave a job or position against their will Synonyms: oust, push out, remove	make someone leave	The founder was forced out after investors demanded a change at the top.
Unlike step down, it states plainly that the departure was not voluntary. Usually passive in news, since the people who did it are often unnamed. Separable: force out the chairman, or force him out.
to pass overC1neutral /ˌpæs ˈoʊvər/ not choose someone for a job that they hoped to get Synonyms: overlook, reject, skip	ignore for promotion	He was passed over for the director role twice and left the following year.
Do not confuse it with pass up, where the person themselves refuses the opportunity. Separable when active, but almost always passive with for: she was passed over for promotion.
to step downB2neutral /ˌstɛp ˈdaʊn/ leave an important job or position of authority Synonyms: resign, quit, retire	resign from a position	The chief executive will step down in March after eight years in the role.
The standard news verb for leaving a senior role, and it leaves open whether the person was pushed. No object: use from before the post and as before the title, step down as chair.
to step asideC1neutral /ˌstɛp əˈsaɪd/ leave a position so that someone else can take it Synonyms: stand aside, withdraw, resign	leave a role for another	He agreed to step aside while the complaint against his department was investigated.
Step aside suggests making room for someone else, often temporarily, while step down is a full departure. Both are chosen so that nobody has to say who applied the pressure, and neither takes an object.
to step inB2neutral /ˌstɛp ˈɪn/ of an authority, intervene officially to stop a crisis Synonyms: intervene, act, move in	intervene officially	The central bank stepped in after two regional lenders lost a third of their deposits.
Intervene is the formal single word, and the subject here is an institution with power, which is what separates it from a colleague stepping in to help. No object; the purpose follows with to plus a verb: stepped in to stop the sale. Step up is different again: it means taking on more.
to bow outC1neutral /ˌbaʊ ˈaʊt/ stop taking part in something, especially at the end of a career Synonyms: withdraw, retire, quit	leave gracefully	The senator bowed out after four terms, endorsing his former chief of staff.
It suggests a dignified, chosen exit, so it is wrong for a dismissal. Bow is /baʊ/ here, as in bending forward. No object; use of before a contest: bowed out of the race.
to hand overB2neutral /ˌhænd ˈoʊvər/ transfer power, a role or official documents to a successor Synonyms: transfer, relinquish, cede	transfer to a successor	She will hand over the department to her deputy at the end of the quarter.
The noun handover is one word, and in news it names a transfer of power or of a project. A pronoun has to split the verb: hand them over, never hand over them. Relinquish is the formal single word. Handing over an object you are holding is the plainer use; here what moves is authority or a file.
to walk outB2neutral /ˌwɔk ˈaʊt/ leave work suddenly as a protest, or leave a meeting angrily Synonyms: strike, quit, stop work	leave in protest; strike	Drivers walked out for two days after the company withdrew the overtime rate.
The noun is a walkout, and headlines drop the article: Walkout enters third day. Neutral in news, though it always implies anger. No object; use of before the place, walked out of the talks.
to lock outC1neutral /ˌlɑk ˈaʊt/ stop workers from entering their workplace during a dispute Synonyms: shut out, bar, exclude	bar workers from work	Management locked out three hundred dockworkers rather than accept the union's terms.
The noun is a lockout, the employer's answer to a strike, so the two words are not interchangeable in labor reporting. Separable: locked out the staff, or locked them out.
to hold downB2neutral /ˌhoʊld ˈdaʊn/ manage to keep a job over a period of time Synonyms: keep, maintain, manage	keep a job successfully	Few of the trainees could hold down a night shift and a college course together.
Separable: hold down a job, or hold it down. With money it means keep low: hold down costs. It hints that keeping the job was difficult, so it is not used of a senior career.
to get aheadB2neutral /ˌgɛt əˈhɛd/ make progress at work, especially more than others do Synonyms: advance, progress, succeed	advance in a career	Staff complained that you could not get ahead without moving to the head office.
Neutral about careers. Get ahead of a story or a problem is a separate sense, meaning act before it gets worse. No object; add of for a comparison: get ahead of rivals.
to face up toC1neutral /ˈfeɪs ˈʌp tu/ accept that a difficult fact or problem is real Synonyms: accept, confront, acknowledge	accept an unpleasant truth	The industry has yet to face up to how quickly demand is falling.
Always critical of the person who has not yet done it, which is why it suits editorials rather than plain reporting. A verb after to takes -ing: face up to losing the contract. All three words stay together.
to stand up toB2neutral /ˈstænd ˈʌp tu/ refuse to accept unfair treatment from a powerful person or group Synonyms: resist, challenge, confront	resist openly	Few suppliers are willing to stand up to a buyer that controls half the market.
Usually approving, so it takes the side of whoever is resisting. A second sense means survive testing: the claim did not stand up to scrutiny. All three words stay together: stand up to the regulator.
to fall out withC1informal /ˈfɔl ˈaʊt wɪð/ argue with someone so that you are no longer friendly Synonyms: quarrel with, argue with, split with	quarrel and stop cooperating	The two founders fell out with each other over how fast to expand abroad.
Informal in tone, and over gives the cause: fell out over pricing. The noun fallout is unrelated and means the damaging results of an event, not a quarrel. All three words stay together: fell out with him.
to size upC1informal /ˌsaɪz ˈʌp/ look at a person or situation and form a quick judgment Synonyms: assess, evaluate, judge	assess quickly	Buyers spent the first hour sizing up the competition before making any offer.
The judgment is fast and based on appearances, so a report would say assess. Informal, and often used of rivals and of people in a first meeting. Separable: size up the market, or size it up.
to sit throughB2neutral /ˌsɪt ˈθru/ stay until the end of something long or boring Synonyms: endure, attend, get through	endure to the end	We sat through four hours of presentations before anyone mentioned the budget.
It always suggests the event was too long or dull, so it cannot describe something you enjoyed. Informal in feeling but acceptable in writing. Nothing goes between sit and through.
to run up againstC1neutral /ˈrʌn ˈʌp əˈgɛnst/ meet a problem or opposition that stops your progress Synonyms: encounter, meet, hit	meet an obstacle	The merger ran up against a regulator unwilling to approve any further consolidation.
The object is always an obstacle, never a person you simply met. Neutral and common in business reporting. All four words stay together: ran up against resistance, ran up against it.
to beef upC1informal /ˌbif ˈʌp/ make something stronger or larger by adding to it Synonyms: strengthen, reinforce, expand	add strength to	The company beefed up its security team after the second data breach.
Informal but very common in headlines, where a formal report says strengthen. Usual objects are security, staffing, defenses and regulations: it adds to something that already works, while shore up rescues something failing. Separable: beef them up.
to pass upC1neutral /ˌpæs ˈʌp/ decide not to take a chance that is offered to you Synonyms: decline, refuse, forgo	refuse an opportunity	She passed up a better-paid role abroad to finish the project she had started.
The object is always an opportunity and the choice is the person's own, unlike pass over, where someone else rejects them. Separable: pass it up.
to head upC1neutral /ˌhɛd ˈʌp/ be the person in charge of a team, unit or inquiry Synonyms: lead, run, direct	lead; be in charge of	A former prosecutor will head up the review of how the contracts were awarded.
Separable, though the noun normally stays after the particle: head up the division, but a pronoun must split it, head it up. Mainly American, and used of teams, units and inquiries rather than whole countries. Plain head is the more formal choice in writing.
to sit down withB2neutral /ˈsɪt ˈdaʊn wɪð/ meet someone for a serious discussion or negotiation Synonyms: meet, negotiate with, confer with	meet to discuss	The governor sat down with union leaders for the first time in four months.
In news it signals talks between sides that were not speaking, so it carries more weight than the plain verb meet. All three words stay together: sit down with the staff, sit down with them.
to talk throughB2neutral /ˌtɔk ˈθru/ discuss something fully with someone so it is understood Synonyms: discuss, go over, explain	discuss in detail	Let's talk the options through with the client before we commit to a date.
Separable, and a pronoun must split it: talk it through. Use with before the other person. Neutral in email and useful when a decision needs discussion rather than approval.
to mull overC1neutral /ˌmʌl ˈoʊvər/ think about something slowly before deciding Synonyms: consider, ponder, weigh	turn over in your mind	The board is mulling over a bid that would value the company at nine billion.
Business news often drops the particle, is mulling a sale, which is standard in headlines. It suggests slow private thought rather than public debate. Separable: mull it over.
to go ahead withB2neutral /ˈgoʊ əˈhɛd wɪð/ start or continue a plan as it was decided Synonyms: proceed with, continue, undertake	proceed with a plan	The city will go ahead with the tunnel despite two legal challenges from residents.
The noun is the go-ahead, meaning permission: the project was given the go-ahead. With drops when nothing follows, as in the city went ahead anyway. Otherwise all three words stay together.
to get acrossB2neutral /ˌgɛt əˈkrɔs/ make an idea understood by other people Synonyms: convey, communicate, put across	communicate clearly	The slides failed to get across how serious the shortfall really was.
The object is always an idea or message, never a person, and to introduces the audience. Convey is the formal alternative. Neutral. Separable: get the message across, or get it across.
to win overB2neutral /ˌwɪn ˈoʊvər/ persuade someone to agree with you or support you Synonyms: persuade, convince, sway	persuade to support	The plan won over investors only after the founder agreed to leave the board.
The object is a person or group who began opposed, so it makes no sense with people who already agreed. Separable: win over the doubters, or win them over.
to press ahead withC1neutral /ˈprɛs əˈhɛd wɪð/ continue with a plan even though others object Synonyms: proceed with, persist with, push on with	continue despite opposition	Ministers pressed ahead with the reform despite warnings from their own advisers.
It always implies resistance, which is why political reporting is so fond of it. The with drops if nothing follows: they pressed ahead. All three words stay together and nothing can go between them.
to push forB2neutral /ˈpʊʃ fɔr/ try hard and repeatedly to get something you want Synonyms: demand, urge, campaign for	press repeatedly for	Staff representatives are pushing for a review of how overtime is calculated.
It describes sustained pressure rather than a single request. Neutral in news, and the usual objects are reform, an inquiry, a raise and a deadline. Nothing goes between push and for.
to hold out forC1neutral /ˈhoʊld ˈaʊt fɔr/ refuse to accept something while waiting for a better offer Synonyms: insist on, wait for, demand	wait for better terms	The union held out for a three-year deal and rejected two earlier offers.
Without for it simply means resist, and a holdout is a person who refuses to settle. It presumes an offer already on the table. All three words stay together: hold out for more money.
to settle onB2neutral /ˈsɛtəl ɑn/ choose one option after considering several Synonyms: choose, decide on, agree on	decide finally on	After three rounds the committee settled on the second design and set a budget.
Keep it apart from settle for, which means accept something worse than you wanted, and from settle a dispute, which takes no particle at all. Neutral in reports; nothing goes between settle and on.
to settle forB2neutral /ˈsɛtəl fɔr/ accept something that is not as good as you hoped for Synonyms: accept, make do with, compromise on	accept less than wanted	Growers settled for a smaller increase rather than lose the contract entirely.
It always signals a compromise downward, which makes it the natural verb for reporting the end of a strike or a price dispute. Nothing goes between settle and for.
to cave inC1informal /ˌkeɪv ˈɪn/ finally agree to something after resisting pressure Synonyms: give in, yield, surrender	give in under pressure	The company caved in to pressure from regulators and published the full data.
Informal and unflattering, because it says the side was defeated, so an official statement would never use it about itself. Headlines shorten it to plain cave. No object; to marks the pressure.
to walk away fromC1neutral /ˈwɔk əˈweɪ frʌm/ decide to stop taking part in a deal or negotiation Synonyms: abandon, quit, withdraw from	abandon; refuse to continue	Negotiators warned they would walk away from the table without a firm timetable.
It presents leaving as a free choice and a threat, which is why it turns up in negotiation reporting and in stated bargaining positions. All three words stay together.
to break offC1neutral /ˌbreɪk ˈɔf/ end talks or a relationship suddenly and before finishing Synonyms: end, suspend, discontinue	end suddenly	The two governments broke off trade talks after the new tariffs were announced.
It implies a deliberate stop rather than a failure. The usual objects are talks, relations and an engagement. Neutral in news. Separable: break off negotiations, or break them off.
to break downB2neutral /ˌbreɪk ˈdaʊn/ of talks or a relationship, come to an end without agreement Synonyms: collapse, fail, fall apart	fail; collapse	Talks broke down on Friday over pensions, and no new date has been set.
The noun is a breakdown, one word, as in a breakdown in communication, and headlines drop the article. No object in this sense: the talks broke down. Given an object it separates and means divide into parts: break the costs down. A car that stops working also breaks down.
to cobble togetherC1informal /ˌkɑbəl təˈgɛðər/ make something quickly from whatever parts are available Synonyms: improvise, patch together, assemble	assemble hastily	Officials cobbled together a rescue package over the weekend to keep the bank open.
Always disapproving about quality, even when the speed is admired, so never use it of your own work in a proposal. Separable: cobble together a deal, or cobble it together.
to tie upC1neutral /ˌtaɪ ˈʌp/ complete the last details of an agreement, or keep money unavailable Synonyms: finalize, conclude, settle	wrap up final details	Lawyers expect to tie up the remaining details before the end of the month.
A second sense means unavailable, usually passive: capital is tied up in inventory, the line was tied up. Neutral in business writing. Separable: tie up the loose ends, or tie them up.
to lock inC1neutral /ˌlɑk ˈɪn/ fix a price, rate or agreement so it cannot be changed later Synonyms: fix, secure, guarantee	fix so it cannot change	The airline locked in fuel prices for two years before the market rose again.
The noun lock-in describes being unable to leave a contract, which is the customer's side of it. Usual objects are a price, a rate, terms and profits. Separable: lock in the rate, or lock it in.
to pull togetherB2neutral /ˌpʊl təˈgɛðər/ work as one group in a difficult situation Synonyms: cooperate, unite, rally	cooperate; unite	The chief executive asked staff to pull together through what she called a hard quarter.
A standard appeal in a crisis message to staff. With an object it means assemble quickly instead: pulled together a report overnight. In the cooperation sense there is no object at all, as in the team pulled together.
to put asideB2neutral /ˌpʊt əˈsaɪd/ decide not to let a disagreement or feeling affect a decision Synonyms: disregard, shelve, overlook	ignore for now	Both parties agreed to put aside the funding argument until after the vote.
Typical in reports of talks where one issue is deliberately postponed. With money it means save: put aside ten percent. Neutral. Separable: put aside their differences, or put them aside.
to give way toC1formal /ˈgɪv ˈweɪ tu/ stop resisting, or be replaced by something else Synonyms: yield to, be replaced by, submit to	yield; be replaced by	Early optimism gave way to concern as the third quarter figures were published.
Formal and common in written analysis, where one mood or period replaces another. In traffic it means yield, a separate literal use. All three words stay together: gave way to pressure.
to go back onC1neutral /ˈgoʊ ˈbæk ɑn/ fail to do what you promised or agreed to do Synonyms: renege on, break, withdraw from	break a promise	Growers accused the processor of going back on a pledge to raise prices.
Always an accusation, so it appears in what one side says about the other rather than in neutral description. The object is a promise, a pledge or your word. All three words stay together: go back on it.
to deliver onC1neutral /dɪˈlɪvər ɑn/ do what you promised or were expected to do Synonyms: fulfill, honor, achieve	fulfill a promise	The company has yet to deliver on its promise of same-day service in rural areas.
The object is a promise, a commitment or a target, never a product, which you simply deliver. Neutral and common in results reporting. Nothing goes between deliver and on.
to make good onC1neutral /ˈmeɪk ˈgʊd ɑn/ do what you promised, or pay what you owe Synonyms: honor, fulfill, keep	finally do as promised	The state made good on its pledge to repay the emergency loan within a year.
It stresses that words were finally turned into action. The object can be a promise, a threat or a debt, where deliver on takes only a commitment. Mainly American, and all three words stay together.
to act onB2neutral /ˈækt ɑn/ do something because of advice, information or a rule Synonyms: follow, implement, respond to	take action about	The department acted on the inspector's warning only after the story was published.
Typical objects are advice, a complaint, information and a recommendation, and it is often used to point out how long the action took. Nothing goes between act and on.
to weigh inC1neutral /ˌweɪ ˈɪn/ give an opinion in public on a dispute you are not part of Synonyms: comment, intervene, speak out	join a public argument	Two former governors weighed in on the dispute within hours of the announcement.
Nothing to do with measuring weight, though the picture is a boxer at the scales. The topic follows with on and the contribution with with: weighed in with a warning. Being an outsider is part of it, so someone inside the argument simply argues. Comment is the neutral verb for a report.
to speak outB2neutral /ˌspik ˈaʊt/ say publicly what you think, especially in criticism Synonyms: protest, object, criticize	state opposition publicly	Several employees spoke out against the policy after the first dismissals.
It implies courage and some risk, so it fits critics rather than officials defending their own position. No object; against marks opposition and on marks a subject.
to come forwardB2neutral /ˌkʌm ˈfɔrwərd/ offer information or help to the authorities or the press Synonyms: volunteer, step forward, report	offer information publicly	Two former managers came forward with documents about how the accounts were kept.
A fixed formula in crime and inquiry reporting, often as an appeal: police asked witnesses to come forward. It implies the person was not obliged to. No object; with marks the information.
to sit in onC1neutral /ˈsɪt ˈɪn ɑn/ attend a meeting as an observer rather than a participant Synonyms: observe, attend, listen in on	attend without taking part	A lawyer sat in on the interview but did not ask a single question.
The person is present but has no role, which is exactly what separates it from taking part. Neutral in business and legal reporting. All three words stay together: sit in on the hearing, sit in on it.
to boil down toC1informal /ˈbɔɪl ˈdaʊn tu/ have as the one most important point, after everything else Synonyms: amount to, come down to, reduce to	amount essentially to	The dispute boils down to who pays for the repairs during the first five years.
A noun or an -ing form follows to: it boils down to who pays. Informal, so an analytical report writes the central question is instead. All three words stay together.
to come aboutC1formal /ˌkʌm əˈbaʊt/ happen, especially in a way nobody intended Synonyms: happen, occur, arise	happen; be caused	The report explains how the error came about and why nobody noticed for months.
Formal and written, and chosen precisely when the writer wants to describe a cause without naming a person. It usually follows how: how the change came about. No object.
to clear upB2neutral /ˌklɪr ˈʌp/ explain something so that confusion or doubt disappears Synonyms: resolve, clarify, settle	explain; remove confusion	One phone call cleared up the confusion about which figure was being audited.
Typical objects are a misunderstanding, doubt and a question. It also describes weather and illness improving, with no object at all. Separable: clear up the confusion, or clear it up.
to walk backC1neutral /ˌwɔk ˈbæk/ say that an earlier statement was stronger than you meant Synonyms: retract, soften, qualify	partly retract	The spokesman walked back the comment a day later, calling it a personal view.
It means a partial retreat, not a full apology or denial, and it belongs to distinctly American political journalism. Separable: walk back the remark, or walk it back.
to hit back atC1neutral /ˈhɪt ˈbæk æt/ answer criticism with criticism of your own Synonyms: retaliate against, respond to, counter	reply to criticism	The mayor hit back at claims that the department had ignored two earlier warnings.
It presumes an attack came first, which means it cannot open a dispute. Headline English, so a formal statement says rejected the claims instead. All three words stay together: hit back at critics.
to lash out atC1neutral /ˈlæʃ ˈaʊt æt/ criticize someone suddenly and angrily in public Synonyms: attack, rail against, criticize	attack angrily in words	The chairman lashed out at analysts who had questioned the company's cash position.
Stronger and less controlled than hit back at, and it implies the anger damaged the speaker's own case. All three words stay together: lashed out at the press, lashed out at them.
to call outC1informal /ˌkɔl ˈaʊt/ publicly say that someone has behaved wrongly Synonyms: criticize, denounce, challenge	criticize publicly	Two board members called out the practice of paying bonuses during a hiring freeze.
Informal in origin but now common in news; a formal statement would say criticized or condemned. Use for or on before the fault. Separable: call out the behavior, or call them out.
to brush asideC1neutral /ˌbrʌʃ əˈsaɪd/ refuse to consider a question or objection seriously Synonyms: dismiss, ignore, wave away	dismiss without discussion	The minister brushed aside concerns about the timetable and moved to the next question.
The objects are questions, concerns and objections, and it is quietly critical, since it says the objection deserved more than it got. Separable: brush it aside.
to head offC1neutral /ˌhɛd ˈɔf/ act early to stop something bad from happening Synonyms: prevent, avert, forestall	prevent in advance	The offer was designed to head off a strike during the holiday season.
The object is always something unwanted and still in the future. Neutral in news, and the formal single words are avert and forestall. Separable: head it off.
to put outB2neutral /ˌpʊt ˈaʊt/ publish or send out a statement, warning or set of figures Synonyms: issue, release, publish	issue publicly	The company put out a short statement confirming that the plant would close.
Separable: put out a statement, or put it out. Typical objects are a statement, a press release, a warning and results. Other senses are to extinguish a fire and, as an adjective, annoyed.
to take outB2neutral /ˌteɪk ˈaʊt/ arrange to have a loan, insurance or license from an institution Synonyms: obtain, arrange, borrow	obtain a loan or policy	The family took out a second loan to keep the restaurant open through the winter.
Separable: take out a mortgage, or take it out. The objects are fixed: a loan, a policy, insurance, a patent, an advertisement. Neutral, and the same wording appears in contracts.
to pay downC1neutral /ˌpeɪ ˈdaʊn/ gradually reduce a debt by making regular payments Synonyms: repay gradually, reduce the balance	reduce a debt	The city has paid down about a third of the debt it took on after the flood.
Pay down reduces the balance and pay off clears it completely, so the two are not interchangeable. Mainly American financial writing. Separable, and a pronoun must split it: pay it down.
to pay outB2neutral /ˌpeɪ ˈaʊt/ pay a large amount of money, especially from a fund or policy Synonyms: disburse, distribute, settle	pay a large sum	Insurers expect to pay out nearly a billion dollars in storm claims this year.
The noun is a payout, one word, and headlines drop the article: Payout delayed for flood victims. The payer is usually an institution, not a person. Separable: pay out the claims, or pay them out.
to write offC1neutral /ˌraɪt ˈɔf/ accept that money or an asset is lost and remove it from accounts Synonyms: cancel, dismiss, discount	cancel a debt; dismiss	The bank wrote off forty million in loans to suppliers that had already closed.
The noun is a write-off. A second sense means judge as worthless: critics wrote off the plan before reading it. Neutral in accounting language. Separable: write off the loan, or write it off.
to rack upC1informal /ˌræk ˈʌp/ collect a large amount of something, especially losses or fines Synonyms: accumulate, amass, notch up	pile up a total	The airline racked up losses for six straight quarters before the routes were cut.
Informal and American, and unlike run up it also works with good totals: racked up record sales. Keep it out of an annual report. Separable: rack them up.
to eat intoC1neutral /ˌit ˈɪntu/ slowly use up money, time or profit that was available Synonyms: reduce, erode, consume	gradually reduce	Higher freight rates are eating into margins that were already thin last year.
The object is a reserve or a margin and the loss is gradual rather than sudden. Neutral and very common in business reporting. Nothing goes between eat and into.
to wipe outC1neutral /ˌwaɪp ˈaʊt/ destroy or remove something completely, especially value or profit Synonyms: destroy, eliminate, erase	destroy completely	One bad quarter wiped out the gains the fund had made all year.
Separable: wipe out the profit, or wipe it out, and often passive: savings were wiped out. Total by definition, so nothing can be partly wiped out. Neutral in news, strong in effect.
to shore upC1neutral /ˌʃɔr ˈʌp/ give support to something weak so that it does not fail Synonyms: bolster, buttress, underpin	steady something weak	The government moved to shore up the banking system with emergency guarantees.
The usual objects are finances, a currency, support and confidence, all of them at risk of failing, where beef up simply adds more. The rescue money itself is a bailout. Separable: shore it up.
to prop upC1neutral /ˌprɑp ˈʌp/ keep something weak going by giving it money or support Synonyms: support, sustain, bolster	keep from failing	Subsidies propped up the industry for a decade before the plants finally closed.
Slightly critical, because it suggests the support is artificial and cannot last, where shore up suggests a sensible repair. Separable, and a pronoun must split it: prop it up.
to shell outC1informal /ˌʃɛl ˈaʊt/ pay a large amount of money, often more than you expected Synonyms: pay, spend, fork over	pay a lot unwillingly	Households are shelling out nearly three hundred dollars a year more for power.
Informal and at home in consumer journalism, where a formal report would say pay or incur. Usually no object beyond the amount, sometimes with for or on: shell out for a new boiler.
to cash in onC1informal /ˈkæʃ ˈɪn ɑn/ make money from a situation, often in a way others dislike Synonyms: exploit, profit from, capitalize on	profit from a situation	Resellers cashed in on the shortage by listing the same part at triple the price.
Usually disapproving, so a company describing itself would say capitalize on. Plain cash in means exchange for money, a different verb. All three words stay together: cash in on the demand.
to buy outC1neutral /ˌbaɪ ˈaʊt/ buy the whole of a business or another owner's share of it Synonyms: purchase, acquire, take over	purchase full control	Two managers bought out the founder and took full control of the workshop.
The object is the owner or the stake, not the product. The noun is a buyout, and headlines drop the article: Buyout collapses over pricing. Separable: buy out the partners, or buy them out.
to buy upC1neutral /ˌbaɪ ˈʌp/ buy all or most of something that is available Synonyms: acquire, purchase, corner	purchase all available	Investors bought up empty offices downtown before the new rail line was approved.
Separable: buy up the land, or buy it up. The particle adds the idea of completeness, so the object is always a quantity or a supply, never a single item.
to buy intoC1neutral /ˌbaɪ ˈɪntu/ buy a share of a company, or accept an idea as true Synonyms: invest in, accept, believe	invest in; accept an idea	Two pension funds bought into the airline shortly before the routes were expanded.
With an idea it means accept, often doubtfully: nobody bought into the forecast. The financial sense is neutral and the second mildly skeptical. Nothing goes between buy and into.
to sell offC1neutral /ˌsɛl ˈɔf/ sell a business, property or shares, often quickly or cheaply Synonyms: dispose of, divest, liquidate	sell assets, often cheaply	The group sold off its European stores to pay down debt before the refinancing.
The noun is a sell-off, used both of asset sales and of falling markets: a sell-off in technology shares. Neutral, but it hints at pressure to sell. Separable: sell off the division, or sell it off.
to snap upC1informal /ˌsnæp ˈʌp/ buy something quickly because it is cheap or scarce Synonyms: buy, grab, acquire	buy quickly and eagerly	Buyers snapped up the remaining units within a week of the price cut.
Informal and enthusiastic, so it belongs in news and marketing rather than in a formal filing. Often passive: the tickets were snapped up. Separable: snap up the shares, or snap them up.
to carve outC1neutral /ˌkɑrv ˈaʊt/ create a share, role or exception by separating it from something larger Synonyms: create, establish, secure	create by separating	The firm carved out a niche advising small exporters on customs paperwork.
The noun a carve-out is used in deals and legislation for a written exception. Frequent objects are a niche, a role, a share and an exemption. Separable: carve out an exception, or carve it out.
to break intoB2neutral /ˌbreɪk ˈɪntu/ succeed in entering a market or profession that is hard to enter Synonyms: enter, penetrate, access	enter a new market	The brand spent four years trying to break into the North American market.
It presumes barriers, so it fits a market or a profession. The literal crime sense, break into a building, is the same verb with a different object. Nothing goes inside the phrase.
to tap intoC1neutral /ˌtæp ˈɪntu/ begin to use a supply of money, demand or skill that already exists Synonyms: exploit, access, draw on	make use of a source	The campaign tapped into demand for repairs that no local firm was meeting.
The object is a source that was already there: demand, expertise, funding, anger. Neutral, and common in both marketing and political analysis. Nothing goes between tap and into.
to bring downB2neutral /ˌbrɪŋ ˈdaʊn/ reduce a level or amount, or cause a government to lose power Synonyms: reduce, lower, topple	reduce; cause to fail	The plan is meant to bring down borrowing costs without raising taxes again.
With a government or a leader as the object it means remove from power: the scandal brought down the minister. Neutral in both senses. Separable: bring down costs, or bring them down.
to drive upC1neutral /ˌdraɪv ˈʌp/ cause prices, costs or demand to rise Synonyms: increase, raise, push up	force prices higher	Shortages of parts drove up prices for used vehicles across the region.
Separable: drive up demand, or drive it up. The subject is a cause, not a person, which is what distinguishes it from raise. The opposite, drive down, works in exactly the same pattern.
to add upB2neutral /ˌæd ˈʌp/ seem correct and consistent, or produce a total Synonyms: make sense, total, tally	make sense; total	Analysts said the forecast did not add up, given the cost of the new plant.
In the make-sense meaning there is no object and it is nearly always negative: the numbers do not add up. With an object it is separable: add up the totals, or add them up.
to bottom outC1neutral /ˌbɑtəm ˈaʊt/ reach the lowest point and stop falling Synonyms: stabilize, level off, hit bottom	stop falling	Housing starts appear to have bottomed out after eleven months of decline.
It says only that the fall has stopped, not that a recovery has begun, which is why careful reporting hedges it with appear to or seem to. No object: prices bottomed out.
to level offB2neutral /ˌlɛvəl ˈɔf/ stop increasing or decreasing and stay at the same level Synonyms: stabilize, flatten, steady	stop rising or falling	Inflation leveled off in the spring after four months of sharp increases.
Level out means the same thing, and unlike bottom out it can follow a rise as well as a fall. Standard for describing a chart in a report. No object: demand leveled off.
to taper offC1neutral /ˌteɪpər ˈɔf/ become gradually smaller or less frequent before stopping Synonyms: diminish, decline, dwindle	ease off gradually	Support payments will taper off over three years rather than end all at once.
The fall is smooth and planned, unlike a sudden drop, and in central banking tapering is a familiar noun for slowing a program gradually. Usually no object: demand tapered off.
to pick upB2neutral /ˌpɪk ˈʌp/ improve or increase after a weak period Synonyms: improve, recover, strengthen	improve; increase	Orders picked up in the second half once the new catalog was mailed.
The noun a pickup means an increase: a pickup in demand. Other senses, such as collect or learn, do take an object and separate, pick it up, but this one takes none: business picked up.
to shoot upB2neutral /ˌʃut ˈʌp/ increase very quickly and by a large amount Synonyms: soar, surge, jump	rise very fast	Shipping costs shot up forty percent in the weeks after the canal closed.
A formal report prefers rose sharply or surged. It describes speed, so pair it with a figure or a period. Past forms are shot and shot, and it takes no object: prices shot up.
to fall offB2neutral /ˌfɔl ˈɔf/ become smaller in number or amount than before Synonyms: decline, drop, decrease	get smaller over time	Attendance fell off sharply once the conference moved to a smaller city.
The noun is a falloff, as in a falloff in orders. It suits numbers, demand and quality, but a person's health or a price is better described with another verb. No object: demand fell off.
to bounce backB2neutral /ˌbaʊns ˈbæk/ return to a good level quickly after a fall or setback Synonyms: recover, rebound, revive	recover quickly	Tourism bounced back faster than expected once the border restrictions ended.
The formal single word is rebound, which financial writing prefers. No object; use from before the setback: bounced back from a weak quarter.
to turn aroundC1neutral /ˌtɜrn əˈraʊnd/ change a failing business or situation so that it succeeds Synonyms: revive, rescue, transform	make successful again	She was hired to turn around a division that had lost money for five years.
The noun turnaround covers both the recovery and the time a task takes. Also used with no object: the unit turned around last year. Separable: turn the business around, or turn it around.
to shut downB2neutral /ˌʃʌt ˈdaʊn/ close a factory, service or business, usually for good Synonyms: close, cease operations, halt	close permanently	The company will shut down two plants and move production to a single site.
The noun is a shutdown, and headlines drop the article: Shutdown enters second week. Wind down is the slower, gentler process. Separable: shut down the line, or shut it down.
to tighten upC1neutral /ˌtaɪtən ˈʌp/ make a rule, system or control stricter than before Synonyms: strengthen, restrict, toughen	make stricter	The regulator tightened up reporting rules after two funds missed their deadlines.
Separable: tighten up the rules, or tighten them up, and the particle can be dropped: tighten the rules. Usual objects are rules, security, controls and lending. Neutral in policy reporting.
to lag behindC1neutral /ˌlæg bɪˈhaɪnd/ develop or perform more slowly than others in the same field Synonyms: trail, underperform, be outpaced	fall behind others	Wages continue to lag behind prices in most of the manufacturing sector.
Always a comparison, so name the benchmark. Behind can be dropped when nothing follows: productivity is lagging. Neutral, and nothing goes between lag and behind.
to edge outC1neutral /ˌɛdʒ ˈaʊt/ beat or replace someone by a very small amount Synonyms: beat, defeat, outbid	beat narrowly	The smaller bidder edged out two rivals by offering a shorter delivery time.
Separable: edge out the favorite, or edge them out. The margin must be small, which is the whole point of the verb. Common in reporting on contracts, elections and sport.
to lose outB2neutral /ˌluz ˈaʊt/ not get a benefit that other people get Synonyms: suffer, forfeit, be disadvantaged	be at a disadvantage	Small suppliers lose out when payment terms are extended to ninety days.
It implies an unfair or at least unequal outcome rather than simple failure, and the disadvantage is the point, where miss out on is about the lost chance itself. No object; to marks the winner.
to catch onB2neutral /ˈkætʃ ɑn/ become popular or widely accepted Synonyms: take hold, spread, become popular	become popular	The subscription model never really caught on outside the largest cities.
Often negative in business writing: never really caught on. A second sense means finally understand, as in investors were slow to catch on. No object in either sense.
to take offB2neutral /ˌteɪk ˈɔf/ start to succeed or grow very quickly Synonyms: surge, boom, flourish	grow suddenly	Sales took off after a review in a national paper mentioned the warranty.
It describes sudden growth from a small base, so it suits a product or a young market, not a mature company. Other senses involve planes and removal. No object here: the brand took off.
to fall short ofC1formal /ˈfɔl ˈʃɔrt əv/ be less than a target, standard or expectation Synonyms: miss, underperform, disappoint	be less than required	Revenue fell short of forecasts by about four percent in the final quarter.
Of can be dropped when nothing follows: the results fell short. It is the standard wording in results and audit reporting, and formal in tone. All three words stay together.
to fall back onC1neutral /ˈfɔl ˈbæk ɑn/ use something else when your first plan or source fails Synonyms: resort to, rely on, turn to	use as a reserve	With the grant delayed, the charity fell back on reserves to pay its staff.
It implies the first choice failed, and the related noun is a fallback, as in a fallback option. All three words stay together: fall back on savings, fall back on them.
to rake inC1informal /ˌreɪk ˈɪn/ earn a very large amount of money, often easily Synonyms: earn, collect, amass	earn a great deal	The tournament raked in record sponsorship despite the smaller television audience.
Informal and slightly disapproving, since it suggests the money came too easily, so it never appears in a company's own statement. Separable: rake it in.
to pull inC1informal /ˌpʊl ˈɪn/ attract customers or earn a stated amount of money Synonyms: attract, draw, earn	attract; earn	The exhibition pulled in ninety thousand visitors over the summer months.
Informal but neutral in tone, unlike rake in, which judges the amount. The objects are visitors, viewers, customers and revenue figures. Separable: pull it in.
to pull outB2neutral /ˌpʊl ˈaʊt/ stop taking part in a market, deal or agreement Synonyms: withdraw, exit, leave	quit a deal or market	The bank pulled out of the market entirely after three years of losses there.
Stronger than back out, because it ends a presence rather than a promise. The noun is a pullout, used of markets and of troops. No object in this sense; of marks what is left.
to call forB2neutral /ˈkɔl fɔr/ publicly say that something should be done Synonyms: demand, urge, request	publicly demand	Two senators called for an independent inquiry into how the permits were granted.
The object is a noun rather than a clause, so write called for his resignation rather than called for him to resign. Headlines love it: Senators call for inquiry. Nothing goes inside it.
to call onC1formal /ˈkɔl ɑn/ publicly ask a person or government to do something Synonyms: urge, appeal to, ask	formally urge someone	The committee called on the department to publish the safety reports in full.
Call for takes a thing, call on takes a person, and that is the distinction learners most often miss. The pattern is call on someone to do something. Formal and standard in official statements; nothing goes between call and on.
to run forB2neutral /ˈrʌn fɔr/ compete to be elected to a political position Synonyms: compete for, contest, seek	compete for election	She announced that she would run for governor rather than seek a third term.
The office takes no article: run for president, run for office. American English says run for where British English says stand for, and the person is a candidate, never a runner. Nothing goes between run and for.
to swear inC1formal /ˌswɛr ˈɪn/ make someone take an official promise before starting a position Synonyms: install, inaugurate, induct	admit to office formally	The new commissioner was sworn in on Tuesday and took charge the same afternoon.
Almost always passive: she was sworn in as mayor. Past forms are swore and sworn. The ceremony itself is a swearing-in, as in a swearing-in ceremony. Formal and legal in tone, and separable.
to vote downC1neutral /ˌvoʊt ˈdaʊn/ defeat a proposal by voting against it Synonyms: reject, defeat, block	defeat by voting	The council voted down the parking plan for the second time in a year.
The object is a proposal, never a person, and the passive is common: the amendment was voted down. Neutral in news, and separable: vote it down.
to vote outC1neutral /ˌvoʊt ˈaʊt/ remove someone from office by voting against them Synonyms: unseat, remove, oust	remove by election	Voters in three districts voted out incumbents who had backed the road tax.
The object here is a person, which is exactly what separates it from vote down, and of office can follow. Separable: vote him out.
to push throughC1neutral /ˌpʊʃ ˈθru/ get a law or plan officially approved despite opposition Synonyms: force through, enact, secure	force approval of	The government pushed the budget through before the session ended in December.
Separable: push through the reform, or push it through. It always implies haste or resistance, so it is faintly critical, and the passive hides who applied the pressure: the bill was pushed through.
to sign into lawC1formal /ˈsaɪn ˈɪntu ˈlɔ/ officially approve a bill by signing it, so it becomes law Synonyms: enact, approve, ratify	make a bill law	The governor signed the measure into law hours after the final vote.
The object must sit in the middle: signed the bill into law, never signed into law the bill. American and formal, and only a president or governor can be the subject.
to strike downC1formal /ˌstraɪk ˈdaʊn/ decide in court that a law or rule is not valid Synonyms: overturn, invalidate, void	cancel a law in court	An appeals court struck down the rule, saying the agency had exceeded its authority.
Only a court can be the subject, and the object is a law or rule, never a case. Past forms are struck and struck. Separable: strike down the statute, or strike it down.
to throw outB2neutral /ˌθroʊ ˈaʊt/ refuse to accept a case, claim or proposal Synonyms: dismiss, reject, discard	reject; dismiss	The judge threw out the case after the main witness withdrew her statement.
Dismiss is the formal single word. In court reporting the object is a case or an appeal, while strike down applies to laws. Neutral. Separable: throw out the claim, or throw it out.
to hand downC1formal /ˌhænd ˈdaʊn/ officially announce a decision, sentence or ruling Synonyms: issue, deliver, pronounce	issue a ruling or sentence	The court handed down a four-year sentence and a fine of two million dollars.
Formal and restricted to courts and senior bodies. A separate sense is to pass something to a younger generation: skills handed down for centuries. Separable: hand down a ruling, or hand it down.
to rule onC1formal /ˈrul ɑn/ make an official decision about a legal question Synonyms: decide, adjudicate, determine	decide officially about	The court will rule on the challenge before the new session begins in October.
Do not confuse it with rule out, which means eliminate a possibility. The subject is a court, a judge or a referee, and the noun is a ruling. Nothing goes between rule and on.
to go afterB2neutral /ˌgoʊ ˈæftər/ try hard to catch, punish or win something Synonyms: pursue, target, chase	pursue; target	Prosecutors went after the firm's directors rather than the company itself.
The object can be a person, a market or a contract. Neutral in news, but it always suggests determination and some aggression. Nothing goes between go and after.
to clamp down onC1neutral /ˈklæmp ˈdaʊn ɑn/ start dealing much more strictly with a problem or behavior Synonyms: restrict, suppress, crack down on	act strictly against	Inspectors clamped down on unlicensed operators after two serious accidents.
The noun clampdown parallels crackdown, which is the commoner of the two in American news, and headlines drop the article: Clampdown on unlicensed rentals. All three words stay together.
to water downC1neutral /ˌwɔtər ˈdaʊn/ make a rule or plan weaker and less effective Synonyms: weaken, dilute, soften	weaken a proposal	The final bill was watered down to win the support of two rural senators.
Separable: water down the rules, or water them down, and often passive. Always critical, and the usual objects are a bill, a proposal, standards and sanctions.
to root outC1neutral /ˌrut ˈaʊt/ find and remove something bad from an organization Synonyms: eliminate, eradicate, remove	hunt down and end	The new director promised to root out the practices the audit had uncovered.
Separable: root out corruption, or root it out. The object is an abuse or a wrongdoer, and the claim is total removal, which is why it is a favorite of official promises.
to round upC1neutral /ˌraʊnd ˈʌp/ find and bring together a group of people, often by force Synonyms: detain, arrest, gather	arrest or gather a group	Police rounded up a dozen protesters outside the depot on Friday morning.
The noun roundup means both a mass arrest and a summary of news. With figures the verb means raise to the nearest whole number. Separable: round up the suspects, or round them up.
to let offC1informal /ˌlɛt ˈɔf/ decide not to punish someone, or to punish them only slightly Synonyms: excuse, spare, release	punish lightly or not at all	Two of the drivers were let off with a warning and a small fine.
Separable, and a pronoun must split it: let him off, often with with plus the light punishment. Informal, so court reporting prefers was given a suspended sentence.
to tip offC1neutral /ˌtɪp ˈɔf/ secretly give someone information or a warning Synonyms: inform, alert, warn	secretly warn or inform	A former employee tipped off the regulator about the missing inspection records.
The noun is a tip-off, with a hyphen, and the information is always secret or advance. About introduces the subject. Separable: tip off the police, or tip them off.
to blow the whistle onC1neutral /ˈbloʊ ðə ˈwɪsəl ɑn/ tell the authorities or the press about wrongdoing at your workplace Synonyms: expose, report, denounce	expose wrongdoing	The engineer who blew the whistle on the testing has since left the industry.
A fixed phrase and inseparable after whistle: blew the whistle on the scheme. The person is a whistleblower, one word, and the protection given to them is whistleblower protection.
to cover upB2neutral /ˌkʌvər ˈʌp/ hide a mistake or crime so that others do not learn about it Synonyms: conceal, hide, suppress	hide wrongdoing	Managers covered up the results of two failed tests for almost a year.
The act is always deliberate. The noun is a cover-up, with a hyphen, and headlines drop the article: Cover-up alleged at agency. Separable: cover up the losses, or cover them up.
to paper overC1neutral /ˌpeɪpər ˈoʊvər/ hide a problem or disagreement instead of solving it Synonyms: conceal, mask, patch over	hide a disagreement	The statement papered over deep differences about who would fund the repairs.
Usually with cracks or differences, and it always predicts that the problem will come back, where cover up hides the fact altogether. Nothing goes inside the phrase.
to siphon offC1neutral /ˌsaɪfən ˈɔf/ take money secretly from a fund for your own use Synonyms: divert, embezzle, misappropriate	take money dishonestly	Investigators say two officials siphoned off nearly a million dollars in grant money.
It implies gradual, secret theft, which distinguishes it from a single act of fraud, and from introduces the source. Separable: siphon off funds, or siphon them off.
to sit onC1informal /ˈsɪt ɑn/ keep information or a decision and deliberately do nothing with it Synonyms: withhold, delay, suppress	bury; refuse to release	The department sat on the inspection report for eight months before publishing it.
Informal and accusing, so an official reply would say the report was under review. A separate neutral sense is to be a member of a board or a panel. Nothing goes between sit and on.
to dig upC1informal /ˌdɪg ˈʌp/ discover facts that someone wanted kept hidden Synonyms: uncover, unearth, discover	find hidden information	Reporters dug up contracts showing the same consultant advising both sides.
The object is usually evidence about a person, and the past forms are dug and dug. Informal, so a published report would say obtained or uncovered. Separable: dig up the records, or dig them up.
to dig intoC1informal /ˌdɪg ˈɪntu/ examine something carefully to find out what really happened Synonyms: investigate, examine, probe	investigate thoroughly	Auditors dug into three years of invoices from the same two suppliers.
Informal but common in news; a formal document says examine or review. The object is a body of material, not a single fact. Nothing goes between dig and into.
to pore overC1formal /ˌpɔr ˈoʊvər/ read or study something with great attention for a long time Synonyms: study, examine, scrutinize	read very closely	Analysts pored over the filing for hints about how the debt would be repaid.
Spelled pore, not pour, which is a common written error. Formal and bookish, and the object must be something written. Nothing goes between pore and over.
to comb throughC1neutral /ˌkoʊm ˈθru/ search through a large amount of material very carefully Synonyms: search, examine, scour	search systematically	A team combed through four thousand emails looking for the original instruction.
The b in comb is silent. It stresses system and completeness, where sift through stresses separating the useful from the useless. Nothing goes between comb and through.
to piece togetherC1neutral /ˌpis təˈgɛðər/ understand an event by putting small pieces of information together Synonyms: reconstruct, assemble, compile	reconstruct from fragments	Investigators pieced together the sequence of failures from maintenance logs and radio traffic.
Separable, and a pronoun must split it: pieced it together. The object is an account, a picture or a sequence, and the phrase implies the evidence was incomplete.
to turn upB2neutral /ˌtɜrn ˈʌp/ find something, especially while searching for something else Synonyms: uncover, reveal, find	discover; reveal	The audit turned up irregularities in expenses claimed by three regional offices.
The discovery is usually unplanned, and with no object the verb means arrive or appear: the file turned up later. Neutral. With an object it is separable: turn up evidence, or turn it up.
to bear outC1formal /ˌbɛr ˈaʊt/ show that a claim or belief is true Synonyms: confirm, support, substantiate	confirm; support	The figures bear out what suppliers had been saying about late payment all year.
The subject is evidence, not a person, and the past participle is borne: the theory was borne out. Formal, and often passive. Separable: the data bear out the claim, or bear it out.
to point toB2neutral /ˈpɔɪnt tu/ be evidence that suggests a particular conclusion Synonyms: indicate, suggest, imply	indicate; suggest	Rising inventories point to weaker demand in the second half of the year.
The subject is evidence, not a person, which separates it from point out, where a person states something. Nothing goes between point and to: the data point to a slowdown. It commits you less than show and more than suggest, which is why analysts reach for it.
to leak outB2neutral /ˌlik ˈaʊt/ become known to the public although it was meant to be secret Synonyms: emerge, get out, become public	become known secretly	Details of the settlement leaked out days before the official announcement.
The subject is the information itself, so nobody leaks something out; a person simply leaks it. The document involved is a leaked memo. No object: the memo leaked out.
to close in onC1neutral /ˈkloʊz ˈɪn ɑn/ come gradually nearer to catching or reaching something Synonyms: approach, near, converge on	get near to catching	Investigators are closing in on the accounts used to move the money abroad.
Usually in the progressive, because the process is unfinished, and close here is /kloʊz/, with a z. All three words stay together: closing in on the suspects, closing in on them.
to answer forC1formal /ˈænsər fɔr/ be forced to explain or accept blame for something Synonyms: be accountable for, justify, explain	take the blame for	The board will have to answer for decisions taken before the audit began.
It implies a duty to explain to someone with authority. Compare answer to, which names the person you report to rather than the thing you are blamed for. Formal, and nothing goes inside it.
to pin onC1informal /ˈpɪn ɑn/ say that a particular person is responsible for something bad Synonyms: blame, attribute to, hold responsible	blame someone for	The report pins the delay on a contractor that has since gone out of business.
The blame comes first and the person after on: pin the blame on the supplier, pin it on them. Informal and often suggests the blame is unfair. Do not confuse it with pin down, meaning establish exactly.
to break outB2neutral /ˌbreɪk ˈaʊt/ start suddenly, of fighting, disease or disorder Synonyms: erupt, begin, start	start suddenly	Fighting broke out again along the border hours after the ceasefire was announced.
The subject is limited to bad things: war, fire, violence, disease, panic. The noun is an outbreak, with the parts reversed, and headlines drop the article: Outbreak spreads. No object.
to flare upC1neutral /ˌflɛr ˈʌp/ suddenly become violent or serious again after a calm period Synonyms: erupt, intensify, worsen	suddenly become worse	Tensions flared up in the port city after a second day without electricity.
It requires an earlier quiet period, so it means return rather than begin, unlike break out. The noun is a flare-up, with a hyphen, used of conflicts and of illnesses. No object.
to spill overC1neutral /ˌspɪl ˈoʊvər/ spread so that it affects another place, group or issue Synonyms: spread, extend, escalate	spread into another area	The dispute spilled over into the wider industry once other unions balloted.
The noun spillover names the effect, and the related noun fallout covers the damaging consequences of an event. No object; into marks the new area.
to die downB2neutral /ˌdaɪ ˈdaʊn/ gradually become less strong or less noticed Synonyms: subside, ease, fade	become calmer	Criticism died down once the company agreed to publish the full inspection results.
Typical subjects are anger, noise, speculation and criticism, and it describes a gradual fall in intensity, not a decision to stop. No object: the protests died down.
to play outC1neutral /ˌpleɪ ˈaʊt/ happen and develop over time, especially in public view Synonyms: unfold, develop, proceed	develop; unfold	The dispute played out in court over three years and cost both sides millions.
Often with in plus a place, or will plus a guess about the future: how this will play out. Common in commentary about unfinished events, and it takes no object in this sense.
to set offB2neutral /ˌsɛt ˈɔf/ cause something sudden to begin, especially a reaction Synonyms: trigger, provoke, spark	trigger; cause suddenly	The announcement set off a wave of selling that lasted most of the afternoon.
Separable: set off a panic, or set it off. The object is a reaction or an alarm. With no object it means begin a journey, which is a separate everyday sense.
to stir upC1neutral /ˌstɜr ˈʌp/ cause strong feelings or trouble, often deliberately Synonyms: provoke, incite, inflame	provoke strong feeling	The leaflets stirred up anger in neighborhoods that had not been consulted at all.
Separable: stir up opposition, or stir it up. The object is a feeling or trouble, never a person, and the action is usually presented as deliberate and unwelcome.
to drum upC1informal /ˌdrʌm ˈʌp/ work hard to get support, interest or customers Synonyms: generate, attract, rally	gather support or business	Organizers spent the summer drumming up support among smaller member states.
The objects are fixed: support, business, interest, enthusiasm. Informal in tone, so a formal report would say secure or generate. Separable: drum up business, or drum it up.
to stave offC1formal /ˌsteɪv ˈɔf/ stop something bad from happening for a period of time Synonyms: avert, delay, forestall	delay something bad	The loan staved off bankruptcy for another year but solved nothing.
It implies delay rather than prevention, unlike head off, which suggests the danger was avoided altogether. Formal, and separable: stave it off.
to ride outC1neutral /ˌraɪd ˈaʊt/ continue through a difficult period until it ends Synonyms: survive, weather, endure	survive a difficult period	Smaller yards rode out the downturn by taking repair work at very low margins.
Separable: ride out the storm, or ride it out. The object is a bad period, such as a recession, a crisis or a scandal. Neutral, and it implies patience rather than action.
to hold on toB2neutral /ˈhoʊld ˈɑn tu/ keep something you have and not let it be taken away Synonyms: retain, keep, maintain	keep; retain	The party held on to the seat by fewer than three hundred votes.
It implies effort against pressure, so it fits a seat, power, market share or a job rather than an object on a shelf. All three words stay together: hold on to power, hold on to it.
to lock downC1neutral /ˌlɑk ˈdaʊn/ close a place or system so that nobody can enter or leave Synonyms: seal off, secure, close	close off completely	The port was locked down for six hours while investigators searched two containers.
The noun is a lockdown, one word, and headlines drop the article: Lockdown lifted after searches. An informal sense means secure firmly: lock down a deal. Separable: lock down the building, or lock it down.
to lay downC1formal /ˌleɪ ˈdaʊn/ state a rule or condition officially and firmly Synonyms: establish, stipulate, prescribe	state officially	The agreement lays down conditions that both governments must meet before any transfer.
Separable: lay down the rules, or lay them down, and frequently passive: conditions laid down in the treaty. Past forms are laid and laid. Formal and legal, and the subject is usually a document.
to adhere toC1formal /ædˈhɪr tu/ keep exactly to a standard, schedule or set of guidelines Synonyms: keep to, conform to, uphold	follow exactly	Inspectors found that only two of the eleven sites adhered to the storage guidelines.
The casual version is stick to; adhere to is what an audit report, a policy or a clinical protocol uses. The preposition is to, never with, and the verb never splits. Its objects are guidelines, a standard and a schedule, and exactness is the point, so adhering loosely is a contradiction.
to refrain fromB2formal /rɪˈfreɪn frʌm/ deliberately choose not to do something, especially in public Synonyms: avoid, abstain from, hold back from	deliberately avoid doing	Staff were asked to refrain from commenting on the investigation until the report is published.
A notice says please refrain from smoking where a person would say don't smoke. A verb after from takes the -ing form, and the phrase never splits. It implies restraint that costs the speaker something, which is why it lands as polite and faintly reproachful at once.
to culminate inC1formal /ˈkʌlməˌneɪt ɪn/ reach a final and most important point in something Synonyms: end in, result in, lead up to	end in a high point	Eighteen months of hearings culminated in a settlement announced quietly on a Friday afternoon.
News writing uses it to close a long sequence: months of talks culminated in an agreement. What follows in has to be the peak and not merely the last thing that happened, so nothing culminates in a delay. End in is the plain version, and culminate with is possible but rarer.
to embark onB2formal /ɛmˈbɑrk ɑn/ start on something large and demanding, such as a program or career Synonyms: undertake, launch into, take up	start something major	The agency is about to embark on the largest rebuilding program in its history.
Announcements prefer embark on where speech says start or get going on. It never splits, and the object is deliberately weighty: a review, a program, a career, a restructuring. The picture is boarding a ship, which is why embarking on a sandwich reads as a joke. Upon is the stiffer variant.
to allude toC1formal /əˈlud tu/ mention something indirectly, without naming it Synonyms: hint at, imply, refer to	hint at indirectly	The chairman alluded to a disagreement on the board but named nobody and took no questions.
Indirectness is the whole meaning, so a speaker who alludes to a problem has chosen not to name it. Inseparable, and the noun is an allusion. Mention and refer to are the plain versions and carry no hint. Keep it clear of elude, which means escape and sounds almost the same.
to dispense withC1formal /dɪˈspɛns wɪð/ stop using something because it is no longer needed Synonyms: drop, waive, forgo	do without	The committee dispensed with the usual introductions and went straight to the auditor's findings.
Minutes say the chair dispensed with the formalities where speech says skipped them. Inseparable. The object is a step now thought unnecessary: a reading, a requirement, an introduction. It also covers managing without a thing you might have had, as in dispense with an interpreter.
to accede toC1formal /ækˈsid tu/ grant a request or demand, especially officially Synonyms: grant, consent to, allow	grant a demand	The ministry finally acceded to the union's demand for an independent review of the figures.
This is the formal counterpart of cave in and give way to, and unlike them it passes no judgment on the side that agreed. Inseparable, and the object is a request, a demand or a condition. A second sense is taking up high office: acceded to the presidency.
to impinge onC1formal /ɪmˈpɪndʒ ɑn/ restrict a right, freedom or area that belongs to someone else Synonyms: encroach on, restrict, interfere with	restrict a right	The court held that the new filing rules impinge on the right to a fair hearing.
Legal and policy writing uses it where speech would say get in the way of or cut into. Inseparable, and upon is the stiffer variant. Its objects are rights, freedoms, privacy and jurisdiction, and the effect is always unwelcome, so nothing impinges on anything helpfully.

English Phrasal Verbs — Work & News Official

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