English Phrasal VerbsPhrasal Verbs are idiomatic expressions, combining verbs and prepositions to make new verbs whose meaning is often not obvious from the dictionary definitions of the individual words. They are widely used in both written and spoken English, and new ones are formed all the time as they are a flexible way of creating new terms. Phrasal Verbs starting with F :Face off : Confront The company FACED OFF the competition. Face up to : Accept an unpleasant truth Many people find it hard to FACE UP TO the fact that they are getting old. Faff about : Behave indecisively He told her to stop FAFFING ABOUT and make her mind up. Faff around : Behave indecisively She told him to stop FAFFING AROUND and make his mind up. Fall about : Laugh a lot We FELL ABOUT when we heard what she'd done. Fall apart : 1. Break into pieces The box FELL APART when I picked it up. 2. Become emotionally disturbed and unable to behave normally He FELL APART when they sacked him. Fall back : Retreat The army FELL BACK after losing the battle. Fall back on : Be able to use in an emergency It was good to have some money in the bank to FALL BACK ON when I lost my job. Fall behind : Make less progress I was ill for a week and FELL BEHIND with my work. Fall down : 1. Fall on the ground I slipped on the ice and FELL DOWN. 2. Have a weak point The argument FALLS DOWN when you look at how much it'll cost. Fall for : 1. Be attracted to somebody, fall in love He FELL FOR her the moment their eyes met. 2. Believe a lie or a piece of deception He FELL FOR my story and allowed me yet another extension for the submission of my thesis. Fall in : Collapse The ceiling FELL IN hurting a lot of people. Fall into : Start doing something unplanned I just FELL INTO my job when an opportunity came up. Fall off : Decrease The membership FELL OFF dramatically when the chairperson resigned. Fall out : 1. Argue and be on bad terms with someone They FELL OUT over the decision and hardly speak to each other any more. 2. Lose hair He's started getting worried about baldness because his hair is FALLING OUT rather quickly. Fall over : Fall on the ground I slipped on the ice and FELL OVER. Fall through : Be unsuccessful The plans FELL THROUGH when planning permission was refused. Fall under : Become controlled At first he was independent, but then he FELL UNDER their influence. Farm out : Give or contract work to someone else The company wants to FARM OUT their maintenance. Fart about : Waste time doing silly things The manager was angry because the staffs were FARTING ABOUT. Fart around : Waste time doing pointless things We were really bored in the lecture so we started FARTING AROUND. Fasten down : Tie something so that it doesn't move We FASTENED it DOWN to keep the wind from blowing it away. Fasten on : Give attention to something that confirms your beliefs They have FASTENED ON the speech as a source of inspiration. Fasten onto : 1. Follow someone closely, normally when they don't want your company He FASTENED ONTO the minister on his visit and asked him repeatedly about the scandal. 2. Give attention to something that confirms your beliefs They FASTEN ONTO any figures that they think can support their case. Fasten up : Close, attach FASTEN UP your seatbelts. Fathom out : Understand something I couldn't FATHOM OUT what she wanted from me. Fatten up : Give an animal a lot to eat to make it fat They FATTEN the cows UP before slaughtering them. Fawn on : Praise someone in an excessive way to get their favour or something from them He's always FAWNING ON his boss to try to get promoted. Fawn over : Praise someone in an excessive way to get their favour or something from them She FAWNED OVER the inspectors in the hope that they would give her a good grade. Feed off : 1. Eat a food as part of an animals diet The gecko FEEDS OFF mosquitoes and other insects. 2. Use something to your advantage He FEEDS OFF people's fear of crime to get them to support his proposals. Feed on : 1. Grow stronger The opposition party's FEEDING ON the government's weaknesses. 2. Consume in an animal's diet The bats FEED ON insects. 3. Give someone a particular food He FEEDS his cat ON dry food. Feed up : Give someone a lot of food to restore their health, make them bigger, etc She's been ill for a fortnight so we're FEEDING her UP. Feel up : Touch sexually, grope Someone FELT me UP in the club as I was trying to get to the bar. Feel up to : Feel capable of doing something I'm so tired. I don't think I FEEL UP TO going out tonight. Fend for : Take care of yourself or someone with help from other people The children had to FEND FOR themselves after their parents died. Fend off : 1. Resist something successfully He managed to FEND OFF the criticism in the press. 2. Push an attacker away She FENDED OFF the dog when it attacked her. Ferret out : Search and discover something The investigation finally managed to FERRET OUT the truth. Fess up : 1. Confess, admit something reluctantly The company FESSED UP after they were exposed in the newspapers. 2. Give FESS UP your share of the bill. Fess up to : Confess, admit reluctantly to something They FESSED UP TO the crime. Fiddle about : Waste time doing silly things, or doing things unsuccessfully We spent the whole afternoon FIDDLING ABOUT with the computer but couldn't get it to work. Fiddle around : 1. Waste time doing silly things, or unsuccessful things I FIDDLED AROUND with the phone but couldn't get any signal. 2. Make small movements with your hands He FIDDLED AROUND for something in his pockets. Fiddle away : Waste time He FIDDLED AWAY the afternoon. Fight back : 1. Defend yourself, resist an attack The army attacked the town and the inhabitants FOUGHT BACK fiercely. 2. Try to control and emotion and keep it hidden He tried to FIGHT BACK the tears when he heard the news of her death. Fight it out : Struggle to see who wins, both by arguing or fighting Their FIGHTING IT OUT to see who will become the next CEO. Fight off : 1. Fight an attacker and force them back The old lady managed to FIGHT the muggers OFF and they didn't get her purse. 2. Resist an illness or emotion I'm FIGHTING OFF a cold. Figure on : Plan, expect What job do you FIGURE ON doing when you graduate? Figure out : Find the answer to a problem The police couldn't FIGURE OUT how the burglars had got into the warehouse. File away : Put a document in the correct place for storage in a filing system I FILED a copy of the letter AWAY for my records. Fill in : 1. Complete a form I FILLED IN the application form and posted it off. 2. Substitute someone at work She's just had a baby, so we have hired someone to FILL IN for her. Fill in for : Substitute I was away for a few days, so they had to get someone to FILL IN FOR me. Fill in on : Give someone information I'm sorry I missed the meeting; could you FILL me IN ON what happened. Fill out : Complete a form I FILLED OUT the application form and mailed it. Fill up : Fill something completely I stopped at the garage and FILLED UP with petrol. Filter in : Move into a lane of traffic without making other cars stop The slip lane allows traffic to FILTER IN at the junction. Filter out : Remove something unwanted It FILTERS OUT all the impurities and chemicals in tap water so that it tastes better. Find out : Discover I went to the library to FIND OUT all I could about the life and work of Joe Meek. Finish off : Finish completely They FINISHED OFF all the chocolates and had to go to the all-night garage to buy some more. Fink on : Give away secrets about someone He FINKED ON her to the authorities. Fink out : Fail to keep a promise, arrangement, etc He said he'd come with us then FINKED OUT at the last minute. Fire away : Ask questions What do you want to know? FIRE AWAY and I'll tell you. Fire off : 1. Send quickly, angrily or many (letter, emails, etc) He FIRED OFF an email complaining about the report. 2. Shoot, fire a gun (usually repeatedly) The police FIRED OFF several rounds and killed the man. Fire up : 1. Start a computer She FIRED UP the computer and printed out a hard copy of the files. 2. Excite, become excited Everyone was FIRED UP and desperate to get it finished in time. Firm up : Make things clearer in a negotiation or discussion We need to FIRM UP some aspects of the contract before we sign it. Fish for : Try to get some information or to get someone to say something He's always FISHING FOR compliments. Fish out : 1. Remove something from a bag, pocket, etc She reached into her handbag and FISHED some coins OUT. 2. Remove from water, such as the sea, rivers, etc It's fallen in the pool- I'll have to FISH it OUT. Fit in : 1. Get on in a group of people I didn't FIT IN with the other people working there so I left and found another job. 2. Have enough time or space for something I didn't have time to FIT IN another appointment. Fit into : Become part of Their ideas didn't FIT INTO our plans. Fit up : 1. Frame someone- make them look guilty of something they haven't done The police FITTED him UP for dealing drugs. 2. Provide equipment They FITTED us UP with the latest IT. Fix up : Make an arrangement He FIXED UP an appointment for me to see a specialist. Fizzle out : End in an unsuccessful way The campaign started well, but FIZZLED OUT when they ran out of money. Flag down : Signal at a vehicle to get it to stop The police officer FLAGGED the car DOWN because it didn't have its headlights on. Flag up : Raise an issue, or highlight its importance We should FLAG UP working conditions at the meeting. Flake out : Fall asleep from exhaustion I worked till midnight then FLAKED OUT. Flame out : Fail The company FLAMED OUT in the recession. Flame up : Burn brightly The wood FLAMED UP in the fire. Flare out : Get angry suddenly He FLARED OUT when he saw the dreadful report. Flare up : When trouble suddenly appears The argument FLARED UP when he was rude to them. Flesh out : Add more details or information The recent government report FLESHED OUT the draft proposals. Flick over : Change TV channels quickly She FLICKED OVER to see if the news had started. Flick through : 1. Change TV channels repeatedly I FLICKED THROUGH the channels to see if there was anything worth watching. 2. Look through something quickly I FLICKED THROUGH the magazine and decided to buy it. Flip off : Extend your middle finger as a gesture of contempt When the police were walking away, he FLIPPED them OFF. Flip out : Become very excited and lose control He FLIPPED OUT when he won the final. Flip through : Look quickly through a magazine, book, etc I FLIPPED THROUGH the latest issue of the magazine in the shop and decided to buy it. Flog off : Sell something cheaply to get rid of it The council FLOGGED OFF the land cheaply to a developer who had close links to a few of the councillors. Floor it : Drive a vehicle as fast as possible She FLOORED IT when the police arrived. Flounce off : Leave a place or walk away from someone angrily He FLOUNCED OFF when they laughed at him. Flounce out : Leave a place angrily He FLOUNCED OUT when the press started criticising him. Fly about : Circulate (rumours, etc) The rumour has been FLYING ABOUT for the past week, but no one has confirmed it. Fly around : Circulate (rumours, etc) There are a lot of stories FLYING AROUND about her past. Fly at : 1. Attack The dog FLEW AT the cat when it came into the garden. 2. Criticise or shout angrily He FLEW AT them for not trying hard enough. Fly by : When time appears to move quickly As I get older, the years just FLY BY. Fly into : Change emotion quickly He FLEW INTO a rage. Fob off : 1. Make or persuade someone to accept something I FOBBED it OFF Paul. 2. Lie or deceive someone He FOBBED us OFF with a really stupid excuse. Fob off on : Make or persuade someone to accept something you don't want I FOBBED the work ON the others. Fob off onto : Make or persuade someone to accept something you don't want I FOBBED the fake note ONTO a shopkeeper. Fob off with : Make or persuade someone to accept something of lower quality than they wanted He FOBBED her OFF WITH some fake gold. Focus on : Concentrate The report FOCUSES ON the company's weak points. Fold up : Make a sheet of paper smaller Darren FOLDED UP the letter and put it in an envelope. Fool around : 1. Not be serious The teacher was angry because the classes were FOOLING AROUND. 2. Be unfaithful She suspects her husband is FOOLING AROUND with one of her friends. Forge ahead : 1. Make a lot of progress in a short time We've been FORGING AHEAD with the work and should be finished well before the deadline. 2. Move forwards very quickly She FORGED AHEAD of the other runners and won. Freak out : Become very disturbed or angry She FREAKED OUT completely when she didn't get the grades to get into university. Freeze out : 1. Shut out or exclude by unfriendly treatment They tried to FREEZE me OUT of the conversation. 2. Force to retire or withdraw from membership, a job, etc After Jim was FROZEN OUT of the case, they hired a new lawyer. Freeze over : Become covered with ice (lake, river, pond, etc) The winter was very severe and the lake FROZE OVER. Freeze up : 1. Be blocked with ice The pipes all FROZE UP so no water came through. 2. Stop working because the parts of a machine won't move The gears had FROZEN UP. 3. When a computer stops working The computer FROZE UP; it showed me the blue screen of death and I couldn't reboot. 4. Be paralysed with fear WE FROZE UP when we heard the window break. Freshen up : 1. Wash quickly and improve appearance I'm going to the bathroom to FRESHEN UP before they arrive. 2. Add more alcohol to a glass before it is empty Here, let me FRESHEN UP your drink. 3. Quickly improve the appearance of something The magazine gives you tips on how to FRESHEN UP your home cheaply. Front for : Represent someone, especially when covering illegal or wrongful activities The solicitor FRONTS FOR a number of criminal gangs. Front off : Confront someone and let them know you are prepared to fight The two guys FRONTED each other OFF, but someone managed to calm them down before it got out of hand. Front onto : Face (of a building) My house FRONTS ONTO the main square. Front out : Face up to someone, withstand criticism He accused her of lying, but she FRONTED him OUT. Front up : 1. Appear somewhere for a short time I hate these occasions, but I'll FRONT UP for the first half. 2. Advance cash for something She FRONTED UP the money we needed. Frown on : Disapprove He FROWNS ON people making personal calls at work.
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