pony up

chicken out

horse around

monkey around

rat someone out

consider the Spanish translation and the one-word English translation (if there is one)

bend over

bend down

crouch down

run down 

walk around

run around

turn around

turn over

shout out

shout at

yell at

scream out

scream at

stretch out

lean in

lean forward

lean back

suck in 

breathe in 

breathe out

wipe off

knock out

step out

step into 

jump off

jump into 

dive into 

fill out

(metaphorical)

hit up 

walk it back

step up 

branch out

expand

We need to branch out into new markets.

break into

enter (with effort or force)

It is difficult to break into the American market.

carry on

continue

John carried on working after the shop closed.

close down

stop operating

The company had to close down because of financial problems.

look forward to

anticipate with pleasure

I look forward to meeting you next week.

note down (write down, take down)

write

Note down the address so you don't forget.

step down

resign or leave (a position/job)

The manager stepped down for family reasons.

take off

rise quickly

Sales took off last quarter.

take up

occupy or fill (time)

The meeting will take up the morning.

weigh up

consider

I will weigh up the advantages and disadvantages.

back up

make a copy of

Back up your computer files before you leave.

carry out

perform or conduct

We plan to carry out a customer survey next month.

come up

happen or arise

Something has come up, so I can't come to the meeting.

get on

make progress

How did you get on with the report yesterday?

keep up with

follow

Do you keep up with the financial news?

set up

start (a business)

Kate is setting up a business as a translator.

go through

experience

The company is going through a difficult time.

find out

discover or obtain (information)

Can you find out the sales figures for last month?

call off

cancel

The conference was called off because there was a problem with the venue.

call back

return a phone call

Can you call back later?

deal with

handle (a problem)

I deal with customer complaints.

drop in

visit

I will drop in tomorrow morning.

fill out

complete (a form)

Please fill out this form.

hold on

wait

Can you hold on, please?

join in

participate

Please join in and share your ideas.

lay off

fire (staff)

We have to lay off 20 people because of the financial crisis.

put back

delay or postpone

The meeting has been put back until next week.

run out of

have no more of something

The printer has run out of ink.

sort out

organise or fix

I need to sort out my travel plans.

take on

employ (staff)

The business is growing, so we need to take on more staff.

draw up

To draw up an agreement, a contract, a list, etc. means to compose the document and put it in written form.

My lawyer will draw up a contract and send it for your review.

get ahead

To get ahead means to be successful in your career or life; to make more progress than others:

You need to make lots of connections in order to get ahead in this industry.

burn out

To burn out means to work too hard, so that you become completely stressed and exhausted. The noun form, burnout, is also used.

If you keep working 16-hour days, you’ll burn out within a month.

(not) measure up

If something doesn’t measure up; it means it is not satisfactory; it doesn’t compare well with the standards.

This designer’s work just doesn’t measure up to the quality we’ve come to expect.

zero in on

To zero in on something means to focus closely on it.

We’ve tried a lot of strategies, but we need to zero in on what’s actually working.

lay off

If an employee is laid off, he/she loses her job; the company terminates their employment.

The R&D department had to lay off a couple of people.

pencil in

To pencil in an appointment means to set the appointment, but not confirm it as final.

Let’s pencil in a lunch meeting next Wednesday – but I’ll call you later to confirm it.

close down

If a company, program, factory, etc. closes down, it means it stops operating.

The company closed down the factory because it wasn’t meeting production quotas.

run by/past

To run something by/past someone means to show an idea or proposal to that person and ask for their approval or feedback.

That’s an interesting idea. Let’s run it by the boss and see what she thinks.

sign off on

To sign off on something means to give official approval for it.

The manager signed off on the revised budget for 2015.

Step down

  • Meaning: Resign or leave (a position/job)

 • Example: The chairman was forced to step down due to ill health.

Take off

 • Meaning: Become successful or popular very fast

 • Example: Her business has really taken off.

Take up

 • Meaning: Fill a particular amount of space or time

 • Example: These files take up a lot of disk space.

Weigh up (UK)

 • Meaning: Consider carefully the advantages or disadvantages of a situation

 • Example: I’m weighing up my options before I decide to apply for the job.

Back up

 • Meaning: Make a copy of information

 • Example: It’s a good idea to back up your files onto a memory stick.

Carry out

 • Meaning: Do and complete a task

 • Example: The building work was carried out by a local contractor.

Come up

 • Meaning: Happen or arise

 • Example: I’m going to have to cancel our meeting – something’s come up.

Common Business Phrasal Verbs (3)

Get on (UK)

 • Meaning: Continue or start doing something

 • Example: Can we please get on, because there are a lot of things still to discuss.

Keep up with

 • Meaning: Follow

 • Example: We try to keep up with what’s happening about financial news.

Set up

 • Meaning: Start (a business)

 • Example: The group plans to set up an import business.

Go through

 • Meaning: Experience something bad

 • Example: We can’t really imagine what our company’s going through.

Find out

 • Meaning: Discover a fact or piece of information

 • Example: Can you find out what our customers think of their local bus service?

Call off

 • Meaning: Cancel something

 • Example: With the weather worsening, they have called off their field trip.

Call back

 • Meaning: To return a call or telephone someone again.

 • Example: I’ll call you back when I’ve heard something about the interview.

Deal with

 • Meaning: Handle (a problem)

 • Example: He’s good at dealing with pressure.

Drop in

 • Meaning: Make a short visit without making an arrangement in advance

 • Example: Drop in whenever you want—I’ll be at the office all day.

Fill out

 • Meaning: Complete (a form)

 • Example: It took me several hours to fill out the application form.

Hold on

 • Meaning: Wait

 • Example: We’ll hold on another minute, then we’ll have to go.

Join in

 • Meaning: Participate

 • Example: We would be eager to join in projects of that sort.

Lay off

 • Meaning: Fire (staff)

 • Example: We have no plans in the immediate future to lay off workers.

Put back

 • Meaning: Delay or postpone

 • Example: The meeting has been put back to next week.

Run out of

 • Meaning: Have no more of something

 • Example: Many companies are running out of money.

Sort out

 • Meaning: Organise or fix

 • Example: We brought in a management consultant to sort out the mess.

Take on

 • Meaning: Employ (staff)

 • Example: We’re not taking on any new staff at the moment.

Take over

 • Meaning: To begin to have control of or responsibility for something

 • Example: He understands the business and can take over when I’m away.

Bail out

 • Meaning: To rescue somebody from a difficult situation, especially financial problems

 • Example: The bank helped to bail out the struggling company.

Cut back

 • Meaning: To reduce something

 • Example: In times of economic hardship, firms cut back on training.

Go under

 • Meaning: To become bankrupt

 • Example: The firm will go under unless business improves.

Fall through

 • Meaning: If an agreement, plan, sale etc. falls through, it is not completed successfully

 • Example: The planned purchase of the racecourse fell through.

Pull out

 • Meaning: To move away from something or stop being involved in it

 • Example: The project became so expensive that we had to pull out.

Bottom out

 • Meaning: To stop getting worse

 • Example: Property prices are still falling, and show no signs of bottoming out.

Level off

 • Meaning: To stop rising or falling and become steady

 • Example: Inflation has begun to level off.

to beef up (security, for example)
Meaning: to increase the size, scope, or power of something
They beefed up security in NYC after 9

Boil down

Meaning: to reduce a liquid by cooking to a thick sauce

Example: She boiled down the sauce to make it more flavorful.

Boil over (spill over)

Meaning: to cause liquid to overflow during boiling.

Example: She was cooking pasta on high heat and it boiled over.

Bolt down / Wolf down  

To eat your food very quickly.

Example: “Susan only has 15 minutes to eat lunch so she bolts it down really fast”

Chop up 

To cut into pieces, usually with several sharp blows.

Example: “If you want to help me, please chop up these vegetables for the stew.

Cram (something) in 

Meaning: to eat  your food in large quantities and quickly, as if in a hurry.  

You must be starving, you're really cramming it in!

Cut out 

To stop doing (something)

Example: “My Dad has very high cholesterol, so he has cut out eggs and dairy from his diet”

Cut back on / Cut down on 

Have less of (something)

Example: “You eat too much salt, you should cut back on salty foods”

Cut up 

cut all of something  into pieces

Example:  Can you help me by cutting up carrots?  

Eat out  

To eat away from home, usually in a restaurant.

Example: “When I don’t want to cook, my boyfriend and I eat out at a restaurant”

Eat up

Meaning: to eat all the food that you have been given, to eat until everything is finished.

Example: Matt, eat up. I don’t want you to leave out broccoli again, it’s good for you.

Flip over

turn something from one of its sides to the other

Don't flip over the pancake until you begin to see bubbles forming. 

Fry up 

The act of frying a meal, especially breakfast.

Example: “On Sundays my Mum always prepares a fry up – eggs, bacon, beans and toast. Yum!”

Hold down

Meaning: to hold food in the stomach and digest it normally, without vomiting.  

Example.  He got a terrible stomach flu and couldn't hold down food for 2 days.  

Knock back 

 To drink or swallow (an alcoholic drink) quickly

Example: “When John got to the bar he inmediately asked for a big whiskey and knocked it back”

Pick at

Meaning: to unwillingly eat only a small amount of food because you are feeling sick, not hungry or don’t like the food

Example: This afternoon Andy picked at his food, because he was feeling sick and could hardly keep anything down.

Pick (sth) up

Meaning: to collect something from another place, for example food to go at a restaurant

Example: I’m going to a Greek restaurant to pick up our order.

Pig out 

To eat a lot of food at one time.

Example: “Jamie had been on a diet all week, so during the weekend he pigged out on fast food”

Pick up 

The act of going somewhere to get a person or thing that you will then take to another place

Example: “There’s nothing in the fridge so I will pick some sandwiches up from the shop”

Warm up / Heat up

To become warm or to make (someone or something) warm

Example: “If you’re hungry, warm up the leftovers in the microwave”

Whip up 

To produce or prepare (a meal) very quickly.

Example: “Toni loves cooking so every day he whips up a delicious supper for his wife and kids”

Clean up 

to clean entirely a space that was formerly dirty or messy

Ex: I made a mess cooking pancakes, but it's all cleaned up now.  

Empty out

vaciar completamente

To properly clean the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, empty them out first.  

wipe down

pasar el trapo por

Before you start cooking, wipe down the counter with some distilled vinegar.  

Clean off

despejar una superficie

Ex: When I'm done cooking, I clean off the counter and throw away the scraps. 

Throw out / Throw away

tirar a la basura

When I'm done cooking, I clean off the counter and throw away the scraps.  

Throw up

Meaning: to vomit

Example: Something I ate didn't sit well with me and I threw it up.   In fact, i was throwing up all night long, so it must have been food poisoning!

Stuffed up 

blocked and air can’t pass through. 

“I can’t breathe – my nose is all stuffed up thanks to my allergies.”

Throw up 

to vomit. 

“I feel a little queasy – I think I’m gonna throw up.”

Swell up 

“My ankle swelled up like a balloon when I sprained it.”

If a part of your body “swells up,” it means it gets bigger than normal because of fluid accumulating under the skin. Swelling indicates an injury or other health problem. 

Cut down on / Cut back on

to reduce the intake of 

“I’m overweight; the doctor says I need to cut down on fried foods.”

Come down with (something)

“Don’t get too close to me – I think I’m coming down with a cold.”

starting to get sick. 

Get over (it)

If you are recovering from a disease, you are “getting over” it: “I’ll be back at work tomorrow; I’ve finally gotten over the stomach virus I had.”

Get rid of (something)

“You’ll need a prescription-strength ointment to get rid of that rash.”

To “get rid of” something is to eliminate it.

A rash is an unusual colored area on your skin, which can be caused by allergy, disease, or infection; an ointment is a medicated cream or lotion that helps your skin heal. If a medication is “prescription-strength,” that means it is so strong that you need a doctor’s written permission to buy it.

pull through 

“She’s in critical condition, but the doctors say she’ll pull through.”

The phrasal verb “pull through,” when used in the context of an injury or illness, means the person will survive; the person will continue living and will not die. This is usually used in relation to recovering from very serious, life-threatening health problems.

pass away

“Peter’s father passed away last night. The funeral is on Wednesday.”

“Passed away” means “died.” This phrasal verb is an example of a euphemism – a word that is rather indirect, which is used to avoid talking too directly about sensitive topics.

ask someone out = ask for a relationship
break up = end a relationship
chat someone up = flirt with
cheat on = deceive a partner, have a secret romantic relationship with another
come onto someone = flirt with
drift apart = grow distant
fall for = fall in love with someone
get along with = enjoy the company of someone
go out (with) = to date someone
hit it off with someone = have chemistry with someone
hit on someone = try flirt with
hook up with someone = engage in sex or other physical romance
lead someone on = continue lying to someone
look up to someone = regard with deference, respect
make out = to kiss intensely and prolongedly
make up (with someone) = recuperate good relations / good terms
put up with someone = tolerate someone
settle down = marry and have children
split up = end a relationship
turn someone on / off = arouse / disgust

Work out 

to exercise

“I like to work out in the early morning, because that’s when I have the most energy.”

“That was a great workout! I’m gonna be sore tomorrow!” 

Work off

exercise to lose weight or compensate for something eaten

“Time to go to the gym – I need to work off the cheesecake I had last night!”

Warm up 

to do light or easy exercise in preparation for more intense exercise later.

“Let’s warm up with a short run.”

Try out

“My daughter is going to try out for the school’s most competitive soccer team.”

When you want to join a sports team, but the team doesn’t accept everybody, then you need to try out for the team – this means demonstrate your abilities so that the team’s manager can evaluate you and decide if you are good enough to join the team.

Pass out

to lose consciousness (you can also say “black out” or "faint"). When a person who has passed out begins to wake up, you can use another phrasal verb: “I think he’s coming around.”  (or "coming to", from "coming to his senses")

“The football player passed out due to dehydration.”

Knock out

to hit somebody and make them lose consciousness.

“The boxer threw a single punch and immediately knocked out his opponent.”

Give up

“He didn’t finish the marathon – he gave up around the 20th mile.”

To “give up” is to stop doing something, to desist.

Pick up  = to retrieve someone from a place
Drop off = to take someone to a place and leave them there
Check in  = to register at a hotel
Check in at a hotel
Check into a hotel
Check in at the airport

Check out  = to leave and pay for your stay at a hotel
Set out  = to start a journey
Take off  = when a plane goes airborne

Touch down =
Get in  = when a plane arrives on an airport
Get away  = to leave to go somewhere for a break or holiday
Get on  = to climb on board
Speed up  = to increase speed
Look around  = to explore what is near you, in your area
Hurry up  = to rush and not waste time
Go back  = to go the place someone is leaving from to say goodbye
See off  = to attend the departure of someone and say goodbye.
Look forward  = to think enthusiastically about something in the future