- Phrasal Verbs (Sentence examples: stay behind – switch over)
- Phrasal Verbs (Sentence examples: tear apart – tie up)
Phrasal Verb |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
take aback |
To surprise or shock someone. |
I was taken aback by what he said. |
take after |
To have a similar appearance to or qualities of someone; to resemble. |
Jenny is the only daughter who certainly takes after her mother. |
take against |
To take a dislike to someone. |
She’s taken against him for some unknown reason. |
take apart |
To separate into parts. |
He took the shelves apart for removal. |
take back |
To withdraw a statement or accusation as untrue or unjustified. |
OK, now don’t you curse me anymore; I take back and apologize for what I said. |
To remember a time in the past. |
Looking at her photo took me back to our shared childhood. |
|
To return a purchased item that is not satisfactory. |
I took it back and exchanged for a new one. |
|
To allow return of someone. |
He pleaded with his wife to take him back. |
|
take down |
To put down in writing. |
Please take down what I’m going to say. |
To write down something. |
Someone took down the getaway car number and gave it to the police. |
|
To move something towards a lower place or position. |
You should take the ceiling fan down; it’s no longer working. |
|
take for |
To think wrongly about something. |
He is likely to take your silence for consent. |
To consider in a particular way. |
They must have taken me for an idiot to want me to go along with their absurd idea. |
|
take in |
To deceive or be deceived. |
Jill was taken in by the company’s false claims about its products. |
To provide shelter to someone. |
The retirement home took in another elderly today. |
|
To understand. |
We couldn’t take in all the speaker said. |
|
To include. |
To calculate the cost of the meal at that restaurant, we have to take in the tip. |
|
To alter the seams of an item of clothing to make it tighter or smaller. |
She will not take the pants in; she will buy a new pair. |
|
To keep someone in official custody. |
He was taken in for questioning as a potential suspect. |
|
To view. |
The large windows enabled us to take in the fine views of the surrounding countryside. |
|
take off |
To head into the air. |
We were late and the plane took off without us. |
To remove. |
He took off his goggles which were steaming up and plunged into the pool. |
|
To become successful. |
His new business didn’t take off until after the third year of operation. |
|
To spend time away from work. |
He took a month off to get married. |
|
To leave quickly without telling anyone. |
Everyone was looking for her, but she had already taken off. |
|
To withdraw or discontinue. |
The product was taken off the production line due to falling demand. |
|
To deduct. |
Take ten dollars off the total which I owe you and I’ll pay you the balance. |
|
take on |
To come to possess a particular quality, appearance, meaning, etc. |
After a new coat of paint, the old house takes on a new look. |
To employ someone. |
The company took on more workers as it was then set for major expansion. |
|
To undertake. |
His promotion means he has to take on new responsibilities. |
|
To compete with or fight someone. |
The challenger will take on the reigning heavyweight boxing champion tonight. |
|
take out |
To bring someone to somewhere to do something. |
He often takes his family out for a meal at the same restaurant. |
To kill or destroy. |
One of the police snipers took out the deranged man holding a hostage. |
|
To remove or extract. |
He had his tonsils taken out when he was a child. |
|
To secure a legal application. |
She took out an injunction to prevent the press publishing the information. |
|
take out on |
To vent one’s anger or frustration on someone. |
It’s your own fault; why take it out on the children? |
To vent one’s anger or frustration on someone. |
We think the boss doesn’t like him; she’s always taking it out on him. |
|
take over |
To assume control of something. |
When you take over the driving, don’t sound the horn unnecessarily. |
take round |
To show the way to others. |
The guide took us round the leisure complex. |
take through |
To explain something to someone. |
The Manager took the new workers through the production process to familiarize them with it. |
take to |
To fall into a habit. |
Jim took to excessive drinking when his wife left him. |
To develop an aptitude for something. |
He took to the guitar at an early age. |
|
To develop a liking for something. |
She soon took to her mother-in-law’s cooking. |
|
To seek safety. |
As the fighting raged, the refugees took to the border. |
|
take up |
To become interested in something. |
Since my retirement, I’ve taken up stargazing. |
To develop an interest in a sporting activity. |
She has time now to take up cycling. |
|
To accept a challenge. |
If I don’t take up the challenge, they will likely say I have chickened out. |
|
To fill a position or post. |
He will take up his post as chief executive. |
|
To use up space, time, or attention. |
The piles of books are taking up too much space on the table. |
|
To continue a course of action. |
Some of them are going to take up the matter with the boss. |
|
take up with |
To become friendly with someone. |
He’s taken up with his new neighbour’s kids. |
take upon |
To place responsibility for something on oneself. |
Mark took it upon himself to paint the whole house. |
talk around/round |
To persuade someone to accept a point of view. |
She just doesn’t agree with the seriousness of the problem; one of you has to talk her around. |
talk at |
To say something without regard for a reply or reaction. |
We tried to tell her what’s wrong, but she wouldn’t listen; she was talking at us. |
talk back |
To make a reply that does not show proper respect. |
This kid will never hesitate to talk back to her mother. |
talk down |
To belittle. |
Mike often talked down the good things Betty did. |
talk down to |
To speak condescendingly to someone. |
It’s wrong to talk down to them like that; they are cleverer than you think. |
talk into |
To persuade. |
I didn’t want to get involved in the robbery, but he talked me into joining them. |
talk out |
To discuss in order to settle or find a solution to something. |
We thought it was just a misunderstanding and asked them to talk it out. |
talk out of |
To persuade someone not to take a course of action. |
She talked him out of seeking work overseas. |
To persuade someone not to do something. |
She wanted to marry him but her parents talked her out of it. |
|
talk over |
To discuss something thoroughly before taking an action. |
I think we’d better talk it over before we decide to buy it. |
To succeed in persuading someone. |
The Liverpool manager managed to talk the two players of rival teams over to his side. |
|
talk round/around |
To speak indirectly about something. |
He talked round the issue but gave no indication of how to tackle it. |
talk through |
To discuss thoroughly. |
I must talk this through with you two as there are a few things you need to know. |
talk up |
To speak favourably or enthusiastically about something. |
We have to talk up this new product so that people can see the usefulness of it. |