Phrasal Verb |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
lie around |
To fill a place with an untidy collection of things. |
With all these things lying around in the garage, we just can’t find anything. |
|
To pass time lying down while not doing anything. |
Let’s take a week off and lie around on some secluded beach. |
lie about |
To leave things not in their proper places. |
I shouldn’t have left my keys lying about; now I can’t find them. |
lie behind |
To be the real cause although it is not immediately obvious. |
No one knew what lay behind their sudden change of decision. |
lie back |
To change from sitting to lying position. |
He lay back in the barber’s chair for a shave. |
lie down |
To take a sleeping or resting position. |
He was told to lie down for the doctor to examine him. |
lie in |
To remain in bed later than usual. |
I wish I could lie in and did not have to get up so early. |
To reside or be found. |
The real cause of the problem lies in the poor construction of the bridge. |
|
lie with |
To regard something as being caused by someone else. |
The fault lay not with her but with her manager. |
To be decided by. |
The choice as to which schools the children should attend lies with their parents. |
|
listen for |
To attentively listen for something. |
John must listen for her signal before he can respond. |
listen in |
To watch or listen to a television or radio broadcast. |
When the fighting broke out, I listened in to the daily news. |
listen in on |
To secretly listen to a conversation. |
She’s always listening in on her sister’s conversations on the phone. |
listen in to |
To listen to a broadcast. |
They listened in to the news as soon as the fighting broke out. |
listen out for |
To listen to something that is anticipated. |
Each time there’s an announcement, we listened out for the flight number. |
live in |
To reside in the place where one is employed. |
He called the police as his butler who lived in suddenly disappeared. |
live off |
To depend as a source of support. |
He regarded living off the welfare as beneath his dignity. |
live off (the land) |
To depend as a source of food. |
Most of the residents in the remote area live off their land. |
live on |
To continue to exist. |
The pain of losing her husband still lives on. |
To continue to exist |
The memory of that five-day ordeal at the hands of the hijackers lives on in my mind. |
|
live out |
To live the rest of one’s life in a way that one chooses. |
He escaped from prison and lived out his life as a free man. |
To not live in the place where one is employed. |
The three household servants we employed agreed to live out. |
|
To spend one’s life in a particular way |
His release from prison makes it possible for him to live out a life that he has imagined. |
|
live through |
To experience something dangerous or difficult. |
She had lived through the terrifying experience as a hostage held for two months. |
live up to |
To fulfil what is desired, promised or expected. |
She is certainly living up to her reputation as an incorrigible flirt. |
live with |
To tolerate or endure. |
He was often seized by a sudden attack of cramp, which he had learned to live with. |
lock away |
To lock something in a safe place. |
They lost their valuables which were not locked away in a burglary. |
lock in |
To keep someone in a building or room by locking the door. |
She locked her children in and went to a nearby grocery store. |
lock onto |
By tracking an enemy target after locating it by radar. |
Our naval ship locked onto a vessel that had intruded into our waters. |
lock out |
To not allow someone entry to a place by locking the door. |
This is the second time I’ve locked myself out. |
lock up |
To lock all doors and windows. |
As usual, we have to lock up before we leave the office. |
To imprison someone |
The police recaptured the escaped prisoner and locked him up in the maximum-security prison. |
|
look after |
To take care of. |
Who is going to look after our dogs, cats and gold fish when we go on vacation? |
To take care of |
He left his job to look after his sick wife. |
|
look ahead |
To be aware of and prepare for a future event. |
We can look ahead to owning a new car if we start saving now. |
look around/round: |
To search. |
We have been looking around for a toilet. |
To survey goods in a casual way |
Let’s look round the antique shops for old coins. |
|
look at |
To direct one’s gaze on someone or something. |
The officer looked at my passport, and then my smiling face and waved me through. |
look back/ (never) looked back |
To recall. |
Each time I look back at that fateful day, I realize I could have done more to help her. |
To continue to be successful. |
After his new business received its first big order, he never looked back. |
|
look back on |
To remember a past event. |
When I look back on those moments, I realize how unlucky I was. |
look down on |
To regard someone as of lesser importance. |
She looked down on anyone who was a school dropout. |
look for |
To search for someone or something. |
Police are looking for a man with a heavily tattooed face. |
look forward to |
To anticipate eagerly. |
I look forward to seeing my next horror movie. |
look in on |
To make a short visit. |
Every other day we look in on grandpa to see if he needs anything. |
look into |
To inquire into or investigate. |
There was a proposal that management look into the high turnover of staff. |
look on/upon |
To watch without getting involved |
Only one person helped him, the others just looked on. |
To watch without getting involved |
A large crowd looked on as the two cocks fought bravely. |
|
To regard in a certain way |
We are beginning to look upon him as a close friend. |
|
look out |
To search for. |
We looked out the attic but couldn’t find the old coffee pot. |
look out for |
To keep careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. |
Look out for pickpocket while you are there. |
To take care. |
They promised to look out for each other on the expedition. |
|
look over |
To inspect hastily. |
I looked the shorts over and decided to buy two pairs. |
look through |
To look for something among other things. |
Police looked through his house and found blood stains. |
To search untidily for something. |
We looked through all the drawers, but still couldn’t find the document. |
|
look to |
To depend on someone to provide something that is expected, promised or hope for. |
They are cheering and looking to the last runner to win the relay. |
look up |
To improve. |
He expects his business to look up in the new year. |
To search for and find a piece of information. |
I enjoy enormously looking words up in the dictionary. |
|
To visit. |
I never fail to look her up whenever I am in the vicinity. |
|
look up to |
To have considerable respect or admiration for someone. |
He is the kind of man most people look up to. |