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Phrasal Verbs S

This is the phrasal verb reference section. Here there are definitions and examples for hundreds of phrasal verbs found in English.

Don't forget we have a phrasal verb exercise page.

stick

Stick At

Keep working, etc at an activity.
You can't quit another job. You never stick at anything!

Stick Out

1. Be obvious in comparison to something else.
You really stick out in those pink trousers.
2. Put something out, outside.
Stick your hand out of the window and see if you can catch a snowflake.
3. Keep doing something until conditions improve.
I hate my job but I will stick it out until I can get a better one.

Stick To

Stay to an agreed contract, decision.
Please stick to our agreed deal, Mr. Jones. We never said I would have to pay extra as you are saying now!

Stick Up

Give support for somebody.
I will stick up for you if they accuse you of doing it.

stop

Stop By

Visit a person.
If I have time, I will stop by and see you tomorrow.

Stop In

Stay at home.
Look at the terrible weather, let's stop in tonight.

Stop Over

Break your journey.
On the way to Melbourne, we stopped over for a day in Bangkok.

Stop Up

Block a hole with something.
We can stop up that hole with a bit of cloth.

strike

Strike Off

Remove someone from a professional body.
The doctor was struck off for serious malpractice.

Strike Up

Begin, start.
I struck up a great friendship with a man in Paris last year.

string

String Along

Deceive a person repeatedly.
He won't give you that job - he is stringing you along.

String Out

Make last longer than necessary.
I hate it when he strings out his jokes like that.

String Together

Join together.
He was so drunk that he couldn't even string together three words.

strip

Strip Down

Take a machine to pieces.
I had to strip down the engine completely before finding the problem.

suck

Suck Up To

(Informal) Ingratiate oneself to figure of authority.
Of course he gets the best marks. He is always sucking up to the teacher.

swear

Swear By

Believe in something very much.
I swear by Tea Tree Oil for curing all my skin problems.

Swear On

Ask as a witness for your honesty, promise.
I swear on my son's life that I never killed her.

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