1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context

1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context © Matt Errey 2007

119

1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context S s (8/13)

slow down
You’re driving too fast. Slow down or you might get booked for
speeding.

slow down
slow sth down
slow down sth
I’m worried about your
health. Slow down a bit
and don’t work so much.

✍ ^

smooth
over

My wife and I had a fight this morning, but we smoothed things over

before the kids got up.

smooth sth over

smooth over sth

Agents try to smooth over
disagreements between
clients and employers.

✍  see also:^ patch up^

snap up
They’re having a sale at the bookshop tomorrow, so I’m going early to
snap up some good books at bargain prices.

snap up sth

snap sth up

My stockbroker says it’s a
good time to snap up
some undervalued shares.

✍  see also:^ buy up, pick up^

sober up
If someone’s had too much to drink don’t let them drive, even if they
say they’ve sobered up. It takes a long time to really sober up.

sober up
sober up sb
sober sb up
Mike’s friends tried to
sober him up by giving
him lots of black coffee.

✍ ^

sort out
My files were in a mess, so I spent an hour sorting them out and putting
them back where they belong.

sort sth out

sort out sth

Could you sort out the
invoices and put aside
those that are still unpaid?

✍  see also:^ straighten out,^

tidy up

sort out
Who’s sorting out everything for the seminar, like the venue, the
speakers, catering and everything else that needs to be taken care of?

sort out sth

sort sth out

Jenny’s sorting out the
venue and Sue’s sorting
out guests and schedules.

✍  see also:^ figure out, work

out

spark off
Our players were already angry, so when our captain got kicked again it
sparked off a fight with the other team’s players.

spark off sth

spark sth off

Police sparked the riots
off by shooting an
innocent young boy.

✍  see also:^ set off^

speak for
I can’t speak for the other teachers, but I’d love to try a new textbook.
You’d better ask the others before you make a decision, though.

speak for sb

I’m sure I speak for
everyone when I say we
deserve bigger bonuses.

✍ ^

speak out
If you are treated unfairly, you should speak out. If you don’t speak
out, nobody will know about it and nothing will be done.

speak out

speak out about sth

We tell staff to speak out
about any work-related
problems they have.

✍ ^

speak up
I’m sorry, but I’m a little bit deaf. Would you mind speaking up a bit,
please?

speak up

You’ll have to speak up if
you want to be heard in
these noisy meetings.

✍ ^