1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context

1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context © Matt Errey 2007

120

1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context S s (9/13)

speed up
We have to drive slowly around town, but when we get on the freeway
we can speed up.

speed up
speed sth up
speed up sth
We’ll have to speed
production up if we want
to fill this order on time.

✍ ^

spell out
(informal)

Our teacher spells out the importance of learning phrasal verbs because

he thinks some textbooks don’t emphasise them enough.

spell out sth

spell sth out

They spell everything out
in simple English to make
sure we all understand.

✍ ^

split up
Can you believe it? Ken and Barbie have split up after being married for
forty years, and they’ll be getting divorced soon.

split up
split up sth
split sth up
The new owners want to
split the company up and
sell off the parts.

✍  see also:^ break up^

spread out
Open the map and spread it out on the table so we can all see it. spread out sth^
spread sth out

It’s possible to spread the
loan repayments out over
twenty years.

✍ ^

spruce up
Gary doesn’t think about his appearance much, unless he’s going to a
party or a club. Then he spruces himself up and he looks really good.

spruce up sth/sb

spruce sth/sb up

The council will spruce
the town up to make it
look nice for the queen.

✍ ^ see also:^ clean up,^

tidy up

stake out
The police staked out the wanted man’s house. They hid in an
apartment across the street and waited for him to come home.

stake out sth

stake sth out

Photographers staked out
Brittney’s house, hoping
to get some photos of her.

✍ ^

stamp out
The government has been unable to stamp police corruption out, mostly
because the police officers don’t usually like to arrest their colleagues.

stamp sth out

stamp out sth

Universities are trying to
stamp out cheating, but
students are very cunning.

✍  see also:^ wipe out^

stand by
As the damaged plane landed, emergency workers stood by in case it
crashed or caught fire.

stand by

Police were standing by,
ready to step in if the
protest became violent.

✍ ^

stand down
The report on his abuse of power was so damaging that the president
had to stand down and let the vice president take over.

stand down

The captain stood down,
saying the team needed a
younger leader next year.

✍  see also:^ step down,^

bow out

stand for

The letters ‘CEO’ stand for Chief Executive Officer. What do the letters

‘UN’ stand for?

stand for sth

Do the letters ‘PR’ stand

for ‘public relations’ or

‘public relationships’?

✍ ^