1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context

1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context © Matt Errey 2007

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1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context W w (2/4)

wash out
The rain has washed out the Wimbledon tennis final, but it’ll carry on in
the morning unless rain washes it out again.

wash out sth
wash sth out
(be) washed out
This year’s company
picnic was washed out by
a sudden rain storm.

✍ ^

wash up

(Brit/Aust)

You cooked the meal, so if you show me where the dishwashing liquid

is, I’ll wash up.

wash up

wash up sth

wash sth up

One of the jobs the kids

do at home is washing up

the dishes after dinner.

✍ ^

wash up
(Am)

Your hands and face are dirty. Go to the bathroom and wash up or you

won’t get any dinner!

wash up

I have trouble getting my
son to wash up before
meals. He’s a lazy boy.

✍  see also: clean (yourself)

up

watch out
Watch out! There’s a car coming! Get off the road.
watch out
watch out for sth/sb

Watch out for people on
crowded buses who try to
steal your wallet.

✍  see also:^ look out^

water down
The newspaper didn’t want to be sued, so its corruption report was
watered down and no politicians were accused of committing crimes.

water down sth

water sth down

The comedian had to
water his act down for TV
to make it less offensive.

✍  see also:^ tone down^

wear down
Using lots of punches to the body, the champion boxer gradually wore
down his opponent and eventually won the fight.

wear down sb

wear sb down

The demands of the job
wore me down so much
that I had to quit.

✍  see also:^ wear out^

wear off
Nobody will be able to wake her up until the sleeping pills she took
wear off.

wear off

The excitement of flying
for the first time wore off,
and Billy went to sleep.

✍ 

wear out
I don’t usually teach young kids. They wear me out after a while and I
get very tired.

wear sb out

She works and takes care
of three young kids so she
sometimes gets worn out.

✍ 

wear out
I run ten kilometres every day and wear a pair of running shoes out in
two or three months. Then I have to buy a new pair.

wear sth out

wear out sth

Are some products meant
to wear out quickly so
they’ll need replacing?

✍ ^

weed out
The new government will try to weed corrupt officials out. They’ll arrest
them, charge them, and punish them if they’re found guilty in court.

weed sb/sth out

weed out sb/sth

They weed out workers
who aren’t performing
well, and fire them.

✍  see also:^ root out^