1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context

1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context © Matt Errey 2007

16

1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context B b (7/7)

build up
My son’s going to the gym to build up his muscles. He wants to get big
and strong so no-one will try to pick on him.

build up sth

build sth up

Now she’s building her
stock portfolio up by
buying shares in banks.

✍ ^

bump into
You’ll never guess who I bumped into at the mall today. It was Jenny!
She just got back from India.

bump into sb

My wife comes from a
huge family. She’s always
bumping into relatives.

✍  see also:^ come across,^ run

across, run into

burn down
The house burned down in the fire. There was nothing left but rubble
and ashes.

burn down
burn down sth
burn sth down
The fire burned their
factory down, but their
insurance will pay for it.

✍ ^

burn out
(informal)

After working too long without a vacation, he burned out. Now he’s too

tired and depressed to do anything.

burn out

burn sb out

She burned herself out
trying to raise a family
while working full-time.

✍  see also: wear out (not as

severe as burn out)

butt in
Maria interrupts people too much. When someone is speaking, she’ll
butt in before they’ve finished talking to tell us what she thinks.

butt in

She needs to learn how to
join in a conversation
without butting in.

✍  see also: break in on

buy out
A Swedish corporation is buying out our company, and when they take
over we’ll have to move our headquarters to Stockholm.

buy out sth

buy sth out

Many workers weren’t
happy when investors
bought the company out.

✍ ^

buy up
If we buy up as many shares as possible, we might be able to buy out
the company and take control.

buy up sth

buy sth up

They’re trying to buy all
the land up so they can
build a housing estate.

✍  see also:^ snap up, pick up^