Table of Contents

Phrasal Verbs That Start With “B”

phrasal verbs that start with b
phrasal verbs that start with b
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Burst into Suddenly start doing something energetically. She burst into laughter when she heard the joke.
Bust up End a relationship, often after arguing. They busted up after a big fight last night.
Butt in Interrupt a conversation or situation. “I hope you don’t mind me butting in, but I have something to add.”
Butt out Refrain from getting involved in others’ matters. “This is none of your business, so please butt out!”
Butter up Flatter or praise someone excessively. “I tried buttering up my boss to get a promotion, but it didn’t work.”
Buy in Purchase a large quantity of something. Fans bought in enough copies of the album to make it top the charts.
Buy into Believe or accept an idea or concept. “I never bought into the idea of aliens visiting Earth.”
Buy off Pay someone to stop them causing trouble. He bought off the witness to prevent them from testifying.
Buy out Purchase all of someone’s share in a company. The investors bought out the original owner to gain full control of the business.
Buy up Purchase all of something available. Investors bought up all the available land before the prices rose.
Buzz around Move or circulate quickly around a place. Reporters buzzed around the celebrity to get the latest scoop.
Buzz off Leave quickly or go away. “I’m going to buzz off now; I have an early start tomorrow.”
Buzz off! Express a strong command to leave immediately. “Buzz off! You’re not welcome here.”

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Bug out To widen one’s eyes in surprise. He bug-eyed when she suddenly appeared.
Bug out To leave quickly. They bugged out when the police showed up.
Build up To grow or develop, especially a business. She built up her small company into a big success over the years.
Build up To increase gradually. Tension built up as they waited for the exam results.
Bulk out To make something larger or thicker. I bulked out the stew with extra vegetables.
Bulk up To gain weight or muscle mass. He bulked up at the gym and now looks much stronger.
Bump into To encounter or meet unexpectedly. I bumped into my old friend at the supermarket.
Bump off To kill someone. The mob boss ordered his rival to be bumped off.
Bump up To increase or raise. They bumped up the prices during the holiday season.
Bundle off To send someone away quickly. He bundled off the children to bed after dinner.
Bundle out To force someone to leave a place. The bouncer bundled the troublemaker out of the club.
Bundle up To dress warmly. We bundled up in scarves and coats before going outside.
Bundle up To gather and tie things together. She bundled up the old newspapers for recycling.
Bunk off To skip school without permission. When he was young, he would often bunk off and go fishing.
Buoy up To uplift or encourage someone. The positive feedback buoyed her up after a tough day.
Buoy up To keep someone or something afloat. The life jacket buoyed him up until the rescue boat arrived.
Burn down To destroy completely by fire. The historic building burned down in a tragic fire.
Burn off To remove by burning. He burned off the excess fat by jogging every morning.
Burn out To lose enthusiasm or energy. She burnt out after working long hours for months without a break.
Burn up To incinerate or consume with fire. The wildfire burned up thousands of acres of forest.
Burn up To make someone very angry. His thoughtless remark burned her up inside.
Burst into To suddenly begin to emit or do something. The audience burst into applause at the end of the performance.

 

Bring on Cause something to appear. Bring on the dancers and let’s start the show!
Bring out Release or publish something. The band is bringing out a new CD in the autumn.
Bring out Elicit a particular response. Suzie brings out the best in him; he’s always happier around her.
Bring out in Cause a health problem or reaction. It was the lobster that brought me out in this rash all over my body.
Bring round Help someone regain consciousness. The doctors brought him round a few hours after the operation.
Bring up Mention something in conversation. They didn’t bring the subject up at the meeting.
Bring up Raise a child. My parents brought me up strictly with good manners.
Bring up Officially charge someone with a crime. He was brought up on charges of public intoxication.
Brush off Ignore or pay little attention to something. The minister brushed off the criticism and continued with his speech.
Brush up Improve a skill quickly. She took a two-week course to brush up her Spanish before traveling in South America.
Bubble over Become very excited. She bubbled over with joy when she received her exam results.
Buck up Hurry or improve quickly. Buck up! The taxi’s waiting for us.
Buck up Smarten up or improve. You had better buck your ideas up if you want to pass the course.
Bucket down Rain heavily. Take an umbrella; it’s bucketing down outside.
Buckle down Start working hard or apply yourself. We had to buckle down and study for the exam all night.
Buckle under Accept something reluctantly or under pressure. They didn’t like the idea, but they had to buckle under and accept it.
Buckle up Fasten a seatbelt. We were told to buckle up before the roller coaster started.
Budge up Move to make space for someone. We had to budge up to fit the fifth person in the back of the car.
Buff up Clear, clean, or make something shine. The silver candlestick looked lovely after I buffed it up.
Buff up Improve or enhance. After the scandal, the politician tried to buff up his public image.
Buff up on Improve knowledge quickly. I buffed up on my grammar before the English exam.
Bug off! Command to leave or go away. I told her to bug off because she was annoying me.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Brick up Close or fill a space with bricks. We bricked the back entrance up to prevent unauthorized entry.
Brighten up Improve (weather). The day started cloudy, but it brightened up in the afternoon, bringing sunshine.
Brighten up Become happier. He brightened up when he heard the good news about his promotion.
Brighten up Make something more attractive or pleasant. We tried to brighten the place up by adding colorful decorations.
Bring about Make something happen. The government brought about changes to the law due to widespread non-compliance.
Bring along Bring someone or something to a certain place. You can bring your friends along if you want to join us for the movie.
Bring along Help someone improve. Her coach has brought her along significantly in her tennis skills.
Bring around Persuade or convince someone. It took me ages to bring him around to my point of view on the matter.
Bring around Bring something with you when you visit. He brought some snacks around when he came over last night.
Bring around Get someone talking about something. He was hesitant to discuss the issue, but I managed to bring him around and open up.
Bring back Cause someone to remember. Visiting my old school brought back memories of my childhood.
Bring back Return. He borrowed my book and hasn’t brought it back yet.
Bring down Make a government fall. The vote of no-confidence brought the government down, leading to new elections.
Bring down Make something cheaper. Technological advancements have brought down the prices of smartphones considerably.
Bring forth Produce something, make it known or visible. The prosecution brought forth a lot of evidence against the defendant.
Bring forth Produce. She brought forth a stunning performance at the concert.
Bring forth Make something happen. The report brought forth a lot of discussion on the proposed policy changes.
Bring forth Remove something from where it is kept or hidden. She brought forth the hidden treasure chest and revealed its contents.
Bring forward Make something happen earlier than originally planned. The meeting has been brought forward to tomorrow due to scheduling conflicts.
Bring in Earn. His new business venture brings in a steady income every month.
Bring off Succeed with something difficult. Despite the challenges, she brought off the event smoothly and received praise.
Bring on Cause something to happen or speed up. Getting wet in the rain yesterday brought on a cold for me today.

 

Break away Leave an organization, often to form a new one. The SDP broke away from the Labour Party.
Break down End negotiations without reaching an agreement. The talks between management and the unions broke down acrimoniously.
Break down Start crying suddenly. He broke down in tears when he heard the news.
Break down Stop working, usually referring to a machine. My car’s broken down, so I had to call a tow truck.
Break down Remove a barrier or obstacle. He had to break down their opposition to his proposal.
Break in Illegally enter a building to steal something. The burglars broke in and stole valuable items.
Break in Interrupt someone or something. I’m sorry to break in on your conversation, but I need to ask a question.
Break in Train a horse to accept a rider. It took a long time to break in the wild horse.
Break in Gradually use new products until they work well. I need to be careful with my new shoes until I break them in.
Break off Separate a piece from something. She broke off a piece of chocolate and shared it with her friend.
Break off End a relationship or engagement. She broke off their engagement after discovering his infidelity.
Break out Begin suddenly, often referring to war or conflict. There is fear that war will break out in the region.
Break out Develop skin sores or irritation, or sweat heavily. The heat made him break out in a sweat.
Break out of Escape from a place, especially prison. Three prisoners broke out of jail last night.
Break through Pass through a barrier or obstacle. The protestors broke through the police barricade.
Break up Divide or shatter into many pieces. The plate broke up into small fragments when it fell.
Break up Close an educational institution for holidays. Schools break up at the end of June for the summer break.
Break up End a relationship. They broke up after being together for three years.
Break up Become inaudible during a phone call. You’re breaking up; I’ll call you back for a clearer connection.
Breeze along Progress easily and swiftly. The project breezed along until it encountered unexpected challenges.
Breeze in Enter a place quickly and confidently. He breezed in and took charge of the meeting.
Breeze into Enter a place swiftly and confidently. She breezed into the party and immediately started socializing.
Breeze through Complete something with ease and efficiency. She breezed through her exams without much difficulty.
Brick in Close or fill a space using bricks. They bricked in the window to make the building more secure.

 

Book in To register or check into a hotel. We arrived at the hotel and went to the reception desk to book in for our stay.
Book into To make a reservation for something. I’ve already booked us into a hotel for the weekend getaway.
Book into To check into a hotel or accommodation. After a long journey, we were relieved to finally book into a cozy inn for the night.
Book out To leave a place quickly. Let’s book out of this party before it gets too crowded.
Book up To reserve something in advance. The tickets for the concert are all booked up; we’ll have to find another event to attend.
Boot up To start or turn on a computer. I need to boot up my laptop to finish my presentation.
Border on To be close to or nearly something. His behavior borders on rudeness sometimes.
Border on To be almost at a particular level or state. His grades are bordering on excellence this semester.
Boss about To give orders in a domineering manner. She always bosses about her younger siblings.
Boss around To assert authority over someone in an aggressive way. He constantly bosses around his colleagues, making them feel uncomfortable.
Botch up To ruin or mess something up. I accidentally botched up the recipe by adding too much salt.
Bottle away To keep or store something for future use. He bottled away his savings for a rainy day.
Bottle out To lose courage or fail to do something due to fear. He bottled out of bungee jumping at the last minute.
Bottle up To suppress or keep one’s emotions hidden. She bottled up her anger instead of expressing it, causing more stress.
Bottom out To reach the lowest point and start to improve. After months of decline, the stock market finally bottomed out and began to recover.
Bounce into To compel or force someone to do something. The sudden crisis bounced the company into action, prompting swift changes.
Bounce back To recover or return to a previous state after a setback. Despite the setback, she bounced back quickly and continued working on her goals.
Bounce off To discuss or test an idea with someone else. Let’s bounce off some ideas for the new project and see what sticks.
Bowl out In cricket, to dismiss a batsman by hitting the wicket with the ball. The bowler skillfully bowled out the opposing team’s top batsman with a well-aimed ball.
Bowl over To astonish or surprise someone greatly. The unexpected promotion completely bowled over the employee.
Bowl over To knock someone or something to the ground. The strong gust of wind nearly bowled over the pedestrians on the street.
Box in To surround or trap someone or something. The traffic jam boxed in the car, making it impossible to move.
Box up To pack or store items in boxes. Before moving, we need to box up all our belongings.
Brace up To make oneself feel more confident or optimistic. Despite the setbacks, he managed to brace up and face the challenges ahead with determination.
Branch out To expand or diversify into new areas. The company decided to branch out into online retail to reach a wider customer base.

 

Blow over When a problem or scandal is forgotten or resolved over time. The scandal blew over quickly when the media found a new story to cover.
Blow up To explode suddenly. The bomb blew up without warning, causing chaos in the city.
Blow up To fill something with air or gas, making it larger and more inflated. I blew up the balloon for the party decorations.
Blow up To make something bigger or more detailed, especially a photograph. Let’s blow up this picture so we can see everyone’s faces clearly.
Blow up The sudden occurrence or beginning of something, like a storm or an argument. A fight blew up between the neighbors over the loud music.
Blow up To suddenly become very angry. My dad blew up when he found out I’d crashed his car.
Blurt out To say something suddenly and without thinking, often revealing a secret. I blurted out the surprise party plan before realizing she was standing right there.
Board out To arrange for someone or something to stay with someone else temporarily. We board out our dog with our neighbors when we go on vacation.
Board up To cover windows or doors with boards to prevent entry or protect from damage. The vacant house was boarded up to keep out intruders.
Bog down To become stuck or slowed down in progress, usually due to difficulties. The project bogged down because of disagreements among team members.
Bog in To eat a large amount of food with enthusiasm. We bogged in at the barbecue, enjoying all the delicious food.
Bog into To enthusiastically consume or devour something, especially food. The kids bogged into the birthday cake as soon as it was served.
Bog off! A rude way of telling someone to go away or leave. When the salesman wouldn’t stop bothering him, he finally shouted, “Bog off!”
Boil down To simplify or condense something to its essential elements. Let’s boil down the main points of the presentation for clarity.
Boil down to To ultimately amount to or be summarized as. The issue boils down to a lack of communication between departments.
Boil over To spill over the edge of a container, especially when boiling. Be careful not to let the soup boil over while cooking.
Boil over To erupt or escalate, especially emotions or tensions. The argument between the siblings boiled over into a shouting match.
Boil up To heat something, usually a liquid, until it reaches boiling point. I’ll boil up some water for tea while you set the table.
Bolster up To strengthen or support something physically or emotionally. Her words bolstered up my confidence before the big presentation.
Bone up To study intensively or refresh one’s memory on a particular subject. I need to bone up on my Spanish before the exam next week.
Bone up on To study or learn something intensively for a specific purpose. I’ve been boning up on coding skills to prepare for the job interview.
Book in To reserve or schedule something in advance. I’ll book us in for a table at the restaurant for Saturday night.

 

Blank out Censor text so that words cannot be read. The email addresses were blanked out in the documents shown to the court.
Blank out Have a temporary memory failure. I was so nervous in the interview that I just blanked out and couldn’t answer their questions properly.
Blare out Emit a loud sound or music. The music was blaring out, and I couldn’t get to sleep.
Blast off Leave the ground, typically referring to a spaceship or rocket. The space shuttle blasted off on schedule yesterday.
Blaze away Fire a gun repeatedly. The shooters blazed away at the pheasants.
Bleed out Cause sufficient blood loss to result in death. They bled out their calves.
Bliss out Be extremely relaxed and happy. I blissed out on the beach all week.
Block in Park a car in a way that obstructs another car. I couldn’t drive here this morning because someone had blocked me in.
Block in Shade or fill in. He blocked in the events in his calendar.
Block off Obstruct an exit to prevent people from leaving. The police blocked off the road after the murder.
Block out Stop light from entering or leaving; also, to try not to think about something upsetting. The trees block the sun out most of the day.
Block up Fill a space so that nothing can pass through. The pipe’s blocked up, and no water gets through.
Blow away Impress greatly or defeat decisively. Her first novel blew me away.
Blow away When the wind moves something from a place. The flag blew away in the storm; we’ll have to buy a new one.
Blow down When the wind forces something to fall. A tree was blown down in the storm.
Blow in Arrive, sometimes suddenly or unexpectedly. He blew in from Toronto early this morning.
Blow off Not keep an appointment or ignore something. We were going to meet last night, but she blew me off at the last minute.
Blow off Expel gas from the anus. He blew off in front of everybody.
Blow out Extinguish candles, matches, etc. She blew the candles out on her birthday cake.
Blow out Defeat decisively. The Broncos blew out the Raiders 55-0.

 

Bear with Stay patient. Please bear with me for a moment while I finish this email.
Beat down Shine very brightly. The sun was beating down, and we had to stay indoors.
Beat down Negotiate a lower price. I managed to talk him down to fifty Euros for the painting.
Beat out Win narrowly in competition. The marathon runner beat out his rival by a fraction of a second.
Beat up Assault violently. The mugger beat him up and stole his wallet.
Beaver away Work diligently. She’s beavering away before her exams, studying every day.
Beaver away at Work hard at something. I have to beaver away at this project or else it won’t be completed on time.
Bed down Sleep somewhere uncomfortable. We had to bed down on the hard floor for the night.
Bed down Establish or settle over time. The new government is struggling to bed down and gain public trust.
Bed out Transfer a plant outside. I bedded out the seedlings when the weather warmed up.
Beef up Strengthen or fortify. The company beefed up its security measures after the break-in.
Belong to Be a member of something. He belongs to a club for stamp collectors.
Belong to Be associated with a certain era or style. Their fashion sense belongs to the 1980s; they love neon colors.
Belong with Be logically connected with. Does this evidence belong with the other exhibits?
Belt out Sing loudly and forcefully. The choir belted out the national anthem at the sports event.
Belt up Be silent or quiet down. The teacher told the class to belt up and focus on their work.
Belt up Fasten your seatbelt. Make sure to belt up before we start driving.
Bend down Lower your upper body. I had to bend down to pick up the coins I dropped.
Bend over Lower your upper body to reach something. I had to bend over to tie my shoelaces.
Bend over backwards Make great efforts to accommodate someone. I bent over backwards to help my friend move into her new apartment.
Big up Exaggerate the importance or praise of something. He always bigs up his accomplishments, making them seem larger than life.
Big up Increase muscle size through exercise. They’ve been hitting the gym hard to big themselves up for the beach season.
Bitch up Ruin or spoil something. I totally bitched up my chance at the job interview by arriving late.
Black out Lose consciousness suddenly. After being hit on the head, he blacked out and fell to the ground.
Black out Experience a loss of electricity or light. The entire neighborhood blacked out during the thunderstorm.

 

Be not on Not okay or not right. His behavior is just not on; it’s not acceptable.
Be off Food or drinks that have gone bad. This yogurt smells terrible; it must be off.
Be off Leaving or going away. I’m leaving for home now; it’s already late.
Be on Working or running, like machines. The computer is on and ready to use.
Be on Happening or taking place. The show is on for the next three months.
Be on Taking medicine that affects you badly. He’s on medication that makes him grumpy.
Be on Doing very well or at your best. He’s really on fire today; he’s scoring goals left and right!
Be on about Trying to say something or explain. I couldn’t understand what he was on about; it made no sense.
Be onto Figuring out someone’s secret or plan. He’s being careful because he thinks the police are onto him.
Be out Not at home or not available. She’s out visiting her friend today.
Be out of Run out of or have none left. We’re out of milk, so I’ll need to buy some.
Be out to Trying to do something, often bad. She’s out to get him fired from his job.
Be snowed under Having too much work to do. We’re buried under a pile of work right now.
Be taken aback Being surprised or shocked. I was taken aback when I saw him without his beard; he looked so different.
Be taken with Really liking or enjoying something. I was taken with her kindness and friendliness.
Be up Awake and out of bed. She’s not up yet; she’s still sleeping.
Be up Increased or higher. The company’s profits are up by 15 percent this quarter.
Be up Time’s up; it’s finished. The game’s up; let’s call it a day.
Be up for Ready or excited about doing something. Are you up for going to the beach this weekend?
Be up to Capable of doing something. I don’t think he’s up to the job; he doesn’t have the skills.
Be up to Doing something you shouldn’t be doing. I wonder what those kids are up to; they look like they’re planning something mischievous.
Bear down on Moving towards something with purpose. She saw him across the room and walked quickly towards him.
Bear on Having an effect or influence on something. The judge’s opinion will bear on the final decision of the court.
Bear out Confirming that something is true. The evidence bears out his story.
Bear up Coping with a difficult situation. How are you bearing up under all this stress?
Bear up under Managing to deal with a difficult situation. He’s bearing up under the pressure of his exams very well.

 

Barge in Intrude abruptly into a place, disrupting. He repeatedly barges in, peppering me with foolish queries while I’m trying to concentrate.
Barge into Enter rudely and without warning. Without so much as a knock, they barged into my office and launched into conversation while I was on the phone.
Bash about Handle roughly or mistreat physically. If you bash your monitor about like that, don’t expect it to last.
Bash in Forcefully break or damage by hitting. The burglars bashed the door in to gain entry to the house.
Bash out Quickly produce something without much preparation. I bashed out the essay the night before it was due.
Bash up Inflict harm on someone or something by hitting. They bashed him up in the pub brawl last week, leading to his hospitalization.
Bawl out Reprimand loudly or scold angrily. She bawled me out for stumbling home inebriated.
Bawl out Berate someone severely. Raj got bawled out for his chronic tardiness.
Bawl out Shout or sing in a loud, unpleasant manner. He bawled out our names, causing heads to turn in annoyance.
Be after Pursue or seek something actively. The authorities are after him for his involvement in the theft.
Be along Arrive or appear in due course. Fear not, the next bus should be along within the next fifteen minutes.
Be away Absent from a place, often on vacation. She’s away on a business trip for the next three weeks.
Be cut out for Possess the necessary qualities or suitability. She’s simply not cut out for the demands of this job.
Be cut up Be deeply upset or distressed. She was really cut up about missing out on first place, believing she deserved it.
Be down Feel unhappy or depressed. He’s been down since his partner walked out on him.
Be down Experience a decrease or reduction. Profits are down by ten percent compared to last quarter.
Be down on Have negative feelings or animosity towards someone. Following the altercation, James is down on his boss, feeling unfairly treated.
Be down with Be suffering from an illness. Gul is down with a bug and has taken the day off work.
Be fed up Feel thoroughly bored, annoyed, or disillusioned. I’m fed up with his constant complaints and negativity.
Be in Be present, at home, or at work. They’re never in; I always reach their answering machine.
Be in Be received or submitted, typically for review. All applications must be in by 3 pm on Friday for consideration.
Be in on Be involved or privy to information or a plan. Susan was the only one not in on the surprise party arrangements.

 

Back away Retreat or go backwards. The crowd retreated when the man pulled a knife.
Back down Retract or withdraw your position in an argument. She refused to retract her stance and was fired.
Back into Enter a parking area in reverse gear. He prefers to reverse his car into the garage.
Back off Retreat. The police instructed the protesters to retreat.
Back out Fail to keep an arrangement or promise. He reneged two days before the holiday, so we gave the ticket to his sister.
Back out of Fail to keep an agreement or arrangement. She reneged on the agreement at the last minute.
Back out of Exit a parking area in reverse gear. She maneuvered the Rolls out of its parking space.
Back up Make a copy of computer data. You should always make a backup of important files and documents.
Back up Support. The rest of the staff supported her when she complained about working conditions.
Back up Drive a vehicle backwards. Tom reversed without looking and ran over his laptop.
Bag out Criticize. Don’t criticize Australian English.
Bail out Save or rescue. The government had to rescue the airline because it was losing so much money.
Bail out Remove water from something flooded. The boat was leaking so they had to remove the water.
Bail out Jump out of a plane because it is going to crash. The pilot parachuted out when he saw that the engines had failed.
Bail out of Pay a bond to release someone from jail. I must post bail for my drunken brother to release him from jail.
Bail out on Stop supporting someone when they are in trouble. Everybody abandoned him when the scandal broke.
Bail up Talk to someone and delay them. I was late because he detained me on the phone and wouldn’t stop talking.
Bail up Rob someone at gunpoint. He was held up by a couple of muggers as he came out of the bank.
Ball up Confuse or make things complicated. The new project has thrown me for a loop; I have no idea what to do.
Ball up Roll or form into a round shape. He rolled up his napkin when he had finished eating.
Balls up Spoil or ruin. He messed up the presentation.
Bang about Move in a place making a lot of noise. He’s moving around noisily in the kitchen.
Bang around Move in a place making a lot of noise. I can hear him wandering around upstairs.
Bang on Talk at great length. He talked at great length for half an hour, but no one was listening.
Bang on about Keep talking about something. He’s always going on about football.
Bang out Play a musical instrument loudly. She played the tune loudly on the piano.
Bang up Put someone in prison. The judge incarcerated him for eight years.
Bang up Damage badly. He severely damaged his car last night.
Bank on Count or rely on. I’m relying on your help; I can’t do it alone.
Bargain down Persuade someone to drop the price. I negotiated her down to half of what she originally wanted.
Bargain for Expect something to happen. I hadn’t anticipated so many people coming.

 

Bargain on Expect something to happen (usually negative) I hadn’t bargained on him coming.
Barge in Enter a place and interrupt He keeps barging in and asking stupid questions when I’m trying to work.
Barge into Enter a place and interrupt people rudely They barged into my office without knocking and started talking even though I was on the phone.
Bash about Mistreat physically If you bash your monitor about like that, it won’t last long.
Bash in Break, damage or injure by hitting The burglars bashed the door in to enter the house.
Bash out Write something quickly without much preparation I bashed the essay out the night before I had to hand it in.
Bash up Break, damage or hurt by hitting They bashed him up in the fight in the pub last week and he had to go to hospital.
Bawl out Scold, shout at someone She bawled me out for coming home drunk.
Bawl out Scold She bawled Raj out for getting there late.
Bawl out Sing or shout unpleasantly loudly He bawled out our names at the top of his voice.
Be after Try to find or get The police are after him because of the theft.
Be along Arrive The next bus should be along in the next quarter of an hour or so.
Be away Be elsewhere; on holiday, etc. She’s away on business for three weeks.
Be cut out for Be suitable, have the necessary qualities She’s not cut out for this kind of work.
Be cut up Be upset She was very cut up about coming second as she thought she deserved to win.
Be down Be depressed He’s been down since his partner left him.
Be down Be reduced or less The firm’s profits are down by ten percent this quarter.
Be down on Have negative feelings toward someone After the argument, James is down on his boss.
Be down with Be ill Gul is down with some bug and is off work today.
Be fed up Be bored, upset or sick of something I’m fed up with doing nothing but watching TV.
Be off Be bad (of food) This milk is off.
Be off Leave I must be off. It’s getting late.
Be on Be televised The game is on TV tonight.
Be out Not be at home He’s out at the moment; can I take a message?
Be out of Have none left I’m out of paper; can you buy some?
Be over Finish The film is over; let’s go.
Be over Visit someone, often without making an arrangement Why don’t you come over tonight?
Be round Visit someone, often without making an arrangement Come round and see us some time.
Be up Be out of bed He was up for hours last night.
Be up Be awake She was up till 3 a.m. last night.
Be up to Be doing something What are you up to at the moment?
Be up to Be capable of doing something I don’t think he’s up to the job.
Be up to Be planning something What are you up to this weekend?
Be up to Be busy with something What have you been up to lately?
Bear down Push against something solid He bore down on the lever, but it wouldn’t move.
Bear down on Approach someone or something quietly or secretly The police bore down on the house where they believed the criminals were hiding.
Bear off Move towards the back or rear, especially of vehicles Bear off a little to the right to avoid the bushes.
Bear out Confirm that something is correct The facts bore me out in what I believed all along.
Bear up Support, sustain I don’t know how she bears up under the strain.
Beat about Talk about, discuss He beat about the bush for ages before telling us what he wanted.
Beat down Make someone depressed, unhappy, etc. The heat was beating down on them all day.
Beat off Make someone retreat They beat off the attack.
Beat out Win easily They beat the other team out by three goals to one.
Beat up Attack violently He was beaten up by muggers in the back street.
Beaver away Work hard doing something She’s been beavering away at her essay all weekend.
Beaver on Keep working at something She beavered on all morning while I was reading the paper.
Beef up Increase, make more intense They need to beef up their defense if they want to win the championship.
Beef up Add more details or information He beefed up the report before showing it to his boss.
Beg off Pretend to be ill or unable to do something so as to avoid doing it He begged off at the last minute, saying he was ill.
Beg off Ask for permission to be absent from work or other duty She begged off the meeting, saying she had a doctor’s appointment.
Beg off Refuse an invitation, etc. I must beg off the tennis match this afternoon as I have a bad back.
Beggar belief Be too extraordinary to be believable His arrogance beggar belief.
Beggar description Be too good to describe The sight beggared description.
Begin with Start a process or calculation We began with a short prayer.
Beg off Pretend to be ill or unable to do something so as to avoid doing it He begged off at the last minute, saying he was ill.
Beg off Ask for permission to be absent from work or other duty She begged off the meeting, saying she had a doctor’s appointment.
Beg off Refuse an invitation, etc. I must beg off the tennis match this afternoon as I have a bad back.
Beggar belief Be too extraordinary to be believable His arrogance beggar belief.
Beggar description Be too good to describe The sight beggared description.
Begin with Start a process or calculation We began with a short prayer.

 

Back away Retreat or go backwards. The crowd backed away when the man pulled a knife.
Back down Retract or withdraw your position or proposal in an argument. She refused to back down and was fired.
Back into Enter a parking area in reverse gear. He prefers to back his car into the garage.
Back off Retreat. The police told the protesters to back off.
Back out Fail to keep an arrangement or promise. He backed out two days before the holiday so we gave the ticket to his sister.
Back out of Fail to keep an agreement, arrangement. She backed out of the agreement at the last minute.
Back out of Exit a parking area in reverse gear. She backed the Rolls out of its parking space.
Back up Make a copy of computer data. You should always back up important files and documents so that you won’t lose all your work if something goes wrong with the hardware.
Back up Support. The rest of the staff backed her up when she complained about working conditions.
Back up Drive a vehicle backwards. Tom backed up without looking and ran over his laptop.
Bag out Criticise. Don’t bag out Australian English.
Bail out Save, rescue. The government had to bail out the airline because it was losing so much money.
Bail out Remove water from something that is flooded. The boat was leaking so they had to bail it out.
Bail out Jump out of a plane because it is going to crash. The pilot bailed out when he saw that the engines had failed.
Bail out of Pay a bond to release someone from jail. I must bail my drunken brother out of jail.
Bail out on Stop supporting someone when they are in trouble. Everybody bailed out on him when the scandal broke.
Bail up Talk to someone and delay them. I was late because he bailed me up on the phone and wouldn’t shut up.
Bail up Rob someone at gunpoint. He was bailed up by a couple of muggers as he came out of the bank.
Ball up Confuse or make things complicated. The new project has balled me up– I have no idea what to do.
Ball up Roll or form into a round shape. He balled up his napkin when he had finished eating.
Balls up Spoil, ruin. He ballsed up the presentation.
Bang about Move in a place making a lot of noise. He’s banging about in the kitchen.
Bang around Move in a place making a lot of noise. I can hear him banging about upstairs.
Bang on Talk at great length. He banged on for half an hour but no one was listening.
Bang on about Keep talking about something. He’s always banging on about football.
Bang out Play a musical instrument loudly. She banged the tune out on the piano.
Bang up Put someone in prison. The judge banged him up for eight years.
Bang up Damage badly. He banged his car up last night.
Bank on Count or rely on. I’m banking on your help; I can’t do it alone.
Bargain down Persuade someone to drop the price of something they’re selling. I bargained her down to half what she originally wanted.
Bargain for Expect something to happen (usually negative). I hadn’t bargained for so many people coming.
Bargain on Expect something to happen (usually negative). I hadn’t bargained on him coming.
Barge in Enter a place and interrupt. He keeps barging in and asking stupid questions when I’m trying to work.
Barge into Enter a place and interrupt people rudely. They barged into my office without knocking and started talking even though I was on the phone.
Bash about Mistreat physically. If you bash your monitor about like that, it won’t last long.
Bash in Break, damage or injure by hitting. The burglars bashed the door in to enter the house.
Bash out Write something quickly without much preparation. I bashed the essay out the night before I had to hand it in.
Bash up Break, damage or hurt by hitting. They bashed him up in the fight in the pub last week and he had to go to hospital.
Bawl out Scold, shout at someone. She bawled me out for coming home drunk.
Bawl out Scold. She bawled Raj out for getting there late.
Bawl out Sing or shout unpleasantly loudly. He bawled out our names at the top of his voice.
Be after Try to find or get. The police are after him because of the theft.
Be along Arrive. The next bus should be along in the next quarter of an hour or so.
Be away Be elsewhere; on holiday, etc.. She’s away on business for three weeks.
Be cut out for Be suitable, have the necessary qualities. She’s not cut out for this kind of work.

 

Read More Phrasal Verbs That Start With “C”

Dictionary Of Phrasal Verbs

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