Phrasal Verbs That Start With "B"

Table of Contents

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.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

ESP

Phrasal Verbs That Start With “B”

Dictionary Of Phrasal Verbs