Table of Contents

Phrasal Verbs that start with “C”

Phrasal Verbs Letter With ’C’
Phrasal Verbs Letter With ’C’
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Call after Name someone in honor of another person. She was called Rose after her late grandmother.
Call around Visit various places or people. I called around, but she wasn’t home.
Call back Return a phone call. I need to call her back when I get to the office.
Call for Demand or request something. The Opposition party called for the minister’s resignation after the scandal broke.
Call for Go to a location to collect something. The courier called for your parcel, but I told him it wasn’t ready yet.
Call for Request something via telephone. I’ll call for a cab right away.
Call for Go and collect someone to take them out. I’ll call for you at seven; be ready because the film starts at half-past.
Call for Require or necessitate something. An emergency like this calls for some pretty drastic action.
Call forth Prompt or cause something to happen. The protests called forth a strong reaction from the police.
Call in Request someone’s services. We had to call in a plumber because the sink was leaking.
Call in Stop by for a visit. I called in on Jenny because she’s not feeling well.
Call off Cancel an event or arrangement. The concert had to be called off due to the singer’s illness.
Call off Order someone to stop attacking. Call off your lawyers; we can work something out.
Call on Request assistance or support. The President called on wealthy countries for financial aid after the floods.
Call on Pay a visit. We called on my sister-in-law while we were in the area.
Call on Challenge or confront someone. He called the speaker on several misstatements of fact.
Call on Ask someone to speak or perform publicly. I now call on the other party to give their account of what happened.
Call out Expose or accuse someone of wrongdoing. He called them out for awarding contracts to family members.
Call round Visit multiple places or people. I called round on my way home, but no one was available.
Call up Summon someone for military service. The army called up reserve soldiers when the war broke out.
Call up Make a telephone call. I called him up as soon as I heard the news.
Calm down Relax and become less agitated. It takes me a while to calm down after I lose my temper.
Cancel out Nullify or negate something. The airport taxes canceled out the savings from our cheap flights.
Cap off Finish or conclude with a decisive action. She capped off the meeting with a radical proposal.
Care for Like or prefer something. I don’t care for fizzy drinks; I prefer water.
Carried away Become excessively emotional or excited. The team got carried away after winning the championship.
Carry forward Include a figure in a subsequent calculation. They carried forward their losses to the next financial year.
Carry forward Progress or advance something. They hope the new management will carry the project forward.
Carry off Achieve or win something. She carried off the first prize in the competition.
Carry off Die from a disease. Cancer carried him off a couple of years ago.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Carry on Continue with an activity. Carry on quietly with your work until the substitute teacher arrives.
Carry on Behave badly, often in a noisy or disruptive way. The children annoyed me by carrying on all morning.
Carry on with Have a secret romantic relationship. He’s been carrying on with someone at work for years.
Carry out Perform or complete a task. The government is carrying out tests on growing genetically modified crops.
Carry out Purchase food from a restaurant to eat elsewhere. I’m too tired to cook – let’s get a carryout.
Carry over Continue beyond a certain point. The meeting carried over into the afternoon because there was so much to talk about.
Carry through Successfully complete something. They carried the reforms through despite the opposition.
Cart off Take someone away, usually under arrest. The police carted them off to question them.
Cart off Take something away, especially unlawfully. The thieves carted off all the ticket receipts.
Carve out Establish or create a niche for oneself. She’s carved out a successful career in photojournalism.
Carve up Divide something into smaller parts. They carved the company up and sold off a lot.
Carve up Drive aggressively and suddenly in front of a car. The reckless driver carved us up and forced me to brake hard.
Cash in Convert assets into money. They cashed in their bonds and spent the money on a holiday.
Cash in on Exploit or benefit from something, often unfairly. The opposition party is cashing in on the government’s unpopularity.
Cash out Illegally withdraw money from an account. A hacker got my credit card details and cashed out a lot of money.
Cash out Exchange something for money, typically winnings. After winning, she cashed out her casino chips.
Cash up Count all the money taken at the end of the day. After closing the shop, they need to cash up before going home.
Cast about for Search or look for something. They’re casting about for support for their cause.
Cast around for Search or look for something. She was casting around for people to help her with the project.
Cast aside Discard or reject someone or something. He cast her aside when he found out she lied to him.
Cast off Get rid of something. They cast off any semblance of politeness and attacked us viciously.
Cast off Release a boat from moorings to sail. They cast off and sailed out to sea.
Cast out Expel or reject someone. They cast him out of the group because of his behavior.
 
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Cast round Search for something. He looked around for any sign of his belongings.
Cast up Wash ashore by the sea. The debris was washed up by the tide.
Catch at Grasp or seize something. She grabbed my sleeve as I was leaving and asked to talk.
Catch on Become popular or understood. Techno music became popular in clubs.
Catch on Understand something after a delay. It took Henry a while to catch on to what was happening.
Catch out Deceive or trick someone. The exam is designed to trick you.
Catch out Discover someone’s lie. He caught me out when he verified my story with my previous employer.
Catch out Be unexpectedly challenged or troubled. We were caught out in the storm.
Catch up Bring up-to-date. After being ill, I need to catch up on the missed work.
Catch up Reach someone who was ahead. I caught him up on the third lap of the race.
Catch up in Become involved unwillingly. The tourists were drawn into the violence of the revolution.
Catch up on Complete something that was missed earlier. I need to catch up on sleep when I get home.
Catch up on Reconnect with someone after a long time. We spent the afternoon catching up on old times since I hadn’t seen her in years.
Catch up with Bring something up-to-date. I need to catch up with my sleep when I get home.
Catch up with Meet and learn about someone’s activities. I caught up with her at the conference to see what she’s been doing.
Catch up with Experience negative consequences. His criminal behavior is finally catching up with him.
Catch up with Face consequences for past actions. The tax authorities finally caught up with me for not filing my tax returns.
Catch up with Learn something new to match others’ knowledge. My mother is trying to catch up with computers since she’s behind on understanding them.
Cater for Provide for a need or requirement. The college caters for students of all ages, offering programs for various age groups.
Cater to Provide what is wanted, sometimes negatively. The film caters to the audience’s basest instincts, pandering to their lowest desires.
Cave in Collapse or fall inward. The roof caved in under the weight of the snow.
Cave in Yield or give in to pressure. Despite protests, the government has yet to cave in.
Chalk out Mark a line of cocaine. He went to the bathroom to mark out a line of cocaine.
 
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Chalk up Achieve something good. The company has chalked up its highest ever profits.
Chalk up to Attribute a problem to a specific cause. They chalked the poor sales up to the lower numbers of tourists visiting this year.
Chance upon Find something by accident. I chanced upon a very rare book at a car boot sale and bought it for 65p.
Change over Transition to a different system. The Irish changed over to using kilometers in 2005.
Charge up Replenish a battery with electricity. I need to charge up my phone; the battery’s dead.
Charge with Accuse somebody of a crime. She was charged with smuggling after being arrested in customs.
Chase down Make a determined effort to find or obtain something. The press chased us down when the story broke.
Chase off Force someone to leave or go away. The dog chased the postal worker off.
Chase up Remind or follow up on something. The librarian is chasing me up about my overdue books.
Chase up Attempt to collect payment or information. I chased her up as she hadn’t paid for several months.
Chat up Flirt with someone to attract their interest. He spent the whole night chatting her up.
Cheat on Be sexually unfaithful. She cheated on me with my friend.
Cheat on Deceive or betray, especially in a relationship. He had been cheating on her ever since their wedding day.
Cheat out of Obtain money from someone through deception. He cheated me out of £100, and I hate him for it.
Check by Visit a place to verify something. We checked by the office to see if the stuff was ready.
Check in Register upon arrival, especially at a hotel. They checked in at the Ritz yesterday.
Check into Register upon arrival, especially at a hotel. They checked into the Ritz yesterday.
Check off Mark something on a list as completed. She checked off the candidates’ names as they arrived.
Check out Pay the bill and leave, especially from a hotel. She checked out of the hotel and took a cab to the airport.
Check out Investigate or evaluate something. I checked the new restaurant out as soon as it opened.
 
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Check out Pay and leave a hotel Guests need to check out of the hotel by midday.
Check over Inspect or review something carefully Before signing, we checked over the contract thoroughly.
Cheer on Encourage or support enthusiastically They cheered on their team throughout the entire match.
Cheer up Become happier or less sad Come on, cheer up! It’s not as bad as it seems.
Chew off Remove something by biting The dog chewed off the man’s hat.
Chew on Ponder or consider something carefully I need some time to chew on this decision before I make up my mind.
Chew out Criticize or scold someone angrily The boss chewed out the employee for missing the deadline.
Chew over Ponder or consider something thoughtfully Let’s chew over these options before making a decision.
Chew up Tear or shred something with teeth or force The puppy chewed up my shoes while I was out.
Chicken out Be too afraid to do something I chickened out of skydiving when I reached the airfield.
Chill out Relax or calm down After a long day, I like to chill out with a good book.
Chime in Join or contribute to a conversation Can I chime in? I have something relevant to add.
Chip away at Gradually diminish or reduce something She’s been chipping away at her debt by saving a little each month.
Chip in Contribute money or effort towards something Everyone chipped in to buy a gift for the boss.
Choke off Stop or prevent something from continuing The government tried to choke off funding to the rebel group.
Choke out Suffocate or suppress something The invasive species choked out the native plants in the ecosystem.
Choke up Become emotional or tearful He choked up while giving his heartfelt speech.
Choke up Hold something tightly for better control She choked up on the handlebars as she rode down the hill.
Choose up Form groups or teams for a specific purpose Let’s choose up sides for the soccer game.
Chop down Cut down or fell a tree or large object They chopped down the old tree to make room for the new building.
Chop up Cut or slice something into smaller pieces She chopped up the vegetables for the stir-fry.
Chow down Eat heartily or quickly After the game, we chowed down on pizza at the local diner.
Chow down on Consume a large quantity of food At the barbecue, we chowed down on burgers and hot dogs.
Chuck away Discard or throw something away He chucked away the old magazines cluttering up his desk.
Chuck in Quit or give up something After years of working in finance, she chucked it all in to pursue her passion for art.
 
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Chuck in Make a comment or contribution. I added a few points at the end of the discussion.
Chuck out Dispose of something no longer needed. I threw out some expired food I found in the fridge.
Chuck up Vomit or be sick. He got so drunk that he vomited in the back of the taxi on the way home.
Chuck up Quit or abandon something. She didn’t enjoy the course, so she dropped out after a few weeks.
Churn out Produce quickly or in large quantities. The government regularly churns out new educational policies.
Clag up Make something sticky. His arteries are clogged up due to his high-fat diet.
Clam up Refuse to speak; be silent. Everyone fell silent when the principal entered the room.
Clamp down on Restrict or try to stop something. The government is cracking down on antisocial behavior.
Claw back Retrieve or get money back. The new tax aims to claw back the grants the government has distributed.
Claw back Regain possession with difficulty. The opposition parties are trying to claw back the voters they lost in the last election.
Claw back Regain market share from competitors. They are clawing back their market share through aggressive marketing strategies.
Clean off Remove dirt or something dirty. After dinner, I wiped the table clean.
Clean out Tidy up thoroughly and discard unwanted items. I really need to clean out the study; it’s cluttered with papers and junk.
Clean out Deplete or exhaust someone’s finances. The holiday completely cleaned me out; I’m broke until the end of the month.
Clean up Tidy and make clean. Please clean up this bedroom; it’s a mess.
Clean up Make a large profit, often suddenly. We made a tidy profit at the horse races yesterday.
Clear away Leave a place or remove objects. We were instructed to clear away from the accident scene.
Clear away Tidy up or remove items. After dinner, I cleared away the dishes.
Clear off Leave a place quickly. As soon as the trouble started, we cleared off.
Clear out Tidy up thoroughly and discard unwanted items. I spent the weekend clearing out the attic, which was filled with papers and junk.
Clear out Leave a place, often quickly. I told them to clear out because they were being too noisy.
Clear up Recover from an infection or illness. I took some medicine, and my rash cleared up quickly.
Clear up Tidy or clean up. I need to clear up the mess before I leave.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Clear up Make something understandable or better. Can you explain these points before we continue?
Clear up Improve the weather. The sky became clear, and the sun appeared after the rain stopped.
Click through Open an ad or link on the internet. Only a few people actually click on banner ads online.
Climb down Admit that you were wrong. The Prime Minister had to admit he was wrong about the tax proposal because many disagreed.
Cling on Hold onto something tightly. He told me to hold on tight as the bike sped up.
Cling on to Keep holding onto something. Despite protests, they held onto power.
Cling to Keep believing in something. They still believe in their old ideas.
Clog up Block or fill up. The roads get blocked with traffic during rush hour.
Close down Shut down permanently. Many village bank branches closed down in recent years.
Close down Stop someone from being a problem. He stopped the opposing player from being a threat.
Close in Surround or approach. The fog surrounded us, making it hard to see.
Close in Approach or get near. The police were getting closer, so they decided to run.
Close in on Get near to something or someone. The police were closing in on the criminals.
Close in upon Get near to something or someone. The police were closing in upon the criminals.
Close off Block or prevent access. The police closed off the road after the accident.
Close on Approach or come closer to. She is approaching the leader in the race.
Close out End or conclude something. We ended the meeting early and went home.
Close out Stop using or closing a service. She stopped using her old bank account and opened a new one.
Close out Exclude or ignore someone. They always leave me out of their plans.
Close up Shut something completely. They closed up the shop after everyone left.
Close up Join together or gather closely. The leaves closed up when it rained.
Close up Move closer together. They moved closer together when they saw the threat approaching.
Cloud over Become cloudy or overcast. The sky became cloudy, and it started raining in the afternoon.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Clown about Behave foolishly or waste time. The students were clowning about the whole lesson, not taking their studies seriously.
Clown around Behave foolishly or waste time. I couldn’t focus because they were clowning around all afternoon, disrupting the class.
Coast along Proceed without much effort or improvement. She’s been coasting along all year, not putting in much effort and making little progress.
Cobble together Quickly assemble or produce something with little care. They cobbled together a few pages and submitted it without thoroughly checking.
Cock up Ruin or spoil something. It was such an easy task, but he managed to cock everything up with his carelessness.
Colour (Color) up Turn red in the face due to embarrassment or guilt. He colored up when caught stealing from the till, revealing his guilt.
Come about Occur or happen. The meeting came about because both sides were tired of the ongoing conflict.
Come about Change direction, especially in nautical terms. The yacht came about to a heading of 240 degrees as the wind shifted.
Come across Find by chance. I came across my old school reports while cleaning out my desk.
Come across Agree to engage in sexual activity. I was surprised when she came across on the first night, showing her willingness.
Come across Portray oneself in a certain way to others. He came across as shy because of his quiet demeanor.
Come along Accompany someone. May I come along on your trip tomorrow?
Come along Make progress or move faster. Come along, we’ll never reach our destination if you don’t keep up.
Come apart Break into pieces. It came apart when I tried to lift it, so I had to glue it back together.
Come around Regain consciousness. It took him several hours after the operation before he came around.
Come around to Accept or agree with something previously disliked. They’ve started coming around to our way of thinking, becoming less hostile.
Come back Return to a place. I left work early and came back home.
Come before Appear in court facing charges. He came before the court on charges of speeding.
Come by Visit someone or somewhere casually. I’ll come by after work and see if you need any help.
Come by Obtain or acquire something. How did you come by that Rolex?
Come down Rain heavily. Just look at the rain coming down! I’m not going out in that.
Come down Travel to a place. When you’re next in London, come down and see us.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Come down on To strongly criticize someone or something. The boss really came down on him for making mistakes.
Come down upon To reprimand severely or criticize harshly. The teacher will come down upon us if we don’t complete the assignment on time.
Come down with To become ill with a specific sickness. She came down with the flu and had to stay home from work.
Come forth To appear or emerge, often unexpectedly. The truth came forth during the investigation.
Come forth with To provide or offer something, typically information. None of the witnesses came forth with any useful details.
Come from To originate or have one’s roots in a particular place. She comes from a small town in the countryside.
Come in To arrive or land, especially for flights or arrivals. The flight came in late due to bad weather.
Come in To achieve a certain position or rank, especially in a competition. Despite training hard, she came in second place in the race.
Come in To receive news or information, usually gradually. Reports are coming in about the progress of the project.
Come in for To receive criticism, praise, or attention. The new policy has come in for a lot of criticism from employees.
Come into To become relevant or significant in a situation. The issue of climate change has come into focus in recent years.
Come into To inherit money or property from someone. She came into a large inheritance after her grandfather passed away.
Come into use To start being used or implemented. The new technology came into use after extensive testing.
Come off To detach or break away from something. The button came off my shirt when I pulled too hard.
Come off To be successful or achieve a desired result. Despite the challenges, the event came off without a hitch.
Come off it An expression of disbelief or skepticism. Come off it! You can’t expect me to believe such a ridiculous story.
Come on To encourage or urge someone to do something. Come on, you can do it! Just a little bit further!
Come on To start to develop or appear, especially an illness. I feel a cold coming on; I better take some medicine.
Come on To start operating or functioning, as with machinery. The heating system comes on automatically when it gets cold.
Come out To be revealed or disclosed, often about a secret. The truth about his past finally came out during the trial.
Come out To be published or made available to the public. The new book by the famous author is coming out next month.
Come out To be removed or eliminated, especially a stain. I spilled coffee on my shirt, but luckily it came out in the wash.
Come out To openly reveal one’s sexual orientation or identity. She came out to her family as gay during her senior year of college.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Come out When the sun appears. The sky was cloudy, but then the sun came out, and we all went to the park.
Come out in Develop a rash or skin problem. She got a nasty rash after touching the poisonous plant by mistake.
Come out of Regain consciousness. After three years, he woke up from the coma.
Come out with Introduce something new. They recently released a new version of the product.
Come out with Make a surprising statement publicly. She surprised everyone by revealing the answer when it was least expected.
Come over Feel unwell or strange. I suddenly felt faint and weak due to low blood sugar levels.
Come over Experience a sudden change in behavior or mood. I apologize for my behavior last night; I don’t know what came over me.
Come round Regain consciousness. She regained consciousness after the surgery and was informed of its success.
Come round Change one’s opinion. Initially skeptical, she eventually came round to our way of thinking.
Come through Receive information or messages. News is coming through of a major accident on the highway due to freezing fog.
Come through Clearly express an emotion or feeling. The anger she felt came through in her voice.
Come through Produce a desired result or outcome. They promised to help, but they haven’t come through yet with their assistance.
Come through with Provide something as promised. He failed to come through with the money he owed, causing financial problems.
Come to Regain consciousness. He regained consciousness an hour after the surgery.
Come to Result in something. The argument escalated, and they eventually came to blows, resulting in a physical fight.
Come up Arise or appear unexpectedly. I won’t be home on time tonight because something urgent has come up at work.
Come up The sun rises. The sun came up just as we arrived at the outskirts of the town.
Come up against Encounter problems or obstacles. They encountered significant opposition to their plans for a new supermarket in the area.
Come up with Generate an idea or solution. Despite brainstorming, nobody could come up with a satisfactory explanation for the accident.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Come upon Discover unexpectedly. I stumbled upon the book in a quaint second-hand bookstore in Dorset.
Conjure up Evoke a memory or image in someone’s mind. The smell of chalk dust conjures up memories of my school days.
Conjure up Create something out of limited resources. I had to conjure up a full weekend’s worth of entertainment for the guests with no notice.
Conk out Fall asleep suddenly due to exhaustion. After a long day at work, I conked out on the sofa as soon as I got home.
Conk out Suddenly stop functioning. The printer conked out, leaving me unable to print important documents.
Contract in Become involved or committed to something. Many companies have contracted in to support the initiative since its inception.
Contract out Outsource a service to an external provider. They’ve contracted out their catering services to save costs.
Contract out of Formally withdraw from an agreement. I formally contracted out of the deal years ago due to changing circumstances.
Cool down Lower in temperature. I waited for the tea to cool down before taking a sip.
Cool down Calm down emotionally. It took me a while to cool down after the heated argument.
Cool off Become calmer or less angry. We’ll talk to Fred once he cools off and can discuss things rationally.
Coop up Confine or restrict within a small space. They cooped the dog up in a tiny room while they were away.
Cop it Face consequences or punishment. They really faced the consequences when they were caught shoplifting.
Cop off Leave work or school early. We decided to cop off early on Friday since there wasn’t much to do.
Cop off Engage in romantic or sexual activities. She hooked up with Damian at the end-of-term party.
Cop out Avoid responsibility by choosing an easier option. She initially planned to pursue a Master’s degree but chickened out and chose the Diploma course instead.
Cost up Calculate the total expense of something. The decorators will cost up the renovation work tomorrow.
Cotton on Grasp or understand something. It took me a while to cotton on to their scheme.
Cough up Disgorge something from one’s throat by coughing. He coughed up the phlegm after his cold.
Cough up Pay a sum of money reluctantly. He had to cough up a hefty fine for parking in the wrong spot.
Could do with Need or desire something. I could really do with a cup of coffee right now.
Count against Have a negative impact on something. Not having a university degree will count against her in the job market.
Count among Include someone or something in a group or category. I count her among my closest friends because of our shared experiences.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Count down Eagerly anticipate or wait for something to happen. I’m counting down the days until they leave for vacation.
Count for Be considered significant or valuable. Experience counts for a lot when making important decisions.
Count in Include or involve someone or something. If you’re going skiing, count me in; I’d love to join.
Count off Enumerate or say numbers in a sequence. They counted off the students as they arrived for the field trip.
Count on Depend or rely on someone or something. You can count on them to keep their promise; they’re reliable.
Count on Expect something to happen and base plans on it. I was counting on the payment arriving last week, but it didn’t, so I was short on cash.
Count out Exclude someone or something. I don’t want to go to the party; count me out.
Count out Physically count a specific amount of money. He counted out £250 and paid me for the services.
Count towards Contribute to the completion of something. The coursework counts towards the final grade in the class.
Count up Add up or calculate. Count up the number of tickets sold for the concert, please.
Count upon Expect or rely on someone or something. I was counting upon their support during the vote, but they didn’t vote my way.
Count upon Expect something to happen and base plans on it. I count upon them to assist me whenever I need their help.
Cover for Provide an excuse or alibi for someone. She asked me to cover for her if anyone asked where she had gone.
Cover for Perform someone’s tasks in their absence. I covered for her at work while she was on sick leave.
Cover up Conceal or hide something to prevent discovery. They tried to cover up the incident, but it ended up in the newspapers.
Cozy up Make oneself comfortable, especially in a warm environment. It was chilly outside, so I cozied up by the fireplace with a blanket.
Cozy up to Attempt to become more friendly or familiar with someone. He’s been cozying up to the boss in hopes of getting a raise.
Crack down on Enforce rules or laws more strictly than usual. The police always crack down on speeding during holiday weekends.
Crack on Continue or proceed energetically with a task or activity. Despite the obstacles, we had to crack on to finish the project on time.
Crack up Suffer a nervous breakdown or mental collapse. He cracked up after the accident and needed time off to recover.
Crack up Experience poor reception, especially on a phone call. You’re breaking up; I can’t hear you clearly on the phone.
Crack up Burst into uncontrollable laughter. Everyone cracked up when he told the hilarious joke.
Crack up Cause severe damage to something, especially a vehicle. He cracked up his car when he skidded off the icy road last winter.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Crank out Produce a large quantity of something quickly. My boss keeps churning out stupid memos.
Crank up Increase the intensity or volume of something. He cranked up the volume as high as it would go.
Crank up Start a machine or engine. He cranked up the saw to begin cutting the wood.
Crank up Use non-medical drugs, typically injected. He’s been using heroin for years.
Crash out Sleep at someone’s place due to exhaustion. Dave crashed out at his friend’s flat after the party.
Crash out Fall asleep suddenly. I crashed out in front of the TV last night.
Cream off Select the best individuals for special treatment. Private schools cream off the top pupils for their programs.
Cream off Take money or divert funds unfairly. Smaller banks cream off excess profits during lending booms.
Creep in Gradually become noticeable. Anger started to creep in despite his efforts to stay calm.
Creep in Infiltrate or sneak into something. Errors crept in as the text became longer.
Creep into Gradually become part of something. An angry tone crept into her voice during the argument.
Creep out Make someone feel uneasy or uncomfortable. He creeps me out when he gets drunk.
Creep out on Engage in an activity for an extended period. He’s been creeping out on that computer game all day.
Creep over Start to feel a negative emotion. Fear crept over me as I walked through the graveyard.
Creep up on Approach quietly or unexpectedly. They crept up on their rivals and overtook them in the competition.
Crop up Appear unexpectedly or suddenly. Something cropped up at work, so I’ll be late tonight.
Cross off Remove or delete from a list. She crossed him off her Christmas card list after their argument.
Cross out Mark something as incorrect by drawing a line through it. She crossed out her mistakes and corrected them above.
Cross up Confuse or deceive someone. The treasure map was drawn to cross us up and lead us astray.
Cruise through Complete something effortlessly. He cruised through the exam without much difficulty.
Crumb down Clear a table of crumbs in a restaurant. The waiter crumbed down the table before serving coffee.
Cry off Cancel an arrangement or plan. I have to work tonight, so can I cry off going out for dinner?
Cry out Shout loudly due to pain or surprise. He cried out when he dropped the heavy box on his foot.
Cut across Take a shorter route through a place. Let’s cut across the park; it’ll be quicker than going around.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Cut across Impact various groups or classes. The issue cuts across social backgrounds as it affects us all equally.
Cut back Reduce. The firm cut back production due to sluggish sales.
Cut back Trim branches from a plant or tree. We cut the tree back every winter to encourage future growth.
Cut back on Decrease expenditure. The government has decided to cut back on spending on the armed forces.
Cut down Consume less of something. I’m trying to cut down the amount of coffee I drink during the day.
Cut down Shoot or fell with a weapon. Many soldiers were cut down by enemy fire during the battle.
Cut down Fell a tree or object to ground level. The logger cut the tree down with precision.
Cut down Remove something from a higher position. After Christmas, he cut down all the decorations without care.
Cut down on Reduce something, usually consumption. Doctors advised her to cut down on saturated fats in her diet.
Cut in Begin functioning, like a fan or engine. The fans cut in when the engine started overheating.
Cut in Drive in front of another vehicle suddenly. A car cut in abruptly, nearly causing an accident.
Cut in Interrupt a conversation or activity. He rudely cut in while we were discussing important matters.
Cut in Involve someone in a deal for profit. We had to cut the police in on the deal to avoid trouble.
Cut in Mix fat and flour until combined. Cut the butter in with the flour for a perfect pastry.
Cut it out Stop unfair or unreasonable behavior. Cut it out! Stop making so much noise and causing trouble.
Cut off Disconnect something, like a telephone. The telephone was cut off due to unpaid bills.
Cut off Isolate or make inaccessible. The heavy snow cut off many villages from the outside world.
Cut out Exclude something from a group or activity. I’m cutting out salt from my diet for better health.
Cut out Engine or motor stops suddenly. The car cut out at the traffic lights, causing a delay.
Cut out Remove a picture or item from a source. I cut out some pictures from the magazine to use in my project.
Cut out Depart quickly from a place. We’d better cut out; security is on the way.
Cut out Separate livestock from a group. They cut out three prime bulls from the herd for auction.
Cut out on Let down or disappoint someone. The star cut out on the charity when offered more money.
Cut up Slice or divide something into smaller parts. After felling the tree, the logger cut it up into manageable pieces.
Cut up Drive recklessly in front of another vehicle. A red Mini cut me up on the motorway, forcing me to brake suddenly.
Cut up Upset or distress someone emotionally. Her reaction really cut me up; I didn’t expect her to react like that.
Cut up Have multiple small injuries. I cut my hand up while breaking the glass; it’s bleeding profusely.

Dictionary Of Phrasal Verbs

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