take up

Meaning: to shorten a piece of clothing or a curtain to make it the right size

For example:

1. take sth up These jeans are a bit too long. Could you take them up for me?
2. take up sth I have to take up the new curtains in the bedroom.

fall off

Meaning: to become less in amount or lower in level

For example:

1. Sales of sunglasses usually fall off in winter, but pick up again in summer.
2. Tourist numbers fell off quite a bit because of the reports of sickness in the country.

look up to

Meaning: If someone looks up to another person, they respect or admire them.

Synonym: respect, admire

For example:

go along with

Meaning: to agree with someone or to support something

Synonym: agree with

For example:

1. I usually go along with whatever Michael says, but this time I don't agree with him.
2. Most people just go along with whatever the government wants to do, so it was a surprise when so many of them opposed the plan to build a new dam.

move in on

Meaning: to try to take control of something that someone else has control of

Synonym: take over

For example:

1. move in on sth The gang war started when one of the gangs tried to move in on the other one's territory.
2. move in on sth If you don't protect your market share in business, someone else will move in on it and take it from you.

look back on

Meaning: If you look back on something, you think about a period of time in the past or an event in the past.

Synonym: remember, recall

For example:

1. When I look back on my teenage years, I'm amazed by the crazy and dangerous things we used to do.
2. Terry tries not to look back on his time in the war. He has too many painful memories.

come over

Meaning: to visit a place, or to move from one place or country to another

For example:

1. Do you want to come over after work and see my new 50" TV?
2. My family has lived in Australia ever since my great grandparents come over from England in 1896.

see to

Meaning: If you see to something, you take care and responsibility of it

For example:

1. Tom will see to the horses.
2. I hear the doorbell. Will someone, please, see to answering the door?

come to

Meaning: to regain consciousness after an accident or an operation

Synonym: come round

For example:

1. The doctor said the operation went well and my wife would be coming to shortly.
2. He was knocked out cold by the other boxer, but when we held some smelling salts under his nose, he soon came to.

order in

Meaning: If you order in, you order food from a take-away restaurant and have it delivered to your home or office.

Synonym: order out

For example:

Nouns often used as objects with order in: pizza, hamburger, fried chicken, soda, juice

Variety: This is typically used in American and Australian English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

fit in

Meaning: to have enough space for something, or to have enough time for something

For example:

fit in My car's got a small boot and the golf clubs won't fit in. They're too long.

fit sth/sb in I don't have time to see him today, but I might be able to fit him in tomorrow.

auction off

Meaning: to sell something to the highest bidder (buyer) at an auction

For example:

turn out

Meaning: to make a light go off

Synonym: switch off

For example:

1. turn out sth Don't forget to turn out the lights before you leave the office.
2. turn sth out The bathroom light was on this morning. Who forgot to turn it out?

help out

Meaning: If you help someone out, you do something to help them.

Synonym: assist

For example:

1. help out sb Scouts are taught to help out old people.
2. help sb out We need someone to help us out with the housework.
3. help out with sth We pay the kids next door to help out with the gardening.

turn down

Meaning: If you turn down an offer or a request, you decide not to accept it.

Synonym: refuse, reject

For example:

1. turn down sth/sb The bank turned down Kenny's application for a loan because he'd just lost his job.
2. turn sth/sb down The club turned his transfer request down, so Patrice had to stay with the club.

Nouns which are often used with turn down: turn down an offer, turn down a request, turn down an appeal, turn down a proposal, turn down an invitation, turn down an application

stick to

Meaning: If you stick to something, you don't stop doing it or you don't stop trying to do it.

Synonym: keep to, maintain

For example:

1. Don't give up. Stick to the diet and you'll definitely lose weight.
2. You have to stick to something for a long time to become an expert at it.

burn out

Meaning: to work too hard and suffer from physical and mental exhaustion

For example:

1. burn out Barry burned out because he worked too much and had too much stress. Now he's on sick leave for a few weeks to recover.
2. burn yourself out You need to slow down a bit or you'll end up burning yourself out.

weigh up

Meaning: to consider the good and bad points before making a decision

Synonym: assess

For example:

1. weigh up sth They'll need to weigh up the pros and cons of each location before deciding where to build their factory.
2. weigh sth up The judge told the jury to weigh the evidence up carefully before reaching a verdict.

run away

Meaning: If children or teenagers run away, they leave home without telling their parents or guardians.

For example:

1. When he was a kid, Pedro got angry with his parents and ran away from home.
2. Many young people run away because they're being sexually abused by a family member.

come up

Meaning: to appear, occur, or become available

For example:

1. If a job comes up in your company, let me know and I might apply for it.
2. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your party last night. Something came up at the last minute and I couldn't get away from the office.
3. It's too early to get up. The sun hasn't even come up yet!

wash up

Meaning: If you wash up, you wash dirty dishes and cooking utensils.

Synonym: do the dishes

For example:

1. wash up I'll cook the dinner if you wash up.
2. wash up sth Do you want me to wash up all these dishes next to the sink?
3. wash sth up Leave the dishes. I'll wash them up in the morning.

Nouns often used as objects with wash up: dishes, plates, cups, pots, pans, cutlery

Note: The phrase "do the washing-up" is often used to describe the act of washing up, especially if the particular objects being washed are not mentioned.

Variety: This is typically used in British and Australian English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

put up

Meaning: to fix a notice or a picture onto a wall or a noticeboard

Synonym: stick up (informal)

For example:

1. put up sth The office would look a lot nicer if we put up a few pictures.
2. put sth up If you're looking for part-time workers, why don't you put a notice up at the university? Students are always looking for part-time jobs.

Nouns often used as objects with put up: picture, painting, notice, poster, wall hanging

ask out

Meaning: If you ask somebody out, you ask someone you like to go on a date with you.

Synonym: invite out

For example:

1. ask sb out It took Juan a long to build up the courage to ask Mariella out, but at last he did and she said yes. Juan was so happy he couldn't help smiling.
2. ask sb out for sth If you like her, why don't you ask her out for dinner? The worst that can happen is that she says no or makes an excuse.

Nouns often used as indirect objects with ask out: on a date, to a restaurant, to a movie, dancing