English Phrasal Verbs - Verbes Anglais à Particules
Phrasal verbs starting with: A--B--C--D
C
Choose a phrasal verb and click on it to go directly to the explanation and example.
Call back, Call in, Call smb in, Call smth off, Call smth out, Call smb up
Carry away, Carry on, Carry smth out
Come across smb, Come across smth, Come (a)round, Come to, Come through, Come through smth, Come up, Come up with
Cut back smth, Cut smth down, Cut down on smth, Cut smth off
MEANING: return a phone call or call again later
EXAMPLE:
I'll call you back as soon as I hear anything.
Call in (no object)
MEANING: to pay somebody a short visit
EXAMPLE:
Call in next time you're in town
MEANING: you ask somebody, like a doctor or a technician, to come and help you with a problem
EXAMPLE:
We can't afford to call in a technician every time the washing-machine breaks down.
Call smth off (object)
MEANING: cancel an event
EXAMPLE:
The concert was called off because of rain
MEANING: announce or say something in a loud voice
EXAMPLE:
I'll call you back as soon as I hear anything.
Call smb up (no object)
MEANING: to telephone somebody
EXAMPLE:
He called me up this morning.
Calm down (object)
MEANING: to become more relaxed
EXAMPLE:
He was very upset about it, but he calmed down eventually.
MEANING: To try to make somebody feel less excited or nervous
EXAMPLE:
She was rude towards him but it was clear he was trying to calm her down.
MEANING: When you get carried away, you behave in a silly way because you are too excited, angry, etc.
EXAMPLE:
She got carried away in the shop and spent all her money on new dresses.
MEANING: you continue doing smth
EXAMPLE:
1. Carry on working!
2. He carried on as if nothing had happened.
MEANING: you do a task, for ex. a survey, investigation, research, plan, threat
EXAMPLE:
The government is going to carry out a survey on the nation's health.
MEANING: An idea, fashion, concept etc. becomes popular
EXAMPLE:
The idea eventually caught on and became all the rage by the 1980s.
Chase smb or smth away/off (object)
MEANING: force a person or animal to leave a place with threats or by attacking them
EXAMPLE:
A passer-by stopped his car to help and, along with several neighbors, managed to chase the dog away. No one was bitten.
MEANING: Talk to someone in a friendly way because you are sexually attracted to them
EXAMPLE:
Normally I find it very hard to chat up a girl but that evening I was drunk and had no inhibitions.
MEANING: think about something or discuss it very carefully
EXAMPLE:
I can't imagine John being the kind of person to openly argue, but rather chew it over in silence and, eventually, decide for himself.
MEANING: to relax completely, to calm down
EXAMPLE:
1. We chilled out last night and watched a movie at home for a change.
2. Chill out, woman! Don't get so excited over nothing.
MEANING: refuse to speak
EXAMPLE:
I've tried talking to her about it, but she just clams up and changes the subject.
Clear off , clear smth off (object)
MEANING: disappears or is removed
EXAMPLE:
During the night the fog cleared off.
Clear up (no object), clear up smth (object)
MEANING: 1. tidy & clean or remove dirt and clean 2. find an answer or an explanation for smth or settle it 3. When bad weather clears up, it improves
EXAMPLE:
1. I cleared up the mess from the kids in the back garden.
2. I think this misunderstanding will be cleared up soon.
3. The weather is horrible at the moment. I hope it clears up later.
MEANING: admit you are wrong
EXAMPLE:
The company directors were eventually forced to climb down in the face of a fierce and sustained public backlash.
MEANING: meet someone by chance
EXAMPLE:
Not long ago, I came across an old friend from my schools days.
MEANING: find something by chance
EXAMPLE:
This stretch of coastline is famous for the fossils that you just come across lying on the beach.
MEANING: 1. recover consciousness 2. pay somebody a visit
EXAMPLE:
1. John finally came around after 2 days. We had all been very worried about him.
2. Bill and Ann are coming round tonight. We're going play cards.
MEANING: recover consciousness. Opposites: pass out, black out
EXAMPLE:
When he came to, he was being loaded into an ambulance.
MEANING: receive a call, message, document, authorization, money, results
EXAMPLE:
As the final results came through by fax, it couldn't have been any worse.
MEANING: to survive or recover from something eg. a car crash, accident, operation, illness etc.
EXAMPLE:
My cousin was in a serious car accident last week. Fortunately, he came through it with only minor injuries.
MEANING: When something comes up, it's mentioned, or appears eg. an issue, point, matter, question, subject
EXAMPLE:
You'd better make sure you know these verbs because they always come up in the exam.
MEANING: When you come up with smth, it occurs to you or you manage to find it: eg. a plan, proposal, idea, scheme, solution, suggestion, compromise, money
EXAMPLE:
1. Scientists are trying to come up with a proven cure for cancer.
2. We are trying to come up with enough money to buy a new car.
MEANING: 1. to become less hot 2. to become less excited
EXAMPLE:
1. Let food cool down before putting it in the fridge or freezer.
2. I thought we could finally calmly discuss our argument, now that she had cooled down a bit.
Cop out, cop out of smth (object)
MEANING: to avoid responsibility because you are afraid or you don't want to keep your promise
EXAMPLE:
I hoped Mike would focus on the important issue, but he copped out.
MEANING: to give somebody something because you have to
EXAMPLE:
The health minister said the government must cough up more money if it wants to maintain a high-quality health system.
MEANING: to rely on somebody to help or support you
EXAMPLE:
You can always count on her to know the latest information.
MEANING: When the government or the police crack down on smth, they are much stricter than before.
EXAMPLE:
Riot police cracked down on protesters last night and arrested over 100 people.
Cut back smth, cut back on smth (object)
MEANING: When you cut back something or cut back on smth, you reduce it to save money eg. to reduce spending, public expenditure, production, to budget
EXAMPLE:
The government said they must cut back on education expenses.
MEANING: When you cut something down, you make it fall to the ground by cutting it, usually a tree or forest.
EXAMPLE:
The tree was damaged in the storm so they had to cut it down.
MEANING: to reduce the amount of something you take or eat, eg. cut down on smoking, cigarettes, sugar, fatty foods
EXAMPLE:
People with diabetes are usually advised to cut down on sugar and sugary foods.
MEANING: to remove an object by cutting or you separate or stop it somehow
EXAMPLE:
For years, the country was part of the Soviet Union and was cut off from Western Europe.