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Phrasal Verb - Eating Up

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Eating Up

Image uploaded to Pixabay by Couleur

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Definition​

The phrase 'eat up' is a phrasal verb that means to consume a large amount of something, especially a meal, quickly or in a single session. It can also imply swallowing or covering something completely, often in a physical or metaphorical sense. For example, you might eat up a big meal in a short time, or a hungry bear might eat up all the available berries. In this sense, 'eat up' often has a sense of voracious energy or an insatiable appetite, suggesting that something or someone is consuming resources or energy at a very high rate.

Examples​

No.Example
1After finals week, I eat up all the food in the cafeteria.
2The bear ate up all the berries in the forest.
3The kids ate up all the ice cream, leaving none for me.
4The team ate up the competition, winning the championship by a landslide.
5The flowers ate up the space in the garden, making it hard to walk through.
6The dog loves to eat up his food bowl in under a minute.
7I spend too much time browsing the internet and end up eating up all my free time.
8The car ate up the fuel in a short distance, leaving me stranded on the side of the road.
9The artist ate up five canvases making her latest art piece.
10The lawyer tried to eat up the debate with opposing arguments, never giving his opponent a chance to speak.

Phrasal Verb - Egging On

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Egging On

Image uploaded to Pixabay by Myriams-Fotos

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Definition​

to encourage or support someone to commit a wrong or unworthy act, often by making light of it or pretending it is not serious; to incite or provoke someone into doing something, often something that might cause trouble or be considered wrong.

Examples​

No.Example
1 STOP EGGING ME ON! I don't want to push Jack and get into trouble.
2They were egging her on to apply for the job, even though she wasn't qualified.
3Just because our friends are egging you on, don't get into trouble.
4 STOP egging the boy on with that prank!
5I don't know if I should be egging her on to ask the boss for a raise.
6my little brother will not stop egging me on with the game.
7'He's just trying to egg you on, keep going', I'd say.
8The revision group will start promptly and stop when one of the members starts egging the others on.
9No one should encourage or egg each other on into keeping a low-grade risk.
10As a norm sociologist I study why kids egg or are egged on and how social environments wreck opportunity.

Phrasal Verb - Eke Out

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Eke Out

Image uploaded to Pixabay by RosZie

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Definition​

to manage to achieve something, especially with great difficulty or effort, by finding ways to save money, time, or energy, often by reducing expenses or making minor adjustments.

Examples​

No.Example
1She had to eke out a living from her part-time job and social security.
2The family had to eke out what little they had for Christmas.
3They struggled to eke out a living in the city with its high cost of living.
4He had to eke out an income from freelancing work.
5The couple tried to eke out a romantic evening despite the noisy neighbors.
6The non-profit organization had to eke out donations from generous donors.
7The space station had to eke out fuel to avoid running out of resources.
8The winner had to eke out a narrow victory in the election.
9The restaurant had to eke out a profit by cutting costs and increasing efficiency.
10The government had to eke out funds to repair the damage from the hurricane.

Phrasal Verb - Emptying out

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Emptying out

Image uploaded to Pixabay by Darkmoon_Art

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Definition​

The phrasal verb 'empty out' is used to indicate the act of removing items from a container, space, or area, often completely. It can also imply that something is being cleared of its contents or inhabitants. This phrasal verb is often used to describe a physical action, but it can also be used metaphorically to describe a mental or emotional state.

Examples​

No.Example
1The first step in moving was to empty out the apartment of all its furniture and belongings.
2She had to empty out her locker before the bus let out.
3We need to empty out the garage of all the junk we've accumulated.
4The store was emptying out its inventory of sale items by the end of the month.
5After the party, we had to empty out the house of all the leftover food.
6The city had to empty out the flooded streets before they could repair the damage.
7The company wanted to empty out its warehouses of all the unsold merchandise.
8We had to empty out the pool of water before we could fix the leak.
9The tenant had to empty out the apartment before the new renter could move in.
10The storm surge forced the residents to empty out the coastal town by the evening.

Phrasal Verb - Ending Up

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Ending Up

Image uploaded to Pixabay by anncapictures

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Definition​

The phrasal verb 'end up' is a common idiomatic expression in English that means to arrive or come to a point or state after a process or through a series of events. It can be used to describe a conclusion or an outcome that was not originally intended or expected. 'End up' can be used as a result of considering options, seeking advice from others, or simply as an outcome that unfolded through circumstances.

Examples​

No.Example
1After questioning my decision, I ended up choosing the wrong career path.
2I was planning to attend the concert, but I ended up watching the live stream instead.
3We thought we would spend the evening at home, but we ended up going out with friends.
4I spent hours deciding what to wear, and I ended up wearing the same thing as my mom.
5He said he was dieting, but he ended up eating the entire pizza by himself.
6I had intended to write a 500-word essay, but I ended up writing over 1000 words.
7I was feeling too tired to hike the entire trail, so I ended up turning back halfway.
8I thought I was going to hate the movie, but I ended up loving it.
9He spent months searching for a new job, but he ended up staying with his current employer.
10After considering the pros and cons, I ended up buying a new car.

Phrasal Verb - Even Out

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Even Out

Image uploaded to Pixabay by Buntysmum

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Definition​

to make something flat or smooth; to flatten or smooth something out; to bring something into balance or proportion; to make something equal or uniform; to calm or soothe something; to eliminate something, especially a problem or difficulty

Examples​

No.Example
1After tweaking the settings, I was able to even out the color balance of the photo.
2The construction worker used a level to even out the ground before laying the new flooring.
3She carefully evened out the top layer of frosting on the cake.
4The teacher asked the students to even out their marks in the controversial debate topic.
5The skier tried to even out her speed going down the challenging slope.
6To fix the leaky faucet, she had to even out the pipe's groove.
7The artist tried to even out the canvas before painting the delicate design.
8Audiologists use techniques to even out the hearing frequencies in auditory training.
9Weightlifters continually practising to even out muscle forces across their bodies and hands.
10Emergency aid teams make an effort to even out satisfaction levels between self-sufficiency and government aid.

Phrasal Verb - Face Up To

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Face Up To

Image uploaded to Pixabay by schuetz-mediendesign

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Definition​

To confront or deal with a difficult situation or problem, often one that has been avoided or put off for some time, and to accept its challenges and consequences. It can also mean to be honest or open about one's feelings, intentions, or actions, even if it's uncomfortable or difficult.

Examples​

No.Example
1I've been putting it off for weeks, but I finally face up to the fact that I need to quit my job.
2She faced up to her fears and spoke out against the injustice.
3He's been taking shortcuts on the project, but I'm going to face up to him about it.
4The company will face up to the consequences of their wrongdoings and make amends.
5I've been face up to the reality of my financial situation and am taking steps to fix it.
6She face up to her past mistakes and is working on redemption.
7The team will face up to the tough competition and push themselves to be better.
8He'll face up to the pain and continue to move forward.
9The government will face up to the criticism and make changes.
10Face up to your flaws and weaknesses, and work on improving yourself.

Phrasal Verb - Fading Out

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Fading Out

Image uploaded to Pixabay by andrewSpencer

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Definition​

To gradually decrease or disappear, becoming less noticeable or prominent over time, often used to describe something diminishing or deteriorating in attractiveness, quality, or intensity. It can also imply a decline in performance, a decrease in attention, or a loss of relevance.

Examples​

No.Example
1The old movie star's career began to fade out after her scandalous affair was exposed in the media.
2As theuseum moved to a newer location, the popularity of the old branch faded out.
3Due to the poor sales of their last product, the company started to fade out of business.
4After leaving the music scene for several years, her album faded out of the charts.
5As the latest technology became available, the sales of older models finally faded out.
6The evening show began to fade out because the village had turned out to be bunk.
7The smell of smoke faded out of the house after the electricity came back on.
8The once busy bar slowly began to fade out when the economy got tough.
9With all the changes in fashion, the trendy items of last year started to fade out in popularity.
10Since no more people wanted to watch older schools use outdated methods, the curriculum did fade out slow.

Phrasal Verb - Faffing About

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Faffing About

Image uploaded to Pixabay by stux

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Definition​

Faffing about is a phrasal verb that means to waste time or to spend time aimlessly. It is often used to describe someone who is delaying or putting off something because they are being idle or indulging in frivolous activities. The speaker or writer may feel annoyed or frustrated with the person's behavior because it seems unnecessary or unproductive.

Examples​

No.Example
1We can't afford to faff about all day, we have a deadline to meet.
2Stop faffing about and focus on your task.
3I love people-watching, but don't faff about all day, it's not productive.
4My brother has a habit of faffing about before a big exam.
5The company is too casual and allows employees to faff about all day.
6I know you want to go shopping, but let's not faff about and waste our budget.
7Faffing about on social media is a major distraction for students.
8If you're going to start a project, don't faff about and leave it unfinished.
9The new employee is faffing about more than necessary, it's affecting the team's work.
10Stop faffing about and get back to work, we have a meeting soon.

Phrasal Verb - Falling Apart

· 2 min read
Raymundo CH

Image illustrating the verb Falling Apart

Image uploaded to Pixabay by AndDe14

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Definition​

The phrasal verb 'fall apart' is a transitive verb phrase that means to become or make something separate or disintegrate into parts. It can be used literally or figuratively, depending on the context. When used literally, 'fall apart' means to break or crumble into pieces due to physical stress or damage. On the other hand, it can be used figuratively to describe situations where relationships, organizations, or systems begin to disintegrate or fail due to internal issues, external pressures, or lack of cohesion.

Examples​

No.Example
1The old building fell apart after the earthquake.
2Her business fell apart due to mismanagement.
3He fell apart when his mother passed away.
4The team fell apart during the playoffs.
5Her marriage fell apart after the infidelity scandal.
6The bridge fell apart in the storm.
7Their friendship fell apart after the fight.
8The committee fell apart due to disagreements.
9The company fell apart after the financial crisis.
10Her health fell apart after she stopped exercising.