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Take off, take over and take up share one short verb but describe very different actions. Grouping them by idea makes the expressions easier to retrieve than learning a random list.
3-second sample
American, British, Australian
A colleague says the receipts add up, but the explanation does not. The same two words describe two very different judgements.
4-second sample
American, British, Australian
A manager changes a policy after staff challenge it. She does not move backwards, but people say she backed down.
5-second sample
American, British, Australian
A colleague backs you up, research backs up a claim, and software backs up a file. What changes when the object changes?
3-second sample
American, British, Australian
A performance blows the audience away while a gust blows the programmes away. Emotion and wind create different meanings with the same form.
6-second sample
American, British, Australian
A couple breaks up, a meeting breaks up, and a phone call starts breaking up. Only one involves a romantic relationship.
5-second sample
American, British, Australian
A small decision can produce a large result. Bring about connects the cause to the change that follows.
5-second sample
American, British, Australian
You can bring up a difficult topic, bring up a child, or bring up a file on a screen. Context tells you which action is happening.
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American, British, Australian
If you bump into an old friend, you meet unexpectedly. If you bump into a table, the surprise may hurt a little more.
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A worker, a campfire and a motor can all burn out, but each one reaches a different kind of end.
4-second sample
American, British, Australian
You can call off a match before it starts, call off a search already in progress, or call a threatening dog off.
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American, British, Australian
Fall behind on a walk, at work or in a friendship, and catch up helps you close the gap in three different ways.
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American, British, Australian
A huge task may not disappear at once, but each small action can chip away at it.
4-second sample
American, British, Australian
You may come across an old photograph, come across as confident, or make sure your main idea comes across clearly.
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American, British, Australian
A scratchy throat and sudden tiredness may make you say, I think I am coming down with something.
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American, British, Australian
When a problem needs a plan, a name or some money, someone has to come up with what is missing.
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American, British, Australian
When a plan depends on a reliable person or an expected event, you are counting on them.
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American, British, Australian
You can cut down on coffee, cut a report down to one page, or cut down a damaged tree.
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American, British, Australian
A failed signal can cut off a call, while deep snow can cut off an entire village.
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American, British, Australian
Before leaving a renovated house for a party, you might do up your coat and do up a present.
4-second sample
American, British, Australian
A driver can drop you off, you can drop off during the journey, and traffic can drop off after rush hour.
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American, British, Australian
Starting something does not guarantee finishing it; a student, runner or bidder may drop out before the end.
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American, British, Australian
Ignoring a problem may delay a decision; facing up to it is the moment you accept that it is real.
3-second sample
American, British, Australian
You can fill out an application with information, while a young person's face may naturally fill out over time.
5-second sample
American, British, Australian
