English Phrasal Verbs
Alphabetical list E-F of commonly-used phrasal verbs.
Phrasal Verbs beginning with the letter 'E' or 'F'
- ease off/up
-
Reduce, become less severe or slow down (pain, traffic, work ...)
"After Christmas, the workload generally eases off."
-
Reduce, become less severe or slow down (pain, traffic, work ...)
- egg on
- Encourage someone to do something..
"Egged on by his friends, the boy climbed over the wall"
- Encourage someone to do something..
- embark on/upon
- Start or engage in something.
"Lily embarked on a career that lead her to fame."
- Start or engage in something.
- end in
- Finish in a certain way/result in.
"Their tumultuous marriage ended in divorce."
- Finish in a certain way/result in.
- end up
- Finally reach a state, place or action.
"If Jack continues his misconduct, he'll end up in prison."
- Finally reach a state, place or action.
- even out
- Eliminate differences of opinion.
"After a long discussion they managed to even out their differences."
- Become level or regular.
"The old road was evened out to make it safer."
- Eliminate differences of opinion.
- explain away
- Find an excuse or plausible explanation.
"How are you going to explain away the missing money?"
- Find an excuse or plausible explanation.
- face up (to)
- Accept to deal with something unpleasant.
"Sam will have to face up to the fact that Jenny is not in love with him.
- Accept to deal with something unpleasant.
- factor in
- Include when calculating or trying to understand something.
"We must factor in the age of the patients."
- Include when calculating or trying to understand something.
- fall apart
- Disintegrate; break; fall into pieces.
"My car is so old it's falling apart."
"Their marriage fell apart after they both lost their jobs."
- Disintegrate; break; fall into pieces.
- fall back on
- Be able to use something in an emergency.
"We were lucky to have some tinned food to fall back on."
- Be able to use something in an emergency.
- fall behind
- Fail to maintain a certain level.
"As a result of the accident she fell behind at school and had to study harder."
- Fail to maintain a certain level.
- fall down
- Lose one's balance and fall to the ground or floor.
"The baby tried to walk but fell down several times."
- Lose one's balance and fall to the ground or floor.
- fall for
- Be attracted to somebody or begin to be in love.
"While on holiday she fell for a handsome young man."
- Be deceived into believing something.
"Steve fell for the story about free tickets for the football match."
- Be attracted to somebody or begin to be in love.
- fall in
- Collapse inwards
"The roof of the supermarket fell in and many customers were injured."
- Collapse inwards
- fall off
- Become detached or separate from something.
"The handle fell off the door as he tried to open it."
- Become detached or separate from something.
- fall out
- Become loose and drop.
"When you grow old your hair starts to fall out."
- Stop being friends because of a disagreement or argument.
"Emma is not speaking to Julie anymore. They fell out during the school trip. "
- Become loose and drop.
- fall through
- Fail; not happen as planned.
"Our planned boat trip fell through because of the storm."
- Fail; not happen as planned.
- fall to
- Become the duty or responsibility of someone (for example, a task) .
"It fell to me to announce the bad news."
- Become the duty or responsibility of someone (for example, a task) .
- figure out
- Understand; find the answer.
"I've bought a new oven. Now I'm trying to figure out how to set the timer.
- Understand; find the answer.
- fill in for
- Temporarily substitute for another person.
"Eva is absent this morning and Julie is going to fill in for her."
- Temporarily substitute for another person.
- fill out
- Complete (a form/application).
"Please fill out the enclosed form and send it back as soon as possible."
- Complete (a form/application).
- find out
- Discover or obtain information.
"I'm going to call the cinema to find out what time the film starts."
- Discover or obtain information.
- fire away
- Ask questions in quick succession.
"May we ask some questions? Sure, fire away!"
- Ask questions in quick succession.
- fire back
- Shoot back.
"The policemen fired back at the robbers."
- Shoot back.
- fish out
- Pull something out of a place.
"He fished a file from the pile on his desk."
"The police fished a dead body out of the water."
- Pull something out of a place.
- fit in (with)
- Feel comfortable or be in harmony with.
"He has difficulty making friends. He just doesn't seem to fit in with the others."
- Feel comfortable or be in harmony with.
- fix up
- Repair or renovate.
"They're going to fix up the house before moving in. "
- Repair or renovate.
- fizzle out
- Gradually end.
"They used to be very close but over the years their friendship fizzled out.
- Gradually end.
- focus on
- Concentrate on something.
"The advertising campaign will focus on the quality of the product. "
- Concentrate on something.
- fold in
- Mix one ingredient with another.
"Beat the eggs then fold in the sugar."
- Mix one ingredient with another.
- freak out
- Panic or go crazy.
"She nearly freaked out when she saw the colour of her hair. It was a disaster!"
- Panic or go crazy.
- frown on/upon
- Disapprove.
"My parents always frowned on smoking."
- Disapprove.
- fuss over
- Pay excessive attention to somebody or somebody.
"She's forever fussing over her grandson. It's just too much!"
- Pay excessive attention to somebody or somebody.
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