English Phrasal Verbs

Alphabetical list U-Z of commonly-used phrasal verbs.

Phrasal Verbs beginning with the letters 'U' to 'Z'

use up
- Finish a product or a supply of something ( so that there's none left).
  "What a nuisance! The kids have used up all the toothpaste. "
usher in
- To welcome, initiate or be the beginning of something new.
  "A party is a joyful way to usher in the New Year."
  "Her appointment as marketing director ushered in fresh ideas."
veer away from
- Avoid, stay away from.
  "I veer away from hypochondriacs if I can."
vouch for
- Express confidence in, or guarantee something.
  "You can give the keys to Andy. I can vouch for him. "
wake up
- Stop sleeping.
  "Wake up! It's eight o'clock!"
ward off
- Keep away or repel (something dangerous or unpleasant).
  "I take plenty of vitamin C in winter to ward off colds."
warm up
- Reheat something.
  "She didn't have time to cook so she warmed up some left-over soup."
- Make more lively or more relaxed.
  "He told a few jokes to warm up the atmosphere."
wash up
- Wash the dishes after a meal.
  "Who's going to help me wash up?"
wash up
- Be carried onto the land or shore.
  "Items from the boat were washed up on the beach."
watch out
- Be careful.
  "Watch out! There's a car coming."
water down
- Dilute or make weaker by adding water.
  "If you water down the medicine it will be easier to take."
- Make less severe.
  "He watered down his remarks so as not to offend anyone."
wear away
- Disappear after use or over time.
  "The words printed on the cover had worn away."
wear down
- Make someone feel weary or tired.
  "Kim is exhausted. The baby's constant crying is wearing her down."
wear off
- Gradually disappear.
  "The effect of the painkiller began to wear off."
wear out
- Become unusable.
  "During the trip Julie wore out her shoes sightseeing.
- Become very tired
  "At the end of the every day Julie was worn out."
whip up
- Prepare quickly.
  "I can whip up something to eat if you're hungry."
wind up
- Finish or put an end to something.
  "Before winding up his speech he thanked everyone for their presence."
  "Larry decided to wind up his business and retire."
- Arrive finally in a place.
  "After a long drive we finally wound up in a village with a spectacular view."
wipe off
- Clean (board, table).
  "The teacher asked one of the children to wipe off the board."
wipe out
- Destroy or eliminate something completely.
  "One bad harvest could wipe out all of the producer's profits."
  "Several villages were wiped out by the earthquake.
wolf down
- Eat greedily and quickly.
  "The boys wolfed down the whole cake in no time!"
work out
- Do physical exercise.
  "Tanya works out twice a week at the gym club."
- Find a solution or calculate something.
  "It's going to be expensive but I haven't worked out the exact cost yet."
work up
- Develop
  "A good walk will work up an appetite."
wrap up
- Cover; enclose.
  "She's busy right now. She's wrapping up her Christmas presents."
- Complete (a task, a discussion).
  "The salesman hoped to wrap up a few deals at the end of the demonstration."
write back
- Reply to a letter.
  "Lucy and Steve sent me an invitation and I wrote back to accept it."
write (something) down
- Note something on a piece of paper.
  "Richard wrote down the address of the hotel."
write off
- Cancel a debt or accept a loss.
  "When XYZ company went bankrupt, we had to write off our investment."
zero in (on)
- Direct or focus attention on a target and move towards it.
  "The police have zeroed in on the escaped prisoner. "
zip up
- Fasten a piece of clothing such as a jacket.
  "It’s windy outside. You’d better zip up your anorak."
zoom in (on)
- Focus more closely on something
  "The camera zoomed in on the crowd to show some famous faces."

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