List of English Phrasal Verbs beginning with c

 

Call back (object)

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

Call smb in (object)

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

Call smth out (object)

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.

Calm smb down (object)

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.

Carry away (no object)

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.

Carry on (no object)

MEANING: you continue doing smth

EXAMPLE:

1. Carry on working!

2. He carried on as if nothing had happened.

Carry smth out (object)

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.

Catch on (no object)

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.

Chat smb up (object)

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.

Chew smth over (object)

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.

Chill out (no object)

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.

Clam up (no object)

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.

Climb down (no object)

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.

Come across smb (object)

MEANING: meet someone by chance

EXAMPLE:

Not long ago, I came across an old friend from my schools days.

Come across smth (object)

MEANING: find something by chance

EXAMPLE:

This stretch of coastline is famous for the fossils that you just come across lying on the beach.

Come (a)round (no object)

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.

Come to (no object)

MEANING: recover consciousness. Opposites: pass out, black out

EXAMPLE:

When he came to, he was being loaded into an ambulance.

Come through (no object)

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.

Come through smth (object)

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.

Come up (no object)

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.

Come up with smth (object)

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.

Cool down (no object)

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.

Cough smth up (object)

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.

Count on smb (object)

MEANING: to rely on somebody to help or support you

EXAMPLE:

You can always count on her to know the latest information.

Crack down on smth (object)

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.

Cut smth down (object)

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.

Cut down on smth (object)

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.

Cut smth off (object)

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