circle the wagons
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phrasal-verb

circle the wagons

Meaning
to come together to protect the group from criticism
Example
Fans **circle the wagons** when the coach faces unfair blame.
phrasal-verb

keep down

Meaning
to prevent from increasing or growing
Example
We need to **keep down** our expenses this month.
phrasal-verb

boil with rage

Meaning
to feel extremely angry
Example
She **boiled with rage** after hearing the insult.
phrasal-verb

clock in

Meaning
to record the time when you start work
Example
Employees must **clock in** when they begin their remote shifts.
phrasal-verb

catch up on

Meaning
to do something that one has missed or delayed doing before a deadline
Example
I stayed late to **catch up on** my unfinished reports.
phrasal-verb

back up initiatives

Meaning
to provide support or resources for new projects
Example
Global organizations **back up initiatives** that promote equality.
phrasal-verb

drop down

Meaning
to fall or descend to a lower level
Example
The temperature will **drop down** to five degrees tonight.
phrasal-verb

ride through

Meaning
to stay emotionally strong during a difficult period
Example
She managed to **ride through** the hard times with patience.
phrasal-verb

lay out concepts

Meaning
to present or explain creative ideas clearly
Example
The designer **laid out concepts** for the new brand identity.
phrasal-verb

take care of

Meaning
to be responsible for someone or something
Example
My sister **takes care of** our younger brother when our parents are away.
phrasal-verb

drop by

Meaning
to visit someone informally or without prior notice
Example
Feel free to **drop by** anytime for a cup of tea.
phrasal-verb

lean on for

Meaning
to depend on someone for help or advice
Example
My mentor is who I **lean on for** guidance before big negotiations.
phrasal-verb

ground oneself

Meaning
to stay emotionally stable and present in reality
Example
He took a walk outside to **ground himself** after the bad news.
phrasal-verb

break into markets

Meaning
to start to sell goods or services in a new market
Example
Many startups aim to **break into markets** in Africa to support sustainable growth.
phrasal-verb

blow up into violence

Meaning
to suddenly become violent or intense
Example
The argument **blew up into violence** before police arrived.
phrasal-verb

follow your passion

Meaning
to pursue what you love doing as a career or goal
Example
He decided to **follow his passion** for photography.
phrasal-verb

choke up with emotion

Meaning
to become unable to speak because of strong feelings
Example
He **choked up with emotion** while giving his speech.
phrasal-verb

tune out negativity

Meaning
to ignore or block negative thoughts or emotions
Example
He tries to **tune out negativity** to stay mentally strong.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks into opportunities

Meaning
to use failure as a chance for growth
Example
True leaders **turn setbacks into opportunities** to learn and improve.
phrasal-verb

take precautions against

Meaning
to take actions to prevent something harmful from happening
Example
People should **take precautions against** mosquito bites to prevent dengue.
phrasal-verb

drop in for

Meaning
to attend briefly or informally
Example
I plan to **drop in for** the group discussion later this evening.
phrasal-verb

ramp up to

Meaning
to increase or intensify effort or production to recover or meet demand
Example
Factories **ramped up to** meet the rising post-crisis demand.
phrasal-verb

search for

Meaning
to look for specific items or products online
Example
He **searched for** a discount on wireless headphones.
phrasal-verb

let through

Meaning
to allow emotions to pass naturally without resisting them
Example
It’s okay to **let through** your sadness and then move on.
phrasal-verb

count down from

Meaning
to recite numbers backward starting from a specific point
Example
The teacher had us **count down from** twenty to practice timing.
phrasal-verb

move forward with joy

Meaning
to continue with a happy and positive attitude
Example
Let’s **move forward with joy** and not dwell on the past.
phrasal-verb

zone yourself out

Meaning
to deliberately disconnect from stressful surroundings
Example
Sometimes you just need to **zone yourself out** and take a break.
phrasal-verb

come down

Meaning
when rain or snow falls heavily
Example
The rain is really **coming down** now.
phrasal-verb

stumble over

Meaning
to make an error while speaking or reading
Example
He **stumbled over** several words in the script.
phrasal-verb

look back on

Meaning
to reflect on something that happened in the past
Example
Students often **look back on** their school days with pride.
phrasal-verb

bulk up

Meaning
to gain muscle and become stronger
Example
He started lifting heavier weights to **bulk up**.
phrasal-verb

go in for

Meaning
to support or approve of something
Example
He doesn’t really **go in for** small talk.
phrasal-verb

own out of

Meaning
to stop being involved because of ethical concerns
Example
The company **owned out of** the project due to ethical issues.
phrasal-verb

pop into

Meaning
to enter a place briefly and casually
Example
We **popped into** a café for a quick coffee.
phrasal-verb

let yourself rest

Meaning
to allow yourself to take a break and relax
Example
You should **let yourself rest** after such a long day.
phrasal-verb

throw on

Meaning
to put on clothes quickly and carelessly
Example
She just **threw on** a sweater and ran out the door.
phrasal-verb

break off diplomatic ties

Meaning
to end official relations between countries
Example
The two nations decided to **break off diplomatic ties** after the border conflict.
phrasal-verb

go to bed

Meaning
to lie down to sleep at night
Example
I try to **go to bed** before 11 p.m. every night.
phrasal-verb

look out toward

Meaning
to show attention or awareness toward someone’s needs
Example
We should always **look out toward** those who are struggling.
phrasal-verb

phase out restrictions

Meaning
to gradually remove limitations on trade
Example
The country plans to **phase out restrictions** on foreign imports over five years.
phrasal-verb

throw oneself into

Meaning
to do something with great enthusiasm or energy
Example
After the breakup, she **threw herself into** her work.
phrasal-verb

care for

Meaning
to look after someone who is sick or in need
Example
He **cares for** his elderly parents every day.
phrasal-verb

check in after

Meaning
to follow up with someone once something has happened
Example
Please **check in after** the appointment so I know how it went.
phrasal-verb

save on

Meaning
to reduce the amount of money you spend on something
Example
You can **save on** electricity by turning off lights.
phrasal-verb

set up dialogue

Meaning
to establish formal or informal communication between nations
Example
The leaders agreed to **set up dialogue** to discuss trade issues.
phrasal-verb

move toward

Meaning
to progress or advance in the direction of change or improvement
Example
Societies are slowly **moving toward** greater gender equality.
phrasal-verb

stick to a plan

Meaning
to follow a plan strictly without giving up
Example
If you **stick to a plan**, you’ll achieve your goals faster.
phrasal-verb

shut off from

Meaning
to stop communicating or sharing emotions with others
Example
After the argument, he **shut himself off from** everyone for days.
phrasal-verb

open up about kindness

Meaning
to speak honestly about acts of kindness or gratitude
Example
He finally **opened up about kindness** he received from strangers.
phrasal-verb

clam up with

Meaning
to suddenly stop talking because of shyness or fear
Example
He **clammed up with** embarrassment when everyone stared at him.
phrasal-verb

run into debt

Meaning
to start owing money; to become in debt
Example
Many small companies **ran into debt** after the market crash.
phrasal-verb

tackle issues with

Meaning
to address problems together with someone
Example
Let's **tackle issues with** transparency during the review.
phrasal-verb

look around

Meaning
to explore or see what is nearby; to sightsee
Example
We spent the afternoon **looking around** the old city.
phrasal-verb

turn within

Meaning
to focus on your inner world to find peace or answers
Example
He chose to **turn within** instead of blaming others.
phrasal-verb

go over with

Meaning
to review or explain something to someone carefully
Example
The teacher **went over** the essay with the students.
phrasal-verb

live through

Meaning
to experience or survive an important period of history
Example
Our grandparents **lived through** times of great cultural change.
phrasal-verb

turn around the business

Meaning
to make a failing business successful again
Example
The new CEO helped **turn around** the company’s declining sales.
phrasal-verb

speak up in

Meaning
to express one’s thoughts or opinions clearly during a conversation or meeting
Example
She always **speaks up in** international conferences to share her ideas.
phrasal-verb

step up productivity

Meaning
to increase the level of output or performance
Example
The company is taking steps to **step up productivity** across departments.
phrasal-verb

stay focused on

Meaning
to continue giving attention to something important without getting distracted
Example
To achieve good grades, you must **stay focused on** your studies.
phrasal-verb

bring up against

Meaning
to confront someone with a problem or difficulty
Example
He was suddenly **brought up against** a serious obstacle.
phrasal-verb

butt in

Meaning
to interrupt or give an opinion when not invited
Example
I wish you wouldn’t **butt in** when we are discussing something serious.
phrasal-verb

look down at

Meaning
to direct your eyes downward; to check notes
Example
He occasionally **looked down at** his notes to stay on track.
phrasal-verb

open your heart to

Meaning
to express love, trust, or care freely
Example
It’s important to **open your heart to** those who care about you.
phrasal-verb

pair program through

Meaning
to work on code together until a problem is solved
Example
We **pair program through** tricky bugs to keep velocity steady.
phrasal-verb

fall behind in

Meaning
to not make as much progress as others in something
Example
If you skip classes, you might **fall behind in** your studies.
phrasal-verb

cut in with

Meaning
to interrupt someone politely during an online conversation
Example
I didn’t mean to **cut in with** your point, please continue.
phrasal-verb

build on achievements

Meaning
to use past successes as a foundation for further progress
Example
He aims to **build on achievements** and reach new goals this year.
phrasal-verb

lean into uncertainty

Meaning
to accept and embrace the unknown aspects of change
Example
Successful leaders **lean into uncertainty** rather than fear it.
phrasal-verb

branch up into management

Meaning
to progress into a higher level of management or leadership
Example
After years of experience, he finally **branched up into management**.
phrasal-verb

move ahead

Meaning
to make progress; to go forward
Example
Despite the delay, the project will **move ahead** as planned.
phrasal-verb

balance out trade

Meaning
to make exports and imports more equal in value
Example
The government aims to **balance out trade** by promoting local industries.
phrasal-verb

strike up

Meaning
to start a conversation or friendship
Example
He easily **strikes up** conversations with strangers.
phrasal-verb

lean in to

Meaning
to embrace or face emotional challenges with courage
Example
Instead of avoiding conflict, she decided to **lean in to** the discussion.
phrasal-verb

work into

Meaning
to include something into a plan or discussion
Example
I’ll try to **work** your idea **into** the proposal.
phrasal-verb

look up to mentors

Meaning
to admire and respect experienced people
Example
Young managers often look up to their senior mentors for advice.
phrasal-verb

cut up

Meaning
to chop something into small pieces; to upset someone emotionally
Example
He **cut up** the vegetables before cooking.
phrasal-verb

be touched by

Meaning
to feel emotional because of someone’s kindness
Example
I was really **touched by** your kind words.
phrasal-verb

patch up bugs

Meaning
to fix small errors or issues in software
Example
Developers are working to **patch up bugs** found in the latest release.
phrasal-verb

step forward

Meaning
to volunteer or take initiative for something
Example
John always **steps forward** when the team needs extra help.
phrasal-verb

work on

Meaning
to spend time improving or developing something
Example
Our team is **working on** an advanced AI model.
phrasal-verb

take notes on

Meaning
to write down important information while studying
Example
You should **take notes on** every lecture.
phrasal-verb

throw out

Meaning
to get rid of something you no longer need; to discard
Example
We should **throw out** all the old newspapers.
phrasal-verb

believe in

Meaning
to have confidence in someone or something
Example
You need to **believe in** yourself if you want to succeed.
phrasal-verb

break through fear

Meaning
to overcome strong emotional barriers like fear or anxiety
Example
He finally **broke through his fear** and spoke in public.
phrasal-verb

fill up

Meaning
to eat enough food so that you are full
Example
That soup really **filled me up**.
phrasal-verb

back down

Meaning
to admit you were wrong and stop arguing
Example
She refused to **back down** even after realizing her mistake.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks into strength

Meaning
to learn and grow from difficulties or failures
Example
He managed to **turn setbacks into strength** through positive thinking.
phrasal-verb

call someone out on

Meaning
to point out a person’s mistake or bad behavior
Example
Coworkers **call someone out on** gossip that hurts the team.
phrasal-verb

find into

Meaning
to enter or get involved in something gradually
Example
He slowly **found into** the rhythm of city life.
phrasal-verb

pull out of markets

Meaning
to withdraw investments or operations from a market
Example
Some multinational companies decided to **pull out of markets** facing instability.
phrasal-verb

tune into

Meaning
to become aware of or connected with your feelings or environment
Example
You should **tune into** positive energy around you.
phrasal-verb

turn over to

Meaning
to transfer control or responsibility to someone else
Example
He **turned over to** the next speaker after finishing his talk.
phrasal-verb

do away with

Meaning
to get rid of something; to abolish
Example
They plan to **do away with** the old system soon.
phrasal-verb

open up to someone

Meaning
to share personal feelings or problems with someone you trust
Example
He finally **opened up to** his friend about what he had been going through.
phrasal-verb

build confidence through practice

Meaning
to become more self-assured by repeated practice
Example
You can **build confidence through practice** in public speaking.
phrasal-verb

come down on

Meaning
to criticize or punish someone strongly for a decision or action
Example
The board will **come down on** any department that exceeds the budget.
phrasal-verb

get away with

Meaning
to do something wrong without being punished
Example
He thought he could **get away with** cheating on the test.
phrasal-verb

aim toward excellence

Meaning
to focus effort on achieving the highest quality or standard
Example
Our company always **aims toward excellence** in every project.
phrasal-verb

write in about

Meaning
to contact an organization in writing regarding something
Example
If you have ideas, please **write in about** them before Friday.
phrasal-verb

catch up in

Meaning
to become involved in something, often unwillingly
Example
He got **caught up in** a legal issue he didn’t understand.
phrasal-verb

ring off

Meaning
to end a phone call
Example
He suddenly **rang off** without saying goodbye.
phrasal-verb

come up with ideas

Meaning
to create or think of new ideas
Example
The R&D team managed to **come up with ideas** that revolutionized the product line.
phrasal-verb

go on

Meaning
to happen or take place
Example
The celebration **went on** until midnight with music and dance.
phrasal-verb

reach higher goals

Meaning
to achieve more ambitious objectives or aims
Example
The company’s vision encourages employees to **reach higher goals**.
phrasal-verb

take heart from

Meaning
to gain comfort or courage because of something
Example
Volunteers **take heart from** every thank-you message they receive.
phrasal-verb

find out

Meaning
to discover information
Example
I need to **find out** what time the meeting starts.
phrasal-verb

break off communication

Meaning
to stop communicating suddenly or intentionally
Example
After the argument, they **broke off communication** for months.
phrasal-verb

break off thoughts

Meaning
to stop negative or anxious thoughts abruptly
Example
Whenever you start overthinking, **break off thoughts** and focus on something present.
phrasal-verb

fill in for someone

Meaning
to do someone’s job temporarily
Example
I had to **fill in for** my colleague while he was on leave.
phrasal-verb

look within for strength

Meaning
to find inner courage and motivation
Example
When times are tough, **look within for strength**.
phrasal-verb

chill off

Meaning
to calm down or relax when feeling tense or angry
Example
I went for a walk to **chill off** after the argument.
phrasal-verb

open hearts to

Meaning
to show kindness and acceptance toward people of other cultures
Example
We should **open our hearts to** people who are different from us.
phrasal-verb

link economies through

Meaning
to connect different economies via trade or investment
Example
The new corridor will **link economies through** improved infrastructure.
phrasal-verb

breathe through stress

Meaning
to manage tension or anxiety using breathing techniques
Example
When you feel pressure, **breathe through stress** slowly and deeply.
phrasal-verb

open within

Meaning
to connect with your inner emotions and understand yourself better
Example
Yoga helps me to **open within** and feel peaceful.
phrasal-verb

bring together nations

Meaning
to unite countries for a common purpose or goal
Example
The conference helped **bring together nations** for global development.
phrasal-verb

work against

Meaning
to act in opposition to someone or something
Example
The new policy may **work against** small businesses.
phrasal-verb

brainstorm our way out

Meaning
to think of ideas together until a problem is solved
Example
The team **brainstorms our way out** whenever a project gets stuck.
phrasal-verb

heal up

Meaning
to recover or become healthy again after injury
Example
Her wound has started to **heal up** nicely.
phrasal-verb

cut down

Meaning
to eat or use less of something
Example
He’s trying to **cut down** his sugar intake.