cut down workforce
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phrasal-verb

cut down workforce

Meaning
to reduce the number of employees
Example
Due to reduced demand, the factory **cut down workforce** by 20 percent.
phrasal-verb

chalk up to

Meaning
to attribute something to a particular reason
Example
We **chalked it up to** experience and moved forward.
phrasal-verb

glow with pride

Meaning
to look very proud or pleased
Example
He **glowed with pride** when his daughter won the award.
phrasal-verb

drop someone off

Meaning
to take someone by vehicle to a place and leave them there
Example
The driver **dropped me off** at the airport.
phrasal-verb

break down emotionally

Meaning
to lose control over your emotions and start crying
Example
She **broke down emotionally** after hearing the bad news.
phrasal-verb

tally costs up

Meaning
to add expenses together to get a total
Example
We **tally costs up** every Friday to stay under budget.
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

fill up on

Meaning
to eat a lot of one type of food so you are not hungry for other food
Example
Don’t **fill up on** snacks before dinner.
phrasal-verb

sync with

Meaning
to coordinate tasks or schedules with others online
Example
Let’s **sync with** the marketing team tomorrow morning.
phrasal-verb

open out with

Meaning
to start being honest and expressive with someone about emotions
Example
She **opened out with** her husband about her anxiety.
phrasal-verb

push aside doubts

Meaning
to ignore fears or uncertainties and keep moving
Example
She **pushed aside doubts** and followed her instincts.
phrasal-verb

grow into self-belief

Meaning
to gradually develop confidence in yourself
Example
Over time, he **grew into self-belief** and stopped comparing himself to others.
phrasal-verb

point back to

Meaning
to refer to something in the past as a cause or source
Example
Her symptoms **point back to** a previous illness.
phrasal-verb

pine over

Meaning
to feel deep sadness or longing because of something or someone lost
Example
She still **pines over** her broken relationship.
phrasal-verb

grow apart

Meaning
to become distant from someone emotionally over time
Example
After years, they **grew apart** because of different interests.
phrasal-verb

map out choices

Meaning
to list different options with their details
Example
We **map out choices** before deciding which project to take on.
phrasal-verb

run late

Meaning
to be behind schedule
Example
I was **running late** for my morning meeting today.
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throw yourself into

Meaning
to do something with great enthusiasm and energy
Example
He **threw himself into** the new training program.
phrasal-verb

cut off pollution

Meaning
to stop or reduce pollution sources
Example
Factories must **cut off pollution** to meet environmental standards.
phrasal-verb

carry on smiling

Meaning
to keep smiling even during difficult times
Example
She always **carries on smiling** no matter what happens.
phrasal-verb

turn up

Meaning
to arrive or appear at an event or place, often unexpectedly
Example
He didn’t **turn up** for the dinner even though he promised.
phrasal-verb

align across

Meaning
to bring strategies or actions in agreement across regions or teams
Example
Global managers **align across** departments to ensure consistent performance.
phrasal-verb

fight for

Meaning
to struggle or take action to achieve something
Example
Many activists **fight for** freedom and equality.
phrasal-verb

keep projects on track

Meaning
to ensure work stays within schedule and scope
Example
Daily standups help us **keep projects on track** despite surprises.
phrasal-verb

set up a subsidiary

Meaning
to establish a smaller company controlled by a larger one
Example
They decided to **set up a subsidiary** in Singapore to handle regional operations.
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boost confidence

Meaning
to increase optimism or trust in the economy
Example
Positive trade data helped **boost confidence** among entrepreneurs.
phrasal-verb

fill someone in

Meaning
to give someone the details or latest information about something
Example
Can you **fill me in** on what happened at the client meeting?
phrasal-verb

follow along with

Meaning
to keep pace with what’s being shared on a virtual screen or document
Example
Please **follow along with** the presentation on your screen.
phrasal-verb

level off

Meaning
to stop rising or falling and remain steady
Example
After a rapid increase, the sales figures **leveled off**.
phrasal-verb

get away to

Meaning
to go somewhere for a short vacation or break
Example
We’re planning to **get away to** the mountains this weekend.
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

look up

Meaning
to visit someone after a long time
Example
When you are in town, **look me up**.
phrasal-verb

open up to diversity

Meaning
to become accepting and appreciative of different backgrounds or perspectives
Example
Education helps people **open up to diversity** and reduce prejudice.
phrasal-verb

sell out of

Meaning
to have sold all of something
Example
The store **sold out of** the latest sneakers within hours.
phrasal-verb

reach out for support

Meaning
to ask for help or comfort from others
Example
Don't be afraid to **reach out for support** when you feel alone.
phrasal-verb

flare with joy

Meaning
to suddenly feel or show great happiness
Example
His face **flared with joy** when he saw his family again.
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fall into routine

Meaning
to become accustomed to a regular way of working
Example
After a few weeks, the new hires **fell into routine** easily.
phrasal-verb

bring down expenses

Meaning
to lower the amount of money spent
Example
They managed to **bring down** expenses through better budgeting.
phrasal-verb

look back fondly on

Meaning
to remember something with affection or happiness
Example
She **looks back fondly on** her childhood memories.
phrasal-verb

jump on a call

Meaning
to quickly join an online voice or video call
Example
Let’s **jump on a call** to discuss the issue in detail.
phrasal-verb

let emotions out

Meaning
to express feelings that you have been holding in
Example
It’s healthy to **let emotions out** instead of suppressing them.
phrasal-verb

stock up on

Meaning
to buy or collect a large amount of food for future use
Example
We **stocked up on** vegetables for the week.
phrasal-verb

shut down emotionally

Meaning
to stop expressing or feeling emotions, especially after being hurt
Example
After the argument, he completely **shut down emotionally**.
phrasal-verb

botch up

Meaning
to do a job badly or carelessly
Example
He completely **botched up** the report.
phrasal-verb

step over

Meaning
to cross something by lifting your foot; to ignore someone or something
Example
She carefully **stepped over** the puddle to avoid getting her shoes wet.
phrasal-verb

wait on

Meaning
to wait for something to happen before acting; to depend on
Example
We’re **waiting on** the results before making a decision.
phrasal-verb

carry back

Meaning
to remind someone of something from the past
Example
That song **carried me back** to my childhood days.
phrasal-verb

work out with

Meaning
to find a solution or come to an agreement with others
Example
We need to **work out with** the marketing team to align our plans.
phrasal-verb

wake up politically

Meaning
to become aware of political issues and start caring about them
Example
Many young people are beginning to **wake up politically**.
phrasal-verb

settle for

Meaning
to accept something that is not perfect because there is no better option
Example
He didn’t like the first design but had to **settle for** it due to time constraints.
phrasal-verb

clean out cache

Meaning
to remove temporary files from a system to free up space
Example
You should **clean out cache** to make your browser faster.
phrasal-verb

lift each other up

Meaning
to encourage or support colleagues emotionally or professionally
Example
A positive workplace culture helps employees **lift each other up**.
phrasal-verb

wrap around

Meaning
to summarize or conclude by revisiting main ideas
Example
Let’s **wrap around** our discussion by revisiting the key points.
phrasal-verb

clean up well

Meaning
to look good after getting dressed or groomed
Example
He usually looks messy, but he **cleans up well** for special occasions.
phrasal-verb

stay with

Meaning
to continue supporting or believing in something or someone
Example
The employees decided to **stay with** the company during tough times.
phrasal-verb

space out on

Meaning
to lose focus while doing or listening to something
Example
I **space out on** long webinars if I don't take notes.
phrasal-verb

fall out

Meaning
to have an argument; to stop being friends
Example
They **fell out** over a small misunderstanding.
phrasal-verb

turn out

Meaning
to attend or participate in an event
Example
Thousands of people **turned out** for the annual cultural parade.
phrasal-verb

hold emotions in check

Meaning
to keep your emotions under control
Example
He tried to **hold his emotions in check** during the speech.
phrasal-verb

bring down barriers

Meaning
to remove obstacles between people or groups
Example
Education can **bring down barriers** between communities.
phrasal-verb

listen within

Meaning
to pay attention to your inner voice or emotions
Example
When confused, take a moment to **listen within**.
phrasal-verb

break out in

Meaning
to suddenly develop something on the skin (like a rash)
Example
He **broke out in** a rash after eating seafood.
phrasal-verb

stick to goals

Meaning
to remain committed to educational or personal objectives
Example
To achieve success, you must **stick to goals** no matter how hard it gets.
phrasal-verb

look back upon

Meaning
to think about something that happened in the past, often with mixed feelings
Example
When I **look back upon** my decisions, I wish I had chosen differently.
phrasal-verb

slim down

Meaning
to become thinner; to lose weight
Example
She has been exercising to **slim down** for her wedding.
phrasal-verb

look into expansion opportunities

Meaning
to investigate possibilities for growing the business abroad
Example
The management is **looking into expansion opportunities** in Africa.
phrasal-verb

get through

Meaning
to successfully complete or pass something; to finish
Example
I finally **got through** my math exam.
phrasal-verb

lift trade barriers

Meaning
to remove restrictions on international trade
Example
Nations agreed to **lift trade barriers** to encourage investment.
phrasal-verb

stick to your word

Meaning
to keep your promises and do what you say
Example
A disciplined person always **sticks to their word**.
phrasal-verb

coach someone past doubt

Meaning
to help a person move beyond uncertainty
Example
Leaders **coach people past doubt** with honest feedback and support.
phrasal-verb

sync across

Meaning
to make sure data or actions are consistent across devices or platforms
Example
All files automatically **sync across** your devices.
phrasal-verb

exchange ideas with

Meaning
to share thoughts or opinions with others from different backgrounds
Example
During the workshop, participants **exchanged ideas with** people from many countries.
phrasal-verb

break down for

Meaning
to explain something in simpler parts for someone
Example
Could you **break this down for** the new volunteers?
phrasal-verb

motivate toward

Meaning
to inspire someone to move or act toward a goal
Example
Effective leaders **motivate toward** shared goals.
phrasal-verb

bottle in

Meaning
to keep emotions inside instead of expressing them
Example
He tends to **bottle in** his sadness rather than share it.
phrasal-verb

note down for

Meaning
to write something so it can be used later for a purpose
Example
Please **note this down for** the monthly review meeting.
phrasal-verb

bring in tariffs

Meaning
to introduce taxes on imported goods
Example
The government plans to **bring in tariffs** to protect domestic manufacturers.
phrasal-verb

snap at

Meaning
to speak angrily and quickly to someone
Example
He **snapped at** me when I asked him a simple question.
phrasal-verb

rise to

Meaning
to deal successfully with a difficult situation or challenge
Example
She always **rises to** the occasion when facing tough challenges.
phrasal-verb

call for change

Meaning
to demand reforms or modifications in policy or system
Example
The activists **called for change** in the voting system.
phrasal-verb

dry up

Meaning
to become dry or have no water left
Example
Many rivers may **dry up** if rainfall continues to decrease.
phrasal-verb

reel in

Meaning
to attract or bring in something, especially investment or profit
Example
The new tax incentives helped **reel in** foreign capital.
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

find for

Meaning
to support or rule in favor of someone (usually in a legal case)
Example
The court **found for** the defendant after reviewing the evidence.
phrasal-verb

embrace with

Meaning
to accept something enthusiastically and willingly
Example
He quickly **embraced with** the new culture and made many friends.
phrasal-verb

zone out with

Meaning
to relax or mentally drift while using something like music or a show
Example
I sometimes **zone out with** a podcast on the bus ride home.
phrasal-verb

bridge over differences

Meaning
to overcome disagreements and create unity
Example
The summit aimed to **bridge over differences** among member states.
phrasal-verb

bridge over traditions

Meaning
to find common ground between different traditional beliefs or practices
Example
The event aimed to **bridge over traditions** and promote harmony.
phrasal-verb

cast a vote for

Meaning
to choose a candidate or option in an election
Example
Remember to **cast a vote for** the issues you believe in.
phrasal-verb

back up ideas

Meaning
to support or defend someone’s ideas or opinions
Example
During the discussion, teammates **backed up** each other's ideas confidently.
phrasal-verb

follow around

Meaning
to accompany someone closely, often to observe or learn
Example
New employees **follow around** seniors to learn how things work.
phrasal-verb

keep back

Meaning
to withhold something; to stay at a distance
Example
The police told the crowd to **keep back** from the scene.
phrasal-verb

sign into

Meaning
to access an online account using credentials
Example
You need to **sign into** your account to post a comment.
phrasal-verb

come off well

Meaning
to succeed or be judged positively in something
Example
She **came off well** in the presentation and impressed the board.
phrasal-verb

pool together

Meaning
to combine resources or efforts for a shared goal
Example
The organizations decided to **pool together** their expertise for a larger impact.
phrasal-verb

delegate to

Meaning
to assign responsibility or tasks to someone else
Example
A good manager knows how to **delegate to** their team members effectively.
phrasal-verb

level emotions

Meaning
to stabilize one's emotional state; to avoid highs and lows
Example
He practices meditation daily to **level emotions**.
phrasal-verb

stir up

Meaning
to cause activity or energy to increase
Example
New infrastructure projects have **stirred up** economic growth in rural areas.
phrasal-verb

cope with

Meaning
to manage or deal effectively with something difficult
Example
She found it hard to **cope with** the sudden loss of her job.
phrasal-verb

boost productivity

Meaning
to increase efficiency and output of workers or industries
Example
New technologies are helping factories **boost productivity**.
phrasal-verb

come together for

Meaning
to unite for a common purpose; to join efforts toward a shared goal
Example
Communities from all over the world **come together for** humanitarian causes.
phrasal-verb

throw up

Meaning
to vomit
Example
The spoiled food made him **throw up**.
phrasal-verb

come out with

Meaning
to produce or publish something new
Example
The company has **come out with** an innovative smartphone design.
phrasal-verb

set off protests

Meaning
to cause protests or demonstrations to begin
Example
The new law **set off protests** across the country.
phrasal-verb

sit in for

Meaning
to substitute for someone temporarily
Example
The assistant will **sit in for** the teacher today.
phrasal-verb

foster mutual respect

Meaning
to encourage understanding and appreciation between groups or countries
Example
Cultural exchanges help **foster mutual respect** among nations.
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push into

Meaning
to drive adoption or expansion of something
Example
They are trying to **push into** the digital payment market quickly.
phrasal-verb

move beyond pain

Meaning
to heal and grow after emotional suffering
Example
She tried to **move beyond pain** and focus on her goals.
phrasal-verb

check against

Meaning
to verify information or behavior to ensure it meets standards
Example
All reports must be **checked against** the company’s ethical policy.
phrasal-verb

pick up steam

Meaning
to start becoming more active or successful
Example
The manufacturing sector began to **pick up steam** after months of stagnation.
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knock down

Meaning
to hit someone or something and cause them to fall to the ground
Example
The car **knocked down** a cyclist on the busy road.
phrasal-verb

work off

Meaning
to get rid of something by working or exercising
Example
He goes jogging every morning to **work off** stress.
phrasal-verb

lay down guidelines

Meaning
to establish official rules or principles
Example
The economic council will **lay down guidelines** for fiscal discipline.
phrasal-verb

chat over

Meaning
to discuss or talk casually with a friend
Example
We love to **chat over** coffee every weekend.
phrasal-verb

step through

Meaning
to pass through something carefully or one stage at a time
Example
Let’s **step through** the process so everyone understands it clearly.
phrasal-verb

pencil in

Meaning
to arrange something temporarily
Example
Can we **pencil in** the meeting for Friday morning?
phrasal-verb

smooth out differences

Meaning
to resolve disagreements or make things run more easily
Example
We need to **smooth out differences** between the teams to improve collaboration.
phrasal-verb

connect with

Meaning
to understand or share similar feelings with someone
Example
I immediately **connected with** her because we had similar life experiences.
phrasal-verb

draw back

Meaning
to move away; to hesitate or retreat from a situation
Example
She **drew back** when she realized how dangerous it was.
phrasal-verb

pass stories down

Meaning
to share traditions or memories with the next generation
Example
Grandparents **pass stories down** during long festival evenings.
phrasal-verb

stay put

Meaning
to remain in the same place and wait
Example
**Stay put** until I get back.