play up
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phrasal-verb

play up

Meaning
to exaggerate or emphasize something
Example
Some news outlets **played up** the drama to attract viewers.
phrasal-verb

stick with good habits

Meaning
to continue following positive routines or behaviors
Example
It’s important to **stick with good habits** even when you’re busy.
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

team across

Meaning
to collaborate with people from other departments or areas
Example
Marketing and sales departments should **team across** to improve communication.
phrasal-verb

let yourself breathe

Meaning
to allow yourself time to relax and calm down
Example
You should **let yourself breathe** when things get overwhelming.
phrasal-verb

cut off funding

Meaning
to stop providing financial support
Example
The government **cut off funding** for several development projects.
phrasal-verb

age into

Meaning
to grow into a role or habit as you get older
Example
Many leaders **age into** a calmer style of decision-making.
phrasal-verb

come across as

Meaning
to appear or seem to be something
Example
He **came across as** a very confident person.
phrasal-verb

reach over to

Meaning
to extend a gesture of comfort or support
Example
She **reached over to** hold his hand when he started crying.
phrasal-verb

rake in profits

Meaning
to earn a large amount of money easily or quickly
Example
The company **raked in** huge profits after its new product launch.
phrasal-verb

coordinate efforts toward

Meaning
to organize actions to reach a common goal
Example
The organizations **coordinate efforts toward** sustainable economic growth.
phrasal-verb

link up with

Meaning
to connect or cooperate with another group or country
Example
Our company plans to **link up with** partners in Asia for expansion.
phrasal-verb

phase through

Meaning
to move gradually through stages of change
Example
The company plans to **phase through** several steps to modernize its operations.
phrasal-verb

keep after

Meaning
to remind or encourage someone to do something continuously
Example
Parents often **keep after** their children to do homework.
phrasal-verb

open with

Meaning
to begin something by doing or saying something specific
Example
He **opened with** a personal story to connect with the audience.
phrasal-verb

bounce forward

Meaning
to recover from difficulties and move ahead with improvement
Example
After the recession, the nation aims to **bounce forward** with stronger growth.
phrasal-verb

lay out trade policies

Meaning
to explain or present trade strategies clearly
Example
The finance minister will **lay out trade policies** for the upcoming fiscal year.
phrasal-verb

get together

Meaning
to meet with family or friends socially
Example
Our whole family **gets together** every New Year’s Eve.
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

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

care from the heart

Meaning
to genuinely care about someone’s feelings or well-being
Example
She truly **cares from the heart** for everyone around her.
phrasal-verb

cut someone short

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
She tried to explain her point, but he **cut her short** halfway through.
phrasal-verb

tie innovation to strategy

Meaning
to connect innovation plans with business strategy
Example
The manager wants to **tie innovation to strategy** for better results.
phrasal-verb

talk yourself into

Meaning
to persuade yourself to do something
Example
She finally **talked herself into** applying for the scholarship.
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

turn around from

Meaning
to change from a failing situation to a successful one
Example
The company managed to **turn around from** a major loss last year.
phrasal-verb

phase in

Meaning
to introduce or implement something gradually over a period of time
Example
The school plans to **phase in** bilingual education over the next few years.
phrasal-verb

back down from demands

Meaning
to withdraw from a position or demand in a conflict
Example
The union refused to **back down from demands** for higher wages.
phrasal-verb

do up like a dog’s dinner

Meaning
to dress or decorate in an exaggerated or showy way
Example
She was **done up like a dog’s dinner** for the party.
phrasal-verb

pull in investment

Meaning
to attract investors or funds
Example
The government hopes to **pull in investment** through new policies.
phrasal-verb

recover lost ground

Meaning
to regain previous progress or position after a decline
Example
The stock market quickly **recovered lost ground** after the policy announcement.
phrasal-verb

bring out leadership qualities

Meaning
to help someone display or develop leadership traits
Example
Training sessions are designed to **bring out leadership qualities** in employees.
phrasal-verb

start off with

Meaning
to begin a creative process or project using a certain idea or material
Example
The artist **started off with** a simple sketch before adding color.
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

sum up

Meaning
to summarize or express something briefly
Example
Let me **sum up** the key points before we finish.
phrasal-verb

rise above emotions

Meaning
to not let emotions control your actions
Example
True wisdom is the ability to **rise above emotions** in tough situations.
phrasal-verb

write in

Meaning
to send a written complaint or opinion
Example
Many viewers **wrote in** to complain about the poor sound quality.
phrasal-verb

align with

Meaning
to agree with or support the goals or principles of others
Example
Many countries **align with** global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
phrasal-verb

cool your nerves

Meaning
to calm yourself when feeling nervous or tense
Example
He took a short walk to **cool his nerves** before the interview.
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

reflect upon failures

Meaning
to think deeply about one’s failures to gain insight
Example
She often **reflects upon failures** to improve her approach.
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

draw attention to issues

Meaning
to make people notice or focus on important problems
Example
The activist group aims to **draw attention to issues** of global inequality.
phrasal-verb

patch things up with

Meaning
to repair a relationship after an argument or conflict
Example
They finally **patched things up with** each other after weeks of silence.
phrasal-verb

point up

Meaning
to emphasize something; to make something more noticeable
Example
This example **points up** the importance of communication.
phrasal-verb

pull out

Meaning
to move into traffic from the side of the road
Example
Be careful when you **pull out** from a parking space.
phrasal-verb

act up to

Meaning
to behave according to what is expected or suitable
Example
She tries to **act up to** her reputation as a hardworking student.
phrasal-verb

lift off

Meaning
to start with great energy or enthusiasm
Example
Her confidence helped the project **lift off** successfully.
phrasal-verb

find up

Meaning
to end up in a particular situation unexpectedly
Example
He didn’t plan to live in the city but somehow **found up** there.
phrasal-verb

blend in with

Meaning
to mix naturally with people or surroundings
Example
Tourists often try to **blend in with** the locals to experience the culture better.
phrasal-verb

let feelings pass

Meaning
to allow emotions to come and go without fighting them
Example
Instead of holding on to anger, I try to **let feelings pass** naturally.
phrasal-verb

carry on with

Meaning
to continue doing something even when it is difficult
Example
He decided to **carry on with** his studies despite financial struggles.
phrasal-verb

hold fast to

Meaning
to remain firmly committed to a belief or value
Example
She **holds fast to** transparency even under pressure.
phrasal-verb

speak out for justice

Meaning
to publicly support fairness or equality
Example
The ambassador **spoke out for justice** in his UN speech.
phrasal-verb

open up to ideas

Meaning
to be receptive to new and different ideas
Example
We should **open up to ideas** from junior staff as well.
phrasal-verb

set out code

Meaning
to organize or structure code clearly
Example
Make sure you **set out your code** neatly before pushing it.
phrasal-verb

scale up exports

Meaning
to expand the amount of goods sold abroad
Example
The company plans to **scale up exports** to reach new markets.
phrasal-verb

open yourself up to

Meaning
to allow yourself to express feelings or be vulnerable
Example
He learned to **open himself up to** love again.
phrasal-verb

figure through

Meaning
to understand something by thinking about it carefully
Example
It took me a while to **figure through** what went wrong in the project.
phrasal-verb

stand out

Meaning
to be very noticeable; to be better than others
Example
Her bright dress really **stood out** at the party.
phrasal-verb

reach sustainability goals

Meaning
to achieve targets related to environmental and social balance
Example
Nations are collaborating to **reach sustainability goals** by 2030.
phrasal-verb

carry yourself with pride

Meaning
to behave in a confident and dignified way
Example
Always **carry yourself with pride**, even when things get tough.
phrasal-verb

sit down with

Meaning
to meet and discuss something seriously or formally
Example
Government officials will **sit down with** community leaders to resolve the conflict.
phrasal-verb

lay out expectations

Meaning
to clearly explain what you expect from others
Example
At the beginning of the project, the manager **laid out expectations** for the entire team.
phrasal-verb

drive up with

Meaning
to increase results by using a particular lever
Example
They **drive up with** targeted ads during festival weeks.
phrasal-verb

reflect kindness on

Meaning
to show gratitude by being kind to others in return
Example
She **reflected kindness on** others after being helped herself.
phrasal-verb

help up

Meaning
to assist someone in standing after a fall
Example
He quickly **helped up** the old man who had tripped.
phrasal-verb

think outside boundaries

Meaning
to think creatively without restrictions or limitations
Example
Designers must **think outside boundaries** to stay innovative.
phrasal-verb

post up

Meaning
to upload or share something online
Example
She **posted up** her vacation photos on Facebook.
phrasal-verb

get out

Meaning
to leave or exit a place or vehicle
Example
He quickly **got out** of the taxi and ran inside.
phrasal-verb

toast to

Meaning
to raise a glass to honor or celebrate someone or something
Example
Let's **toast to** our hard work and success!
phrasal-verb

take things easy

Meaning
to relax and not get too worried or upset
Example
You need to **take things easy** instead of stressing about every detail.
phrasal-verb

feel up to

Meaning
to feel capable of doing something
Example
He didn’t **feel up to** working overtime after such a long day.
phrasal-verb

open up new perspectives

Meaning
to help someone see things in a new or different way
Example
Traveling to different countries can **open up new perspectives** on life.
phrasal-verb

feel bad about

Meaning
to feel sorry or regretful about something
Example
I really **feel bad about** what happened.
phrasal-verb

open communication with

Meaning
to establish an honest and transparent exchange of thoughts and feelings
Example
Couples should **open communication with** each other to avoid misunderstandings.
phrasal-verb

journal through sadness

Meaning
to write in a journal while processing sad feelings
Example
She **journals through sadness** to understand what the day is teaching her.
phrasal-verb

come clean about

Meaning
to tell the truth about something you’ve been hiding
Example
She finally **came clean about** her past.
phrasal-verb

follow up right away

Meaning
to respond immediately after receiving a message
Example
I **follow up right away** when a client shares new requirements.
phrasal-verb

relish in

Meaning
to take great pleasure or delight in something
Example
He **relishes in** the success he worked so hard for.
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

work around obstacles

Meaning
to find alternative ways to complete a task despite difficulties
Example
The team managed to **work around obstacles** to meet the deadline.
phrasal-verb

tinker around with

Meaning
to make small adjustments in an experimental way
Example
We **tinker around with** the app design after each user interview.
phrasal-verb

get back on one's feet

Meaning
to recover after a difficult period; to regain stability
Example
It took him several months to **get back on his feet** after the breakup.
phrasal-verb

fall behind in exports

Meaning
to lag in selling goods to foreign countries
Example
The nation has **fallen behind in exports** due to weak demand abroad.
phrasal-verb

dry out

Meaning
to become completely dry after being wet
Example
The ground will **dry out** once the sun comes up.
phrasal-verb

adapt out of necessity

Meaning
to change behavior or plans because circumstances require it
Example
During the crisis, businesses had to **adapt out of necessity**.
phrasal-verb

move out of

Meaning
to leave a specific place or situation
Example
They decided to **move out of** the city and live in the countryside.
phrasal-verb

slow yourself down

Meaning
to reduce your pace to avoid stress or exhaustion
Example
If you feel tired, try to **slow yourself down** and rest a little.
phrasal-verb

push for

Meaning
to try hard to get something done or accepted
Example
The opposition party **pushed for** a new anti-corruption bill.
phrasal-verb

look out over

Meaning
to have a view of something from above or a distance
Example
Our room **looks out over** the beautiful lake.
phrasal-verb

chill with

Meaning
to relax and spend calm time with someone
Example
I love to **chill with** my friends on weekends to refresh my mind.
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

lay out concepts

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

cheer others on

Meaning
to encourage people to keep going
Example
Managers **cheer others on** when the team hits tough weather calls.
phrasal-verb

hang on to

Meaning
to keep something; not to lose hope or belief
Example
You must **hang on to** your vision even in hard times.
phrasal-verb

look into problems

Meaning
to investigate or examine a situation or issue
Example
The HR manager is looking into the complaints from employees.
phrasal-verb

drop below

Meaning
to decrease to less than a specific amount or level
Example
Investment growth **dropped below** expectations this quarter.
phrasal-verb

run around with

Meaning
to spend a lot of time with a particular group of people
Example
He **runs around with** a fun crowd from college.
phrasal-verb

comment back

Meaning
to reply to someone’s comment online
Example
She always **comments back** to her followers.
phrasal-verb

tie up

Meaning
to complete final details of an arrangement
Example
We just need to **tie up** a few loose ends before the event.
phrasal-verb

slow down spending

Meaning
to reduce the speed of financial expenditure
Example
During inflation, people tend to **slow down spending**.
phrasal-verb

sprout up

Meaning
to appear or grow quickly like plants
Example
New trees have **sprouted up** after the monsoon rain.
phrasal-verb

step inside

Meaning
to enter a place, especially a building or room
Example
Please **step inside** and have a seat.
phrasal-verb

read through

Meaning
to read something carefully from beginning to end
Example
You should **read through** your notes before the exam.
phrasal-verb

come through with

Meaning
to produce or achieve something that was promised or expected
Example
The company finally **came through with** the funding they had promised.
phrasal-verb

let off

Meaning
to release emotions such as anger or frustration safely
Example
Sometimes you just need to **let off** your emotions through a good cry.
phrasal-verb

pull back on

Meaning
to reduce or stop doing something, especially spending or investment; to withdraw effort or commitment
Example
During the economic crisis, many companies **pull back on** new projects to save money.
phrasal-verb

set out plans

Meaning
to explain or describe plans in detail
Example
The finance minister **set out plans** to boost national growth.
phrasal-verb

balance out trade deficits

Meaning
to equalize imports and exports to avoid economic imbalance
Example
The country is working to **balance out trade deficits** by boosting exports.
phrasal-verb

reach out for help

Meaning
to contact someone when you need assistance
Example
If the workload feels heavy, **reach out for help** early.
phrasal-verb

channel emotions

Meaning
to direct emotions into positive actions
Example
She learned to **channel her emotions** into creative work.
phrasal-verb

take on too much

Meaning
to accept more work or responsibility than one can handle
Example
You’re stressing yourself out because you **take on too much** work.
phrasal-verb

stumble over

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

check within

Meaning
to pause and observe your own emotions or state of mind
Example
Before reacting, **check within** to understand your feelings.
phrasal-verb

carry forward into

Meaning
to move progress or funds into a future period
Example
We **carry forward into** next quarter any unused training budget.
phrasal-verb

keep up growth

Meaning
to maintain economic progress over time
Example
The government is focusing on policies to **keep up growth** while maintaining stability.
phrasal-verb

cool yourself off

Meaning
to calm down after being angry or excited
Example
He went for a walk to **cool himself off** after the argument.
phrasal-verb

drive up exports

Meaning
to increase the amount of goods or services sold abroad
Example
The new trade policies are designed to **drive up exports**.
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

come down to

Meaning
to be influenced or decided by a particular factor
Example
The decision will **come down to** how much money we have left.