Phrasal Verbs

Crack down on: To act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain:

o The government has come up with new measures to crack down on child labor
Stake out: (informal) Continuously watch a place or person in secret:
o The police had been staking the suspect out for weeks before finally arresting him.
Get away with: escape blame, punishment, or undesirable consequences for an act that is wrong.
o I cant believe that even though all evidence points out to him as the main suspect, he still
managed to get away with all charges.
Fall behind: to fail to do something fast. To fail to make a payment on time.
o Ive fallen behind my schedule this week. If I keep this up I wont be able to deliver this
project
Brush up on: to improve your skill in something.
o I am trying to brush up on my English before going to New York.
o If you want to keep this job, youd better brush up on your social skills.
Splash out on: to spend a lot of money on something that you want but dont need.
o Hey, youd better stop splashing out on parties, otherwise you will be broke before the end
of the month.
Fuss over: to give a person or animal a lot of attention to show that you love them
o She is always fussing over her cats as if they were little babies.
To Butt in: to interrupt a conversation or what someone is doing
o Hey guys, I am sorry to butt in, but it is dinner time!
Lock yourself away: to go somewhere where you can be alone.
o Sometimes I lock myself away in my cottage house. It is so peaceful and relaxing to stay
there by myself.
Crack someone up: to make someone laugh, to make someone burst into laughing.
o Man, you are so funny, you crack me up with these jokes.
o John is hilarious. He cracks everybody up with his amusing jokes.

Use the phrasal verbs above to complete the sentences below.

1. I dont know what is eating Alisson. She left with no warning. She only left a note saying she needed
to ________ herself __________ to think over the latest events before she made up her mind.
2. I know youve requested to be left alone and I feel terribly sorry to ______ _____, but Henry Mills is
on the phone and he is reluctantly insisting in talking to you.
3. Yesterdays announcement seems to be very promising. If it goes according to plan, these new
measures will successfuly _________________ drug dealing crimes.
4. There is definitely something wrong with Linda. Shes been __________________ her tasks lately
and is also very absent minded. I wonder if she is in any kind of trouble.
5. Rich and spoiled kids ________________________ on parties and fancy clothes while their parents
work their butts off to pay for such superfluous things.
6. John and Elizabeth are so happy. All they do is ____________________ their newborn!
7. That homeless man is again in front our restaurant. He has been ______________________ our
window all morning.
8. Our son is doing very well at school. He just needs to ___________________ his calculation skills.
9. Corrupt politicians always manage to ______________________ their crimes in Brazil.
10. We must get tickets for Bruins show. He is the funniest man I have ever watched. He
__________________ all night with his jokes last time I saw him.

ANSWER KEY

1. Lock away
2. Butt in
3. Crack down on
4. Falling behind
5. Splash out on
6. Fuss over
7. Staking out
8. Brush up on
9. Get away with
10. Cracked me up