B

August 29, 2009 at 9:02 am (Glossary)

List of English Phrasal Verbs Beginning With ‘B’
Showing 64 Verbs, 179 Phrasal Verbs

Back (7)
Back away
– Retreat or go backwards
Back down
– Retract or withdraw your position or proposal in an argument
Back into
– Enter a parking area in reverse gear
Back off
– Retreat
Back out
– Fail to keep an arrangement or promise
Back out of
– Fail to keep an agreement, arrangement
– Exit a parking area in reverse gear
Back up
– Make a copy of computer data
– Support
– Drive a vehicle backwards
Bag (1)
Bag out
– Criticize
Bail (4)
Bail out
– Save, rescue
– Remove water from something that is flooded
– Jump out of a plane because it is going to crash
Bail out of
– Pay a bond to release someone from jail
Bail out on
– Stop supporting someone when they are in trouble
Bail up
– Talk to someone and delay them
– Rob someone at gunpoint
Ball (1)
Ball up
– Confuse or make things complicated
– Roll or form into a round shape
Balls (1)
Balls up
– Spoil, ruin
Bang (5)
Bang about
– Move in a place making a lot of noise
Bang around
– Move in a place making a lot of noise
Bang on about
– Keep talking about something
Bang out
– Play a musical instrument loudly
Bang up
– Put someone in prison
– Damage badly
Bank (1)
Bank on
– Count or rely on
Barge (2)
Barge in
– Enter a place and interrupt
Barge into
– Enter a place and interrupt people rudely
Bash (4)
Bash about
– Mistreat physically
Bash in
– Break, damage or injure by hitting
Bash out
– Write something quickly without much preparation

Bash up
– Break, damage or hurt by hitting
Bawl (1)
Bawl out
– Scold, shout at someone
– Scold
– Sing or shout unpleasantly loudly
Be (25)
Be after
– Try to find or get
Be along
– Arrive
Be away
– Be elsewhere; on holiday, etc.
Be cut out for
– Be suitable, have the necessary qualities
Be cut up
– Be upset
Be down
– Be depressed
– Be reduced or less
Be down on
– Have negative feelings toward someone
Be down with
– Be ill
Be fed up
– Be bored, upset or sick of something
Be in
– Be at home or at work
– Be submitted, arrive
Be in on
– Be involved in
Be not on
– Be unacceptable
Be off
– Be bad (of food)
– Depart, leave
Be on
– Be functioning (of machines)
– Take place
– Take medication or drugs, especially when they affect the person badly
– Be at the top of one’s game, performing very well
Be on about
– Mean, try to say
Be onto
– Pursue, be aware of someone’s true nature
Be out
– Be absent from a place
Be out of
– Have no more left
Be out to
– Attempt
Be snowed under
– Have too much work
Be taken aback
– Be shocked or surprised
Be taken with
– Like something
Be up
– Be out of bed
– Have increased or risen
– When the time for something finishes or expires
Be up for
– Be enthusiastic about an upcoming event
Be up to
– Be good enough
– Doing something naughty or wrong
Bear (6)
Bear down on
– Move towards
Bear on
– Influence, affect
Bear out
– Confirm that something is correct
– Confirm that something is correct
Bear up
– Resist pressure
Bear up under
– Cope with something difficult or stressful
Bear with
– Be patient
Beat (3)
Beat down
– Strong sunshine
Beat out
– Narrowly win in competition
Beat up
– Attack violently
Beaver (2)
Beaver away
– Work hard
Beaver away at
– Work hard doing something
Bed (2)
Bed down
– Sleep somewhere less comfortable than normal
– Become established or successful over time
Bed out
– Move a plant outside
Beef (1)
Beef up
– Make something stronger or more solid
Belt (2)
Belt out
– Sing something loudly
Belt up
– Be quiet
– Fasten your seatbelt
Bend (3)
Bend down
– Lower the top half of your body
Bend over
– Lower the top part of your body
Bend over backwards
– Do a lot to try to help or please someone

Black (1)
Black out
– Fall unconscious
– Lose light
Blank (1)
Blank out
– Censor text so that words cannot be read
– Have a temporary memory failure
Blare (1)
Blare out
– A loud sound or music
Blast (1)
Blast off
– Leave the ground- spaceship or rocket
Blaze (1)
Blaze away
– Fire a gun repeatedly
Bliss (1)
Bliss out
– Be extremely relaxed and happy
Block (4)
Block in
– Park a car and obstruct another car
– Shade or fill in
Block off
– Obstruct an exit to prevent people from leaving
Block out
– Stop light from entering or leaving
– Try not think about or feel something because it is upsetting or painful
Block up
– Fill a space so that nothing can pass
Blow (7)
Blow away
– Kill
– Beat rivals or competitors by a large margin
– Impress greatly
– When the wind moves something from a place
Blow down
– When the wind forces something to fall
Blow in
– Arrive, sometimes suddenly or unexpectedly
Blow off
– Not keep an appointment
– Ignore, not do something
Blow out
– Extinguish candles, matches, etc.
– Defeat decisively
Blow over
– When a scandal gets forgotten
Blow up
– Explode
– Inflate
– Enlarge (e.g., photograph).
Blurt (1)
Blurt out
– Say something quickly without thinking, especially if you shouldn’t
Bog (4)
Bog down
– Slow make progress
Bog in
– Eat enthusiastically
Bog into
– Eat something enthusiastically
Bog off!
– Get lost
Boil (4)
Boil down
– Simplify, reduce to the essentials
Boil down to
– Amount to
Boil over
– When a hot liquid spills out of a container
– When people lose their tempers and things get nasty

Boil up
– Feel a negative emotion strongly
– Cook or heat something to boiling point
Bone (1)
Bone up on
– Study hard
Book (3)
Book in
– Make a reservation in advance
– Check in at a hotel
Book into
– Make a reservation in advance
– Check in at a hotel
Book up
– Reserve
Boot (1)
Boot up
– Start a computer
Border (1)
Border on
– Be located next to a place
– Be very nearly something
Boss (2)
Boss about
– Use excessive authority to control people
Boss around
– Use excessive authority to control people
Botch (1)

Botch up
– Ruin or spoil something
Bottle (3)
Bottle away
– Store up
Bottle out
– Lack courage to do something
Bottle up
– Not express your feelings
Bottom (1)
Bottom out
– Pass the lowest point and start rising
Bounce (3)
Bounce into
– Force someone
Bounce back
– Recover
Bounce off
– Test ideas
Bowl (1)
Bowl over
– Surprise someone greatly
Box (2)
Box in
– Prevent something from moving, especially vehicles
Box up
– Pack things in boxes to move them
Branch (1)
Branch out
– Move into a different area of business, etc.

Break (8)
Break away
– Leave an organization, usually to form a new one
Break down
– End negotiations unsuccessfully
– Start crying
– Stop working
Break in
– Go into a building to steal something
– Interrupt something
– Train a horse to be ridden
– Carefully use new products until they are fully functional.
Break off
– Break a piece from something
– End a relationship
Break out in
– Sweat heavily, develop skin sores or irritation.
Break out of
– Escape
Break through
– Pass a barrier or obstacle
Break up
– Break into many pieces
– Close an educational institution for the holidays
– Finish a relationship
– Become inaudible over the telephone because of interference
Breeze (4)
Breeze along
– Move easily and quickly
Breeze in
– Enter a place quickly
Breeze into
– Enter a place quickly
Breeze through
– Pass easily, succeed
Brighten (1)
Brighten up
– Improve (weather)
– Become happier
– Make something more attractive or pleasant
Bring (14)
Bring about
– Make something happen
Bring along
– Bring someone or something to certain place
– Help someone improve
Bring around
– Persuade or convince someone
– Bring something with you when you visit
– Get someone talking about something
Bring back
– Cause someone to remember
– Return
Bring down
– Make a government fall
– Make something cheaper
Bring forth
– Produce something, make it known or visible
– Produce
– Make something happen
– Remove something from where it is kept or hidden
Bring forward
– Make something happen earlier than originally planned
Bring in
– Earn
Bring on
– Cause something to happen or speed up the process
– Make something appear
Bring out
– Release or publish
– Elicit a response
Bring out in
– Cause a health problem or reaction
Bring round
– Make someone wake up from unconsciousness or an anaesthetic
Bring up
– Mention
– Raise a child
Bring Up
– Be officially charged with a crime
Brush (2)
Brush off
– Ignore, pay little attention
Brush up
– Improve a skill quickly
Bubble (1)
Bubble over
– Become very excited
Buck (1)
Buck up
– Hurry (either transitive or reflexive)
– Smarten up, improve
Bucket (1)
Bucket down
– Rain heavily
Budge (1)
Budge up
– Move to make space for someone
Buff (2)
Buff up
– Clear, clean or make something shine
– Improve
Buff up on
– Improve your knowledge quickly
Bug (2)
Bug off!
– Go away
Bug out
– Open your eyes wide in surprise
– Leave somewhere in a hurry
Build (1)
Build up
– Develop a company
– Increase
Bulk (1)
Bulk out
– Make something bigger or thicker
Bump (3)
Bump into
– Meet by chance
Bump off
– Kill
Bump up
– Increase
Bundle (3)
Bundle off
– Send someone somewhere
Bundle out
– Expel
Bundle up
– Put on warm clothing
– Wrap or tie things together
Bunk (1)
Bunk off
– Not go to school when you should
Buoy (1)
Buoy up
– Make someone feel more positive
Burn (4)
Burn down
– Burn completely
Burn off
– Remove by burning or similar process
Burn out
– Lose enthusiasm and energy to continue in a demanding job
Burn up
– Destroy completely by fire
– Drive at high speed
– To be or cause to be highly annoyed
Burst (1)
Burst into
– Catch fire very quickly
– Laugh, cry or clap loudly
Butt (2)
Butt in
– Interrupt
Butt out
– Not be involved in other people’s business
Butter (1)
Butter up
– Praise or flatter someone excessively
Buy (5)
Buy in
– Force a CD or record into the charts by buying lots of copies
Buy into
– Accept an idea
Buy off
– Pay someone to stop them causing trouble
Buy out
– Buy somebody’s share in a company
Buy up
– Buy all of something
Buzz (3)
Buzz around
– Move quickly around a place
Buzz off
– Leave somewhere
Buzz off!
– Go away (imperative)