PASS OUT Definition: to become unconscious. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: When he saw the blood on his leg he passed out. E.g.2: She must have hit her head on the corner of the table when she passed out. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.

PASS OVER Definition: to deliberately avoid discussing something. (This verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1. He talked about his childhood, but passed over his teenage years. E.g.2. We’ll pass over what happened last week, shall we? This phrasal verb can be separated.

PAY (MONEY) IN Definition: to put money, or transfer money, into a bank account. E.g.1: I paid that cheque in last week so there should be enough money in the account. E.g.2: If I give you my bank account number, could you pay this money in for me? This phrasal verb can be separated.

PAY OFF Definition: to give someone all the money you owe in one payment, rather than giving a small amount every week or month. E.g.1: When her grandmother died she inherited £2,000 so she paid off her credit card debt and had enough money left for a short holiday. E.g.2: If you don’t pay this debt off by the end of the month, I will have to contact my lawyer. This phrasal verb can be separated (E.g. 2)

PLAY OFF Definition: When 2 teams have the same number of points in a competition, they play a match to decide who the winner is. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: Manchester United and Liverpool will play off to decide second and third place in the European Cup. E.g.2: Who one the competition? It was a draw, so they’ll play off next week. This phrasal verb cannot be separated. 

PLAY ON Definition: to continue playing. The referee says this when one team has broken the rules, but the other team has an advantage. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: The defender touched the ball with his hand, but the referee told them to play on and the striker scored a goal. E.g.2: The referee should have told them to play on, but he blew his whistle and stopped the game for a free kick. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.

PLAY UP Definition: (informal) If part of your body is playing up, or plays you up, it is painful. This is used with chronic or long-term illnesses or injuries. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: I can’t come to work today – my back is playing me up again. E.g.2: When he was younger he injured his knee playing football. Now, during cold weather, it sometimes plays up and then he can’t walk. This phrasal verb can be separated by a pronoun

PLOD AWAY (at something) Definition: to continue doing a particular job or task without much enthusiasm. E.g.1: I know there’s a lot of work to do, but if you keep plodding away at it you’ll finish it eventually. E.g.2: He’s not very ambitious. He just plods away and collects his wages at the end of the week. This phrasal verb can’t be separated.

PLOUGH THROUGH Definition: to do all your work, or eat all of a meal, although it is difficult because there is a lot of it. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: I’ve got a lot of work to plough through. E.g.2: Whenever I visit my Mother I always have to plough through a huge dinner. This phrasal verb can’t be separated.

PICK ON Definition: to treat someone who is less powerful than you badly and unfairly, often repeatedly. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: I hate that teacher. He’s always picking on me but I’m not the naughtiest student in the class. E.g.2: His classmates picked on him because he was a little overweight. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.

PICK (something) OUT Definition: to select the thing or things that you want from a group. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: He looked at the oranges and picked out 2 of the biggest and juiciest ones. E.g.2: The police showed her some photographs of suspects and asked her if she could pick her attacker out. This phrasal verb can be separated.

PICK UP Definition: (Concerning business, trade or the economy of a country) to increase or improve after a period of inactivity or decline. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: Profits were down last year, but in the first quarter of this year it seems that business has picked up. E.g.2: Sales of the product have picked up in recent weeks. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.

PICK UP (a language) Definition: to learn a language, often by just being in the country E.g.1: I have never studied Spanish but I picked up enough to get by on the various holidays I had there. E.g. 2: How did your sister learn such good Mandarin? - She picked it up from her friends at work.

POUR DOWN Definition: to rain heavily E.g.1. You should put on a waterproof coat – it’s pouring down outside! E.g.2. For 3 days the rain poured down and the wind howled through the trees. This phrasal verb can’t be separated.

POUR (something) OUTDefinition: to fill a glass or cup with a liquid. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: He poured out 6 glasses of wine and gave one to each of his guests. E.g.2: She poured a fresh cup of coffee out and sat down to read her book. This phrasal verb can be separated.

PULL AWAY Definition: (concerning a vehicle) to start to move forward (This verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1. Remember to release the hand break before you pull away! E.g.2. As she pulled away from the curb, he ran out of the house shouting, ‘Come back!’ This phrasal verb can’t be separated.

PULL OVER Definition: to stop a vehicle temporarily at the side of the road. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: The police car signalled that I should pull over. When we had stopped the policeman asked me why I had been driving so fast. E.g.2: Could you pull over? – I feel sick. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.

PULL UP Definition: (concerning a vehicle) to slow down and stop driving. (This verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1. She pulled up at the traffic lights and looked in her rear-view mirror. E.g.2. Could you pull up here? I need to go to the Post Office. This phrasal verb can’t be separated.

PUT (SOMETHING) BY Definition: to save something so you can use it later. E.g.1: I put a little money by every month, just in case there’s an emergency. E.g.2: He’d been putting money by for 2 years and now, finally, he could afford his dream car. This phrasal verb can be separated.

PUT (someone) DOWN Definition: to criticise someone and make them seem unimportant and foolish. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: I don’t think their marriage will last long – he’s always putting her down. E.g.2: She’s not very nice; she finds it much easier to put people down than to praise them. This phrasal verb can be separated.

PUT (SOMETHING) IN Definition: to install equipment.
(This phrasal verb has more than one meaning)
E.g.1: It was a lovely flat, and the landlord had recently put a new bathroom in.
E.g.2: The flat’s rather cold, so I’m going to have new windows put in.
This phrasal verb can be separated. (E.g. 1)

PUT OFF Definition: to delay or postpone an event or action because you can’t or don’t want to do it when planned (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: We have a saying in English: Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. E.g.2: I have to put Maria’s appointment off until after I have seen the boss. This phrasal verb can be separated. (E.g.2)

PUT (someone) OFF Definition: (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning)to disturb someone, disrupt their concentration, distract them. E.g.1: While I was taking the exam, it was really difficult to concentrate because the noise from the construction site kept putting me off. E.g. 2: “Stop tapping your pen, it really puts me off when I’m trying to study!”

PUT (money) ON (something) Definition: to make a bet about who or what will win a game or competition. E.g.1: He put £100 on that horse, but it finished last. E.g.2: I’d like to put 50p on England winning the next World Cup, please. This phrasal verb can be separated. (E.g. 1 & 2)

PUT (SOMETHING) ON Definition: to place something on your body. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: It was only a little cut, so I put a plaster on it. E.g.2: The nurse put a bandage on my injured leg and told me to rest it. This phrasal verb can be separated (E.g. 1 and 2)

PUT (something) OUT Definition: to take something out of your house and leave it there. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: Could you put the rubbish out? The dustbin men are coming to collect it today. E.g.2: Don’t forget to put the cat out tonight – we don’t want another mess in the kitchen like last night! This phrasal verb can be separated. (E.g.1 and 2)

PUT (someone) UP Definition: to allow someone to sleep in your house for a few nights (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) . E.g.1: Don’t pay for a hotel! I’ll put you up – you can use our spare bedroom. E.g.2: He was too drunk to drive home after the celebration, so his friend put him up for the night. This phrasal verb can be separated.

PUT UP WITH Definition: to tolerate or accept something or someone, even though you find it difficult or unpleasant E.g.1: Christmas is the season of goodwill and forgiveness. For the sake of a family celebration, we often put up with relatives we only see once a year. E.g.2: If you want to study chemistry you have to put up with the smell of the chemicals. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.

PUT (weight) ON Definition: to gain weight; to become heavier. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: I must stop eating chocolate biscuits – I’ve put 5kg on since the beginning of the year. E.g.2: Why is it that putting weight on is so easy, but losing weight is so difficult? This phrasal verb can be separated (E.g. 1 & 2).

PUSH (someone) AROUND Definition: to tell someone what to do in a rude and insulting way because you are more powerful. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: Just because he’s big he thinks that he can push people around. E.g.2: I’m sick of being pushed around – the next time she tells me to do something like that I’m going to say no. This phrasal verb can be separated.

PUSH ON Definition: to continue doing something with a lot of energy, often because it is important or because there is not a lot of time to do it. (This phrasal verb has more than one meaning) E.g.1: The weather is getting bad – we should push on if we want to home before it gets dark. E.g.2: I should push on with this work – the boss wants it by 3 p.m. This phrasal verb cannot be separated.