Longman Phrasal verbs Dictionary_ Chương 2.6

267

KEEP

+ from Mom kept us away from school for a
week. I To avoid danger of suffocation, keep
plastic bags away from babies and children.

K

3 I keep away ~

I keep I sth ~

to prevent an illness from infecting someone:
Vitamin C is supposed to keep away colds.

KEEL

keep back

keeled, keeled, keeling

I keep back I
to not stand near something or not move
towards it: Keep well back, please. This could
be dangerous.

I keel over I
to fall over sideways, especially because
feel weak or unsteady: He looked as ifhe

ready to keel over from exhaustion. I May
laughing so much that she keeled over
the sofa.

you
was
was
onto

+ from Police were telling people

*

2 I keep back ~

KEEP

keep after
after

[ill

to ask someone again and again to do something until they do it: Tony s children and relatives kept after him to stop drinking.
SIMILAR TO: keep on at

I

keep atl~
spoken to continue to do something, although

2

I keep [SEI

4 ~sthlbackl
to deliberately not tell someone all that you
know about something: I've honestly no idea
what happened - do you think I'd keep anything back if I knew?
+ from Ellie was sure he was keeping something back from her.
SIMILAR TO: hold back, withhold formal

at it I

to make someone continue to work hard and
not let them stop: Trevor will never pass his
piano exam if he doesn't practise - you have
to keep him at it. I The director called yet
another rehearsal; he was determined to keep
them at it as long as possible.

*

5

I keep

away

I

to not go near a person, place, or animal:
You'd better keep away, I don't want you to get
my cold.
+ from Keep away from that dog, it might
bite you! I If 1were you I'd keep away from
that area at night.
* SIMILAR TO: stay away

2

Ikeep Isblsth Iaway I ~I
k-e-e-p-a-w-a-y
~

to prevent someone or something from going
near a person or place: Rub the liquid on your
skin to keep mosquitoes away.

Ikeep back I~ Ikeep I sth]back I
if you keep back your tears or your feelings,
you do not cry or show your feelings, even
though you want to very much: I tried to
explain, working hard to keep back the tears. I
He was unable to keep back his anger any
longer.

keep away
<~

Ikeep back I~

to keep part of something instead of using it
all immediately, or giving it all to someone
else, so that you have it to use later: I managed to keep back a couple of cases of beer,
just for our own use. I While the women spent
everything on their families, men typically
kept money backfor themselves.

I

it is difficult or hard work: How long do you
think you'll keep at this job?
keep at it I know the training is hard, but
keep at it. Don't give up.
* SIMILAR TO: stick at it

I

3 keep sth ~

*

1

I keep] sblsth I back I

to prevent someone or something from moving forward or going past a particular place:
The organizers have put up barriers to keep
back crowds. I He had a white rag, which he
tied around his head to keep his hair back.

* SIMILAR TO: hold back

kept, kept, keeping

Ikeep

to keep

back from the side of the road.
SIMILAR TO: stand back

* SIMILAR

TO:

hold back, suppress formal

I I

6 ]keep sb back]
to make someone stay after class, especially
in order to talk to them: After the first class
the teacher kept me back and said, ':4re you
really sure you want to be a dancer?"
7

I keep

Isbl back I

to make someone stay at the same level, and
not let them progress to a higher level, for
example because you do not think that their
work is good enough: Mick was kept backfor
a year at college after he failed all his exams.

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


268

KEEP

keep from shouting. I He tried to keep himself
from getting too tired .

keep down

• 1keep IstEI down I I keep down @El
to prevent the size, cost, or quantity of something from increasing, or to keep it at a low
level: No sugar, thanks - I'm trying to keep my
weight down.

'.'

I

keep @El down

I

*

l-k-ee-p-d-o-w-n~l-st~h]

used to ask someone to make less noise
keep your voice down Keep your voice
down - she'll hear you!

1 Ikeep@>lin]
especially BrE to make someone stay in a place,
especially as a punishment: The children had
behaved so badly that the teacher kept them in
at lunchtime.

keep it down Can you ask the kids to keep
it down a bit - I'm trying to work.
3 I keep downlkeep your head down I
to stay close to the ground when you are hiding or in danger of being hit by something:
My mother told me to keep down and stay
quiet so the guard wouldn't spot us.
4

2

BrE used to warn someone to walk or travel
near the side of the road instead of in the
middle: Keep in! There s a car coming.

keep in with

Ikeep in with [ill
BrE to try to remain friendly with someone
and make them continue to like you: Young
people often do silly things because they want
to keep in with their friends. I It s always a
good idea to keep in with the boss.

*

sb I down

I

keep off

to keep people under strict control or limit
their freedom in an unfair way: Women have
been kept down for far too long. I an oppressive society in which people from ethnic
minorities were kept down
* SIMILAR TO: hold down, oppressformal

keep from

I

2

to prevent yourself from doing something,
with difficulty: 1 looked quickly away to keep

from laughing. lIt was all Dinah could do to

I I

[Off sth

3~lkeep~

I keep

off I sth

I

to prevent something
from touching
or
harming something or someone: Jinny was
wearing a hood to keep off the rain. I How are
we going to keep these flies off the food?

keep sth from doing sth Stand the plant in
a bowl of water to keep the soil fram getting
dry.

I keep (yourself) from doing @El

I keep I sblsth

to prevent someone or something from going

onto an area of land, a road etc: Please could
you keep the children off the flower beds. I
Rain kept both teams off the pitch for long
periods. I The government hopes that improving public transport will keep more cars off
the roads.

to prevent someone from doing something
or to prevent something from happening

2

keep off@El

to not go onto an area of land: The children
had been told to keep off the beach. I There
was a sign saying, 'Keep off the grass.'

I keep Isbl5th I from @El
keep sb from doing sth At the stadium
police kept fans from coming onto the
field. I Bains complained that he had been
keptfrom seeing his children by his ex-wife.
keep sb from sth 1 hope 1 haven't kept you
from your work.

in]

3 Ikeepinl

I keep @El down I I keep down @El

I keep down [ill ~I

I keep I sb I

to make someone stay in a hospital because
they are too ill to go home: They kept me in
overnight just for observation.

to succeed in keeping food in your stomach
after eating it, instead of bringing it up again
out of your mouth, especially with difficulty
because you are ill: He drank some of the
medicine, but he couldn't keep it down. I Anna
was feeling much better - she'd managed to
keep down the bread she'd eaten.
SIMILAR TO: hold down
• opposm: bring up

5

[ill

to prevent someone from knowing something, by deliberately not telling them about
it: The government had wanted to keep this
information from the public. I Ifelt that he was
keeping something from me.
SIMILAR TO: withhold formal

keep prices/costs down The store keeps

prices down by asking customers to bag
their own groceries.
2

I keep @El from

4

I keep your

hands off I sblsth

I

to not touch or go too close to someone or
something: "Keep your hands off me!" Linda
shouted at Don.

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


269

5

I

keep off

KEEP

I~

to not eat, drink, or take something that is
bad for you: If you want to lose weight, you
should keep off fatty foods. I To the surprise
and admiration of his friends, Patrick was still
keeping off alcohol.

+ about I wish my parents wouldn't keep on
about my exams all the time.
keep on and on I know what you think, so
there's no need to keep on and on about it.
* SIMILAR TO: go on, harp on BrE informal
4

6 Ikeeplsb~

I keepoff~
especially BrE to avoid talking about a particular subject, especially because it might
upset someone: I think we ought to keep off
the subject of personal relationships. I Maud
tried to keep off political subjects to avoid any
arguments.

* SIMILAR TO:

I keep

Ikeepoff~

if you keep weight off, you do not get
heavier again after you have lost weight: It's
usually easier to lose weight than to keep it
off. I Sussman has now kept off twenty-jive
pounds for five years.
• OPPOSIn:

put on

",,' I keep

2

hold off

keep on

l"ill

on at

Isb I

NOT PROGRESSIVE

out

go on at, nag

I

to not go into a place or building: Danger:
Keep out! I They boarded up the windows and
put up 'Keep Out' notices.
+ of Please keep out of my office when I'm
not there.

bad weather keeps off, it does not
although it looks as if it might begin
The rain kept off until we boarded our
at 6. 15.

* SIMILAR TO:

I

* SIMILAR TO:

9 I keep off 1
BrE if
begin,
soon:
coach

Is~

to tell someone something
or ask them
something many times, especially in a way

that is annoying or unreasonable: If I didn't
keep on at the children, they'd never get their
homework done. I Please don't keep on at me.
I'd tell you if I knew. I He had a bad leg but
they still kept on at him to hurry up.

avoid, stay off

8 ~

keep

to continue to employ someone, especially
for longer than you had planned, or for
longer than other people are employed: After
Craig s retirement, he was kept on temporarily
as a special assistant. I The company have
kept on a staff of thirty, out of the original 900.

to stop someone from eating, drinking, or
taking something that is bad for them: The
programme is aimed at keeping teenagers off
drugs.
7

I

I

keep

Isblsth lout I I keep

out ~

or go some-

keep on doing sth No car appeared so she

1

to prevent someone or something from coming into a place or building: Barricades were
put up to keep out the protestors. I We closed
the curtains to keep out the light. I You will
need a strong fence to keep foxes out.
+ of I try to keep the children out of the
kitchen when I'm cooking.

I

keep on doing

to continue
where

I~ I

keep on

to do something

I

kept on walking with new determination. I
The album has made almost three million
dollars in sales around the world, and
people keep on buying it.
keep on When I started to smoke the cigarette J felt really ill, but I kept on because
everyone else was doing it.
keep on with sth If it continues to rain, the
players won't be able to keep on with the
game.

* SIMILAR TO:
2

I keep

continue, carry on

on doing

I sth I

to do something many times: I don't like to
keep on borrowing money from the bank. I
Kilkenny's a brilliant player - he just keeps on
scoring goals.

3

I keeponl
to continue to talk about
annoying or boring way

1

I keep I sblsth

lout of I sth]

to prevent someone or something from getting involved in a situation: Anna had tried
hard to keep John out of her life. I They managed very cleverly to keep their country out of
the war.

2 I keep

out of@]

to not get involved in a situation: Phil was one
of those children who can't manage to keep out
of trouble. I "What's the matter?" I asked. "You
keep out of this," Charlie replied sharply.

* SIMILAR TO:

stay out of

~tlkeepto~
something

in an

to stay in one particular area or place: "Keep
to the centre of the track," said Bailey. I The

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


KEEP

270

it could keep up. I If things keep up like this,
we'll all be millionaires soon.

weather was so bad we had to keep to the
house for the first two days.

,,;+ I

keep to

* SIMILAR TO:

I~

to do what has been decided in an agreement
or plan, or what is demanded by law: It is
vital that they keep to the peace agreement. I

We are still keeping to our aims of achieving
greater equality. I There would be fewer accidents if people kept to the speed limits.
* SIMILAR TO: stick to, keep to, abide by formal
3lkeep~

,"

,+I

yourselfl

[keep yourselfto

I keep

yourself[

to yourselfl

keep up with the Joneses (=try to have the
same possessions and way of life as other
people, so that they will think you are as
good, rich etc as them) Until she was forty,
Gemma s life consisted of microwaves and
mobile phones and keeping up with the
Joneses.
• orrosrrs: fall behind

BrE

AmE

to prefer to be alone rather than with other
people: Tom didn't like meetings and village
events and he kept himself to himself.

5

6 [keepto~

keep to the point He s a hopeless teacher.
He can't keep to the point.

[keepup~

stick to

~

to continue doing something:
The doctor
advised me to keep up the treatment for two
weeks. I All the way home the kids kept up a
non-stop flow of questions. I Any exercise is
good for you, but ideally you should keep it up
regularly.
keep up the good work (=continue to work
hard and well) Our manager s always coming round telling each of us to keep up the
good work.
keep it up (=continue to work hard and

well) He had been revising for nearly five
weeks and felt he couldn't keep it up for
much longer.

"~} I keep

up

I

if something keeps up, it continues without
stopping or changing: It had been raining for
days, and everyone was wondering how long

I keep

upl

to keep changing the way in which you do
something because the situation you are in
keeps changing
+ with In the car industry, many of the
smaller firms have been unable to keep up
with the pace of change.
keep up with demand (=supply as much of
something as is wanted, especially when
the amount is increasing quickly) It s difficult to produce these computer games fast
enough to keep up with demand.

to continue to talk about one particular subject, instead of starting to talk about others:

"Please try and keep to the subject under discussion," the chairman said.

* SIMILAR TO:

keep upl

to manage to do as much or as well as other
people: Teachers should offer advice to children in hospital on how to keep up at school.
+ with Older employees often find it difficult to keep up with their younger colleagues. I "He had enormous energy,"
Deborah said. "I felt I could never keep up
with him."

to not tell anyone about something: What I'm
going to tell you now is a secret. Can you keep
it to yourself? I Maria guessed that Larry was in
trouble, but she kept her suspicions to herself.

5

I

to go as quickly as someone else: Maggie had
a stone in her shoe, and was finding it hard to
keep up.
+ with Sometimes Emmie followed Nick.
She had to walk fast to keep up with him.

usually passive to limit something to a particular number or amount: Your stories should be
kept to no more than 500 words.
keep sth to a minimum Hospital waiting

times must be kept to a minimum.
4 ~[to

I keep up

continue

keep up Young people sfashions change so
quickly nowadays that you need a lot of
money to keep up.
6

I keep

upl

to know about and understand all the most
recent facts in a situation
+ with We encourage all our employees to
keep up with new technical developments.
keep up Technology changes all the time.
Its almost impossible to keep up.
7

I keep

up ~

I keep

5th

1

I up I

to make something continue at its present
level or amount, instead of letting it decrease:
Nato kept up the pressure on the Serbs to get
out of Kosovo. I You need to have a good meal
now to keep your strength up.

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


KICK

271

8 I keep

KICK

upl

if one process keeps up with another, it
increases at the same speed so that they stay
at the same level
+ with In most African countries, food production is not keeping up with population
growth. I Salaries have not kept up with

inflation in the last few years.
9 Ikeepupl~

kicked, kicked, kicking

SEE

Ikeepls~

I kick

to continue to practise a skill or subject that
you learned in the past so that you do not
forget it: I was keen to keep up the French that
I had learned when I worked at the resort. I
George used to play the piano, but I'm afraid
he hasn't kept it up.
10 Ikeeplst~

1

~

Ikeepup~

keep up with
keep up with

I sth I

around/about

I

informal to discuss an idea with a group of
people in an informal way: u-e've been kicking around the idea of asking Gretsky to join
our team. I The idea of a business merger has
been kicked around for more than a year now.

the process and cost of looking after a
building: On a house this size, the upkeep is
enormous.

I

against

I kick aroundlabout I s18

upkeep N [SINGULAR]

to prevent someone from going to bed at the
usual time: One of the students kept Mike up
for hours talking about her problems. I The
noise from the party kept us all up.

(out)

to show that you feel angry with something
because it controls your life in a way that

you do not like: It's the story of a young girl
growing up and kicking against society. I
Getting married too young can place demands
on people, which they will eventually kick out
against.

l~ke-e-p-up~l~

to look after a building and pay for any work
that needs to be done, so that it stays in good
condition: In the end the family had to sell the
house. They didn't have enough money to keep
it up.
* SIMILAR TO: maintain formal

11 Ikeep~

kick around

q sth 0

2 1 be kicking around/about

informal if something is kicking around a
place, it is somewhere in that place but it has
been forgotten about, or not used for a long
time: I found a photograph of his last girlfriend kicking about among the clothes on the
floor. I That book's been kicking around the
house for ages, but now that I want it, it's
disappeared!

* SIMILAR TO: be knocking around informal,
be lying around informal

_

I ~

to write to, telephone, or meet a friend regularly, so that you do not forget each other:
I've kept up with several of my schoolfriends,
especially the ones that live near me.

3

I

kick around/about

KEY

I kick

keyed, keyed, keying

~

informal
around
do or
decided

key in '"
1

key

key in

l~

to type information into a computer: If you
key your message in first, I'll show you how to
send it. I Most people key in their work themselves now.

* SIMILARTO: type
2

I be

keyed up

in, enter

I

to be very nervous or excited about something: Travis arrived, keyed up at the thought
of seeing Rosemary again. , 11", were all keyed
up and ready to go.

I

to spend time in a place or travelling
a place, doing whatever you want to
doing very little: After university, I
to kick around Europe for the summer.
* SIMILAR TO: bum around informal

0

I IsthJB I

around/about

4

~I

around/about

I

USUALLY PASSNE

informal to treat someone badly or unfairly,
especially by expecting them to do whatever
you tell them to do: She's always being kicked
around by him - I don't know why she stays.
get kicked around/about Some of the staff
definitely feel that they get kicked around
too much.

* SIMILAR TO: shove around,

push around

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


272

1 I kick back

I

AmE Informal to relax: Stewart decided to kick
back and enjoy himself Wednesday afternoon. I
The players have been kicking back a little
between Tuesday s game and their next game
tonight.
2

starts: The conference is scheduled to kick off
at noon.
+ with Phelps kicked off the night s music
with a beautiful Mozart symphony.

* SIMILAR

-

* SIMILAR

TO: begin, start
kick-off N [e]

the time when a game of football starts, or
the first kick: Leeds were the better team
right from kick-off.

2b I kick offl
if a team or its players kick off, they start to
play a game: We'll have to hurry if we want to
watch the match - they're kicking off at seven
o'clock.
+ against England will kick off against
France at 2 0 'clock this afternoon.

3 I kick offl
BrE informal to become angry and start complaining or criticizing someone or something
+ about Don't tell Daniel - he s bound to
kick off about it.

Ikick Isth I down I Ikick down ~
to break a door or other structure by kicking
it violently: He threatened to kick down the
door if she didn't open it.

1

I kick

kick out

to force someone or something to leave a
place, organization,
or position of power:
The landlord kicked me out of my apartment
as soon as I couldn't pay the rent. I I'm sure
this government will be kicked out at the next
general election.
+ of Amy was kicked out of university for
failing her exams.
* SIMILAR TO: chuck out informal, throw out
informal, boot out informal

to break open a door, window etc by kicking
it very hard, especially in order to enter a
building: Firemen kicked in a window and
managed to get the children out of the house. I
When we got home, we found that the door
had been kicked in and several things were
missing.
2

I kick in I
informal to start to have an effect or start to
work: For some people it can take several
hours before the effects of the drug kick in. I
Sales of between 10,000 and 30,000 copies
are needed before profits kick in. I The heating
will kick in if the temperature falls below a

certain level.

AmE to join with others in giving money or
help: If you and your neighbors will donate
$100, I'll kick in $300. I He doesn't really kick
in and do his share of the housework.
* SIMILAR TO: contribute, chip in Informal

kick off
1

Ikick off 1

SEE

I

1 I Ikick l~

kick off sth

if an event kicks off or you kick it off, it

kick against

kick over

'

s

I kick overl
AmE if an engine kicks over, it starts working;
It won't kick over, so Iguess we'll have to tow
the car to the garage.

Ikickinl

3 ~

'

Ikick Isblsth E!] Ikick out ~

Ikicklsthl in I

in ~

begin, start

if a game of football kicks off, the game
starts: The game kicked off an hour late after
heavy rain.

* SIMILAR TO: relax
I kick back ~
I kick l~ back I
AmE to pay someone part of the money you
earned from a deal because they helped you
to make the deal. This is usually done in a

secret or illegal way: The travel agencies
kicked back part of their commission to corporations who signed contracts with them.
kickback N [c.u]
AmE money that you pay to someone
because they have helped get a larger
amount of money, usually from a secret or
illegal deal, plan etc: Roth has been
charged
with collecting
more
than
$224,000 in kickbacks from companies that
sold supplies to his employer.

TO:

I

2a kick offl

* SIMILAR
1

TO:

turn over

I kick up a fusslkick up a stink I
BrE to comFlain a lot about something so that
people wil know that you are very annoyed

about it: People in the neighbourhood are
kicking up a fuss about the noise from the

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


KIT

273
airport. I Many businesses have been kicking
up a stink about the high interest rates.
2

I kick

a bed, for example on the floor or a chair, or
to sleep at someone else's house: The party
didn't finish till three in the morning, so I
kipped down at lane s house.
+ on You have the bed, I'll kip down on the
sofa.
* SIMILAR TO: doss down BrE informal, bed down

I

up a storm/controversy

to cause a lot of trouble or discussion about
something: If the government goes ahead with
the new tax, it will kick up a political storm.

l~ I

3 I kick up
kick Isthlupl
AmE informal to increase something, usually a
price: When the landlord kicked up his rent,
Mallory packed his bags and left without
notice.
SIMILAR TO: raise, increase, hike up informal

KISS

kiss away

*

I kiss

KID
kidded, kidded, kidding

I kid around I USUALLY

PROGRESSNE

1

informal, especially AmE to make jokes and
behave in a silly way: Don't pay any attention

to him. He s just kidding around. I Stop kidding
around and get on with your work.
SIMILAR TO: fool around, mess about/around
informal

*

killed, killed, killing

Ikill off Isth/sbl ~illl

sth/sb

I~

* SIMILAR

TO:

wipe out
~sthl

»:

0l!J

~sb[offl

off! [

AmE spoken informal used when you want to
tell someone to go away or stop saying rude
things: Kiss off, Joe! If you can't say anything
nice, then just shut up!

2 Ikissoff~
Ikissls~
AmE informal to decide that something

I

give up

kiss up to ~

>C

AmE informal to try to please someone, especially in order to get them to do something
for you: Dan is perfectly capable of getting a
promotion without kissing up to the boss.
SIMILAR TO: suck up informal, creep (up) to
BrE

KIT
kitted, kitted, kitting

Y-

if a writer kills off a character in a story, television series etc, the writer makes that character die:
course, we all know that lames

Bond will never be killed off - but the scene
was still very exciting.

Or

KIP
[kip down

kissl~1 away I

*

to destroy or get rid of something completely
and finally: The show was so unpopular that
the producers decided to kill it off. I The new
figures are likely to kill off any hope of an
early economic recovery.

3 Ikilloffl~

I kiss

* SIMILAR TO:

to kill things or people in large numbers or so
that there are none left: There is a danger that
agricultural chemicals will pollute the water
and kill off the wildlife. I A lot of the children
died in those days - poverty and disease killed
them off.

2 I kill off~

I

is not
worth the time, effort, money etc or that it
cannot work, and therefore you will not be a
part of it: Perhaps you can talk about your differences with your wife instead of just kissing
off the relationship.

KILL

1

away ~

informal to kiss someone to try to take away
their pain or unhappiness and make them
feel better: Harry held her tightly, kissing
away her tears.

sb/sth lout

I Ikit out Isb/sth I

USUALLY PASSNE

5rE to provide someone or something with
the clothes or equipment they need for a particu~ar activity

+ with First you will be kitted out with a
safety helmet and a lamp. I The London studio is lavishly kitted out with six cameras.
SIMILAR TO: fit out especially BrE

*

I

BrE informal to sleep on something

~I

that is not

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


KNEEL

I be kitted

get knocked about There was one boy who
was always covered in bruises - he got
knocked about at home.

out/up in ~

BrE to be dressed in clothes of a particular
type, especially ones that are suitable for a
particular activity: The children were kitted

out in matching silver ski suits. 1 He was kitted
up in a white T-shirt and blue shorts.

* SIMILAR

TO:

2

I knock around/about I
informal to spend time somewhere, without
doing anything very serious or important: I
didn't want to leave the city now. I'd spent
enough time knocking about in the country. I
After three years knocking around at university,
Sammy still had no idea about a future career.
SIMILAR TO: kick around informal

wear

KNEEL
knelt or kneeled, knelt or kneeled, kneeling

kneel down

I knock around/about ~

*

3 I be knocking around/about I

I kneel down I

informal if something is knocking around, it is
in a particular place, but it has been forgotten
about, or not used for a long time: I used to
play a little violin that I found knocking
around in the attic. I There seem to be a lot of
BMWs knocking around these days. I It S surprising how few good acting parts there are
knocking around.
SIMILAR TO: kick around, be kicking
around/about informal

to move into a position in which your knees
are on the ground and your body is resting
on your knees: She knelt down and put her
arms around the child.
be kneeling down (=be in a position in
which your knees are on the ground and
your body is resting on your knees) The
people in the church were kneeling down,
waiting for the final prayers.

*

4 ~'around/aboutl

KNIT

BrE to kick or hit a ball around, especially in

a not very serious way: They didn't look like
a team who wanted to win. They were just
knocking the ball about.

knitted or knit, knitted or kni~ knitting

1

I knit together I sth/sb I
~

together

if two or more
something, they
are knit together
The two families
and marriage.

5

I USUALLY

PASSIVE

people are knit together by
are united by it: Communities
by laws, religion and custom. I
were knitted together by blood

I knock around/about Isth]
to spend time in a place or travelling around
a place, doing whatever you want to do or
doing very little: Like Jules, Sarah had
knocked around the world a bit and seen a lot
of places.
SIMILAR TO: kick around informal, bum around
informal

*

2 I knit together I
if people or things knit together, they fit
together or work together well: In an essay
you must make sure that the sentences in each
paragraph knit together logically. I The lads in
the team have knitted together extremely well.
3

I knit together I
BrE if broken bones knit together, they join
and grow together again: I had to rest my leg
for a month, to give the bones a chance to knit
together.

Iknock around/about with I~
BrE to spend your free time with someone,
because they are your friend or because you
are having a relationship with them: On
Saturdays I knock around with my friends

from school. I Moore used to knock around
with a very strange-looking woman.
* SIMILAR TO: go around with, hand out with
informol. especially AmE

knock back'"

KNOCK
knocked, knocked, knocking

knock around/about
1 I knock I sb] around/about I
informal to hit or kick someone several times:
Her husband was a big man with a bad temper.
He used to knock her around.

:.

1 I knock back ~
informal to drink something, especia y alcohol, quickly or in large amounts: I watched
him knock back a whole bottle of wine in fi.f
teen minutes. I She poured herself a glass of
whisky and knocked it back.
* SIMILAR TO: put away informal especially spoken

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


275

PHRASAL VERB ACTIVATOR

p

This special section contains 16 different topic areas, in which groups of phrasal verbs that are
similar in meaning are shown together. For example, around the topic area CLOTHES, you will
find various phrasal verbs meaning to put on clothes, and also various phrasal verbs meaning to
take off clothes. Once you have found the group of phrasal verbs you are interested in, you can
then check in the main part of the dictionary to find out exactly what each phrasal verb means.

H

clothes
computers
continue
drinking
driving
eating
leave
like/dislike

page
page
page
page
page
page
page
page

275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282

love & friendship
on the telephone
problems
sleeping & awake
start
stop
TV/radio/lights/machines
weather

page
page
page
page
page
page
page
page

283
284
285

286
287
288
289
290

R
A

s
A
L

v
E

R
B

to put on
special clothes
for warmth,
protection etc

A

c
T

v

A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


276

p

H
R

A

s
A
L

v
E

to put
information
into a computer

R

B

A

c
T

v
A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.


277

p

H
R

A

to continue with your

work
to continue until
something
is finished

s
A
L

v
E
R

B

to continue to
do something
although it is
difficult

A

c
T

v
when
something
continues in
the normal

way

A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


278

p
H

R
A

s
A
L

v
E
R

B

A

c
T

~
to drink a lot
of alcohol
tanK up!l\mE
- ~et tanked up _

v
A

".- be~eVVi~d "uRBre
.-"Iager up~BrE
;t!iquo"u~ AfTJE
••. knock back

.CL

T

o
when you have drunk
R

~ ~oo much alcohol
n;~"b~ hl;ln~ over:
"'- sleep off .r

~

X

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.


279

P

H
R

A
S
A
L

E
R

B

A
C
T

V
A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


280

P
H

R
A

S
A
L

V
E

R
B

A
C
T

V
A

x

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.


281

p

to leave at the start
of a journey

H

R
A

s
A
L

v

E

R
B

A

c
T

v
ways of telling
someone to leave
because they are
annoying you

A
T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


282

P
H

R
A
S
A
L

v

A

V
A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.


283

p

to have a romantic or
sexual relationship

to start having a
permanent relationship

H

R
A
5
A

when two people
like each other
as friends

L

v
E
R

B

A

c
T

v
A

when a romantic or
sexual relationship ends

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


284

p

H
R
A

s
A

x

L

v

when the phone
suddenly
stops working

E
R

B

A

c
T

v
A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


285

p
H
R

A

s

A
L

v
E
R

B

A

c
T

to think about or talk
about a problem

v
A
T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


286

P

H
R

A
S
A
L

V
E

R
B

A
C

T

V
A
T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.

287

p
to start doing some work
, . - .. et down to
g
•••get stuck int
•••set about

H

R

x:

A

s
A
L

v
E
R

B

A

c

T

v
A

T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar


288

p
H
R

A

s
A
L

v
E
R

B

A

c
T

v
A

T.

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark


289

p

H

to make
something
start working

R

A

s
A
L

v
E
R

B

to make
something
stop
working

A

c
T

v
A
T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermar

290

P
H
R

A

S
A
L

V
E

R
B

A
C
T

V
A
T

o
R

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.


KNOCK

291

2

I knock Isth/sb ~

4

* SIMILAR TO:
3

I knock

~

I

* SIMIlAR TO: shock
I knock I sb I back ~

* SIMILAR TO:

I knock

back

I sth/sb I

* SIMILAR TO:

BrE informal to refuse an offer that someone
has made: The football club made an offer for
the thirty-five-year-old
player, but it was
knocked back.

• OPPOSITE:

I knock

down

3

* SIMIlAR TO:
"

3

I knock

knock over, run over

down

I stE]

Iknocklst~

I

knockdown AD) [ALWAYS BEFORE NOUN]

a knockdown price is very cheap: In the
end the land was sold at a knockdown
price.

off

stop it!, cut it out!

I sth] I knock I sth I off] Y

TO:

take off

I

I

knock off ~

* SIMILAR TO:
5

knock

Isb/sth l~

I knock

defeat

X

offl

informal to stop working because it is time to
go home, have your midday meal etc: All the
factory
workers knock off at 3 p.m. on
Fridays. I I'm going to knock off early today.

+ to The agents recommended knocking the
price down to £150,000, and we agreed.

reduce

I

AmE informal to defeat a person or team in a
race, game etc: The Bulls had knocked off The
Rockets in the first round, winning 109-34. I
The new Ohio Representative knocked off his

opponent by only 1,000 votes in the last
election.

to reduce the price of something

* SIMIlAR TO:

I knock

* SIMIlAR

4

knock down ~

+ from He s knocked down the painting from
$200 to $170.

it off!

informal to reduce a total by a particular
amount: I'd like to knock a minute offmy running time. I I've been knocking off 200 extra
calories a day but still not losing weight.

I knock I sth I down I

to deliberately destroy and remove a building
or a part of a building: We could knock down
this wall and have one large room instead of
two. I A lot of the older houses were knocked

down to make space for new ones.
* SIMILAR TO: demolish formal

take off, deduct formal

add on

* SIMIlAR TO:

I sb I

if a vehicle knocks someone down, it hits
them so that they fall to the ground and may
be injured or killed: Michael Hutchence was
knocked down by a taxi as he left the nightclub. I As Tracey was getting out of her car, a
motorcycle nearly knocked her down.

X

~

spoken informal used to tell someone to stop
doing something that is annoying you: Knock
it off, Lizl There s no reason to drive like an
idiot!

turn down

I knock

I knock

off ~

informal to reduce a price by a particular
amount: Discount travel agencies may be able
to knock off a few hundred dollars from the
price of international tickets. I I'll knock £1 00
off your loan if you repay it by the end of the
month.

set back

I knock I sth/sb I back I I knock

* SIMIlAR TO:

I

knock off

BrE Informalto cost you a particular amount of
money, especially a lot of money: A new
computer will knock you back at least a thousand pounds. I How much did the flights knock
you back?
5

sth I down

~

to prove or argue that an idea, suggestion etc
is not right, or not worth considering: They
knocked down the proposal on the grounds
that it was not practical. I His argument was
completely illogical, and easily knocked down.

BrE informal to shock or surprise someone:
When my Dad went off with another woman, it
knocked us all back.
4

I

down

5 I knock down [~

set back
back

I~

I knock

informal to persuade someone to reduce the
price of something they are selling you
+ to She wanted £2,000 for the car, but I
knocked her down to £1,800.

BrE informalto prevent something or someone
from making progress or improving: The
delay has knocked work back two years. I
You've been very ill, and if you go to Mick s
party it will really knock you back.

* SIMILAR TO:

6

I

knock off

finish work

ISbJ I

knock

I~

X_

informalto murder someone: He'll get knocked
off for sure if the gang finds out where he s
hiding. I The gang knocked them off and
quickly fled the scene.
SlMILAR TO: murder, bump off informal

*

Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark