Phrasal Verbs/P

Phrasal verbs beginning with P. Select a phrasal verb for more details.

pack away (1)

If you pack something away, you put it back where it's usually kept after you've finished using it.

pack away (2) INFORMAL

to eat a lot of food

pack in (1) INFORMAL

to attract large audiences or large crowds of spectators

pack in (2) British and Australian English INFORMAL

If you pack something in, you stop doing it.

pack into (1)

to fit into a small or crowded space

pack into (2)

to fit a lot of activities into a limited time

pack up (1)

to put things into boxes or bags before moving them or sending them somewhere

pack up (2) British and Australian English INFORMAL

If something packs up, it stops working and needs to be fixed.

pan out INFORMAL

If you see how a situation pans out, you see how it develops over time.

part with

to give something to someone else, especially when you'd prefer to keep it

pass around

to pass something from person to person in a group

pass away

If someone passes away, they die.

pass by

to go past something or someone

pass off as

to make someone believe that a copy or a replica is the real thing

pass on

If you pass something on, you give it to another person after receiving it yourself.

pass out (1)

to give something to each person in a group

pass out (2)

to lose consciousness all of a sudden

pass over

If someone is passed over, they aren't given the promotion they were expecting, and the position is given to someone else instead.

pass up INFORMAL

If you pass up an opportunity or an invitation, you choose not to take the opportunity or accept the invitation.

pat down

to check that somebody isn't carrying a prohibited item, such as a gun, by patting different parts of their body

patch up (1)

to fix something quickly so it can be used until it's repaired properly or replaced

patch up (2)

to mend ties or repair a relationship after a disagreement or a dispute

pay back (1)

If you pay someone back, you return money that you borrowed from them in the past.

pay back (2)

If you pay someone back for doing something bad to you, you do something bad to them in return.

pay off (1)

If you pay off a loan, you pay it back in installments over a period of time.

pay off (2)

If something you do pays off, it ends up giving you some benefit or a good result.

pay out

to pay a sum of money to somebody, especially a large sum

pay up

If somebody pays up, they pay money they owe to someone even though they don't really want to.

pick on

If you pick on someone, you repeatedly treat them badly or criticize them.

pick out

If you pick out something, you choose or select it.

pick up (1)

If you pick up something, you take hold of it and lift it up.

pick up (2)

If you pick someone up, you meet them somewhere in order to give them a lift somewhere else.

piss about British and Australian English INFORMAL offensive!

to waste time or act in a stupid way

piss off British and Australian English offensive!

If someone pisses you off, they annoy you.

play around (1)

to waste time by being silly or stupid

play around (2) INFORMAL

to have sex with someone other than one's spouse or partner

play back

to play something that's just been recorded, such as a video, a message, or some music

play down

to try to make something seem less important or less damaging than it really is

play up (1) British and Australian English INFORMAL

If something is playing up, it isn't working properly or it's causing problems.

play up (2)

to try to make something seem better, or more important, than it really is

point out

to tell someone something you think they should know

pour in

to arrive at or enter a place in great numbers and with great speed or force

pour out

to leave a place in large numbers

print off

to print a number of copies of something

print out

to make a printed copy of a document

pull back

If an army pulls back, it moves its forces back from the front-line or from wherever it's been fighting the enemy.

pull down (1)

to destroy a building or structure because it is old, dangerous, or no longer wanted

pull down (2)

to lower one's pants or trousers

pull in

If a train, a truck or a car pulls in, it arrives somewhere.

pull off

to succeed in doing something difficult

pull on

to put an item of clothing on, usually in a hurry

pull out (1)

If you pull out of something you're participating in, like a competition or a deal, you stop participating.

pull out (2)

to move your car from a parking spot or a side street into a traffic lane, or to move out from one traffic lane to join another

pull over

If you're driving a car and you pull over, you move over to the side of the road and stop.

pull through

to recover from a serious illness or injury

pull up (1)

to pull something out of the ground, such as a plant, a stake, or a fence post

pull up (2)

If a vehicle such as a car or a taxi pulls up, it stops.

put aside (1)

to save or reserve something, like time, money, food, etc., for a particular purpose, or for use in the future

put aside (2)

to ignore a disagreement or a problem you have with someone so you can work together on something

put away (1)

If you put something away, you put it where it's usually kept when it's not being used.

put away (2)

If you put something away, you put it somewhere safe and keep it for the future.

put back (1)

If you put something back, you return it to the place it was before you took it.

put back (2)

to change the time or date of something to a later time

put down (1)

to stop carrying something or someone

put down (2)

to put a sick or injured animal to death, usually by lethal injection

put forward (1)

to offer an idea, an opinion, a suggestion, etc. for other people to consider

put forward (2)

to change the date or time of an event, an appointment, a meeting, etc. so that it happens earlier than originally planned

put in (1)

to spend a certain amount of time and effort on doing something

put in (2)

to install a large piece of equipment into a room, a home or a building

put off

If you put something off, you change the time it's meant to happen to a later time or date.

put on (1)

to start wearing an item of clothing, a pair of shoes, a piece of jewellery, a pair of glasses, etc.

put on (2)

to make an appliance or a piece of equipment start to function

put on (3)

to present an event such as a concert, a seminar, a sporting tournament, etc.

put on (4)

If you put on weight, or put on pounds or kilos, you become heavier.

put out (1)

to stop something from burning

put out (2)

If you put somebody out, you inconvenience them by asking them to help you or do something for you.

put over

to communicate something like an idea or an opinion

put through (1)

to make someone suffer a difficult or painful experience

put through (2)

to pay for someone's education through school, college, university, etc.

put together (1)

to assemble something by joining its parts or pieces

put together (2)

to select several things and combine them to create something

put up (1)

to increase something, such as the price, cost or value of something

put up (2)

to fix a notice or a picture onto an upright surface such as a wall or a noticeboard

put up with

If you put up with something, you accept it even though you don't like it.

Contributor: Matt Errey