| Phrase |
Example |
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A
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agree to
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I wish she would agree to my proposal.
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agree with
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I agree with him on that point.
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ask after
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Mr. Smith asked after John.
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ask in
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He was asked in.
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ask over
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Yes, you can ask your friend over.
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B
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back off
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She was told to back off.
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be in
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Are your parents in?
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be off
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I'm off now.
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bear (up) on
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These facts do not bear on this matter.
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bear with
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Please bear with him for a moment while he tries to put this straight.
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beg off
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I'm sorry, I have to beg off.
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black out
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And then she just blacked out.
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blame on
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Don't blame it on her.
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blow up
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The bomb might have blown up.
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( break away
break free
break loose)
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At last, the hostage could break away from his captors.
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break down
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Finally her sister broke down.
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break off
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I didn't mean to break off anything.
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break up
|
Sue and Tim broke up last year.
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bring along
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This year has brought along some significant changes.
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bring down
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(1) Taxes were never brought down.
(2) The president was brought down by this scandal.
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bring in
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My job brings in 400 dollars per week.
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bring up
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(1) She was brought up in Wisconsin.
(2) Why do you have to bring that up?
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build up
|
He needs to do some exercises to build himself up.
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burst in with
|
She burst in with the bad news.
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butt in
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How can we talk when you keep butting in all the time?
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C
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call down
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The teacher called down all the students who were late.
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call in
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He called Kelly in.
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call off
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I had to call off the barbecue because of the bad weather.
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calm down
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Please calm down.
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carry on
|
Please carry on with your homework.
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catch up (on)
|
I need some time to catch up on that incident.
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check out
|
I will check it out.
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check up (on)
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There is no need to check up on me.
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clean down
|
My hands were covered with mud, and so I cleaned them down.
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clean off
|
Can you clean off the table, please?
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clean up
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Can you clean your room up a little?
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clear away
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Please clear your stuff away.
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close down
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The shop was closed down by the police.
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close in (on)
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She closed in quietly.
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close up
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The restaurant was closed up by the health department.
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come around
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I knew he would come around in the end.
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come back
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Will the good old days ever come back?
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come by
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(1) My aunt came by yesterday.
(2) I hope he came by this money honestly.
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come over
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Why don't you come over next weekend?
|
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cool down / off
|
(1) It began to cool off after the thunderstorm.
(2) Cool down guys!
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count (up) on
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Can we count on you?
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cut back (on)
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I have to cut back on the water usage.
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cut out
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Cut it out!
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D
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decide (up) on
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I decided on ice tea.
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die off/out
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That species died out million years ago.
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dirty up
|
Don't dirty your pants up!
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do in
|
He tried to do his father in.
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do over
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I probably wouldn't do it over.
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do up
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(1) Do up the present quickly.
(2) Please do up your buttons.
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do without
|
I guess I will have to do without lunch today.
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draw near
|
As the time drew near,...
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dress down
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His father dressed him down again.
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drink up
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Drink up, and let's going.
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drive at
|
Well, you must see what I'm driving at.
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drive on
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We drove on till night.
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drop by
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I hope you guys can drop by our house some time.
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drop in (on)
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I can't believe who dropped in on us last night.
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drop off
|
You can drop me off at the next red light.
|
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dry out
|
The clothes finally dried out.
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E
|
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ease off
|
The storm eased off a little.
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eat up
|
Eat up, and let's get going.
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edge away
|
The students laughed and edged away from him.
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end up
|
When will all this end up?
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enter (into)
|
We need more members to enter our team.
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even out
|
The surafce of the road was evened out.
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even up
|
Can they even up the score tonight?
|
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F
|
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face up (to)
|
You have to face up to challenges.
|
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fall apart
|
The whole thing falls apart.
|
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fall back on
|
I had to fall back on my savings.
|
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fall behind (in/on)
get behind (in/on)
|
He's falling behind in his car payments.
|
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fall through
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I hope my party next Saturday doesn't fall through.
|
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fasten up
|
Please fasten up your jacket.
|
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feel for
|
I really feel for you.
|
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fight back (at)
|
It's hard for him to fight back.
|
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fight down
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I fought down the anger.
|
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figure on
|
I figure on the extra income.
|
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figure out
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I just can't figure her out.
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fill in
|
(1) I better fill the cracks in with something.
(2) Would you fill in the form, please?
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fill in (for)
|
I will have to fill in for him till he gets back from his vacation.
|
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fill out
|
Would you fill out the form, please?
|
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fill up
|
(1) The hole filled up with water and had to be pumped.
(2) We will fill up at the next gas station.
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finish off
|
Finish off your cup of cofee, please.
|
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finish up
|
I will finish my homework up in a few minutes.
|
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fit in(to)
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It just doesn't fit in.
|
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fix up
|
Is my bike fixed up yet?
|
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fly in(to)
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When did you fly in?
|
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fool around
|
Stop fooling around.
|
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G
|
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gather up
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Let's gather our things up and leave.
|
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get across
|
How can I get it across to you
|
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get along with
|
He couldn't get along with her mother-in-law.
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get at
|
What exactly is he getting at?
|
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get back
|
When will you get back?
|
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get back at
|
He will get back at him someday.
|
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get back to
|
I will get back to you in a minute.
|
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get by (on)
|
She can't get by on that much money.
|
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get down to
|
Now, let's get down to homework.
|
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get into
|
He managed to get himself into the class he wanted.
|
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get off
|
I have to get off all my packages.
|
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get on
|
How are you getting on?
|
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get on with
|
(1) I need to get on doing my homework.
(2) How do you get on with Sam?
|
|
get out of
|
You've got to get out of there.
|
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get over
|
(1) It took him a long time to get over the heart attack.
(2) He couldn't get over the huge rock in the path, so he went around it.
|
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get through
|
I tried calling you, but I couldn't get through.
|
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get up
|
(1) Today I got up at 10 am.
(2) We got up a team on very short notice.
|
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give away (to)
|
(1) He gave his car away to his brother.
(2) Don't give the answer away.
|
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give in (to)
|
Why does she always give in to her brother?
|
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give up
|
Are you sure you want to give up your career?
|
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glance over
|
My teacher just glanced over my homework today.
|
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go after
|
He went after the man who mugged him.
|
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go along with
|
I'll go along with you on that decision.
|
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go around
|
There's not enough milk to go around.
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go away
|
Please go away!
|
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go back
|
I'll never go back.
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go in
|
They went in after us.
|
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go in for
|
He goes in for playing soccer.
|
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go off
|
(1) The bomb went off.
(2) My party went off as planned.
|
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go off with
|
I guess she went off with her new boyfriend.
|
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go out (with)
|
Will she go out with Mike next Friday evening?
|
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go through
|
(1) The truck wouldn't go through the tunnel.
(2) He went through his pockets, looking for his wallet.
(3) How can you go through all the chocolate so fast?
(4) You won't believe what I've went through.
(5) I guess we need to go through the whole song a few more times.
|
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go under
|
(1) I was afraid that our ship would go under.
(2) The company went under.
|
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go without
|
I just cannot go without some candy from time to time.
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|
H
|
|
hand down
|
(1) The court has not yet handed down a ruling.
(2) He will hand this down to his granddaughter.
|
|
hand out
|
The teacher handed out the test to the surprised students.
|
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hang around (with)
|
I usually spend much time hanging around with miy friends.
|
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hang on
|
(1) Hang on, please.
(2) They couldn't hang on much longer.
|
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hang up
|
Why did you hang up on me?
|
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happen (upon)
|
I just happened upon her.
|
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heal up
|
My injury healed up in around no time.
|
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hear out
|
Hear me out, will you? I have more to tell.
|
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heat up
|
How soon will lunch be heated up?
|
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help out
|
Can you help me out?
|
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hide away
|
Can you hide this book away where no one will find it?
|
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hide out (from)
|
Ben was hiding out from the police.
|
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hit back (at)
|
He hit me, but I didn't hit back at him.
|
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hit on
|
Tom was hitting on Mike's fiancée.
|
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hit (upon)
|
I guess I have hit upon something.
|
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hold back (on)
|
They hold back on signing the new deal.
|
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hold on
|
Hold on a minute! I have to check this first.
|
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hold out
|
I don't know how long they can hould out.
|
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hold up
|
Some moron tried to hold me up.
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hurry on/up
|
Hurry on, will you? I got some errands to run today.
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