| 1 | ask someone out | invite on a date | Brian askedJudy out to dinner and a movie. |
| 2 | ask around | ask many people the same question | I asked aroundbut nobody has seen my wallet. |
| 3 | add up to something | equal | Your purchasesadd up to$205.32. |
| 4 | back something up | reverse | You'll have toback up your car so that I can get out. |
| 5 | back someone up | support | My wife backedme up over my decision to quit my job. |
| 6 | blow up | explode | The racing carblew up after it crashed into the fence. |
| 7 | blow something up | add air | We have toblow 50 balloons up for the party. |
| 8 | break down | stop functioning (vehicle, machine) | Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm. |
| 9 | break down | get upset | The womanbroke downwhen the police told her that her son had died. |
| 10 | break somethingdown | divide into smaller parts | Our teacherbroke the final project downinto three separate parts. |
| 11 | break in | force entry to a building | Somebodybroke in last night and stole our stereo. |
| 12 | break into something | enter forcibly | The firemen had to break intothe room to rescue the children. |
| 13 | break something in | wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new | I need to breakthese shoes inbefore we run next week. |
| 14 | break in | interrupt | The TV stationbroke in to report the news of the president's death. |
| 15 | break up | end a relationship | My boyfriend and I broke upbefore I moved to America. |
| 16 | break up | start laughing (informal) | The kids justbroke up as soon as the clown started talking. |
| 17 | break out | escape | The prisonersbroke out of jail when the guards weren't looking. |
| 18 | break out insomething | develop a skin condition | I broke out in a rash after our camping trip. |
| 19 | bring someone down | make unhappy | This sad music isbringing medown. |
| 20 | bring someone up | raise a child | My grandparentsbrought me upafter my parents died. |
| 21 | bring something up | start talking about a subject | My mother walks out of the room when my fatherbrings upsports. |
| 22 | bring something up | vomit | He drank so much that hebrought his dinner up in the toilet. |
| 23 | call around | phone many different places/people | We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed. |
| 24 | call someone back | return a phone call | I called the company backbut the offices were closed for the weekend. |
| 25 | call something off | cancel | Jason called the wedding offbecause he wasn't in love with his fiancé. |
| 26 | call on someone | ask for an answer or opinion | The professorcalled on me for question 1. |
| 27 | call on someone | visit someone | We called onyou last night but you weren't home. |
| 28 | call someone up | phone | Give me your phone number and I will callyou up when we are in town. |
| 29 | calm down | relax after being angry | You are still mad. You need to calm downbefore you drive the car. |
| 30 | not care forsomeone/something | not like (formal) | I don't care forhis behaviour. |