รายชื่อกิริยาวลีและคำนิยาม Phrasal Verbs & Definitions ( S-T)

9. Phrasal Verbs S-T(801-900)

801	soften … up	To become or make someone soft or softer.
		To make someone less powerful or effective, especially in a gradual or insidious way so that they will be vulnerable or more vulnerable.
802	sop … up	To soak up liquid by using something such as a cloth, sponge, etc.
803	sort … out	To deal with someone who causes difficulty or annoyance, e.g. We sorted out a misunderstanding over the terms of an agreement by discussing in great detail.
		To deal with something such as a problem, difficulty, etc., e.g. The staff stayed on late to sort the pile of printed documents out into individual reports.
	sort through	To classify or categorize or arrange things into an order.
804	sound off	To express one’s opinions in a loud or forceful way.
	sound … out	To seek the opinions of others before undertaking something.
805	soup … up	To improve something by making it more interesting or impressive.
806	space … out	To feel disorientated or confused, e.g. He doesn’t seem to concentrate on what he is saying; he’s spaced out because it doesn’t make sense.
807	speak for	To express one’s opinions, thoughts, feelings, position, beliefs, etc.
	speak of	To be a clear indication of the existence of an incident or event, e.g. the large presence of policemen spoke of trouble.
	speak out	To publicly protest by expressing one’s opinions frankly, especially when this could be a risk to oneself.
	speak to	To talk to someone in order to advise, inform about something, etc.
	speak up	To express one’s views publicly or speak in favour of someone or something.
		To ask someone to speak loudly or more loudly.
808	speed by	To pass very quickly, e.g. The months and years speed by and soon we are not young any more.
	speed up	To move or work, or make something move or work faster, e.g. They have to speed up to meet the deadline.
809	spell … out	To say or write the letters that made up a word.
		To explain something clearly and in detail.
810	spill over	(Conflict, etc.) to spread and affect other places or people.
811	spin … off	(A parent company) to turn a subsidiary into a new and separate company.
	spin out	(Vehicles) to be out of control, e.g. fast-moving car spins out of control on the wet road.
	spin ... out	To make something such as money, food, etc. last as long as one possibly can, especially because one has limited amount of it.
812	splash down	(Spacecraft) to return to Earth by landing in the sea.
	splash out on	To spend vast sum of money on something, e.g. They splash out on more decoration of their house.
813	split off	To separate or break away from someone or something.
	split on	To commit betrayal by informing on someone.
	split up	To end a marriage or a relationship.
		To divide into groups, parts, sections, etc.
814	spread out	(People) to move apart from each other so as to occupy a bigger area.
		To open out something on a flat surface such as a table.
815	spring from	To originate or come from somewhere.
	spring … on	To present or give something such as information, etc. to someone suddenly or unexpectedly that causes surprise or shock.
	spring up	To suddenly appear or start to exist.
816	spruce up	To make someone or something neater, tidier or smarter.
817	spy … out	To seek out secret information on someone or something.
818	square … away	To finish something in a satisfactory way.
	square off	To assume an aggressive attitude.
	square … off	To calm or pacify someone.
	square up to	To face and deal with a difficult situation or person.
	square with	To reconcile two ideas, situations, facts, etc. to show that they can exist together.
819	stack up	To measure up or compare.
820	stake … out	To keep someone or some place under close observation, especially because of suspected criminal activities.
821	stamp … out	To forcibly put an end to something.
822	stand against	To contest against another candidate in an election.
	stand alone	To be unequalled.
	stand around	To stand somewhere and not do anything, e.g. He grumbles that the supervisor has nothing to do but stands around watching him every minute.
	stand by	To look on without getting involved.
		To stay loyal and support someone, e.g. will always stand by him.
		To maintain the validity of one’s words or action, e.g. He stands by what he said earlier.
		To be ready to do what is required, e.g. A lifeguard always stands by at the swimming pool.
	stand down	To leave one’s position or office.
		To leave the witness box in court after giving evidence.
	stand for	To represent something in the form of abbreviation, symbol, etc., e.g. I think most people know what UN stands for.
		To not tolerate or endure something, e.g. More and more people the world over will not stand for racism.
		To support a particular set of ideas, values, or principles, e.g. Voters should demand that candidates state what they stand for so that they (voters) know what they are voting for.
	stand in	To temporarily take over the work of someone who is away.
	stand off	To move or keep away.
	stand out	To be conspicuous or clearly noticeable.
	stand out against	To be clearly better than someone else.
		To be strongly opposed to an idea, plan, etc.
	stand over	To watch someone closely to ensure they work properly.
	stand to	To move to a position, ready for action.
	stand up	To be in a standing position, e.g. As soon as she finished singing, everyone stood up to give her a standing ovation.
		To be able to withstand close scrutiny, test, etc.
	stand ... up	To fail to keep an appointment, etc., e.g. I was supposed to go fishing with Jack today, but he stood me up
	stand up for	To speak or act in support or defence of someone or something.
	stand up to	To defend oneself against or refuse to be unfairly treated by someone.
823	stare … out/down	To look at someone at length until they feel forced to look elsewhere.
824	start in	To begin doing something.
	start in on	To begin to do or deal with something.
		To attack someone or something verbally.
	start off	To begin in a certain way, e.g. The event started off in fine weather but midway through it began to rain.
		To begin a journey, e.g. We will start off as soon as they arrive.
	start on	To begin doing some of the things, e.g. We will start on the mowing first before we proceed to the planting.
	start on at	To start to talk by criticizing someone and their behaviour, e.g. She started on at him for always returning home late from work.
	start out/up	To begin a business enterprise or undertaking.
	start over	To restart doing something in order to do it better.
	start up	To begin operation, e.g. I usually start up the car’s engine to warm it up before driving it.
		To begin something, e.g. He started up a restaurant in the neighbourhood, but closed down after six months.
825	starve … into	To force someone to do something by denying them food.
	starve … out	To force someone out of a place by denying them food.
826	stave in	To break something inwards or be broken inwards by something.
	stave ... off	To avert something bad or dangerous happening to one.
827	stay off	To keep away from, e.g. Visitors to the temple were advised to stay off the grass whenever or wherever they walk.
	stay on	To continue doing something such as working, studying, etc. after the usual time or the others have left, e.g. He decides to stay on in the library while the others leave for home.
	stay out	To decide to return home late, e.g. On weekend, Jack stays out late boozing with his mates.
		To not get involved in a situation, especially a bad one, e.g. The neighbour’s wife and mine have been quarrelling for the past days, I choose to stay out of it.
	stay up	To go to bed later than normal, e.g. He is a night owl who enjoys staying up late.
828	steam … open/off	To make use of steam to do something such as opening and removing a stamp from an envelope, etc.
	steam up	To cover or become covered with steam.
		To be or become extremely agitated or angry.
829	stem from	To originate in or be caused by something.
830	step down	To resign from one’s official position.
	step forward	To volunteer one’s services.
	step in	To get involved in a difficult situation in order to help.
		To act or serve in place of someone.
	step on	To place one’s foot on something, e.g. My big fat auntie accidentally stepped on my toe; it’s terribly painful that tears roll down my cheeks.
	step out	To go out of a room or building, etc., usually for a short time, e.g. He steps out for a smoke.
	step ... up	To increase something such as amount, speed, etc. of something.
831	stick around	To stay for a while longer, e.g. We were asked to stick around for a while so as to have a drink together, but we’ve already waited for half an hour.
	stick at	To continue to do what one is doing with the same determination.
	stick by	To continue to support someone.
	stick ... on	To blame someone for a mistake or wrongdoing.
	stick out	To be particularly noticeable, e.g. His two oversized ears stick out more than usual.
		To extend from a surface, e.g. Be careful when you handle that plant, it has sharp thorns sticking out.
		To extend a part of one outward, e.g. This dog certainly looks rather tired, with its tongue sticking out dripping with saliva and body shaking.
		To tolerate an unpleasant or difficult situation, e.g. I found the roller coaster ride more scary than exciting, but I stuck it out.
	stick out for	To refuse to accept less than what one wants
	stick to	To continue to do what one thinks or believes is proper, e.g. He always considers very carefully before making a decision, and once a decision is made he sticks to it.
		To talk or write relevantly, e.g. A speaker or writer should stick to the subject in question, and not wander off to something else.
	stick together	To cooperate or remain united for mutual benefit.
	stick ... .up	To rob someone at gunpoint, e.g. No one was aware that a couple of men were sticking up a store until police arrived.
		To put up something such as a sign, notice, etc., e.g. Someone stuck a picture of Popeye up on the public toilet wall.
		(Something) to point out from a surface.
	stick up for	To defend oneself or someone else when others will not.
	stick with	To stay close to someone physically or romantically.
		To do something as planned despite the difficulty.
		(Something) to remain in one’s memory, e.g. The nightmare I had has stuck with me since.
832	sting … for	To overcharge someone for something, e.g. The mechanic stung him for a big amount for a minor repair to his car.
833	stink … out	To fill a place with a particularly unpleasant smell, e.g. The new coat of paint is stinking out the whole office.
834	stir … up	To deliberately cause conflict between people by spreading rumours or gossip, etc.
		To cause something to rise, e.g. The strong wind stirs up a lot of dust.
835	stitch up	To apply stitches to cloth or wound in order to fasten or cure.
		To satisfactorily finalize a deal or agreement.
	stitch ... up	To handle a situation in such a way as to disadvantage someone.
836	stock up	To accumulate a supply of something, e.g. They stock up on whisky for the forthcoming celebration.
837	stoke up	To add coal or wood to a fire.
		To stir up strong emotions among people
		To eat a large amount of food to get the energy required for sustained activity.
		To stock something such as clothing, etc. for one’s needs.
838	stoop to	To lower one’s dignity so far as to commit a morally wrongful act.
839	stop back	To return to a place one has previously been.
	stop by	To visit a place or person briefly when on one’s way to somewhere else.
	stop … down	To reduce the lens aperture in a camera to allow less light in when one is photographing.
	stop in	To visit a place or person briefly when on one’s way to somewhere else.
	stop off	To make a brief visit to a place, especially to rest or visit someone, en route to one’s destination, e.g. We stopped off at our parents’ house for a day on our way to the island.
	stop out	To stay out later than usual.
	stop over	To make a short stay somewhere before resuming one’s journey, e.g. We stopped over at our grandparents’ house for a drink on our way home.
	stop up	To stay up late.
840	stow away	To hide oneself on a ship, aircraft, etc. in order to travel secretly or without paying.
841	straighten … out	To make something straight, e.g. The workers are working to straighten out the winding road.
		To deal with the causes of a difficult problem with a view to resolving it, e.g. They meet for discussion to straighten out the remaining issues.
		To help someone overcome their bad behaviour or personal problems, e.g. We don’t condemn the kids’ behaviour or punish them, instead we try to understand them and help them to straighten out.
	straighten up	To decide to change one’s way of behaving and become a better person.
842	stretch out	To lie down in order to rest or sleep.
843	strike back	To retaliate.
	strike … down	To cause someone to fall by hitting them very hard.
		(Disease) to make someone die or seriously ill.
	strike off	To stop doctors, lawyers, etc. from practising their profession by removing their names from the official list of those who are allowed to practise.
	strike on/upon	To discover something such as a good idea, etc.
	strike out	To remove an item from a list by drawing a line through it.
		To do something new on one’s own such as living alone, starting a business, etc.
	strike up	To begin to play a piece of music.
		To start a friendship or conversation with someone.
844	string along	To deceive someone over a length of time.
	string … out	To prolong something.
		To be anxious or tense over something.
	string together	To be joined or spread in a straight line, e.g. pearls, islands.
		To be able to put two things such as words, sentences, etc. together to make sense to other people, e.g. Can a drunk string two words together to make sense?
	string ... up	To put someone to death by hanging, e.g. He was finally strung up for the multiple murders he committed.
845	strip away	To gradually get rid of something such as habits, customs, etc.
	strip ... of	To deprive someone of something such as rank, power, property, citizenship, etc.
846	struggle on	To continue obstinately a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
847	stub … out	To snuff out a cigarette butt by pressing the lighted end against something.
848	stumble on/across	To find something or meet someone by chance and unexpectedly.
849	stump up	To pay a sum of money.
850	subject … to	To cause or force someone to undergo something unpleasant or difficult.
851	subscribe for	To accept to hold shares in a company.
	subscribe to	To agree to receive something, especially a periodical, regularly by paying in advance.
		To believe and support an idea, view, belief, etc.
852	suck up	To be completely obedient and attentive to the comfort or wishes of others in order to gain a personal advantage.
853	sucker … into	To fool or trick someone into doing something.
854	suffer from	To be affected by an illness, especially one that lasts a long time.
		To have a problem that hinders success.
855	suit … to	To make something appropriate for someone.
856	sum up	To summarize something briefly such as a report, speech, etc.
857	suss … out	To understand or realize the true character or nature of something.
858	swallow … up	To take in and cause to disappear, e.g. rise in earning being swallowed up by increases in food and other prices.
859	swarm with	To be crowded or overrun with people, animals, etc., e.g. the beach is swarmed with people.
860	swear by	To have great confidence in something, e.g. He swears by the quality of the new model of a product.
	swear … in	To admit someone to a position or office by having them take an oath, e.g. the person elected as president having to take the presidential oath on assuming office.
	swear off	To promise to refrain or abstain from doing something.
	swear to	To make a formal declaration that something is true.
861	sweat out	To continue doing something difficult until completion.
		To do strenuous physical exercise.
	sweat off	To get rid of something such as bodily fat, illness, etc. by sweating through doing something such as aerobic exercises, etc.
862	sweep … aside	To remove someone or something quickly.
		To ignore what someone says.
	sweep … away	To cause the death of someone and/or completely destroy something, e.g. floods sweep people and houses away.
	sweep up	To clean a place by using a brush, broom, etc.
863	swing around/round	To turn or make something turn around quickly.
	swing by	To make a short visit to a place or someone for a particular purpose.
864	switch off	To use a switch to turn off something such as television, etc., e.g. It often happens here that no one switches off the television when no one is watching it.
		To cease paying attention or listening to someone.
	switch on	To turn on something such as electric light, television, machine, etc. by using a switch.
	switch over	To change from something such as a system, dress, television station, etc. to another.
865	swot up	To study intensively and with perseverance, e.g. Students just have to swot up in order to pass their examinations.
866	tack … on	To add something to something else later when needed.
867	tag along	To accompany someone uninvited.
	tag … on	To add something thought of later to something else.
868	tail away	To gradually become less and less in amount, intensity, etc.
	tail back	(Traffic) to become more and more congested until it forms a long queue that is very slow in moving or not moving at all.
	tail off	To become less, smaller, weaker, etc.
869	take aback	To be very surprised about something, e.g. She was really taken aback by what he had just said.
	take  after	To bear a close resemblance to an older relative such as a parent, etc.
	take against	To begin to develop a feeling of dislike of someone.
	take ... apart	To dismantle something.
		To easily defeat an opponent in something, such as a game, sport, etc.
	take away from	To reduce the worth or belittle the quality of something.
	take back	To withdraw what one has said or written, e.g. If it is not true, I’m sorry and I take back what I’ve said.
		To return something that is unsatisfactory back to a shop for exchange or refund, e g. The sales assistant said I could take it back within a week if there is any problem with it.
		To bring back what one owns, e.g. Visitors are advised to take back their umbrellas when they leave the premises.
	take ... down	To jot or write down something spoken.
	take in	To include something, e.g. The bill has not yet taken in the additional charges of transporting it.
		To be cheated or deceived by someone, e.g. Many were taken in by the vendor’s claim that the craft products were handmade.
	take ... in	To let someone stay in one’s house, e.g. Our cousin has no place to stay, so we take him in.
		To understand and retain something such as facts, ideas, etc.
	take off	(Aircraft, etc.) To leave the ground for the air.
		(Business) to become more and more successful.
	take ... off	To remove a piece of or all of one’s clothing.
		To make a deduction of an amount.
		To be absent from work, e.g. I’ll take the whole of next week off.
		To leave hastily without informing anyone.
	take on	To assume a quality or appearance without any specific reason, e.g. to take on a very upset, worried, etc. look.
	take ... on	To engage new workers.
		To be ready or willing to meet an opponent in a contest, competition, etc.
		To undertake a task or responsibility.
	take ... out	To remove something from a container, etc., e.g. He took out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to the cashier.
		To bring someone with one to some place such as a restaurant, beach, cinema, etc. Every weekend my dad takes me out to the park or some other place.
		To vent one’s feelings on others, e.g. He takes it out on his children wherever he gets angry.
		To kill someone, or destroy something, e.g. The police sharpshooter took out the hostage-taker with a single shot.
		To get an official service, e.g. taking out an insurance policy.
	take over	To take responsibility for something, usually from someone, e.g. Jack takes over the running of the company while his father is away.
		To bring something from one place to another, e.g. I help my colleague take some office files over to his house.
		To gain control of a place, country, town, etc., e.g. The invading army took over the city after the defending troops abandoned it.
	take to	To begin to develop a liking for someone, e.g. He began to take to her after working for six months together.
		To acquire a habit, e.g. He took to drink after his wife left him.
	take up	To start a new job or have a new responsibility, e.g. He took up the supervisory post when the former supervisor left.
		To accept a challenge from someone, e.g. He took up the challenge of not smoking for a whole week.
		To do selected subjects in school, e.g. She took up history as it is one of her favourite subjects.
		To fight using weapons, e.g. Many villagers took up arms and join the rebel group.
		To pursue a course of action, e.g. They are taking up this matter with the local authority.
		To occupy one’s time, attention, etc., e.g. Building the kennel may take up two weekends.
	take up on	To accept an offer, e.g. Jack was disappointed that Jill refused to take him up on his offer of a dinner.
870	talk around	To convince someone to change their opinion and accept a specific point of view.
	talk back	To reply defiantly, rudely or disrespectfully.
	talk ... down	To belittle or dismiss the good quality or worth of something, e.g. The opposition leader was booed in parliament when he talked down the government’s economic management of the country.
	talk down to	To speak condescendingly to someone, e.g. His habit of talking down to others has alienated them.
	talk ... into	To persuade someone to do or not to do something, e.g. If you had not talked me into smoking, I wouldn’t be such a heavy smoker today.
	talk ... out	To discuss an issue or problem and how to tackle it.
	talk … out of	To persuade someone not to do certain things, e.g. They talked her out of taking her own life.
	talk ... over	To have a thorough discussion about something before adopting a decision, e.g. They talk it over many times before deciding to migrate.
	talk ... through	To discuss something completely with regard to every detail in order to gain a better or complete comprehension of it.
	talk to	To converse with someone, e.g. He loves talking to people and can talk at length on any subject.
871	tamper with	To interfere with something without authority in order to cause damage to it.
872	tangle with	To get involved in an argument or fight with someone.
873	tank up	To fill the tank of a vehicle with fuel.
874	tap … in	To press buttons or keys on telephone, computer, etc, to begin operating it.
875	taper off	To gradually become less, smaller or fewer in size, amount, intensity, or degree.
876	tart … up	To improve something but only on the surface of it.
		To make oneself look attractive by wearing makeup, jewellery, or through better dressing.
877	tax … with	To blame someone for or accuse them of a fault or wrongdoing.
878	team up	To work jointly with someone on an activity or project.
879	tear … apart	To be violently broken into pieces, e.g. vultures tearing a carcass apart.
		To cause serious conflict between people within a family, group, organization, etc., e.g. Dispute over family property is tearing the siblings apart.
	tear at	To pull violently at someone or something.
	tear away	To leave suddenly, quickly and in an uncontrolled manner, e.g. The car tore away noisily attracting much attention.
		To leave a person or place despite a strong feeling of wanting to stay.
	tear ... down	To pull or knock down something, e.g. Some of the buildings will be torn down as the area is earmarked for redevelopment.
	tear into	To launch a strong verbal attack against someone.
		To attack someone or something fiercely, e.g. two wolves tearing into each other.
	tear off	To leave suddenly and quickly, e.g. He tore off when he realized he was almost late for a meeting.
	tear ... up	To pull or rip apart or to pieces, e.g. He angrily tore up the letter from a company’s lawyer demanding payment from him.
		To damage something, e.g. They tore up the seats in the stadium when their team lost the match.
880	tease … out	To extract, obtain or ascertain information from a large amount of material by painstaking effort.
881	tee off	To hit the ball off the tee to begin a game of golf.
882	teem with	To be full of or swarming with people, fish, animals, etc.
883	tell against	To make one unsuccessful in one’s endeavour to achieve, e.g. He wants to be a basketball player but his height tells against him.
	tell ... apart	To be able to identify someone or something separately despite their close similarity or resemblance, e.g. The only way to tell twins apart is to call their names, which are the only thing that makes identical twins different.
	tell of	To give a detailed account of someone or something, e.g. The novel tells of a mother’s heroic efforts to save her family.
	tell ... off	To express one’s strong disapproval to someone of what they have or have not done.
	tell on	To inform someone in authority of someone else’s wrongdoing, e.g. He smoked in the school toilet which is forbidden, and he is furious that someone has told on him.
884	thin out	To make or become less thick, e.g. As soon as the warehouse fire was put out, the crowd of onlookers began to thin out.
885	think about	To consider the possibility or advantages of something, e.g. I have been thinking about migrating for the past ten years, and I’m still thinking.
	think ahead	To plan for one’s future, e.g. When I think ahead I decide not to get married.
	think back	To think of past events, e.g. She couldn’t help thinking back to the day she almost lost her life in a road accident.
	think of	To have an opinion of something, e.g. Many of them think highly of the new President.
		To remember things, e.g. Some of them can’t think of the name of the country’s first President.
		To have fond memory of someone, e.g. He often thinks of her whenever they are not together.
	think ... out	To think of all the relevant things before making a decision.
	think ... over	To consider carefully all factors before committing oneself, e.g. He prefers to think it over before he decides to join them in that commercial venture.
	think ... through	To consider carefully the possible consequences of getting involved in an activity.
	think … up	To think of new ideas, plans, etc., e.g. He has to think up a way to be a famous magician in order to fulfil his ambition.
886	thrash out	To discuss something thoroughly in order to reach a decision.
887	throttle back	To control the flow of fuel or power to an engine.
888	throw … away	To dispose of unwanted or useless things, e.g. Please threw away the old newspapers including today’s which I haven’t read.
		To waste or fail to seize an opportunity or advantage, e.g. I threw away an opportunity to befriend her and know her better when I was too shy to approach her at the party.
	throw ... in	To include something extra, such as free gifts, with things which are being sold without an increase in their prices.
		To inject a remark in a conversation without forethought.
		To start to do something with enthusiasm.
	throw ... off	To escape from someone or something that is pursuing one.
	throw ... open	To allow people access to a place that is usually not open to them.
	throw ... out	To expel someone from a place such as a school, organization, etc., e.g. A member of the club was thrown out for misbehaviour.
		To dispose of unwanted things, e.g. The old newspapers and magazines are piling up and nobody cares to throw them out.
		To terminate a romantic relationship with someone.
	throw ... over	To make something quickly without any planning.
	throw ... together	To cause people to meet and know each other.
	throw up	To vomit, e.g. Whenever she is in a moving bus, she feels like she’s going to throw up.
		To give up something such as home, job, etc. completely, e.g. He threw up everything and sought employment overseas.
889	thrust … aside	To refuse to consider about something, e.g. Our petition was thrust aside and we have never heard from the authority since.
890	thumb through	To look through something such as a book, magazine, etc. quickly, e.g. thumbing through a photo album.
891	tick away/by	(Time) to pass away.
	tick … off	To express one’s disapproval to someone, e.g. They were ticked off for misbehaviour.
		To mark the items on a list to indicate that they have been dealt with.
	tick over	(Engine of vehicle) to run slowly without moving the vehicle.
892	tide over	To help someone through a difficult period, especially with financial assistance.
893	tidy … away	To maintain tidiness by not allowing things to lie around but returning them to the places where they are kept.
894	tie … down	To restrict someone or something, e.g. Now tied down with a wife and kids, he finds it hard to socialize.
	tie in	To be or cause to be in harmony with something.
	tie up	To restrict someone’s movement by binding their arms and legs.
		To keep someone so busy that they are unavailable to do something else, e.g. He is going to be tied up the whole of next week because of the new project.
		To invest in something so that the money is not immediately available for use, e.g. All his money is tied up in shares.
895	tilt at	To attack someone by what one says or writes.
896	tip off	To inform, especially the police, by passing them a piece of information about illegal activities.
897	tire … out	To make someone very tired.
898	tog … up/out	To put on clothes for a particular occasion or activity.
899	tone … down	To reduce the effect of a speech or piece of writing.
	tone  … up	To give greater strength or firmness to the body or a muscle.
900	tool up	To be or become armed.