Abide by – to follow or adhere to a rule or decision
Example: “I will abide by your decision, even though I disagree with it.”
Account for – to explain or justify
Example: “Can you account for your absence yesterday?”
Act on – to take action based on information or advice
Example: “We need to act on this report as soon as possible.”
Add up – to make sense or be logical
Example: “His story just doesn’t add up.”
Agree to – to accept or consent to something
Example: “I agree to your terms and conditions.”
Aim at – to target or try to achieve
Example: “The company is aiming at increasing profits this year.”
Allow for – to make provision for or take into account
Example: “We need to allow for unexpected delays in our schedule.”
Answer for – to be responsible for or accountable for
Example: “He will have to answer for his actions.”
Apologize for – to express regret or remorse for something
Example: “I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused.”
Argue with – to dispute or disagree with
Example: “I don’t want to argue with you, let’s just agree to disagree.”
Ask around – to inquire or seek information from multiple sources
Example: “I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows where we can find a good Italian restaurant.”
Ask out – to invite someone on a date
Example: “He finally mustered up the courage to ask her out.”
Attend to – to give attention or care to
Example: “I’ll attend to the matter as soon as possible.”
Avoid doing – to refrain or abstain from doing something
Example: “I’m trying to avoid eating too much junk food.”
Back down – to retreat or withdraw
Example: “He refused to back down from his position.”
Back up – to support or reinforce
Example: “Can you back me up on this decision?”
Bear with – to be patient or tolerant
Example: “Bear with me, I’m still learning how to use this software.”
Beg off – to ask to be excused or released from something
Example: “I’m sorry, but I have to beg off from the meeting. I have another commitment.”
Blow up – to explode or detonate
Example: “The old tire blew up while I was driving.”
Break down – to malfunction or fail
Example: “My car broke down on the way to work this morning.”
Break off – to stop or terminate
Example: “We had to break off our conversation when my boss walked in.”
Break out – to escape or emerge
Example: “The prisoners broke out of jail last night.”
Bring about – to cause or bring about a change or result
Example: “His hard work and dedication brought about the success of the project.”
Bring up – to raise or mention a topic
Example: “Can we bring up the topic of salary at the next meeting?”
Brush up on – to review or refresh one’s knowledge or skills
Example: “I need to brush up on my French before my trip to Paris.”