Phrasal Verbs Word List: F-J | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT PDF Download

 Page 2


Fall back on Be able to use in an emergency.
It was good to have some money in the 
bank to FALL BACK ON when I lost my 
job.
Fall behind Make less progress.
I was ill for a week and FELL BEHIND 
with my work.
Fall down Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL DOWN.
Fall down Have a weak point.
The argument FALLS DOWN when you 
look at how much it'll cost.
Fall for Be attracted to somebody, fall in love.
He FELL FOR her the moment their eyes 
met.
Fall for Believe a lie or a piece of deception.
He FELL FOR my story and allowed me 
yet another extension for the submission 
of my thesis.
Fall in Collapse.
The ceiling FELL IN hurting a lot of 
people.
Fall into Start doing something unplanned.
I just FELL INTO my job when an 
opportunity came up.
Fall off Decrease.
The membership FELL OFF dramatically 
when the chairperson resigned.
Fall out Argue and be on bad terms with someone.
They FELL OUT over the decision and 
hardly speak to each other any more.
Fall out Lose hair.
He's started getting worried about 
baldness because his hair is FALLING 
OUT rather quickly.
Fall over Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL OVER.
Fall 
through
Be unsuccessful.
The plans FELL THROUGH when 
planning permission was refused.
Fall under Become controlled.
At first he was independent, but then he 
FELL UNDER their influence.
Farm out Give or contract work to someone else.
The company wants to FARM OUT their 
maintenance.
Fart about Waste time doing silly things.
The manager was angry because the staff 
were FARTING ABOUT.
Fart around Waste time doing pointless things.
We were really bored in the lecture so we 
started FARTING AROUND.
Fasten 
down
Tie something so that it doesn't move.
We FASTENED it DOWN to keep the 
wind from blowing it away.
Fasten on
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They have FASTENED ON the speech as 
a source of inspiration.
Fasten onto
Follow someone closely, normally when 
they don't want your company.
He FASTENED ONTO the minister on 
his visit and asked him repeatedly about 
the scandal.
Fasten onto
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They FASTEN ONTO any figures that 
they think can support their case.
Fasten up Close, attach. FASTEN UP your seatbelts.
Fathom out Understand something.
I couldn't FATHOM OUT what she 
wanted from me.
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Fall back on Be able to use in an emergency.
It was good to have some money in the 
bank to FALL BACK ON when I lost my 
job.
Fall behind Make less progress.
I was ill for a week and FELL BEHIND 
with my work.
Fall down Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL DOWN.
Fall down Have a weak point.
The argument FALLS DOWN when you 
look at how much it'll cost.
Fall for Be attracted to somebody, fall in love.
He FELL FOR her the moment their eyes 
met.
Fall for Believe a lie or a piece of deception.
He FELL FOR my story and allowed me 
yet another extension for the submission 
of my thesis.
Fall in Collapse.
The ceiling FELL IN hurting a lot of 
people.
Fall into Start doing something unplanned.
I just FELL INTO my job when an 
opportunity came up.
Fall off Decrease.
The membership FELL OFF dramatically 
when the chairperson resigned.
Fall out Argue and be on bad terms with someone.
They FELL OUT over the decision and 
hardly speak to each other any more.
Fall out Lose hair.
He's started getting worried about 
baldness because his hair is FALLING 
OUT rather quickly.
Fall over Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL OVER.
Fall 
through
Be unsuccessful.
The plans FELL THROUGH when 
planning permission was refused.
Fall under Become controlled.
At first he was independent, but then he 
FELL UNDER their influence.
Farm out Give or contract work to someone else.
The company wants to FARM OUT their 
maintenance.
Fart about Waste time doing silly things.
The manager was angry because the staff 
were FARTING ABOUT.
Fart around Waste time doing pointless things.
We were really bored in the lecture so we 
started FARTING AROUND.
Fasten 
down
Tie something so that it doesn't move.
We FASTENED it DOWN to keep the 
wind from blowing it away.
Fasten on
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They have FASTENED ON the speech as 
a source of inspiration.
Fasten onto
Follow someone closely, normally when 
they don't want your company.
He FASTENED ONTO the minister on 
his visit and asked him repeatedly about 
the scandal.
Fasten onto
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They FASTEN ONTO any figures that 
they think can support their case.
Fasten up Close, attach. FASTEN UP your seatbelts.
Fathom out Understand something.
I couldn't FATHOM OUT what she 
wanted from me.
Fatten up Give an animal a lot to eat to make it fat.
They FATTEN the cows UP before 
slaughtering them.
Fawn on
Praise someone in an excessive way to get 
their favour or something from them.
He's always FAWNING ON his boss to 
try to get promoted.
Fawn over
Praise someone in an excessive way to get 
their favour or something from them.
She FAWNED OVER the inspectors in 
the hope that they would give her a good 
grade.
Feed off Eat a food as part of an animals diet.
The gecko FEEDS OFF mosquitoes and 
other insects.
Feed off Use something to your advantage.
He FEEDS OFF people's fear of crime to 
get them to support his proposals.
Feed on Grow stronger.
The opposition party's FEEDING ON the 
government's weaknesses.
Feed on Consume in an animal's diet. The bats FEED ON insects.
Feed on Give someone a particular food. He FEEDS his cat ON dry food.
Feed up
Give someone a lot of food to restore their 
health, make them bigger, etc.
She's been ill for a fortnight so we're 
FEEDING her UP.
Feel up Touch sexually, grope.
Someone FELT me UP in the club as I 
was trying to get to the bar.
Feel up to Feel capable of doing something.
I'm so tired. I don't think I FEEL UP TO 
going out tonight.
Fence in Enclose an area. They FENCED the whole garden IN.
Fence off
Enclose an area to keep animals or people 
out.
They FENCED OFF one side of the park 
to keep dogs out.
Fend for
Take care of yourself or someone with 
help from other people.
The children had to FEND FOR 
themselves after their parents died.
Fend off Resist something successfully.
He managed to FEND OFF the criticism 
in the press.
Fend off Push an attacker away.
She FENDED OFF the dog when it 
attacked her.
Ferret out Search and discover something.
The investigation finally managed to 
FERRET OUT the truth.
Fess up Confess, admit something reluctantly.
The company FESSED UP after they 
were exposed in the newspapers.
Fess up Give. FESS UP your share of the bill.
Fess up to Confess, admit reluctantly to something. They FESSED UP TO the crime.
Fiddle 
about
Waste time doing silly things, or doing 
things unsuccessfully.
We spent the whole afternoon 
FIDDLING ABOUT with the computer 
but couldn't get it to work.
Fiddle 
around
Waste time doing silly things, or 
unsuccessful things.
I FIDDLED AROUND with the phone 
but couldn't get any signal.
Fiddle 
around
Make small movements with your hands.
He FIDDLED AROUND for something 
in his pockets.
Fiddle away Waste time. He FIDDLED AWAY the afternoon.
Fight back Defend yourself, resist an attack.
The army attacked the town and the 
inhabitants FOUGHT BACK fiercely.
Fight back Try to control and emotion and keep it He tried to FIGHT BACK the tears when 
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Fall back on Be able to use in an emergency.
It was good to have some money in the 
bank to FALL BACK ON when I lost my 
job.
Fall behind Make less progress.
I was ill for a week and FELL BEHIND 
with my work.
Fall down Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL DOWN.
Fall down Have a weak point.
The argument FALLS DOWN when you 
look at how much it'll cost.
Fall for Be attracted to somebody, fall in love.
He FELL FOR her the moment their eyes 
met.
Fall for Believe a lie or a piece of deception.
He FELL FOR my story and allowed me 
yet another extension for the submission 
of my thesis.
Fall in Collapse.
The ceiling FELL IN hurting a lot of 
people.
Fall into Start doing something unplanned.
I just FELL INTO my job when an 
opportunity came up.
Fall off Decrease.
The membership FELL OFF dramatically 
when the chairperson resigned.
Fall out Argue and be on bad terms with someone.
They FELL OUT over the decision and 
hardly speak to each other any more.
Fall out Lose hair.
He's started getting worried about 
baldness because his hair is FALLING 
OUT rather quickly.
Fall over Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL OVER.
Fall 
through
Be unsuccessful.
The plans FELL THROUGH when 
planning permission was refused.
Fall under Become controlled.
At first he was independent, but then he 
FELL UNDER their influence.
Farm out Give or contract work to someone else.
The company wants to FARM OUT their 
maintenance.
Fart about Waste time doing silly things.
The manager was angry because the staff 
were FARTING ABOUT.
Fart around Waste time doing pointless things.
We were really bored in the lecture so we 
started FARTING AROUND.
Fasten 
down
Tie something so that it doesn't move.
We FASTENED it DOWN to keep the 
wind from blowing it away.
Fasten on
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They have FASTENED ON the speech as 
a source of inspiration.
Fasten onto
Follow someone closely, normally when 
they don't want your company.
He FASTENED ONTO the minister on 
his visit and asked him repeatedly about 
the scandal.
Fasten onto
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They FASTEN ONTO any figures that 
they think can support their case.
Fasten up Close, attach. FASTEN UP your seatbelts.
Fathom out Understand something.
I couldn't FATHOM OUT what she 
wanted from me.
Fatten up Give an animal a lot to eat to make it fat.
They FATTEN the cows UP before 
slaughtering them.
Fawn on
Praise someone in an excessive way to get 
their favour or something from them.
He's always FAWNING ON his boss to 
try to get promoted.
Fawn over
Praise someone in an excessive way to get 
their favour or something from them.
She FAWNED OVER the inspectors in 
the hope that they would give her a good 
grade.
Feed off Eat a food as part of an animals diet.
The gecko FEEDS OFF mosquitoes and 
other insects.
Feed off Use something to your advantage.
He FEEDS OFF people's fear of crime to 
get them to support his proposals.
Feed on Grow stronger.
The opposition party's FEEDING ON the 
government's weaknesses.
Feed on Consume in an animal's diet. The bats FEED ON insects.
Feed on Give someone a particular food. He FEEDS his cat ON dry food.
Feed up
Give someone a lot of food to restore their 
health, make them bigger, etc.
She's been ill for a fortnight so we're 
FEEDING her UP.
Feel up Touch sexually, grope.
Someone FELT me UP in the club as I 
was trying to get to the bar.
Feel up to Feel capable of doing something.
I'm so tired. I don't think I FEEL UP TO 
going out tonight.
Fence in Enclose an area. They FENCED the whole garden IN.
Fence off
Enclose an area to keep animals or people 
out.
They FENCED OFF one side of the park 
to keep dogs out.
Fend for
Take care of yourself or someone with 
help from other people.
The children had to FEND FOR 
themselves after their parents died.
Fend off Resist something successfully.
He managed to FEND OFF the criticism 
in the press.
Fend off Push an attacker away.
She FENDED OFF the dog when it 
attacked her.
Ferret out Search and discover something.
The investigation finally managed to 
FERRET OUT the truth.
Fess up Confess, admit something reluctantly.
The company FESSED UP after they 
were exposed in the newspapers.
Fess up Give. FESS UP your share of the bill.
Fess up to Confess, admit reluctantly to something. They FESSED UP TO the crime.
Fiddle 
about
Waste time doing silly things, or doing 
things unsuccessfully.
We spent the whole afternoon 
FIDDLING ABOUT with the computer 
but couldn't get it to work.
Fiddle 
around
Waste time doing silly things, or 
unsuccessful things.
I FIDDLED AROUND with the phone 
but couldn't get any signal.
Fiddle 
around
Make small movements with your hands.
He FIDDLED AROUND for something 
in his pockets.
Fiddle away Waste time. He FIDDLED AWAY the afternoon.
Fight back Defend yourself, resist an attack.
The army attacked the town and the 
inhabitants FOUGHT BACK fiercely.
Fight back Try to control and emotion and keep it He tried to FIGHT BACK the tears when 
hidden. he heard the news of her death.
Fight it out
Struggle to see who wins, both by arguing 
or fighting.
Their FIGHTING IT OUT to see who 
will become the next CEO.
Fight off Fight an attacker and force them back.
The old lady managed to FIGHT the 
muggers OFF and they didn't get her 
purse.
Fight off Resist an illness or emotion. I'm FIGHTING OFF a cold.
Figure on Plan, expect.
What job do you FIGURE ON doing 
when you graduate?
Figure out Find the answer to a problem.
The police couldn't FIGURE OUT how 
the burglars had got into the warehouse.
File away
Put a document in the correct place for 
storage in a filing system.
I FILED a copy of the letter AWAY for 
my records.
File for
Apply for something legally, like divorce 
or bankruptcy.
They FILED FOR divorce after two years 
of marriage.
Fill in Complete a form.
I FILLED IN the application form and 
posted it off.
Fill in Substitute someone at work.
She's just had a baby, so we have hired 
someone to FILL IN for her.
Fill in for Substitute.
I was away for a few days, so they had to 
get someone to FILL IN FOR me.
Fill in on Give someone information.
I'm sorry I missed the meeting; could you 
FILL me IN ON what happened.
Fill out Complete a form.
I FILLED OUT the application form and 
mailed it.
Fill up Fill something completely.
I stopped at the garage and FILLED UP 
with petrol.
Filter in
Move into a lane of traffic without making 
other cars stop.
The slip lane allows traffic to FILTER IN 
at the junction.
Filter out Remove something unwanted.
It FILTERS OUT all the impurities and 
chemicals in tap water so that it tastes 
better.
Find out Discover.
I went to the library to FIND OUT all I 
could about the life and work of Joe 
Meek.
Finish off Finish completely.
They FINISHED OFF all the chocolates 
and had to go to the all-night garage to 
buy some more.
Finish off
Kill a person or animal, often when they 
have already been hurt.
The animal was badly hurt, so they 
FINISHED it OFF to end its suffering.
Finish off Beat, make victory certain in sport. The second goal FINISHED them OFF.
Finish off Consume all.
We FINISHED OFF the coffee and had to 
get some more.
Finish up
Finally get somewhere, usually without 
planning to go there.
We went out for diner and FINISHED UP 
in a club.
Finish up 
with
Have or do something at the end or as the 
last of something.
We attended some workshops and 
FINISHED UP WITH the keynote 
speaker.
Page 5


Fall back on Be able to use in an emergency.
It was good to have some money in the 
bank to FALL BACK ON when I lost my 
job.
Fall behind Make less progress.
I was ill for a week and FELL BEHIND 
with my work.
Fall down Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL DOWN.
Fall down Have a weak point.
The argument FALLS DOWN when you 
look at how much it'll cost.
Fall for Be attracted to somebody, fall in love.
He FELL FOR her the moment their eyes 
met.
Fall for Believe a lie or a piece of deception.
He FELL FOR my story and allowed me 
yet another extension for the submission 
of my thesis.
Fall in Collapse.
The ceiling FELL IN hurting a lot of 
people.
Fall into Start doing something unplanned.
I just FELL INTO my job when an 
opportunity came up.
Fall off Decrease.
The membership FELL OFF dramatically 
when the chairperson resigned.
Fall out Argue and be on bad terms with someone.
They FELL OUT over the decision and 
hardly speak to each other any more.
Fall out Lose hair.
He's started getting worried about 
baldness because his hair is FALLING 
OUT rather quickly.
Fall over Fall on the ground. I slipped on the ice and FELL OVER.
Fall 
through
Be unsuccessful.
The plans FELL THROUGH when 
planning permission was refused.
Fall under Become controlled.
At first he was independent, but then he 
FELL UNDER their influence.
Farm out Give or contract work to someone else.
The company wants to FARM OUT their 
maintenance.
Fart about Waste time doing silly things.
The manager was angry because the staff 
were FARTING ABOUT.
Fart around Waste time doing pointless things.
We were really bored in the lecture so we 
started FARTING AROUND.
Fasten 
down
Tie something so that it doesn't move.
We FASTENED it DOWN to keep the 
wind from blowing it away.
Fasten on
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They have FASTENED ON the speech as 
a source of inspiration.
Fasten onto
Follow someone closely, normally when 
they don't want your company.
He FASTENED ONTO the minister on 
his visit and asked him repeatedly about 
the scandal.
Fasten onto
Give attention to something that confirms 
your beliefs.
They FASTEN ONTO any figures that 
they think can support their case.
Fasten up Close, attach. FASTEN UP your seatbelts.
Fathom out Understand something.
I couldn't FATHOM OUT what she 
wanted from me.
Fatten up Give an animal a lot to eat to make it fat.
They FATTEN the cows UP before 
slaughtering them.
Fawn on
Praise someone in an excessive way to get 
their favour or something from them.
He's always FAWNING ON his boss to 
try to get promoted.
Fawn over
Praise someone in an excessive way to get 
their favour or something from them.
She FAWNED OVER the inspectors in 
the hope that they would give her a good 
grade.
Feed off Eat a food as part of an animals diet.
The gecko FEEDS OFF mosquitoes and 
other insects.
Feed off Use something to your advantage.
He FEEDS OFF people's fear of crime to 
get them to support his proposals.
Feed on Grow stronger.
The opposition party's FEEDING ON the 
government's weaknesses.
Feed on Consume in an animal's diet. The bats FEED ON insects.
Feed on Give someone a particular food. He FEEDS his cat ON dry food.
Feed up
Give someone a lot of food to restore their 
health, make them bigger, etc.
She's been ill for a fortnight so we're 
FEEDING her UP.
Feel up Touch sexually, grope.
Someone FELT me UP in the club as I 
was trying to get to the bar.
Feel up to Feel capable of doing something.
I'm so tired. I don't think I FEEL UP TO 
going out tonight.
Fence in Enclose an area. They FENCED the whole garden IN.
Fence off
Enclose an area to keep animals or people 
out.
They FENCED OFF one side of the park 
to keep dogs out.
Fend for
Take care of yourself or someone with 
help from other people.
The children had to FEND FOR 
themselves after their parents died.
Fend off Resist something successfully.
He managed to FEND OFF the criticism 
in the press.
Fend off Push an attacker away.
She FENDED OFF the dog when it 
attacked her.
Ferret out Search and discover something.
The investigation finally managed to 
FERRET OUT the truth.
Fess up Confess, admit something reluctantly.
The company FESSED UP after they 
were exposed in the newspapers.
Fess up Give. FESS UP your share of the bill.
Fess up to Confess, admit reluctantly to something. They FESSED UP TO the crime.
Fiddle 
about
Waste time doing silly things, or doing 
things unsuccessfully.
We spent the whole afternoon 
FIDDLING ABOUT with the computer 
but couldn't get it to work.
Fiddle 
around
Waste time doing silly things, or 
unsuccessful things.
I FIDDLED AROUND with the phone 
but couldn't get any signal.
Fiddle 
around
Make small movements with your hands.
He FIDDLED AROUND for something 
in his pockets.
Fiddle away Waste time. He FIDDLED AWAY the afternoon.
Fight back Defend yourself, resist an attack.
The army attacked the town and the 
inhabitants FOUGHT BACK fiercely.
Fight back Try to control and emotion and keep it He tried to FIGHT BACK the tears when 
hidden. he heard the news of her death.
Fight it out
Struggle to see who wins, both by arguing 
or fighting.
Their FIGHTING IT OUT to see who 
will become the next CEO.
Fight off Fight an attacker and force them back.
The old lady managed to FIGHT the 
muggers OFF and they didn't get her 
purse.
Fight off Resist an illness or emotion. I'm FIGHTING OFF a cold.
Figure on Plan, expect.
What job do you FIGURE ON doing 
when you graduate?
Figure out Find the answer to a problem.
The police couldn't FIGURE OUT how 
the burglars had got into the warehouse.
File away
Put a document in the correct place for 
storage in a filing system.
I FILED a copy of the letter AWAY for 
my records.
File for
Apply for something legally, like divorce 
or bankruptcy.
They FILED FOR divorce after two years 
of marriage.
Fill in Complete a form.
I FILLED IN the application form and 
posted it off.
Fill in Substitute someone at work.
She's just had a baby, so we have hired 
someone to FILL IN for her.
Fill in for Substitute.
I was away for a few days, so they had to 
get someone to FILL IN FOR me.
Fill in on Give someone information.
I'm sorry I missed the meeting; could you 
FILL me IN ON what happened.
Fill out Complete a form.
I FILLED OUT the application form and 
mailed it.
Fill up Fill something completely.
I stopped at the garage and FILLED UP 
with petrol.
Filter in
Move into a lane of traffic without making 
other cars stop.
The slip lane allows traffic to FILTER IN 
at the junction.
Filter out Remove something unwanted.
It FILTERS OUT all the impurities and 
chemicals in tap water so that it tastes 
better.
Find out Discover.
I went to the library to FIND OUT all I 
could about the life and work of Joe 
Meek.
Finish off Finish completely.
They FINISHED OFF all the chocolates 
and had to go to the all-night garage to 
buy some more.
Finish off
Kill a person or animal, often when they 
have already been hurt.
The animal was badly hurt, so they 
FINISHED it OFF to end its suffering.
Finish off Beat, make victory certain in sport. The second goal FINISHED them OFF.
Finish off Consume all.
We FINISHED OFF the coffee and had to 
get some more.
Finish up
Finally get somewhere, usually without 
planning to go there.
We went out for diner and FINISHED UP 
in a club.
Finish up 
with
Have or do something at the end or as the 
last of something.
We attended some workshops and 
FINISHED UP WITH the keynote 
speaker.
Finish with End a relationship.
She FINISHED WITH him a few months 
ago.
Finish with Stop dealing with someone.
He wanted to leave but I was furious and 
hadn't FINISHED WITH him.
Finish with Finish using or requiring.
Can I read the paper when you've 
FINISHED WITH it.
Fink on Give away secrets about someone. He FINKED ON her to the authorities.
Fink out Fail to keep a promise, arrangement, etc.
He said he'd come with us then FINKED 
OUT at the last minute.
Fire away Ask questions.
What do you want to know? FIRE AWAY 
and I'll tell you.
Fire off
Send quickly, angrily or many (letter, 
emails, etc).
He FIRED OFF an email complaining 
about the report.
Fire off Shoot, fire a gun (usually repeatedly).
The police FIRED OFF several rounds 
and killed the man.
Fire up Start a computer.
She FIRED UP the computer and printed 
out a hard copy of the files.
Fire up Excite, become excited.
Everyone was FIRED UP and desperate 
to get it finished in time.
Firm up
Make things clearer in a negotiation or 
discussion.
We need to FIRM UP some aspects of the 
contract before we sign it.
Firm up
Exercise to make muscles harder and 
remove fat.
I go swimming every day to FIRM UP 
my body.
Fish for
Try to get some information or to get 
someone to say something.
He's always FISHING FOR compliments.
Fish out
Remove something from a bag, pocket, 
etc.
She reached into her handbag and 
FISHED some coins OUT.
Fish out
Remove from water, such as the sea, 
rivers, etc.
It's fallen in the pool- I'll have to FISH it 
OUT.
Fit in Get on in a group of people.
I didn't FIT IN with the other people 
working there so I left and found another 
job.
Fit in Have enough time or space for something.
I didn't have time to FIT IN another 
appointment.
Fit in with Be convenient or occur conveniently.
They're not arriving until Thursday, 
which FITS IN WITH my schedule for 
the week.
Fit in with
Occur or happen in a way that shows that 
plans or ideas have not changed.
His rudeness yesterday FITS IN WITH 
what I have always thought of his 
behaviour.
Fit into Become part of. Their ideas didn't FIT INTO our plans.
Fit out Provide with necessary equipment. They FITTED OUT the boat for the race.
Fit out with
Provide someone with necessary 
equipment.
They didn't FIT the troops OUT WITH 
the necessary protective gear.
Fit up
Frame someone- make them look guilty of 
something they haven't done.
The police FITTED him UP for dealing 
drugs.
Fit up Provide equipment. They FITTED us UP with the latest IT.