Phrasal Verbs: A 
act up (no object): misbehave (for people); not work properly (for machines).
"The babysitter had a difficult time. The children acted up all evening."
"I guess I`d better take my car to the garage. It`s been acting up lately."


act like (inseparable): behave in a way that`s like _____ .
"What`s wrong with Bob? He`s acting like an idiot."
Note: This phrasal verb is very informal.


add up (1. no object): logically fit together.
"His theory is hard to believe, but his research adds up."
Note: This phrasal verb is often negative.
"His theory seems, at first, to be plausible, but the facts in his research don`t add up."


add up (2. separable): find the total.
"What`s the total of those bills? Could you add them up and see?"


add up to (inseparable): to total.
"The bills add up to $734.96. That`s more than I expected!"


ask out (separable): ask for a date.
"Nancy has a new boy friend. Joe asked her out last night.
Phrasal Verbs: B
back down (no object): not follow a threat.
"Tom was going to call the police when I told him I`d wrecked his car, but he backed down when I said I`d pay for the damages."


back off (no object): not follow a threat.
"Tom was ready to call the police when I told him I`d wrecked his car, but he backed off when I said I`d pay for the damages."


back up (1. no object): move backward; move in reverse.
"You missed the lines in the parking space. You`ll have to back up and try again."
"The people waiting in line are too close to the door. We won`t be able to open it unless they back up."


back up (2. separable): drive a vehicle backwards (in reverse).
"You`re too close! Back your car up so I can open the garage door."


back up (3. separable): confirm a story, facts, or information.
"If you don`t believe me, talk to Dave. He`ll back me up."


back up (4. separable): make a "protection" copy to use if there are problems with the original.
"When my computer crashed, I lost many of my files. It`s a good thing I backed them up."


beg off (no object): decline an invitation; ask to be excused from doing something.
"At first Lily said she would be at the party. Later she begged off."


blow up (1. separable): inflate.
"We needs lots of balloons for the party. Will you blow them up?"
blow up (2. separable): explode; destroy by exploding.
A: "That old building really came down quickly!" B: "That`s because the construction company used dynamite to blow it up."


blow up (3. no object): suddenly become very angry.
"When I told Jerry that I`d had an accident with his car, he blew up."


bone up on (inseparable): review / study thoroughly for a short time.
"If you`re going to travel to Peru, you`d better bone up on your Spanish."


break down (1. separable): separate something into component parts.
"We spent a lot of money at the supermarket. When we broke the total cost down, we spent more on cleaning supplies than food."


break down (2. no object): stop working / functioning.
"Sharon will be late for work today. Her car broke down on the freeway."


break in (1. often no object; with an object, break into--inseparable): enter by using force (and breaking a lock, window, etc.)
"Jane`s apartment was burglarized last night. Someone broke in while Jane was at the movies." / "Somebody broke into Jane`s apartment while she was at the movies.


break in (2. separable): wear something new until it`s / they`re comfortable.
"These are nice shoes, but they`re too stiff. I hope it doesn`t take too long to break them in."


break in (3. separable): train; get someone / something accustomed to a new routine.
"I hope I can learn my new job quickly. The manager hasn`t scheduled much time for breaking me in."


break up (1. no object): disperse; scatter.
"What time did the party break up last night?"


break up (2. usually no object; with an object, break up with [inseparable)]): end a personal relationship.
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