This lesson covers 21 C2 phrasal verbs on Environment. At Proficiency you must distinguish particles that change meaning subtly and match register across formal and informal contexts. Complete the runner, then use the glossary below to consolidate each verb. Detailed explanations appear in Review mode once you finish the set.
roll in
if bad weather [e.g. clouds, fog] rolls in, it appears in large amounts
Thick fog began to _____ from the coast, reducing visibility at the research station.
climb down
if you climb down from a tree, you go back down to the ground
The biologist had to carefully _____ the ancient tree after collecting the leaf samples.
chirp away
if a bird chirps away, it sings continuously
The rare birds continued to _____ in the rainforest canopy throughout the morning.
blot out
if smoke or a cloud blots out the sun, it covers it and prevents it from being seen
Thick smoke from the wildfires began to _____ the sun _____ completely.
encroach on
to gradually cover more and more of an area of land
New urban development continues to _____ the protected nature reserve.
pelt down
to rain very heavily
Torrential rain continued to _____ throughout the entire outdoor experiment.
back onto
if a building backs onto something, its back faces that thing
The laboratory building _____ a quiet nature reserve, which helps reduce noise pollution.
come in
if the tide (= the regular change in the level of the sea) comes in, the sea comes higher up the beach
As the tide began to _____ the rescue team worked faster to secure the equipment.
creep up on
to move closer to someone, usually from behind, without being seen by them
The wildlife photographer managed to _____ the rare animal without disturbing it.
amount to
to sth to have a particular result or effect
The new regulations _____ stricter environmental controls across the industry.
come in for
if someone comes in for criticism or praise, they are criticised or praised for something they have done
The new policy has _____ strong criticism from environmental groups.
dot with
if a place is dotted with something, it has many of them, all over the place
The remote landscape is _____ small research stations dedicated to climate monitoring.
freeze over
if water freezes over, it becomes covered with ice
The lake completely _____ during the unusually cold winter, halting all research activities.
cut down
if you cut down a tree or bush, you make it fall to the ground by cutting it near the bottom
The team had to carefully _____ several trees to make space for the new observatory.
wash away
if water [e.g. rain, flood] washes something away, it carries it away
The heavy rain threatened to _____ all the valuable soil samples from the test site.
bend down
to move the top part of your body towards the ground
The scientist had to _____ to examine the soil sample collected from the contaminated site.
cordon off
if people in authority [e.g. police] cordon off an area, they put something around it in order to stop people from entering it
Police had to _____ the entire area _____ after the hazardous chemical spill.
bear on
to be directly connected to something
The new scientific findings will directly _____ the upcoming climate policy debate.
break through
if the suns breaks through or breaks through the clouds, it starts to appear from behind the clouds
After days of heavy cloud, the sun finally began to _____ the thick pollution layer.
send out
if a plant sends out something [e.g. roots, shoots], it grows
The plant began to _____ new shoots only weeks after the experimental treatment.
come out against
to state publicly that you are opposed to an issue
Several prominent scientists have publicly _____ the proposed nuclear power expansion.