This lesson covers 35 C2 phrasal verbs on Business & Management. 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.
shutdown n
when a factory or business closes and stops working
The factory shutdown delayed deliveries for two weeks.
hang on to/onto sth/sb
to keep something instead of giving it away, selling it, or losing it
The company hung on to its best staff during the crisis.
outlook n
the likely future situation
The economic outlook remains uncertain for small firms.
shake-up n
when big changes are made to an organisation in order to improve it
The chief executive announced a shake-up of the management structure.
bring out sth or bring sth out
to produce something to sell to the public
The company will bring out a cheaper version of the product.
intake n
the number of people who begin to study at a school, or who join an organisation at a particular time
The company’s graduate intake doubled this year.
uptake n
the number of people who have committed themselves to something
The company monitored the uptake of its new employee benefits.
turn out sth or turn sth out
if a company or business turns out something, they make or produce it
The factory turns out thousands of components every week.
turn around/round sth or turn sth around
change an unsuccessful business, plan or system so that it becomes successful
The new chief executive turned around the business within a year.
move (sb) in/into (swh)
to move someone or something to a different place
The manager moved the meeting into a larger room.
standby n
a person or thing that can be used if someone or something else is not available or cannot be used
The firm kept a standby supplier in case the main one failed.
head up sth or head sth up
to be in charge of a group, project, or organization
She heads up the team responsible for customer service.
buy up sth or buy sth up
to quickly buy a lot of something, often all that is available
A rival company bought up all the available warehouse space.
start-up n
a newly established business, especially one based on a new idea or technology
The start-up developed an app for local retailers.
buy out sb/sth or buy sb/sth out
to buy part of a company or building that belonged to someone else so that you own all of it
The investors bought out the founders’ remaining shares.
forthcoming adj
a forthcoming event, action, or product is one which will happen or become available soon
Staff received details of the forthcoming product launch.
take up sth (with) or take sth up (with)
to discuss something or deal with something
The manager took up the complaint with the supplier.
kick out sb or kick sb out
to force someone to leave a place or an organisation
The board kicked out the unreliable supplier after repeated breaches.
firm up sth or firm sth up
to make something [e.g. agreement, details, prices] more definite or less likely to change
The directors met to firm up the details of the merger.
box in sb or box sb in
to prevent someone from doing what they want to do
The larger firm tried to box in the smaller competitor.
buyout n
the buying of a company, especially by the people who previously managed it or worked for it
The management buyout gave employees control of the company.
factor in sth or factor sth in
to include something when making a calculation or when trying to understand something
The finance team factored in exchange-rate risk when preparing the forecast.
wake up to the fact
to begin to understand a situation and its importance, often after ignoring it
The board finally woke up to the fact that online sales were essential.
sum up sb/sth or sum sth/sb up
if something sums up a person or thing, it expresses its most typical qualities
The busy office summed up the company’s energetic culture.
roll out sth or roll sth out
to make a new product, service or system available for the first time
The company rolled out the new payment system across all branches.
stack up sth or stack sth up
to arrange things in a tall pile
The warehouse staff stacked up the boxes by product type.
wind up (sth) or wind (sth) up
to finish an activity
The chair wound up the meeting with a clear action plan.
sift through sth
to examine a large collection of something, especially papers, usually in order to discover something or to decide what is important
The analysts sifted through the survey responses for useful trends.
sum up (sth/sb) or sum (sth/sb) up
to describe briefly the most important facts or characteristics of something or someone
To sum up, the proposal should reduce costs and improve service.
rank (sth) among sth
to have a particular position in a list that has been arranged in order of quality
The firm ranks among the region’s most innovative employers.
sprout up
if a large number of things sprout up, they suddenly appear or begin to exist
Small technology firms sprouted up across the region.
hoard away sth or hoard sth away
to put a supply of something in a safe place so that you can use it in the future
The firm hoarded away cash during the strong trading year.
sell up (sth) or sell (sth) up
British & Australian to sell your house or business in order to go somewhere else or do something else
The owners decided to sell up after thirty years in business.
overkill n
when there is more of something than is needed
Buying a second office for a five-person team would be overkill.
leave behind sb or leave sb behind
to make progress much faster than someone else
The new company left its competitors behind.