This lesson covers 47 C2 phrasal verbs on Business. 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.
send out for
to telephone a restaurant and ask for food to be delivered to your home
The team decided to _____ pizza while working late on the urgent report.
push up
to increase the amount, number, or value of something
The new demand for rare earth minerals is expected to _____ prices significantly.
slip away
if a period of time slips away, it seems to pass quickly
The deadline seemed to _____ faster than anyone had expected.
hang on to
to keep someone or something
The company is determined to _____ its market leadership position.
count in
to include a person in a plan or activity
If you're organising the conference, please _____ me in the planning committee.
capitalise on
to use a situation in order to achieve something good for yourself
The startup managed to _____ the sudden surge in demand for remote collaboration tools.
buy out
to buy part of a company or building that belonged to someone else so that you own all of it
The multinational corporation plans to _____ its smaller competitor to expand market share.
come across
to behave in a way which makes people believe that you have a particular characteristic
The new CEO _____ as extremely competent and visionary during her first presentation.
be getting on
when time is getting on, it is getting late
Time is _____ ; we need to finalise the merger agreement before markets open.
put out
to put something outside the house, especially so that it can be collected
Remember to _____ the recycling bins before the collection truck arrives.
peter out
if an energetic activity or a strong emotion peters out, it gradually becomes less energetic or strong until it stops completely
The initial enthusiasm for the project slowly began to _____ after the first setbacks.
leave behind
to make progress much faster than someone else
The new startup is rapidly _____ all its more established competitors.
hold out
to continue to defend yourself against an enemy or attack
The small research team managed to _____ against overwhelming competition for another year.
chip in
to give an amount of money, especially when a group of people are giving money to pay for something together
Everyone in the department decided to _____ to buy a retirement gift for the professor.
be floating about
if you say something is floating around, you mean that you have seen it somewhere but you do not know exactly where it is
The new policy document has been _____ the office for weeks but no one has read it yet.
call out
to order workers to strike (= to refuse to work because of an argument with an employer)
The union decided to _____ all members _____ on strike until their demands were met.
harp on
to talk continually about something in a way that other people find boring or annoying
The manager kept _____ about the importance of meeting deadlines.
slim down
to become smaller in size, often by employing fewer people, or to make something smaller
The company was forced to _____ its workforce after the budget cuts.
hear from
to receive news or information from someone, usually by letter or telephone
We haven't _____ the funding body for over three months.
want out
to want to leave a place
After the latest scandal several senior partners began to quietly _____ of the firm.
push around
to tell someone what to do in a rude or threatening way
The new manager was accused of trying to _____ the junior staff.
cross off
to remove a word from a list by drawing a line through it
Please _____ the completed tasks _____ from the project checklist.
talk round
to convince somebody to agree to your idea or opinion through a long discussion
After several hours the team finally managed to _____ the sceptical board member.
farm out
to give work to other people instead of doing it yourself
The company decided to _____ the more routine testing work to a specialised subcontractor.
mull over
to think carefully about something for a long time, often before making a decision
The board will need some time to _____ the implications of the new proposal.
bump up
to increase the size or amount of something [e.g. price] by a large amount
The airline decided to _____ ticket prices _____ by 25 percent due to rising fuel costs.
hold off
to not start, although you expect it to
The company decided to _____ the product launch until after the regulatory review.
go off
to stop liking someone or something
She seems to have completely _____ the idea of expanding into new markets.
allow for
to take something into consideration
When budgeting for the merger, we must _____ possible delays in regulatory approval.
cut in on
to interrupt what someone is saying by saying something yourself
The junior colleague kept trying to _____ the senior partner's presentation.
pep up
to make something more interesting or attractive, or to make someone feel more active or energetic
The team leader tried to _____ the meeting with some encouraging news.
decide on
to choose something or someone after thinking carefully
The board will meet next week to finally _____ the location of the new headquarters.
level off
if a rate or amount levels off, it stops rising or falling and it stays at the same level
After months of rapid growth the market demand finally began to _____ .
bat around
to talk about a plan or idea and to discuss different ways of dealing with it
The team decided to _____ several ideas for the new product launch before choosing one.
catch up on
to do something you did not have time to do earlier
I need to _____ all the emails I missed while I was at the international conference.
stick by
to continue to support or use a decision, opinion, or plan
The entire team promised to _____ their colleague during the difficult investigation.
eat in
to have a meal at home, not in a restaurant
With the new remote-working policy most employees now prefer to _____ rather than eat in the canteen.
impact on
to have a noticeable effect on
The new regulations are expected to significantly _____ small biotech startups.
plough back
to put money that you have earned into a business, in order to make the business bigger or better
The company decided to _____ all profits into further research and development.
hang over
if a problem or threat hangs over a person or situation, it exists and makes people worry about what is going to happen
The threat of budget cuts continues to _____ the entire department.
box in
to prevent someone from doing what they want to do
The new regulations seem designed to _____ smaller startups _____ and favour big corporations.
stand for
if a group of people stand for a set of ideas, they support those ideas, or if something stands for a particular idea, it represents that idea
The new logo is designed to _____ the core values of the entire research organisation.
show in
to lead a visitor into a room where they have arranged to meet or wait for someone
The receptionist kindly offered to _____ the visiting delegation to the main conference room.
boss about
to tell people what they should do all the time
The new manager tends to _____ everyone _____ instead of collaborating.
jot down
to write something down quickly (so that you remember it)
She quickly _____ a few key ideas during the brainstorming session.
get in on
to start to become involved in an activity that other people are already doing, often without being invited to
Several smaller companies tried to _____ the lucrative government contract.
deal in
to buy and sell particular goods as a business
The company specialises in _____ rare earth minerals essential for green technology.