This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Crime, Law & Rules. 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.
prop yourself up
to support yourself by leaning on or against something
The injured witness propped herself up against the wall.
provide for sth
formal if a law or agreement provides for something, it allows it to happen or exist
The contract must provide for compensation if the rule is broken.
breakaway adj
a breakaway group is a group of people that stop being part of another group, often because they disagree with them
A breakaway group ignored the organisation’s rules.
bear out sth/sb or bear sth/sb out
to prove that something that someone has said or written [e.g. claim, theory] is true, or to say that someone is telling the truth
The witness’s statement bore out the defendant’s account.
catch out sb or catch sb out
to discover that someone is lying or doing something wrong
The lawyer caught the witness out in a contradiction.
brush off sb/sth or brush sb/sth off
to refuse to listen to what someone says, or to refuse to think about something seriously
The detective brushed off the suspect’s weak excuse.
prop up sth or prop sth up
to make something stay in a particular position by putting something underneath or against it
The law props up the rights of vulnerable people.
dig up sth or dig sth up
to discover new facts about a person or situation after a lot of searching
The police dug up fresh evidence near the river.
adhere to sth
formal to obey a rule or principle
The officers were required to adhere to the legal procedure.
cover up (sth) or cover (sth) up
to stop people from discovering the truth about something bad
The company tried to cover up the illegal payment.
give-away n
something that makes you aware of a fact that someone else was trying to keep secret
The mud on his shoes was a give-away that he had been there.
break-in n
when someone manages to get in a building by using force, usually in order to steal something
After a break-in at the shop, the police reviewed the cameras.
cover-up n
if someone stops people from discovering the truth about something bad
The investigation revealed a cover-up by senior officials.
lookout n
a person who looks at what is happening in the area around them, especially in order to watch for any danger
One robber acted as a lookout while the others entered the building.
clean out sth or clean sth out
to steal everything from a place
The thieves cleaned out the house while the family was away.
sign over sth or sign sth over
to give someone else your property or legal rights to something by signing an official document
The owner signed over the property to her daughter.
impose sth on sb
formal to force a group of people to accept something, or to give someone a punishment [e.g. fine, ban]
The court cannot impose a penalty on someone without evidence.
throw out sth or throw sth out
if people in authority throw out a plan or idea [e.g. bill, proposal] they refuse to accept or use it
The judge threw out the evidence because it was obtained illegally.
breakout n
when someone escapes from prison
The prison tightened security after a breakout from one of its units.
gun down sb or gun sb down
to shoot someone and kill or seriously injure them, often when they cannot defend themselves
The gang planned to gun down the witness.
lie about/around (swh)
if things are lying around, they are untidily left in places where they should not be
Important documents were lying around the office unsecured.
get away with murder
to succeed in not being criticised or punished for something wrong that you have done
He seemed to get away with murder until the audit began.
tighten up sth or tighten sth up
to make rules more limiting and more difficult to avoid
The agency tightened up its procedures after the breach.
watered-down adj
when something is made less strong in order to make people agree with it
The final bill was a watered-down version of the original plan.
toughen up sth or toughen sth up
to make rules more limiting and more difficult to avoid
The government wants to toughen up penalties for repeat offenders.
abide by sth
to accept or obey an agreement, rule, or decision
All visitors must abide by the court’s security rules.
cordon off sth or cordon sth 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
The police cordoned off the area around the crime scene.
dig your heels in
to refuse to do what others try to persuade you to do
The suspect dug his heels in and refused to answer.
hush up sth or hush sth up
to stop the public from finding out about something bad that has happened
The officials tried to hush up the inspection report.
lock up (sth) or lock (sth) up
to lock all the doors and windows of a building when you leave it
The officers locked up the evidence in a secure room.