This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Society, Politics & Power. 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.
give yourself up
to allow the police to catch you
After months on the run, the suspect gave himself up.
sweep aside sth or sweep sth aside
to refuse to think about something or let it affect your performance
The chair swept aside the criticism without addressing it.
stake out sth or stake sth out
if the police or reporters stake out a building where someone is living or hiding, they watch the building continuously in order to see who is leaving or entering it
Reporters staked out the official’s home.
land up
informal to finally be in a particular place, state, or situation, especially without having planned it
Without support, the proposal could land up being withdrawn.
muck up sth or muck sth up
informal to do something very badly
The government mucked up the response to the flood.
build in sth or build sth in
to include something as part of a system
The law builds in protections for vulnerable groups.
lean towards sth/doing sth
to support, or begin to support, a particular set of ideas or a particular political party
Many younger voters lean towards environmental policies.
live on
to continue to exist
The values of the movement will live on after the campaign ends.
accede to sth
formal to agree to something that someone has asked for [e.g. request, demand], often after disagreeing with it
The government eventually acceded to the protesters’ demand.
gear sth to/towards sth/sb
to design something so that it is suitable for a particular purpose, situation, or group of people
The information campaign was geared towards young voters.
predispose sb to/towards sth
formal predisposing someone to something makes it more likely that that thing will happen
Poverty can predispose people to poorer health outcomes.
cross off sth or cross sth off (sth)
to remove a word from a list by drawing a line through it
Cross off any completed actions from the policy checklist.
input n
contribution to a system to help it operate
The council welcomed public input before making the decision.
come out in favour of
to state publicly that you support an issue
The union came out in favour of the new safety law.
shoot down sb/sth or shoot sb/sth down
to destroy an aircraft or make it fall to the ground by firing bullets or weapons at it
The defence system shot down the unmanned aircraft.
output n
an amount of something, produced by a person, machine, factory or country
Industrial output increased after the new policy was introduced.
bear on sth
formal to be directly connected to something
The witness’s evidence bears directly on the inquiry.
left out adj
if someone feels left out, they are unhappy because they have not been included in an activity or conversation
Some communities felt left out of the national conversation.
want for
formal if someone does not want for anything, they have everything they need in order to have a satisfactory life
No citizen should want for basic food, housing, and safety.
not hear of sth or not hear of sb doing sth
to not allow something, or not allow someone to do something
The council would not hear of closing the local library.
hold down sb or hold sb down
to limit the freedom of a group of people
The regime held down opposition groups through censorship.
comeback n
when a performer gives a performance he hopes will make him popular again
The former president hoped the speech would mark a political comeback.
usher in sth
formal if an event ushers in a period of time in which new things or changes happen, it is at the beginning of that period or it causes those things to happen
The election ushered in a new era of reform.
hinge on sth
to depend on something or be very influenced by it
The policy hinges on support from local councils.
hang about/around/round with sb
informal to spend time with someone
The minister was criticised for hanging around with wealthy donors.
put in a good word for someone
to say good things about someone to people in authority
The mayor put in a good word for the volunteer.
rule out sth or rule sth out
to say no to something
The committee ruled out increasing taxes this year.
ramble on
to talk or write for a long time about things that are not interesting to other people
The speaker rambled on long after the audience had lost interest.
ascribe sth to sth
formal to believe or say that something is caused by something else
The report ascribed the unrest to rising inequality.
count out sb or count sb out
informal to not include someone in an activity
Do not count older residents out of the consultation.