This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Sport, Games & Competition. 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.
cut down sth or cut sth down
if you cut down a tree or bush, you make it fall to the ground by cutting it near the bottom
The ground staff cut down the damaged tree near the pitch.
toss-up n
informal a situation in which two people or things seem equally likely to be chosen or two possible results seem equally likely to happen
Choosing a captain was a toss-up between the two senior players.
break off sth or break sth off
to separate a part from a larger piece
The player broke off a piece of the ice during the hockey game.
get off the ground
to get started
The youth tournament got off the ground with local funding.
pull down sth or pull sth down
to destroy a structure because it is not wanted anymore
The club pulled down the old stand to build a safer one.
breeze in/into swh
to walk in quickly and confidently
The new coach breezed into the stadium with confidence.
knock sb about/around
informal to hit or kick someone several times
The rival players knocked each other about during the rough match.
get the most out of sb/sth
to take maximum benefit from something
Good coaching helps athletes get the most out of their training.
get off on the wrong foot
to start something badly
The team got off on the wrong foot by missing an easy chance.
go-ahead adj
using new methods and ideas to succeed
The club hired a go-ahead coach with modern ideas.
round off sth or round sth off
to do something as a way of finishing an event or activity in a satisfactory way
The team rounded off the season with a friendly match.
hit on sth
to have a good idea, especially one that solves a problem
The captain hit on a better way to organise the defence.
insist on sth/doing sth
to demand something and to make it clear that you will not accept anything else
The coach insisted on the team practising every day.
pull out all the stops
to do everything you can
The team pulled out all the stops to win the championship.
walk-on adj
a walk-on part in a play is a very small part with no words for the actor to speak
The athlete accepted a walk-on role in the opening ceremony’s theatre show.
blunder about/around
to move in an awkward way, usually because you cannot see where you are going
The goalkeeper blundered around in the foggy warm-up area.
spread out sth or spread sth out
to open something that is folded [e.g. map, towel] and put it down flat on a surface
Spread out the training mats before the class begins.
roll about/around
informal to laugh a lot about something
The supporters rolled about laughing at the mascot.
get to the bottom of sth
to understand something properly, not superficially
The referee tried to get to the bottom of the disputed decision.
get off sb’s back
to stop nagging someone
After the win, the coach finally got off the players’ backs.
run over sb/sth or run sb/sth over
to hit someone or something with a vehicle and drive over them, injuring or killing them
The driver ran over a ball that had rolled onto the road.
stream into swh
to move continuously in one direction, especially if a lot of people do this at the same time
Spectators streamed into the stadium before the match.
blow up sth or blow sth up
to make something seem much worse or much better than it really is
The media blew up a minor mistake into a major controversy.
lift up sth or lift sth up
to move something from a lower to a higher position
Lift up the trophy so the crowd can see it.
toss (sb) for sth
to decide which person or team can do something or have something by throwing a coin in the air and guessing which side of the coin will be on top when it lands
They tossed for who would serve first.
flood in/into sth
to arrive or enter somewhere in very large numbers or amounts
Fans flooded into the stadium before the final.
pull your socks up
to make an effort to improve
After the poor performance, the captain told the team to pull their socks up.
cheer on sb or cheer sb on
to shout encouraging words at someone, especially a person or team in a race or competition, or to receive encouraging words or shouts
The crowd cheered the home team on until the final whistle.
switch around/round
to move two or more things, so that each of them is now in the place that one of the others was in before
The coach switched the two wingers around at half-time.
knockabout n
British informal when two or more people kick or hit a ball to each other for pleasure but not in a serious way, sometimes to warm up before a game
The children had a quick knockabout before training began.