This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Travel, Transport & Movement. 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.
do up sth or do sth up
to repair something, or to improve the appearance of something, especially a building
They did up the old guesthouse before reopening it.
stack up
if aircraft stack up, they fly over an airport at different heights waiting to be told they can land
The planes stacked up above the airport during the storm.
mock-up n
a model showing how something will look when it is built
The designers presented a mock-up of the new train carriage.
drive off
to leave in a vehicle
The taxi drove off as soon as the passenger got out.
flag down sth or flag sth down
to make a vehicle stop by waving at the driver
We flagged down a taxi near the museum.
run-down adj
shabby, in disrepair
They stayed in a run-down hotel near the bus station.
dot sth with sth
if a place is dotted with something, it has many of them, all over the place
The route is dotted with small coastal villages.
block in sb/sth or block sb/sth in
to put a car or other vehicle so close to another vehicle that it cannot drive away
A delivery van blocked the taxi in outside the hotel.
gain on sb/sth
to get nearer to someone or something that you are chasing
The rescue boat gained on the drifting raft.
close off sth or close sth off
to put something across the entrance to something, in order to prevent people from entering it
Police closed off the road after the accident.
pull out
to drive to a different part of the road, usually a part where the vehicles are travelling faster
The bus pulled out into the faster lane.
set off sth or set sth off
to make something look attractive, usually by providing a very different colour
The bright sign set off the dark entrance beautifully.
stowaway n
a person who stows away
The crew discovered a stowaway hiding aboard the cargo ship.
zip along (sth)
informal to move very quickly
The express train zipped along the coast.
rev up sth or rev sth up
to make a vehicle’s engine work faster while the vehicle is not moving
The driver revved up the engine before setting off.
knock over sb or knock sb over
to hit someone with a vehicle and injure or kill them
The car knocked over a cyclist at the crossing.
lay out sth or lay sth out
to design the way in which a house, city, or garden is built or created
The planners laid out the new station with wide platforms.
steal away
to leave a place quietly without anyone knowing
She stole away from the hostel before dawn.
pick up sth/sb or pick sth/sb up
to collect someone who is waiting for you, or to collect something that you have left somewhere or that you have bought
The shuttle picked us up outside the airport.
double back
to turn and go back in the direction that you have come from
When we realised we were lost, we doubled back.
squash (sb) in
to manage to get yourself or someone else into a very small space, or place that is full of people
The passengers squashed into the small lift.
creep up on sb
to move closer to someone, usually from behind, without being seen by them
The cyclist crept up on the pedestrians from behind.
boarded-up adj
covered with pieces of wood
They passed a boarded-up station building on the old line.
offset adj
if something is offset by something else it is compensated for
The long delay was offset by a refund for the ticket.
want out
informal to want to leave a place
After the delay, several passengers wanted out of the coach.
encroach on sth
to gradually cover more and more of an area of land
New buildings are encroaching on the land near the airport.
change down
British and Australian to put a vehicle into a lower gear (= part of a machine that controls the speed of a vehicle), usually in order to go slower
Change down before driving down the steep hill.
pull over sb/sth or pull sb/sth over
if the police pull someone who is driving a car over, they order them to drive the car to the side of the road and stop
The police pulled the driver over for speeding.
blend in/into sth
if something or someone blends in, they look or seem the same as the things or people around them and so you do not notice them
The backpacker blended into the crowd at the station.
storm out
to leave a place in an angry way
He stormed out of the station after missing the train.