brush up on

to improve one's knowledge of something

• You should brush up on your Spanish.
• He brushed up his English during his stay in London.
• He went to France to brush up on his speaking ability.
• Before going to work in Paris, I must brush up on my French.
• Before going to work in Paris, I have to brush up on my French.
• If you're going to go to France, you should brush up on your French.
• Before going to study in Paris, I have to brush up on my French.

bring up

to mention

• Don't bring it up.
• Why bring it up now?
• I'm sorry I brought it up.
• Tom brought up the subject.
• I knew you'd bring that up.
• That's why I brought it up.
• I'm glad you brought this up.
• I'm glad you brought that up.
• I shouldn't have brought it up.
• I didn't bring this topic up with her.
• You picked a bad time to bring up that topic.
• Westerners, in general, prefer to avoid such topics unless the other person brings them up.
• The lawyer brought up new evidence.
• You don't need to bring up the matter.
• Never bring up religion or politics in the first conversation!
• He brought up a series of issues at the meeting.
• In order to distract the others, we brought up this irrelevant issue as a red herring.
• She says you'll bring up the question when the time comes.
• Tom hesitated to bring up the subject.
• I'm the one who brought the subject up.
• New problems are often brought up on that TV programme.
• That's a good point to bring up during the meeting.
• That was a very inconvenient time to bring up the subject.
• Tom brought up an interesting point during the meeting.
• Please bring your plan up at the meeting.
• The matter will be brought up at the next meeting.
• Tom didn't bring the matter up at the meeting this morning.
• I feel a little uncomfortable bringing this up, but I love you.
• If you don't want to bring that matter up, I'll try to understand you.
• That is not a proper subject to bring up in conversation at the dinner table.
• Whenever someone brings up politics, he always ends up reconsidering his positions on everything.
• Omission is a perfectly good example of an expression technique, and is brought up in many grammar books.
• You don't need to bring up "A Winter Sonata" to show that South Korean culture is having an unexpected boom in Japan.

to raise (a child)

• He was well brought up.
• She is well brought up.
• She was brought up by him.
• She brought up two children.
• Tom was brought up in Boston.
• Dan was brought up by an aunt.
• He was brought up in Australia.
• He was brought up by his uncle.
• She was brought up by her aunt.
• I was born and brought up here.
• I brought up two children alone.
• I was brought up in the country.
• Tom was brought up in Australia.
• My aunt brought up five children.
• He was brought up to be a doctor.
• She has brought up five children.
• I was born and brought up in Tokyo.
• He was born and brought up in Tokyo.
• She was brought up in a rich family.
• Dan brought up his children in London.
• I was born and brought up in Matsuyama.
• She brought him up in the Jewish faith.
• She was brought up in the lap of luxury.
• My ex-boyfriend was brought up in Portugal.
• He was born in Ohio but brought up in Texas.
• I was born in Osaka, but brought up in Tokyo.
• He must have been brought up in a good family.
• I was born in Osaka, but was brought up in Tokyo.
• Both of my parents were brought up in the country.
• I was born in Osaka, but I was brought up in Tokyo.
• I was born in Boston, but was brought up in Chicago.
• This is the house in which I was born and brought up.
• The town where he was brought up lies east of Osaka.
• I was born in Boston, but I was brought up in Chicago.
• She was born and brought up in Osaka.
• She has a good command of English though she was brought up in Japan.
• My maternal aunt brought me up after my parents died in a plane crash.
• Even though Tom was brought up in the country, he loves the hustle and bustle of the city.
• He is an American, but as he was born and brought up in Japan, he can speak Japanese quite fluently.
• In Thailand, bringing up the children isn't the father's responsibility; it's entirely up to the mother.
• She was well brought up by her parents.
• Tom was brought up by his grandparents.
• Lucy was brought up by her grandparents.
• The parents have brought up the child well.
• After his parents' death he was brought up by his aunt.
• After their parents died, their grandparents brought them up.
• Because his parents had died when he was young, his uncle brought him up.
• Unlike his sister, he has retained the religious faith his parents brought him up in.
• The higher the ratio of children to parents, the harder it is to bring up the children.
• She brought up the three children alone.
• She brought up nine children in her life.
• She brought up her children to be truthful.
• It is quite a hard thing to bring up a child.
• Kevin was brought up by his aunt in the country.
• She brought up her child at the cost of her life.
• Though they were poor, they brought up seven children.
• It's difficult bringing up a child who is not your own.
• What does it matter how they bring up their own children?
• Their manner of bringing up their children is extremely unusual.
• After her husband's death, she brought up the four children by herself.
• After her husband's death, she brought up the two children all by herself.
• I will bring my children up in such a way that they will be protected from superstition.
• And at times when I became discouraged with trying to reconcile working and bringing up children, it was my husband who helped to maintain my determination.
• Japanese children brought up overseas sometimes face great difficulty in adjusting themselves to Japanese schools after returning, even though they have a perfect command of Japanese.
• Tom was brought up by his aunt and uncle.
• She was brought up according to the Jewish religion.
• He turned with a vengeance against the religion he was brought up in.
• I was brought up by my grandmother.
• He was brought up by her grandmother.
• She was brought up by her grandfather.
• She was brought up by her grandmother.
• My youngest brother was brought up by our grandmother.
• His mother died when he was young, and his grandmother brought him up.
• I was brought up under rigid discipline.
• Mozart was brought up to be a musician.
• I brought up two kids all on my own.
• His sons are not properly brought up.
• This is where I was born and brought up.
• I brought you up under my personal care.
• His father brought him up to be a doctor.
• This is the house where he was brought up.
• This is the house where Tom was brought up.
• I want to bring up my son as my father did me.
• She was born and brought up on the backstreets.
• He was brought up against the realities of life.
• His nephew was brought up to be modest and considerate.
• This is the house where my father was born and brought up.
• They had brought up their sons to stand on their own feet.
• She behaves as if she had been brought up in a good family.
• Tom's conduct is a reflection on the way he was brought up.
• He adopted a war orphan and is bringing her up as a foster daughter.
• Having been brought up in America, my father speaks English fluently.
• Human beings alone take a very long time to bring up their little ones.
• I think that your mother has brought you up in a very conservative manner.
• Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.

bring off

to succeed doing something difficult

• We brought off the task.
• He brought off the difficult act quite easily.
• It's true that the project is a difficult task, but Mr Hara will be able to bring it off.

break up

to break something into pieces

• The police broke up the crowd.
• He broke up the chair for firewood.
• He broke up the concrete block with a hammer.
• Eyewitnesses saw the plane break up in flight.
• I fastened the box tight with a rope so that it wouldn't break up.
• A pick is a long handled tool used for breaking up hard ground surfaces.
• The asteroid broke up into small pieces as it entered Earth's atmosphere.
• At the bus stop, people waited in orderly lines, but as soon as the bus pulled up, the line broke up.
• This means that houses are starting to sink, roads are breaking up and lamp-posts are leaning at crazy angles.
• Each time the comet passes close to the Sun, it loses some of its material. Over time, it will break up and disappear completely.
• No single company should have over 10 billion dollars in assets. Now is the time to require the break-up of excessively large companies, in the same way as and for the same reason that Theodore Roosevelt broke up the trusts and monopolies.
• The United States of America has several divisions. It is first separated into the fifty states. Each state is then broken up into counties or parishes. Each county or parish is divided into towns or townships. These towns or townships contain the villages and cities.
• When the Earth passes through an orbiting stream of debris from a comet that has broken up, what's known as a meteor shower occurs. Meteor showers take place on about the same dates each year.

to close a school for the holidays

• School breaks up in June.
• Our school has broken up for the summer.
• School will soon break up for the summer vacation.
• The college breaks up on Tuesday.

to finish an event (meeting, party, etc)

• The party broke up late.
• Let's break up the party.
• The meeting broke up at four.
• The meeting broke up at five.
• The meeting broke up at seven.
• Some people kept interrupting the speakers, and finally broke up the meeting.
• The meeting will have broken up by the time you arrive there.
• It was around eight last night when the meeting broke up.
• The meeting will have broken up by the time we arrive.
• Most dinner parties break up about eleven o'clock.

to finish relationship

• We broke up.
• We just broke up.
• We should break up.
• We didn't break up.
• I broke up with him.
• I broke up with her.
• I broke up with Tom.
• Tom broke up with me.
• Tom and Mary broke up.
• Mary broke up with me.
• Tom broke up with Mary.
• Don't break up with me.
• Tom broke up with Marie.
• Did you break up with Tom?
• He will break up with her.
• Did you break up with him?
• Did you break up with her?
• I think we should break up.
• I plan to break up with her.
• Tom and Mary might break up.
• Tom and Mary have broken up.
• Are you breaking up with me?
• I'd rather that we break up.
• I know Tom and Mary broke up.
• Tom broke up with Mary today.
• I heard about their break up.
• Are you breaking up with Tom?
• Why did you break up with Tom?
• I thought Tom and Mary broke up.
• Tom wants to break up with Mary.
• Are you're breaking up with Tom?
• Tom and Mary broke up last week.
• Tom broke up with his girlfriend.
• Tom and Mary decided to break up.
• Tom broke up with Mary last week.
• Tom and Nancy broke up last month.
• Did Tom really break up with Mary?
• Guess what? Tom and Mary broke up.
• Tom is going to break up with Mary.
• They broke up after 7 years of marriage.
• I broke up with my girlfriend.
• Why did you break up with him?
• Why did you break up with her?
• She broke up with her boyfriend.
• He broke up with his girlfriend.
• I don't want to break up with you.
• He finally broke up with that woman.
• I wish I'd never broken up with you.
• Tom isn't going to break up with you.
• I never should've broken up with Mary.
• It was a mistake to break up with you.
• I broke up with her yesterday evening.
• Tom doesn't want to break up with Mary.
• I think I'm going to break up with Tom.
• I resolved to break up with her cleanly.
• And shortly after, he broke up with her.
• Please, Tom, you can't break up with me!
• Tom broke up with Mary via text message.
• She plans to break up with her boyfriend.
• Please, Mary, you can't break up with me!

to make a fight end

• The police broke up the fight.
• Tom tried to break up the fight.
• Tom tried to break up the fight between Mary and John.

break through

to pass through a barrier

• The sun broke through the clouds.
• The sun at last broke through about noon.
• Our army broke through the enemy defenses.
• They attempted to break through the enemy line.
• Your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds.
• The crowd got out of control and broke through the fence.
• Our combined fleet broke through the enemy's defense zone.
• The submarine had to break through a thin sheet of ice to surface.
• Though the enemy's defenses were strong, we tried to break through.
• The good old man broke through the ice with the horse, and fell into the cold water.
• Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through.

break out of

to escape

• Tom broke out of jail.
• Ten prisoners broke out of jail.
• Tom wants break Mary out of jail.
• When did Tom break out of prison?
• A big animal broke out of the zoo.
• Three men broke out of prison yesterday.
• How can we break out of this vicious circle?
• He broke out of prison just days after he was brought there.
• You might be interested to know that Tom just broke out of prison.

break out

to start (usually something bad, like a war, fire, etc)

• A revolt broke out.
• Applause broke out.
• War broke out in 1941.
• War suddenly broke out.
• He broke out into rage.
• A fire broke out nearby.
• The war finally broke out.
• The war broke out in 1939.
• An epidemic has broken out.
• A fire broke out last night.
• In 1911, a revolt broke out.
• I hope war doesn't break out.
• A fire broke out in the mine.
• World War I broke out in 1914.
• An epidemic disease broke out.
• A fire broke out on the first floor.
• A fire broke out on the fifth floor.
• The war didn't break out by accident.
• A forest fire broke out in this area.
• A fire broke out on the second floor.
• A revolution broke out in that country.
• World War I broke out the following year.
• A fight broke out between two schoolboys.
• Yesterday a fire broke out near my house.
• A war broke out between the two countries.
• War broke out when the treaty was ignored.
• A fire broke out the day before yesterday.
• A fire broke out near my house.
• A fire broke out during the night.
• The fire broke out toward midnight.
• A fire broke out during that night.
• A fire broke out after the earthquake.
• A fire broke out in a neighborhood hotel.
• Just as he was speaking, a fire broke out.
• A big fire broke out after the earthquake.
• A fire broke out inside the movie theater.
• A fire broke out in the middle of the city.
• When the fire broke out, he was dead asleep.
• When the fire broke out, he was fast asleep.
• Tom was out of town when the fire broke out.
• The fire broke out after the staff went home.
• When the fire broke out, he was sound asleep.
• A fire broke out in the neighborhood yesterday.
• A fire broke out in my neighborhood last night.
• A fire broke out in the supermarket last night.
• A mountain fire broke out and burnt the forest.
• A fire broke out at the inn where they were staying.
• A fire broke out on the second floor of the building.
• A fire broke out in the 86-story Torch tower in Dubai.
• My mother happened to be there when the fire broke out.
• Scarcely had the market opened when the fire broke out.
• All of a sudden, a fire broke out in the movie theater.
• All of a sudden, a fire broke out in the department store.
• The fire must have broken out after the staff had gone home.
• A fire broke out last night and three houses were burnt down.
• If a fire should break out in your neighborhood, what would you do?
• The fire that broke out last night was judged to be caused by arson.
• The family had been sleeping for about two hours when the fire broke out.
• Two hundred houses were burnt down in the fire which broke out yesterday.
• The fire, which caused the disaster, broke out on the second floor of the hospital.
• Last night a fire broke out in my neighborhood, and an old woman was burnt to death.
• There was a fire in this city last night. We can't tell exactly what time it broke out.
• The textile factory's windows are fitted with iron bars so when a fire broke out inside the factory, most of the workers died.
• War may break out at any moment.
• World war two broke out in 1939.
• The next year, World War I broke out.
• The Second World War broke out in 1939.
• The war in Iraq broke out ten years ago.
• She came to Brittany when war broke out.
• After a brief peace, war broke out again.
• Supposing war broke out, what would you do?
• Their plans blew up when the war broke out.
• The war broke out when she was in Hiroshima.
• I wonder if a third world war will break out.
• Tom had to prevent the war from breaking out.
• We really hope another war will not break out.
• He was living in London when the war broke out.
• If nuclear war broke out, mankind would perish.
• He was living in England when the war broke out.
• They are afraid that nuclear war will break out.
• We were taught that World War II broke out in 1939.
• The newspaper said another war broke out in Africa.
• It was in 1939 that the Second World War broke out.
• Once a war breaks out, both sides are in the wrong.
• The document records that the war broke out in 1700.
• All humanity will suffer if a nuclear war breaks out.
• The teacher said that World War II broke out in 1939.
• We had lived there for ten years when the war broke out.
• If a nuclear war were to break out, mankind would perish.
• War breaks out when nations try to form their own empires.
• He returned home from Europe in 1941, when the war broke out.
• He was staying in Paris in 1939, when the Second World War broke out.
• We cannot rule out the possibility that civil war will break out in that country.
• Sometimes, hockey players get so contentious with each other that fights break out.
• I was not yet born when a war between Japan and the U.S. broke out in December 1941.
• The rules were overstepped one step at a time for too long before war finally broke out.
• The developing world and the developed world can prevent a war from breaking out by helping each other.
• Soon after the end of World War 1, people never thought such a hateful and cruel war would break out again.
• Violent clashes broke out between the protesters and the police.
• Until such difficulties are ironed out completely, there is always a chance of fighting breaking out at the slightest provocation.
• A revolution broke out in Mexico.
• A fight broke out between Dan and Linda.
• A brawl broke out between Dan and a co-worker.
• We learned why the French Revolution broke out.
• A serious epidemic has broken out in Beijing.
• Terrible shooting broke out the night before last.
• I had barely gotten home when the storm broke out.
• An argument broke out on the floor of the convention hall and in no time fists were flying.
• An altercation broke out between Dan and Linda.

to suddenly appear on the skin (rash, sweat, red marks, etc)

• Your skin is breaking out.
• A rash broke out on her neck.
• I broke out into a cold sweat.
• If I eat too much chocolate, I break out in pimples.
• During the hot season, my son's skin breaks out easily.
• What the teacher said made Mary break out into a cold sweat.
• When Tom was accused of the murder, he broke out in a cold sweat.
• When Kawazoe pinned me down at the meeting, I broke out in a cold sweat.
• I don't know why, but when I eat any kind of seafood, I always break out in a rash.

break off

to end a discussion, conversation, relationship, etc

• Our negotiations broke off.
• I broke off the engagement.
• We broke off our conversation.
• They broke off their engagement.
• Why did she break off her speech?
• I have broken off our engagement.
• Tom broke off his engagement to Mary.
• We want to break off this negotiation.
• The couple broke off their engagement.
• We have broken off relations with them.
• Can she have broken off with them?
• Tom and Mary broke off their engagement.
• I'm afraid we must break off the discussion.
• Mark and Leonor broke off their relationship.
• Tom and Mary have broken off their engagement.
• She broke off her engagement in a fit of anger.
• Tom told Mary that he wanted to break off the engagement.
• Sally told me that she will break off her relationship with Gary
• That country broke off diplomatic relations with the United States.
• That country broke off diplomatic relations with the neighboring countries.
• Your boyfriend is a problematic person, but that's not a good enough reason to give up or break off your relationship.
• The two countries have broken off diplomatic relations.

to remove a piece from the main part

• Don't break off the branch.

to stop doing something

• You'd better break off smoking.
• He broke off in the middle of his speech.
• He broke off talking because of the sudden noise.
• Let's break off for half an hour and have some coffee.
• Why don't we break off for a while and have some coffee?
• He was making a speech, but he broke off when he heard a strange noise.
• He was in the middle of a funny story when he broke off to answer the telephone.

break into

to interrupt

• Tom broke into our conversation.
• An old man broke into our conversation.
• He's always breaking into our conversation.
• He often breaks into the middle of a conversation.

to start doing something

• She broke into tears.
• They broke into laughter.
• The girl broke into tears.
• Tom broke into a cold sweat.
• She broke into cries of woe.
• I broke out into a cold sweat.
• She broke into tears at the news.
• The crowds broke into loud cheers.
• She was close to breaking into tears.
• They broke out into spontaneous laughter.
• When she heard that, she broke into tears.
• As soon as she heard the news, she broke into tears.
• Mrs. White broke into tears when I told her the news.
• "Oh, mother," said the housewife, breaking into bitter tears.
• When Luisa broke into tears, only her best friend approached to console her.
• What the teacher said made Mary break out into a cold sweat.

to enter by force into a place, vehicle etc

• He broke into a house.
• Tom broke into my house.
• Tom broke into Mary's house.
• Burglars broke into his house.
• A burglar broke into his house.
• A burglar broke into the house.
• My house was broken into last night.
• His house was broken into last night.
• Her house was broken into last night.
• Our house was broken into last night.
• Your house was broken into last night.
• Their house was broken into last night.
• Tom said his house had been broken into.
• A young man broke into my house last night.
• Some burglars broke into my house last night.
• For what purpose did you break into the house?
• The man admitted having broken into the house.
• A thief broke into the house to steal the money.
• A thief broke into the house while we were away.
• His house was broken into by burglars last week.
• Our house was broken into by burglars last night.
• The thief broke into the house while we were away.
• A burglar broke into my house while I was away on a trip.
• Tom broke into Mary's house and stole her pearl necklace.
• The burglar broke into the house under the cover of night.
• Last night someone broke into the small shop near my house.
• Did you hear that a burglar broke into the neighbor's house?
• Have you heard that a burglar broke into my neighbor's house?
• Someone broke into my house and ran away with all of my money.
• He caught sight of a thief attempting to break into the house.
• A burglar broke into your house while you were away on vacation.
• We must suspect that last night a criminal broke into the house.
• The thief cut the telephone lines before breaking into the house.
• After Tom's house was broken into, the police questioned his neighbors.
• The police caught Tom red-handed, breaking into a house in our neighborhood.
• Tom and Mary's house was broken into in broad daylight, while the family was in the garden.
• My car has been broken into.
• The thief used a screwdriver to break into the car.
• Tom was looking for the man who tried to break into his car.
• Tom broke into Mary's car and stole what was hidden under the driver's seat.
• Someone broke into Mary's flat and stole her jewellery.
• Dan broke into the vault and stole millions of dollars.
• Burglars broke into our apartment and stole my wife's fur coat.
• Thieves broke into the palace and stole the princess's diamonds.
• In the night a burglar broke into the apartment and stole my wife's fur coat.
• When I was in London last year, someone broke into my room and stole my wallet.
• A burglar broke into the shop last night.
• They broke into the jewelry shop.
• Tom broke into a research laboratory.
• A gang of thieves broke into the bank.
• A burglar broke into the shop yesterday.
• Mobs broke into stores looking for food.
• A burglar broke into the bank last night.
• Someone broke into my house last weekend.
• The burglars broke into the bank at night.
• The police were forced to break into the apartment through the window.
• Someone broke into my apartment.
• Someone broke into my apartment last night.
• Tom thought it was Mary who had broken into his apartment.
• You broke into my territory, now I must shoot you.
• Hackers break into computers without permission.
• He broke into the bus queue.
• Tom broke into Mary's office.
• Two robbers broke into a store.
• Why did you break into my place?
• Tom broke into the deserted shack.
• A burglar broke into the convenience store last month, but I heard the police caught him yesterday.
• Hackers were able to break into the company's computer system and undermine its network security.
• The burglar broke into the post office in broad daylight.

break down

to collapse physically or emotionally

• Tom broke down.
• Tom broke down and started to cry.
• She broke down when she heard the news.
• Tom broke down and told Mary the truth.
• Tom broke down and sobbed uncontrollably while giving the eulogy at his mother's funeral.
• Tom broke down and cried.
• Tom eventually broke down and confessed.
• He broke down when he heard the bad news.
• Upon hearing the news, she broke down crying.
• Toil and worry caused his health to break down.
• The poor girl broke down upon hearing the news.
• His health has broken down because of overwork.
• When she heard the news, she broke down crying.
• She broke down when she heard about the accident.
• After hearing the sad news, she broke down in tears.
• He broke down completely on hearing of his daughter's death.
• Tom could see that Mary was about to break down and cry.

to fail with a negotiation, plan, etc

• The plan has broken down.
• Their opposition broke down.
• Talks between the warring parties have broken down and security in the region is very uncertain.

to hit a door, wall, building, etc, in order to make it fall.

• Tom tried to break down the door.
• Tom tried to break the door down.
• Tom began trying to break down the door.
• The firemen broke down the door with an ax.
• I broke down the door because I lost the key.
• The police used a battering ram to break down the door.
• I tried to break down the door, but I found out that it is impossible.
• After knocking twice, the police had no choice but to break the door down.
• They broke down the house.
• They broke down the old house.
• They are breaking down the wall.
• The old building was broken down.
• They broke down part of the wall.

to remove a problem that prevents something from happening

• It took a long time to break down her reserve and get her to relax.
• We must work hard to break down social barriers.

to stop working properly

• The car broke down.
• The watch broke down.
• Tom's car broke down.
• The radio broke down.
• My TV has broken down.
• My car has broken down.
• The computer broke down.
• The bus has broken down.
• Communications broke down.
• Maybe Tom's car broke down.
• My car broke down on the way.
• Our car broke down last night.
• Her car broke down on the way.
• My radio has broken down again.
• This car is going to break down.
• My cellphone charger broke down.
• The engine has broken down again.
• My car broke down on the way here.
• If the car breaks down, we'll walk.
• Our car broke down on our way there.
• I was late because my car broke down.
• Her car broke down on the interstate.
• This old car breaks down all the time.
• "What happened?" "The car broke down."
• His car broke down on the way to work.
• The car's engine broke down on the way.
• This car is always breaking down lately.
• The car broke down, so they had to walk.
• Because of heavy rain my car broke down.
• Tom was afraid his car would break down.
• His car broke down in remote countryside.
• My car broke down, so I had to take a bus.
• He said, "My car is always breaking down."
• The car broke down, so that we had to walk.
• The car broke down on the way to the airport.
• I had to walk here because my car broke down.
• The car broke down five miles outside of town.
• Tom had to walk home since his car broke down.
• I had to walk there because my car broke down.
• Our car broke down in the middle of the street.
• Maria took the metro, since her car broke down.
• The car broke down after half an hour's driving.
• It was his car, not mine, that broke down yesterday.
• The ambulance broke down in the middle of the avenue.
• Tom's car broke down on his way to work this morning.
• I cannot drive Taninna to school. My car is broken down.
• A broken-down car was standing in the middle of the road.
• He had the kindness to lend me his car when mine broke down.
• Tom would've been here by now if his car hadn't broken down.
• Well, this is a wonderfully hot day for my car to break down.
• My car, which broke down yesterday, has not been repaired yet.
• If you weren't careless, your word processor wouldn't break down.
• My car broke down this morning and won't be repaired until Friday.
• I hope that my car doesn't break down, and that I arrive at yours on time.
• My plans for the weekend went pear shaped when my car broke down on Saturday morning.
• Tom regrets buying the car sight unseen, because it's broken down twice in two months.
• Unfortunately the expensive automobile that I purchased last week has broken down.
• My motorcycle broke down on the way.
• The washing machine has broken down.
• This machine sometimes breaks down.
• The bus broke down at one end of the bridge.
• The iron broke down due to over-heating.
• The motorcycle I borrowed from him broke down.
• The bus broke down on the way, so I ran to school.
• The motorcycle which I borrowed from him broke down.
• My rusty Ford broke down, obstructing the intersection.
• The ambulance broke down in the middle of the busy avenue.
• My television was broken down, so I had to get it repaired.
• As our taxi broke down on the way, we had to walk to the station.
• Mary's washing machine broke down a week after the warranty had run out.
• Tom's mower broke down when he was half way through mowing his lawn.
• Our 2CV broke down.

break away

to separate or leave from a person, place, etc

• She broke away crying.
• Can you break away from your parents?
• Scotland wants to break away from England.
• Modern art has broken away from nineteenth century conventions.

to escape

• The prisoner broke away from the guards who were holding him.
• Two police officers tried to restrain him, but he broke away and ran into a nearby house.

boot up

to turn on a computer

• My computer doesn't boot up anymore.
• My computer crashed and now it won't boot up.

boil down to

to be summarized as

• What he said boils down to this.
• That boils down to the same thing.
• A long discussion boiled down to a realistic conclusion.
• What it all boils down to is that we are in the same boat.
• The Displacement of the idea that facts and evidence matter, by the idea that everything boils down to subjective interests and perspectives is — second only to American political campaigns — the most prominent and pernicious manifestation of anti-intellectualism in our time.

blow up

to explode

• We are going to blow this place up.
• The plane was blown up by hijackers.
• They defused the bomb before it could blow up.
• Somebody tried to blow up our office building.
• The kidnappers wanted Tom to blow up that building.

to inflate

• After you blow up those balloons, could you sweep the room?

block off

to close, to cover, to obstruct

• The air was blocked off, extinguishing the fire.
• Main Street was blocked off all morning for the parade.
• It's a pity that they've blocked off the main street because of a burst water main.
• Scores of heavily armed soldiers tightened their grip on the capital. They are blocking streets and cordoning off government buildings as well as the airport.

black out

to faint, to lose consciousness

• I blacked out.
• Tom blacked out.
• Suddenly, I blacked out.
• I must have blacked out.
• She blacked out on seeing the scene of the accident.
• My mother blacked out on seeing the scene of the accident.
• I was drinking with total abandon and blacked out. I have no idea what I was doing.

beef up

to improve

• We must beef up our organization.
• The President says we must beef up our military forces.
• They'd better beef up their report or it won't be accepted.
• Security has been beefed up for the education minister's visit to the university because student protests are expected.

bear with

to be patient

• Please bear with me.
• Please bear with me until I finish the story.
• The only thing we could do was to bear with it.
• I'm a bit serious today, but please bear with me.
• Never love unless you can bear with all the faults of man.
• I'm ashamed to tell such a muddled story in this dreary, rainy season, but please bear with me for a while.
• By the way, this week - no matter what flags are set - it's a certainty that there will be no ecchi scenes. You'll just have to bear with it a while.

bear out

to confirm that something is true

• These facts bear out my hypothesis.
• The facts bear out this hypothesis.
• These facts will bear out his story.
• What he said bears out my assumption.

bargain for

to expect or be prepared for something

• He got more than he bargained for.
• Tom got more than he bargained for.
• She got more than she bargained for.
• Tom didn't get what he bargained for.
• I didn't bargain for Mary's coming so soon.
• This bad weather is more than I bargained for.
• More people came to the party than I had bargained for.
• His opposition was more violent than I had bargained for.
• His opposition was more violent than he had bargained for.

bank on

to rely on something or somebody

• You can bank on me.
• You can bank on that.
• I was banking on him to help me.
• I bank on him to solve the matter.
• I wouldn't bank on it if I were you.
• Don't bank too much on that business.
• We are banking on fine weather for the sports day.
• We're banking on you to provide all the money we need.
• The main race yesterday was no surprise. That's the kind of race you can bank on.

band together

to unite as a group in order to achieve something

• We need to band together to beat the enemy.
• The workers banded together to go on strike and fight the company.
• The parents in this community have banded together to support their schools, with the end result being notably higher student test scores and graduation rates.

back up

to support

• I'll back you up.
• Tom stayed to back me up.
• I need you to back me up.
• He backed us up in the case.
• Nobody backed up what I said.
• Tom is willing to back Mary up.
• They backed me up in everything.
• They backed him up in everything.
• He backed us up during that incident.
• I need to find someone to back up Tom's alibi.
• Go talk to Jane. She'll back up everything I've said.
• He will not get the job without someone to back him up.
• We should back him up so as to make the project a success.
• I hope you've got some proof to back up your allegations.
• Tom couldn't produce any evidence to back his statement up.
• Guys, I'll do my utmost to back you up. We'll make this event a success no matter what!
• If there is somebody to back me up, the business will be successful.
• I talk like this 'cause I can back it up.
• I'm fed up with always backing you up.
• The agreement, unless backed up by action, is meaningless.

to drive a car backwards

• Tom backed up the car and turned around.
• Don't back up. There's a tree behind you.
• She managed to back up through the narrow driveway.
• This is the first time I've ever backed up this car.
• That kid was almost run over when the truck backed up.
• Tom always looks in the rearview mirror before he backs up.
• "What happened to your nose?" "When I was backing my car up I went to check behind me, convinced that the car window was open, and bashed my face into it!"
• While backing up, I bumped into another car and set off its alarm.
• Yesterday, when Tom was backing up his car, he ran over Mary's bicycle.

to make a copy of computer information

• Tom backed up his data.
• Make sure to back up all your files.
• Tom started to back up.
• I am spending my Saturday backing up my computer files to reboot my computer and filling out applications.

back out

to withdraw from a promise, agreement, etc

• You backed out.
• You can't back out.
• I'm not backing out.
• The buyer backed out.
• We can't back out now.
• Tom can't back out now.
• I knew Tom would back out.
• Are you backing out already?
• You can't back out on me now.
• I thought you might back out.
• It's too late to back out now.
• It's too late for us to back out.
• She backed out at the last moment.
• I'm counting on you not to back out.
• You're not backing out now, are you?
• If you back out, the deal won't go through.
• You can't back out of your responsibilities.
• I'm not trying to back out of that agreement.
• The wholesalers might try to back out of the deal.
• We were forced to back out of a contract due to the earthquake.
• Harry had to back out of the competition because of a broken arm.
• Don't tell me you're going to back out after all the plans we've made.
• To Bob's disappointment, several of those who had promised to help him afterwards backed out.

back down

to withdraw, to retract

• Don't back down.
• Tom won't back down.
• Jane never backs down.
• We'll never back down.
• Tom wouldn't back down.
• Tom can't back down now.
• Tom isn't going to back down.
• Tom isn't about to back down.
• Tom isn't about to back down now.
• Tom won't back down from any fight, no matter who he's up against.
• Tom certainly doesn't seem like the kind of person that would back down.
• The LDP brought out a bill to raise taxes, but they met with such violent opposition that they backed down.

back away

to move backwards

• Now back away.
• Just back away.
• Tom backed away.
• Tom slowly backed away.
• He backed abruptly away.
• Tom backs away from the door.
• Tom instinctively backed away.
• Torn by contradictions went back away.
• Tom wanted to give Mary a goodbye kiss. However, she backed away.
• At the moment she saw a tall man with a gun standing in the doorway, she instinctively backed away.

avail (oneself) of

to take advantage of something

• He availed himself of the rain.
• He availed himself of the offer.
• He availed himself of the chance.
• You should avail yourself of enemies.
• She availed herself of every opportunity.
• I availed myself of the chance to go there.
• You must avail yourself of every opportunity.
• I availed myself of a holiday to visit Tokyo.
• I availed myself of this favorable opportunity.
• You should avail yourself of every opportunity.
• You had better avail yourself of this opportunity.
• You should avail yourself of the chance to go abroad.
• You should avail yourself of the books in the library.
• You should avail yourself of every opportunity to learn.
• He availed himself of the first chance to visit America.
• You should avail yourself of this opportunity without fail.
• She availed herself of every opportunity to improve her English.
• He was glad to avail himself of any means to succeed in life.
• He availed himself of the 'off-and-on' holidays to visit his native country.
• Being underage is the inability to avail oneself of one's mind without the guidance of another.

ask out

to invite someone to go on a date

• I asked her out.
• I asked Tom out.
• He asked me out.
• She asked me out.
• I asked Mary out.
• I'll ask Mary out.
• Tom asked Mary out.
• I didn't ask you out.
• Tom asked me out again.
• Tom regrets not having asked Mary out when he had the chance, and now she's going out with his best friend.
• I decided. I'm going to ask him out tonight.
• She asked him out on a date, but he said no since he thought girls should not ask boys out.
• Now that Tom and Mary have broken up, it's probably OK to ask her out on a date.
• Yesterday, I asked Hiromi out on a date, but she rejected my offer out of hand.
• Tom asked Mary out on a date, but she said no. A year later they were married.
• What do you have to lose by asking her out on a date? A little pride maybe?
• If circumstances were different, he might have asked her out on a date.
• I wanted to ask Mary out but I chickened out at the last moment.
• Tom wanted to ask Mary out, but he was afraid she would say no.
• No sooner had Mary broken up with Tom than John asked her out.
• I finally overcame my shyness and asked him out on a date.
• I cannot ask Taninna out. I don't speak Berber very well.
• Tom just took a chance and called Mary to ask her out.
• You sort of hinted that you wanted me to ask you out.
• Tom was surprised when Mary asked him out on a date.
• Tom finally mustered up the courage to ask Mary out.
• I want to ask her out, but I don't have the courage.
• This is the first time I've ever asked Taninna out.
• If you really like Mary, you should ask her out.
• Tom asked Mary out on a date and she accepted.
• Tom is the only boy who's ever asked Mary out.
• Tom asked Mary out to dinner, but she said no.
• Tom knew that Mary wanted him to ask her out.
• Mary has never ever been asked out on a date.
• Tom finally made up his mind to ask Mary out.
• You should ask Mary out.
• I asked her out on a date.
• He asked me out on a date.
• I decided to ask Mary out.
• I'm going to ask Mary out.
• Tom has just asked me out.
• He asked me out to dinner.
• Has Tom asked you out yet?
• Did Tom ask you out again?
• She asked me out on a date.

ask in

to invite someone to enter

• Tom is at the door. Please ask him in.

ask around

to ask several people for help or information

• If you don't know, you had better ask around.
• After searching and asking around, they still couldn't find a suitable place.
• I'll ask around.
• I asked around about Tom.
• I asked around about him.
• I'll ask around and see what people think.
• I'll ask around and tell you if I find out anything.
• I'll ask around and see if I can find out if anyone has ideas on how to solve the problem.
• I'll ask around and see if I can find any other information.
• I'll ask around and see if anyone knows of a solution to this problem.
• I'll ask around and see if anyone knows anything about what happened.
• I'll ask around and see if anyone I know has a room you can rent.
• I'll ask around at school and see if anybody would like to volunteer to help us.
• I'll ask around and see if anyone can help us out with this.
• I asked around about you.
• I'll have to ask around.
• I asked around and everybody says Tom is a good guy.
• I'll ask around to see if anyone knows what causes this kind of problem.
• I'll ask around to see if anyone has any suggestions.
• I'll ask around to see if anyone's seen or heard anything.
• I've asked around and everybody says that we shouldn't trust you.
• I'll ask around and let you know if I find anything out.
• I'll ask around and let you know what I find out.

ask after

to ask for news about someone, especially about health

• My mother wrote to me and asked after my health.
• If you happen to see Mary, tell her Tom was asking after her.
• She asked after my parents' health when I met her the other day.
• I've been to Osaka to ask after my sick friend.
• The other day we went to ask after his brother.
• Don't forget to ask after Mr Long's wife when you see him.
• Mary asked after his father.
• There were a lot of people who came to ask after the famous actress.
• You asked after her? What did she say?
• He asked after my wife when I met him today.
• He asked after you last night.
• I asked after him.
• I asked after my sick friend.
• Taro asked after her father.
• He asked after you.
• He asked after my mother.
• Did you ask after her? What did she say?

arrive at

to reach a decision, result, solution, etc

• How did you arrive at this conclusion?
• An unexpected result was arrived at.
• There must be a way to arrive at a diplomatic solution.
• We arrived at that plan out of pure desperation, but the book sold well.
• Tom and Bill arrived at different conclusions from each other.
• How did you arrive at that conclusion?
• Tom and Bill arrived at the conclusion independently of each other.
• How did you arrive at such a conclusion?

apply for

to make a formal request for a job, loan, permission, scholarship, etc

• You should apply for that post.
• If I were you, I would apply for the scholarship.
• You need your parents' permission if you are going to apply for that.
• If you want this job, you must apply for it by tomorrow.
• Were I you, I would apply for the job.
• Have you applied for a passport yet?
• I applied for a visa.
• Peter applied to his boss for a raise.
• Tom is thinking about applying for a better-paying job.
• Tom is going to apply for a job with a computer company.
• When the school needed a new teacher, he applied for the position.
• I applied for membership in the association.
• I applied for a job as a lifeguard at the community pool.
• When applying for tickets, please give alternative dates.
• He applied for admission to the club.
• Tom applied for asylum.

appeal to

to make a request

• He appealed to us for help.
• He appealed to the judge for mercy.
• He appealed to a higher court against the decision.
• The President appealed to the nation for its cooperation.
• You must appeal to public opinion to win the election.
• I appeal to you to contribute to the new clinic.
• I appeal to him for his advice.
• We should appeal to reason instead of resorting to violence.
• We must appeal to public opinion about the matter.
• Mr. Yappari appealed to the judge for mercy.
• Cambodia appealed to the United Nations for help.
• The captain appealed to the referee against the decision.
• I have appealed to him to visit but he didn't come.
• The country appealed to the United Nations for help.
• The country appealed to Japan for help.
• Tom appealed to his mother to buy a new toy for him.
• We appealed to our teacher to go more slowly.
• The company appealed for people to take voluntary resignation.

to be attractive or interesting

• This topic is appealing to many.
• That kind of story appeals to me.
• The idea of camping has never appealed to me.
• His music and words appeal to young people.
• Rural life appeals to me very much.
• His exhibition at the city museum didn't appeal to me at all.
• Nuclear power plants don't appeal to everybody.
• Between you and me, Tom's idea doesn't appeal to me very much.
• This nude poster appeals visually to the young.
• Do these paintings appeal to you?
• Much to my surprise, my song appealed to many young people.
• Rock appeals to young men and women.

answer to

to take orders from someone, to give explanations to someone

• This machine answers to human voice.
• I may live alone but at least I don't have to answer to anyone.
• Democratic governments are supposed to answer to the people.
• Who do you think you are that I should answer to you?

answer for

to be responsible for something

• If anything goes wrong, I'll answer for the consequences.
• If you use the money, you will have to answer for it later.
• You've got to answer for the outcome.
• I will answer for the result.
• I will answer for the failure.
• I answer for it.
• You'll have to answer for your behavior.
• The Secret Service has to answer for the safety of the president.
• I'll answer for this accident.
• You must answer for your careless conduct.
• Do as I ask you or I won't answer for the result.
• You ought to answer for what you have done.
• Parents must answer for their children's conduct.
• He will answer for his crimes.
• He had to answer for the consequences of the project.

to speak on behalf of someone

• John answered for his sister.
• I'll answer for this man's honesty.
• I answered for him.
• I can't answer for his honesty.
• I can answer for his honesty, since I have known him for a long time.
• I'll answer for his character. I know him very well.

answer back

to reply rudely to someone who has more authority

The boy answered his father back.

Don't answer your mother back.

You shouldn't answer your mother back like that when she scolds you.

He didn't try to answer her back.

He answered his parents back.

She answered me back.

Don't answer me back.

angle for

to try to obtain something indirectly

He is angling for promotion.

He is probably angling for an invitation.

He was clearly angling for a reduction on his rent.

amount to

to add up a total, to calculate a total

The bill amounted to 100 dollars.

Our total debts amount to ten thousand dollars.

To Brian's surprise, his debt amounted to a considerable sum.

The total expense for the project amounts to one hundred million yen.

The company's profit amounted to $250 million before tax.

The money I have given him amounts to $10,000. to be the same, to have the same effect Your suggestion amounts to an order. Your remark amounts almost to insult. He found that all his efforts amounted to nothing. These conditions amount to refusal. This answer almost amounts to a threat. It all amounts to a lot of hard work. Riches amount to little without happiness. Your answer almost amounts to a threat.

allow for

to take into consideration

You must allow for his youth.

The program does not allow for changes at this point in time.

You have to allow for the boy's age.

Have you allowed for any error in your calculation?

We must allow for some delays.

We must allow for his poor health.

The jury were asked to allow for the age of the accused.

You should allow for a few rainy days on your trip.

Baseball players should allow for the wind in catching a fly.

The budget does not allow for this expenditure.

I've allowed for that possibility, too.

You have to allow for human weakness.

How much should I allow for travel expenses?

We've allowed for that possibility.

aim at

to design for a specific audience

The magazine is aimed at teenagers.

This production is primarily aimed at the American market.

The Hollywood-style cultural dance was clearly aimed at westerners.

The author may commit suicide as he aims at the tastes of public.

Trade companies aim at a new market in Asia.

This TV show is aimed at children.

This text is aimed at beginners.

The governor's speech was aimed at the press.

His criticisms were aimed at the Japanese government. to intend or be intended to achieve something Education shouldn't be aimed at passing a test. We are always aiming at improving in the quality of service. The country is aiming at decreasing its imports. We are aiming at establishing the five-day workweek. French cooking aims at making healthy, tasty food. It is wrong to aim at fame only. The new birth policy is aimed at achieving zero population growth. She aims at becoming a teacher.

agree with

to have the same opinion

I don't agree with him.

I agree with some of your opinions.

She agreed with him about the holiday plan.

I agree with everything Tom said.

Don't expect everyone to agree with you.

I may not agree with what you say, but I'll listen.

I agreed with his plan.

Tom agreed with everything Mary said.

I agree with him on that point.

That plan didn't agree with his way of thinking.

I'm glad someone agrees with me for once. to not cause you feel sick(usually used in the negative form) This food does not agree with me. Rich foods don't agree with my health. Fried food usually doesn't agree with me. Milk does not agree with me. Those oysters I ate last night didn't agree with me. Oysters don't agree with me.

advise against

to recommend not doing something

I advised him against smoking.

He advised us against doing it.

She advised him against doing it.

I'd strongly advise against going there.

I'd strongly advise against doing that.

I would advise against it.

I'd advise against it.

You can do that if you want, but I'd advise against it.

adhere to

to accept or obey a decision, rule, law, etc

Players must adhere to the rules of the game.

There will be chaos unless we all adhere to the rules.

to believe or support a plan, idea, opinion, etc

He adhered to his own theory.

He adhered to the original plan.

The older you grow, the more you tend to adhere to fixed ideas.

I adhered to my decision.

He adheres to the Democratic party.

She adhered strongly to her belief.

Muslims adhere to the teaching of the prophet Mohammed.

I don't adhere to any particular political tendency.

add up

to have a result or effect

His explanation of the problem adds up to nonsense.

His remarks added up to a condemnation of my plan.

Her explanation of the problem added up to nonsense.

What she wants to say just adds up to a refusal.

Her excuse added up to nothing.

Her statements add up to an admission of guilt.

This all adds up to one thing. to make sense Nothing adds up in the world. These figures don't add up. There were points in her testimony that didn't add up. That doesn't add up. Something doesn't add up. The numbers don't add up. to sum numbers, to calculate a total Please add up the bill. The money that Chris has not paid back adds up to a large sum. The figures add up to 230. Please add up the numbers. The bill added up to three thousand dollars. The loss adds up to $1,000,000. He added up the figures. He isn't smart enough to add up numbers in his head. The uncalled capital added up to half a million dollars. Tom added up the numbers. The loss adds up to more than one million dollars. It's discouraging that the travel expenses add up to 20,000 yen.

act up

to behave badly

The car is acting up again.

My microwave is acting up. I think I'd rather get a new one than repair this one.

My computer's acting up.

My back has been acting up since this morning, so I don't feel so well.

Hey, could someone call the tech guy? The printer's acting up again!

Our teacher got mad at Tom because he was acting up in class.

The Internet has been acting up lately.

act on

to do something after an advice, order, information, etc, has been received

You should have acted on her advice.

I'll act on your advice.

You should act on the doctor's advice at once.

The police are acting on information received.

I will act on your advice.

I acted on his advice.

You should act on your teacher's advice.

He acted on my advice.

They acted on the information.

He acted on your suggestion.

He was acting on orders.

ache for

to want something a lot

I ache for a sight of the sea.

I was aching for a cigarette.

He is still aching for his home.

She ached for home.

The soldiers ached for their homeland.

account for

to explain, to give a reason

How do you account for your being late?

You must account for your neglect of duty.

You must account for your conduct.

You have to account for your absence.

How do you account for your absence?

How do you account for the fact?

You have to account for the result.

Can you account for all the money you spent?

How do you account for your absence from the meeting?

Can you account for why our team lost?

I cannot account for what has happened.

Unusually low temperatures account for the poor rice crop this year.

I cannot account for her absence from school.

It accounts for the fact.

That accounts for the accident.

That accounts for why the door was open.

That accounts for her delay.

Not one of the girl's teachers could account for her poor examination results.

The student failed to account for the mistake.

What accounts for these symptoms hasn't been discovered yet.

This is the sort of thing you have to account for.

This fact accounts for his ignorance.

Can you account for your absence last Friday?

You have to account for your failure.

You must account for your absence.

You must account for your absence from the meeting.

How do you account for that?

How do you account for the accident?

How do you account for this situation?

How do you account for this fact?

Can you account for your car accident?

We ask you to account for your conduct.

The principal called him to account for being absent without an excuse.

I will account for the incident.

I cannot account for this strange happening.

I accounted for the failure.

A dry spell accounts for the poor crop.

What accounts for the fact that women outlive men?

A politician must always be able to account for money he receives.

Idleness often accounts for poverty.

The typhoon accounted for the closing of school.

No one could account for his poor examination results.

We ask you to account for your delay.

We called him to account for his long absence.

I can't account for his absence.

How do you account for his failure?

He could not account for his foolish mistake.

He couldn't account for his foolish mistake.

He accounted for his strange acts.

Can he account for his action?

He was asked to account for his failure.

Her tears accounted for what had happened.

She was asked to account for her conduct.

Can you account for all the money you spent on your trip?

It is man's intelligence that makes him so often behave more stupidly than the beasts. ... Man is impelled to invent theories to account for what happens in the world. Unfortunately, he is not quite intelligent enough, in most cases, to find correct explanations.

I must confess that my theory doesn't account for that fact.

The scientific method accounts for measurable uncertainties.

Tom can't account for his whereabouts on the day that Mary was murdered.

Everything must be accounted for.

In your reckoning, what accounts for these phenomena?

How would it be possible to account for the genesis of structures if we are always already within a structure?

Those people will be held to account for their actions.

Can you account for your whereabouts on the night of the murder?

to constitute a part or quantity

Although CFIT accounted for just over a third of crashes in the past six years, it caused 53% of the deaths.

Chemical products account for approximately two-thirds of our exports.

Diet accounts for more than one million deaths.

A study shows lung cancer accounts for 17% of women's cancer deaths.

If these tendencies continue, those aged 65 or more will account for a quarter of the population within 30 years.

Between them, the two largest companies account for a share large than 50% of the market.

Japan is a service economy, in which services account for more than 50% of the GNP.

Imported cars account for less than eight percent.

Dieting accounts for more than one million deaths.

Women represent around half of the world's population but they account for more than 60% of those going hungry.

This item now accounts for 20 percent of our sales.

Power plants are the largest major source of emissions in the U.S., together accounting for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas pollution.

The well-known 80/20 rules applies in that 20% of articles may account for 80% of the citations.