Pack away- Put something where it belongsPack in- Stop doing somethingPack it in
- End a relationship
- Fill a venue
- Break down, stop working- Stop doing something (used as an imperative)Pack off- Send someone awayPack out- Fill a venuePack up- Stop doing something
- Finish work
- Break down, stop working
- Collect things and put them where you keep them
Pad down- Sleep somewhere for the nightPad out- Make a text longer by including extra content, often content that isn't particularly relevant
Pair off- Begin a romantic relationshipPair off with
- Introduce people, hoping they will start a relationship
- Form pairs- Form a pair with someonePair up- Form a pair
Palm off- Get someone to accept something that isn't true
- Pretend something is better than it is in order to sell it
Pan out- The way a situation develops
Paper over- Try to conceal a problem without really fixing it
Pare back- If you pare something back, you reduce the size or numbers.Pare down- Reduce, decrease
Pass around- Give out to everybody therePass as- Be believed to be somethingPass away- DiePass by- Go past without stoppingPass for
- Visit briefly
- Miss an opportunity- Be accepted as something, usually when notPass off- Convince something that something is realPass on
- Happen in a certain way- Give a message to someonePass out
- Decline an invitation or opportunity
- Die- Faint, lose consciousnessPass over- Ignore someone and give a job, reward, etc, to someone more juniorPass through- Visit a place without stopping or only stopping brieflyPass to- Give ownership or responsibility to someonePass up- Decline a chance
Patch up- Fix or make things better
Pay back- Repay money borrowedPay for
- Take revenge on- PurchasePay into- Deposit moneyPay off- Completely repay a debt
- Produce a profitable or successful result
Peck at- Eat very small amounts
Peg away- Keep working at somethingPeg down- Fasten something to the groundPeg it- DiePeg out- Put washing outside to dry
- Die
Pencil in- Make a provisional appointment
Perk up- Feel better or happier, make someone feel better or happier
Peter out- Lose impetus and stop
Phase in- Introduce graduallyPhase out- Remove gradually
Pick at- Eat unwillinglyPick off
- Criticise- Target individuals to change a groupPick on- Bother, annoy, criticize or make fun of someonePick out- ChoosePick through
- Identify from a picture- Search something that is disordered for somethingPick up- ImprovePick up after
- Learn quickly
- Collect
- Receive (a broadcast)
- Collect (a person). This differs from the 'collect a thing' meaning - as that means 'collect and bring back' whereas this means either (i) 'collect and drop off on your way' or (ii) 'collect and bring to the same destination'.- Tidy a mess someone else has madePick up on- Correct someone when they say something wrongPick yourself up
- Notice something that most people don't
- React to something
- Comment on something said earlier in a conversation- Recover from a fall or problem
Pig off- Used to tell someone to get lost or leave you alonePig out- Eat a lot
Pile up- Accumulate
Pin down- Get a fixed idea, opinion, etc, from someone.Pin on
- Discover exact details about something- Attach the blame to someonePin up- Fix something to a wall, or other vertical surface, with a pin
Pine away- Suffer physically because of grief, stress, worry, etc
Pipe down- Be quiet (often as an imperative)Pipe up- To speak, raise your voice
Pit against- Compete or force to competePit out- Go into the pits (car racing)
Pitch for- Try to persuade someone to give your work, business, a job, etcPitch in- Work together to help achieve an objectivePitch into- Criticise severely or attack someone
Play along- Pretend to agree or accept something in order to keep someone happy or to get more informationPlay around- Be sillyPlay at- Pretend to be somethingPlay away- Be sexually unfaithful when away from homePlay back- Listen to or watch something you've recordedPlay down- Try to make something seem less importantPlay off- Play a game to decide who the winner isPlay on
- Make people compete against each other so that you benefit- Continue playing a sport though there might be a reason to stopPlay out
- Continue playing music
- Exploit a weakness
- Pun- Progress, often till it finishesPlay up
- Pretend that something is real and reduce its effect
- Play something to the end- Behave badlyPlay up to- Flatter someonePlay upon- Exploit a weaknessPlay with- Touch and move something to occupy your hands
- Not eat much of a meal
- Consider something, but not seriously
Plead out- Plead guilty to get a reduced sentence or fine
Plough back- Re-invest money you have made into a businessPlough into- Collide into at speedPlough on- Continue doing something you don't want toPlough through- Eat a big mealPlough up
- Read something that is difficult or takes a lot of time
- Move through somewhere where there is little space or there are obstacles- Break the surface of soil
Plow back- Re-invest money you have made into a businessPlow into- Collide into at speedPlow on- Continue doing something you don't want toPlow through- Eat a big mealPlow up
- Read something that is difficult or takes a lot of time
- Move through somewhere where there is little space or there are obstacles- Break the surface of soil
Plug in- Connect machines to the electricity supply
Plump for- Choose
Point out- Make someone aware of something
Polish off- Finish, consumePolish up- Improve something quickly
Pony up- Pay for something
Poop out- Get too tired to do somethingPoop out on- Fail to keep an appointment
Pop in- Visit for a short timePop off- Talk loudly, complainPop out
- Go out for a short time- Go out for a short timePop up- Appear, like windows and boxes opening on a computer screen.
- Appear unexpectedly
Potter about- Spend time doing little things for pleasurePotter around- Spend some time doing little things for pleasure
Pour down- Rain hardPour forth- Emerge from a place in large numbers
Prattle on- Talk too much
Press ahead- Continue with somethingPress on- Continue with something
Price up- Charge more for something
Print out- Make a hard copy of a computer document
Prop up- Support something, both physically and financially, politically, etc.
Psych out- Work out or anticipate someone's intentionsPsych up
- Make someone less confident- Prepare someone mentally
Pull ahead- Overtake, move in frontPull apart- Destroy an argument, theory, etcPull away
- Stop people or animals fighting
- Make someone unhappy or upset- When a vehicle moves from a placePull back- Score a goal or point when losingPull down
- Move away from a place, especially when talking about soldiers
- Move away from someone
- Decide not to do something or not to be involved with it any longer- DemolishPull for
- Make someone depressed
- Earn- SupportPull in- When a train arrives at a stationPull off
- Attract
- Stop a car by the side of the road
- Areest or take someone to a police station for questioning- Manage to do something difficult or trickyPull on
- Start moving (vehicles)- Put clothes onPull out- Start moving (train)Pull over
- Move into traffic
- Withdraw
- Remove soldiers from an area- Stop by the side of the roadPull through
- Make a vehicle stop- Recover from and illness or problemPull to- Close a door or window that has been left openPull together- Work together as a teamPull up- Slow and stop a carPull yourself together
- Inform someone that they are wrong- Become calm or regain control of your emotions
Push in- Get in a queue without waiting
Put across- Communicate, convey a messagePut away- Put something back in the correct placePut back
- Put someone in prison- Rearrange something for a later timePut by- Save for the futurePut down- Kill an animal because it's old, ill, etc.Put down for
- Stop holding (but withdraw support gently)- Commit to make a paymentPut down to- Give as an explanationPut in- InstallPut in for- Make a requestPut off- PostponePut on
- Stop liking something or somebody- Get fatPut out
- Deceive, lie
- Start wearing- BroadcastPut through
- Disturb or trouble someone
- Extinguish a cigarette, fire, etc.- Connect someone by phonePut towards- Make a financial contributionPut up- Allow someone to stay at your house for a night or a few days.Put up with
- Increase prices, taxes, duties, etc.- Tolerate
