English Phrasal Verb Dictionary: S

List of English Phrasal Verbs Beginning With 'S'

Sack (1)

Sack out

- Fall asleep

Saddle (2)

Saddle up

- Put a saddle on and prepare an animal to ride

Saddle with

- Give someone a task or responsibility that is difficult or hard work

Sag (1)

Sag off

- Not go to school or work, or leave early when you shouldn't

Sail (2)

Sail into

- Criticise angrily

Sail through

- Pass easily, succeed

Sally (2)

Sally forth

- Leave somewhere safe or comfortable

Sally out

- Leave somewhere safe or comfortable

Salt (1)

Salt away

- Save money

Save (2)

Save on

- Reduce or avoid consumption to cut costs

Save up

- For money for a particular purpose
- Collect or store something for future use

Saw (2)

Saw off

- To remove something by cutting it with a saw

Saw up

- Cut into pieces with a saw

Scale (3)

Scale back

- Make something smaller than originally planned
- Reduce the activity or expenditure in your life

Scale down

- Make something smaller than originally planned

Scale up

- Increase, make bigger

Scare (2)

Scare away

- Frighten someone some much that they go away

Scare off

- Make someone so frightened that he or she away

Scout (5)

Scout about

- Look in different places for something

Scout around

- Look in different places for something

Scout out

- Search for something

Scout round

- Look in different places for something

Scout up

- Try to find someone for a task or requirement

Scrape (7)

Scrape along

- Manage with little money

Scrape by

- Just manage to pass something

Scrape in

- Just get enough to succeed, pass or be accepted

Scrape into

- Be accepted somewhere, but only just

Scrape through

- Pass a test but only just

Scrape together

- Manage to collect enough of something you need, usually money

Scrape up

- Manage to collect enough of something you need, usually money

Scratch (1)

Scratch around for

- Search for something that is hard to find

Screen (2)

Screen off

- Separate a part of a room with something like a curtain, screen, etc.

Screen out

- Exclude
- Block light
- Stop noticing something

Screw (3)

Screw around

- Waste time
- Be sexually promiscuous

Screw over

- Treat harshly or cheat

Screw up

- Do badly or fail

Scuzz (1)

Scuzz up

- Spiil, ruin, contaminate

See (6)

See about

- Arrange, consider

See into

- Accompany someone into an office

See off

- Chase somebody or something away
- Go to the airport, station, etc., to say goodbye to someone

See out

- Accompany a guest to your front door when they are leaving your house

See through

- Continue with something to the end
- Realise someone is lying or being deceitful

See to

- Deal with something

Seek (1)

Seek out

- Search for something until you find it

Sell (4)

Sell off

- Sell a business or part of it
- Sell something cheaply because you need the money or don't need it

Sell on

- Convince someone
- Buy something then sell it to someone else

Sell out

- Have no more of something left because it has been bought
- Lose all artistic integrity in return for commercial success

Sell up

- Sell a house or business to move somewhere or do something different

Send (8)

Send back

- Return something

Send for

- Ask someone to come and help

Send in

- Order people into a place to handle a problem
- Write to get information

Send off

- Expel a sports player from a match
- Post a letter

Send off for

- Order something by post

Send out

- Send something to a lot of people

Send out for

- Order takeaway food by phone

Send up

- Imitate/impersonate for comic effect

Set (12)

Set about

- Start doing something
- Attack

Set apart

- Distinguish, be better than or different from others

Set aside

- Overturn a court verdict or decision

Set back

- Cost
- Delay

Set forth

- State or outline an opinion
- Start a journey

Set in

- Change season noticeably

Set off

- Explode a bomb
- Ring an alarm
- Start a journey
- Counterbalance a debt
- Provide a visual contrast that looks good
- Cause, trigger events

Set on

- Attack

Set out

- Display, show
- Start a journey
- Arrange, organise

Set to

- Work hard or enthusiastically

Set up

- Prepare equipment, software, etc., for use
- Start a company
- Provide someone with the money needed to live
- Trick, deceive

Set upon

- Attack

Settle (5)

Settle down

- Start living a fixed and routine life

Settle for

- Accept whatever is available

Settle in

- Get used to

Settle on

- Agree

Settle up

- Pay a debt

Sex (1)

Sex up

- Change information to make it more attractive to the reader or listener

Shack (1)

Shack up

- Live with someone when you are in a relationship.
- Live somewhere temporarily

Shade (2)

Shade in

- Make a part of a picture darker

Shade out

- Leave a place without saying goodbye

Shake (4)

Shake down

- Search
- Extort or cheat money from someone

Shake off

- Get rid of an illness

Shake out

- Shake clothes, cloths, etc to remove dirt or creases

Shake up

- Upset or shock
- Make major changes to improve or save a company, organisation, etc
- Mix things in a container by shaking hard

Shape (1)

Shape up

- Develop in a positive way
- Improve to reach an acceptable standard

Share (2)

Share in

- Have a part in a project, activity, etc

Share out

- Divide and distribute

Shave (3)

Shave by

- Reduce by a certain amount

Shave from

- Remove, cut off

Shave off

- Shave completely
- Reduce by a small amount

Shell (1)

Shell out

- Spend money on something, especially when you think it's too expensive

Ship (2)

Ship off

- Send someone away, often because of a problem

Ship out

- Send goods to a place
- Leave a place

Shoot (6)

Shoot away

- Leave somewhere quickly

Shoot back

- Return quickly

Shoot for

- Have as a goal

Shoot off

- Leave promptly and quickly

Shoot out

- Go out for a short time

Shoot up

- Increase quickly
- Take illicit drugs intravenously.
- Damage with gun-shots
- Increase quickly, grow

Shop (1)

Shop around

- Look around for the best price, quality, etc.

Shore (1)

Shore up

- Support something to make it stronger

Short (1)

Short out

- Short circuit

Shout (2)

Shout down

- Make so much noise to stop someone being heard

Shout out

- Say something loudly, often to attract someone's attention

Show (8)

Show around

- Take someone to a place to show them certain parts

Show in

- Take someone into an office or other room

Show off

- Behave in a way so as to attract attention
- Display something you are proud of
- Make the qualities of another thing more apparent

Show out

- Take someone to out of a room or building

Show over

- Take someone around a site

Show round

- Take someone to a place to show them certain parts

Show through

- When a feeling can be seen despite attempts to conceal it

Show up

- Attend something or arrive somewhere
- Become clear or apparent
- Make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed

Shrug (1)

Shrug off

- Disregard something, not consider it important or harmful

Shut (8)

Shut away

- Imprison or remove someone's freedom

Shut down

- Close a business, shop, etc.
- Turn a computer off

Shut in

- Prevent someone from leaving

Shut off

- Close, prevent access

Shut out

- Exclude
- Not allow a player or team to score

Shut out of

- Exclude someone from an activity, etc

Shut up

- Stop talking or making noise
- Close for a period of time

Shut yourself away

- Withdraw from company

Shy (2)

Shy away

- Retreat or shrink from something unpleasant or frightening

Shy away from

- Avoid doing something because you lack confidence

Side (1)

Side with

- Support someone

Sidle (1)

Sidle up to

- Approach someone discreetly

Sift (1)

Sift through

- Examine a lot of things carefully

Sign (12)

Sign away

- Give away legal or property rights

Sign for

- Write a signature on behalf on someone

Sign in

- Register in a hotel
- Open a computer program that requires a name and password
- Write your name when entering a place

Sign into

- Open a particular computer program that requires a name and password

Sign off

- End a message
- Close a claim for unemployment benefit
- Stop doing something to leave
- Give someone a letter to be away from work

Sign off on

- Give official approval

Sign on

- Open a claim for unemployment benefit
- Agree to participate
- Start broadcasting
- Employ

Sign on with

- Sign a document joining or agreeing to something

Sign out

- Close a computer program that requires a name and password
- Sign something to show you have borrowed something

Sign out of

- Close a particular computer program that requires a name and password

Sign up

- Give your name to do something
- Subscribe

Sign with

- Make a contract with

Simmer (1)

Simmer down

- Become calmer, make less noise
- Become less excited, noisy or angry,

Sing (3)

Sing along

- To sing when a piece of music is being played or performed by someone else.

Sing out

- Reply loudly
- Sing loudly

Sing up

- Sing louder

Single (1)

Single out

- Select or choose one from a group

Sink (1)

Sink in

- Slowly come to be understood

Sit (15)

Sit about

- Sit and do nothing, especially when you should be working

Sit around

- Sit idly, doing nothing

Sit back

- Wait for something to happen without making any effort
- Relax in a chair

Sit by

- Not try to stop something

Sit down

- Help someone to sit

Sit for

- Pose for an artist or photographer
- Look after children while their parents are out

Sit in

- Occupy a building to protest about something

Sit in for

- Take on someone's responsibilities while they are absent

Sit in on

- Attend as an observer

Sit on

- Be on a committee
- To handle somebody firmly who behaves impertinently, conceitedly
- Hold information back or keep it secret

Sit out

- Not take part

Sit over

- Eat or drink slowly

Sit through

- Stay till the end of something dull

Sit up

- Suddenly take notice or pay attention
- Move from lying down to a sitting position

Sit with

- Reconcile different positions

Size (1)

Size up

- Assess a situation or person carefully.
- Make something bigger or produce bigger products

Skin (1)

Skin up

- Make a cannabis joint
- Make a cannabis joint

Skive (1)

Skive off

- Avoid doing work or other duty

Slack (1)

Slack off

- Reduce one's effort, perform with less enthusiasm and energy

Slacken (1)

Slacken off

- Become less busy or intense

Slag (1)

Slag off

- Criticise heavily

Slant (1)

Slant toward

- Favour one viewpoint, bias

Sleep (7)

Sleep around

- Be sexually promiscuous

Sleep in

- Sleep longer than usual

Sleep off

- Sleep in order to recover from excess alcohol, drugs, etc.

Sleep on

- Think about something

Sleep over

- Spend the night at someone else's house

Sleep through

- Not wake up

Sleep together

- Have sex

Slice (2)

Slice off

- Cut, remove an amount or part of something

Slice up

- Cut completely into pieces or slices

Slip (11)

Slip away

- Lose an opportunity or the chance of winning, succeeding, etc
- Pass quickly (time)

Slip by

- Pass quickly (time)
- Lose an opportunity or the chance of winning, succeeding, etc

Slip down

- Be enjoyable to drink or eat

Slip in

- Try to include something discreetly when speaking

Slip into

- Put clothes on quickly
- Acquire bad habits or fall into a bad or negative state or condition

Slip off

- Leave a place discreetly
- Remove clothes

Slip off to

- Go somewhere discreetly

Slip on

- Put clothes on quickly

Slip out

- Leave discreetly

Slip through

- Escape notice and be approved

Slip up

- Make an error

Slob (2)

Slob about

- Be lazy, do nothing

Slob around

- Be lazy, do nothing

Slope (1)

Slope off

- Leave somewhere without letting others know

Slough (1)

Slough off

- Get rid of, dispose
- Lose or shed outer layers of skin
- Ignore or trivialize an injury or insult

Slow (2)

Slow down

- Reduce speed
- Become less active

Slow up

- Slow the progress of something

Slug (1)

Slug it out

- Fight or argue

Smack (1)

Smack of

- Appear to have a negative quality

Smash (3)

Smash down

- Demolish or break something down

Smash in

- Break something by hitting it repeatedly

Smash up

- Destroy, break into many pieces

Smoke (1)

Smoke out

- Force someone out of a place they're hiding in

Snaffle (1)

Snaffle up

- Consume, take, buy something other people may want

Snap (4)

Snap off

- Break a piece off something

Snap out of

- Control negative emotions

Snap to it!

- Do something quickly

Snap up

- Get, acquire or buy something quickly

Snarl (1)

Snarl up

- Entangle

Sneak (2)

Sneak out

- Depart furtively

Sneak up on

- Approach someone furtively
- Approach someone furtively

Sneeze (1)

Sneeze at

- To dismiss casually, usually used negatively

Sniff (3)

Sniff around

- Look around to see how good something is or to try to find something better

Sniff at

- Disapprove or be scornful

Sniff out

- Find something by smell (usually for dogs)
- Find out information, especially when people don't want anyone to know

Snitch (1)

Snitch on

- Divulge secrets, inform authorities about someone

Snuff (1)

Snuff out

- Extinguish a small flame by covering it
- Kill
- End something suddenly

Soak (1)

Soak up

- Absorb
- Spend time doing or experiencing something enjoyable

Sober (1)

Sober up

- Stop showing the effects of alcohol or drugs

Sock (2)

Sock away

- Save money in a bank account, investment, etc

Sock in

- Close access to a place because of bad weather

Soften (1)

Soften up

- Weaken
- Do things to please someone in the hope that they will do what you want

Soldier (1)

Soldier on

- Continue even when things get difficult

Sort (1)

Sort out

- Resolve a problem

Sound (2)

Sound off

- To express your opinions forcefully

Sound out

- Check what someone thinks about an issue, idea, etc.

Spaff (1)

Spaff away

- Waste (money, time, resources, etc)

Spark (2)

Spark off

- Cause something, usually unpleasant, to happen

Spark up

- Light a cigarette or joint

Speak (2)

Speak out

- Talk openly and freely

Speak up

- Talk more loudly

Speed (1)

Speed up

- Move faster
- Make something faster

Spell (1)

Spell out

- Explain something in great detail
- Write or say the individual letters that make up a word

Spew (2)

Spew out

- Expel, throw out

Spew up

- Vomit

Spice (1)

Spice up

- Add spices or herbs to increase flavour
- Make something more interesting or exciting

Spiff (1)

Spiff up

- Make something smart or more presentable

Spike (1)

Spike up

- Increase sharply

Spill (2)

Spill out

- When large numbers of people leave a place at the same time
- Come or flow out of a box, container, etc
- Express or display emotions openly

Spill over

- When something bad has a wider impact on other people or situations
- Flow over the edge or top of a container

Spin (2)

Spin off

- Produce an unexpected additional benefit
- Form a separate company from part of an existing one
- Create a TV show using characters from a popular show

Spin out

- Lose control (vehicle)
- Make something last as long as possible

Spirit (2)

Spirit away

- Remove someone secretly from a place

Spirit off

- Remove someone secretly from a place

Spit (2)

Spit it out

- An informal way of telling someone to say something they are unwilling to say

Spit out

- Say something angrily

Splash (3)

Splash down

- Land in the sea (space capsules)

Splash out

- Spend a lot of money on something that is not essential

Splash out on

- Spend a lot of money on something

Split (1)

Split up

- Divide into groups
- Finish a relationship

Spoil (1)

Spoil for

- Really want something

Sponge (3)

Sponge down

- Clean something with a sponge

Sponge off

- Accept free food and support without any shame or qualms

Sponge on

- Accept or get money without doing any work

Spring (5)

Spring back

- Return to original position after being bent, forced or when pressure is removed

Spring for

- Pay for, often generously

Spring from

- Appear suddenly and unexpectedly
- Be the cause of something

Spring on

- Surprise someone

Spring up

- Appear suddenly

Spruce (1)

Spruce up

- To smarten, make something neat and tidy

Spur (1)

Spur on

- Encourage someone to continue

Square (6)

Square away

- Finish or sort something out

Square off

- Confront someone or prepare to fight them

Square off against

- Confront someone or prepare to fight them

Square up

- Pay back a debt
- Confront someone or prepare to fight them

Square up to

- Accept responsibility or guilt

Square with

- Match, conform to
- Check with someone that something is OK

Squeeze (1)

Squeeze up

- Get more people into a space than normal or comfortable

Stack (2)

Stack up

- Put things in a pile
- Accumulate
- Increase, accumulate something
- Be logical, make sense
- Build up the number of planes waiting to land at an airport

Stack up against

- Be as good as something

Staff (1)

Staff up

- Employ someone for something specific

Stamp (1)

Stamp out

- Get rid of something

Stand (12)

Stand about

- Spend time in a place waiting or doing nothing or very little

Stand around

- Spend time in a place waiting or doing nothing or very little

Stand aside

- Leave a position so that someone else can take it

Stand back

- Keep a distance from something
- Try to understand something by taking a different perspective

Stand by

- Support someone
- Be ready and waiting for something to happen

Stand down

- Leave a job or position so that someone else can take it
- Finish being asked questions in a court

Stand for

- Accept or tolerate behaviour
- The words represented by certain initials

Stand in for

- Substitute someone temporarily

Stand out

- Be extraordinary and different

Stand up

- Move from a sitting or lying down to a vertical position
- Fail to keep an appointment

Stand up for

- Defend, support

Stand up to

- Keep your principles when challenged by an authority
- Resist damage

Stare (1)

Stare down

- Look at someone until they cannot look at you

Start (9)

Start off

- Make something start
- Begin life, a career or existence
- Begin a journey
- Make someone laugh

Start off on

- Help someone to start a piece or work or activity

Start on

- Begin to use or consume
- Criticise angrily

Start on at

- Criticise or nag

Start out

- Begin a journey

Start out as

- Begin life, existence or a career

Start out to

- Intend, plan

Start over

- Begin something again

Start up

- Open a business
- Begin, especially sounds
- When an engine starts working
- Make an engine work
- Sit or stand upright because someone has surprised you

Stash (1)

Stash away

- Store or hide something in a safe place

Stave (2)

Stave in

- Push or break something inwards

Stave off

- Delay, prevent something from happening

Stay (7)

Stay away

- Not come

Stay away from

- Avoid, not come

Stay in

- Not go out

Stay on

- Remain longer than anticipated

Stay out

- Not go home

Stay over

- Stay overnight

Stay up

- Not go to bed

Steal (5)

Steal away

- Leave a place quietly or secretly

Steal out

- Leave in a stealthy or quiet manner

Steal over

- Be gradually overcome by an emotion or feeling

Steal up

- Approach quietly or secretly

Steal up on

- Approach a place or someone quietly or secretly

Steer (1)

Steer clear of

- Avoid

Stem (1)

Stem from

- Originate, be caused by

Step (9)

Step aside

- Leave a job or position so that someone else can take over

Step back

- Look at something from a different perspective

Step down

- Leave a job or position so that someone can take over
- Reduce

Step forward

- Offer help

Step in

- Get involved by interrupting something

Step on it

- An imperative used to tell someone to go faster, especially when driving

Step out

- Leave a place for a very short time

Step to

- Confront
- Chat, talk to

Step up

- Increase

Stick (12)

Stick around

- Stay in a place for some time

Stick at

- Continue doing something despite difficulties

Stick by

- Support someone when they are having difficulties
- Support a plan, opinion or decision

Stick down

- Write something quickly or without thinking about it
- Join surfaces with glue

Stick it to

- Criticise someone
- Treat someone badly or unfairly

Stick out

- Be easily noticed
- Extend part of your body
- Continue doing something difficult or unpleasant

Stick out for

- Demand a salary raise

Stick to

- Not change
- Restrict or limit and not change

Stick together

- Support each other

Stick up

- Stand on end
- Rob using weapons

Stick up for

- Support or defend

Stick with

- Not change something
- Stay near someone
- Not be forgotten
- Continue with something difficult or unpleasant

Stiffen (1)

Stiffen up

- Become rigid
- Make something rigid

Stir (1)

Stir up

- Make trouble for someone else

Stitch (1)

Stitch up

- Sew something so that it is closed
- Finalise a deal
- Cheat someone or make them look guilty when they aren't

Stomp (2)

Stomp off

- Leave somewhere angrily

Stomp on

- Treat badly or defeat

Stop (9)

Stop around

- Visit someone for a short time.

Stop back

- Return somewhere

Stop behind

- Stay somewhere when other people leave

Stop by

- Visit somewhere briefly or quickly

Stop in

- Stay at home
- Visit briefly

Stop off

- Break a journey

Stop out

- Be out late, especially when you are expected home

Stop over

- Stay somewhere when on a journey

Stop up

- Stay up late
- Fill or block something

Store (1)

Store up

- Memorise or commit something to memory for later use
- Do something that will probably cause problems later
- Keep or accumulate something to use later

Storm (2)

Storm off

- Leave a place angrily

Storm out

- Leave a place angrily

Stow (1)

Stow away

- Hide in a vehicle to travel without people knowing
- Store something in a safe place

Straighten (2)

Straighten out

- Make something straight
- Deal with a problem
- Make clear and resolve
- Improve someone's behaviour

Straighten up

- Stand straight
- Tidy

Stretch (2)

Stretch out

- Lie down with your limbs extended in a relaxed manner

Stretch to

- Manage to supply an amount of money even though it is more than you would like to give or pay

Stretcher (1)

Stretcher off

- Carry an injured player off the pitch, field, etc.

Strike (7)

Strike back

- Attack, take action against someone who has hurt you

Strike down

- Kill
- Make someone ill
- Disallow a law, decision, etc

Strike off

- Remove someone's professional licence to practise

Strike on

- Have a good idea

Strike out

- Start doing something new and different
- Try to hit someone
- Start going towards a place
- Cross writing out
- Fail

Strike up

- Start (conversation, relationship)
- Start performing music

Strike upon

- Have a good idea

String (4)

String along

- Deceive someone for a long time
- Accompany someone because you haven't got anything better to do

String out

- Make something last as long as possible

String together

- Put words together into a coherent text

String up

- Hang somebody

Strip (7)

Strip away

- Reduce or remove

Strip down

- Remove parts to make something more efficient or basic

Strip down to

- Remove clothing to a certain level

Strip of

- Remove a title, award or position

Strip off

- Remove clothes

Strip out

- Remove
- Remove
- Remove details like unnecessary figures to make something clear

Strip to

- Remove clothing to a certain level
- Remove clothing to a certain level

Stub (1)

Stub out

- Extinguish a cigarette

Stuff (1)

Stuff up

- Make a mistake, do badly, spoil

Stumble (2)

Stumble across

- Find something accidentally

Stumble upon

- Find something accidentally

Stump (1)

Stump up

- Pay for something

Suck (4)

Suck in

- Become involved in something unpleasant

Suck into

- Become involved in something unpleasant

Suck up

- Try to ingratiate yourself

Suck up to

- Ingratiate yourself with someone

Suit (1)

Suit up

- Get dressed or put on a uniform for an activity or task
- Wear a condom

Sum (1)

Sum up

- Summarise

Summon (1)

Summon up

- Get the energy or courage to do something

Suss (1)

Suss out

- Come to understand

Swallow (1)

Swallow up

- Take control of something much smaller, like a company or state
- Consume or take a lot of time, money, etc
- Destroy, make disappear

Swan (4)

Swan about

- Move in a dramatic or affected manner

Swan around

- Move in a dramatic or affected manner

Swan in

- Enter in a dramatic or attention-seeking manner

Swan off

- Leave somewhere in a defiant or pompous manner

Swear (4)

Swear by

- Have great confidence in

Swear down

- Promise that something is true

Swear in

- Take an oath to hold a public office

Swear off

- Decide to stop doing something, usually something harmful

Sweep (1)

Sweep through

- Pass easily, succeed
- Move quickly through

Swing (4)

Swing around

- Change your opinion quickly
- Turn around quickly

Swing at

- Try to hit

Swing by

- Visit a person or place on your way somewhere

Swing round

- Change your opinion quickly
- Turn around quickly

Switch (3)

Switch off

- Stop a machine or something electrical working
- Stop paying attention

Switch on

- Start a machine or something electrical working
- Feel an emotion of behave in a certain way

Switch over

- Change from one provider or source to another

Syphon (1)

Syphon off

- Take business, support or votes from someone
- Divert money illegally