English Phrasal Verb Dictionary

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List of English Phrasal Verbs Beginning With 'S'

Showing 142 Verbs, 378 Phrasal Verbs

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

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 (1)

Shade in
- Make a part of a picture darker

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 (1)

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 (10)

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 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

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

Spiff (1)

Spiff up
- Make something smart or more presentable

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

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

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

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 (2)

Swear by
- Have great confidence in
Swear down
- Promise that something is true

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

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