Phrasal Verbs (lapse into – level with)

 

 

Phrasal Verb Phrasal Verb Meaning Example Sentence
lapse into To pass gradually into a worse state or condition. He lapsed into a coma after suffering a brain haemorrhage/hemorrhage.
lay about To beat violently on all sides.+ He laid about his would-be pickpocket with his walking stick.
lay aside To temporarily suspend doing something.  They may decide to lay aside the building project until the rainy season ends. 
To save for future use. The couple lay/lays aside an amount of money for a summer holiday.
lay away To reserve for future use. The land has been laid away for a housing project.
lay down To stop fighting.  A call for ceasefire was ignored as both sides refused to lay down their arms. 
To formulate rule, principle, etc.  The document lays down clear guidelines on the use of chemicals. 
To store wine in a cellar for drinking in the future. It is an underground cellar where they lay down wine.
lay in To store away a supply of something for future use. Residents in this remote region usually lay in sufficient food in case they are cut off by adverse weather conditions.
lay into To carry out a physical or verbal attack against someone. No one knew why she suddenly laid into him.
lay off To discharge a worker temporarily or permanently Mark was laid off after working for the company for twenty years. 
To stop doing or using something She warned him to lay off excessive alcohol or she would leave him.
lay on To provide something such as food, entertainment, etc. They laid on a generous buffet for visitors to their sales promotion.
lay out To arrange or spread out something. Miniature models of houses and buildings in a new housing estate were laid out for viewing.  
To spend large amount of money.  He has no hesitation in laying out hundreds of dollars on a hotel room for a night. 
To knock unconscious. He was laid out for a few minutes when a ball struck him on the head.
lay over To make a stopover when going on a journey. He usually lays over when driving on a long journey.
lead off To start or begin. He led off by thanking those present for joining in the discussion.
lead on To deceive. How long is he going to let her lead him on before the truth dawns on him?
lead to To join directly to some place. We took a wrong turn which led us to an old cemetery. 
To result in something happening A reward for information led to the capture of the murderer.
lead up to To give an account of something. The television documentary recounted the events leading up to the bombing of the airport.
leaf through To turn pages quickly without serious reading. Bob leafed through many magazines while waiting at the clinic.
lean against To rest something against something else so that it is supported. He leaned a ladder against the gutter to reach the roof.
lean on To derive support from. In times of difficulty it would be great to have someone to lean on for support.
lean towards To have a tendency. Police believe the group is leaning towards terrorism.
leave aside To not include something. Let’s leave that aside as it is not relevant in this discussion.
leave behind To forget to take something with you. I have this feeling that I have left something behind, but can’t figure out what it is. 
To have surviving relatives after one’s death. The deceased left behind a wife and two children. 
To go away from a place without taking something along. The tourists left behind a trail of litter. 
To go away and cause something such as damage and destruction to remain.  The storm has passed, leaving behind a trail of devastation. 
To lag or fall behind. You will get left behind if you don’t work as hard as the others.
leave off To stop doing something. Let’s continue from where we left off.
leave out To not include someone or something. This is the first time he is left out of the squad for the World Cup.
let down To disappoint someone.  He really let us down by not turning up to show us how to do it. 
To withdraw support. The few of them let the candidate down by switching their support to his opponent.  
let in To allow something to enter.  Let’s open the windows and let the air in. 
To allow someone to enter.  She believed the house was haunted as the bedroom door once opened by itself to let her in. 
To place oneself in a difficult situation. He’s beginning to realize how much trouble he is letting himself in by borrowing heavily from different sources.
let in on To trust someone. She’s prepared to let me in on her secret recipe if I promised not to tell other people about it.
let into To allow someone to enter. They only let certain individuals into the building.
let off To not punish someone. If you pluck my apples again, I’ll not let you off. 
To make something explode. Someone tied a string of firecrackers to a dog’s tail and let them off.
let on To reveal something. He made her promise not to let on that he did it.
let out To allow someone or something to leave. It usually barks when it wants to be let out. 
To utter a sound. When she heard the news, she let out a sigh of relief. 
To make an item of clothing looser. She’s letting some of her clothes out as she has put on weight.
let up To stop or abate. It looks like the rain is not going to let up, so what shall we do? 
To become less determined. The rescuers will not let up in their effort to find the missing victims.
level against To direct accusation at someone. They have yet to prove the charges relating to embezzlement leveled against him.
level at To aim something such as criticism, accusation, etc. at someone. All he can ever do is level criticism at others for their mistakes.
level off To not fluctuate. Prices of houses in the area have leveled off after recent hike.
level out To move horizontally. After reaching the height of 20,000 feet, the plane leveled out.
level with To speak frankly. The candidate’s aides will level with him about what the voters are saying about him.