Strengthen your English with phrasal verbs using 'around', 'over', and 'along', learning to express a range of situations from acting badly to moving.
10 topics142 words
Acting Badly or Not Seriously (Around)19 words
boss aroundverbto tell people constantly what to do or how to behave, in an arrogant way
clown aroundverbto behave in a playful, silly, or humorous manner, often engaging in antics or comedic actions for amusement
faff aroundverbto waste time engaging in unproductive activities
fool aroundverbto engage in playful, silly, or time-wasting activities
hang aroundverbto spend time in a place, often without a specific purpose or activity
jerk aroundverbto treat someone in a cruel or unfair way, often by deceiving them or manipulating them
laze aroundverbto relax and do nothing or very little
lie aroundverbto waste time relaxing and doing nothing
mess aroundverbto waste time or engage in idle, unproductive activity
monkey aroundverbto engage in playful, often mischievous, or silly behavior without a clear purpose
order aroundverbto consistently instruct someone on what to do in a bossy and unpleasant manner
potter aroundverbto spend time leisurely, often doing minor tasks or chores in or around the house
push aroundverbto rudely or threateningly give orders to someone
sit aroundverbto spend time doing nothing or nothing productive
stand aroundverbto spend time standing in a place without doing anything purposeful or without having a particular reason to be there
stick aroundverbto remain in a place longer than originally intended, often with the expectation of waiting for something to happen or for someone to arrive
wait aroundverbto remain in one spot with nothing to do, expecting something to happen
play aroundverbto behave in an irresponsible or stupid manner
run aroundverbto play energetically and noisily
Discussing, Persuading, or Searching (Around)12 words
ask aroundverbto gather information by asking various people
bat aroundverbto discuss different ways to handle a plan or idea
call aroundverbto make phone calls to several people, particularly to receive information
dig aroundverbto find information about someone or something through extensive research or investigation
nose aroundverbto try to find something, particularly information
phone aroundverbto call multiple people or places, typically to gather specific information
shop aroundverbto compare the prices or quality of goods or services from different suppliers or stores before making a purchase
talk aroundverbto discuss a topic in a vague manner, avoiding the main or crucial points
bring aroundverbto persuade someone to agree with one's point of view
come aroundverbto completely change one's decision or opinion
get aroundverbto persuade someone or something to agree to what one wants, often by doing things they like
kick aroundverbto discuss or consider something in an informal and casual manner
Moving (Around)9 words
bang aroundverbto move around in a way that creates loud sounds
fly aroundverbto act in a disorganized or chaotic manner
mill aroundverbto move in an area without a specific destination or purpose
poodle aroundverbto move casually without a clear purpose or direction
putter aroundverbto move around without a clear purpose
swing aroundverbto turn suddenly and face the opposite direction
get aroundverbto move or travel from one place to another
go aroundverbto visit someone or a place that is in close proximity
kick aroundverbto travel from one location to another location without a specific purpose or plan
Others (Around)25 words
change aroundverbto move furniture or objects to make a room look different
crowd aroundverb(of a group of people) to gather closely around a specific point of interest
get around toverbto finally find the time, motivation, or opportunity to do something that has been postponed or delayed
mess around withverbto spend time playing, exploring, or making adjustments to something, usually for fun or improvement
revolve aroundverbto focus on something or someone as the primary subject or point of interest
run around afterverbto help someone with tasks they should handle independently
show aroundverbto show interesting aspects of a location to someone unfamiliar with it
switch aroundverbto move things so that each is in a different place than before
take aroundverbto show someone the important parts of a place by walking through it together
work aroundverbto find a solution to overcome a problem or obstacle
float aroundverb(of ideas, rumors, etc.) to be widely discussed or heard among people without a known or confirmed source
hand aroundverbto pass something, such as an object, information, or food, to everyone in a group of people
pass aroundverbto distribute something among a group of people
dance aroundverbto avoid or evade addressing a particular issue or topic directly in conversation
skirt aroundverbto deliberately avoid discussing a difficult subject or addressing a problem
drop aroundverbto visit someone casually or unexpectedly
have aroundverbto have guests or people at one's home for a visit
invite aroundverbto ask someone to come to one's home or another location, usually for a social visit or gathering
knock aroundverbto strike someone or something multiple times
look aroundverbto turn your head to see the surroundings
roll aroundverbto happen again, especially in a repeated manner
turn aroundverbto cause a significant and positive change in something
get aroundverb(of information, news, or rumors) to spread or circulate
go aroundverb(of information or physical objects) to circulate or distribute something, often in a haphazard or informal manner
come aroundverbto visit someone at their house or place
Moving, Visiting, or Staying (Over)12 words
ask oververbto invite someone to come to one's house
cross oververbto move from one side or place to another
double oververbto bend forward at the waist, typically due to laughter, pain, or a strong emotional reaction
have oververbto receive someone as a guest at one's home
invite oververbto ask someone to come to one's home or a specific location
move oververbto adjust one's position to create space for others
roll oververbto cause something to rotate, typically by pushing it with one's hands
sleep oververbto stay at a place overnight
stay oververbto spend the night at a particular location, typically away from one's own residence
stop oververbto make a brief stop in the course of a journey, usually as a break
carry oververbto continue or move from one situation to the next
come oververbto come to someone's house in order to visit them for a short time
Checking, Considering, or Ignoring (Over)12 words
check oververbto inspect something closely to ensure accuracy, quality, or its overall condition
gloss oververbto briefly explain or describe something, often leaving out complex or technical details
look oververbto examine or inspect something quickly
mull oververbto think carefully about something for a long time
paper oververbto hide problems, disagreements, or differences instead of addressing them fully or resolving them
pore oververbto examine something closely and attentively
read oververbto review something from start to finish in order to identify errors or gain a better understanding
think oververbto consider a matter carefully before reaching a decision
watch oververbto be in charge of someone or something and to protect them from any harm
go oververbto thoroughly review, examine, or check something
pass oververbto skip or ignore something or someone
run oververbto review a text or information
Falling or Overflowing (Over)10 words
brim oververbto spill over the edge of a container
bubble oververb(of a liquid or substance) to boil and spill over the edges of its container
fall oververbto lose one's balance and fall to the ground, typically by accident or as a result of tripping
knock oververbto cause something or someone to fall
push oververbto cause someone or something to fall by applying force
spill oververb(of a container) to be filled beyond its capacity, causing its contents to flow over the edges
trip oververbto lose balance and almost fall by accidentally colliding with an object while walking or running
boil oververbto flow over the edges of a container because of too much boiling
run oververbto exceed a brim, typically referring to a liquid or substance
turn oververbto cause an object to flip from its normal position
Experiencing (Over)10 words
cloud oververb(of a person's facial expression or mood) to suddenly become unhappy, worried, or troubled
freeze oververb(of bodies of water or other surfaces) to become completely covered or blocked with ice due to extremely cold temperatures
fuss oververbto show excessive or unnecessary concern, care, or attention to someone or something
hang oververb(of a threat, problem, concern, etc.) to exist and create a sense of worry or uncertainty about what will happen
heal oververb(of wounds) to slowly grow new skin over the injured area as part of the healing process
make oververbto significantly transform the appearance of something to update, enhance, or modernize its look
mist oververbto have a thin layer of mist or water droplets cover a surface, creating a hazy or obscured appearance
wash oververbto happen without really affecting or bothering someone
ice oververbto get covered with a layer of ice, due to freezing conditions
get oververbto recover from an unpleasant or unhappy experience, particularly an illness
Others (Over)19 words
blow oververbto slowly disappear or become less noticeable
bowl oververbto completely impress someone
do oververbto repeat or redo a task, activity, or process, often to improve the outcome
go over toverbto change one's allegiance or beliefs and switch to a different side, opinion, habit, or position
leave oververbto set something aside to be used or handled at a later time
put oververbto convey an idea or message effectively
smooth oververbto make a situation or relationship less tense by calming emotions, resolving conflicts, etc.
talk oververbto thoroughly discuss something, particularly to reach an agreement or make a decision
fork oververbto give something particularly one's possessions to someone, often unwillingly
hand oververbto transfer the possession or control of someone or something to another person or entity
sign oververbto transfer ownership through a formal signing process
hold oververbto use information or secrets one knows about an individual to control, threaten, or pressure them into doing what one wants
work oververbto subject an individual to physical punishment or aggression by beating them
preside oververbto take on the role of being in charge of an event or situation, often with official responsibility
change oververbto replace a person in performing a task, typically at a specified time
pull oververbto guide a vehicle to the side of the road or away from its current lane
turn oververbto give something to someone
run oververbto hit and pass over something or someone with a vehicle, causing damage
take oververbto begin to be in charge of something, often previously managed by someone else
Moving, Accompanying, or Experiencing (Along)14 words
bowl alongverbto move with speed and energy
bring alongverbto take someone or something to a place
coast alongverbto make progress with little effort, often by taking advantage of existing favorable circumstances
get alongverbto have a friendly or good relationship with someone or something
hurry alongverbto make someone or something to move faster or to complete a task more quickly
invite alongverbto ask someone to accompany one to a particular event, gathering, or activity
play alongverbto pretend to support or agree with someone or something to keep things peaceful or for one's own gain
run alongverbto be arranged in a straight line or to move in a specific direction without getting off track
sing alongverbto participate in a musical performance by singing in harmony with others
tag alongverbto go with someone, often without an invitation
take alongverbto bring someone or something with one when going somewhere
come alongverbto develop or improve in a positive direction
go alongverbto express agreement or to show cooperation
move alongverb(of a process) to progress or develop in a smooth and satisfactory manner
Learn all 142 words in this list with spaced repetition