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SAT Exam Essential Vocabulary - Concrete and Physical Phrasal Verbs

Here you will learn some concrete and physical English phrasal verbs, such as "set off", "reel in", "break out", etc. that you will need to ace your SATs.

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SAT Exam Essential Vocabulary
to call out

to formally request or direct someone to perform a duty or task

Ex: He called the emergency services out immediately. 
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to bring on

to cause something to happen, especially something undesirable or unpleasant

Ex: Lack of sleep can bring on a range of health problems. 
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to die out

to completely disappear or cease to exist

Ex: Some endangered species are at risk of dying out due to habitat loss. 
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to shore up

to prevent a building or a part of it from falling, by putting large pieces of wood or metal under or against it

Ex: They shored the weakened wall up with additional beams. 
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to break out

to free oneself from a place that one is being held against their will, such as a prison

Ex: The prisoners attempted to break out during the night. 
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to pass down

to transfer something to the next generation or another person

Ex: My grandmother passed down this quilt to me, and I plan to pass it down to my daughter. 
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to break through

to create or forcefully find a way through an obstacle or barrier

Ex: Despite the heavy security, the enthusiastic fans broke through the barriers to meet their favorite celebrity. 
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to set up
to set up
[Verb]

to prepare things in anticipation of a specific purpose or event

Ex: She set the room up for the important business presentation. 
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to set out

to begin doing something in order to reach a goal

Ex: The research team set out to discover groundbreaking findings in their field. 
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to boot up

(of a computer or electronic device) to start and load the operating system into memory for use

Ex: The new software allows the computer to boot up much faster than before. 
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to latch on

to become firmly attached to something or someone

Ex: The child latched on to her mother's arm and refused to let go. 
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to act on
to act on
[Verb]

to adjust one's actions or behavior based on specific information, ideas, or advice

Ex: He chose to act on the financial advisor's recommendations to save for retirement. 
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to branch out

to expand by exploring new areas, options, or opportunities

Ex: She is eager to branch out professionally and explore new career paths. 
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to pass on

to transfer knowledge, traditions, or skills to another person or group, often to ensure they are preserved or continued

Ex: The martial arts instructor decided to pass on his advanced techniques only to his most dedicated students. 
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to sell out

(of an event) to completely sell all available tickets, seats, leaving none remaining for further purchase

Ex: The theater production sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale. 
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to run out

(of a supply) to be completely used up

Ex: The printer ink ran out, so I can’t print these documents. 
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to strip off

to remove clothing or covering quickly or completely

Ex: After coming in from the rain, he quickly stripped off his wet clothes. 
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to churn out

to produce something quickly and in large quantities, often with a focus on quantity over quality

Ex: The factory churns out thousands of smartphones every day. 
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to [go|do] without {sb/sth}

to manage or function without someone or something that is typically needed or desired

Ex: In times of scarcity, people learn to go without luxuries and focus on essentials. 
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to crank up

to start something by turning a handle or lever

Ex: He had to crank up the old car's engine on the cold morning. 
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to bob up
to bob up
[Verb]

to appear or come into view, often unexpectedly

Ex: The dolphin bobbed up beside the boat, delighting the passengers. 
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to reel in

to pull or draw something in by winding it around a reel or similar device

Ex: The fisherman reeled in a massive trout after a long struggle. 
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to break off

to suddenly stop an activity or an action

Ex: The organization had to break off the event due to unforeseen circumstances. 
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to draw back

to retreat or move away from something or someone, typically in response to fear or surprise

Ex: Faced with the unexpected danger, he had no choice but to draw back quickly. 
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to kill off

to cause the death of a significant number of individuals or organisms

Ex: The disease is killing off entire populations of insects. 
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to rinse out

to clean or remove something by flushing it with water or another liquid

Ex: After finishing his meal, he rinsed his plate out and placed it in the dishwasher. 
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to strip away

to remove something completely

Ex: When we stripped away the old wallpaper, we discovered an interesting mural painted on the wall. 
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to whip up

to make food very quickly

Ex: She whipped a batch of cookies up for the bake sale. 
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to crowd out

to dominate or push aside something or someone by taking up all the available space, time, or attention

Ex: The loud music at the party crowded out any chance of conversation. 
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to taper off

to gradually decrease in number, amount, or intensity over time

Ex: As winter approaches, the temperature tends to taper off. 
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to plump up

to make something fuller or fluffier by shaking or adjusting it

Ex: She decided to plump the pillow up before guests arrived. 
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to parcel out

to distribute or divide something into smaller parts or portions for sharing

Ex: The teacher parcelled out the art supplies among the students for their projects. 
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to look on

to watch an event or incident without getting involved

Ex: Passers-by simply looked on as the two men argued heatedly on the sidewalk. 
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to ward off

to repel or avoid an attack or undesirable situation

Ex: The use of insect repellent helps ward off mosquitoes and reduce the risk of insect-borne diseases. 
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to drift away

to gradually move away or become distant, often in terms of physical distance or emotional detachment

Ex: After college, Sarah and I drifted away as we moved to different cities and started our careers. 
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to haul off

to take something away using a vehicle or transport method, often to remove or relocate it

Ex: They had to haul off the old furniture to the recycling center after buying new ones. 
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to do away with

to stop using or having something

Ex: In an effort to reduce waste, the company decided to do away with single-use plastic in its packaging. 
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to embark on

to start a significant or challenging course of action or journey

Ex: She decided to embark on a career in medicine after completing her undergraduate degree. 
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to break apart

to fall into pieces or separate

Ex: The old bridge started to break apart because of the weather. 
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to prop up

to keep something in position using a structure or an object

Ex: He used a stick to prop up the broken window. 
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to drop by

to visit a place or someone briefly, often without a prior arrangement

Ex: Feel free to drop by my office if you have any questions. 
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to pass out

to distribute something to a group of people

Ex: The teacher passed out the assignments to the students. 
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to filter out

to remove or separate unwanted items or elements from a group

Ex: The water filter is designed to filter out impurities and make it safe to drink. 
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to blurt out

to say something suddenly

Ex: Startled by the unexpected news, she blurted out her immediate reaction. 
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to line up

to place individuals or objects in a line or row

Ex: The teacher is lining the students up in alphabetical order for the spelling test. 
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to hang out

to spend much time in a specific place or with someone particular

Ex: We're going to hang out at the park this afternoon. 
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to shut off

to stop or close off the flow or passage of something

Ex: He shut off the water supply to fix the leaking pipe. 
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to set off

to activate a bomb, an explosive, etc.

Ex: The demolition expert carefully set the explosives off to bring down the old building. 
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to branch off

(of a path or road) to split into another direction, creating a separate route

Ex: The highway branches off into smaller roads leading to nearby towns. 
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to fall apart

to fall or break into pieces as a result of being in an extremely bad condition

Ex: The neglected house, worn down by years of weathering, finally began to fall apart, with sections of the roof and walls collapsing. 
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