Phrasal verbs start with F (Phrasal Verbs With F). A Phrasal verb like Face off, Face up to, Faff about, Faff around, Farm out, Fart about, and more.
Phrasal Verbs With F
Face off
Meaning: Confront
Example: The two teams are in position, ready to face off.
Face up to
Meaning: Accept an unpleasant truth
Example: We must face up to our responsibilities and not try to get out of them.
Faff about
Meaning: Behave indecisively
Example: He told her to stop Faffing about and make her mind up.
Faff around
Meaning: Behave indecisively
Example: She told him to stop Faffing around and make his mind up.
Farm out
Meaning: Give or contract work to someone else
Example: Magazines often farm out articles to freelance journalists.
Fart about
Meaning: Waste time doing silly things
Example: I don’t give a fiddler’s fart about some hippie morality agonising about nuclear technology.
Fart around
Meaning: Waste time doing pointless things
Example: We were really bored in the lecture so we started farting around.
Fasten down
Meaning: Tie something so that it doesn’t move
Example: Builders must fasten down roofs of newly-built homes more securely.
Fasten on
Meaning: Give attention to something that confirms your beliefs
Example: It is advisable that you fasten on the opportunity.
Fasten onto
Meaning: Follow someone closely, normally when they don’t want your company
Example: Fasten onto what the official broadcasting station is saying.
Fasten up
Meaning: Close, attach
Example: The window doesn’t fasten up.
Fathom out
Meaning: Understand something
Example: Do not waste valuable height trying to fathom out how to get down in an unsuitable field.
Fatten up
Meaning: Give an animal a lot to eat to make it fat
Example: These cattle are being fattened up for slaughter.
Fawn on
Meaning: Praise someone in an excessive way to get their favour or something from them
Example: Many flattering relatives fawned on the rich old man.
Fawn over
Meaning: Praise someone in an excessive way to get their favour or something from them
Example: The Salomon salesmen fawn over the thrift men.
Feed off
Meaning: Eat a food as part of an animals diet
Example: The animals can easily feed off the floor.
Feed on
Meaning: Grow stronger
Example: Birds feed on nuts and berries in the winter.
Feed up
Meaning: Give someone a lot of food to restore their health, make them bigger, etc
Example: Rail passengers are fed up with cancellations and delays.
Feel up
Meaning: Touch sexually, grope
Example: After the accident she didn’t feel up to driving.
Feel up to
Meaning: Feel capable of doing something
Example: I don’t really feel up to seeing anyone.
Fence in
Meaning: Enclose an area
Example: She would need to fence in the field if she was to keep a horse there.
Fence off
Meaning: Enclose an area to keep animals or people out
Example: He tried to fence off the consequences of his foolish act.
Fend for
Meaning: Take care of yourself or someone without help from other people
Example: The kids had to fend for themselves while their parents were away.
Fend off
Meaning: Resist something successfully
Example: The minister had to fend off some awkward questions.
Ferret about
Meaning: Search for something
Example: She nonetheless continued to ferret about for possible jobs.
Ferret around
Meaning: Search for something
Example: She Ferreted around in her bag for her keys.
Ferret out
Meaning: Search and discover something
Example: The team is trying to ferret out missing details.
Fess up
Meaning: Confess, admit something reluctantly
Example: Come on, fess up. I know there’s something you’re not telling me.
Fess up to
Meaning: Confess, admit reluctantly to something
Example: If you make a mistake, just fess up to it. Take your licks and we’ll press on.
Fetch up
Meaning: Arrive unintentionally
Example: If you don’t work hard, you’ll fetch up nowhere.
Fiddle about
Meaning: Waste time doing silly things, or doing things unsuccessfully
Example: Don’t fiddle about with the new machine.
Fiddle around
Meaning: Waste time doing silly things, or unsuccessful things
Example: Two of them got out to fiddle around with the engine.
Fiddle away
Meaning: Waste time
Example: Never fiddle away your time and strength.
Fight back
Meaning: Defend yourself, resist an attack
Example: She tried to fight back the tears.
Fight it out
Meaning: Struggle to see who wins, both by arguing or fighting
Example: There’s only one ticket so you’ll have to fight it out between you.
Fight off
Meaning: Fight an attacker and force them back
Example: The company managed to fight off a takeover attempt.
Figure on
Meaning: Plan, expect
Example: The figure on the left spoils the unity of the painting.
Figure out
Meaning: Find the answer to a problem
Example: Father is trying to figure out his tax.
File away
Meaning: Put a document in the correct place for storage in a filing system
Example: File away any excess metal until a snug fit is achieved.
File for
Meaning: Apply for something legally, like divorce or bankruptcy
Example: Make a file for these documents and write ‘finance’ on the tab.
Filter in
Meaning: Move into a lane of traffic without making other cars stop
Example: The girls filter in and allow themselves to be congratulated or consoled depending on the night.
Filter out
Meaning: Remove something unwanted
Example: Filter out all the dirt before using the water.
Find out
Meaning: Discover
Example: Love will find out the way.
Finish off
Meaning: Finish completely
Example: I want to finish off this essay before I go to bed.
Finish off
Meaning: Kill a person or animal, often when they have already been hurt
Example: Finish off the pie-it won’t keep.
Finish up
Meaning: Finally get somewhere, usually without planning to go there
Example: I want all you children to finish up your dinners.
Finish up with
Meaning: Have or do something at the end or as the last of something
Example: After all the argument, the writer finished up with a contract.
Finish with
Meaning: End a relationship
Example: My boyfriend was threatening to finish with me.
Fink on
Meaning: Give away secrets about someone
Example: He finked on her to the authorities.
Fink out
Meaning: Fail to keep a promise, arrangement, etc
Example: He said he’d come with us then finked out at the last minute.
Fire away
Meaning: Ask questions
Example: The troops were firing away at the advancing enemy.
Fire off
Meaning: Send quickly, angrily or many (letter, emails, etc)
Example: He turned the fire off and sat down on the settee, looking at the woman all the while.
Fire off
Meaning: Shoot, fire a gun (usually repeatedly)
Example: I’m going to fire off an email to a newsgroup.
Fire up
Meaning: Start a computer
Example: The room is cold, poke the fire up a little.
Firm up
Meaning: Make things clearer in a negotiation or discussion
Example: This treatment helps tone the body, firm up muscles and tighten the skin.
Fish for
Meaning: Try to get some information or to get someone to say something
Example: If you don’t want fish for dinner, then you’ll just have to go without!
Fish out
Meaning: Remove something from a bag, pocket, etc
Example: The magician conjured a bowl of fish out of his hat.
Fix up
Meaning: Make an arrangement
Example: We must meet again to fix up the details of the contract.
Fizzle out
Meaning: End in an unsuccessful way
Example: Over billions of years it will slowly fizzle out to become a black dwarf.
Flag down
Meaning: Signal at a vehicle to get it to stop
Example: He managed to flag down a passing motorist.
Flag up
Meaning: Raise an issue, or highlight its importance
Example: A linesman had his flag up so the kick did not count.
Flake out
Meaning: Fall asleep from exhaustion
Example: When you start flaking out, have something to eat.
Flame out
Meaning: Fail
Example: The fire flamed out when the wind blew again.
Flame up
Meaning: Burn brightly
Example: The quiet girl flamed up when the man asked her to dance.
Flare out
Meaning: Get angry suddenly
Example: The sleeves are tight to the elbow, then flare out.
Flare up
Meaning: When trouble suddenly appears
Example: The dispute could flare up into a major crisis.
Flesh out
Meaning: Add more details or information
Example: Examples were used to flesh out the skeleton of the argument.
Flick over
Meaning: Change TV channels quickly
Example: They look like any other novel if you just flick over the pages and they are divided into chapters.
Flick through
Meaning: Change TV channels repeatedly
Example: I had a flick through the catalogue while I was waiting.
Flip off
Meaning: Extend your middle finger as a gesture of contempt
Example: When the police were walking away, he flipped them off.
Flip out
Meaning: Become very excited and lose control
Example: The boss flipped out when he heard you lost the account.
Flip through
Meaning: Look quickly through a magazine, book, etc
Example: Finally, staple them together and flip through them to see them move.
Float about
Meaning: Be somewhere near, though not visible
Example: Some leaves were floating about on the still lake.
Float around
Meaning: Be somewhere near, though not visible
Example: Sometimes I get really weird ideas, and all those possibilities float around in my mind.
Flog off
Meaning: Sell something cheaply to get rid of it
Example: The council flogged off the land cheaply to a developer who had close links to a few of the councillors.
Floor it
Meaning: Drive a vehicle as fast as possible
Example: Both your stand and the floor it stands on must be capable of supporting this weight.
Flounce off
Meaning: Leave a place or walk away from someone angrily
Example: At night, quack flounce off a rope, swim escape in coming home.
Flounce out
Meaning: Leave a place angrily
Example: She flounced out of my room in a huff.
Fluff out
Meaning: Shake or pat a cushion so that it fills with air
Example: Birds fluff out their feathers as a protection against the cold.
Fluff up
Meaning: Shake or pat a cushion so that it fills with air
Example: Let me fluff up your pillows for you.
Fob off
Meaning: Make or persuade someone to accept something
Example: I won’t be fobbed off this time I’m determined to say what I think.
Fob off
Meaning: Lie or deceive someone
Example: We thought we’d been fobbed off with inferior goods.
Fob off on
Meaning: Make or persuade someone to accept something you don’t want
Example: I fobbed the work on the others.
Fob off onto
Meaning: Make or persuade someone to accept something you don’t want
Example: I fobbed the fake note onto a shopkeeper.
Fob off with
Meaning: Make or persuade someone to accept something of lower quality than they wanted
Example: He fobbed her off with some fake gold.
Focus on
Meaning: Concentrate
Example: The focus on my camera isn’t working properly.
Fold up
Meaning: Make a sheet of paper smaller
Example: I wish you kids would fold up your clothes!
Follow on
Meaning: Leave to meet someone after they have left the place you’re at
Example: Several conclusions follow on from his statement.
Follow on from
Meaning: Be the part of something
Example: The discussion sessions are supposed to follow on from this morning’s lecture.
Follow through
Meaning: Do what is necessary to complete something or make it successful
Example: The leadership has been unwilling to follow through the implications of these ideas.
Follow up
Meaning: Do something to check or improve an earlier action
Example: The police will follow up all possible leads.
Fool about
Meaning: Not be serious
Example: Stop fooling about with that knife of someone will get hurt.
Fool around
Meaning: Not be serious
Example: You shouldn’t fool around with dangerous chemicals.
Fool with
Meaning: Play with something dangerous
Example: The boy is playing the fool with the seat.
Forge ahead
Meaning: Make a lot of progress in a short time
Example: He again pledged to forge ahead with his plans for reform.
Fork out
Meaning: Spend money, often when forced to
Example: Fork out the dead plants and put in the new ones.
Fork over
Meaning: Give something to someone when told to do so
Example: I must be sure to fork over the whole garden before the winter.
Freak out
Meaning: Become very disturbed or angry
Example: Others freak out and enjoy the chance to frolic.
Free up
Meaning: Make money or time available by not using it elsewhere
Example: The government has promised to free up more resources for education.
Freeze out
Meaning: Shut out or exclude by unfriendly treatment
Example: The heating went off and we were frozen out!
Freeze over
Meaning: Become covered with ice (lake, river, pond, etc)
Example: The air temperature was well below freezing, and lakes and rivers froze over.
Freeze up
Meaning: Be blocked with ice
Example: Ice could freeze up their torpedo release mechanisms.
Freshen up
Meaning: Wash quickly and improve appearance
Example: A thorough brushing helps to freshen up your mouth.
Freshen up
Meaning: Add more alcohol to a glass before it is empty
Example: I’m going to buy some white paint to freshen up the bathroom walls.
Frighten away
Meaning: Scare someone so much that they go away
Example: The high level of crime is frightening away tourists.
Frighten off
Meaning: Scare someone so much that they go away
Example: The high prices have frightened off many customers.
Fritter away
Meaning: Waste time, money or chances
Example: The firm soon started frittering away the cash it was generating.
Frown on
Meaning: Disapprove
Example: Some restaurants frown on men not wearing jackets.
Fuel up
Meaning: Put petrol or other fuel into a vehicle
Example: Some Americans cross the border just to fuel up on some Mexican food.
