English Phrasal Verbs
Alphabetical list D of commonly-used phrasal verbs.
Phrasal Verbs beginning with the letter 'D'
- dash off
- Leave a place quickly; hurry away.
"Harry dashed off before I had time to take his phone number."
- Leave a place quickly; hurry away.
- dawn on
- Become apparent/you begin to understand.
"The truth finally dawned on Tony when he saw his girlfriend with another man."
- Become apparent/you begin to understand.
- deal with
- Handle, take care
of, address (problem, situation).
"The manager is good at dealing with difficult customers."
- Handle, take care
of, address (problem, situation).
- deck out (in/with)
- Dress; decorate.
"The women were all decked out in beautiful dresses."
"The exhibition hall will be decked out in the colours of Europe."
- Dress; decorate.
- die down
- Calm down, become
less strong, diminish in intensity.
"When the applause died down, she started to sing."
- Calm down, become
less strong, diminish in intensity.
- dig into
- Plunge your hands deep
inside something, especially to look for something.
"He dug into his pocket and found the key."
- Press hard into something.
"The strap of her bag dug painfully into her shoulder."
- Start to do something.
"It was time to dig into the work that had accumulated on her desk."
- Take from
something.
"Dad had to dig into his savings to repair the roof."
- Plunge your hands deep
inside something, especially to look for something.
- dig up
- Break up the soil/remove by digging.
"Tom tried to dig up the tree by its roots."
- Discover or reveal
information.
"Some newspapers often try to dig up scandalous information."
- Break up the soil/remove by digging.
- dish out
- Distribute or give
away a lot.
"He spent the day dishing out invitations to tourists."
- Distribute or give
away a lot.
- dispense with
- Decide to do
without something.
"They've dispensed with the paper version so you'll have to download it."
- Decide to do
without something.
- do away with
- Get rid of;
abolish.
"Some people think it's time to do away with the monarchy."
- Get rid of;
abolish.
- do over
- Clean or
redecorate.
"My parents will need to do over their living-room soon. The paintwork needs refreshing."
- Clean or
redecorate.
- do up
- Fasten (a
garment).
"Good boy Charlie! You know how to do up your coat now!"
- Fasten (a
garment).
- do without
- Manage without.
"The shops are closed so I'm afraid we'll have to do without sugar."
- Manage without.
- drag on
- Last longer than expected.
"We expected a short speech but it dragged on and on!"
- Last longer than expected.
- drag out
- Make something longer than necessary.
"Let's decide quickly and not drag out this discussion."
- Make someone reveal information that they are unwilling to give.
"The police finally dragged out a confession from the suspect. "
- Make something longer than necessary.
- draw back
- Move backwards; retreat
"The burglar drew back when he saw the big dog."
- Move backwards; retreat
- draw down
- Take money from a reserve or
fund
"We can draw down on the loan when necessary."
- Take money from a reserve or
fund
- draw down
- Reduce in number or amount
"The US intends to draw down its forces considerably."
- Reduce in number or amount
- draw even
- Equalize in a competition or race
"The two horses drew even at the finish line."
- Equalize in a competition or race
- draw in
- Become dark earlier or be shorter
"The days are drawing in as we approach Christmas."
- Become dark earlier or be shorter
- draw in/up
- Arrive and stop
"A taxi drew in and the famous couple stepped out."
"A police car drew up beside him and he was asked to show identification."
- Arrive and stop
- draw into
- Get involved in something
"I didn’t want to get drawn into their argument."
- Get involved in something
- draw on
- Inhale
"He drew on his cigarette before continuing to speak."
- Inhale
- draw on/upon
- Use knowledge and information for a specific purpose
"Amy drew upon her experience to prepare a lesson."
- Use knowledge and information for a specific purpose
- draw out
- Take money from your bank account
"I need to draw out some money before we go to the market."
- Take money from your bank account
- draw out
- Make a shy person more willing to speak or participate.
"The teacher managed to draw out the shy child."
- Make a shy person more willing to speak or participate.
- draw out
- Make something continue longer than necessary.
"The chairman made a speech that was long and drawn out."
- Make something continue longer than necessary.
- draw up
- Move something closer.
"It's warmer by the fire. Let me draw up a chair for you."
- Move something closer.
- draw up
- Write (contract, agreement, document, plan).
"An agreement was drawn up and signed by the two parties."
- Write (contract, agreement, document, plan).
- draw (oneself) up
- Bring oneself into an erect position
"Jack drew himself up when his name was called"
- Bring oneself into an erect position
- dress up
- Wear elegant clothes.
"Do people dress up to go to the opera in your country?"
- Disguise oneself.
"You know how children love to dress up at Halloween. It's part of the fun!"
- Wear elegant clothes.
- drift apart
- Become less and less close.
"We were childhood friends but we drifted apart over the years."
- Become less and less close.
- drift off
- Gradually fall asleep.
"Once he was on the train he sat back, closed his eyes and drifted off."
- Gradually fall asleep.
- drive at
- Insinuate; be trying to say.
"I'm not sure I understand. What exactly are you driving at?"
- Insinuate; be trying to say.
- drop behind
- Fall into a position behind others.
"Our sales have dropped behind those of our competitors."
- Fall into a position behind others.
- drop by/in
- Pay a brief visit, usually on the way somewhere.
"I don't see her often but she promised to drop by one day for a cup of coffee."
"Jimmy sometimes drops in to see his grandparents on his way home from school."
- Pay a brief visit, usually on the way somewhere.
- drop off
- Deliver something or drive someone somewhere.
"I'll drop you off at the bus stop if you like. I'm going that way."
- Fall asleep.
"Granddad often drops off in front of the television."
- Deliver something or drive someone somewhere.
- drop out
- Stop going to classes before finishing a course of study or the school year.
"Emily decided to go to art school, then dropped out after the first term."
- Stop going to classes before finishing a course of study or the school year.
- drown out
- Be louder in order to cover another sound.
"They turned up the music to drown out the noise of the children outside."
- Be louder in order to cover another sound.
More Phrasal Verbs: