ANSWERS and further information:
1. to back down
= to take back what you have demanded, proposed or said, especially something that other people strongly disagree with. In these cases, you are often admitting defeat or admitting that you were wrong.
After much opposition from residents, the local council was forced to back down on their plan to build a new stadium.
2. to change into sth
= to change from the clothes you are wearing into another set of clothes, often for a specific reason or purpose. The object of this phrasal verb is typically a noun phrase to describe the desired clothes (i.e. something more formal, the blue one etc.), and not the actual clothes themselves (i.e. jeans, a jacket etc.)
It's going to be very hot and sunny today, so you might want to change into something lighter.
3. to end up
= to describe the end of a process or period of time, often unpredictable and unexpected (and often negative). This phrasal verb can be followed by an -ing to describe a resulting action, a place (end up in jail), or an adj to describe the result (end up dead).
If you don't stop your reckless behaviour, you may end up breaking one of your legs.
After 3 hours looking for a place to eat, we ended up in a dirty fast food joint.
4. to kill sth off
= to make a lot of plants, animals etc. die
Widespread use of pesticides has killed off a large number of the bee population.
5. to make sth out
= to manage to see, read or hear someone or something. It often means with difficulty because something in the context is making it difficult for you to see, read or hear.
It's so dark in here I can barely make out what's written on the wall in front of me.
She sings so fast that I cannot make out the lyrics of the song.
6. to pick on sb
= to choose a person and then treat them unfairly by criticising, blaming or punishing them.
Synonym: to tease sb, to bully sb, to make fun of sb
I hated high school because I was picked on for being very short and very fat.
7. to take over (sth)
= to get control of or responsibility for something. It can be used in the context of passing your work to someone else while you take a break, or it can be used to describe one company buying another company, or a new boss replacing the old one, or one country controlling another after an invasion.
I need to go to the bathroom. Can you take over for just a moment?
After the new CEO took over, he immediately put into place plans to restructure the entire company.
8. to use sth up
= to use all of something so that there is none left
Synonym: to exhaust sth
I'm afraid you have used up all your time. If you would like to continue, you will need to pay an additional $15.
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