Idioms and Phrases 10

1. come about: happen, take place.

• Can you explain to me how this event come about?

2. came across: (i) meet suddenly.

• Returning home, I came across my old friend on the way.

(ii) discover.

• Searching through the books in the library, I came across an old manuscript.

3. come at: attain.

• The fox could not come at the grapes which were out of her reach.

4. come away: depart.

• Please tell me when you intend to come away from here.

5. come by: again.

• Do not squander the money which your father has come by with much labour.

6. come down: descend.

• The flood came down and destroyed the crops.

7. come in: enter.

• The teacher ordered the student to come in.

8. come near: approach.

• The soldier started fire as the enemy came near him.

9. come of: appear from.

• Poverty comes of laziness.

10. come off: emerge.

• The Indian soldier came off victorious in the last Indo Pak War.

11. come on: advance.

• The teacher asked Mohan to come on.

12. come out: become public.

• Truth has come out of this enquiry.

13. come over: overspread.

• A look of smile came over her face.

14. come round: reach nearer.

• The ships have come round.

15. come to: (i) arrive at.

• Now he has come to a clear decision.

 (ii) amount to.

• What will all this disturbance come to?

16. come up: overtake.

• Our boat came up the first competing boat.

17. come upon: meet suddenly.

• Returning home he came upon his old friend.

18. compare with: make comparison with.

• Shakespeare may be compared with Kalidas of India.

19. complain of: make complaint of a thing.

• He complained of pain in his chest to the doctor.

20. comply with: yield to.

• A faithful servant must comply with the orders of his master.

21. cope with: manage.

• Only a man of courage can cope with the difficulties of his position.

22. correspond to: resemble with.

• The wings of this bird correspond to the leaves of this tree.

23. crave for: desire heartily.

• A poor man ever craves for love and sympathy.

24. cry for: cry to get something.

• The students are crying for their demands.

25. cry out: shout out.

• Seeing a lion, the traveller cried out of fear.

26. cry out against: make a loud complaint against.

• The people of the new colony cry out against the water shortage.

27. cry up: praise.

• The pedlar cries up to sell his wares.

28. cut across: take a short course.

• Cut across this field to reach the village school.

29. cut down: (i) fell.

• He cut down many trees.

(ii) reduce.

• You must cut down your expenses.

(iii) kill.

• Cholera cut down a large number of people in the city.

30. cut off: separate.

• The enemy cut off the head from the body by means of a sword.

31. cut out: cut to give proper shape.

• The tailor has cut out the cloth to sew a coat.

32. cut up: cut into pieces.

• The butcher cut up the goat for sale.

33. dash against: strike against.

• The waves dash against the sea-shore.

34. dash in pieces: break into pieces.

• Falling on the ground the cup dashed in pieces.

35. deal in: trade in.

• This trader deals in grain.

36. deal out: distribute.

• A mother deals out equally her love to her all children.

37. deal with: (i) trade with.

• The trader deals with his customers honestly.

(ii) contains.

• This book deals with all numerical questions.

(iii) treats.

• A police-inspector must know how to deal with criminals.

38. delight in: derive pleasure.

• He delights in swimming.

39. deprive of: make without.

• Continuous illness has deprived him of his usual smile.

40. desist from: refrain from.

• Always desist from taking part in an unlawful activity.

41. deviate from: turn aside from.

• Never deviate from the path of truth.

42. die away: disappear.

• The effects of the late disturbances are dying away.

43. die of: die of a disease, etc.

• Many people have died of cholera.

44. differ from: have difference from.

• Stars differ from planets.

45. disagree with: does not suit.

• This diet disagrees with his weak health.

46. disapprove of: disfavour.

• I disapprove of his conduct.

47. discriminate: differentiate.

• An upright judge can well discriminate between true and false evidence.

48. dispense with: do without.

• The master cannot dispense with the services of his servant.

49. dispose of: sell.

• He has disposed of old luggage.

50. dissent from: have different opinion.

• I have dissent from his opinion.

51. distinguish between: feel distinction between.

• Death does not distinguish between the rich and the poor.

52. divert from: turn the course.

• It is not easy to divert the river from its present course.

53. divide: distribute.

(i)   Divide this mango between these two children.

(ii)  Divide this money among these ten poor men.

(iii) Divide this straight line into two equal parts.

54. do away with: remove.

• This social superstition must be done away with immediately.

55. do for: serve the purpose of.

• This amount of money will do for the whole expenses.

56. do with: make use of.

• I do not know what to do with this inherited amount of money.

57. do without: do a work without a thing.

• I can do without a servant.