Phrasal verbs beginning with L. Select a phrasal verb for more details.
to verbally or physically attack someone or something
to joke about something in order to make it seem less serious
to start off something, like a speech or a song, in an energetic way
to keep something for the future, such as money
to officially state something like a policy, or rules, regulations, conditions, guidelines, etc.
to attack someone and repeatedly punch and kick them
If you lay into someone, you criticize them in an angry way.
If you lay someone off, you stop employing them and tell them they no longer have a job.
If you lay things out, you spread them out so they're easy to see or easy to use.
to explain an idea or a plan clearly and in detail
to relax and do very little
to cause something to happen
If a period of time or a series of events leads up to a particular event, it happens just before it.
If you left something behind, you forgot to bring it with you.
If you leave something in, you don't take it out or cut it out.
If you leave something out, you don't include it or count it.
to give someone responsibility for dealing with something or making a decision about something
If you leave something up to someone, you let them do it or you give them responsibility for it.
If you let someone down, you disappoint them by not doing what they expect you to do.
to release the air from something like a tyre or a blow-up mattress
to stop holding something or someone
If you let someone in, you allow them to enter a room or a building.
to give someone little or no punishment for doing something wrong
to make something explode
to allow somebody or something to leave a place
to make a particular sound or noise
to rent a room or a building to somebody
to become weaker or to become less intense
If you level with someone, you tell them the truth about something.
to lie on a flat surface, such as a bed, usually to have a rest
to move something to a higher position
If something lights up, it becomes full of light or colour.
to become less serious or more easy-going
If you line up, you join a line of people standing one behind the other, or side by side.
to try to hear what people are saying when they don't know you're listening
to have people forget about something embarrassing or silly that you've done
to believe that something or someone gives your life meaning, or gives you a reason to live
to depend on something for the money or food you need to live
If you live on a certain amount of money, you spend that much on your usual living expenses.
If two people live together, they live in the same place and are in a sexual relationship without being married.
to be as good as expected
to accept something in your life that you cannot change, even though you don't like it or want it
to lock the doors and windows of a building or a car to make it secure
to do certain things, like typing in a user name and password, in order to access an online application or a computer network
to stop accessing a computer system, or to stop using an online application
to want something you miss very much
to make sure something or someone has everything they need and is healthy
to focus your eyes on something
to think carefully before doing something
If you look back on something, you think about a period of time in the past or an event in the past.
to think that someone is not as good as you are, or not as important as you are
If you are looking for something, you're trying to find it.
If you're looking forward to something that's going to happen, you feel excited or happy about it.
If you look into something, you investigate it or you try to find out more about it.
to watch an event or an activity without being involved in it
If someone is in immediate danger, you can warn them by shouting "Look out!".
to try to find out something by looking in a reference book or on a reference website
If a situation is looking up, it seems to be getting better.
If someone looks up to another person, they respect or admire them.
If you lose out, you fail to benefit from something that others are benefitting from.