Phrasal verbs are an important feature of the English language. The meaning of a phrasal verb often bears no relation to the meaning of either the verb of the particle which is used with it. Many phrasal verbs have several different meanings.
Permit of (to allow something to be possible)
This law permits of no exceptions.
Pertain to (to be connected with a particular subject or situation)
The charges against the former minister pertain to a series of illegal deals.
Peter out (if an energetic activity or a strong emotion peters out, it gradually becomes less energetic)
The fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine has finally petered out.
Phase in (to make a new system, process or law gradually begin to happen or exist)
The proposed new tax will be phased in over five years.
Phase out (to gradually stop using or supplying something)
Iran is planning to phase out its fuel supply from next year.
Phone around (to telephone several people to gather information)
Reporters phone around to see whether anything important has happened in the country.
Phone in (to telephone a radio or television station to give your opinion or ask a question during a live program)
Listeners who wish to question the minister should phone in during the interview.
Phone up (to telephone someone)
Why don’t you phone up the railway station and ask whether there is a train to Kandy tomorrow?
Pick at (to eat only a small amount of a meal because you are not hungry)
Lynda was picking at her food in a dejected way.
Pick off (to shoot and kill a person or an animal)
A lone gunman picked off a deer drinking water from a stream.
Pick on (to choose one person from a group of people to criticise or treat unfairly)
Ben was picked on at school because he was the smallest boy in the class.
Pick out (to choose one thing or person from a large group)
Nancy picked out a pink T-shirt for her son to try on.
Pick over (to look carefully at a group of things, choosing what you want)
Pick over the ripe mangoes and throw out the rest.
Pick through (to search through a pile of untidy things in order to find something)
Some poor people survive by picking through other people’s rubbish.
Pick up (to lift something or someone by using your hands)
Diana bent over to pick up her pen which had fallen off the table.
Pick up on (to notice something that other people have not noticed)
A group of psychologists picked up on the trend of women having children at an older age.
Piece together (to try to understand a situation to discover the truth about something)
The police will piece together the evidence recorded to find the culprit.
Pig out (to eat a lot of food)
The beggar pigged out on a plate of rice and curry.
Pile into (if a group of people pile in, they enter a place quickly not in an organized way)
When it started raining suddenly, the children piled into a classroom.
Pin down (to make someone give you exact details about something)
The businessman refused to be pinned down on how much he had lost last year.
Pin on (if you pin a crime or blame for something on someone, you accuse them of having done it)
I had left the company when the fraud took place and the management could not pin it on me.
Pin up (to fasten something to a wall using pins)
Susan pinned up a photo of her boyfriend on the wall.
Pipe down (to talk more quietly, or to stop complaining)
Will all of you pipe down and let me read the newspaper?
Pipe up (if a person pipes up, they suddenly say something when you are not expecting it)
A voice from the back of the audience piped up: “Can I ask a question?”
Pit against (to make someone or something fight or compete against someone or something else)
We watched how the two strong men pitted their strength against each other.
Pitch for (to try to persuade someone to give you something)
Companies have to pitch for business in a competitive market.
Pitch in (to help with work that needs to be done)
If all of you pitch in, we can paint the house quickly.
Plague with (to annoy someone by asking them a lot of questions)
The speaker was plagued with irrelevant questions.
Play along (to pretend to agree with someone in order to get something from them)