Dictionary: letter B

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The building was empty when the fire broke out.

back down (insep) accept another person's point of view or argument instead of your own or decide not to do something after all climb down, give in

back out withdraw [back out, back out of something] (insep) (agreement, deal, arrangement, contract) avoid doing something when you have promised to pull out

backup 1 support [back someone/something up] support someone

2 make a copy as a precaution

3 [back up, back something up] move backwards in a vehicle

bail out 1 [bail someone out] pay a deposit so that someone who has been arrested can be released

2 help someone who is in trouble

bandy about/around mention [bandy something about/around] (word) mention something, especiall without considering it carefully

bang up [bang someone up] put someone in prison lock up

bank on (insep) depend on something happening

be back (insep) return come back

be off 1 (insep) leave a place go away

2 (insep) be disconnected or not working

3 (insep) be cancelled

4 (insep) (milk, fish) not be good to eat any more go off

be out 1 (insep) be available to the public; appear come out

2 (insep) not be at home or work

be up to 1 [be up to something] (insep) be doing or planning something bad

2 (insep) be doing something

bear up 1 [bear up to something] (insep) accept another person's point of view or argument instead of your own or you decide not to do something after all

2 (insep) stay calm despite facing difficulties

beat up 1 [beat someone up] hit someone repeatedly

2 [beat yourself up] criticize or blame oneself too much

beaver away (insep) work hard slog away

beef up [beef something up] (security, your muscles, performance) improve; strengthen

black out faint (insep) lose consciousness pass out come round, come to bring round, bring to

blare out [blare out, blare something out] (music, news, warning) make a loud noise or play loudly

blow out [blow out, blow something out] (insep) (match, candle, flame, lamp) be extinguished put out

blow over (insep) (scandal, problem, troubles, issue, controversy, incident, affair, row, argument) be forgotten

blow up 1 destroy [blow up, blow something up] destroy with an explosion

2 get angry (insep) get angry

3 exaggerate (incident, affair) exaggerate something

4 fill (tyre, dinghy, balloon, airbed) fill something with air pump up

blurt out [blurt something out] (news, answer, secret) say something without thinking

boil down [boil down to something] (insep) (situation, question, issue) be the most important thing

boil up (insep) (anger, fury, rage, tension, violence) grow

boss around [boss someone around] treat someone unpleasantly, giving unnecessary orders all the time order about

bottle out (insep) get out of doing something at the last minute chicken out

bottle up [bottle something up] Not talk about your problems or things that worry you

bottom out (economy, prices) stop getting worse and start showing signs of improvement

bounce back recover from something unpleasant

brass off be angry, upset or fed up

break away leave a group, party or country to form a new one

break down 1 (insep) (car, system, machine, talks, negotiations, marriage, argument, plan, relations) stop working because it has a serious problem pack up, conk out

2 lose control and start crying crack up

3 destroy [break something down] (door, wall, barrier, resistance, opposition, reserve) destroy something

break in 1 [break in, break into something] (insep) (building, house, grounds, computer, system) enter a place using force or by breaking the law

2 [break someone in] (employee, recruit) help someone get used to a new situation or job or train them

3 [break something in] (boots, shoes, car, horse) use something until it's comfortable, it works properly or does what it's supposed to do

break off [break something off] (agreement, engagement, relations, relationship, alliance) put an end to something because of a problem

break out 1 begin (insep) (riots, violence, row, fire, epidemic, disease, war, rash, spots, sweat, tears, argument) begins suddenly or violently

2 escape (insep) escape

break up stop [break something up] (fight, quarrel, party, crowd, marriage, relationship, couple, alliance, school, meeting) stop

breeze through [breeze through something] (insep) (exam, test) pass something easily sail through, sweep through, walk through

brighten up 1 (insep) (weather, morning) become happier or better

2 [brighten something up] (day, Saturday, morning, wardrobe, life) make something more colourful or cheerful

bring about cause [bring something about] (reform, changes) make something happen

bring back [bring something back] (memories) make you think about something that happened a long time ago

bring in 1 [bring someone in] (doctor, expert, consultant, technician) ask someone to come and help call in

2 [bring something in] (bill, law, regulation, rule, system, scheme) introduce something

bring off accomplish [bring something off] succeed in something pull off

bring out 1 [bring something out] (product) make something available to the public

2 develop a quality

bring round/to [bring someone round, bring someone to] help someone regain consciousness

bring up 1 [bring someone up] look after a child until it has grown up

2 [bring something up] (issue, matter, point, subject) mention a subject or topic come up, drag up

brush aside [brush something aside] (allegations, suggestion, difficulties, idea, question) dismiss; Ignore or refuse to consider something brush off

brush up [brush something up, brush up on something] (English, French, subject) study something to try and revise or improve it a little polish up

buckle down (insep) start working hard; apply yourself knuckle down

bugger off (insep, taboo) tell someone to get lost or leave you alone fuck off, sod off

build up increase [build something up] (muscles, strength, stamina, reputation, sales, speed, collection, profits) increase the amount of something

bump into [bump into someone] (insep) meet someone by chance come across, run into

burst in on [burst in on someone/something] (insep) (conversation, meeting) enter a place suddenly interrupting the people or activiy inside

burst into [burst in on someone/something] (insep) (conversation, meeting) enter a place suddenly interrupting the people or activiy inside

butt in interrupt [butt in, butt in on someone] interrupt break in on

butter up praise [butter someone up] praise someone excessively so that they will do what you want

buzz off (insep, informal) go away dash off

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