Control & Power

Phrasal verbs for authority and influence

Introduction

Power dynamics shape our interactions, and phrasal verbs reflect this. People "take over" organizations, "step down" from positions, and "stand up" to authority. These expressions capture the push and pull of control.

This chapter explores phrasal verbs related to power: gaining control, losing it, exercising authority, and resisting the power of others.

Themes

All Phrasal Verbs in This Chapter (87)

• take over To gain control of something
• give up To surrender or stop trying
• hold back To restrain or prevent from advancing
• keep down To control or suppress; to not vomit food
• crack down To take severe measures against something
• clamp down To become stricter about controlling something
• let go To release; to fire from a job; to stop holding on emotionally
• rein in To control or limit something
• stamp out To eliminate or put an end to something
• bring down To cause to fall or fail; to make sad
• put down To criticize; to suppress; to euthanize
• rule out To exclude as a possibility
• ward off To prevent something harmful
• shut out To exclude; to block out
• fend off To defend against or resist
• take charge To assume control or responsibility
• back down To withdraw from a position
• stand up to To resist or confront
• lay down To establish rules firmly
• ease up To relax pressure or control
• let up To reduce in intensity
• tighten up To make stricter or more secure
• loosen up To relax or become less strict
• stand down To withdraw from a position or stop being ready for action
• back off To retreat or stop pressuring someone
• stand up for To defend or support someone or something
• clamp down on To take strict action to stop or control something
• crack down on To take severe measures against something
• wipe out To completely destroy or eliminate
• hold down To keep in a position or maintain control of
• bring under To bring something under control or authority
• hold in To restrain or suppress emotions
• let out To release or allow to escape
• give in To surrender or stop resisting
• knuckle under To submit to authority or pressure
• bow down To show submission or worship
• lord over To act superior and dominate others
• boss around To give orders to someone in an annoying way
• push around To bully or treat someone badly
• order about To give commands to someone constantly
• keep in line To make someone behave properly
• bring into line To make someone conform to rules or standards
• fall into line To conform and do what is expected
• step out of line To behave inappropriately or break rules
• whip into shape To improve something or someone through discipline
• knock into shape To improve through forceful effort
• pull rank To use your senior position to get your way
• throw weight around To use power or influence aggressively
• set down To establish or write down rules formally
• put in place To establish or implement systems or measures
• see through To continue until completion or to recognize deception
• follow through To complete what was started or promised
• stick to To continue with or not deviate from something
• abide by To accept and follow rules or decisions
• go along with To agree or cooperate with something
• sign over To officially transfer ownership or rights
• hand down To pass from one generation to another
• pass down To transfer to younger generations
• pass on To give to someone else or decline an offer
• rope in To persuade or force someone to help
• drag in To involve someone or something unnecessarily
• press for To demand or insist on something
• push for To actively try to achieve something
• fight for To struggle to achieve or defend something
• hold out for To refuse to accept less than what you want
• face down To confront and defeat through determination
• stare down To intimidate by staring
• shore up To support or strengthen something weak
• prop up To support something to prevent it failing
• ride out To endure a difficult period
• weather through To survive a difficult period
• hang on To persist or wait
• keep on To continue doing something
• plug away To continue working hard persistently
• peg away To work steadily at something
• hammer away To work intensively at something
• chip away To gradually reduce or weaken something
• whittle down To gradually reduce in size or number
• narrow down To reduce the number of options
• nail down To finalize or secure something
• tie down To restrict or commit someone
• tie up To occupy completely or bind
• lock down To secure or restrict access
• lord it over To behave in a superior way
• bow out To withdraw gracefully
• hold sway To have great influence or power
• seize control To take power forcefully