fall out, chicken out, work out, pass away, knuckle down: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Phrasal Verbs set 12. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. fall out · phrasal verb

   become loose and unattached

   In the following couple of months, he lost a lot of weight; his hair started to fall out and his memory became weaker.

   Synonyms: become loose, become unattached

2. chicken out · phrasal verb

   avoid something due to fear (slang)

   Wayne took a deep breath and hesitantly approached Sarah to ask her for a date but he chickened out at the last minute and turned back.

   Synonyms: back off, back down, fear

3. work out · phrasal verb

   be successful or achieve its aim

   So often times, when we look back we realize why some plans did not work out the way we expected they would and the bigger plan for your life becomes clear.

   Synonyms: be successful, produce good results

4. pass away · phrasal verb

   die

   Oscar de la Renta’s last fashion show before he passed away was held at The Ice palace.

   Synonyms: lose one's life, perish

5. knuckle down · phrasal verb

   make a great effort

   Wilson was a bit behind with his art project which had to be submitted the following day, but he knew that he would be able to finish it if he could knuckle down.

   Synonyms: try hard, work hard