Vote down means to reject or defeat a proposal, motion or candidate by majority vote. To use vote down in a sentence, put the item either after the particle, as in “The council voted down… Read More »Vote Down in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Drill down is an intransitive phrasal verb meaning to move from a broad view to the smallest details. To use drill down in a sentence, give it a preposition and a target: “We drilled down… Read More »Drill Down in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples
Hide away means to keep someone or something out of sight, or to go somewhere quiet to be alone. Use hide away with an object you are storing, as in she hid the letters away,… Read More »Hide Away in a Sentence: Meaning, Forms & Examples
To get round to something is to finally find the time for a task you had been putting off. Use get round to before a noun or an -ing verb: “I finally got round to… Read More »Get Round To in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples
Xylol vs xylene is not a contest between two chemicals: they are two names for the same aromatic solvent, and xylene is the name to use in scientific and technical writing. Keep xylol for older… Read More »Xylol vs Xylene: Are They the Same Solvent?
Exhume means to dig up something that was buried, most often a body, and by extension to revive a fact or dispute that had been laid to rest. To use exhume in a sentence, name… Read More »Exhume in a Sentence: Meaning, Forms & Examples
Scale back means to reduce the size, scope or amount of something, usually a plan, budget or operation. To use scale back in a sentence, put the thing being reduced as the object: “The council… Read More »Scale Back in a Sentence: Meaning, Forms & Examples
Diaphanous describes a material that is light, delicate and softly see-through, the quality of gauze, thin silk or a butterfly wing. To use diaphanous in a sentence, place it before the noun it describes: “a… Read More »Diaphanous in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
An avocation is a hobby or minor occupation that a person pursues for pleasure, in contrast to the vocation that pays the bills. To use avocation in a sentence, treat it as a countable noun… Read More »Avocation in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Youngling vs youngster is a choice between two words for the young: use youngster for a child in everyday modern English, and reserve youngling for a young animal or a deliberately old-fashioned, literary tone. “Three… Read More »Youngling vs Youngster: Which Should You Use?
Press on means to continue steadily despite difficulty, and it takes no object. To use press on in a sentence, put the subject before the verb and stop there: “The team pressed on through the… Read More »Press On in a Sentence: Meaning and Examples
A gulch is a narrow, steep-sided valley cut by a stream, smaller than a canyon and rougher than a ditch. To use gulch in a sentence, treat it as a countable noun: “The trail dropped… Read More »Gulch in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Usage
Buy up is a phrasal verb meaning to buy large amounts of something, often all that is available. To use buy up in a sentence, put the thing being bought after buy or between buy… Read More »Buy Up in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Tell off is a phrasal verb meaning to scold someone for doing something wrong. To use tell off in a sentence, put the person between tell and off: “the coach told the players off”. The… Read More »Tell Off in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Try out is a phrasal verb meaning to test something to see whether it works, or to compete for a place on a team. To use try out in a sentence, keep the object with… Read More »Try Out in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Steer away is a phrasal verb meaning to turn or guide something away from a person, place or risk. To use steer away in a sentence, name what moves, then add away from and the… Read More »Steer Away in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice