Echelon means a level or rank within a hierarchy, especially one that carries power or status. To use echelon in a sentence, picture a ladder: decisions move through the upper echelons before they reach the… Read More »Echelon in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Talk out of means to persuade someone not to do something they were planning. To use talk out of in a sentence, put the person between talk and out of: you talk a friend out… Read More »Talk Out Of in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples
Kick in means to start working after a delay, as when a machine, a rule or a medicine begins to take effect. To use kick in in a sentence, name the thing that starts and… Read More »Kick In in a Sentence: Meaning, Forms & Practice
Pass on means to hand something to the next person, to politely refuse an offer, or, gently, to die. The phrasal verb pass on is separable when it means transmit, so you can pass a… Read More »Pass On in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
The choice in yea vs yay is simple: write yea for a formal affirmative, especially a vote, and yay for a shout of joy. Yea belongs in minutes, statutes and the phrase the yeas have… Read More »Yea vs Yay: Which Spelling to Use and When
To vie for something is to compete eagerly with others to win it. The phrasal verb vie for keeps for before the prize, and its subject is almost always plural because rivals are implied. Consider… Read More »Vie For in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Take it offline means to move a discussion out of the current meeting or channel and continue it privately. To use take it offline in a sentence, say it about a topic that needs a… Read More »Take It Offline in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples
Cherubic means looking like a cherub: round-faced, sweet and innocently plump, usually of a baby or a young child. To use cherubic in a sentence, apply it to a face or a smile: “the baby… Read More »Cherubic in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
The choice between yourselves vs themselves is settled by the subject of the sentence: use yourselves for the group you are addressing, and themselves for a group you are speaking about. “Help yourselves” speaks to… Read More »Yourselves vs Themselves: How to Use Each Correctly
Fiat is a noun for an official order issued by someone in authority. To use fiat in a sentence, give the order a source: the minister ruled by fiat. The word also names money that… Read More »Fiat in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Root for means to support someone or to hope that they succeed. To use root for in a sentence, put the person or team after the verb: fans root for the underdog. The phrase is… Read More »Root For in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Hit on is a phrasal verb with two everyday senses: to discover or suggest an idea suddenly, and to approach someone in a flirtatious way. To use hit on in a sentence, put the object… Read More »Hit On in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice
Vacillate vs oscillate is a choice between two kinds of back-and-forth: use vacillate when a person cannot settle on a decision, and use oscillate when something swings between two states, often with a rhythm. A… Read More »Vacillate vs Oscillate: Meaning & Sentence Practice
Test out is a phrasal verb meaning to try something in real conditions to see whether it works, and also to qualify for a course by passing an exam instead of taking it. It is… Read More »Test Out in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Uses
Pare back is a phrasal verb meaning to reduce something gradually and deliberately, usually spending, staff or plans. The verb is transitive and separable, so you can write pare back the budget or pare the… Read More »Pare Back in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Uses
Taint is a verb meaning to contaminate something or damage its reputation, and a noun meaning a trace of something bad that clings to a person or thing. To use taint in a sentence, name… Read More »Taint in a Sentence: Meaning, Grammar & Examples