Particle guide
Phrasal verbs with around
The particle around starts from one core idea — circular or surrounding motion. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.
58 phrasal verbs · 13 meaning groups
Circle
Something moves in a circle, changes direction, or returns to an earlier point in a cycle.
No Clear Way
Activity continues without a clear direction, purpose, or commitment.
Delayed Action
A planned task is done only after time or opportunity becomes available.
Repeated Behaviour
An action happens repeatedly in many situations.
Avoiding
The path bends to avoid an obstacle instead of passing through it.
Sharing
Something moves from person to person. Soon many people have it or know it.
Nearby
A person stays near a place or group, or moves among several places.
Search
Here 'around' means moving from spot to spot to look, search, or try things.
Recovery
A person becomes conscious again after fainting or a medical procedure.
Changing Minds
A person changes from resisting an idea to accepting it.
Control
Someone is pressured or treated roughly instead of being free to choose.
Bossing
Someone acts like they are in charge. They keep telling other people what to do.
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice the around patterns in Sink In
The app turns each meaning group into short review cards: recognition, particle cloze, meaning-to-particle recall, and schema matching.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
