Particle guide
Phrasal verbs with off
The particle off starts from one core idea — losing contact. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.
121 phrasal verbs · 9 meaning groups
Take the off quizSeparation
A piece detaches from the whole. Contact with the body is broken.
Usual verb + particle uses
The verb keeps its normal meaning. The particle adds its usual direction or relation.
chip off
Break a small piece from something
“A piece chipped off the mug.”
“Paint chipped off the old gate.”
close off
Block access to a place
“Police closed off the street.”
“Staff closed off the top floor.”
cordon off
Block access to an area with a barrier
“Police cordoned off the street.”
“The fire crew cordoned off the gas leak.”
eat off
Eat food directly from a particular surface
“You could eat off this floor.”
“The counter is clean enough to eat off.”
jump off
Jump from something to a lower level
“He jumped off the wall.”
“She jumped off the boat onto the dock.”
keep off
Avoid using or touching something
“Please keep off the grass.”
“Keep off the wet paint.”
lop off
Remove cleanly with a strong cut
“They lopped off the dead branches.”
“The gardener lopped off the top of the hedge.”
peel off
Remove a thin outer layer
“Peel off the sticker carefully.”
“Peel off the old label before washing the jar.”
rub off
Remove by friction
“The ink rubbed off on my hands.”
“The gold colour rubbed off the ring.”
scrape off
Remove by scraping with an edge
“Scrape the mud off your boots.”
“Scrape the old paint off the door.”
shave off
Remove a thin layer with a blade
“He shaved off his beard.”
“She shaved off a thin strip of wood.”
snap off
Separate cleanly with a sharp sound
“The branch snapped off in the wind.”
“The pencil tip snapped off during the test.”
strip off
Remove all your clothes
“He stripped off and jumped in.”
“The swimmers stripped off by the pool.”
tear off
Remove forcefully by tearing
“He tore off the wrapping paper.”
“She tore off the old poster from the wall.”
wash off
Remove with water
“These stains won't wash off.”
“The paint won't wash off my hands.”
wipe off
Remove something from a surface by wiping
“Wipe the dust off the screen.”
“Wipe the sauce off your shirt.”
Departure
Someone or something leaves a starting point. An action or event can also begin.
Stopping
Something is delayed, interrupted, reduced, or brought to an end.
Power Stop
An active connection, session, machine, light, or device stops.
Defence
Something unwanted is prevented from reaching or affecting you.
Escape
A punishment, fear, or restriction no longer holds you. You become free from it.
Release
Words, feelings, impressions, light, heat, or smells leave a source and reach others.
Success
The effort succeeds. It moves from an attempt to a result.
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice the off 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.
