Particle guide
Phrasal verbs with up
The particle up starts from one core idea — upward motion. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.
162 phrasal verbs · 18 meaning groups
The meaning map of up
Upward
Movement goes from low to high.
Increase
More of something is higher. Quantity, intensity and speed all rise.
Trouble
Something normal is disturbed. Feelings, systems, machines, or behavior become noisy, troubled, or out of control.
Resistance
Someone does not accept pressure, unfair treatment, or authority. They speak or act against it.
Making Better
Something is made neater, better-looking, more impressive, or more appealing.
Getting Ready
People or conditions get ready before the main action begins.
Support
Something is held up for a while. A host can support a guest, or you can carry a burden.
Finishing
Filling to the top. Reaching the upper limit means finishing.
Appearance
Rising into view. What comes up becomes present and visible.
Making
A new thing appears or is made.
Stopping
The action stops. With give up, up can show that someone stops trying.
Return
Backing up means moving a short way back along the same path. You go against the forward direction.
Practice these meanings in Sink In
The app turns each meaning group into short review cards: recognition, particle cloze, meaning-to-particle recall, and schema matching.