hand down , on bequeath, give, grant, pass on or down, transfer, will
act on , act upon
1 act in accordance with, carry out, comply with, conform to, follow, heed, obey, yield to
2 affect, alter, change, impact, influence, modify, sway, transform
bank on
assume, believe in, count on, depend on, lean on, look to, rely on, trust
bargain on
assume, bank on, count on, depend on, plan on, rely on
bear on
affect, appertain to, belong to, concern, involve, pertain to, refer to, relate to, touch upon
border on
1 abut, adjoin, connect, contact, impinge, join, march, neighbour, touch, verge on
2 approach, approximate, be like, be similar to, come close to, come near, echo, match, parallel, resemble
call on
1 drop in on, look in on, look up, see, visit
2 appeal to, ask, bid, call upon, entreat, invite, invoke, request, summon, supplicate
carry on
1 continue, endure, keep going, last, maintain, perpetuate, persevere, persist
2 administer, manage, operate, run
3 (informal) create (slang) make a fuss, misbehave, raise Cain
carry-on
commotion, disturbance, fracas, fuss, hubbub, racket, rumpus, shindy (informal) tumult
catch on
comprehend, find out, get the picture, grasp, see, see the light of day, see through, twig (Brit. informal) understand
come down on
bawl out (informal) blast, carpet (informal) chew out (U.S. & Canad. informal) criticize, dress down (informal) give (someone) a rocket (Brit. & N.Z. informal) jump on (informal) lambast(e), put down, rap over the knuckles, read the riot act, rebuke, reprimand, tear into (informal) tear (someone) off a strip (Brit. informal)
come on
1 advance, develop, improve, make headway, proceed, progress
2 appear, begin, take place
count on , upon
bank on, believe (in), depend on, lean on, pin one's faith on, reckon on, rely on, take for granted, take on trust, trust
dote on , upon
admire, adore, hold dear, idolize, lavish affection on, prize, treasure
draw on
employ, exploit, extract, fall back on, have recourse to, make use of, rely on, take from, use
drop in (on)
blow in (informal) call, call in, go and see, look in (on), look up, pop in (informal) roll up (informal) stop, turn up, visit
dwell on , upon
be engrossed in, continue, elaborate, emphasize, expatiate, harp on, linger over, tarry over
egg on
encourage, exhort, goad, incite, prod, prompt, push, spur, urge
Antonyms
deter, discourage, dissuade, hold back, put off, talk out of
fall back on
call upon, employ, have recourse to, make use of, press into service, resort to
fall on , fall upon
assail, assault, attack, belabour, descend upon, lay into, pitch into (informal) set upon or about, snatch, tear into (informal)
get on
1 ascend, board, climb, embark, mount
2 advance, cope, cut it (informal) fare, get along, make out (informal) manage, progress, prosper, succeed
3 agree, be compatible, be friendly, concur, get along, harmonize, hit it off (informal)
go on
1 continue, endure, happen, last, occur, persist, proceed, stay
2 blether, carry on, chatter, prattle, rabbit (Brit. informal) ramble on, waffle (informal, chiefly Brit.) witter (on) (informal)
hanger-on
cohort (chiefly U.S.) dependant, follower, freeloader (slang) lackey, leech, ligger (slang) minion, parasite, sponger (informal) sycophant
hang on
1 carry on, continue, endure, go on, hold on, hold out, persevere, persist, remain, stay the course
2 cling, clutch, grasp, grip, hold fast
3 be conditional upon, be contingent on, be dependent on, be determined by, depend on, hinge, rest, turn on
4 hang onto, hang upon be rapt, give ear, listen attentively
5 (informal) hold on, hold the line, remain, stop, wait
happen on , upon
chance upon, come upon, discover unexpectedly, find, hit upon, light upon, stumble on, turn up
have on
1 be clothed in, be dressed in, wear
2 be committed to, be engaged to, have on the agenda, have planned
3 (of a person) deceive, kid (informal) play a joke on, pull someone's leg, take the mickey, tease, trick, wind up (Brit. slang)
hit on , upon
arrive at, chance upon, come upon, discover, guess, invent, light upon, realize, strike upon, stumble on, think up
keep on
carry on, continue, endure, last, persevere, persist, prolong, remain
lay on
1 cater (for), furnish, give, provide, purvey, supply
2 lay it on (slang) butter up, exaggerate, flatter, overdo it, overpraise, soft-soap (informal)
lead on
beguile, deceive, draw on, entice, inveigle, lure, seduce, string along (informal) tempt
let on
1 admit, disclose, divulge, give away, let the cat out of the bag (informal) make known, reveal, say
2 act, counterfeit, dissemble, dissimulate, feign, make believe, make out, pretend, profess, simulate
look down on , upon
contemn, despise, disdain, hold in contempt, look down one's nose at (informal) misprize, scorn, sneer, spurn, treat with contempt, turn one's nose up (at) (informal)
off and on
(every) now and again, every once in a while, from time to time, intermittently, now and then, occasionally, on and off, sometimes, sporadically
on and off
by fits and starts, discontinuously, (every) now and again, fitfully, from time to time, intermittently, now and then, off and on, on occasion, sometimes, spasmodically
pick on
badger, bait, blame, bully, goad, hector, tease, torment
pitch on , upon
choose, decide on, determine, elect, light on, opt for, pick, plump for, select, single out
play on , upon
abuse, capitalize on, exploit, impose on, milk, profit by, take advantage of, trade on, turn to account, utilize
put on
1 change into, don, dress, get dressed in, slip into
2 affect, assume, fake, feign, make believe, play-act, pretend, sham, simulate
3 do, mount, present, produce, show, stage
5 back, bet, lay, place, wager
Antonyms
1 cast off, doff, remove, shed, slip off, slip out of, take off, throw off, undress
round on
abuse, attack, bite (someone's) head off (informal) have a go at (Brit. slang) lose one's temper with, retaliate, snap at, turn on, wade into
set on
assail, assault, attack, fall upon, fly at, go for, incite, instigate, let fly at, pitch into (informal) pounce on, sail into (informal) set about, sic, spur on, urge
sign on , up
1 contract with, enlist, enrol, join, join up, register, volunteer
2 employ, engage, hire, put on the payroll, recruit, take into service, take on, take on board (informal)
spot-on
accurate, correct, exact, hitting the nail on the head (informal) on the bull's-eye (informal) on the money (U.S.) precise, punctual (to the minute), right, unerring
take on
1 employ, engage, enlist, enrol, hire, retain
2 acquire, assume, come to have
3 accept, address oneself to, agree to do, have a go at (informal) tackle, undertake
4 compete against, contend with, enter the lists against, face, fight, match oneself against, oppose, pit oneself against, vie with
5 (informal) break down, get excited, get upset, give way, make a fuss
turn on
1 activate, energize, ignite, kick-start, put on, set in motion, start, start up, switch on
2 balance, be contingent on, be decided by, depend, hang, hinge, pivot, rest
3 assail, assault, attack, fall on, lose one's temper with, round on
4 (slang) arouse, arouse one's desire, attract, excite, please, press one's buttons (slang) ring (someone's) bell (U.S. slang) stimulate, thrill, titillate, work up
5 (slang) get high (informal) get stoned (slang) take drugs, trip (informal)
6 (slang) expose, get one started with, inform, initiate, introduce, show
Antonyms
1 cut out, put out, shut off, stop, switch off, turn off
wait on , upon
attend, minister to, serve, tend
zero in (on)
aim, bring to bear, concentrate, converge, direct, focus, home in, level, pinpoint, train