To continue our series on phrasal or compound verbs, we’ve singled out some that begin with the letter C. The focus here is just on two verbs: “call” and “come”. There are many!
call at
To stop at
Example: The train from Lausanne calls at Nyon before arriving in Geneva.
call away
To cause to leave or go; to summon
Example: The doctor was called away from dinner to treat the accident victims.
call for
To require
Example: That performance calls for a round of applause!
Or:
To request or demand
Example: The commuters called for cheaper fares.
Or:
To summon or pick up
Example: The chauffeur called for the couple at midday.
Or:
To predict or describe
Example: The financial forecast calls for rocky times ahead.
call in
To report back
Example: You should call in regularly so we know where you are.
Or:
To summon
Example: They called in five experts to assess the damage.
Or:
To participate via telephone
Example: The woman called in to the radio station to play the guessing game.
Or:
To require payment
Example: The bank called in loans to address financial concerns.
call off
To cancel
Example: The picnic was called off because of the rain.
Or:
To [verbally] confirm attendance
Example: They called off, one by one, before going on the mission.
call on
To visit
Example: We plan to call on the queen – that is, we’ll try!
Or:
To select
Example: The candidate called on the reporter in the last row to avoid hearing the question.
Or:
To demand action
Example: To meet the public trend towards multitasking, they called on the company to produce more Post-it notes.
call out
To announce or speak
Example: Call out the first word that comes to mind when I say, “weekend”.
Or:
To challenge
Example: He called her out on her extreme views.
[be] called to
To have an urge or vocation
Example: She was called to serving in the Red Cross.
call up
To phone someone
Example: I called him up to see if he found my car keys.
Or:
To induct or summon
Example: Five hundred reservists were called up to man posts along the border.
Or:
To select someone to play on a team
Example: The promising player was called up for the international match against France.
come about
To occur
Example: The event you were waiting for has come about.
come across
To find unexpectedly
Example: While reading the book, I came across a photo of my hometown.
Or:
To provide
Example: He finally came across with the details.
come along
To arrive or to appear
Example: Just when you give up waiting, a cab comes along!
Or:
To make progress or improve
Example: How are your piano lessons coming along?
Or:
To go with
Example: Although he wasn’t invited, he came along to the party with us.
come off
To separate from or detach
Example: The wheel came off my car just as I pulled into the garage.
Or:
To succeed or produce the desired result
Example: We wondered if her message would come off or be totally misunderstood.
Or:
To resemble or appear to be
Example: That comes off as being arrogant.
come on
To make progress or improve
Example: Peter’s book is coming on well.
Or:
To start working
Example: The lights mysteriously came on when the door opened.
Or:
To begin a broadcast
Example: “Downton Abbey” comes on in 10 minutes!
come out
To declare
Example: They finally came out in favour of building the skyscraper.
Or:
To assert one’s homosexuality
He came out after years of saying nothing.
Or:
To appear (be published)
Example: The new issue of the magazine came out last week.
Or:
To emerge
Example: From our discussion, it came out that we disagreed on every point.
come through
To survive
Example: He came through the crash without a scratch.
Or:
To succeed, do what’s expected
Example: They came through in the end to win the game!
come to
To regain consciousness
Example: When Oliver came to, his dog began to lick his face.
Or:
To add up to
Example: Your total cost for my time comes to 55 euros.
Or:
To recognize or appear
Example: That idea came to me while I was showering.
come up
To walk up to
Example: I did not know him but he came up to me to shake my hand.
Or:
To approach or draw near
Example: The festival is coming up; don’t forget to make your costume.
Or:
To occur or present itself
Example: The slot machine came up all watermelons – she won the jackpot!
Or:
To travel to
Example: Come up to the ranch for the weekend.
Or:
To be mentioned
Example: Her name came up in the discussion.
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