Is our series on colourful compounds growing on you yet? Even if you just glimpse at this list of particular phrasal verbs that start with the letters E, F and G, you might ferret out some fun expressions!
egg on
To encourage 
Example: The mascot egged on the supporters in the front row to scream for more.
eke out
To make something last longer; to manage to make a living
Example: The students eked out the semester by living on spaghetti and meatballs and going to free films.
eat into
To use up (profits, resources or time)
Example: Nothing eats into our time more than smartphones.
fawn on/over
To praise someone excessively 
Example: Lobbyists fawn over the president to advance their cases in any way possible.
fall in with
To meet by chance and become involved with; to agree to
Example: The young people fell in with the wrong crowd over the summer.
feed off
To use something to one’s advantage 
Example: The players fed off the crowd’s energy to make a last effort to win the match.
fall for
To fall in love with; to be tricked
Example: Don’t fall for that crazy idea that money grows on trees!
ferret out
To search and discover something 
Example: We call him “Holmes”: he’s good at ferreting out the real causes of accidents.
gee up
To command (a horse) to go faster; to encourage to show more enthusiasm or make more effort
Example: We tried to gee them up with our usual antics, but even that didn’t help.
get behind
To support
Example: They got behind the students’ efforts to reintroduce old, used books for courses instead of electronic versions.
get after
To nag or exhort
Example: The shop owners need to get after the town commissioners to change their opening hours.
gloss over
To minimize or disguise
Example: The company can gloss over the emissions results only so much before the smoke really starts to thicken.
get off
To escape punishment; to be acquitted
Example: Most of the drivers got off with a rap on the knuckles from the motor vehicle commissioner for not having registered their vehicles.
gnaw at
To trouble or cause distress
Example: Little things tend to gnaw at him until he becomes resolute and makes a decision.
grow on
To become gradually more appealing 
Example: His beard grew on me – it helped that his name was “Santa Claus”.
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