Dicey Ds?
Dip, drop, draw … verbs starting with the letter “D” may not always sound inspiring. But when they form compounds such as “dip in“, “drop by” and “draw up“, among others, they make for promising ideas. See some examples you may not have thought of.
dawn on
To realize or become aware of
Example: It dawned on them that the hike would be more than a Sunday stroll.
die for
To want something very much
Example: I’d die for some ice cream right now!
dip into
To undertake superficially
Example: We dipped into the art of fine dining before our trip to France.
do away with
To dispose of, eliminate or abolish
Example: Her goal? To do away with social injustice.
Or:
To kill
Example: The villain tried to do away with Batman, but he had no chance.
do in
To tire or become exhausted
Example: After climbing my third mountain in two days, I was done in.
do over
To repeat
Example: After he kicked wildly and missed the ball, he shouted, “Do over!”
Or:
To redecorate, refurbish
Example: To do over the whole apartment would have taken half a year.
do up
To close
Example: “Do up the tent’s zipper. If we wait any longer, it will be too cold!”
Or:
To improve or renovate
Example: The farmhouse is wonderful, but it needs some doing up.
Or:
To wrap
Example: To present the car as a special gift, they did it up with colourful paper and a large bow.
Or:
To dress in nice clothes or put make-up on
Example: They spent hours doing themselves up before the dance.
do with
To need or want
Example: I could do with an ice-cold beer on this hot summer’s day!
do without
To give up or forego
Example: We did without Cheerios and ate corn flakes.
drag on
To continue for a long time
Example: The game dragged on until it became too dark to play.
draw down
To reduce
Example: The military needed to draw down troops or face disputes with the local government.
draw from
To obtain
Example: The residents drew inspiration from Superman’s kindness.
draw in
To become shorter (in time) or approach the end
Example: When the night draws in, the birds begin to sing.
draw on
To use information or knowledge
Example: The artisan drew on his background in design to decorate the birthday cake.
Or:
To suck smoke in
Example: He drew slowly on the cigarette before making his move.
draw out
To become or last longer
Example: The days draw out in the spring and lead to summer.
draw up
To design
Example: The architect drew up the plans.
Or:
To conceive
Example: They couldn’t have drawn up a better plan.
Or:
To come to a halt
Example: Could you just draw up near the garage so we can check your tires?
dress down
To dress informally
Example: Her idea of dressing down did not correspond to the fashion show’s rules.
Or:
To reprimand
Example: The coach dressed down the players for not trying harder to win.
dress up
To dress in formal clothes
Example: The students dressed up for the prom.
Or:
To improve
Example: She dressed up her speech with famous quotes and some jokes.
drop by
To deliver
Example: He dropped this note by.
Or:
To visit unexpectedly
Example: I was in the shower when they dropped by.
drop in
To visit unexpectedly
Example: The station manager didn’t appreciate the contestants dropping in on him.
drop off
To fall asleep
Example: They tend to drop off when watching golf tournaments on TV.
Or:
To let out, deliver
Example: I can drop you off near your house.
drop out
To abandon, cease or quit
Example: Students may drop out of college if they don’t like their teachers.
dry up
To become barren or unproductive
Example: His humour dried up as he got older.
Or:
To stop talking or speaking
Example: When they’re in class, they just dry up.
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