Phrases & Expressions

To start a new activity slowly and gently rather than all at once.

• Take your time and ease into the new job.
• He eased into the conversation with small talk.

To strongly encourage someone to do something, especially something unwise.

• His friends egged him on to jump from the bridge.
• She kept egging him on to ask for a raise.

To confess something, especially something you are embarrassed about.

• Come on, fess up! Who ate the last cookie?
• He finally fessed up to the prank.

To leave the marked path or route, especially when hiking.

• It is dangerous to go off-trail in bad weather.
• They decided to go off-trail to explore.

To become covered with ice.

• The wings of the plane began to ice up.
• Without heating, the windscreen can ice up within minutes.

To pump the fermenting wine from the bottom of the tank over the cap of skins.

• We pump over the wine every few hours during fermentation.
• Winemakers pump over the juice to extract more colour from the skins.

To press risen dough down to let the air out.

• After the dough has risen, you need to punch it down.
• She punched down the dough before shaping it into loaves.

To press something downwards.

• Push down the lid until you hear a click.
• She pushed down hard on the handle, but the door would not open.

To attend a meeting or class to watch, without taking part.

• Can I sit in on your lecture?
• New staff often sit in on meetings during their first week.

To stay until the end of an event, even if it is boring or unpleasant.

• We had to sit through a long presentation.
• She sat through the entire play.