| save * up + | accumulate (money) | I hope I will be able to save up enough money to go to school. |
| see about + | arrange or consider something | My dad said he was going to see about buying me a car. |
| see * off | say good-bye to someone at the beginning of their trip (at the airport, train station) | Did you see your sister off at the train station? |
| see to + | make sure something happens, arrange | I’ll see to it that Mr. Ramirez gets your message. |
| see * through | finish something despite difficulties | Are you going to be able to see your studies through now that you have a baby? |
| sell * out | tell on someone | My partner in crime sold me out for a reduced jail sentence. |
| set * up | arrange a relationship | My mom set me up with her friend’s son. |
| set * up | falsely incriminate a person | I don’t think he killed those men. Somebody set him up. |
| set up + | arrange (an appointment, a meeting,etc.) | I set up an appointment with my doctor at 3:30 this afternoon. |
| settle on + | make a decision after a period of time | I settled on the job at the oil company. |
| settle up | pay one’s debts | We need to settle up before you move. |
| show * off + | show to everybody with a lot of pride | He always shows off his new things. |
| show off | boast, draw attention to oneself | Young boys show off in order to impress girls. |
| show * up | make someone seem inferior | He’s always trying to show up his co-workers in order to get ahead. |
| show up | arrive without previous notice | I hadn’t seen my cousin for years, and all of a sudden, he showed up at my workplace yesterday! |
| shut * off | stop from functioning | If you don’t pay your electric bill, your power is going to get shut off. |
| shut * up | make quiet | Would someone shut him up! He’s talking so loudly that we’re going to get in trouble. |
| slow * down + | make move more slowly | Because Mary’s level in English is lower than the rest of the students, she slows the class down. |
| slow * up + | make move more slowly | Because Mary’s level in English is lower than the rest of the students, she slows the class up. |
| spell * out + | to explain something in a detailed way so that the meaning is clearly understood | He’s so stupid that you have to spell everything our for him. |
| stand by | wait | I need you to stand by and answer the phone when my broker calls. |
| stand for + | represent | SCUBA stands for “self contained underwater breathing apparatus.” |
| stand for + | tolerate | I won’t stand for people criticizing me. |
| stand out | be very noticeable | Soledad is so beautiful! She really stands out in a crowd. |
| stand * up | not arrive to a date or an appointment (inf.) | I arranged to meet Joe at the library at 8:00, but he stood me up. I hope he has a good excuse. |
| stand up for + | defend (something one believes in) | Every individual must stand up for what they believe in. |
| stand up to + | defend oneself against someone or something | I think you should stand up to your older brother and tell him to stop pushing you around. |
| stay over | spend the night at a person’s house | It takes you so long to take the bus home, so why don’t you just stay over? |
| stick it to + | severely criticize a person (inf.) | My boss really stuck it to me when I arrived late to work for the third time this week. |
| stick to + | persevere, keep trying | Even though English is a hard language to master, you must stick to it! |
| stick up for + | defend oneself or opinions | Joseph joined the army because he believes he must stick up for his country. |
