to take up: to begin to do or study, to undertake; to occupy space, time,or energy Examples of TO TAKE UP Prime Stage Theater’s offering takes up the challenge somewhat self-consciously. At 6-foot-3 he takes up nearly half of the room when he leans back in his chair.

to take out: to remove, to extract; to go on a date with (also to goout with) Examples of TAKE OUT Diane wanted to take out the trash right after dinner, but Jack wanted to relax for a bit before cleaning up. “I want to take out this chapter of the book; it doesn’t contribute…

to find fault with: criticize, to complain about something Examples of TO FIND FAULT WITH You mustn’t be quick to find fault with everyone you date because you might learn to appreciate their flaws. Nobody could find any fault with Jennifer’s performance on the exam.

breadwinner: a person who earns a livelihood, especially one who also supports dependents.Examples of BREADWINNER As long as I am the breadwinner in this house, I have the right to make some rules for everyone who lives here. Being a single mother was very difficult for Sheila – she was the breadwinner, the house cleaner,…

to stand for: to represent, to signify; to tolerate Examples of TO STAND FOR He stands for shrinking the federal budget almost in half, legalizing marijuana. The citizens wouldn’t stand for the increase in crime in their city, so they hired more police officers and built another jail.

to back up: to drive or go backwards (S); to defend, to support (S); to return to a previous thought Examples of TO BACK UP So it plans to buy back up to $10 million of its stock over the next few months Unfortunately, the rates haven’t gone back up, and people are dealing with…