Phrasal verbs about thinking and learning

Phrasal verbs about thinking and learning

1) Brush up (on) - improve one's previously good knowledge of or skill at a particular thing.

Brush up on your telephone skills.

2) Come (a)round (to) - be converted to another person's opinion.

I came round to her point of view.

3) Come up with - think of something such as an idea or a plan.

I'm quite excited about some of the ideas we're coming up with, but more details later.

4) Face up to - accept something and try to deal with it.

Every young father has to face up to his responsibilities.

5) Figure out - be able to understand something or solve a problem.

I really can't figure you out,’ I say to him on one of my rare visits back into that dark office.

6) Hit upon - suddenly have an idea; discover something by chance.

They hit upon the idea of creating a rare type of red hair dye and offering it for sale in small quantities.

7) Mull over - think carefully about something over a period of time.

He waited in silence while she mulled over the proposal.

8) Piece together - learn the truth about something by considering all the separate bits of information you have.

The detective tried to piece together the events leading up to the crime.

9) Puzzle out - solve or understand something by thinking hard.

It'll irritate me, this will, until I've puzzled it out.

10) Read up (on/about) - acquire information about a particular subject by studying it intensively or systematically.

You can get all of the information here, so go read up on it and sign up!

11) Swot up (on) - study (a subject) intensively, especially in preparation for something.

Children who wish to take part will have the whole summer to swot up on their spelling using these informative and educational packs and from September the national spelling event begins.

12) Take in - understand and remember something that you hear or read; accept something as real or true.

I couldn't take in all that French dialogue in the movie.

13) Think over - consider something carefully.

She made an offer to buy our house, and I promised to think it over.

14) Think through - consider something carefully, especially before making an important decision.

We can't afford a mistake, so think things through and make sure you have everything ready.

15) Think up - invent something.

She used to think up funny things just to make him laugh.