13 English Phrasal Verbs With 'TALK'

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13 phrasal verbs with 'TALK'

Talk around

1. Persuade
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: He TALKED them AROUND to accepting his point of view.
2. Talk about a problem or issue without really dealing with it
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: They TALKED AROUND the issue without reaching a conclusion.

Talk at

1. Talk to someone and not give them a chance to reply or listen to them
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: There's no point trying to convince them- they'll just TALK AT you until you give up.

Talk back

1. Respond rudely to a person in authority
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: The teacher was cross because the pupil TALKED BACK to her.

Talk down

1. Try to make something sound less important
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: The company CEO TALKED DOWN the recent fall in shares.
2. Persuade someone not to jump off a high place to kill themselves
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: A man was threatening to jump off the building but the police TALKED him DOWN.

Talk down to

1. Talk in a way to show your superiority not communicate
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: She's a dreadful teacher and TALKS DOWN TO her students instead of teaching them.

Talk into

1. Persuade someone to do something
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: She didn't want to let me go, but I finally managed to TALK her INTO it.

Talk out

1. Discuss a problem or issue to find a solution
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: They had a meeting to TALK OUT how people felt.

Talk out of

1. Persuade someone not to do something
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: He was going to drive home after drinking half a bottle of wine, but his friends TALKED him OUT OF it.

Talk over

1. Discuss
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: We TALKED OVER the problems in our relationship, but couldn't sort things out.

Talk round

1. Persuade
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: She TALKED them AROUND to accepting her point of view.
2. Talk about a problem or issue without really dealing with it
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: WE TALKED ROUND the issue but didn't reach a conclusion.

Talk through

1. Guide someone through an issue
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: The teacher TALKED me THROUGH the test so I knew what to expect.

Talk up

1. Make something appear more important or significant than it really is
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: The government are trying to TALK UP the effect of their policies.

Talk yourself out

1. Talk until you have nothing left to say
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: He TALKED himself OUT after a couple of hours and calmed down.

Take our Exercise on 'TALK'