Choose the phrasal verbs given in LIST-I to fill in the blanks given in LIST-II
| LIST-I Phrasal verbs | LIST-II Sentences |
| A. whittling away | I. The anesthetic effect is __________ and my mouth is beginning to feel sore. |
| B. pelting down | II. I was about to leave work but something urgent has ______. |
| C. wearing off | III. We would have gone out for a walk if it hadn't been______. |
| D. cropped up | IV. Every year the management is ______at jobs. Now there are less than 100 employees left. |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
| List-I | List-II | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| (A) whittling away | (IV) Every year the management is whittling away at jobs. Now there are less than 100 employees left. | To whittle away (at) is to reduce something little by little, as a knife shaves wood; the jobs are being cut year after year. |
| (B) pelting down | (III) We would have gone out for a walk if it hadn't been pelting down. | Pelting down means raining very heavily, a reason not to go for a walk. |
| (C) wearing off | (I) The anesthetic effect is wearing off and my mouth is beginning to feel sore. | To wear off is to fade gradually and stop having an effect; as the anaesthetic fades, the pain returns. |
| (D) cropped up | (II) I was about to leave work but something urgent has cropped up. | To crop up is to appear or happen suddenly and unexpectedly, as an urgent matter does. |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| crop up | 12-05 S1 | – | – | – | – |