Dictionary: letter E

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ease in [ease (someone) into something] (insep) get help to do something or start doing it gradually

• A beginner's guide to easing into a healthy lifestyle.
• If you are really feeling unsure about retirement, try easing into it by gradually reducing work hours.

ease off (insep) (pain, rain, snow, traffic) becomes less intense

• The pain eased off after he took the tablets.
• The rain should ease off after midday.
• The heavy rain was easing off as we left the hotel, but I borrowed an umbrella just in case.

ease out (insep) make someone leave a job or place

• He was eased out of his job after the allegations.
• They want to ease him out of power.
• It took death to ease him out of office.

ease up ease off

• I wondered if I would ever catch Mike but he started to slow and I kept seeing him closer and closer as he grew tired, and then eased up when I got near.
• I think the snow's easing up a bit.

eat away [eat something away] destroy something by eating or by chemical  action

• Pollution has eaten away the stonework.
• The metal was eaten away by the acid.
• Salt can eat away at the paint and metal on your vehicle.

eat in (insep) when you eat in, you eat at home eat out

• We won't eat in tonight.
• I don't fancy going out tonight; shall we eat in?
• We didn't eat in as we wanted to try the local restaurants.

eat out (insep) eat in a restaurant dine out eat in

• I'm too tired to cook; why don't we eat out tonight?
• She really enjoys eating out.

eat up [eat up, eat something up] finish eating

• Eat up children!
• Eat up your vegetables!

egg on [egg someone on] encourage someone to do something silly

• They egged him on to drink the whole bottle.
• They egged him on until he finally jumped.

eke out 1 [eke something out] (rations, pension, food) make something last longer

• Developing alternative energy sources is one part of the plan to eke out the Earth's resources.

2 (existence, living, income, life) try hard to make a living, usually with little money or food scratch out

• The land is arid and dry so I imagine it's difficult to eke out a living.
• They eke out an existence by recycling the various materials they find.

end up (insep) end somewhere or in a certain way after a series of events. wind up

• You'll end up in prison if you go on like that.
• He ended up homeless.

explain away [explaing something away] give an excuse to avoid blame

• She tried to explain away the situation, but the police knew she was guilty.
• I don't know how I'm going to explain that away.

eye up [eye someone up] look at someone in a way that shows you are sexually interested in them

• The chap across the room is eyeing her up, but she doesn't seem to notice.