Question

Choose the correct meaning of the given phrase:
"Fall in with"
(A) Agree with
(B) To have recourse to
(C) Recede
(D) Trap
(E) Drop

Answer 1

Hint: The given phrase is an example of phrasal verbs. The phrasal verb is a verb which consists of a verb and a preposition or even both. Their meaning is generally different from the meanings of the individual verb. We can get a different meaning from the verb form when the preposition is added with the verb. For example, the verb ‘set on’ means ‘to attack’ and while the verb ‘set off’ shows the ‘commencement of a journey’. Eventually, we can see that these two verb forms (despite their original verb form being the same) show altogether different meanings after being added with different propositions.

Complete step by step answer:
1. The phrase ‘fall in with’ has two salient meanings. One is: by probability, one has met with someone else then became involved with them. Another phrasal verb we can use for this meaning, which is ‘go around with’.The second meaning of ‘fall in with’ is ‘to agree to someone’s ideas and/or suggestions’. The verb we can use which is similar in meaning, as ‘support’ or ‘to back’.
2. In order to identify the phrase or word of closest resemblance out of these examples, it is important to understand the meanings of the phrases or words at first as given in the options.
3. The term 'to have recourse to' means to have something as to support aiming to hold you back when you fall or simply to use something as help. For example, “You will have recourse to your parental property after you are 18th.” This is not similar with the meaning of ‘fall in with’.
4. The meaning of ‘recede’ is to go back or retreat. Thus, it is also not similar with the meaning of the word which is asked in the question.
5. The word 'trap' means to be stuck with something and the word ‘drop’ means ‘to fall vertically from a height’.
6. 'Agree with' is also a phrasal verb which means ‘to believe that a suggestion or decision taken by someone’ is correct. For example, “My mother agreed with my father.” So, we have found it as most similar or have the nearest meaning with ‘fall in with’.

Thus, Option A is correct.

Note:
It is very important to keep in mind that there are two meanings of the given phrasal verb. And the correct option goes with only one of them. Hence, one needs to be very careful while using such phrasal verbs. It is not possible to find any alternative which will show both the meaning of any other word. Thus, in English language it is very important to see the meaning of any word according to its surrounding context.