send back

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: send BACK. Saying “SEND back” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Do not release the /d/. Before the consonant of “back” the stop is held and swallowed rather than popped — the same unreleased-stop move as in hot dog. One smooth unit: “send back”.

What it means

  1. To return something unsatisfactory.

    • The steak was cold so she sent it back.
    • Send back anything that doesn't fit.

    Similar: return

The particle logic

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More SEND phrasal verbs

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send back — meaning, examples & how to say it