Phrasal verb
grass on
Definition
phrasal verb. to tell the police or someone in charge about something bad that another person did.
phrasal verb. to inform an authority figure or the police about a person's illicit or prohibited activities; functions as a transitive verb of betrayal.
Examples
“He refused to grass on his friends.”
“The gang members were worried that one of their own might grass on them to the police.”
“Despite the pressure from investigators, the witness remained silent, unwilling to grass on the individuals who had orchestrated the scheme.”
Examples
simple
“He refused to grass on his friends.”
contextual
“The gang members were worried that one of their own might grass on them to the police.”
complex
“Despite the pressure from investigators, the witness remained silent, unwilling to grass on the individuals who had orchestrated the scheme.”
Usage
usually followed by the person being reported; carries a strong negative connotation of being a 'snitch'.
Teaching tip
this is a highly regional British term; compare it with the American 'snitch on' or 'rat out' to help students understand the cultural equivalent.
Pitfall
He grassed his brother.
He grassed on his brother.
the particle 'on' is required to indicate the person being reported.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
grass + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/grass-on