1
general::
point sth up
formal
to emphasize a problem or fact, so that people notice it more
• It was a badly researched documentary which glossed over important questions while pointing up trivial ones., point sth out
[ M ]
to tell someone about some information, often because you believe they do not know it or have forgotten it
• [ + that ]: He was planning to book a rock-climbing holiday, till I pointed out that Denis is afraid of heights.
• [ + question word ]: I feel I should point out how dangerous it is., point (sth/sb) out
[ M ]
to make a person notice someone or something, usually by telling them where they are or by holding up one of your fingers towards them
• If you see her, please point her out to me.
• The tour guide pointed out the inscription that runs round the inside of the dome., point to/towards sth
to make it seem likely that a particular fact is true or that a particular event will happen
• All the evidence points to suicide.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
noun thing said as part of a discussion ADJ. good, interesting, valid | important | minor | subtle | moot | central, crucial, key, major, salient | controversial | talking The possibility of an interest rate cut is a major talking point in the City. VERB + POINT have She's got a point. | see, take I see your point. Point taken. | concede | cover, make, raise She made some interesting points. | argue, discuss They argued the point for hours. | illustrate | get across, make, prove He had trouble getting his point across. That proves my point. | drive/hammer home, emphasize, labour, press, stress I understand what you're saying?there's no need to labour the point. PHRASES a case in point (= an example relevant to the matter being discussed), the point at issue, a point of agreement/disagreement, a point of law the point: essential aspect of sth ADJ. basic The basic point is that … VERB + POINT come/get to Hurry up and get to the point! | get It took me a few minutes to get the point. | miss | wander from/off PREP. beside the ~ (= not relevant) That's beside the point. | to the ~ His remarks were brief and to the point. PHRASES more to the point (= what is more important) More to the point, did they get away? meaning/reason/purpose of sth ADJ. whole That's the whole point. VERB + POINT have It doesn't have any point to it. | see I don't see the point in arguing. PREP. ~ in/of There's absolutely no point in complaining now. What's the point of worrying? item/detail/feature ADJ. finer, good, strong We discussed the finer points of growing roses. | bad, weak | salient PHRASES a point of difference, a point of interest particular time/moment ADJ. high He had reached the high point of his career. | low | breaking, bursting, saturation to fill a bag to bursting point | boiling, freezing, melting VERB + POINT get to, reach I've got to the point (= in a book, etc.) where his father is dying. POINT + VERB come There comes a point in most people's lives when they want to settle down. PREP. at a/the ~ At one point he looked like winning. | on the ~ of on the point of departure | to the ~ of We worked all night to the point of collapse. | up to a ~ I agree with you up to a point. PHRASES a point in time At this point we can't give you a final answer. | the point of no return (= after which it is impossible to go back/undo what you have done) particular place/position ADJ. central, focal the focal point of his life | fixed | assembly, meeting, rallying | starting | vantage | reference | turning This proved to be the turning point of the game. | cut-off | pressure | vanishing VERB + POINT arrive at, reach PHRASES a point of contact, a point of reference punctuation ADJ. decimal in a game/sports competition ADJ. match, set It's set point to Henman. VERB + POINT get, score, win | lose PHRASES beat sb/win on points measurement ADJ. percentage Interest rates fell by one percentage point. VERB + POINT (All the verbs in the following collocate groups may be followed by by, from or to plus point. Sometimes the word by is left out.), be/go/shoot up, improve, increase, jump, rise, soar The Nikkei index rose 710 points to 14894. His popularity rose by 18 points in public opinion polls. | be/come/go down, deline, decrease, depreciate, drop, fall, plummet, plunge The CAC-40 index is down 67 points at 4413. PHRASES about/around/only/over/up to 10, 20, etc. points The index was down only 4.6 points at the close. | an improvement/an increase/a jump/a rise of 10, 20, etc. points to achieve an improvement of over 4.6 points in operating ratio | a drop/fall/reduction of 10, 20, etc. points 10 thin sharp end of sth ADJ. fine, sharp, verb PREP. at, in the direction of He pointed in the direction of the town centre. | to The toddler pointed to the toy he wanted. | towards, with She pointed with her finger at the map. PHRASES point straight at sb/sth The gun was pointing straight at me. | point the way ‘You must cross that field,’ she said, pointing the way. PHRASAL VERBS point sth out ADV. correctly, rightly As you so rightly pointed out, our funds are not unlimited. | tartly His wife pointed out tartly that none of them were exactly starving. VERB + POINT must, should I should point out that not one of these paintings is original. | try to | fail to | be at pains to, be keen to, be quick to She was at pains to point out that she was no newcomer to the area. | be right to You were right to point out that this is only one of the difficulties we face. | be important to PREP. to She tried in vain to point out to him the unfairness of the situation. point to sth ADV. clearly Fragments of woven cloth at the site, clearly point to the production of textiles. VERB + POINT seem to The evidence all seems to point to one conclusion.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
5
general::
point
adjectives
a good point
• I think that’s a very good point.
an interesting point
• He has made an interesting point.
an important point
• That’s an important point to bear in mind.
a serious point
• He’s making a joke but there is a serious point there as well.
a valid point
• She raised a number of valid points.
a general point
• I’d like to make one further general point.
a similar point
• Kevin Phillips made a similar point in his 1993 book, ‘Boiling Point’.
the main point
• Finally, I will summarise the main points of this chapter.
one final/last point
• There is one final point I would like to make.
verbs
make a point
• He makes the point that predicting behaviour is not easy.
put/get your point across
(= make people understand it )
• I think we got our point across.
raise a point
(= mention it )
• I was going to raise that point.
illustrate/demonstrate a point
• A simple example will illustrate the point.
prove your/a point
(= prove that what you say is right )
• He was determined to prove his point.
understand a point
• I’m sorry, I don’t understand your point.
see/take/get sb’s point
(= understand or agree with it )
• OK, I take your point. But it’s not that easy.
have a point
(= have made a good point )
• Maybe she has a point.
clarify a point
(= make it clearer )
• Could you clarify a couple of points for me?
phrases
point taken
(= used to say to someone that you accept what they say )
• All right, point taken – I should have asked you first.
the finer points of something
(= the small details )
• I’m afraid I don’t understand the finer points of the game.
point 2
phrases
the point is (that) …
• The point is that going by bus would be a lot cheaper.
that’s the (whole) point
• That’s the point. She didn’t tell us what was going on.
that's not the point
• We'd earn a lot of money, but that's not the point.
be beside the point
(= be not the most important thing to consider )
• He's the best person for the job so his age is beside the point.
more to the point
(= what is more important )
• When did she leave, and, more to the point, why?
verbs
get/come (straight) to the point
(= talk about the most important thing immediately )
• I haven't got much time so let's get straight to the point.
get the point
(= understand it )
• He didn’t get the point at first.
miss the point
(= not understand it )
• I don't know why but Mel always seems to miss the point.
point 3
verbs
reach a point
• Some couples reach a point where divorce is the only solution.
get to a point
• You get to the point where ordinary things like climbing stairs are difficult.
mark a high/low/turning etc point
(= be or happen at a particular time in the development of something )
• The day of the accident marked a turning point in Kenny’s life.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + point
a high point
• Winning the World Championship was the high point of my career.
a low point
• She helped me when I was at a low point in my life.
a starting point
• The following recipes are a good starting point for making your own bread.
a turning point
(=the time when an important change starts, especially an improvement)
• A turning point in the history of the republic came in 1358.
crisis point
(= the point at which a situation becomes extremely serious )
• The tensions within the country have reached crisis point.
breaking point
(= a time when someone or something can no longer deal with something )
• Our resources are stretched to breaking point.
bursting point
(= a time when something is completely full )
• The hospital was full to bursting point.
saturation point
(= a time when no more can be added to something )
• Is the market for computer games reaching saturation point?
phrases
at one point
(= at a time in the past )
• At one point I was thinking of studying physics.
at some point
• Over half the population suffers from back pain at some point in their lives.
at this/that point
• I’m not prepared at this point to make any decision.
at this/that point in time
formal (= used especially in official speeches, announcements etc )
• It would be wrong to comment at this point in time.
to the point of something
(= until a stage is reached or is near )
• British industry was driven to the point of collapse.
point 4
adjectives
good points
• Every system has its good points and its drawbacks.
bad points
• What would you say are Natalie’s bad points?
sb’s strong point
(= something that they are good at )
• Mathematics was never my strong point.
sb’s weak point
(= something that they are not good at )
• Be honest about assessing your weak points.
a positive point
• Underfloor heating has a lot of positive points.
a negative point
• A few negative points should be mentioned.
a selling point
(= a quality or feature that makes people want to buy something )
• The house's main selling point is its beautiful garden.
the finer points of something
(= small details about the qualities or features of something )
• I'm afraid I'm not interested in the finer points of cars.
point 5
verbs
score a point
(= especially in games such as football, baseball, cricket etc )
• The Kiwis scored 206 points in their three matches.
win a point
(= especially in games such as tennis, where the ball goes back and forth between competitors )
• I didn't win a single point in my first few games.
get a point
informal (= score a point )
• Our aim is to get as many points as possible.
lose a point
• If he’s got the answer wrong, he loses 250 points.
give/award somebody a point
• I was awarded 17 points out of 20.
phrases
win/lose by 5/10 etc points
• We only lost by two points.
win/lose on points
(= win or lose a fight because of the judges’ decision )
• He was knocked down twice, before losing on points.
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