If you want to nail down some colourful compounds, you must have a thing for words. Load up on these compound verbs beginning with the letters L, M, N and O!
laugh off
To joke about or dismiss lightly
Example: The tourists laughed off the warnings about pickpockets and walked freely through the square.
lay into
To criticize aggressively
Example: The fans laid into the referee about some questionable calls.
let on
To divulge or reveal
Example: The man let on that he preferred a Subaru to a BMW when he said he admired all things Japanese.
Or:
To pretend
Example: She let on that she had a degree in psychology.
let off
To exonerate
Example: My parents let me off easy, probably because I had never returned past the curfew before.
Or:
To excuse
Example: We let them off last weekend about cooking dinner, so we expect this time they’ll prepare a full meal.
live down
To overcome or reduce the shame of
Example: He couldn’t live down last night, no matter how hard he tried to find an excuse.
live for
To exist to enjoy or benefit from
Example: They live for the chance to meet a rock star – that’s why you see them at every concert.
Or:
To be enthusiastic
Example: He lives for skateboarding.
live up to
To meet expectations
Example: They lived up to their reputation of being the best yodelers in town.
load 
up
To take or accumulate
Example: If you load up on all that popcorn during the movie, you won’t have room for dinner.
luck out
To be fortunate
Example: We lucked out getting tickets to see the opera.
make after
To pursue
Example: If we go in different directions, we’ll make after the purse snatcher by covering all possible routes.
make off
To leave hurriedly
Example: The robbers made off in the blink of an eye.
make out
To understand, see
Example: I can’t make him out; he seems so aloof.
Or:
To make progress; fare
Example: How are you making out at your new job?
make over
To redo; renovate
Example: The stylist made her over so no one would recognize her.
muck up
To ruin or do badly
Example: They mucked up the work, so they’ll have to start over again.
muddle through
To cope or manage, continue
Example: The orchestra muddled through despite the conductor’s two-week absence.
nail down
To establish, secure
Example: We signed the contract to nail down our agreement.
Or:
To identify, understand fully
Example: She couldn’t nail down the problem but felt it wouldn’t work.
nip out
To go quickly
Example: I’ll just nip out to get some wine.
nod off
To fall asleep
Example: The chimes of the grandfather clock kept Wilburt from nodding off in his armchair.
nose around
To pry, snoop
Example: He started to nose around his sister’s bedroom, looking for her diary.
offer up
To provide or give to please
Example: The restaurant offered up a real taste of Japan.
opt out
To choose not to participate
Example: They opted out of the trip when they heard it would snow.
order around
To issue commands
Example: Her boyfriend was always ordering her around so she left him.
own up
To admit
Example: The players owned up to purposely sleeping in to skip practice.
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