Snow and ice · Weather
freeze over
become covered with ice
If water freezes over, ice forms across its surface.
This vs that
The pond has frozen over.
The water has frozen.
Hear it in real life
Can we walk across the lake?
No, it hasn't frozen over properly yet.
The pond freezes over most winters, although it rarely stays frozen for long.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
This phrasal verb is the everyday way to describe a surface becoming covered in ice.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: The lake has frozen on.
Say: The lake has frozen over.
The particle 'over' shows that the surface is completely covered.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
___ freezes over
The lake freezes over every January.
The pipes can burst if the water freezes over.
Snow and ice words
Weather · Snow and ice: the words around “freeze over”.
More connectionsSame word, different world · More snow and ice words6
Same word, different world
More snow and ice words
Your turn: say it out loud
The pond has frozen over.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
freeze over
become covered with ice
“The pond freezes over most winters, although it rarely stays frozen for long.”
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