(~s, phasing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a particular stage in a process or in the gradual development of something.
This autumn, 6000 residents will participate in the first ~ of the project...
The crisis is entering a crucial, critical ~...
Most kids will go through a ~ of being faddy about what they eat.
N-COUNT
2.
If an action or change is ~d over a period of time, it is done in stages.
The redundancies will be ~d over two years.
...a ~d withdrawal of American forces from the Philippines.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, V-ed
3.
If two things are out of ~ with each other, they are not working or happening together as they should. If two things are in ~, they are working or occurring together as they should.
The Skills Programme is out of ~ with the rest of the curriculum.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v, v-link PHR