A few more phrasal verbs. Shoe/boot on the other foot

hello,
why should we have phrasal verbs in the first place..it sure isn't making english easy to learn..anyway here I go...thank you.

1)engrossed in
2)poked around in the system
3)fooling around in someone else...
4)pranking about
5)the shoe was on the other foot
6)the story began to trumble out
7)give off heat
8)swept out from under
9)crushed up his prescribed sedative...can't I use the word "crushed" alone without the "up" part here?
10)cover your butt
11)go in and out of fasion
12}gaining ground over

1) engrossed in ? Deeply interested in something (like a book). ?He was so engrossed in his book that he didn?t answered when I called him."
From Merriam-Webster online --
Engrossed: to take or engage the whole attention of : occupy completely

2) poked around in the system ? Took a look/ examined here and there.

3) fooling around in someone else... ? Not sure from the sentence fragment. 'Fooling around' has several meanings depending on the context.

4) pranking about? I'm not familiar with this phrase. A prank is a 'practical joke' like turning someone's phone ringer up high so it startles him. The phrase could mean ?goofing off,? spending time on nonproductive activities. Prank: a mildly mischievous act; a ludicrous act. Merriam-Webster

5) the shoe was on the other foot ?The shoe is on the other foot ? Conditions have been reversed?the situation has changed?? From The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).

6) the story began to trumble out ? A person begins to rapidly tell about an experience.

7) give off heat ? Not sure. There's more than one meaning depending on the context. Could be literal ? ?The stove gave off heat.? Or could be figurative.

8) swept out from under ? Not sure. Suddenly taken away. The image is an ocean wave sweeping someone off his feet. Or a rug being pulled out from under someone's feet.

9) crushed up his prescribed sedative...can't I use the word "crushed" alone without the "up" part here? Yes, I think so. Crushed the prescribed sedative.

10) cover your butt ? Take action, assembling evidence, etc., so you won?t be blamed for something. ?I wrote a letter telling them the machine should be repaired. I wanted to cover my butt in case it broke and someone was hurt.? The phrase it usually ?cover you?re a*s or CYA. 'Butt' is considered less crude than a**.

11) go in and out of fashion ? A fashion or fad is popular then everyone tires of it. Later it may revived in popularity.. ?The mini-skirt has gone in and out of fashion several times since its original popularity in the 1960s.?

12} gaining ground over ? Steadily catching up with. I guess the origin is a race ? a person/horse behind can gain ground and pass the person out front.

The boot's on the other foot implies that there has been a reversal of circumstances in a situation. In this instance the "boot" is indeed an item of footwear. In the 18th century there was a major change in the method of making footwear; for the first time right and left sides could be made. Before that they were the same for both feet and if a boot was uncomfortable on one foot, it could be tried on the other, often with success. A total change came about when the boot was on the other foot.