Compound verbs
Compound verbs are usually hyphenated or solid (as opposed to separated by a space).
to air-condition
to deep-six
to double-space
to field-test
to fine-tune
to bulldoze
to buttonhole
to pinpoint
to shortchange
If you check the spelling of a compound verb in a dictionary and do not find the verb listed, hyphenate the components.
Do not hyphenate verb phrases that are formed with a preposition, such as make up, slow down, tie in.
If the infinitive form of a compound verb has a hyphen, retain the hyphen in other forms of the verb. (See EXCEPTIONS below.)
You need to double-space all these reports.
Please double-space this letter.
This document should not be double-spaced.
BUT: Leave a double space between paragraphs (there is no hyphen in double space when it is a compound noun).
The gerund derived from a hyphenated compound verb requires no hyphen unless it is followed by an object.
Air conditioning is no longer an option.
BUT: When air-conditioning an office, you must take more than space into account.
If the infinitive form of a compound verb is solid, make other forms of the verb solid as well.
to copyedit a document / finish the copyediting by Friday
to handpick a subject / handpicking the best subject
to proofread carefully / proofreading carefully
Some compound verbs have alternative forms in the past tense and the present participle.
nickeled-and-dimed OR nickel-and-dimed
nickeling-and-diming OR nickel-and-diming
In such cases, choose the form that is shorter and easier to pronounce.
The hospital budget committee has been nickel-and-diming us all year.
Wiki