50 most used phrasal verbs

Learn and use 50 Common

Phrasal Verbs (+free PDF)

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You will learn 50 English phrasal verbs in this post. Each phrasal verb has an example
sentence to help you understand its meaning.

The example sentences will give you the chance to use these expressions naturally in
your own conversations.

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 Learn 50 common English phrasal verbs
What is a phrasal verb?
In English, a phrasal verb is a combination (mixture) of two or three
words to make a phrase with a single meaning. Phrasal verbs combine a
verb and a particle or a verb and a preposition.
 
 Learn 50 common phrasal verbs here!

Why should I learn phrasal verbs?

 

Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken English. The difficulty can
be understanding a phrasal verb’s meaning. The meaning of a phrasal verb
is usually completely different than the meaning of the verb and the
preposition/particle separately. 
For example:
 
Look out is a common phrasal verb. We know “look” means to actively
see, but when you add “out” you make the phrasal verb “look out.” The
meaning becomes “Be careful, (something) is dangerous.“
“Ball is coming! Look out!” 
“There’s a snake in that tree! Look out!” 
 Why I made this 50 English phrasal verbs list
I started teaching martial arts in 1992, I have been teaching English since
2006 and I have been writing this English blog since 2012.
I love to teach! 
 

During my time as an English teacher, I have explained many phrasal

verbs to my students.
 

Phrasal verbs are used a lot in natural conversation, so my students

hear them in movies and on TV, they hear them at work, in meetings, and
in conversation with their English speaking friends.

Phrasal verbs are very useful, so I wanted to make this blog post for you,
my international students! 

This is a useful list of some common phrasal verbs you might hear
when talking to an English speaker! I used the meanings
from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
A very useful online resource that I use with all my private students!
 

A list of  50 common English phrasal verbs

The first 2 phrasal verb examples in this post were look up and look out.
Let’s begin this list with 4 more common phrasal verbs using look.
look after
~ To be responsible for someone or something, or to take care of someone
or something

“My sister will look after my kids while my wife and I are on

vacation.” = my sister will take care of my children during our vacation.

“The new Tesla Model 3 will go on sale in August. I want Scott and
Nathan to look after promotion.” = Scott and Nathan will be responsible
for advertising our new car.

look around
~ To go someplace (an area or building etc.) and move around it to see
what is there

“I enjoy visiting new places and looking around. You can learn a lot
about an area by its buildings, stores, and people!” = I like traveling to
new places and seeing what is there.
 

look into
~ To examine something

“Scientists are looking into using spider silk for heart surgery.” =

Scientists are examining the idea of using spider silk for future heart
surgeries.

look forward to 

~ To be thinking with pleasure about something that is going to happen
(because you expect to enjoy it) *this phrasal verb is very common!

“I’m really looking forward to my spring vacation this year. My

family is going to Hawaii!” = I’m excited to travel to Hawaii, thinking
about it makes me happy.

“Keiko always looks forward to her English lessons. Her teacher is

very handsome!” = Keiko feels good to think about her future English
lessons.
English phrasal verbs – PUT

put aside
① ~ To ignore or forget something, usually a feeling or difference of
opinion

“Many people are hoping that America and North Korea can put
aside their differences and have useful meetings in the future.” = People
hope that the 2 countries can forget the problems of the past and work
together for peace.
② ~ To save something or keep it available to use

“I put money aside every month for when I retire.” = Every month I

save money so I can use it when I stop working.

“I put aside time every morning to do yoga.” = I keep time in the

morning just for doing yoga.

put away
put somebody away
①~ To send someone to prison, to a mental hospital, etc.

“Allen was put away for 10 years for stealing from his job.” = Allen
was sent to jail for 10 years.

put something away

②~ To put something in the place where it is kept because you have
finished using it

“In Canada, we put our barbeques (BBQ) away for the winter. Usually

in our garage.” = During the cold winter we keep our barbeque in the
garage because we won’t use it.

③~ To save money to spend later (this is similar in meaning to put aside)

“I put away $1200 every month for when I retire.” = Every month I

save $1200 so I can use it when I stop working.

“Oliver puts $50 away every week. He’s saving up to buy a new

computer.” = Oliver is saving money every week until he has enough to
buy a computer.

④~ To eat or drink large quantities of something

 “I was so hungry last night. I put away a whole large pizza by myself!”
= I ate a large quantity (a lot) of pizza. 

put back
~ To return something to its usual place or to the place where it was
before it was moved

“After you use the TV remote please put it back on the coffee table.” =

Please return the remote to the place it was (coffee table) before you used
it (moved it).

put (something) behind you

~ To try to forget about an unpleasant experience and think about the
future

“I just ended a bad relationship, but I’m trying to stay positive. I

will put that experience behind me and focus on finding the right person
for me.” = I will forget about the unpleasant relationship I just had and
think about finding a positive relationship in the future.

put off
put something off
~ To change something to a later time or date

“Brian had to put off his trip to Hawaii because his mother became ill.
He needed to stay home and take care of her.” = Brian had to change the
date of his vacation because of his mother’s poor health.

put off doing something 

 “Many people put off doing their taxes until the last minute. But if you
do this, tax time becomes very stressful!” = People plan to do something
at a later date, (tomorrow, next week etc.) but soon there is no time (taxes
are due!) and the situation becomes very stressful.
 

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put up with
~ To accept someone or something that is annoying, unpleasant, etc.
without complaining
“My neighbor is so noisy! He often plays loud music late at night. I’m
not going to put up with it any longer! I’m calling our landlord tomorrow
morning.” = I’m not going to accept this unpleasant situation anymore.
(noisy neighbor) 
 
English phrasal verbs -GET

There are a lot of phrasal verbs with get! A lot! I chose 21 common

examples for this list 

get across
~ To be communicated or understood; to succeed in communicating
something

“I want to improve my English. I really hope to get my ideas across to

my coworkers in Canada.” = I want to communicate and be understood by
my staff at my company’s Canadian office.

get along with

~ To have a friendly relationship with someone

“Jordan is close with most of his family, but he doesn’t get along

with his brother.” = they don’t have a close relationship, their relationship
is not good.

get around
~ To move from place to place or from person to person

“My great uncle can’t walk anymore, but he gets around with an

electric scooter.” = My great uncle is able to move from place to place
with the help of an electric scooter.

“News of Mike’s divorce soon got around the office.” = Many people

talked about Mike’s divorce at the office. The information went from
person to person

get around to
~ To find the time to do something

“I was so busy with my private students that I didn’t write a blog post
last week. I wanted to, but I never got around to it.”

get away
①~ To have a vacation

“I hope to get away for a couple of days next month. Work has been
busy.” = I want to take a short vacation (a couple of days) next month.

get away (from…)

②~ To succeed in leaving a place

“I won’t be able to get away from the office before 7:30.” = I won’t be

able to leave the office before 7:30.

get away with (something)

①~ To steal something and escape with it

“Thieves got away with computer equipment worth $30,000.” = The

thieves took $30,000 worth of computer equipment and they haven’t been
caught yet.

②~ To get a light punishment, especially if the punishment could have

been stronger.
 “Kirk drove his car into a street lamp! He was lucky to get away with
only a fine.” = Kirk’s punishment was light, it could have been much
stronger.

③~ To do something wrong and not be punished for it

“Walter tried to cheat on the test by using his smartphone, but of

course the teacher saw him. I can’t believe he thought he would get
away with it!” = Walter thought he wouldn’t be caught (and punished)
cheating on the test.
 

 
 

get back
~ To return, especially to your home

“What time did you get back from the party last night?” = When did
you return home?

“My parents got back from their trip on Friday.” = My parents returned

home on Friday.

get (something) back

~ To have something again after you lost it

“Betty left work for 2 months to look after her ill Father. Her father is
better now and Betty got her job back.” = Betty left her job for 2 months
but now she has it again.

get back at somebody (informal)

~ To do something bad to someone who has done something bad to you;
to get revenge on someone

“My brother ate all my Halloween candy! I got back at him by hiding
his school bag in the basement! Now he can’t find it!”

get back to somebody

~ To answer a question or a message later, to reply later

A: “Is Patrick coming to the party?”

B: “I’m not sure. I’ll find out and get back to you.” = I’ll get the
information and tell you later.

“I sent Richard 4 emails already, I hope he gets back to me soon.” = I

hope that Richard answers my emails soon.

get back to something

~ To return to something

“Why are we talking about the company dress code? This meeting is
about our new budget, let’s get back to that!” = The topic of the meeting
is the company budget but then we started talking about the company
dress code. Let’s return to the main subject of our meeting.

get back together (with somebody)

~ To start a relationship with someone again, especially a romantic
relationship, after having ended a previous relationship with the same
person

“I hope that Derrick and Michelle get back together, I was sad when
the broke up!” = I hope that Derrick and Michelle start a relationship
again.

get down to something

~ To begin to do something; to give serious attention to something

“No more wasting time, let’s get down to business. We have work to

do!” = we need to give serious attention to our work now.

get out of something

~ To avoid a responsibility or duty

“We have a group meeting tomorrow after work but I’m trying to get
out of it.” = attending the meeting is my job duty but I don’t want to go.
I’m trying to avoid going.
 

GET OVER SOMETHING/SOMEBODY

~ To return to your usual state of health, happiness, etc. after an illness, a

shock, the end of a relationship, etc.

“Lucy is really upset after her breakup, but she’ll get over it. She’ll
meet a nice guy soon, I’m sure!” = Lucy is sad now but she will be happy
again soon.
 “I spent the weekend in bed trying to get over a bad cold.” = I rested so
my body could recover and return to a healthy condition.

get over yourself 

~ To stop thinking that you are so important; to stop being so serious

“Many politicians feel like they are very important, but they should get
over themselves and start focusing on helping the people who elected
them.” = politicians need to stop being so serious and do their jobs, just
help their people and their countries.

get something over with 

~ To complete something unpleasant but necessary

“I have to see the dentist to fix a cavity. I’m not looking forward to it!
I’ll be glad to get it over with!” = I will be happy when my cavity is fixed
and I don’t have to visit see the dentist anymore. It’s necessary but
unpleasant to fix a cavity.

get through something

~ To manage to do or complete something

“After 2 weeks of research and work, I finally got through making this

phrasal verb blog. I really hope it helps people learning English!” = After
lots of work I managed to complete this post for my blog readers!
.

get through (to somebody)

①~ To reach someone

“The United Nations wants to send aid into countries affected by war,
but it’s hard to get through the fighting.” = It’s hard to reach the people
who need help because of the fighting.
②~ To make contact with someone by telephone

“After the big earthquake of 2010 I tried to call my wife but I

couldn’t get through. All the cellular lines were too busy! Everyone was
calling their families.” = I couldn’t make contact with my wife by
telephone because high call volume overloaded the cellular signals.
overload – to put too great a demand on a computer, an electrical system,
etc. causing it to fail
“The lights went out because the system was overloaded.”

get through (to something)

~ (of a player or team) To reach the next stage of a competition

“Germany lost their first game to Mexico. Many people are wondering
if they will get through to the next stage.” = People aren’t sure if
Germany will reach the next stage of the World Cup. 

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English phrasal verbs – BLOW

blow somebody off

~ To deliberately not meet someone when you said you would

“I can’t believe Ryan blew us off again. This is the last time I make

plans with him!” = Ryan said he would meet us but he didn’t. I can’t
believe he did it again!

blow something off 

~ To deliberately not do something that you said you would

A: “Let’s go play soccer. It’s a nice day.”

B: “I told my Dad that I would cut the grass today, but I can blow it off.
Let’s play!” = I won’t cut the grass even though I said I would.

blow out
~ If a flame, etc. blows out, it is put out by the wind, etc.

“It was windy so it was hard to light the lantern. The wind
kept blowing my matches out.” = The wind put out the flame of my
matches.

blow something out

~ To put out a flame, etc. by blowing

“Happy birthday! Blow out your candles and make a wish!” = Blow on

the candles and put out the flame.

blow over
~ To go away without having a serious effect
“The typhoon blew over in the night. By the morning or wasn’t even
raining hard.” = The typhoon came and went without having a serious
effect.

“The president’s scandal was all over the news for 3 days, then it blew
over and no one seemed interested.” = After a few days the scandal was
forgotten, it didn’t have much effect on the president.
blow up
①~ To explode; to be destroyed by an explosion

“The bomb blew up, but no one was hurt.” = The bomb exploded.

②~ To fill something with air or gas so that it becomes firm

“Help me blow up these balloons for Gene’s birthday party.” = help

me fill these balloons with air

blow up (at somebody) 

~ To get very angry with someone

“I’m sorry I blew up at you. I’m under a lot of pressure at work. It
won’t happen again.” = I’m sorry for getting angry with you. 
 
English phrasal verbs – KICK/PUNCH

kick back
~ To relax

“It’s Friday night! The workweek is done and now it’s time to kick
back and enjoy the weekend!” = I can relax now because work is finished
and I have Saturday and Sunday off.
kick off
~ To start

It’s 4:00. Let’s kick this meeting off and hopefully, we can be finished

by 5:30. We can all go home after that.” = Let’s start the meeting now and
maybe finish before 5:30.

kick out
~ To make someone leave or go away (from somewhere)

“Jeff had too many drinks, started a fight, and got kicked out of the
pub.”= Jeff was made to leave the pub (bar) because he was causing
problems (fighting).

kick in
~ To begin to take effect

“We have to prepare for the coming changes. The new laws will kick
in this September.” = New laws will take effect (begin, start to be
effective) so we need to prepare.

kick in something
~To give your share of money or help

“If we collect $50.00 for a new coffee machine the boss said the
company will kick in another $50.00. We can buy a nice machine for
$100.00!” = If the staff can collect $50.00 the company will help
with $50.00 more.

punch in something / punch something in 

~ To put information into a device by pressing the keys or buttons
“My apartment building has a security system. You have to punch
in the security code to open the front door.” = you have to put the
information (security code) into the panel beside the door to open it.
MORE English phrasal verbs
catch on
~ To become popular or fashionable

“I see many people wearing shirts with floral prints again. I hope
they catch on, I’ve got 3 in my closet!” = If floral shirts become popular
again it’s great! I have 3 shirts that I can wear again!

“Pokemon Go caught on like crazy in Tokyo when it was released. I

saw people playing it everywhere!” = Pokemon Go became very popular.

*like crazy = really or very (in a strong way)

caught on like crazy = it really became popular
It’s raining like crazy! = It’s really raining a lot!

catch up
①~ To spend extra time doing something because you have not done it
earlier

“After my vacation, I always have a lot of work to catch up on at the

office.” = I have been away from the office and I am behind on my work
tasks. It will take extra time to do it after I go back to work.

②~ To find out about things that have happened

“I saw Jim today for the first time in ages. We had coffee and caught
up for 2 hours this afternoon.” = Jim and I spent 2 hours telling each other
about all the things that have happened in our lives since we last saw each
other. 

*in ages = in a long time

the first time in ages = the first time in a long time
“I haven’t been to a live concert in ages.”

③~ To reach someone who is ahead by going faster – catch up (with

somebody)

“Don’t wait for me. You guys go ahead and I’ll catch up with you
later.” = I will reach you (get to where you will be) after.

④~ To reach the same level or standard as someone who was better or

more advanced

“Jason was sick for 6 weeks and missed school. When he went back to
class he had to work hard to catch up.” = Jason had to work very hard to
reach the same level as his classmates. His classmates had 6 weeks of
school that Jason didn’t have so they were more advanced.

reach out (to somebody)

~ To show someone that you are interested in them and/or want to help
them

“Social media is a good way to reach out to people who are studying
English.” = Using social media is a good way to connect with English
students that I can help.

lay into (somebody/something) 

~ To attack someone violently, physically or with words

“My Dad laid into me for scratching his car last night.” = My Dad
really yelled at me because I scratched his car.

lay off (somebody/something)

~ Used to tell someone to stop doing something

“We should lay off Peter, it wasn’t his fault. = We should stop blaming

Peter, he doesn’t deserve our anger. He didn’t do anything.

lay somebody off

~ To stop employing someone because there is not enough work for them
to do

“The company lost money last year so they need to lay off 50 workers
next month. I hope my job is safe.” = 50 people will lose their jobs
because the company doesn’t have enough money.

lay off something

~ To stop using something

“I had a terrible hangover this morning. I need to lay off beer for a

while.” = I have to stop drinking (using beer.) I felt terrible this morning
(because I drank too much).

lay out
①~ To plan how something should look and arrange it in this way

“This is a well laid out web page.” = The web page is arranged well.

It’s clear and easy to follow. All pages and links are easy to find.

related noun layout
“This page has a nice layout.”
②~ To present a plan, an argument, etc. clearly and carefully

“My fee, job description and responsibilities are all laid out in the
contract.” = the details of my job are presented clearly on the contract.

check somebody/something off

To put a mark (✓) beside a name or an item on a list to show that
something has been dealt with

“I love having a to-do app on my smartphone. It’s great for reminding

me what I have to do each day. After I complete a task I can check it off.”
= I like to have a list of things to do. I can put a mark (or click a button on
my phone) to show that something has been done.

check on somebody/something
~ To make sure that there is nothing wrong with someone or something

“Can you go downstairs and check on the kids? It’s very quiet down
there.” = Can you go downstairs and make sure that the children are okay?

check out
~ To be found to be true or acceptable after being examined

“He said that he had to work late but his secretary said he left the
office at 4:30. His story doesn’t check out.” = After I examined the details
of his story I found that it wasn’t true.

check out (of…)

~ To pay your bill and leave a hotel

“It’s almost 11:00, we have to check out now.” = You need to pay

your bill and leave your room by 11:00.
 related noun checkout
“I always ask for a late checkout. I like to sleep in.”

check somebody out

~ To look at or examine a person or thing that seems interesting or
attractive

“There’s a sale at the car dealership near my house. I’m going to go

this afternoon and check out the new cars.” = I will go to the car
dealership and look at the new cars.

Thanks for reading!

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/phrasal-verbs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrasal_verb

20 Super Common Phrasal Verbs

February 13, 2018
Phrasal verbs are great to improve your English. Natives use phrasal verbs constantly, so they can help you to
communicate as well as improve your vocabulary bank.

A phrasal verb is exactly like it sounds. It is a phrase of at least two words that acts like a verb, so it is the
action of your sentence. Phrasal verbs can be misleading because they do not always translate well and
sometimes the meaning is not very obvious.

An example of a not very obvious phrasal verb is ‘pass away’. ‘Pass’ in Spanish translates to ‘pasar’, and
‘away’ translates to ‘lejos’ or ‘fuera’. However when you use ‘pass away’ together as a phrasal verb, the phrase
translates to ‘fallecer’ in Spanish. When you think of phrasal verbs as new vocabulary, there are many new
vocabulary words available to you in English.

Ex. I am sad because the veterinarian said my dog is going to pass away.

A standard phrasal verb consists of a Verb part + a Preposition part. A Preposition tells Position. Common
prepositions you will see used in phrasal verbs are up, down, on, off, in, out, away, over. Sometimes the
preposition part can help you to translate the meaning of the phrasal verb.

Phrasal verbs are great to practice your English tenses! They are very versatile; you can change them into any
tense you like. When conjugating a phrasal verb, only change the Verb part of the phrase, and not the
Preposition part.
 Ex. GOOD = My dog passed away. 

INCORRECT = My dog pass awayed.

INCORRECT = My dog passed awayed.

Here is a list of some common phrasal verbs to add to your vocabulary, or to notice when listening to English
content. Try to identify the tense used in the example sentence!

BONUS: Check out our latest Youtube Video Series on PHRASAL VERBS

Call off / Call (something) off – to cancel

Ex. We need to call off the meeting due to the weather.

Ex. We need to call the meeting off because it is going to rain.

Calm down – relax after being angry

Ex. You can sit with us after you have calmed down.

Catch up – get to the same point as another person.

Ex. After my week of vacation, it’s going to take me forever to catch up!

Do over / Do (something) over – do again

Ex. I have to do the e-mail over because I sent it to the wrong person.

Eat out – eat at a restaurant

Ex. Let’s make spaghetti tonight, I’m tired of eating out.

Figure out / Figure (something) out – understand or find the answer

Ex. We left early because we figured out the problem.

Ex. We figured the problem out, so we left early.

Give up / Give (something) up – stop trying, quit

Ex. I gave up smoking last year.

Go over (something) – review

Ex. Go over your receipt to make sure they charged you correctly.

Hang out – spend time relaxing (informal)

Ex. I don’t have any money, let’s just hang out at my place.

Hold on – wait for a moment

Ex. Hold on one minute, I’m on the phone.

Keep on (doing something) – continue what you are doing

Ex. I asked her to wait, but she kept on walking.

Look for / Look for (something or somebody) – search for, or try to find

Ex. I was looking for a computer, but I got a tablet instead.

Pass out – faint, lose consciousness

Ex. It is so hot today I might pass out.

Put off / Put (something) off – postpone

Ex. I think we should put the trip off until we save more money.

Put on / Put (something) on – put clothing or accessories on your body

Ex. He looked so silly when he put that hat on.

Throw away / Throw (something) away – put in the garbage, dispose of

Ex. I accidentally threw away my dessert!

Turn on/off – Turn (something) on/off – start or stop the power or energy source

Ex. Can you turn off the music if I fall asleep?

Ex. Turn the lights on please, I can’t see!

Turn up/down – Turn (something) up/down – increase or decrease the volume or strength

Ex. I love this song, turn it up!

Ex. We usually turn the heat down at night.

Turn up – appear suddenly

Ex. My watch turned up in the washing machine.

Turn down / Turn (something) down - refuse

Ex. I didn’t feel good about the offer, so I turned it down.

Wake up – stop sleeping

Ex. She was so loud, that she woke up the baby.

Work out – exercise

Ex. I prefer to work out in the mornings.

 Master These 30 Common Phrasal Verbs in
English

Nikki Piontek
Updated on
October 28, 2020FLUENCY

If you’re learning English, phrasal verbs may seem intimidating at first—but they become quite
simple and useful when you learn to use them appropriately. A phrasal verb is just what it seems: a
phrase consisting of a verb and one or more other sentence components, such as a preposition or an
adverb. 

Writing in English can be tough

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What makes phrasal verbs tricky is that they are inherently idiomatic and cannot be easily
understood by the individual words that make up the phrase. When you encounter phrasal verbs at
work or out in the world, they can be difficult to contextualize. The best way to get comfortable
with the many different phrasal verbs used in American English is to simply dive into—investigate
—some of the most common ones. 

30 Common Phrasal Verbs

1 To call around

To contact multiple people.

Example: Roy called around to find a nearby mechanic.

2 To call [x] off

To cancel.

Example: We called the party off. or We called off the party.

3 To check [x] out

To verify a person or thing. When regarding a person, this phrase can also be flirtatious. 

Example: I’ll check the contract out. or I’ll check out the contract. 

4 To clean [x] up

To clean a general area.

Example: John cleaned the living room up. or John cleaned up the living room. 

5 To dive into

To occupy oneself with something.

Example: I’ll dive into that new TV show later tonight.

6 To dress up

To wear nice clothes.

Example: Abed dressed up for the presentation.

7 To end up

To eventually become a certain way, or find oneself in a situation.

Example: He ended up taking the job.

8 To fill [x] up

To fill something completely.

Example: Bruce filled his wine glass up. or Bruce filled up his wine glass.

9 To find out

To discover.

Example: Let me know when you find out the answer.

10 To get [x] back

To have something returned.

Example: Rodger got his pencil back from Lenny. or Rodger got back his pencil from Lenny. 

11 To get away with

To escape punishment or some other unpleasantness.

Example: Shirley got away with cheating on the test.

12 To get along

To be friendly with one another.

Example: Franny gets along with Kristin. 

13 To give [x] away

To donate something or to give it up for free.

Example: Mindy gave her prized doll collection away. or Mindy gave away her prized doll

collection.

14 To give up

To accept defeat.

Example: Carin felt like giving up.

15 To give [x] up

To cease consuming or doing something, often a habit.

Example: Merlin gave chocolate up or Merlin gave up chocolate.

16 To go over

To review.

Example: Marie went over the writing assignment.

17 To leave [x] out

To omit.

Example: Rosie left the graph out of the presentation. or Rosie left out the graph from the

presentation.
18 To let [x] down

To disappoint somebody.

Example:Sally let Mark down when she showed up late.

19 To look after

To take care of someone or something.

Example: Thank you for looking after me when I was sick. 

20 To pull [x] up

To bring up bring something nearer.

Example: Eugene pulled the document up on his computer. or Eugene pulled up the document on

his computer.

21 To put [x] on

To add something to your person or an object. 

Example: I always put my backpack on before leaving the house. or I always put on my backpack

before leaving the house. 

22 To put up with

To tolerate or condone.

Example: Jeff put up with Janice’s cynical attitude. 

23 To run out of

To drain the supply of something.

Example: Maria ran out of paper towels and had to go to the store.

24 To see to

To make sure something is done.

Example: I’ll see to watering the plants.

25 To take after

To resemble, usually used to describe parents and their children.

Example: Li takes after his father. 

26 To take [x] out

To move something outside.

Example: Please take the garbage out before you leave. or Please take out the garbage before you

leave.

27 To think [x] over

To consider something.

Example: Yosef thought Rosie’s situation over. or Yosef thought over Rosie’s situation.

28 To throw [x] away

To dispose of something.

Example: Could you throw that burrito away? or Could you throw away that burrito?

29 To top off

To fill something to the top.

Example: May I top off your beverage?

 30 To wait on

To serve.

Example: Billie waited on the table of customers.

The 60 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

12 November 2020 by José Manuel
Table of Contents
 1 Video: Phrasal Verbs
 2 Most Common Phrasal Verbs
 3 Questions with the Most Common Phrasal Verbs
o 3.1 Phrasal Verbs Conversation Questions #1
o 3.2 Phrasal Verbs Conversation Questions #2
 4 Follow EnglishPost.org on Facebook
 5 More Information
In English, a phrasal verb is a phrase such as turn down or ran into which
combines two or three words from different grammatical categories: a verb and
a particle and/or a preposition together form a single semantic unit.

This semantic unit cannot be understood based upon the meanings of the
individual parts, but must be taken as a whole.

For example:

1. She has always looked down on me.

2. Fighting broke out among a group of 40 men.
3. I’ll see to the animals.
4. Don’t put me off, I’m trying to concentrate.
5. The report spelled out the need for more staff.
6. Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
7. My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
8. We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
9. Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
10. I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
Video: Phrasal Verbs
This is a video to learn what the most common phrasal verbs are
Most Common Phrasal Verbs
This is a list of the most common phrasal verbs in English

Phrasal Verbs Meaning Example

Break Down Stop functioning My car broke down

Bring up Mention a topic She brought up that matter again

Back down withdraw a position We never back down

Beat up punch and kick I got beat up

Blow up Explode They tried to blow up the station

Bump into Meet by accident I bump into my wife at the park

Call off Cancel They call off that meeting

Come across find by chance I was cleaning and I came across my journal

Clean out Clean I was cleaning out the closet

Carry on Continue Sorry , carry on talking!

Drop out Leave school They dropped out of college

Drop by Visit  We just dropped by her house

Find out discovered I found out that she was pregnant

Get out Leave You need to get out of here

Give away Give something for free They are giving away tickets

End up The end result I ended up in another school

Get by survive I have some money to get by

Get over get well Dave has got over the flu

Get along being good friends We get along really well

Get away Escape I got away with murder

Get rid of Eliminate I need to get rid of her

Go over Review I went over the material

Grow up Get older You are 21, Grow up

Give up Stop trying They just gave up

Go out Have a date Do you want to go out with me?

Hang out Spend time I am hanging out with my friends

Hurry up Do something fast We are late, hurry up

Make out Kiss They were making out outside the office

Made up Invent a story She made that up to save herself

Mess up to spoil You are messing things up

Show up Arrive Alex didn’t show up

Pass out Lose consciousness She passed out in front of me

Piss off to  be angry I am really pissed off

Put off Postpone We put off the meetin until Friday

Put up with let happen I won’t put up with my sisters 

Put on Get dressed I put on a sweater

Put out Extinguish The firefighters put out the fire

Run into Meet I ran into my teacher last week

Run out to use all of it We are running out of gas

Take off Remove clothing I took off my jacket 

Turn Down Lower volume Please turn it down

Turn down Reject He was turned down twice

Work out Exercise I am working out right now

Watch out Be aware You better watch out

Work out find a solution We will work something out

Wake up Finish sleeping I woke up at 9

Questions with the Most Common Phrasal Verbs

These are some common questions that you can make using phrasal verbs

Phrasal Verbs Conversation Questions #1

1. Has your car ever broken down?
2. Have you ever turned down a job offer?
3. Do you like working out?
4. What time do you usually wake up?
5. What pisses you off?
6. Do you get along with your friends?
7. Do you always get away with what you want?
8. Have you ever made up a story to save yourself from something?
9. Who do you like to hang out with?
10. Do you talk your friends into doing bad things?
Phrasal Verbs Conversation Questions #2
1. How often do you get together with your high school friends?
2. Do you know anyone who dropped out of high school or university?
3. How do you help out your friends and family?
4. What time do you usually get up?
5. Where do you like to eat out?
6. What freaks you out?
7. Have you ever missed out on a good opportunity?
8. What bad habits would you like to give up?

COMMON PHRASAL VERBS

Questa lista è un lavoro in corso. Non pretende di essere una lista completa e non sempre viene fornito
ogni possibile significato del verbo ma solo quelli più comuni e utili. Nel caso dei verbi separabili il
complemento oggetto viene collocato tra il verbo e la particella proprio per sottolineare la natura
separabile del verbo. Ovviamente con i verbi separabili, come viene spiegato nell’introduzione, la
particella può anche rimanere unit al verbo e il complemento oggetto collocato dopo (tranne nel caso
di pronomi).

Ogni suggerimento di verbi da aggiungere verrà tenuto in considerazione.

BREAK UP ~ intransitivo / inseparabile

► to break up = lasciarsi, interrompersi (fine di un rapporto, di scuola ecc)

● Bob and Anne broke up at the end of the summer holidays.

● Bob e Anne si sono lasciati alla fine delle vacanze estive.

● When does school break up for Christmas?

● Quando finisce la scuola per Natale?

BRING UP ~ transitivo / separabile

► to bring someone or something up = fare crescere (figli) / menzionare (argomenti) / vomitare (!)

● Tom and Ann brought their children up in a very relaxed atmosphere.

● Tom e Ann hanno cresciuto i loro figli in un’atmosfera molto rilassata.

● Why did you bring that question up again last night?

● Perché hai menzionato quel’argomento di nuovo ieri sera?

● Jane brought her dinner up when she heard about the accident.

● Jane ha vomitato la sua cena quando ha sentito dell’incidente.

COME ACROSS ~ transitivo / inseparabile

► to come across someone or something = trovare, ritrovare per caso
● Tom came across some old photos of his grandfather while he was tidying his desk.
● Tom ha trovato per caso delle vecchie foto di suo nonno mentre ordinava la sua scrivania.

GET THROUGH TO ~ transitivo / inseparabile

► to get through to someone or something = contattare, mettersi in contatto

● Have you managed to get through to the bank?

● Sei riuscito a metterti in contatto con la banca?

GET OVER ~ transitivo / inseparabile

► to get over = superare, riprendersi da

● Bob still hasn’t got over the death of his dog.

● Bob non ha ancora superato la morte di suo cane.

● Jane got over her cold very quickly.

● Jane si è ripresa dal raffreddore molto velocemente.

GET UP ~ intransitivo / inseparabile

► to get up = alzarsi (dal letto o da terra)

● Bob usually gets up quite late on Sunday mornings.

● Di solito Bob si alza abbastanza tardi la domenica mattina.

GIVE UP ~ transitivo / separabile

► to give something up = smettere (abitudini)

● Bob gave smoking up when he married Mary.

● Bob ha smesso di fumare quando ha sposato Mary.

GIVE UP ~ intransitivo / inseparabile

► to give up = arrendersi, rinunciare

● I’m sure you can do it. Don’t give up!

● Sono sicuro che ce la puoi fare. Non ti arrendere!
LOOK AFTER ~ transitivo / inseparabile
► to look after someone or something = prendere cura di, badare a, pensare a qualcuno o qualcosa

● Bob looks after the children on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

● Bob prende cura dei bambini il martedì e il giovedì.

LOOK FOR ~ transitivo / inseparabile

► to look for someone or something = cercare qualcuno o qualcosa

● Bob is looking for a cheap flat near the university.

● Bob sta cercando un appartamento economica vicino all’università.

MAKE UP ~ transitivo / separabile

► to make something up = inventare qualcosa (una storia, una scusa ecc)

● Did you make that story up or did you read it in a book?

● Hai inventato quella storia o l’hai letto in un libro?

N.B. ~ Makeup = trucco (truccandosi il viso lo si reinventa!)

MAKE UP ~ intransitivo / inseparabile

► to make up = riconciliarsi

● Bob and Jane had a huge argument but they made up soon afterwards.

● Bob e Jane hanno avuto una grande lite ma si sono riconciliati poco dopo.

PICK UP ~ transitivo / separabile

► to pick someone or something up = raccogliere da terra / andare a prendere / imparare

● Tom picked the newspaper up and put it on the table.

● Tom ha raccolto il giornale da terra e l’ha messo sul tavolo.

● Bob picked Jane up at 7:00 and took her to the cinema.

● Bob è andato a prendere Jane alle 7:00 e l’ha portata al cinema.

● Mary picked French up very quickly when she went to stay in Paris.

● Mary ha imparato il francese molto velocemente quando è andata a soggiornare a Parigi.
PICK UP ~ intransitivo / inseparabile
► to pick up = migliorare

● The economy should start to pick up a bit towards the end of the year.
● L’economia dovrebbe cominciare a migliorare un pochino verso la fine dell’anno.

PUT OFF ~ transitivo / separabile

► to put something off = rimandare

● We’ve put the meeting off until Bob gets back from America.

● Abbiamo rimandato la riunione finché Bob non tornerà dall’America.

PUT ON ~ transitivo / separabile

► to put something on = indossare, mettere (addosso) qualcosa

● Jane put her jacket on and left the room.

● Jane si è messa la giacca e lasciò la stanza.

PUT UP WITH ~ transitivo / inseparabile

► to put up with someone or something = tollerare, supportare qualcuno o qualcosa

● I really can’t put up with all this noise.

● Non posso davvero tollerare tutto questo rumore.

PUT UP ~ transitivo / separabile

to put someone up = ospitare qualcuno

● I’m sure Jane can put you up for a few nights when you’re in London.

● Sono sicuro che Jane potrà ospitarti per alcune notti quando sarai a Londra.

TAKE OFF ~ transitivo / separabile

► to take something off = togliere qualcosa (indumenti)
● Jane took her jacket off and sat down near the window.
● Jane si è tolta la giacca e si è seduta vicino alla finestra.

TAKE OFF ~ intransitivo / inseparabile

► to take off = decollare (anche figurativo)

● Fortunately the plane took off on time.

● Fortunatamente l’aereo ha decollato in orario.