phrasal verb meaning example sentence

ask somebody out invite on a date Brian asked Judy out to dinner

and a movie.
ask around ask many I asked around but nobody has
people the seen my wallet.
same question
add up to something equal Your purchases add up
to $205.32.
back something up reverse You'll have to back up your car
so that I can get out.
back somebody up support My wife backed me up over my
decision to quit my job.
blow up explode The racing car blew up after it
crashed into the fence.
blow something up add air We have to blow 50
balloons up for the party.
break down stop Our car broke down at the side
functioning of the highway in the snowstorm.
(vehicle,
machine)
break down get upset The woman broke down when
the police told her that her son
had died.
break something dow divide into Our teacher broke the final
n smaller parts project down into three separate
parts.
break in force entry to a Somebody broke in last night
building and stole our stereo.
break into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break
into the room to rescue the
children.
break something in wear I need to break these
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
something a shoes in before we run next
few times so week.
that it doesn't
look/feel new
break in interrupt The TV station broke in to report
the news of the president's death.
break up end a My boyfriend and I broke
relationship up before I moved to America.
break up start laughing The kids just broke up as soon
(informal) as the clown started talking.
break out escape The prisoners broke out of jail
when the guards weren't looking.
break out develop a skin I broke out in a rash after our
in something condition camping trip.
bring somebody dow make unhappy This sad music
n is bringing me down.
bring somebody up raise a child My
grandparents brought me up aft
er my parents died.
bring something up start talking My mother walks out of the room
about a subject when my father brings up sports.
bring something up vomit He drank so much that
he brought his dinner up in the
toilet.
call around phone many We called around but we weren't
different able to find the car part we
places/people needed.
call somebody back return a phone I called the company back but
call the offices were closed for the
weekend.
call something off cancel Jason called the
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
wedding off because he wasn't in
love with his fiancé.
call on somebody ask for an The professor called on me for
answer or question 1.
opinion
call on somebody visit somebody We called on you last night but
you weren't home.
call somebody up phone Give me your phone number and
I will call you up when we are in
town.
calm down relax after You are still mad. You need
being angry to calm down before you drive
the car.
not care not like (formal) I don't care for his behaviour.
for somebody/
something
catch up get to the same You'll have to run faster than that
point as if you want to catch up with
somebody else Marty.
check in arrive and We will get the hotel keys when
register at a we check in.
hotel or airport
check out leave a hotel You have to check out of the
hotel before 11:00 AM.
check somebody/ look at The company checks out all new
something out carefully, employees.
investigate
check out somebody/ look at Check out the crazy hair on that
something (informal) guy!
cheer up become She cheered up when she heard
happier the good news.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
cheer somebody up make happier I brought you some flowers
to cheer you up.
chip in help If everyone chips in we can get
the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up tidy, clean Please clean up your bedroom
before you go outside.
come find I came across these old photos
across something unexpectedly when I was tidying the closet.
come apart separate The top and bottom come
apart if you pull hard enough.
come down become sick My nephew came down
with something with chicken pox this weekend.
come forward volunteer for a The woman came forward with
task or to give her husband's finger prints.
evidence
come from some originate in The art of origami comes
place from Asia.
count on somebody/ rely on I am counting on you to make
something dinner while I am out.
cross something out draw a line Please cross out your old
through address and write your new one.
cut back consume less My doctor wants me to cut back
on something on sweets and fatty foods.
cut something down make We had to cut the old tree in our
something fall yard down after the storm.
to the ground
cut in interrupt Your father cut in while I was
dancing with your uncle.
cut in pull in too The bus driver got angry when
closely in front that car cut in.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
of another
vehicle
cut in start operating The air conditioner cuts in when
(of an engine the temperature gets to 22°C.
or electrical
device)
cut something off remove with The doctors cut off his leg
something because it was severely injured.
sharp
cut something off stop providing The phone company cut off our
phone because we didn't pay the
bill.
cut somebody off take out of a My grandparents cut my
will father off when he remarried.
cut something out remove part of I cut this ad out of the
something newspaper.
(usually with
scissors and
paper)
do somebody/ beat up, He's lucky to be alive. His shop
something over ransack (BrE, was done over by a street gang.
informal)
do something over do again My teacher wants me to do my
(AmE) essay over because she doesn't
like my topic.
do away discard It's time to do away with all of
with something these old tax records.
do something up fasten, close Do your coat up before you go
outside. It's snowing!
dress up wear nice It's a fancy restaurant so we have
clothing to dress up.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
drop back move back in a Andrea dropped back to third
position/group place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/ by/ over come without I might drop in/by/over for tea
an appointment sometime this week.
drop somebody/ take I have to drop my sister off at
something off somebody/ work before I come over.
something
somewhere
and leave
them/it there
drop out quit a class, I dropped out of Science
school etc because it was too difficult.
eat out eat at a I don't feel like cooking tonight.
restaurant Let's eat out.
end up eventually We ended up renting a movie
reach/do/decid instead of going to the theatre.
e
fall apart break into My new dress fell apart in the
pieces washing machine.
fall down fall to the The picture that you hung up last
ground night fell down this morning.
fall out separate from The money must have fallen
an interior out of my pocket.
fall out (of hair, teeth) His hair started to fall out when
become loose he was only 35.
and unattached
figure something out understand, I need to figure out how to fit the
find the answer piano and the bookshelf in this
room.
fill something in to write Please fill in the form with your
information in name, address, and phone
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
blanks, as on a number.
form (BrE)
fill something out to write The form must be filled out in
information in capital letters.
blanks, as on a
form (AmE)
fill something up fill to the top I always fill the water
jug up when it is empty.
find out discover We don't know where he lives.
How can we find out?
find something out discover We tried to keep the time of the
party a secret, but
Samantha found it out.
get something across/ communicate, I tried to get my
over make point across/over to the judge
understandable but she wouldn't listen.
get along/on like each other I was surprised how well my new
girlfriend and my sister got
along/on.
get around have mobility My grandfather can get
around fine in his new
wheelchair.
get away go on a We worked so hard this year that
vacation we had to get away for a week.
get away do without Jason always gets away
with something being noticed with cheating in his maths tests.
or punished
get back return We got back from our vacation
last week.
get something back receive Liz finally got her Science
something you notes back from my room-mate.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
had before
get back retaliate, take My sister got back at me for
at somebody revenge stealing her shoes. She stole my
favourite hat.
get back become I finally got back into my novel
into something interested in and finished it.
something
again
get on something step onto a We're going to freeze out here if
vehicle you don't let us get on the bus.
get over something recover from I just got over the flu and now
an illness, loss, my sister has it.
difficulty
get over something overcome a The company will have to close if
problem it can't get over the new
regulations.
get round finally find time I don't know when I am going
to something to do to get round to writing the thank
(AmE: get you cards.
around
to something)
get together meet (usually Let's get together for a BBQ this
for social weekend.
reasons)
get up get out of bed I got up early today to study for
my exam.
get up stand You should get up and give the
elderly man your seat.
give somebody away reveal hidden His wife gave him away to the
information police.
about
somebody
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
give somebody away take the bride My father gave me away at my
to the altar wedding.
give something away ruin a secret My little sister gave the surprise
party away by accident.
give something away give something The library was giving away old
to somebody books on Friday.
for free
give something back return a I have to give these
borrowed item skates back to Franz before his
hockey game.
give in reluctantly stop My boyfriend didn't want to go to
fighting or the ballet, but he finally gave in.
arguing
give something out give to many They were giving out free
people (usually perfume samples at the
at no cost) department store.
give something up quit a habit I am giving up smoking as of
January 1st.
give up stop trying My maths homework was too
difficult so I gave up.
go after somebody follow My brother tried to go after the
somebody thief in his car.
go after something try to achieve I went after my dream and now I
something am a published writer.
go against somebody compete, We are going against the best
oppose soccer team in the city tonight.
go ahead start, proceed Please go ahead and eat before
the food gets cold.
go back return to a I have to go back home and get
place my lunch.
 phrasal verb meaning example sentence
go out leave home to We're going out for dinner
go on a social tonight.
event
go out date Jesse has been going out
with somebody with Luke since they met last
winter.
go over something review Please go over your answers
before you submit your test.
go over visit somebody I haven't seen Tina for a long
nearby time. I think I'll go over for an
hour or two.
go without something suffer lack or When I was young, we went
deprivation without winter boots.
grow apart stop being My best friend and I grew
friends over apart after she changed schools.
time
grow back regrow My roses grew back this
summer.
grow into something grow big This bike is too big for him now,
enough to fit but he should grow into it by
next year.
grow out get too big for Elizabeth needs a new pair of
of something shoes because she has grown
out of her old ones.
grow up become an When Jack grows up he wants
adult to be a fireman.