Phrasal Verbs List (EnglishClub.com)
Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb or verb + preposition. Think of
‘mem os you would any ther English vocabulary. Study them as you come acrose them, rather than trying to
‘memorize many at once, Use thelist below as a reference ide when you find n expression that you Gon
recognize. The examples wil help you understand the meanings. Ifyou tink of each grasa verb as @
Separate verb with a specific meaning, you will beable to remember more easly. Like mony other verbs,
‘phrasal verbs aften have more than one meaning,
‘This list shows about 200 common phrasal verbs, with meanings and examples. Only the most usual
‘meanings are given. Some phrasal verbs may have adsonal meanings.
See also our pages with 1000+ Phrasal Verbs, with deiitons, synonyms, explanations, sample
sentences, collocations and quizes (with answers).
{As well as learning their meanings, you need to learn how to use phrasal verbs.
Verb Meaning Example
ask someone out [vite ona date Brian asked iudy out te dinner and a movi,
‘ask around [ask many people the same asked around but nobody has seen my
‘uestion wallet,
‘add up to something [equal Your purchases add wp to $205.32,
back something up | reverse Youll have t back up your car zo that can
act out
back someone up [suppor My wife backed me up over my decision to
uit my job.
blow up ‘eolode "The racing car Blew up after erased nto
the fence,
blow something up [add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for the
party.
break down sop functioning (vehicle, machine) | Our car broke down atthe side ofthe
highway in the snowstorm,
‘The woman broke down when the police
‘break down get upsat
told her that her son hd died,
break something | dvde into smaller parts ‘Our teacher broke the fal project down
down Into three separate part,
breakin orcs entry to building Somebody Broke In ast night and stole our
stereo.
break into something | enter forlaly The fremen had t Break into the room to
rescue the chilren
‘break something in | wear something a few times so |T need to Break these shoes In before we ran
that k doesn't leok/feet new [next week.
breakin interne [The TV station broke int report the news ofthe president's death
My boyfriend and I brove up before I moved
break up [end @ relationship
tovamertes
break up Start laughing (Informal) ‘The Kids just broke up as soon as the down
started taking.
break out escape "The prisoners broke out of jo when the
uards waren king
break out in develop» skin condition broke out Ina rash ater aur camping tip.
something
bring someone down
make unhappy
This sad musics bringing me down,
bring someone up
ries child
My orandparents Brought me up after my
parents ded,
Ding something wp
Start talking about subject
My mother walks out of he room when my
Father brings up sports,
bring something up
omit
He drank so much that Fe Brought his dinner
up In the tot
‘Phone many diferent
places/people
We called around but we weren't able to
tnd the car part we needed.
«all someone back
return @ phone call
1 ealled the company back but the offices
were closed for the weend
‘all something oft
cancel
Jason called the wedding off bacause he
wasn't in love with his flancé.
88k or an answar oF opinion
"The professor ealled on me for question f.
‘We called on you lastnight but you werent
call|on someone | visit someone
home.
‘all someone up| phone [Give me your phone number and I wil eal
You up when we are in tewn.
You are stil mad. You need to ealm down,
‘down ‘elox afer baing anary
before you drive the car,
not eare for ot lke (formal) don't eare for his behaviour,
Someone/something
catch up [act to the same point as someone | Youll have to run faster than that you want
else to catch up with Mary
‘check In arive and reister at a hotel or | We wil get the hotel keys when we check in
airport
check out eave hotel You hava to cheek out ofthe hotel before
11:00 A,
‘check Took at earaflly, vestigate The company checks out all new employees
someona/something
‘check out
Someone/something
Took at (informal
‘Check out the crazy hair an that guy!‘She cheered up when she heard the good
cheer up become happier
cheer someone up __| make happier T brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
hip tn ete Tf everyone ehips In we can get the Kitchen
painted by noon.
wn something up| tidy, clean Please clean up your bedroom before you go
outside.
find unexpectedly
‘ eame across these oll photos when I was
tidying the coset
something
‘come apart separate ‘The top and bottom come apart if you pull
hard enough,
‘come down with | become sick My nephew eame down with chicken pox
this weekend
Something
‘come forward volunteer fora task or to ive [The woman eame forward with her
evidence husband's ager prints
‘come from ‘originate In The ar of origami comes from As
somewhere
‘count on rly on ‘Tam counting on you te make dinner while
Someona/something am out.
ross something out
[raw 2 line trough
Please cross out your old address ond waite
your new one
‘cut back on
something
consume less
My doctor wants me to ext back on sweets
‘2nd fatty foods
‘et something down
‘make something fll othe ground
We had to cut the old trae in our yard down
after the storm,
Your father eut im while twas dancing with
‘eat in Interrupt
your unde
cut in ull in too closely in Front of ‘The bus driver got angry when that car eut
another vehicle ce
‘eat in stort operating (of an engine or |The ar conditioner cuts in when the
electrical device) temperature gets to 22°C
cut something off | remove wth something sharp | The doctors eut off his leg because k wos
severely injured
‘cut something off
stop provging|
‘Te phone company eu eff our phone
because we al’ poy the bil
‘eat someone off
tke out of a wil
My grandparents eut my father off when he
remarried.
‘cut something out
remove part of something (usually
th scissors and paper)
Teut this 0d out of the newspaper:
do
someone/something
beat up, ransack (Br, informal)
"e's lucky tobe alve, His hop was done
over bya street gong,
do something over
do again (WAmer)
My teacher wants me to do my essay over
because she does ike my topleIts time to do away with al ofthese old tax
do away with discard
Something records
‘do something up | fasten, close ‘Do your coat up before you go outside, e's
snowing!
‘wear nice elehing
Tis @ fancy restaurant «0 we have to dress:
up.
‘move back In @ postion/group
randrea aroppe
she fll of her bike.
1k third place when
‘drop in/by/over
come without an appointment
1 might drop in/by/over for tea sometime
tis week
‘drop
| someone/something
otf
‘ake someone/something
somewhere and leave then/it
there’
have to drop my sate off at work before T
T dropped out of Science because it was too
Unattached
‘drop out ‘ult cass, school ete
iat,
‘eat out ‘eat at a restaurant 1 dont fea ike cooking tonight. Lee's eat
‘end up ‘eventual reach/da/decide ‘We ended up renting 2 movie instead of
‘going to the theatre.
fall apart ‘break into pieces My now dress fell apart in the washing
machine.
‘all down all tothe ground The picture that you hung up last nlght Fell
down thls morning.
Tall out Separate from an interior ‘The money must have fallen out of my
pocket
Fait out (of har, teeth) become loose and _| His oir started to fall eut when he was only
35.
‘igure something out
‘understand, find the answer
need to figure out how to ithe plano and
the Bookshelf inthis rom,
il something in
to write information in blanks
ca)
lease fil in the form with your name,
edaress, and phone number.
something out
to writ information in banks
Wamer),
The form must be filled out in capital eters,
always fill the water jug up when iis
‘A something up | filto the top
jempty.
ind out ‘aiscover We don't know where he ves. How can we
find out?
‘ind something out | discover We tied to keep the time ofthe party @
secret, but Samantha found tout,
‘et something
across/over
‘communicate, make
Understandabie
1 tied to get my point aeross/over to the
sudge but she woulan' len
‘get along/on
ike each other
1 was surprised how well my new giriiend
and my sister got along/on,get around have mobitty My granafather con get around fine in his
en wheelchair
getaway 0 on 8 vacation We worked so hard this year that we had to
et away fora week.
‘get away with
Something
Go without being noticed or
punished
Jason always gets away with cheating in his
‘mathe tests
‘get back
We got back from our vacation last week,
‘get something back
‘eceive something you had before
Uz nay got har Science notes back from
‘get back at someone
retalae, take revenge:
My sister got back at me for stealing her
shows. She stole my favour hat
‘get back into
something
‘become interested in something
again
“finaly got back Into my novel and finished
c
‘get on something
step onto a vehicle
We're going to freeze ov here you don't let
us get on the bus.
[get over something
Tecover from an fines, oss,
icy
1 just got over the fu and now my sister has
‘et over something
‘overcome a problem
The company wil have b cose Ie ean’ get
lover the new regulations
‘et round to nally fd time todo (NAmer | Idont know when Tam going fo get round
Something {got around to something) to writing the thank you cad,
‘get together ‘met (usually for socal reasons) | ets get together for & BBQ this weekend
jet up et out of bea 1 got up early today to tudy for my exam,
get up and You should get up and gve the elderly man
your seat.
sive someone away
‘reveal hidden information about
Hs wife gave him away tothe police,
‘give someone away
take the bride to the altar
My father gave me away at my wedding.
give something away
My ite sister gave the surprise party away
by accident
‘lve something away
give something to someone for
free
“The library was giving away old books on
Friday.
‘give something back
Tetum a Borrowed fem
TThave to give these skates back to Franz
before his hockey game.
reluctantly stop fahting or arguing
My boytriena dant want go tothe ballet,
but he finally gave in,
‘ive something out
ve to many people (usually at no
cost)
They wore giving out fre> perfume samples
at the department store
‘lve something up
quit a habe
Tam giving up smoking as of January 1s,
‘ive up
stop ving
My maths homework was oo dificalt so 1
jaave up.{90 after someone
folow someone
My brother tried to go after the thle in his
{90 after something
{ey to achieve something
went after my cream and now tam =
publishes writer
‘90 against someone | compete, oppose
‘Wie are golng against the best soccer team
In the ety tonight
‘90 ahead Sart, proceed Please go ahead and at before the food
gets col,
‘99 back raturn to @ place have to go back home and get my lunch,
(90 out leave home to go en a soctal event | We're going out for dinner tonight.
{99 out with someone | date
esse has been going out with Lake since
they met last winter
{90 over something
review
lease go over your answers before you
submit your tee
90 ove sit someone nearby
haven't seen Tina for along time. 1 think
{90 over for on hour or twa,
‘9° without something | suffer lack or deprivation
‘Vinen Twas young, we went without winter
Doots.
‘grow apart ‘stop being fends over time My best end and 1 grew apart ater she
changed schools
‘row back reorow My roses grew back tis summer,
‘row up ‘come an adult ‘Wen Jack grows up he wants to be @
fireman
‘row out of et 100 big for Elzabeth needs a new par of shoes because
something she has grown out af her oi ones,
‘row Into something [grow big enough to ft
This bike is too big for hin now, but he
should grow Into It by next year.
‘hand something | ave something used to someone
handed my old comic books down to my
tele cousin.
Ihand something im [submit
T have to hand in my essay by Friday,
hhand something out [to distribute to a group of people
Wie will hand out the inviations atthe door,
hhand something over | give (usually unwilingly)
The police asked the mante hand over his
wallet and his weapons
Stay postive (NAmer. informal)
Hang in there. Fm sure youll find a job very
hang in
vrang on walt a short ie (informal) Hang on while T rab my coat and shoes!
hang out spend time relaxing (Informal) | Instead of going tothe paty we are just
going to hang out at my place.
‘hang up ‘eda phone call He didnt say goodbye before he hung up,
hola prevent fom doina/gaing Thad to held my dog back because there
someone/something
ack
was a eatin the park.‘hold something back
hide an emation
Jamie held back hie tens at hi
arandtathers funeral.
wait a short time
Please hold on while Itransfer you ta the
Sales Department
Hold onto your hot because Ws vary windy
hold onto old femly using your hands ar
[someone/something | arms outside,
ho rob ‘Aman in black mask held the bank wp this
someona/somethingup
keep on doing
something
‘continue doing
Ke
ai
‘on string unl Be liquid comes toa
keep something from
ot tel
We kept our relatonshis from our parents
fortwo years.
keep
/someone/something
out
stop trom entering
Try to keep the wet dog out ofthe living
keep something up
[continue atthe same rate
if you keep those results up you wil get nto
8 great college.
Tet someone down
fallto support or help, lsappoint
T need you to be on time, Dont Het me down
this ime.
Tet someone in
tow to enter
‘Con you let te cat in before you go to
school?
T cant log in to Faceboak because Ive
Tog in (or en) Sign In ( a website, database
ste) forgotten my password
Tog out (or off) sign out (of @ website, database | f you dont lag off somebody could get into
e) vyour account.
Took after Take care of Thave to look after my sick grandmother,
someone/something
Took down on think less of, consider inferior | Ever since we stoe that chocolate bar your
someone dad has looked down on me.
Took for fey to tnd Tm looking for a red dress forthe wedding
| someane/something
Took forward to [be excited about the future Tm looking forward tothe Christmas
something break
Took into something
Investigate
We are going to look inte the price of
snowboards todey.
Look outl That cars gong f At yout
Took out be careful, vilant, and take
rotee
Took out for be expecially vigilant for Don't forget to look out for snakes on the
[someone/something hiking tral
Took something ever
check, examine
‘Can you look over my esay for spaling
mistakes?
Took something up
Search and fad information la @
Foference book or database
Wie can look her phone number up on the
Internet,look up to someone
have alot of respect for
My tle sister has alzys looked tp to me.
‘make something wp
Invent, lie about something
osie made up a story about why we were
inte
make up
Forgive each other
We were angry last igh, But we mn
at breakfast
we
‘make someone up
apply cosmetics to
My sisters made me up for my graduation
arty.
Tmxed up the twin! rames againi
eople
‘mix something up __|eonfse two or more tings
pass away ae His uncle passed away lastnight after ®
long tines.
pass out aint was 60 hot in the church that an elderly
lady passed out.
pass something out [give the same thing to many | The professor passed the textbooks out
before cass,
pass something up
‘ecine (usualy something good)
| passed up the job becuse Iam afraid of
change
pay someone back
return owed money
Thanks for buying my Heke. 1 pay you
back on Friday.
ay for something
be punished for doing something
bod
“That buly wil pay for boing mean to my
Intl brother,
Tpleked out three sweaters for you to ty
Surface or oor
lek something eut | choose
point Inleate with your Nager Tl polnt my boyrend out whan he runs by
Someone/something
put something ‘But what you are holding on a | You can put the groceries down on the
tchen counter,
‘put someone down
Insult, make someone feel stupid
‘The students put the substitute teacher
down because his pants were too short.
We are putting off our tip unt January
Someone/something
thing
put sometning off | postpone
because ofthe huscane
put something out | extinguish The neighbours put the fre out before the
frcmen aeved
‘put something assemble Thave to put the erib together before the
ogether baby arrives,
put up with Tolerate 1 don't think ean put up with vee small
Someona/something ehldren inthe ear.
Put something en | put dothing/accessories on your | Don’ forget to put an your new earrings for
body the party
‘run into meet unexpectedly Tram Into an oldschool fend atthe ral
Someone/something
run over ‘rive a vehicle over a person or | accidentally ran over your bicycle in the
driveway,Lot's run over/through these lines one
run over/through | rehearse, review
Something more time before the so,
run away leave unexpectedly, escape The child ran away fom home and has been
missing for tivee dys
run out have none le Vie ran out of shampoe so I had to wash my
hale with s00p.
‘gend something back
return (osualy By mall
iy liter got sant back to me because |
used the wrong stamp.
‘set something up
‘range, organize
‘ur boss set a mecting up with the president
ofthe company,
‘set someone up| trick, trap ‘The police setup the car thst by using =
hidden camera,
[shop around [compare prices T want to shop around litle before f
decide on these boots,
show off ‘act extra spacial for people He always shows off on his skateboard
watching (asually boastful)
sleep ove stay somewhere forthe night | You should sleep over tonight W the weather
(informal)
Is too bad to drive home.
‘sort something out
organize, resolve a problem
We need to sort the bik out before the first
ofthe month
‘stick to something
‘continue doing something, lime
yourself to one particular thing
You wil tose weight i you stek tothe dit
‘witch something off
stop the eneray flow, turn of |
‘The ligh’s too bright. Could you ewiteh ie
oft
‘switch something en
Start the energy flow, turn on
We heard the news as soon as we switched
‘on the car radio.
‘ake after someone
resemble a femily member
take after my mother. We are bath
Irnpatient
take something apart
Purposely break into places
He took the car brakes apart and found the
problem.
‘ake something back
return an tem
have to take our new TV back because it
doesnt work
take off
stor to ty
My plane takes off in five minutes.
‘ake something off
Temove something (usually
thing)
“Take off your socks and shoes and come in
the te!
take something out
Femove fom a place or thing
‘Can you take the garbage out tothe street
for me?
‘ake someone out
ay for someone to go somewhere
with you
"My grandparents took us out fr dinner and
tear something up
ip into places |
1 tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave
them back to him.
think back
Temember (often + t, sometimes
Fon)
When I think back on my youth, 1wish Thad
studied harder.have to think this js offer ever before I
think something over | consider
make my fal decision,
‘hrow something | dispose of ‘We threw our od furniture away when we
away won the lottery
‘turn something down
‘decrease the volume or strength
(heat, ight ete)
Please turn the TV down while the guests
are here.
‘turn something down
refuse
T turned the job down because I don't want
‘turn something aff
‘0p the energy flow, switch off
Your mother wants you to turn the TV off
and come for dinner
turn something on
‘Star the eneray, witch on
e's too dark in re, Les turn some lights
‘uum something wp
increase the volume or trength
heat tight ete)
Can you turn the music up? TAs Is my
tavourte song
‘Our cat turned up after we put posters up all
‘ry something out
turn up ‘appear suddenly
over the neighbourhood,
‘ry something on | sample clothing [Tm going to try these jeans on, but I don't
think they wil
rest Tam going to try ths new brand of detergent
‘use something up
Tish the supply
“The Kids used all ofthe toothpaste up so we
‘eed to buy some more,
We have to wake up ey for work on
wake up stop sleeping
Monday.
warm Increase the temperature ‘You can warm your feet up infront ofthe
Someene/something replace.
warm up prepare body for exerase 1 always warm up by dang sit-ups before 1
90 fora run
‘wear off fade away ost of my make-up wore off before 1 got to
tne party.
work out exerci T work out atthe gym three times a week,
‘work out be success (ur plan worked out fins
work something out
‘make a calculation
We have to work out the total cost before
we buy the house.
Br-£. British English; N.Amer.: North American
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