Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

If you want to keep your job

To respect or obey a
abide by here, you must abide by our
decision, a law or a rule
rules.
I hope you can account for
account for To explain, give a reason
the time you were out!
To make sense, seem The facts in the case just
add up
reasonable don’t add up.
To recommend not doing I advise against walking
advise against
something alone in this neighborhood.
To have the same opinion as I agree with you. I think you
agree with
someone else. should go as well.
We need to allow for
allow for To take into consideration unexpected charges along
the way.
3. He appealed to the
1. To plead or make a court to change its
request decision.
appeal to
2. To be attractive or 4. A vacation of
interesting sunbathing doesn’t
appeal to me.
To make a formal request for
He applied for a scholarship
apply for something (job, permit, loan
for next semester.
etc.)
To move backwards, in fear When he saw the bear, he
back away
or dislike backed away in fright.
Local authorities backed
down on their threats to
back down To withdraw, concede defeat
build on that part of the
beach.
7. I’m going to be very
strict with him. I
5. To give support or hope you’ll back me
encouragement up on this?
back up
6. To make a copy of 8. You should back up
(file, program, etc.) all your computer
files in a secure
location.
To base your hopes on I’m banking on you to help
bank on
something / someone with the charity event.
Jenna fell in the parking lot
black out To faint, lose consciousness
and blacked out.
The police blocked off the
block off To separate using a barrier.
street after the explosion.
11. Tommy blew up the
9. To explode red balloon.
blow up
10. To get angry 12. Don’t blow up at
me. It’s not my fault.
It all boils down to who has
boil down to To be summarized as
more power.
 To start a computer by
boot up loading an operating system
or program
break away To separate from a crowd
13. To go out of order,
cease to function
break down
14. To lose control of
one’s emotions
break into To enter by force
break out To start suddenly
To escape from a place by
break out of
force
To come to an end
break up
(marriage, relationship)
bring up To raise (a child)
To improve, refresh one’s
brush up on
knowledge of something
To meet by chance or
bump into
unexpectedly
17. stop (something)
working
burn out
18. become exhausted
from over-working
call back To return a phone call
call off To cancel
To become more relaxed,
calm down
less angry or upset
carry on To continue
21. To do something as
carry out specified (a plan, an
order, a threat)
You need to boot up your
computer before you begin
to work.
One of the wolves broke
away from his pack.
15. The washing
machine broke
down so we had to
call in the repair
technician.
16. John broke down
when he heard the
news.
Burglars broke into my car
last night.
Rioting broke out after the
government raised the fuel
prices again.
Several prisoners broke out
of jail.
She broke up with Daniel
after dating him for five
years.
Sara is bringing up her
children by herself.
I must brush up on my
French before going to Paris
next month.
I bumped into Adam at the
bank. He says “hello”.
19. The light bulb burnt
out. Please change
it.
20. She needs to work
fewer hours.
Otherwise she will
burn out.
Could please call back in ten
minutes?
The game was called off
because of bad weather.
It took Kylie several hours to
calm down after she saw the
accident.
The soldiers carried on
walking in order to get to
their post before dark.
23. His orders were
carried out to the
letter.
 22. To perform or 24. That company does
conduct (test, not carry out tests
experiment) on animals.
They said I must check in at
To register at a hotel or
check in least three hours before my
airport
flight.
27. Donna checked out
of the hotel this
25. To pay one’s bill and
morning.
check out leave (a hotel)
28. I don’t know if this
26. To investigate
price is correct. I’ll
check it out online.
When the police started
clam up To refuse to speak asking questions, the suspect
clammed up.
The local authorities have
To act strictly to prevent decided to clamp down on
clamp down on
something illegal parking in
handicapped parking places.
31. I was cleaning up
and came across
some old photos of
29. To find by chance
you.
come across 30. To appear, seem,
32. The politician came
make an impression
across as a complete
fool during the TV
interview.
Has the owner of the
come forward To present oneself winning lotto ticket come
forward?
To rely or depend on (for You can count on me to
count on
help) keep your secret.
I’ve decided to cut down on
cut down on To reduce in number or size
the amount of sweets I eat.
35. She cut out a
33. To remove using coupon from the
scissors newspaper.
cut out
34. To stop doing 36. You need to cut out
something all red meat from
your diet.
To handle, take care of Catherine is not good at
deal with
(problem, situation) dealing with stress.
After the storm died down,
To calm down, become less
die down we went outside to see the
strong
damage it had caused.
She didn’t get a salary this
do without To manage without month, so she’ll have to do
without extra treats.
The suspect’s trial dragged
drag on To last longer than expected on longer than we had
expected!
 To write (contract, They drew up a contract and
draw up
agreement, document) had me sign it.
Their wedding gave us a
dress up wear elegant clothes chance to dress up and get
out of the house.
To visit, usually on the way Why don’t you drop in to
drop in
somewhere see us on your way home?
39. I’ll drop off the
37. To deliver someone
papers later today.
drop off or something
40. I often drop off in
38. To fall asleep
front of the TV.
To leave school without Zack dropped out of college
drop out
finishing and joined the army.
To reduce, become less
Traffic usually eases off
ease off severe or slow down (pain,
about 7pm
traffic, work)
To finish in a certain way; Her marriage ended in
end in
result in divorce.
If you don’t improve your
To finally reach a state, place
end up work habits, you’ll end up
or action
being fired.
His plans to trek through
fall through To fail; doesn’t happen South America fell through
when he got sick.
He’s trying to figure out how
To understand, find the
figure out to earn enough money to go
answer
on the trip to Spain.
Please fill out the enclosed
To complete (a form/an
fill out form and return it as soon as
application)
possible.
I’m going to to find out
To discover or obtain
find out who’s responsible for the
information
power cut.
Tom had difficultty focusing
To concentrate on
focus on on work the day before his
something
holiday started.
To be on good terms; work It’s important to get along
get along (with)
well with with your team supervisor.
What are you getting at? Do
get at To imply
you think I’m to blame?
I think we should get away
get away To escape
for the weekend.
To manage to cope or to Students without jobs have a
get by
survive hard time getting by.
When did you get in last
get in To enter
night?
How did you get into your
get into (+noun) To enter
car without the keys?
41. To leave (bus, train, 43. You should get off
get off plane) the train in Kings
42. To remove Heath.
 44. I can’t get the ink
stain off my shirt.
I’m trying to get on the flight
get on To board (bus, train, plane)
to Brussels.
After they split up, she had a
To continue to do; make
get on with (something) hard time getting on with
progress
her life.
He doesnt get on very well
get on (well) with To have a good relationship
with the other members of
(somebody) with
the committee.
He had a hard time getting
get out To leave out of Newark because of
the snow?
Edna’s trying to get out of
get out of To avoid doing something
working the night shift.
To recover from (illness,
get over Has she gotten over the flu?
disappointment)
To recover from (illness, Mary had the chickenpox
get over
disappointment) last week but she got over it.
Please get rid of that old t-
get rid of To eliminate
shirt. It’s so ragged.
Let’s get together for your
get together To meet each other
birthday on Saturday.
Will you please get up?
get up To rise, leave bed You’ve got a class in 20
minutes.
47. We will never give in
45. To cease opposition;
to the terrorists’
yield
give in demands.
46. To To hand in;
48. I’ll give in my paper
submit
tomorrow.
Morris gave up drinking 10
give up To stop doing something
years ago.
Andy went through a lot of
go through To experience
pain after his mother died.
To spend one’s childhood; He’s like Peter Pan. He never
grow up
develop; become an adult really grew up at all.
To submit (report, Please hand in your papers
hand in
homework) before Friday.
Susan volunteered at the
hand out To distribute shelter where she handed
out warm clothes.
To spend time in a particular
Which pub does the team
hang out place or with a group of
hang out at after the game?
friends
If you hang up now, I’ll never
hang up To end a phone conversation
speak to you again.
51. Please hold on and a
49. To wait
hold on representative will
50. To grip tightly
answer your call.
 52. She was so scared on
the rollercoaster ride
that she held on for
dear life.
Hurry up and finish your
hurry up To be quick, act speedily
lunch or we’ll miss the train.
The two countries met at the
To resolve by discussion,
iron out conference to iron out their
eliminate differences
differences.
Yes David, you can join in
join in To participate the discussion any time you
like.
55. There was a war on,
53. To engage in, so some kids were
become a member only sixteen when
join up of they joined up.
54. To meet and unite 56. Let’s separate now
with and join up later at
the restaurant.
If you keep on making that
keep on To continue doing something
noise I will get annoyed.
To stay at the same level as I read the paper every day to
keep up with
someone or something keep up with the news.
The rugby match kicked off
kick off To begin, start
at 3 o’clock.
Please check your form again
leave out To omit, not mention and make sure nothing is left
out.
I feel so let down because
let down To disappoint they promised me a puppy
but all I got was a doll.
Andy can you look after your
look after To take care of
sister until I get back?
She’s such a snob. She
look down on To consider as inferior always looks down on
anyone who is poor.
If you don’t want to take
look on To be a spectator at an event part in the game you can
look on for now.
Harry went to the shop to
look for To try to find something
look for a new computer.
I’m looking forward to my
To await or anticipate with
look forward to birthday. It’s in two days
pleasure
time.
I always looked up to my
look up to To admire
father. He was a great man.
To laugh at/ make jokes It’s not nice to make fun of
make fun of
about people in wheelchairs.
That’s a good excuse. Did
make up To invent (excuse, story)
you make up it up yourself?
 She had so many cats that
To mistake one thing or
mix up she kept mixing up their
person for another
names.
Did you hear? Our new
To arrive in a new home or
move in neighbors are moving in this
office
afternoon.
When are you moving out?
To leave your home/office
move out We need your office for the
for another one.
new guy.
You were so tired after the
nod off To fall asleep game that you nodded off
on the couch.
To admit or confess Come on. Own up. We know
own up
something you did it!
Your grandfather passed
pass away To die away peacefully in his sleep
last night.
He didn’t drink enough
pass out To faint water so he passed out at
the end of the race.
I’ll pay you back as soon as I
pay back To reimburse
get the loan.
Don’t put off until
To postpone, arrange a later
put off tomorrow, what you can do
date
today.
It’s very dark in here. Please
put on To turn on, switch on
put on the light on.
The fire fighters were able to
put out To extinguish
put out fire in ten minutes.
I can put you up until the
To accommodate, give
put up weekend but then I’m going
somebody a bed
away.
I’ll pick you up at around
pick up To collect somebody 7:00 to take you to the
airport.
As I already pointed out,
To indicate/direct attention
point out there was a mistake in your
to something
calculation.
To count on, depend on, You can rely on me. I always
rely on
trust arrive on time.
Since he had a sound alibi,
rule out To eliminate the police ruled him out as a
suspect.
To escape from a place or He ran away from home and
run away
suddenly leave joined the circus.
To meet by accident or
I’m so glad I ran into you. I
run into unexpectedly (also: bump
need to ask you something.
into)
We’ve run out of milk. I’ll
To have no more of
run out of just pop next door to borrow
something.
some.
 Let’s set off early to miss the
set off To start a journey;
rush hour traffic.
They set up their own
set up To start a business company when they were
still in high school.
Don’t buy that. Let’s shop
shop around To compare prices around and see if we can
find something cheaper.
He’s such a show off. He has
To brag or want to be
show off to tell everybody about his
admired
new computer.
I don’t think she’ll show up
show up To appear/arrive
tonight. Her daughter is sick.
Shut up, you’re spoiling the
shut up (impolite) To be silent, stop talking
movie!
I think you should sit down.
sit down To take a seat
It’s bad news.
The whole stadium stood up
stand up To rise from a sitting position
for the national anthem.
My big brother always stuck
stick up for To defend up for me when I got into a
fight.
To resemble, in appearance Angie really takes after her
take after
or character grandmother.
Please take care of my cat
take care of To look after
when I’m away.
The plane will take off as
take off To leave the ground
soon as the fog lifts.
I hear they’re taking on
take on To hire or engage staff
extra staff for this event.
Please take out your mobile
take out To remove; extract
phones and turn them off.
To reprimand/criticize The coach told her off for
tell off
severely not trying hard enough.
Take your time and think it
think over To consider
over before you decide.
To wear something to see if Go ahead, try it on and see if
try on
it suits or fits it fits?
I asked her out but she
turn down To refuse
turned me down flat.
To finish a product (so that Your parents used up all the
use up
there’s none left) coffee!
Watch out! There’s a dog in
watch out To be careful
the road.
59. Julie wore out her
shoes running the
57. To become unusable
marathons.
wear out 58. To become very
60. Julie was worn out
tired
after all that
running.
 63. You should work out
61. To do physical twice a week at the
exercise gym.
work out
62. To find a solution or 64. Can you work this
calculate something out? I’m no good at
math.
I’ll wash up if you wipe off
wipe off To clean (board, table).
the table