200 Important Phrasal Verbs List for Competitive Exams
1. Account for: Explain the reason, answer for
Use: I can't account for his unusual behaviour in this matter.
2. Ask after: Ask about the welfare, inquire after
Use: I met your brother at the party, he asked after you.
3. Ask for: Request for
Use: She asked for a glass of water.
4. Back out: Go back on, withdraw from promise
Use: He agreed to help but backed out at the last moment.
5. Be in for: About to take place
Use: On account of his bad habits he is in for trouble.
6. Bear away: Win
Use: Suhani bore away the first prize in the dance competition.
7. Bear on/upon: Relevant, bearing on
Use: Your remarks have no bearing on the main problem.
8. Bear out: Support the argument, Corroborate
Use: I am sure my classmates will bear out my statement.
9. Bear with: To show patience, co operate
Use: In view of the heavy losses suffered by the company, the shareholders
were requested to bear with.
10. Blow out: Extinguish
Use: The candle blew out as the gust of wind came in.
11. Blow over: Pass off without harm, come to an end
Use: Don’t worry, the crisis are likely to blow over.
12. Blow up: Explode, start suddenly
Use: The plan of the enemy to blow up the fly over was foiled by the ploice.
13. Break down: Emotional collapse, stop functioning
Use: While giving evidence in the court, she broke down
14. Break into: Enter by force
Use: The robbers broke into his house last night.
15. Break off: Come to an end, unsuccessfully
Use: The talks between India and China broke off.
16. Break out: Spread (war, epidemic, fire, riots)
Use: The fear that AIDS has broken out in India is not unfounded.
17. Break through : discover a secret, major achievement
Use: There is no hope of break through in the murder case.
18. Break up: Terminate
Use: The college will break up next week for summer vacation.
19. Break up with: Qurrael
Use: After long and fruitful friendship the two friends broken up with each
other.
20. Break open: Open by force
Use: The theif broke open the lock and stole money.
21. Bring about: Cause to happen
Use: The administration helped to bring about a peaceful settlement.
22. Bring out: Explain the meaning, publish
Use: When asked to explain, she could not bring out the meaning of the
poem.
23. Bring round: To make one agree, bring to senses
Use: I was able to bring my mother round to my views with great difficulty.
24. Bring up: Rear, educate
Use: Fathers are beginning to play a bigger role in bringing up their children.
25. Call at: Visit a place to meet
Use: I called out the residence of my boss ye4sterday.
26. Call for: necessary, require
Use: For the unity of the country discipline among the people is called for.
27. Call in/call out: Send for help
Use: The police were called in without delay by the residents.
28. Call off: Suspend or abandon
Use: We decided to call off the strike.
29. Call on: Go and visit a person
Use: It is a tradition for the Prime Minister to call on the President
30. Call out: Ask to come for help
Use: The National Guards has been called out.
31. Call up: To telephone, recall
Use: Many of my friends called me up to congratulate me.
32. Call upon: Appeal, exhort
Use: He was called upon to prove the correctness of the press reports.
33. Carry away by: Lose control
Use: On hearing the news of his success he was carried away by joy.
34. Carry on: Continue
Use: Now it is difficult to carry on this business in the teeth of stiff
competition
35. Carry out: Implement, obey, execute
Use: It is not likely that your father will carry out the threat of disinheriting
you.
36. Cast away: Throw away as useless
Use: We usually give you servants the old clothes which we cast away
37. Cast down: Dejected, down cast
Use: Now a days he is cast down as a result of his failure in the examination.
38. Cast off: Release, remove
Use: Organization must cast off old fashioned practices in order to survive.
39. Catch up with: Make up for deficiency, overtake
Use: He remained ill for many days bu caught up with they pending work
very soon.
40. Come about: Happen
Use: It is not good that such an unfortunate accident came about
41. Come by: Get
Use: How have you come by such a precious diamond?
42. Come of: Belong to
Use: Reeta comes of a family of freedom fighters.
43. Come off: Take place as arranged, fade, get separated
Use: I was surprised to see that plaster had come off the walls.
44. Come over: Get over, overcome
Use: You can come over your problems by honest means.
45. Come round: Agree, recover from illness
Use: My father at first refused to let me continue study but he came round in
the end.
46. Come upon: Come across, get by chance
Use: My friend came upon the evidence just by chance.
 200 Important Phrasal Verbs List for Competitive Exams
47. Cope with: Manage
Use: They coped with all their problems cheerfully. 71. Follow up: Pursue after the first attempt
Use: The Idea has been followed up by a group of researches.
48. Cut down: Curtail, reduce
Use: Since you are out of job these days, you must cut down your 72. Get ahead: Go forward
expenditure. Use: You can get ahead of your rivals only by hard work.

49. Cut off: Discontinue, die, remove 73. Get along: Be friendly
Use: Gas supplies have now been cut off. Use: They can’t get along together because of temperamental nature.

50. (Be) cut out for: Suitable 74. Get awat: Escape
Use: He is cut out for an administrative career. Use: The got away on scooter.

51. Cut out: To take piece form the whole 75. Get on with: Pull with, get together
Use: He cut out a piece of the cake. Use: Both husband and wife are getting along on well with each other.

52. Die down: Gradually disappear 76. Get over: Recover form illness or shock come over
Use: The wind has died down. Use: He is still trying to get over the financial crisis.

53. Die out: Become out of use. 77. Get through: Pass through, succeed
Use: He thought that the custom had died out a long time ago. Use: It is not possible to get through examination without labour.

54. Dispose of: Sell off 78. Get up: Rise from bed
Use: She has decided to dispose of her old house Use: The woman got up from her chair with the baby in her arms.

55. Dispose to: Willing, inclined favourably 79. Give in: Surrender, agree
Use: My friend is disposed to discussing the problems thoroughly. Use: At first she was adamant but at last she gave in to the request of her
friend.
56. Do away with: Eradicate
Use: We should do away with the social evils. 80. Give out: Announce verbally, emit
Use: It was given out that she had failed.
57. Do for: Serve the purpose
Use: This book is do for the SSC Examination. 81. Give way: Collapse under pressure, break
Use: The roof of the new house gave away due to poor material.
58. Done with: Have no relation
Use: I have done with him because of his dishonesty. 82. Given to: Accustomed to
Use: He is given to smoking
59. Do without: Dispense with, to manage without
Use: We cannot do without fan in summer. 83. Go back on: Withdraw, back out
Use: One should not go back on one’s promise
60. Done for, done in: Be ruined
Use: He appears to be done for since he has lost heavily in gambling 84. Go down: Be believed
Use: Your excuse will not go down.
61. Draw up: To write, compose
Use: I was busy drawing up plans for the new course. 85. Go in for: Buy, paradise to enter a contest
Use: I thought of going in for teaching
62. Draw on or upon: To get money form
Use: He was able to draw on vast reserves of talent. 86. Go off: Explode
Use: When he was cleaning his gun it went off and killed him.
63. Drop in: To pay a short visit
Use: I thought I’d just drop in and see how you were. 87. Go on: Continue
Use: There is no need to go on arguing about it.
64. Drop out: Retire in the midst of doing something
88. Go over: Examine carefully, look over
Use: She could not qualify for the selection as she dropped out while the Use: On going over the balance sheet of the company the auditors have
race was in progress. found serious mistakes.

65. Fall back: Retreat 89. Go through: Read hurriedly, endure

Use: The rioters fell back when the police arrived. Use: He din’t lend me the newspaper because he was going through it.

66. Fall back on: Depend on 90. Go up: Rise, increase

Use: You must save money to fall back on it in old age. Use: As a result of a sharp rise in prices the price of washing soap has gone
up
67. Fall off: Decrease in number, get separated
Use: In the wake of roof tragedy the admissions in the school have fallen off. 91. Hand out: Distribute
Use: Hand out the books to the students
68. Fall out: Quarrel
Use: The two friends appear to have fallen out over a minor issue. 92. Hand over: Give charge or authority
Use: He has not handed over charge to the new manager.
69. Fall in with: Agree with
Use: Instead of Challenging the lie, she fell in with their views. 93. Hang about: Stay waiting, roam about
Use: The boys hanging about girl’s hostel were rounded up by the police.
70. Fall through: To remain incomplete, fail
Use: For want of sufficient funds your new project is likely to fall through. 94. Hold on: Carry on, bear difficulties, persist
 200 Important Phrasal Verbs List for Competitive Exams
Use: Inspite of financial difficulties he held on and succeeded in the long run.
95. Hold out: Resist
Use: When the robbers ran short of ammunition the could no longer hold
out.
96. Hold over: Postpone
Use: Most of the bill are held over till the next session of the Parliament.
97. Hold up: To stop In order to rob, delay
Use: The terrorist held up the motor car and kept the ladies as hostages.
98. Jump at: Accept happily
Use: He jumped at the offer of his boss to accept the job abroad.
99. Jump to: Arrive suddenly
Use: You should never jump to conclusions.
100. Keep from: Refrain from, not to mix with
Use: Always keep from selfish people because they can harm you anytime.
101. Keep off: Keep at distance
Use: There was a notice at the site, “keep off the bushes”
102. Keep on: Continue
Use: She kept on crying inspite of my assurance of help.
103. Keep up: Maintain
Use: Always try t keep up the standard of life even in the face of crises.
104. Keep up with: Try to move with, not to fall behind
Use: Young men should keep up with the latest development in
international field.
105. Lay by: Save money
Use: The wiser men always lay by money for their old age.
106. Laid up with: Confined to bed
Use: She is not going out as she is laid up with the flu.
107. Lay down: Establish a rule, sacrifice, surrender
Use: The conditions laid down by the Department of Health were violated by
the nursing homes.
108. Lay off: To discontinue work, dismiss temporarily
Use: The workers have been laid off for want of raw material.
109. Lay out: Plan building
Use: A number of gardens were laid out by the Moghuls.
110. Let down: Humiliate, to lower down
Use: We should never let down our friends.
111. Let into: Allow to enter
Use: After repeat4ed requests he was let into the classroom.
112. Let off: To free from punishment, pardon
Use: She was let off by the Principal with light punishment.
113. Let (somebody ) in on: Share a secret
Use: I will not let her in on my plans.
114. Let up: Cessation, respite
Use: There is no let up in heat during June.
115. Live on: Depend for food
Use: The Lion is carnivorous and lives on flesh.
116. Live by: Means/manner
Use: You must learn to live by honest means.
117. Live off: Source of Income
Use: They were living off rental income
118. Look about: In search of, on the watch
Use: The thirsty crow was looking about water here and there.
119. Look after: Take care of
Use: In her old age she has no one to look after her.
120. Loot at: See carefully
Use: The boys are looking at the sky.
121. Look back on: To think of the past.
Use: People can often look back and reflect on happy childhood memories.
122. Look for: Search for a lost thing
Use: She was looking for her lost things.
123. Look down upon: Hate
Use: It is folly on your part to look down upon the poor students.
124. Look into: Investigate the matter
Use: A committee was setup to look into the matter.
125. Look on: To see as a spectator
Use: His parents looked on with a triumphant smile.
126. Look over: Examine carefully, go over
Use: The examiner has yet to look over practice note books.
127. Look out: Watch out, careful, beware
Use: Look out, there is a snake under the bush.
128. Look out for: In search of, on the watch
Use: He is looking out for a decent job
129. Look to: Rely upon, be careful
Use: The poor look to financial help from the government.
130. Look up: Consult some book for a word, rise
Use: Please look up this word in the dictionary.
131. Look upto: Respect
Use: His younger brother looks up to him and obeys his every order.
132. Look upon: Consider, regard
Use: We must look upon social evils as nuisance
133. Make off with/away with: Run away, destroy
Use: They made off with the cash and fled.
134. Make out: Understand the meaning
Use: The police could not make out the coded message they intercepted.
135. Make over: Transfer possession, convert
Use: Since she had no legal heir, she made over her house in charity.
136. Make up: To end quarrel, compose
Use: You should make an effort to make up a quarrel with your friend.
137. Pass away: Die, expire
Use: On the passing away of his father I sent him a message of condolence.
138. Pass for: Regarded to be
Use: The TATAs pass for philanthropists in the country.
139. Pass off: Take place
Use: The elections are likely to pass off peacefully.
140. Pass oneself off: Show off
Use: The hypocrites always pass themselves off as honest persons.
141. Pass through: Go through, undergo, endure
Use: He is passing through financial difficulties these days.
142. Pass out: Leave after completing education
Use: The cadets will pass out next month after completing their training.
 200 Important Phrasal Verbs List for Competitive Exams
143. Pull down: Demolish a structure
Use: Why did they pull the shops down?
144. Pull off: Succeed
Use: India pulled off victory in the last stage of the match.
145. Pull through: Recover from illness
Use: I think she’ll pull through her serious illness very soon.
146. Pull up: Stop, scold
Use: The students were pulled up by the Principal for their misbehaviour
with the class teacher.
147. Pull with: Live together, get on with
Use: He is pulling well with his wife these days.
148. Put down: Crush, keep down
Use: The riots were put down by the police.
149. Put off: Postpone, avoid, discourage
Use: The meeting had to be put off because the President couldn’t come.
150. Put on: Wear, pretend
Use: It is difficult to put on the appearance of innocence for a long time.
151. Put out: Extinguish
Use: The fire was put out suddenly.
152. Put up: Stays, question
Use: He is putting up at a hostel these days.
153. Put up with: Tolerate patiently
Use: For an honorable person it is difficult to put up with the haughty
behavior of the Directors.
154. Round up: Arrest
Use: The police rounded up anti-social elements last night.
155. Run after: Pursue, hanker after
Use: We should not run after money.
156. Run down: Criticize, poor health
Use: As a result of long illness she has run down a lot.
157. Run into: Come across, meet by chance
Use: While walking along the roadside I ran into my childhood friend.
158. Run out: Come to an end
Use: When the rations ran out, the head office was informed.
159. Run over: Crush under
Use: He was run over by speeding car.
160. Run through: Waste money
Use: It is a pity that he has run through his fortune over gambling and
drinking.
161. See off: To escort a guest for his departure.
Use: His friends were present so at the station to see him off.
162. See through: Discover something hidden, motive
Use: Man has grown so clever that it is difficult to see through this tricks.
163. Send for: Summon
Use: She sent for a doctor w3hen her husband fell ill.
164. Set about: Start doing
Use: As soon as she reached home, she set about calling up her friends.
165. Set aside: Allocate, strike down, turn down.
Use: The High Court set aside the verdict of the lower court in this sensitive
matter.
166. Set in: Begin
Use: As soon as the summer set in, the reptiles come out of hibernation.
167. Set off: To start a series of events, process, improve
Use: Cosmetics set off the natural grace.
168. Set up: Establish
Use: The factory was set up by his uncle.
169. Set forth: Start on a journey, explain
Use: The party will set forth its view on globalization at a public rally.
170. Set out: Start on a journey, set forth
Use: No sooner was the hunter informed of lion’s presence in the forest than
he set out.
171. Sit back: Relax
Use: He believes that he has the right to sit back while others should work
hard.
172. Sit up: Stay out of bed, stay up
Use: She sat up till her son returned.
173. Stand by: Support, help
Use: Although he promised to stand by me in difficulties, he did not live up
to it.
174. Stand for: Represent
Use: T.E.C stands for Technical Education Certificate.
175. Stand out: To be conspicuous
Use: She stand out from the crowd because of her amiable manners.
176. Stand up for: Defend
Use: It is your duty to stand up always for the poor.
177. Strike off: Remove from the list
Use: His name has been struck off the admission list.
178. Take after: Resemble
Use: She always reminds me of her mother since she takes after her mother.
179. Take down: Write
Use: She was busy in talking down the dictation which the teacher was giving.
180. Take off: Remove, leave the ground, improve.
Use: It is difficult for Indian economy to take off in the absence of heavy
investment.
181. Take over: Take up responsibility
Use: The agency tried to take over another company
182. Taken to : Form a habit
Use: He tookto wearing black leather jackets.
183. Take up: Start a hobby or study, occupy
Use: He has taken up modelling as a career.
184. Tell upon: Affect adversely
Use: I have warned him that heavy work will tell upon his health.
185. Taken in: Be deceived
Use: For all your intelligence you are likely to be taken in by impostors.
186. Take for: Suppose to be, identify
Use: I took you for a noble person.
187. Taken aback: Be surprised
Use: I was taken aback to hear of thee news of his failure.
188. Talk over: Discuss a matter
Use: I agreed to go home and talk over the matter.
189. Turn down: Reject, strike down
 200 Important Phrasal Verbs List for Competitive Exams
Use: I turned down the request of my friend to go to Simla.

190. Turn off: Stop, switch off

Use: Please make it a point to turn off water tap before you go out.

191. Turn on: Switch on, start

Use: She turned on the shower to take bath.

192. Turn over: Change, capsize, upset

Use: The boat turned over and ten persons were drowned.

193. Turn out: Prove, reveal, expel

Use: Nothing ever turned out right for me in life.

194. Turn up: Arrive, take place

Use: Who can say what will turn up next?

195. Watch out: Look out, careful

Use: If you do not watch out, he might harm you.

196. Wipe away: Cleanse, remove

Use: The marks of blood were wiped away by the accused.

197. Wipe out: Destroy completely

Use: We must try to wipe out poverty from the country.

198. Wind up: Bring to an end

Use: We were forced to wind up the business on account of heavy loss.

199. Work out: Solve the problem

Use: He is very intelligent and can work out any difficult problem.

200. Work up: Incite, instigate

Use: The politicians should not try to work up communal frenzy.

201. Work upon: Influence

Use: The leader tried to work upon the mob.