Phrasal verbs

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Like normal verbs, some phrasal verbs do not accept an object. These verbs are called Intransitive
phrasal Verbs. This page includes a random selection of some of the more common intransitive phrasal
verbs, along with simplified definitions.

 back down - retreat from a position in  catch up - cover the distance

an argument between oneself and a moving goal

 back out - desert; fail to keep a  check up - investigate

promise
 check out - leave; pay one's bill
 back up - move backwards
 cheer up - become cheerful
 bear up - endure
 clear out - leave
 blow in - drop in to visit unexpectedly
 clear up - become clear
 blow over - pass without doing harm
 close down - close permanently
 blow up - explode; lose one's temper
 close up - close temporarily
 call up - telephone
 came about - happen
 calm down - become calm
 come along - accompany; make
 carry on - continue as before; progress
misbehave
 come back - return
 catch on - understand

 come by - visit someone in his home

 come out - appear; make a social debut

 come over - come to someone's  die down - fade; diminish

house, to where someone is
 die off/out - disappear; become
 come through - succeed extinct

 come to - regain consciousness  dress up - don fancy or unusual

clothes
 cut in - interrupt
 drive back - return by car
 die away - fade; diminish

1
 drop in - visit someone casually
without planning
 drop out - abandon some organized
activity; leave; quit
 drop over - visit someone casually
 fall behind - not progress at required
pace
 fall off - decrease; lose weight
 fall through - fail; not be
accomplished
 fill in - substitute
 find out - learn
 fly back - return by air
 fly over - fly to where someone is
 get ahead - make progress
 get along - have a friendly
relationship
 get around - circulate; move about
 get away - escape
 get by - manage; either just barely or
with a minimum of effort
 get in - enter
 get off - descend from leave
 get on - enter (a vehicle); mount (a
horse, etc.)
 get on/along - progress; be
compatible
 get up - rise
 get through - finish
 give out - become exhausted
 give up - surrender; fail to finish
 go back - return
 go off - explode
 go on - happen; continue
 go out - stop burning; leave one's
residence
 go over - go; succeed
 grow up - mature
 hang around - remain idly; dawdle
 hang up - replace a telephone receive
on its hook
 hold on - grasp tightly; persevere;
wait while telephoning
 hold out - continue to resist;
persevere; persist
 keep on - continue
 keep up - maintain the required pace
or standard; continue
 let up - diminish in intensity
 lie down - recline
 look on - be a spectator
 make out - progress; succeed
 make up - become reconciled
 move over - move to the side
 pan out - turn out well; be successful
 pass out - become unconscious
2
 pass on - die
 pick up - grow; increase
 pull in - arrive
 pull out - deport
 pull through - survive (barely)
 ride over - ride to where someone is
 run away - escape; leave; leave
quickly without permission
 run down - slowly lose power so as to
stop functioning
 run off - depart running; drain
 sell out - sell the ownership or
responsibility
 settle up - pay one's bills or debts
 show off - boast by words or actions
 show up - arrive; appear
unexpectedly
 shut up - stop talking
 slow up - reduce speed
 stand by - wait; be prepared to assist
 stand up - stand; rise from sitting;
last; endure
 stay over - remain at someone's
house overnight or longer
 step aside - move to one side
 take off - leave the ground
 take over - assume command
 talk back - answer impolitely
 throw up - vomit
 turn around - turn so that one is
facing another direction
 turn in - go to bed
 turn out - succeed; come; appear, as
at a public meeting
 turn up - arrive; be found
unexpectedly
 wait up - remain awake in
anticipation
 wake up - awaken
 walk back - return on foot to where
one was
 walk over - walk to where someone is
 wash out - fade or disappear from
washing
 watch out - be careful
 wear off - fade; disappear through
use or time
 wear out - become unusable through
use; become used up
 work out - be successful
3
 Separable Phrasal Verbs
A Separable phrasal verb is a transitive phrasal verb which allows an object to be placed between the
verb and its particle, or after the whole verb.

Some transitive phrasal verbs (phrasal verbs which require an object) allow an object to be placed either
between the verb and particle, or after the entire phrasal verb. These verbs are called Separable phrasal
Verbs. With this type of verb, if the object is a pronoun, the pronoun must go in the middle of the
phrasal verb (between the verb and particle).

For example:

 The terrorists blew up the car.

 The terrorists blew the car up.

 The terrorists blew it up.

Here is a selection of some of the more common separable phrasal verbs and simplified definitions.

 add up - add (mathematics)  bring over - bring

(something/somebody here)
 back up - cause to move backwards;
support; make a digital copy  bring to - revive somebody

 blow up - cause to explode; destroy  bring up - raise; care for a child during
by explosives; enlarge a photograph childhood

 break down - analyze; list the parts of
something separately
 bring about - cause something to
happen
 brush out - brush the inside of
 burn down - destroy by burning
 burn up - consume by fire

 bring off - accomplish something  buy out - by the other person's share
of a business
 bring on - cause something to happen
 buy up - buy the whole supply of
 bring out - publish; emphasize something

4
 call off - cancel (an event or meeting)
 call up - telephone; summon for
military service
 calm down - become calm
 carry on - continue doing something
 carry out - fulfill; complete;
accomplish; perform (usually orders or
instructions)
 carry over - carry; financial/numerical
– move a value from one period to
another
 cheer up - cause somebody to
become cheerful
 chew up - chew thoroughly; to
destroy or tear something with the
teeth of machinery
 chop up - chop into small pieces
 clean off - clear the surface of
 clean out - clean the inside of
 clean up - tidy
 clear out - clear the inside of; remove
people from a place
 clear up - clarify; clear the inside of
 close down - shut or close
permanently
 close up - close temporarily
 count in - include somebody in
something (usually a list of participants)
 count out - exclude something or
somebody
 count up - calculate; count; add to a
total
 cross out - eliminate; delete text
manually
 cut off - interrupt; sever; amputate
 cut out - eliminate; delete; stop doing
something (as an imperative)
 cut down - reduce in quantity
 draw up - write; compose (a formal
document)
 dress up - put clothes on; adorn; dress
for a special occasion
 dress down - dress casually
 eat up - eat completely
 figure out - interpret; understand
 fill in - complete; compile (a printed
form)
 fill out - complete; compile (a printed
form)
 fill up - fill completely (a container)
 find out - discover
 fix up - repair; arrange in a suitable
manner
 get across - cause to be understood
 give back - return something
 give out - distribute; announce
 give up - surrender something
 hand down - deliver; pronounce
formally; leave as an inheritance
5
 hand over - surrender control of
something
 hang up - end a phone call; put
clothes on a hanger for storage
 have on - be dressed in (clothes)
 have over - entertain someone
informally at your home
 hold off - delay; restrain
 hold up - delay; rob; threaten with a
weapon
 keep up - continue; maintain the
same pace
 leave out - omit somebody or
something
 let down - disappoint somebody
 let out - release from confinement;
make larger (in sewing)
 light up - light; illuminate thoroughly
 live down - live in such a way as to
cause something to be forgotten
 pass out - distribute
 pass up - not take advantage of (as an
opportunity)
 pass on - transmit
 pay back - repay
 pay off - discharge a debt completely;
give someone his final pay
 pick up - collect somebody from a
place; lift with hands or fingers
 play down - minimize the importance
of something
 play up - emphasize the importance
of something
 point out - indicate something
 pull down - pull in a downward
direction; demolish something
 put off - postpone an event or
meeting
 put on - dress in
 put up - provide overnight
accommodation for somebody
 ring up - call somebody on the
telephone
 rule out - eliminate something from
consideration
 run down - trace; disparage
somebody; hit with a vehicle
 run off - reproduce something
mechanically (often in printed media or
manufacturing)
 save up - accumulate money
 see through - continue with a task
until completion (often in spite of
difficulties)
 see off - accompany someone to the
beginning of a trip
 send back - send to a place where
formerly located
 send over - send something or
somebody to the place where someone
else is
6
 set up - arrange something; cause the
police to incorrectly believe somebody
is guilty of a crime
 show off - exhibit ostentatiously
 shut off - cause to cease functioning
 slow up - cause to move more slowly
 spell out - state something in detail or
simple terms
 stand up - fail to keep an appointment
with somebody (usually romantic
appointments)
 sweep out - sweep the inside of
 take back - return; retract a
statement
 take down - remove from a high
position; write from dictation
 take in - understood; fool; deceive;
make smaller (in sewing)
 take over - take; assume command of
something
 tear down - destroy something
 tear up - tear into small pieces
 tell off - scold; reprimand
 think over - consider something
 think through - consider something
from beginning to end
 think up - create; invent
 throw away - discard
 tie up - tie securely or tight
 tire out - cause somebody to be
exhausted
 touch up - repair something (usually a
minor repair)
 try on - put on a garment to see if it is
the correct size and appearance
 try out - test something
 turn down - refuse an offer; lower the
volume of something (TV, radio, music)
 turn out - produce; extinguish (a light)
 wear out - use until no longer usable;
become tired through an activity
 wind up - finish, tighten a spring (of a
watch), make a person angry
(sometimes as a joke)
 wipe out - decimate (usually a form of
life – people, animals)
 work out - solve a puzzle
 write down - record something in
writing
 write up - compose; prepare (a formal
document)
7
 Inseparable Phrasal verbs

An inseparable phrasal verb is a transitive phrasal verb which does not allow an object to be placed
between the verb and particle.

Some transitive phrasal verbs (phrasal verbs which require an object) do not allow an object to be
placed between the verb and particle. The object MUST follow the complete verb. These verbs are
called Inseparable phrasal Verbs. Here is a selection of some of the more common inseparable phrasal
verbs and simplified definitions.

 check up on - examine; verify

 back out of - fail to keep a promise;
break an agreement to do something
 bear down on - lean on; browbeat,
approach
 bear up under - endure
 break in on - interrupt somebody
 break into - interrupt a conversation;
enter a building by forcing entry
something
 come across - find accidentally
(person or thing)
 come along with - accompany; make
progress
 come by - find something accidentally
 come down with - become ill with
 come out with - say something

 call for - come to collect somebody;  come up with - say or propose

require something something, have an idea

 care for - like something; to take care  count on - rely on somebody or

of somebody something

 carry on with - continue with an  disagree with - cause illness or

activity discomfort to somebody

 catch up with - to reach the same  do away with - abolish

place or the same level of performance
or achievement as someone ahead of  do without - deprive yourself of
you something

8
 drop in at/on - visit casually without
planning
 drop out of - leave; quit (usually
education)
 face up to - acknowledge something
 fall behind in - lag; not progress at
the required pace
 fall back on - use for emergency
purpose
 fall out with - quarrel with somebody
and damage a relationship
 fill in for - temporarily act as a
substitute for somebody
 get ahead of - overtake; beat
 get around - evade somebody; avoid
doing something, manipulate
somebody into accepting something
 get away with - do something
without being caught or punished
 get by with - manage with a
minimum of effort
 get down to - become serious about
 get in - enter (a vehicle)
 get off - descend from; leave (a bus,
train, aircraft, horse, motorbike etc)
 get on - enter (a vehicle); mount a
horse, bicycle, motorbike
 get on with - proceed with doing
something
 get through with - terminate, finish
 go back on - fail to keep (a promise)
 go for - like something a lot
(informal), choose something
 go in for - be interested in;
participate in
 go on with - continue doing
something
 go over - review
 go with - harmonize with; look
pleasing together
 go without - not have something
 hang around - remain in a place
without doing anything
 hear from - receive a communication
from
 hear of - learn about (sometimes
accidentally)
 hit on - discover accidentally (usually
an idea)
 hold on to - grasp tightly
 hold out against - resist a form of
pressure
 keep at - persevere with doing
something
 keep up with - maintain the pace of
somebody else
 live on - support or sustain yourself
(usually with food or money)
 live up to - maintain a standard or
reputation
 look after - take care of
9
 look back on - remember
nostalgically
 look down on - feel superior to
 look forward to - anticipate with
pleasure
 look up to - respect; admire
 make up for - compensate for
 pass on - transmit something
 pick on - tease; bully
 put up with - tolerate something or
somebody
 read up on - search out information
on
 run against - compete against
somebody in an election
 run away with - leave; escape from
 run for - campaign for an election
 see about - consider; arrange for
something to be done
 see to - arrange; supervise
 settle on - decide on; choose
 stand for - represent; permit; tolerate
 stand up for - support or defend
something or somebody (often your
rights)
 stand up to - resist (usually a form of
pressure)
 stick to - persist with an activity
 stick up for - support; defend
 take after - resemble (usually another
person)
 talk back to - answer impolitely
 talk over - discuss
 tell on - report misbehavior to
authority
 touch on - mention briefly
 turn into - become
 wait on - serve
 wait up for - not go to bed because
you are waiting for another person or
thing
 watch out for - be careful; pay
attention to
10