200 common phrasal verbs, with meanings and example sentences
| 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 people the same question | I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet. |
| 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 functioning (vehicle, machine) | Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm. |
| break down | get upset | The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died. |
| break something down | divide into smaller parts | Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts. |
| break in | force entry to a building | Somebody broke in last night 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 something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new | I need to break these shoes in before we run next week. |
| break in | interrupt | The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death. |
| break up | end a relationship | My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America. |
| break up | start laughing (informal) | The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking. |
| break out | escape | The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking. |
| break out in something | develop a skin condition | I broke out in a rash after our camping trip. |
| bring somebody down | make unhappy | This sad music is bringing me down. |
| bring somebody up | raise a child | My grandparents brought me up after my parents died. |
| bring something up | start talking about a subject | My mother walks out of the room 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 different places/people | We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed. |
| call somebody back | return a phone call | I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend. |
| call something off | cancel | Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé. |
| call on somebody | ask for an answer or opinion | The professor called on me for question 1. |
| 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 being angry | You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car. |
| not care for somebody/ something | not like (formal) | I don't care for his behaviour. |
| catch up | get to the same point as somebody else | You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty. |
| check in | arrive and register at a hotel or airport | We will get the hotel keys when we check in. |
| check out | leave a hotel | You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM. |
| check somebody/ something out | look at carefully, investigate | The company checks out all new employees. |
| check out somebody/ something | look at (informal) | Check out the crazy hair on that guy! |
| cheer up | become happier | She cheered up when she heard the good news. |
| 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 across something | find unexpectedly | I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet. |
| come apart | separate | The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough. |
| come down with something | become sick | My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend. |
| come forward | volunteer for a task or to give evidence | The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints. |
| come from some place | originate in | The art of origami comes from Asia. |
| count on somebody/ something | rely on | I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out. |
| cross something out | draw a line through | Please cross out your old address and write your new one. |
| cut back on something | consume less | My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods. |
| cut something down | make something fall to the ground | We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm. |
| cut in | interrupt | Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle. |
| cut in | pull in too closely in front of another vehicle | The bus driver got angry when that car cut in. |
| cut in | start operating (of an engine or electrical device) | The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C. |
| cut something off | remove with something sharp | The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured. |
| 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 will | My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried. |
| cut something out | remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper) | I cut this ad out of the newspaper. |
| do somebody/ something over | beat up, ransack (BrE, informal) | He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang. |
| do something over | do again (AmE) | My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic. |
| do away with something | discard | It's time to do away with all of these old tax records. |
| do something up | fasten, close | Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing! |
| dress up | wear nice clothing | It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up. |
| drop back | move back in a position/group | Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike. |
| drop in/ by/ over | come without an appointment | I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week. |
| drop somebody/ something off | take somebody/ something somewhere and leave them/it there | I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over. |
| drop out | quit a class, school etc | I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult. |
| eat out | eat at a restaurant | I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out. |
| end up | eventually reach/do/decide | We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre. |
| fall apart | break into pieces | My new dress fell apart in the washing machine. |
| fall down | fall to the ground | The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning. |
| fall out | separate from an interior | The money must have fallen out of my pocket. |
| fall out | (of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached | His hair started to fall out when he was only 35. |
| figure something out | understand, find the answer | I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room. |
| fill something in | to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE) | Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number. |
| fill something out | to write information in blanks, as on a form (AmE) | The form must be filled out in capital letters. |
| 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/ over | communicate, make understandable | I tried to get my point across/over to the judge 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 vacation | We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week. |
| get away with something | do without being noticed or punished | Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests. |
| get back | return | We got back from our vacation last week. |
| get something back | receive something you had before | Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate. |
| get back at somebody | retaliate, take revenge | My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat. |
| get back into something | become interested in something again | I finally got back into my novel and finished it. |
| get on something | step onto a vehicle | We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on the bus. |
| get over something | recover from an illness, loss, difficulty | I just got over the flu and now my sister has it. |
| get over something | overcome a problem | The company will have to close if it can't get over the new regulations. |
| get round to something | finally find time to do (AmE: get around to something) | I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards. |
| get together | meet (usually for social reasons) | Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend. |
| 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 information about somebody | His wife gave him away to the police. |
| give somebody away | take the bride to the altar | My father gave me away at my wedding. |
| give something away | ruin a secret | My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident. |
| give something away | give something to somebody for free | The library was giving away old books on Friday. |
| give something back | return a borrowed item | I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game. |
| give in | reluctantly stop fighting or arguing | My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in. |
| give something out | give to many people (usually at no cost) | They were giving out free perfume samples at the 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 somebody | My brother tried to go after the thief in his car. |
| go after something | try to achieve something | I went after my dream and now I am a published writer. |
| go against somebody | compete, oppose | We are going against the best 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 place | I have to go back home and get my lunch. |
| go out | leave home to go on a social event | We're going out for dinner tonight. |
| go out with somebody | date | Jesse has been going out 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 nearby | I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for an hour or two. |
| go without something | suffer lack or deprivation | When I was young, we went without winter boots. |
| grow apart | stop being friends over time | My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools. |
| grow back | regrow | My roses grew back this summer. |
| grow into something | grow big enough to fit | This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year. |
| grow out of something | get too big for | Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones. |
| grow up | become an adult | When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman. |
| hand something down | give something used to somebody else | I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin. |
| hand something in | submit | I have to hand in my essay by Friday. |
| hand something out | to distribute to a group of people | We will hand out the invitations at the door. |
| hand something over | give (usually unwillingly) | The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons. |
| hang in | stay positive (informal) | Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon. |
| hang on | wait a short time (informal) | Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes! |
| hang out | spend time relaxing (informal) | Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang out at my place. |
| hang up | end a phone call | He didn't say goodbye before he hung up. |
| hold somebody/ something back | prevent from doing/going | I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park. |
| hold something back | hide an emotion | Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral. |
| hold on | wait a short time | Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department. |
| hold onto somebody/ something | hold firmly using your hands or arms | Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside. |
| hold somebody/ something up | rob | A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning. |
| keep on doing something | continue doing | Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil. |
| keep something from somebody | not tell | We kept our relationship from our parents for two years. |
| keep somebody/ something out | stop from entering | Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room. |
| keep something up | continue at the same rate | If you keep those results up you will get into a great college. |
| let somebody down | fail to support or help, disappoint | I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time. |
| let somebody in | allow to enter | Can you let the cat in before you go to school? |
| log in (or on) | sign in (to a website, database etc) | I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my password. |
| log out (or off) | sign out (of a website, database etc) | If you don't log off somebody could get into your account. |
| look after somebody/ something | take care of | I have to look after my sick grandmother. |
| look down on somebody | think less of, consider inferior | Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me. |
| look for somebody/ something | try to find | I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding. |
| look forward to something | be excited about the future | I'm looking forward to the Christmas break. |
| look into something | investigate | We are going to look into the price of snowboards today. |
| look out | be careful, vigilant, and take notice | Look out! That car's going to hit you! |
| look out for somebody/ something | be especially vigilant for | Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail. |
| look something over | check, examine | Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes? |
| look something up | search and find information in a reference book or database | We can look her phone number up on the Internet. |
| look up to somebody | have a lot of respect for | My little sister has always looked up to me. |
| make something up | invent, lie about something | Josie made up a story about why we were late. |
| make up | forgive each other | We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast. |
| make somebody up | apply cosmetics to | My sisters made me up for my graduation party. |
| mix something up | confuse two or more things | I mixed up the twins' names again! |
| pass away | die | His uncle passed away last night after a long illness. |
| pass out | faint | It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed out. |
| pass something out | give the same thing to many people | The professor passed the textbooks out before class. |
| pass something up | decline (usually something good) | I passed up the job because I am afraid of change. |
| pay somebody back | return owed money | Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday. |
| pay for something | be punished for doing something bad | That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother. |
| pick something out | choose | I picked out three sweaters for you to try on. |
| point somebody/ something out | indicate with your finger | I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by. |
| put something down | put what you are holding on a surface or floor | You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter. |
| put somebody down | insult, make somebody feel stupid | The students put the substitute teacher down because his pants were too short. |
| put something off | postpone | We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane. |
| put something out | extinguish | The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived. |
| put something together | assemble | I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives. |
| put up with somebody/ something | tolerate | I don't think I can put up with three small children in the car. |
| put something on | put clothing/ accessories on your body | Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party. |
| run into somebody/ something | meet unexpectedly | I ran into an old school-friend at the mall. |
| run over somebody/ something | drive a vehicle over a person or thing | I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway. |
| run over/ through something | rehearse, review | Let's run over/through these lines one more time before the show. |
| run away | leave unexpectedly, escape | The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days. |
| run out | have none left | We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap. |
| send something back | return (usually by mail) | My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong stamp. |
| set something up | arrange, organize | Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the company. |
| set somebody up | trick, trap | The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera. |
| shop around | compare prices | I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots. |
| show off | act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully) | He always shows off on his skateboard |
| sleep over | stay somewhere for the night (informal) | You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home. |
| sort something out | organize, resolve a problem | We need to sort the bills out before the first of the month. |
| stick to something | continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing | You will lose weight if you stick to the diet. |
| switch something off | stop the energy flow, turn off | The light's too bright. Could you switch it off. |
| switch something on | start the energy flow, turn on | We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio. |
| take after somebody | resemble a family member | I take after my mother. We are both impatient. |
| take something apart | purposely break into pieces | He took the car brakes apart and found the problem. |
| take something back | return an item | I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work. |
| take off | start to fly | My plane takes off in five minutes. |
| take something off | remove something (usually clothing) | Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake! |
| take something out | remove from a place or thing | Can you take the garbage out to the street for me? |
| take somebody out | pay for somebody to go somewhere with you | My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie. |
| tear something up | rip into pieces | I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him. |
| think back | remember (often + to, sometimes + on) | When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder. |
| think something over | consider | I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision. |
| throw something away | dispose of | We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery. |
| turn something down | decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc) | Please turn the TV down while the guests are here. |
| turn something down | refuse | I turned the job down because I don't want to move. |
| turn something off | stop the energy flow, switch off | Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for dinner. |
| turn something on | start the energy, switch on | It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on. |
| turn something up | increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc) | Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song. |
| turn up | appear suddenly | Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the neighbourhood. |
| try something on | sample clothing | I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit. |
| try something out | test | I am going to try this new brand of detergent out. |
| use something up | finish the supply | The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more. |
| wake up | stop sleeping | We have to wake up early for work on Monday. |
| warm somebody/ something up | increase the temperature | You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace. |
| warm up | prepare body for exercise | I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run. |
| wear off | fade away | Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party. |
| work out | exercise | I work out at the gym three times a week. |
| work out | be successful | Our plan worked out fine. |
| work something out | make a calculation | We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house. |