Phrasal Verbs List

Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb

or verb + preposition. Think of them as you would any other English
vocabulary. Study them as you come across them, rather than trying to
memorize many at once. Use the list below as a reference guide when you
find an expression that you don't recognize. The examples will help you
understand the meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate
verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily.
Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.
Verb
ask someone out

Meaning
invite on a date

ask around

ask many people the

same question

add up to something

equal

back something up

reverse

back someone up

support

blow up

explode

blow something up

add air

break down

stop functioning
(vehicle, machine)

break down

get upset

break something
down

divide into smaller

parts

break in

force entry to a
building

Example
Brian asked Judy out to
dinner and a movie.
I asked around but
nobody has seen my
wallet.
Your purchases add up
to$205.32.
You'll have to back up
your car so that I can get
out.
My wife backed me up
over my decision to quit
my job.
The racing car blew up
after it crashed into the
fence.
We have to blow 50
balloons up for the party.
Our car broke down at
the side of the highway in
the snowstorm.
The woman broke down
when the police told her
that her son had died.
Our teacher broke the final
project down into three
separate parts.
Somebody broke in last
night and stole our stereo.

break into something

enter forcibly

break something in
break in

wear something a few

times so that it
doesn't look/feel new
interrupt

break up

end a relationship

break up

start laughing
(informal)

break out

escape

break out in
something
bring someone down

develop a skin
condition
make unhappy

bring someone up

raise a child

bring something up

start talking about a

subject

bring something up

vomit

call around

phone many different

places/people

call someone back

return a phone call

call something off

cancel

call on someone

ask for an answer or

The firemen had to break

into the room to rescue
the children.
I need to break these
shoes in before we run
next week.
The TV station broke into
report the news of the
president's death.
My boyfriend and I broke
up before I moved to
America.
The kids just broke up as
soon as the clown started
talking.
The prisoners broke out of
jail when the guards
weren't looking.
I broke out in a rash after
our camping trip.
This sad music is bringing
me down.
My grandparents brought
me up after my parents
died.
My mother walks out of the
room when my father
brings up sports.
He drank so much that he
brought his dinner up in
the toilet.
We called around but we
weren't able to find the car
part we needed.
I called the company
back but the offices were
closed for the weekend.
Jason called the wedding
off because he wasn't in
love with his fianc.
The professor called on

call on someone

opinion
visit someone

call someone up

phone

calm down

relax after being

angry

not care for

someone/something
catch up

not like (formal)

check in

arrive and register at

a hotel or airport
leave a hotel

check out

get to the same point

as someone else

Check
someone/something
out
check out
someone/something
cheer up

look at carefully,
investigate

cheer someone up

make happier

chip in

help

clean something up

tidy, clean

come across
something

find unexpectedly

come apart

separate

come down with

become sick

look at (informal)
become happier

me for question 1.
We called on you last
night but you weren't
home.
Give me your phone
number and I will call you
up when we are in town.
You are still mad. You need
to calm down before you
drive the car.
I don't care for his
behaviour.
You'll have to run faster
than that if you want to
catch up with Marty.
We will get the hotel keys
when we check in.
You have to check out of
the hotel before 11:00 AM.
The company checks out
all new employees.
Check out the crazy hair
on that guy!
She cheered up when she
heard the good news.
I brought you some flowers
to cheer you up.
If everyone chips in we
can get the kitchen painted
by noon.
Please clean up your
bedroom before you go
outside.
I came across these old
photos when I was tidying
the closet.
The top and bottom come
apart if you pull hard
enough.
My nephew came down

something
come forward
come from
somewhere
count on
someone/something
cross something out
cut back on
something
cut something down
cut in
cut in
cut in
cut something off
cut something off
cut someone off
cut something out

with chicken pox this

weekend.
volunteer for a task or The woman came
to give evidence
forward with her
husband's finger prints.
originate in
The art of origami comes
from Asia.
rely on
I am counting on you to
make dinner while I am
out.
draw a line through
Please cross out your old
address and write your new
one.
consume less
My doctor wants me to cut
back on sweets and fatty
foods.
make something fall
We had to cut the old tree
to the ground
in our yard down after the
storm.
interrupt
Your father cut in while I
was dancing with your
uncle.
pull in too closely in
The bus driver got angry
front of another
when that car cut in.
vehicle
start operating (of an The air conditioner cuts
engine or electrical
in when the temperature
device)
gets to 22C.
remove with
The doctors cut off his leg
something sharp
because it was severely
injured.
stop providing
The phone company cut
off our phone because we
didn't pay the bill.
take out of a will
My grandparents cut my
father off when he
remarried.
remove part of
I cut this ad out of the
something (usually
newspaper.
with scissors and
paper)

Do
someone/something
over
do something over

beat up, ransack

(Br.E., informal)

do away with
something
do something up

discard

dress up

wear nice clothing

drop back

move back in a
position/group

drop in/by/over

come without an
appointment

Drop
someone/something
off

take
someone/something
somewhere and leave
them/it there
quit a class, school
etc
eat at a restaurant

drop out
eat out

do again (N.Amer.)

fasten, close

end up

eventually
reach/do/decide

fall apart

break into pieces

fall down

fall to the ground

fall out

separate from an
interior
(of hair, teeth)
become loose and
unattached
understand, find the

fall out
figure something out

He's lucky to be alive. His

shop was done over by a
street gang.
My teacher wants me to
do my essay over because
she doesn't like my topic.
It's time to do away with
all of these old tax records.
Do your coat up before
you go outside. It's
snowing!
It's a fancy restaurant so
we have to dress up.
Andrea dropped back to
third place when she fell off
her bike.
I might drop in/by/over
for tea sometime this
week.
I have to drop my sister
off at work before I come
over.
I dropped out of Science
because it was too difficult.
I don't feel like cooking
tonight. Let's eat out.
We ended up renting a
movie instead of going to
the theatre.
My new dress fell apart in
the washing machine.
The picture that you hung
up last night fell down
this morning.
The money must have
fallen out of my pocket.
His hair started to fall out
when he was only 35.
I need to figure out how

answer
fill something in
fill something out
fill something up
find out
find something out
get something
across/over
get along/on
get around
get away
get away with
something
get back
get something back
get back at someone
get back into
something
get on something

to fit the piano and the

bookshelf in this room.
to write information in Please fill in the form with
blanks (Br.E.)
your name, address, and
phone number.
to write information in The form must be filled
blanks (N.Amer.)
out in capital letters.
fill to the top
I always fill the water jug
up when it is empty.
discover
We don't know where he
lives. How can we find
out?
discover
We tried to keep the time
of the party a secret, but
Samantha found it out.
communicate, make
I tried to get my point
understandable
across/over to the judge
but she wouldn't listen.
like each other
I was surprised how well
my new girlfriend and my
sister got along/on.
have mobility
My grandfather can get
around fine in his new
wheelchair.
go on a vacation
We worked so hard this
year that we had to get
away for a week.
do without being
Jason always gets away
noticed or punished
with cheating in his maths
tests.
return
We got back from our
vacation last week.
receive something
Liz finally got her Science
you had before
notes back from my roommate.
retaliate, take
My sister got back at me
revenge
for stealing her shoes. She
stole my favourite hat.
become interested in
I finally got back into my
something again
novel and finished it.
step onto a vehicle
We're going to freeze out

get over something

get over something
get round to
something

recover from an
illness, loss, difficulty
overcome a problem

get up

finally find time to do

(N.Amer.: get
around to
something)
meet (usually for
social reasons)
get out of bed

get up

stand

give someone away

reveal hidden
information about
someone
take the bride to the
altar
ruin a secret

get together

give someone away

give something away
give something away
give something back

give something to
someone for free
return a borrowed
item

give in

reluctantly stop
fighting or arguing

give something out

give to many people

(usually at no cost)

give something up

quit a habit

give up

stop trying

go after someone

follow someone

here if you don't let us get

on the bus.
I just got over the flu and
now my sister has it.
The company will have to
close if it can't get over
the new regulations.
I don't know when I am
going to get round to
writing the thank you
cards.
Let's get together for a
BBQ this weekend.
I got up early today to
study for my exam.
You should get up and give
the elderly man your seat.
His wife gave him away to
the police.
My father gave me away
at my wedding.
My little sister gave the
surprise party away by
accident.
The library was giving
away old books on Friday.
I have to give these
skates back to Franz
before his hockey game.
My boyfriend didn't want to
go to the ballet, but he
finally gave in.
They were giving out free
perfume samples at the
department store.
I am giving up smoking as
of January 1st.
My maths homework was
too difficult so I gave up.
My brother tried to go

go after something
go against someone
go ahead
go back
go out
go out with someone
go over something
go over
go without
something
grow apart
grow back
grow up
grow out of
something
grow into something
hand something
down

after the thief in his car.

try to achieve
I went after my dream
something
and now I am a published
writer.
compete, oppose
We are going against the
best soccer team in the city
tonight.
start, proceed
Please go ahead and eat
before the food gets cold.
return to a place
I have to go back home
and get my lunch.
leave home to go on a We're going out for dinner
social event
tonight.
date
Jesse has been going out
with Luke since they met
last winter.
review
Please go over your
answers before you submit
your test.
visit someone nearby I haven't seen Tina for a
long time. I think I'll go
over for an hour or two.
suffer lack or
When I was young, we
deprivation
went without winter
boots.
stop being friends
My best friend and I grew
over time
apart after she changed
schools.
regrow
My roses grew back this
summer.
become an adult
When Jack grows up he
wants to be a fireman.
get too big for
Elizabeth needs a new pair
of shoes because she
has grown out of her old
ones.
grow big enough to fit This bike is too big for him
now, but he should grow
into it by next year.
give something used
I handed my old comic
to someone else
books down to my little

hand something in

submit

hand something out

to distribute to a
group of people
give (usually
unwillingly)

hand something over

hang in
hang on
hang out

stay positive
(N.Amer., informal)
wait a short time
(informal)
spend time relaxing
(informal)

hang up

end a phone call

hold
someone/something
back
hold something back

prevent from
doing/going

hold on

wait a short time

hold onto
someone/something

hold firmly using your

hands or arms

hold
someone/something
up
keep on doing
something
keep something from
someone

rob

keep
someone/something
out
keep something up

stop from entering

hide an emotion

continue doing
not tell

continue at the same

cousin.
I have to hand in my
essay by Friday.
We will hand out the
invitations at the door.
The police asked the man
to hand over his wallet
and his weapons.
Hang in there. I'm sure
you'll find a job very soon.
Hang on while I grab my
coat and shoes!
Instead of going to the
party we are just going to
hang out at my place.
He didn't say goodbye
before he hung up.
I had to hold my dog
back because there was a
cat in the park.
Jamie held back his tears
at his grandfather's
funeral.
Please hold on while I
transfer you to the Sales
Department.
Hold onto your hat
because it's very windy
outside.
A man in a black mask
held the bank up this
morning.
Keep on stirring until the
liquid comes to a boil.
We kept our relationship
from our parents for two
years.
Try to keep the wet dog
out of the living room.
If you keep those results

rate
let someone down
let someone in
log in (or on)
log out (or off)
look after
someone/something
look down on
someone
look for
someone/something
look forward to
something
look into something
look out
look out for
someone/something
look something over
look something up

look up to someone
make something up

up you will get into a great

college.
fail to support or help, I need you to be on time.
disappoint
Don't let me down this
time.
allow to enter
Can you let the cat in
before you go to school?
sign in (to a website,
I can't log in to Facebook
database etc)
because I've forgotten my
password.
sign out (of a website, If you don't log off
database etc)
somebody could get into
your account.
take care of
I have to look after my
sick grandmother.
think less of, consider Ever since we stole that
inferior
chocolate bar your dad
has looked down on me.
try to find
I'm looking for a red
dress for the wedding.
be excited about the
I'm looking forward to
future
the Christmas break.
investigate
We are going to look into
the price of snowboards
today.
be careful, vigilant,
Look out! That car's going
and take notice
to hit you!
be especially vigilant
Don't forget to look out
for
for snakes on the hiking
trail.
check, examine
Can you look over my
essay for spelling
mistakes?
search and find
We can look her phone
information in a
number up on the
reference book or
Internet.
database
have a lot of respect
My little sister has always
for
looked up to me.
invento, lie about
Josie made up a story
something
about why we were late.

make up
make someone up
mix something up
pass away
pass out
pass something out
pass something up
pay someone back
pay for something
pick something out
point
someone/something
out
put something down
put someone down

forgive each other

We were angry last night,

but we made up at
breakfast.
apply cosmetics to
My sisters made me up for
my graduation party.
confuse two or more
I mixed up the twins'
things
names again!
die
His uncle passed away
last night after a long
illness.
faint
It was so hot in the church
that an elderly lady
passed out.
give the same thing to The professor passed the
many people
textbooks out before class.
decline (usually
I passed up the job
something good)
because I am afraid of
change.
return owed money
Thanks for buying my
ticket. I'll pay you back on
Friday.
be punished for doing That bully will pay for
something bad
being mean to my little
brother.
choose
I picked out three
sweaters for you to try on.
indicate with your
I'll point my boyfriend
finger
out when he runs by.
put what you are
holding on a surface
or floor
insult, make someone
feel stupid

put something off

postpone

put something out

extinguish

You can put the groceries

down on the kitchen
counter.
The students put the
substitute teacher down
because his pants were too
short.
We are putting off our trip
until January because of
the hurricane.
The neighbours put the
fire out before the firemen

put something
together

assemble

put up with
someone/something

tolerate

put something on

put
clothing/accessories
on your body
meet unexpectedly

run into
someone/something
run over
someone/something

drive a vehicle over a

person or thing

run over/through
something

rehearse, review

run away

leave unexpectedly,
escape

run out

have none left

send something back

return (usually by
mail)

set something up

arrange, organize

set someone up

trick, trap

shop around

compare prices

show off

act extra special for

people watching
(usually boastfully)
stay somewhere for
the night (informal)

sleep over

arrived.
I have to put the crib
together before the baby
arrives.
I don't think I can put up
with three small children
in the car.
Don't forget to put on your
new earrings for the party.
I ran into an old schoolfriend at the mall.
I accidentally ran over
your bicycle in the
driveway.
Let's run over/through
these lines one more time
before the show.
The child ran away from
home and has been
missing for three days.
We ran out of shampoo so
I had to wash my hair with
soap.
My letter got sent back to
me because I used the
wrong stamp.
Our boss set a meeting
up with the president of
the company.
The police set up the car
thief by using a hidden
camera.
I want to shop around a
little before I decide on
these boots.
He always shows off on
his skateboard
You should sleep over
tonight if the weather is

sort something out

organize, resolve a
problem

stick to something

continue doing
something, limit
yourself to one
particular thing
stop the energy flow,
turn off
start the energy flow,
turn on

switch something off

switch something on
take after someone
take something apart

resemble a family
member
purposely break into
pieces

take something back

return an item

take off

start to fly

take something off

remove something
(usually clothing)

take something out

remove from a place

or thing
pay for someone to
go somewhere with
you
rip into pieces

take someone out

tear something up
think back

remember (often +
to, sometimes + on)

think something over

consider

throw something

dispose of

too bad to drive home.

We need to sort the bills
out before the first of the
month.
You will lose weight if you
stick to the diet.
The light's too bright.
Could you switch it off.
We heard the news as soon
as we switched on the car
radio.
I take after my mother.
We are both impatient.
He took the car brakes
apart and found the
problem.
I have to take our new TV
back because it doesn't
work.
My plane takes off in five
minutes.
Take off your socks and
shoes and come in the
lake!
Can you take the garbage
out to the street for me?
My grandparents took us
out for dinner and a
movie.
I tore up my exboyfriend's letters and
gave them back to him.
When I think back on my
youth, I wish I had studied
harder.
I'll have to think this job
offer over before I make
my final decision.
We threw our old

away
turn something down
turn something down

decrease the volume

or strength (heat,
light etc)
refuse

turn something off

stop the energy flow,

switch off

turn something on

turn up

start the energy,

switch on
increase the volume
or strength (heat,
light etc)
appear suddenly

try something on

sample clothing

try something out

test

use something up

finish the supply

wake up

stop sleeping

warm
someone/something
up
warm up

increase the
temperature

wear off

fade away

work out

exercise

work out

be successful

turn something up

prepare body for

exercise

furniture away when we

won the lottery.
Please turn the TV down
while the guests are here.
I turned the job down
because I don't want to
move.
Your mother wants you to
turn the TV off and come
for dinner.
It's too dark in here. Let's
turn some lights on.
Can you turn the music
up? This is my favourite
song.
Our cat turned up after
we put posters up all over
the neighbourhood.
I'm going to try these
jeans on, but I don't think
they will fit.
I am going to try this new
brand of detergent out.
The kids used all of the
toothpaste up so we need
to buy some more.
We have to wake up early
for work on Monday.
You can warm your feet
up in front of the fireplace.
I always warm up by
doing sit-ups before I go
for a run.
Most of my make-up wore
off before I got to the
party.
I work out at the gym
three times a week.
Our plan worked out fine.

work something out

make a calculation

Br.E.: British English; N.Amer.: North American

We have to work out the

total cost before we buy
the house.