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Top 132 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Enhance your English skills by exploring our list of 132 common English phrasal verbs with meanings and example sentences.

This resource offers clear definitions and examples, aiding both teachers and students in understanding and using these essential language elements effectively. Benefit from concise explanations that make learning engaging and straightforward

The Top 132 Common Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Common Meaning Example
Act on To take action because of something like information received The police were ACTING ON a tip from an informer and caught the gang red-handed.
Act up Behave badly or strangely My computer's ACTING UP; I think I might have a virus.
Add up to Have a certain result Trains delays are getting worse and with the high fares, it all ADDS UP TO misery for the commuters.
Agree with Affect- usually used in the negative to show that something has had a negative effect, especially is it makes you feel bad I feel terrible- that food didn't AGREE WITH my stomach.
Aim for To plan for something; Intend to achieve When I had my last meeting with Richard we were AIMING FOR 5pm, but it was delayed by half an hour.
Amount to Total Their rent bills AMOUNTED TO ten thousand a year.
Answer back To reply rudely to someone in authority Her mother was shocked when she started ANSWERING her BACK and refusing to help.
Answer for Be held responsible for a problem The government should be made to ANSWER FOR their failure to sort out the problem.
Ask about Ask how someone is doing, especially professionally and in terms of health He ASKED ABOUT my father.
Ask after Enquire about someone's health, how life is going Jenny rang earlier and ASKED AFTER you, so I told her you were fine.
Ask around Ask a number of people for information of help I have no idea, but I'll ASK AROUND at work and see if anyone can help.
Ask around Invite someone We ASKED them AROUND for dinner.
Ask for To provoke a negative reaction You're ASKING FOR trouble.
Ask for Request to have or be given I ASKED FOR the menu.
Ask in To invite somebody into your house 'Jon's at the door.' 'ASK him IN.'
Ask out To invite someone for a date He wanted to ASK her OUT but was too shy.
Ask over Invite They have ASKED us OVER for drinks on Friday.
Ask round Invite someone We ASKED John ROUND for diner.
Break down To stop functioning. My car's BROKEN DOWN, so I came by taxi.
Break up Finish a relationship They had been going out for a couple of years before they BROKE UP.
Bring about Make something happen The changes to the law were BROUGHT ABOUT by the government because so many people were ignoring the old one.
Bring up Mention. Raise a topic for discussion. They didn't BRING the subject UP at the meeting.
Call back Return a phonecall I must CALL her BACK when we get to the office.
Call off To cancel an event or meeting. The concert had to be CALLED OFF because the singer went down with a bad case of flu.
Call up To make a telephone call I CALLED him UP as soon as I got to a phone to tell him the news.
Calm down Stop being angry or emotionally excited When I lose my temper, it takes ages for me to CALM DOWN again.
Carry on To continue with something. CARRY ON quietly with your work until the substitute teacher arrives.
Catch up Reach someone who was ahead of you He started well, but I CAUGHT him UP on the third lap.
Check in Register on arriving at a hotel or at the airport They CHECKED IN at the Ritz yesterday.
Check out Pay the bill when leaving a hotel She CHECKED OUT and took a cab to the airport.
Check out Get information about or inspect something to see if it's satisfactory I CHECKED the new restaurant OUT as soon as it opened.
Come about Happen, occur The meeting CAME ABOUT because both sides were sick of fighting.
Come across The way other people see you or something. He CAME ACROSS as shy because he spoke so quietly.
Come apart Break into pieces It CAME APART when I tried to lift it off the floor and I had to glue it back together.
Come back To return I left work and CAME BACK home early.
Come in To enter. Their mother told them to COME IN because it had started raining.
Come up with Think of a solution, excuse, etc. Nobody could COME UP WITH a satisfactory explanation for the accident.
Cross out Draw a line through some writing to show it is wrong She CROSSED OUT her mistakes and wrote the correct answers above them.
Cut down To reduce the amount of something. I'm trying to CUT DOWN the amount of coffee I drink during the day.
Cut off To disconnect; To interrupt or stop something. The telephone's been CUT OFF because we didn't pay the bill.
Do over Do something again from the beginning, especially because you did it badly the first time OK, we'll DO it OVER, but try to sing the right words this time.
Dress up Dress very smartly It's an informal party so there's no need to DRESS UP.
Drop by Pay a brief visit; To visit someone informally. He DROPPED BY on his way home from work.
Drop off Take something or someone to a place and leave it or them there. I DROPPED the kids OFF at school on my way to work.
Eat out Eat in a restaurant We couldn't be bothered to cook so we ATE OUT last night.
Eat up Consume This car EATS UP petrol.
End up Become or do something unplanned We couldn't get tickets for Egypt so we ENDED UP going to Turkey instead.
Figure out Find the answer to a problem The police couldn't FIGURE OUT how the burglars had got into the warehouse.
Fill in Complete a form or document. I FILLED IN the application form and posted it off.
Fill out Complete a form I FILLED OUT the application form and mailed it.
Find out To discover information. I went to the library to FIND OUT all I could about the life and work of Joe Meek.
Get along Have a good relationship Why don't you two GET ALONG? You're always arguing.
Get away Go on holiday or for a short break We love to GET AWAY from everything and relax in the country.
Get back To return to a place. The train was held up so we didn't GET BACK home until midnight.
Get in Enter a vehicle. The taxi pulled up and we GOT IN.
Get off Leave a vehicle. We GOT OFF the bus and walked to my house.
Get on To enter or board a vehicle. We GOT ON the train at Plymouth and went up to London.
Get over Recover from something, feel better It took me ages to GET OVER the bout of flu.
Give away To donate or give without asking for or expecting payment. He decided to GIVE his new album AWAY in a magazine.
Give back Return something you've borrowed I GAVE the money BACK that she'd lent to me.
Give in Surrender, accept defeat They GAVE IN when the police surrounded the building.
Give up Stop doing something I have GIVEN UP trying to help them.
Give up Surrender, stop trying I can't think of the answer; I GIVE UP.
Go ahead Proceed The construction of the bypass WENT AHEAD despite the protests from environmentalists.
Go back Return to, start doing something again We WENT BACK to work after the break.
Go on To Continue. He WENT ON and ON talking and I was so bored.
Go out To leave home for a social activity. He WENT OUT last night.
Go out Participate in a romantic relationship, spending time together in social settings. I started GOING OUT with her when I was 21
Go over Look at something, revise We WENT OVER our notes before the exam.
Grow up Mature, become adult He GREW UP in the West Country.
Hack into Break into a computer system He HACKED INTO the government database and stole a lot of data.
Hang around Stay in a place They HANG AROUND the station most of the day.
Hang out Spend time socially He HANGS OUT in the pub The Monarch; he's there most nights.
Hold on Wait Could you HOLD ON for a minute; she'll be free in a moment.
Hold up To delay. I was HELD UP by the terrible traffic and arrived half an hour late for my appointment.
Keep on Continue doing something He KEPT ON trying and succeeded in the end.
Keep up Maintain a continuous action, persist First I phoned you and left a message that you should phone me; then you phoned and I was out, so you left a message; then...! How long can we KEEP this UP without ever speaking to each other directly?
Let down Disappoint, fail to keep an arrangement She failed to turn up and I felt badly LET DOWN.
Look after To take care of someone or something. Their auntie LOOKED AFTER them while their mother was in hospital.
Look for Try to find I've been LOOKING FOR all their hidden files, but I can't find them anywhere.
Look forward to Wait for or anticipate something pleasant I'm LOOKING FORWARD TO meeting you.
Look into Research, investigate or examine. We'll LOOK INTO the problem and come back to you when we have the information.
Look out To be careful LOOK OUT; you're going to drop that!
Look up Consult a reference (search engine, dictionary, etc.) for a specific piece of information. I didn't know the correct spelling so I had to LOOK it UP in the dictionary.
Make do with Accept something less satisfactory because there's no alternative There's no coffee, so we'll have to MAKE DO WITH tea.
Make out Discern a small detail I can just MAKE OUT the outline of a flying saucer in this photo.
Make up To invent a story or excuse They MADE UP an excuse for being late.
Pass away To Die Sadly, Georgia's uncle PASSED AWAY yesterday after a short illness.
Pass out Faint, lose consciousness He got so drunk that he PASSED OUT.
Pass up Decline a chance She PASSED UP the opportunity to go to university because she'd been offered a job.
Pick up Collect (a thing). While you're in town, can you PICK UP my trousers from the Dry Cleaner?
Pick up To lift something or someone After the accident, I couldn't PICK UP anything heavy.
Put away To store something. Put something back in the correct place She PUT the dictionary AWAY after she'd finished the crossword.
Put off Postpone The concert's been PUT OFF until next month because the singer's got a throat infection.
Put on Start wearing something. I PUT my coat ON before we went out.
Put out Extinguish a cigarette, fire, etc. He PUT OUT his cigarette before entering the building.
Put up with To tolerate I can't PUT UP WITH my neighbour's noise any longer; it's driving me mad.
Run away Escape from people, a place or a situation. He RAN AWAY from his attackers.
Run into Meet someone by accident I RAN INTO James in a bar in the City on Friday.
Run out To have none left. He RAN OUT of energy after playing with his children for hours.
Run out of To have none left. We've RUN OUT OF sugar; I'm going to the shops for some.
Set up To arrange or establish something. I tried to SET UP a meeting between us, but they were busy.
Show off To boast; To display something you are proud of. He wanted to SHOW OFF his new sound system.
Show up Attend something or arrive somewhere Very few SHOWED UP at the meeting.
Sit down To take a seat. Help someone to sit. a) I was feeling faint, so I had to SIT DOWN for a while to recover. b) The nurse SAT me DOWN in a chair.
Stand up Move from a sitting or lying down to a vertical position Everybody STOOD UP when the judge entered the court.
Take after Look like, resemble He TAKES AFTER his mother.
Take away To remove The police TOOK the protestors AWAY.
Take back To return something. I TOOK the books BACK to the library.
Take down To remove or dismantle. People TAKE DOWN their Christmas decorations twelve days after Christmas.
Take off To remove something (clothing) It was hot, so I TOOK my jacket OFF.
Take on Assume a responsibility or accept a challenge. She TOOK ON the task of indexing the book.
Take over To assume control. A Hong Kong bank TOOK OVER the bank to enter the British market.
Take up Start a new hobby, pastime, etc. He TOOK UP squash as he felt he had to lose some weight.
Talk over To discuss. We TALKED OVER the problems in our relationship, but couldn't sort things out.
Throw away Discard something when no longer needed I THREW the alarm clock AWAY because it had stopped working.
Turn around To change direction; Reverse one's course or actions. a) Having taken the wrong turn, we had to TURN AROUND and retrace our steps. b) The company was struggling financially, but they TURNED their fortunes AROUND and became profitable within a year.
Turn down Reduce volume, temperature, etc. The room was too hot, so she TURNED the heating DOWN.
Turn off Stop a machine or device. I TURNED the TV OFF and went to bed.
Turn on Start a machine or device. I TURNED the radio ON to get the weather forecast.
Turn up Increase volume, temperature, etc. I TURNED the music UP full blast.
Turn up To arrive unexpectedly. We were just about to leave for the evening when John TURNED UP at our door.
Use up Finish or consume all of something We USED UP all the olive oil.
Wake up Stop sleeping I WOKE UP at half past six this morning.
Walk off with Win easily He WALKED OFF WITH the award.
Warm up To prepare for physical activity. Do exercises before a sport The team WARMED UP half an hour before the volleyball match.
Watch out To be careful (imperative) Watch out - there's ice on the road.
Work on To spend time repairing or improving something. Scientists are WORKING ON genetically modified crops and foods.
Work out Find the answer or solution I couldn't WORK OUT all the answers to the crossword puzzle.
Work out To Exercise She went to the gym three times a week to WORK OUT
Write down To record in writing. To make notes I WROTE her mobile number DOWN on a scrap of paper and I've lost it.
Zip up To close a zip fastener, such as on a jacket or a bag. He asked me to ZIP the bag UP because he couldn't do it himself.

Phrasal Verbs List

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