List of Phrasal verbs is an essential part of the English language, especially in spoken and informal contexts. They consist of a verb combined with one or more particles, usually prepositions or adverbs, which together create a meaning different from the original verb. Mastering phrasal verbs can significantly enhance your fluency and understanding of English, as they are commonly used by native speakers in everyday conversation. This list provides a variety of phrasal verbs along with their meanings and examples, helping learners to grasp their usage and nuances effectively.
List of Phrasal Verbs
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Act Up
Meaning: Behave badly or strangely.
Example: The kids are acting up today, making it difficult to focus on work.
- Add Up
Meaning: Make sense, seem reasonable.
Example: His explanation just doesn’t add up, given the facts of the situation.
- Back Down
Meaning: Withdraw a claim or retreat from a position.
Example: He had to back down after they proved his allegations were false.
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Blow Up
Meaning: Explode or lose one’s temper.
Example: The minor disagreement caused her to blow up unexpectedly.
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Break Down
Meaning: Stop functioning; become upset.
Example: Her car broke down on the way to the airport.
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Break Up
Meaning: End a relationship.
Example: They decided to break up after five years of dating.
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Bring Up
Meaning: Mention or raise a subject.
Example: He brought up a sensitive issue during the meeting.
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Call Off
Meaning: Cancel something.
Example: They called off the wedding at the last minute.
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Carry On
Meaning: Continue an activity.
Example: Despite the noise, the lecturer carried on with his presentation.
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Catch Up
Meaning: Reach the same point as someone else.
Example: Let’s catch up later to discuss the project details.
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Check Out
Meaning: Examine, investigate, or consider something.
Example: You should check out that new coffee shop downtown.
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Cheer Up
Meaning: Become happier.
Example: She cheered up after seeing her friends.
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Chip In
Meaning: Contribute (usually money).
Example: Everyone chipped in to buy the gift.
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Come Across
Meaning: Find by chance.
Example: I came across some old letters in the attic.
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Come Up With
Meaning: Think of something such as an idea or plan.
Example: He came up with a brilliant idea for the science fair.
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Cut Back
Meaning: Reduce in amount.
Example: We need to cut back on our expenses.
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Cut Off
Meaning: Stop the supply of something.
Example: The city cut off water supply due to the pipe break.
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Die Down
Meaning: Become less intense.
Example: The wind died down by evening.
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Drop Out
Meaning: Quit a class, school etc.
Example: He dropped out of college to start his own business.
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Fill In
Meaning: Add information in a space.
Example: Please fill in the form before your appointment.
Explore More Phrasal Verbs:
Telephone | Phrasal verbs | Business | Come
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Find Out
Meaning: Discover information.
Example: I need to find out who is in charge of training.
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Get Along
Meaning: Have a good relationship.
Example: She gets along well with her colleagues.
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Give Up
Meaning: Quit a habit.
Example: He gave up smoking last year.
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Go On
Meaning: Continue; happen.
Example: The show must go on, despite the technical issues.
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Hang Out
Meaning: Spend time relaxing (informal).
Example: We used to hang out at the arcade after school.
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Hold On
Meaning: Wait (usually on the phone).
Example: Could you hold on while I check your file?
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Keep On
Meaning: Continue doing something.
Example: She kept on singing despite the heavy rain.
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Kick Off
Meaning: Start or cause something to start.
Example: The annual sports meet kicks off with a parade.
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Lay Off
Meaning: Dismiss from employment.
Example: Unfortunately, the company had to lay off several employees last month.
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Let Down
Meaning: Disappoint someone.
Example: I didn’t want to let down my team, so I worked extra hours.
31. Look Up
Meaning: Search for information.
Example: Whenever you come across a new word, look it up in the dictionary.
32. Make Up
Meaning: Invent a story or lie.
Example: She made up a story about why she was late.
33. Mix Up
Meaning: Confuse two or more things.
Example: I mixed up the meeting dates and missed the important one.
34. Move On
Meaning: Start a new activity or topic.
Example: After discussing the budget, let’s move on to the next agenda item.
35. Pass Out
Meaning: Faint or lose consciousness.
Example: It was so hot in the room that someone passed out.
36. Pay Back
Meaning: Return owed money.
Example: I need to pay back the money I borrowed from you.
37. Pick Up
Meaning: Lift something; improve.
Example: Can you pick up that book from the floor?
38. Put Off
Meaning: Delay doing something.
Example: We’ve put off making a decision until next week.
39. Put Up
Meaning: Provide accommodation.
Example: We can put you up for the night if you’d like to stay.
40. Run Into
Meaning: Meet by accident.
Example: I ran into an old friend at the grocery store.
41. Run Out
Meaning: Have none left.
Example: We ran out of coffee, so I need to buy some more.
42. Set Up
Meaning: Arrange, establish.
Example: They set up a new branch on the west coast.
43. Show Off
Meaning: Display proudly.
Example: He likes to show off his guitar skills at parties.
44. Shut Down
Meaning: Close permanently.
Example: The factory shut down after 30 years in business.
45. Sit Down
Meaning: Take a seat.
Example: Let’s sit down and discuss the details.
46. Stand Out
Meaning: Be noticeable.
Example: Her bright style really makes her stand out from the crowd.
47. Take Off
Meaning: Remove something; when a plane departs.
Example: He took off his shoes before entering the house.
48. Talk Over
Meaning: Discuss thoroughly.
Example: Let’s talk over the plans again to make sure everything is clear.
49. Think Over
Meaning: Consider carefully.
Example: I need some time to think over your proposal.
50. Throw Away
Meaning: Discard.
Example: Don’t throw away those papers; we need to keep them.
51. Try Out
Meaning: Test.
Example: I want to try out the new software before we buy it.
52. Turn Down
Meaning: Refuse or reject.
Example: He turned down the job offer because it required too much travel.
53. Turn Up
Meaning: Increase volume or appear unexpectedly.
Example: Can you turn up the music a bit?
54. Wake Up
Meaning: Stop sleeping.
Example: I wake up at 6 AM every morning.
55. Warm Up
Meaning: Prepare body for exercise.
Example: Always warm up before starting your workout.
56. Wear Out
Meaning: Become old and unusable.
Example: My shoes have worn out after just a year of use.
57. Work Out
Meaning: Exercise; resolve a problem.
Example: He works out at the gym three times a week.
58. Wrap Up
Meaning: Complete or finish something.
Example: Let’s wrap up this meeting and resume tomorrow.
59. Write Down
Meaning: Record in writing.
Example: Write down your name and email for our records.
60. Zone Out
Meaning: Not pay attention.
Example: I completely zoned out during the lecture.
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