PHRASAL VERB

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phrasal verb

meaning

example

sentence

ask sby 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 tosthg

equal

Your purchases add

up to$205.32.

back sthg up

reverse

You'll have to back

up your car so that I can get out.

back sby 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 sthg up

add air

We have to blow 50 balloons upfor 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 sthgdown

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 intosthg

enter forcibly

The firemen had to break intothe room to rescue the

children.

break sthg in

wear sthg a few times so that it

doesn't look/feel new

I need to break these shoes inbefore 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 upbefore 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 insthg

develop a skin condition

I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.

bring sbydown

make unhappy

This sad music is bringing medown.

bring sby up

raise a child

My grandparents brought me upafter my parents died.

bring sthg up

start talking about a subject

My mother walks out of the room when my

father brings upsports.

bring sthg up

vomit

He drank so much that hebrought 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 sby back

return a phone call

I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.

call sthg off

cancel

Jason called the wedding offbecause he wasn't in love with his fiancé.

call on sby

ask for an answer or opinion

The professor called

on me for question 1.

call on sby

visit sby

We called on you last night but you weren't home.

call sby 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 tocalm down before you drive the

car.

not care forsby/ sthg

not like (formal)

I don't care

for his behaviour.

catch up

get to the same point as sby 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 sby/ sthg out

look at carefully, investigate

The company checks

out all new employees.

check outsby/ sthg

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 sby up

make happier

I brought you some flowers tocheer you up.

chip in

help

If everyone chips

in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.

clean sthg up

tidy, clean

Please clean

up your bedroom before you go outside.

come acrosssthg

find unexpectedly

I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.

come apart

separate

The top and bottom come apartif you pull hard enough.

come down

with sthg

become sick

My nephew came

down withchicken pox this weekend.

come forward

volunteer for a task or to give

evidence

The woman came

forward with her husband's finger prints.

come fromsomewhere

originate in

The art of origami comes fromAsia.

count on sby/ sthg

rely on

I am counting

on you to make dinner while I am out.

cross sthg out

draw a line through

Please cross

out your old address and write your new one.

cut back onsthg

consume less

My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty

foods.

cut sthgdown

make sthg 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 sthg off

remove with sthg sharp

The doctors cut

off his leg because it was severely injured.

cut sthg off

stop providing

The phone company cut off our phone because we

didn't pay the bill.

cut sby off

take out of a will

My grandparents cut my fatheroff when he remarried.

cut sthg out

remove part of sthg (usually with

scissors and paper)

I cut this ad out of the newspaper.

do sby/ sthgover

beat up, ransack (BrE, informal)

He's lucky to be alive. His shop

was done over by a

street gang.

do sthg over

do again (AmE)

My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like

my topic.

do away withsthg

discard

It's time to do

away with all of these old tax records.

do sthg 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 sby/ sthgoff

take sby/ sthg 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 outof my pocket.

fall out

(of hair, teeth) become loose and

unattached

His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.

figure sthgout

understand, find the answer

I need to figure

out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in

this room.

fill sthg in

to write information in blanks, as on a

form (BrE)

Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.

fill sthg out

to write information in blanks, as on a

form (AmE)

The form must be filled out in capital letters.

fill sthg up

fill to the top

I always fill the water jug upwhen it is empty.

find out

discover

We don't know where he lives. How can

we find out?

find sthg out

discover

We tried to keep the time of the party

a secret, but Samanthafound it out.

get sthgacross/over

communicate, make understandable

I tried to get my pointacross/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 aroundfine 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 sthg

do without being noticed or punished

Jason always gets

away withcheating in his maths tests.

get back

return

We got back from our vacation last week.

get sthg back

receive sthg you had before

Liz finally got her Science notesback from my room-mate.

get back atsby

retaliate, take revenge

My sister got

back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole

my favourite hat.

get back

intosthg

become interested in sthg again

I finally got

back into my novel and finished it.

get on sthg

step onto a vehicle

We're going to freeze out here if you

don't let us get on the

bus.

get over sthg

recover from an illness, loss,

difficulty

I just got

over the flu and now my sister has it.

get over sthg

overcome a problem

The company will have to close if it

can't get over the

new regulations.

get round

tosthg

finally find time to do (AmE: get around tosthg)

I don't know when I am going toget 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 sbyaway

reveal hidden information about sby

His wife gave him away to the police.

give sbyaway

take the bride to the altar

My father gave me away at my wedding.

give sthgaway

ruin a secret

My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.

give sthgaway

give sthg to sby for free

The library was giving

away old books on Friday.

give sthgback

return a borrowed item

I have to give these skates backto 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 sthg out

give to many people (usually at no

cost)

They were giving

out free perfume samples at the department

store.

give sthg 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 sby

follow sby

My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.

go after sthg

try to achieve sthg

I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.

go againstsby

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 withsby

date

Jesse has been going

out withLuke since they met last winter.

go over sthg

review

Please go over your answers before you submit your test.

go over

visit sby nearby

I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I

think I'll go over for

an hour or two.

go withoutsthg

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 apartafter she changed schools.

grow back

regrow

My roses grew

back this summer.

grow up

become an adult

When Jack grows

up he wants to be a fireman.

grow out ofsthg

get too big for

Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes

because she has grown out of her old ones.

grow intosthg

grow big enough to fit

This bike is too big for him now, but

he should grow into it

by next year.

hand sthgdown

give sthg used to sby else

I handed my old comic booksdown to my little cousin.

hand sthg in

submit

I have to hand

in my essay by Friday.

hand sthg out

to distribute to a group of people

We will hand

out the invitations at the door.

hand sthgover

give (usually unwillingly)

The police asked the man tohand 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 hehung up.

hold sby/ sthgback

prevent from doing/going

I had to hold my dog backbecause there was a cat in the park.

hold sthgback

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 ontosby/ sthg

hold firmly using your hands or arms

Hold onto your

hat because it's very windy outside.

hold sby/ sthgup

rob

A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.

keep on

doing sthg

continue doing

Keep on stirring

until the liquid comes to a boil.

keep sthgfrom sby

not tell

We kept our relationship fromour parents for two years.

keep sby/ sthg out

stop from entering

Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.

keep sthg up

continue at the same rate

If you keep those results up you will get into a great college.

let sby down

fail to support or help, disappoint

I need you to be on time. Don'tlet me down this time.

let sby 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 (oroff)

sign out (of a website, database etc)

If you don't log

off somebody could get into your account.

look aftersby/ sthg

take care of

I have to look

after my sick grandmother.

look down onsby

think less of, consider inferior

Ever since we stole that chocolate bar

your dad has looked down on me.

look for sby/ sthg

try to find

I'm looking

for a red dress for the wedding.

look forward

to sthg

be excited about the future

I'm looking

forward to the Christmas break.

look into sthg

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 forsby/ sthg

be especially vigilant for

Don't forget to look

out forsnakes on the hiking trail.

look sthg over

check, examine

Can you look

over my essay for spelling mistakes?

look sthg up

search and find information in a

reference book or database

We can look her phone numberup on the Internet.

look up to sby

have a lot of respect for

My little sister has always looked up to me.

make sthg up

invent, lie about sthg

Josie made up a story about why we were late.

make up

forgive each other

We were angry last night, but wemade up at breakfast.

make sby up

apply cosmetics to

My sisters made me up for my graduation party.

mix sthg 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 sthg out

give the same thing to many people

The professor passed the textbooks out before class.

pass sthg up

decline (usually sthg good)

I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.

pay sby back

return owed money

Thanks for buying my ticket. I'llpay you back on Friday.

pay for sthg

be punished for doing sthg bad

That bully will pay

for being mean to my little brother.

pick sthg out

choose

I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.

point sby/ sthg out

indicate with your finger

I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.

put sthgdown

put what you are holding on a surface

or floor

You can put the groceries downon the kitchen counter.

put sby down

insult, make sby feel stupid

The students put the substitute teacher down because his pants were too short.

put sthg off

postpone

We are putting

off our trip until January because of the

hurricane.

put sthg out

extinguish

The neighbours put the fire outbefore the firemen arrived.

put sthgtogether

assemble

I have to put the crib togetherbefore the baby arrives.

put up withsby/ sthg

tolerate

I don't think I can put up withthree small children in

the car.

put sthg on

put clothing/ accessories on your body

Don't forget to put

on your new earrings for the party.

run into sby/ sthg

meet unexpectedly

I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.

run over sby/ sthg

drive a vehicle over a person or thing

I accidentally ran

over your bicycle in the driveway.

run

over/throughsthg

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 sthgback

return (usually by mail)

My letter got sent

back to me because I used the wrong stamp.

set sthg up

arrange, organize

Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the company.

set sby 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 sthg out

organize, resolve a problem

We need to sort the bills outbefore the first of the month.

stick to sthg

continue doing sthg, limit yourself to

one particular thing

You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.

switch sthgoff

stop the energy flow, turn off

The light's too bright. Could youswitch it off.

switch sthgon

start the energy flow, turn on

We heard the news as soon as weswitched on the car radio.

take after sby

resemble a family member

I take after my mother. We are both impatient.

take sthgapart

purposely break into pieces

He took the car brakes apart and found the problem.

take sthgback

return an item

I have to take our new TV backbecause it doesn't work.

take off

start to fly

My plane takes

off in five minutes.

take sthg off

remove sthg (usually clothing)

Take off your

socks and shoes and come in the lake!

take sthg out

remove from a place or thing

Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?

take sby out

pay for sby to go somewhere with you

My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.

tear sthg 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 sthgover

consider

I'll have to think this job offerover before I make my final decision.

throw sthgaway

dispose of

We threw our old furniture awaywhen we won the lottery.

turn sthgdown

decrease the volume or strength (heat,

light etc)

Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.

turn sthgdown

refuse

I turned the job down because I don't want to move.

turn sthg off

stop the energy flow, switch off

Your mother wants you to turnthe TV off and come for dinner.

turn sthg on

start the energy, switch on

It's too dark in here. Let's turnsome lights on.

turn sthg 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 sthg on

sample clothing

I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit.

try sthg out

test

I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.

use sthg 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 sby/ sthg 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 offbefore 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 sthg out

make a calculation

We have to work

out the total cost before we buy the house.