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 sthgup

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 sthgup

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 sthgdown

divide into smaller parts

Our teacher broke the final projectdown 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 into the room to rescue the

phrasal verb

meaning

example sentence
children.

break sthgin

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 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 sthg

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 sbyup

raise a child

My grandparents brought me upafter my parents died.

bring sthgup

start talking about a subject

My mother walks out of the room when my father brings

up sports.

bring sthgup

vomit

He drank so much that he broughthis dinner up in the

toilet.

phrasal verb

meaning

example sentence

call around

phone many different

places/people

We called around but we weren't able to find the car part

we needed.

call sbyback

return a phone call

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

call sthg of

cancel

Jason called the wedding ofbecause he wasn't in love with

his fianc.

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 to calm 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 wecheck in.

check out

leave a hotel

You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.

phrasal verb

meaning

example sentence

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 sbyup

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 sthgup

tidy, clean

Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.

come across sthg

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 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 fromsome place

originate in

The art of origami comes fromAsia.

count onsby/ sthg

rely on

I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.

phrasal verb

meaning

example sentence

cross sthgout

draw a line through

Please cross out your old address and write your new one.

cut back on sthg

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

22C.

cut sthg of

remove with sthg sharp

The doctors cut of his leg because it was severely injured.

cut sthg of

stop providing

The phone company cut of our phone because we didn't

pay the bill.

cut sby of

take out of a will

My grandparents cut my father ofwhen he remarried.

cut sthgout

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 wasdone over by a street

gang.

phrasal verb

meaning

example sentence

do sthgover

do again (AmE)

My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she

doesn't like my topic.

do away with sthg

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/ sthg of

take sby/ sthg somewhere and

leave them/it there

I have to drop my sister of 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

phrasal verb

meaning

example sentence
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 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 up when it is empty.

find out

discover

We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?

find sthgout

discover

We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but

Samantha foundit 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 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 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 sthgback

receive sthg you had before

Liz finally got her Science notesback from my roommate.

get back atsby

retaliate, take revenge

My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She

stole my favourite hat.

get back into sthg

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 oversthg

recover from an illness, loss,

difficulty

I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.

get oversthg

overcome a problem

The company will have to close if it can't get over the

new regulations.

get round to sthg

finally find time to do

(AmE: get around tosthg)

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 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 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 sthgout

give to many people (usually at

no cost)

They were giving out free perfume samples at the

department store.

give sthgup

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 aftersthg

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 oversthg

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 sthgin

submit

I have to hand in my essay by Friday.

hand sthgout

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 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 hehung up.

hold sby/ sthg back

prevent from doing/going

I had to hold my dog back because 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 from our parents for two

years.

keep sby/ sthg out

stop from entering

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

keep sthgup

continue at the same rate

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

college.

let sbydown

fail to support or help,

disappoint

I need you to be on time. Don't letme down this time.

let sby in

allow to enter

Can you let the cat in before you go to school?

log in (oron)

sign in (to a website, database

etc)

I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my

password.

log out (orof)

sign out (of a website, database

etc)

If you don't log of somebody could get into your

account.

look aftersby/ sthg

take care of

I have to look after my sick grandmother.

look down on sby

think less of, consider inferior

Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad

has looked down onme.

look forsby/ sthg

try to find

I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.

look forward tosthg

be excited about the future

I'm looking forward to the Christmas break.

look intosthg

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 for snakes on the hiking trail.

look sthgover

check, examine

Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?

look sthgup

search and find information in a

reference book or database

We can look her phone number upon the Internet.

look up tosby

have a lot of respect for

My little sister has always looked up to me.

make sthgup

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 sbyup

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 sthgout

give the same thing to many

people

The professor passed the textbooksout before class.

pass sthgup

decline (usually sthg good)

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

pay sbyback

return owed money

Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll payyou back on

Friday.

pay for sthg

be punished for doing sthg bad

That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.

pick sthgout

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 down on the kitchen

counter.

put sbydown

insult, make sby feel stupid

The students put the substitute

teacher down because his pants were too short.

put sthg of

postpone

We are putting of our trip until January because of

the hurricane.

put sthgout

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 with sby/ 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 intosby/ sthg

meet unexpectedly

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

run oversby/ 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 of

act extra special for people

watching (usually boastfully)

He always shows of 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 sthgout

organize, resolve a problem

We need to sort the bills out before the first of the

month.

stick tosthg

continue doing sthg, limit

yourself to one particular thing

You will lose weight if you stick tothe diet.

switch sthgof

stop the energy flow, turn off

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

switch sthgon

start the energy flow, turn on

We heard the news as soon as weswitched on the

car radio.

take aftersby

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 of

start to fly

My plane takes of in five minutes.

take sthgof

remove sthg (usually clothing)

Take of your socks and shoes and come in the lake!

take sthgout

remove from a place or thing

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

take sbyout

pay for sby to go somewhere

with you

My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.

tear sthgup

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 offer overbefore 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 sthgof

stop the energy flow, switch off

Your mother wants you to turn the TV of and come

for dinner.

turn sthgon

start the energy, switch on

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

turn sthgup

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 toothpasteup 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 of

fade away

Most of my make-up wore ofbefore 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 sthgout

make a calculation

We have to work out the total cost before we buy the

house.