phrasal verb meaning example sentence

ask somebody out invite on a date Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.

ask around ask many people the same I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
question

add up to something equal Your purchases add up to $205.32.

back something up reverse You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.

back somebody 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 something up add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.

break down stop functioning (vehicle, Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the
machine) snowstorm.

break down get upset The woman broke down when the police told her that
her son had died.

break something down 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 into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the
children.

break something in wear something a few I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.
times so that it doesn't
look/feel new

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 something develop a skin condition I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

bring somebody down make unhappy This sad music is bringing me down.

bring somebody up raise a child My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.

bring something up start talking about a My mother walks out of the room when my father brings
subject up sports.

bring something up vomit He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the
toilet.

call around phone many different We called around but we weren't able to find the car
places/people part we needed.

call somebody back return a phone call I called the company back but the offices were closed for
the weekend.

call something off cancel Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love
with his fiancé.

call on somebody ask for an answer or The professor called on me for question 1.
opinion

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

call somebody 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 for somebody/ not like (formal) I don't care for his behaviour.
something

catch up get to the same point as You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch
somebody else up with Marty.

check in arrive and register at a We will get the hotel keys when we check in.
hotel or airport

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

check somebody/ look at carefully, The company checks out all new employees.
something out investigate
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

check out somebody/ look at (informal) Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
something

cheer up become happier She cheered up when she heard the good news.

cheer somebody up make happier I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.

chip in help If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by

noon.

clean something up tidy, clean Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.

come across something 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 become sick My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
with something

come forward volunteer for a task or to The woman came forward with her husband's finger
give evidence prints.

come from some place originate in The art of origami comes from Asia.

count on somebody/ rely on I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.

something

cross something out draw a line through Please cross out your old address and write your new
one.

cut back on something consume less My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty
foods.

cut something down make something fall to the We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the
ground storm.

cut in interrupt Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.

cut in pull in too closely in front The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
of another vehicle

cut in start operating (of an The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to
engine or electrical device) 22°C.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

cut something off remove with something The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely
sharp injured.

cut something off stop providing The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't
pay the bill.

cut somebody off take out of a will My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.

cut something out remove part of something I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
(usually with scissors and
paper)

do somebody/ beat up, ransack (BrE, He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street
something over informal) gang.

do something over do again (AmE) My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she
doesn't like my topic.

do away discard It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
with something

do something 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 Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her
position/group bike.

drop in/ by/ over come without an I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.
appointment

drop somebody/ take somebody/ I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.
something off something somewhere
and leave them/it there

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 We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the

reach/do/decide 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 His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.
loose and unattached

figure something out understand, find the I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the
answer bookshelf in this room.

fill something in to write information in Please fill in the form with your name, address, and
blanks, as on a form (BrE) phone number.

fill something out to write information in The form must be filled out in capital letters.
blanks, as on a form (AmE)

fill something 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 something out discover We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but
Samantha found it out.

get something across/ communicate, make I tried to get my point across/over to the judge but she
over understandable 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 do without being noticed Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.
with something or punished

get back return We got back from our vacation last week.

get something back receive something you Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-
had before mate.

get back at somebody retaliate, take revenge My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole
my favourite hat.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

get back become interested in I finally got back into my novel and finished it.
into something something again

get on something step onto a vehicle We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get
on the bus.

get over something recover from an illness, I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.
loss, difficulty

get over something overcome a problem The company will have to close if it can't get over the
new regulations.

get round finally find time to do I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the
to something (AmE: get around thank you cards.
to something)

get together meet (usually for social Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.
reasons)

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 somebody away reveal hidden information His wife gave him away to the police.
about somebody

give somebody away take the bride to the altar My father gave me away at my wedding.

give something away ruin a secret My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.

give something away give something to The library was giving away old books on Friday.
somebody for free

give something back return a borrowed item I have to give these skates back to Franz before his
hockey game.

give in reluctantly stop fighting or My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he
arguing finally gave in.

give something out give to many people They were giving out free perfume samples at the
(usually at no cost) department store.

give something 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.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

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

go after something try to achieve something I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.

go against somebody 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 We're going out for dinner tonight.

social event

go out with somebody date Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last
winter.

go over something review Please go over your answers before you submit your
test.

go over visit somebody nearby I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for
an hour or two.

go without something suffer lack or deprivation When I was young, we went without winter boots.

grow apart stop being friends over My best friend and I grew apart after she changed
time schools.

grow back regrow My roses grew back this summer.

grow into something grow big enough to fit This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow
into it by next year.

grow out of something get too big for Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she
has grown out of her old ones.

grow up become an adult When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman.

hand something down give something used to I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.
somebody else

hand something in submit I have to hand in my essay by Friday.

hand something out to distribute to a group of We will hand out the invitations at the door.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

people

hand something over 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 Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!
(informal)

hang out spend time relaxing Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang
(informal) out at my place.

hang up end a phone call He didn't say goodbye before he hung up.

hold somebody/ prevent from doing/going I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the
something back park.

hold something back 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 onto somebody/ hold firmly using your Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside.
something hands or arms

hold somebody/ rob A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.
something up

keep on continue doing Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.
doing something

keep something from s not tell We kept our relationship from our parents for two years.
omebody

keep somebody/ stop from entering Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.
something out

keep something up continue at the same rate If you keep those results up you will get into a great
college.

let somebody down fail to support or help, I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time.
disappoint

let somebody in allow to enter Can you let the cat in before you go to school?
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

log in (or on) sign in (to a website, I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my
database etc) password.

log out (or off) sign out (of a website, If you don't log off somebody could get into your
database etc) account.

look after somebody/ take care of I have to look after my sick grandmother.
something

look down think less of, consider Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad
on somebody inferior has looked down on me.

look for somebody/ try to find I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.
something

look forward be excited about the I'm looking forward to the Christmas break.
to something future

look into something investigate We are going to look into the price of snowboards today.

look out be careful, vigilant, and Look out! That car's going to hit you!
take notice

look out for somebody/ be especially vigilant for Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail.
something

look something over check, examine Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?

look something up search and find We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
information in a reference
book or database

look up to somebody have a lot of respect for My little sister has always looked up to me.

make something up invent, lie about Josie made up a story about why we were late.
something

make up forgive each other We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.

make somebody up apply cosmetics to My sisters made me up for my graduation party.

mix something up confuse two or more I mixed up the twins' names again!
things

pass away die His uncle passed away last night after a long illness.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

pass out faint It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed
out.

pass something out give the same thing to The professor passed the textbooks out before class.
many people

pass something up decline (usually something I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.
good)

pay somebody back return owed money Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday.

pay for something be punished for doing That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.
something bad

pick something out choose I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.

point somebody/ indicate with your finger I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.
something out

put something down put what you are holding You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter.
on a surface or floor

put somebody down insult, make somebody The students put the substitute teacher down because
feel stupid his pants were too short.

put something off postpone We are putting off our trip until January because of the
hurricane.

put something out extinguish The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen
arrived.

put something together assemble I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives.

put up with somebody/ tolerate I don't think I can put up with three small children in the
something car.

put something on put clothing/ accessories Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party.
on your body

run into somebody/ meet unexpectedly I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.
something

run over somebody/ drive a vehicle over a I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.
something person or thing
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

run over/ rehearse, review Let's run over/through these lines one more time before
through something the show.

run away leave unexpectedly, The child ran away from home and has been missing for
escape three days.

run out have none left We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with
soap.

send something back return (usually by mail) My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong
stamp.

set something up arrange, organize Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the
company.

set somebody 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 He always shows off on his skateboard
people watching (usually
boastfully)

sleep over stay somewhere for the You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad
night (informal) to drive home.

sort something out organize, resolve a We need to sort the bills out before the first of the
problem month.

stick to something continue doing something, You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.
limit yourself to one
particular thing

switch something off stop the energy flow, turn The light's too bright. Could you switch it off.
off

switch something on start the energy flow, turn We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car
on radio.

take after somebody resemble a family member I take after my mother. We are both impatient.

take something apart purposely break into He took the car brakes apart and found the problem.
pieces
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

take something back return an item I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work.

take off start to fly My plane takes off in five minutes.

take something off remove something Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!
(usually clothing)

take something out remove from a place or Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?
thing

take somebody out pay for somebody to go My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.
somewhere with you

tear something up rip into pieces I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to
him.

think back remember (often + to, When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied
sometimes + on) harder.

think something over consider I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my
final decision.

throw something away dispose of We threw our old furniture away when we won the
lottery.

turn something down decrease the volume or Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.
strength (heat, light etc)

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

turn something off stop the energy flow, Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for
switch off dinner.

turn something on start the energy, switch on It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on.

turn something up increase the volume or Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song.
strength (heat, light etc)

turn up appear suddenly Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the
neighbourhood.

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

try something out test I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence

use something 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 somebody/ increase the temperature You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.
something up

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 off before 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 something out make a calculation We have to work out the total cost before we buy the
house.