Phrasal
Verbs
Phrasal verb is a verb that is combined with an adverb or a preposition.
The combination creates a new meaning.
Feel like - WANT
Do you feel like a hamburger?
I had no thought
I had no intention, it had not occurred to me.
It is a pity!- Too bad! It is a shame!
حيف است
I hard him out
سخنانش را تا اخر گوش داده ام
For ages - for a very long time
I haven’t seen you for ages?
1
Act up - behave or function improperly
I think I need to take my car to the mechanic because it's
acting up again.
Add * up - calculate a sum
I added up the receipts and it totaled $135.46.
Add up to - equal an amount
The total expenses added up to $325.00.
Add up - make sense
Her story doesn't add up. I think she is lying.
Ask * out - invite on a date
I can't believe that Joe finally asked me out on a date!
Ask * over - invite to one's home
Why don't we ask the Johnsons over for dinner?
Back down - stop defending your opinion in a
debate
Jane never backs down. She always wins arguments.
Back out of - not keep (a promise, agreement,
deal)
Sam backed out of the agreement at the last second.
2
Back * up - give support
You need examples to back up your opinion.
Back up - move backwards, reverse
Could you back up a little so I can open this drawer.
bawl * out - criticize, reprimand (inf.)
She bawled him out for arriving late.
Bear down on – Bite
The soldier had to bear down on the leather strap while the
doctor removed a bullet from the soldier's arm.
Bear up – Withstand
I didn't think he would bear up so well in that situation.
Blow * up - make explode; destroy using
explosives
The terrorists blew the bridge up.
Blow up - Explode
The bomb blew up before they could defuse it.
Break down - stop working properly, become
mentally ill
3
The truck broke down in the desert.
She broke down after her husband died.
Break in - enter a place unlawfully, Interrupt
The burglar broke in between midnight and 3 AM.
While we were discussing the situation, Terri broke in to give
her opinion.
Break in on - interrupt (a conversation)
Jane broke in on the conversation and told us to get back to
work.
Break * off - end something
Sally broke her engagement to John off.
Break * up - disperse (a crowd), stop (a fight)
The police broke the demonstration up before it got out of
control.
Break up - end a relationship
Sam and Diane broke up again. What a rocky relationship.
Danny and I broke up last year.
Bring * along - bring with
When we go to the forest, bring your wildlife guide along.
4
Bring * around - change someone's mind,
convince someone
She doesn't want to go, but we'll eventually bring her around.
Bring * away - learn or gain (from an experience)
My trip across the Sahara was difficult, but I brought a new
appreciation for life away from the experience.
Bring * off - succeed at something difficult or
unexpected
You robbed the bank! I can't believe you brought that off.
Bring * on - cause something
I can't believe she got so angry. What brought that on?
Bring * over - bring to someone's house
When you visit me, why don't you bring over your son.
Bring * up - raise (a child), Mention
Sam was brought up in South Carolina.
John brought up by aunt.
I didn't want to bring up the fact that she was unemployed.
5
Brush * off - ignore something or someone (inf.)
Mary brushed her ex-boyfriend off at the party.
Burn down - burn until completely gone (building)
Two buildings burnt down in the fire.
Burn up - be hot
I am burning up in here - open the window.
Buy * out - buy the shares of a company or the
shares the other person owns of a business
Pacific Inc. was bought out by a company from Oregon.
Burn * up - destroy by fire
He burnt up the files.
Buy * up - purchase the entire supply of something
We bought up all the beer in the store.
Call on - Visit, invite someone to speak in a
Mark called on Naomi while he was in town.
Professor Tanzer called on Tim to
Call * off - cancel something, order to stop (an
invasion, guard dogs)
They called the picnic off because of the rain.
6
He called off the dogs when he saw it was his neighbor.
Call * up - Telephone
I called Sam up to see if he wanted to go to the movies.
Will you call me up?
Calm * down- make someone relax
You can calm the baby down by rocking her gently.
Care for - nurse someone or something, like
someone or something)
He cared for the bird until its wing healed.
I don't care for sour cream on my potato.
Carry on - continue (a conversation, a game)
Please, carry on. I didn't mean to interrupt you.
Carry on with – Continue
I want you to carry on with the project while I am out of town.
Carry * out - complete and/or accomplish
something
The secret agent carried out his orders exactly as planned.
7
Catch on - slowly start to understand (inf.)
He caught on after a few minutes.
Check back - return to see if everything is OK
We will check back tomorrow to make sure the project is
finished.
Check by - go to a place to see if everything is OK
We need to check by the office to see if the documents are
ready.
Check for - try to find
They checked for termites before they bought the house.
Check into - investigate, look for (often through a
service), enter a hospital, hotel etc.
We are checking into discount flights to London.
They checked into the hotel at 11:00 AM.
Check on - make sure something is OK
Let's check on the baby again before we go to sleep.
Check * out - investigate, take a look at
He checked out the new restaurant down the street.
Check out - leave a hotel, hospital
8
It's already eleven. We need to check out.
Check up on - investigate someone or something
The police are checking up on the bomb threats.
Cheer * up - make someone feel cheerful
The party really cheered me up.
Cheer up - become cheerful
Cheer up. Everything will be all right.
Chew * up - chew into small pieces
The dog chewed up my shoe.
Chop * down - fell/cut (a tree)
The lumberjack chopped the tree down.
Chop * up - chop/cut into small bits
He chopped the meat up into little pieces.
Clean * up – Tidy
Susan cleaned the mess up before she left.
Clear out - leave ( inf.)
Everybody clear out! We're closed.
Clear * up – Tidy
9
Susan cleared up the mess before she left.
Close * down - close a place permanently
The corner market closed down because they didn't have
many customers.
Close down - close permanently
The bar was closed down because they served alcohol to
minors.
Close up - The ski resort is closing up for the
summer.
The ski resort is closing up for the summer.
Come about - occur / happen
How did your idea for the book come about.
Come across - discover by accident, initially seem
or have the appearance
They came across some lost Mayan ruins in the jungle.
He comes across as rather rude, but he isn't.
Come along - accompany someone, Progress
If you want, you can come along.
How's the research paper coming along.
10
Come along with – Accompany, Progress
Sam came along with us to the beach.
How are you coming along with the research paper.
Come away - leave a place with a particular
feeling or impression
I came away from the meeting feeling like the presentation
was a success.
Come back – Return
What time are you coming back?
Come by - visit a person at their house, get,
receive
How did you come by that new Mercedes?
I'll come by later this afternoon.
Come down with - become sick with
He came down with the flu.
Come into – Inherit
He came into a large sum of money when his aunt died.
Come off - fall off, break off
The handle came off the suitcase when I picked it up.
11
Come out – Appear, reveal you are homosexual
I didn't see the car at first. It came out of nowhere.
Sam finally came out last month.
Come out - turn out, end up
The pictures came out great.
Come out with - produce and distribute a product
Microsoft is coming out with a new video game system next
month.
Come over - visit someone at their house
Why don't you come over after work for dinner.
Come through - do what is needed or expected
Terry really came through for us in the end.
Come up to - approach; to equal
The job offer didn't come up to her expectations.
Come up with - produce or create (an idea, a plan)
She came up with a great proposal for the new advertising
campaign.
Come with - include (an accessory)
12
The computer system doesn't come with a printer.
Count * in – Include
Did you count expenses in?
Count on - depend/rely on
You can really count on Sarah.
Count * out – Exclude
You can count James out. He hates playing poker.
Count * up – Add
Count the change up and see how much we have.
Crack down on - become tougher on, better
enforce laws on
The police have been cracking down on drunk driving.
Crack up - laugh uncontrollably, laugh a lot
When I told the joke, they all cracked up.
Crack up at - laugh uncontrollably about, laugh a
lot about
I cracked up at his joke.
13
Cross * out - draw a line through something,
eliminate
Why did you cross my name out on the list?
Cut down/ cut down on - decrease the amount of
You eat too much fat. You need to cut down.
You need to cut down on your fat intake.
Cut in/ cut in on – Interrupt
She suddenly cut in and delivered the news
She cut in on the conversation and delivered the news.
Cut * off - interrupt someone while they were
speaking, sever (with a knife)
She cut him off before he said something he would regret
later.
His finger was accidentally cut off in an industrial accident.
Cut * out – Remove, stop an action
He cut the bone out of the steak.
Cut it out! You're bothering me.
Cut * up - cut into small pieces
He cut the beef up and put the pieces in the soup.
14
Cross out - erase, delete; cancel
She’s crossed out her marriage.
15