Sample phrasal verbs

Introduction to Phrasal Verbs

• Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb, creating a new meaning.
• Each phrasal verb can have multiple meanings.
• Phrasal verbs are more common in everyday speech than formal writing.

Example Phrasal Verbs

• Get Out:
  • Leave or escape
  • Become known
  • Say something with difficulty
  • Clean something
  • Spend free time out of the house

Types of Phrasal Verbs

• Intransitive Phrasal Verbs:
  • Not directly related to an object.
  • Preposition always follows the verb.
  • Examples: Bring back, bring down, bring forth, bring in, bring off, bring out, bring round, bring to, bring up.

Phrasal Verbs with Call

• Call Away: Summon; to cause to depart
• Call Down: Pray for; to request from God
• Call for:
  • Shout out in order to summon (a person)
  • Ask for in a loud voice
  • Request, demand
  • Necessitate, demand
  • Stop at a place and ask for (someone)
• Call in:
  • Communicate with a base, by telephone
  • Summon someone, especially for help or advice
• Call off: Recall; to cancel or call a halt to
• Call on:
  • Visit (a person); to pay a call to
  • Select (a student in a classroom, etc.) to provide an answer
  • Request or ask something of (a person); to select for a task
  • Have recourse to; to summon up
  • Correct; to point out an error or untruth
• Call out:
  • Specify, especially in detail
  • Order into service; to summon into service
  • Challenge; denounce; point out; charge

Phrasal Verbs with Carry

• Carry off:
  • Transport away
  • Act convincingly; to succeed at giving the impression of (e.g.) knowledge, confidence, or familiarity
  • Cause death
• Carry on:
  • Continue or proceed as before
  • Take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it
  • Have or maintain
  • Act or behave; especially to misbehave so as to attract attention
  • Have an illicit sexual relationship
• Carry out:
  • Hold while moving it out
  • Fulfill
• Carry over: Transfer (something) to a later point in time

Phrasal Verbs with Check

• Check out:
  • Confirm and pay for goods and services at a facility when leaving
  • Withdraw (an item), as from a library, and have the withdrawal recorded
  • Record (someone) as leaving the premises or as taking something therefrom, as from a library or shop
  • Examine, inspect, look at closely, ogle; to investigate
  • Prove (after an investigation) to be the case / in order
• Check up: Verify through brief investigation or examination
• Check up on: Examine or inspect something in order to determine its condition

Phrasal Verbs with Come

• Come about: Come to pass; to develop; to occur; to take place; to happen
• Come across:
  • Give an appearance or impression; to project a certain image
  • Find, usually by accident
• Come after:
  • Pursue, follow
  • Follow, to succeed, to be the successor of
• Come along:
  • Accompany
  • Progress; to make progress
• Come apart: Break, separate
• Come around: Change one’s mind
• Come at:
  • Get to, especially with effort or difficulty
  • Attack, to harass
  • Accept (a situation); to agree to do; to try
• Come away:
  • Become separated from something away
  • Distance oneself (from)
• Come back:
  • Return to one’s possession, especially of memories
  • Return to a former state, usually a desirable one
  • Retort
• Come before:
  • Appear publicly in front of someone superior
  • Be of greater importance (than)
  • Be judged, decided or discussed by authority
  • Precede
• Come between: Affect negatively or cause discord between (someone) and another person
• Come by:
  • Obtain; to get, especially by chance or involuntarily
  • Come near to; to pass; to visit
• Come down:
  • Descend, fall down, collapse
  • Be demolished
  • Decrease
  • Reach a decision
  • Be passed through time
  • Return from an elevated state of consciousness or emotion
• Come down on: Punish
• Come down upon: Criticise, reprimand severely
• Come down to:
  • Reach by moving down or reducing
  • Depend upon, basically, ultimately or in essence
• Come down with: Contract or get; to show symptoms of an illness
• Come for: Search for something or someone, in order to catch them/it
• Come forth: Move forward and into view, to emerge, to appear
• Come from: Have as one’s birthplace or nationality
• Come in:
  • Enter
  • Arrive
  • Become relevant, applicable or useful
  • Become available
  • Have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well
  • Join or enter; to begin playing with a group
  • Begin transmitting
  • Function in the indicated manner
  • Finish a race or similar competition in a particular position
  • Come in for: Be subjected to
• Come into:
  • Inherit (money)
  • Be a factor
• Come off:
  • Have some success, to succeed
  • Appear; to seem; to project a certain quality
• Come on:
  • Show sexual or relational interest through words or sometimes actions
  • Appear on a television broadcast
  • Progress, to develop
  • Encounter, discover; to come upon
  • Encourage someone (often used in a joking or teasing way) to do something or to hurry up.

Fall On

• Fall on can mean to experience something, like suffering a hardship or enjoying a great time.
• Fall on also indicates that an event will occur on a particular day, like a meeting or a deadline.
• Fall on can be used to state that something has been assigned to a person, like a task, duty, or responsibility .

Fall Out

• Fall out can mean to fall out of something, like falling out of a vehicle.
• Fall out can mean to cease to be friendly with someone.
• Fall out can refer to leaving one's current location to report for duty at a new location.

Fall Through

• Fall through means that something has been unsuccessful, has been cancelled or aborted.
• To fall through means that a plan or idea has not been carried out or achieved.
• Fall through can mean not to proceed.

Fall Under

• Fall under indicates something being categorized or belonging to a specific group.

Fall Upon

• Fall upon means the same thing as fall on: to experience, to suffer, and to occur on a specific day.

Fill In

• Fill in means to replace missing material or information.
• Fill in can mean to inform someone, especially to supply someone with information that was missed or is missing.
• Fill in can mean to substitute for someone or something.

Fill Out

• Fill out means to complete a form or questionnaire by filling in requested information.
• Fill out can mean to have one's physique expand with maturity or with surplus weight.

Fill Up

• Fill up can mean to fill the tank of a vehicle with fuel.
• Fill up can mean to annoy or displease someone by teasing, taunting or excessive nagging.
• Fill up can mean to satisfy someone’s hunger.

Get About

• Get about means to be mobile, physically active.
• Get about can mean to become widely known, like a rumour.
• Get about can mean to visit a variety of different places.

Get Across

• Get across can mean to cross from one side of something to the other, literally or figuratively.
• Get across can mean to successfully explain a thought or feeling.

Get After

• Get after can mean to move into action in pursuit of something.
• Get after can mean to move into action to try to catch or defeat another.
• Get after can mean to try to convince another to move into action.

Get Ahead

• Get ahead means to progress and move forward, like in a career or academic studies.

Get Ahead Of

• Get ahead of means to move in front of someone else.

Get Along

• Get along can mean to interact or coexist well with others without argument or trouble.
• Get along can mean to survive or do well enough.

Get Along With

• Get along with means to have a good relationship with someone.
• Get along with means to deal with or handle a task or a situation.

Get Around

• Get around can mean to move to the other side of an obstruction.
• Get around can mean to come around something.
• Get around can mean to avoid or bypass an obstacle.
• Get around can mean to circumvent the obligation and performance of a chore.
• Get around can mean to transport oneself from place to place.
• Get around can mean to be sexually promiscuous.

Get Around To

• Get around to means to eventually begin or return to some procrastinated task.

Get At

• Get at can mean to manage to gain access to something.
• Get at can mean to understand or ascertain something through investigation.
• Get at can mean to signify or mean something.
• Get at can mean to attack verbally or physically, to annoy or bother someone.
• Get at can mean to persuade someone by intimidation, to tamper with something.
• Get at can mean to contact someone.

Get Away

• Get away can mean to move away from something.
• Get away can mean to avoid capture, to escape from a situation.
• Get away can mean to take a break from one’s present circumstances, like a vacation.
• Get away can mean to start moving, to depart.
• Get away can mean to slip from one’s control.
• Get away can mean to start talking about something that is not relevant to the current discussion.

Get Away With

• Get away with means to escape punishment for an action.

Get Back

• Get back can mean to return to where one came from.
• Get back can mean to retrieve something, to have an item returned.
• Get back can mean to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you.

Get Back At

• Get back at means to retaliate against someone, to take revenge on someone.

Get Back To

• Get back to means to return contact with someone.

Get Behind

• Get behind means to support someone or something.
• Get behind with means to be late paying installments for something.

Get By

• Get by means to subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimal level.

Get Down

• Get down can mean to bring or come down, descend.
• Get down can mean to depress, discourage, or fatigue.
• Get down can mean to swallow.
• Get down can mean to relax and enjoy oneself completely, to be uninhibited in one’s enjoyment.
• Get down can mean to duck or take cover, usually to avoid harm.
• Get down can mean to leave the table after dining.
• Get down can mean to record something in writing.

Get Down On

• Get down on means to criticize someone or something.

Get Down To

• Get down to means to start working seriously on a task.

Get In

• Get in can mean to get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.
• Get into can mean to enter a place, to gain access to a location.
• Get in can mean to secure membership at a selective school.
• Get in can mean to be elected to an office.
• Get in with means to become involved in or associated with something.

Get Into

• Get into can mean to move into an object, so that now you are now inside of it.
• Get into can mean to reach into an object.
• Get into can mean to become involved in a discussion, issue, or activity.
• Get into can mean to enter an unfavorable state, like a bad mood.
• Get into can mean to make someone misbehave or act uncharacteristically.

Get It

• Get it means to be punished or scolded.

Get It On

• Get it on can mean to have sex.
• Get it on can mean to engage in a fight.
• Get it on can mean to hurry up, to get a move on.

Get It Together

• Get it together means to be well-organized and prepared.

Get It Over With

• Get it over with means to do or finish something, especially if the thing is unpleasant.

Get It Up

• Get it up means to achieve a penile erection.

Get Off

• Get off can mean to move from being on top of something to not being on top of it.
• Get off can mean to move something from being on top of something else to not being on top of it.
• Get off can mean to disembark. especially from mass transportation.
• Get off can mean to stop doing something, to desist from doing something.
• Get off can mean to stop using a piece of equipment, such as a telephone or computer.
• Get off can mean to complete a shift or a day’s work.
• Get off can mean to stop touching or interfering with something or someone.
• Get off can mean to excite or arouse someone, especially in a sexual manner.
• Get off can mean to experience an orgasm or other sexual pleasure.
• Get off can mean to kiss someone.
• Get off can mean to escape (with usually only mild consequences).
• Get off can mean to fall asleep.
• Get off can mean to behave in a presumptuous, rude, or intrusive manner.

Get Off On

• Get off on means to be excited or aroused by something or someone, to derive pleasure from something.
• Get off on can mean to have a sexual encounter with someone.

Get On

• Get on can mean to board or mount something, especially a vehicle.
• Get on can mean to be successful.
• Get on can mean to make progress.
• Get on can mean to become late.
• Get on can mean to become old.
• Get on can mean to have a good relationship with someone, or to get along with someone.
• Get on can mean to commence, or to begin something.

Get On To

• Get on to can mean to contact someone in order to raise or discuss a certain matter.
• Get on to can mean to progress to a certain point, to start working on something.
• Get on for can mean to be near a certain time; to be close to a particular time.

Get On With

• Get on with means to proceed with; to begin or continue with something after an interruption.
• Get on with means to have a good relationship with someone.

Get Onto

• Get onto can mean to move onto an object, especially one on which it is possible to stand.
• Get onto can mean to contact a person or organization about a particular matter.
• Get onto can mean to connect to something, such as to the Internet or a network.
• Get onto can mean to scold someone.
• Get onto can mean to introduce someone to something.

Get Out

• Get out can mean to leave or escape from a place or situation.
• Get out can mean to come out of a situation, to escape a fate.
• Get out can mean to help someone leave.
• Get out can mean to leave a vehicle, such as a car.
• Get out can mean to become known, like a secret.
• Get out can mean to spend free time out of the house.
• Get out can mean to publish something, or to make a product available to the public.
• Get out can mean to say something with difficulty.
• Get out can mean to clean something.

Lay Down Phrasal Verbs

• Lay down: To intentionally take a fall while riding a motorcycle, in order to prevent a more serious collision.
• Lay down: To specify, institute, enact, assert firmly, state authoritatively, establish or formulate something clearly.
• Lay down: To lie down and rest, placing oneself in a reclined or horizontal position.

Lay Low Phrasal Verbs

• Lay low: To topple or overcome something; to cause something to fall.
• Lay low: To knock out a person, leaving them unconscious.

Lay Off Phrasal Verbs

• Lay off: To cease, quit, or stop doing something.
• Lay off: To stop bothering, teasing, or pestering someone; to leave someone alone.

Lay On Phrasal Verbs

• Lay on: To provide food or drinks for free, such as at a party or event.
• Lay on: To repeatedly say particular things, emphasizing them or reiterating a point.

Lay Out Phrasal Verbs

• Lay out: To arrange something in a specific way, spreading it out or spacing items apart.

Live Down Phrasal Verbs

• Live down: To get used to something shameful or embarrassing that happened in the past.

Live Off Phrasal Verbs

• Live off: To survive by consuming only a certain thing or things, usually referring to a specific food source or type of income.

Live On Phrasal Verbs

• Live on: To survive solely by consuming a certain thing.
• Live on: To endure or continue to exist, often used in the context of memories or legacies.

Live Out Phrasal Verbs

• Live out: To not reside on the premises of one’s employer.
• Live out: To live some distance away or outside of a town/city.
• Live out: To fulfill or act out a dream, fantasy, or aspiration.
• Live out: To pass time or the remainder of one's life, usually in a specific way.

Live Through Phrasal Verbs

• Live through: To survive a difficult period or event, such as a war or disaster.

Live Up Phrasal Verbs

• Live up: To fulfill the expectations placed upon someone or something.

Let Down Phrasal Verbs

• Let down: To allow something to descend, such as a rope or a curtain..
• Let down: To disappoint someone or betray their trust by failing them in some way.

Let In Phrasal Verbs

• Let in: To allow someone or something to come in, usually opening a door or gate.

Let In On Phrasal Verbs

• Let in on: To disclose information to someone, sharing a secret or privileged information.

Let Off Phrasal Verbs

• Let off: To cause something to explode or come out, such as a gun firing or a steam valve releasing pressure.
• Let off: To forgive someone and not punish them, even though they deserve it.

Let On Phrasal Verbs

• Let on: To reveal, disclose, or divulge information, sometimes unintentionally.

Let Out Phrasal Verbs

• Let out: To release something, allowing it to escape.
• Let out: To allow a machine or system to operate at higher speed by adjusting its controls.
• Let out: To enlarge something by adjusting one or more seams, usually in clothing or fabric.
• Let out: Of sound, to emit or make a noise.
• Let out: To disclose information or to reveal a secret.

Let Past Phrasal Verbs

• Let past: To allow someone to pass one, usually giving way or moving aside.

Let Up Phrasal Verbs

• Let up: To cease or stop doing something, usually referring to an activity or a difficult situation.

Look After Phrasal Verbs

• Look after: To watch over or protect someone or something, keeping them safe.

Look Ahead Phrasal Verbs

• Look ahead: To consider the future, anticipating future events or planning for them.

Look Back Phrasal Verbs

• Look back: To think about something that happened in the past, reflecting on memories or experiences.

Look Down On Phrasal Verbs

• Look down on: To regard someone with a feeling of superiority, considering them to be inferior.

Look Around Phrasal Verbs

• Look around: To inspect a building or area, examining what is present.
• Look around: To search a place, trying to find a specific item or person.
• Look around: To turn one’s head to see what is behind oneself, checking for something or someone.

Look At Phrasal Verbs

• Look at: To consider something, taking it into account or thinking about its implications.

Look For Phrasal Verbs

• Look for: To search for something or someone, seeking them out.

Look Forward To Phrasal Verbs

• Look forward to: To feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen.

Look In Phrasal Verbs

• Look in: To visit a person or place for a short time.

Look Into Phrasal Verbs

• Look into: To investigate, explore, or consider something in detail.

Look On Phrasal Verbs

• Look on: To watch or observe something, especially as a spectator.

Look On As Phrasal Verbs

• Look on as: To treat someone in a particular role or to consider them in a specific way.

Look Out Phrasal Verbs

• Look out: To look from within to the outside, observing what is happening.
• Look out: To be vigilant and aware of potential dangers or problems.

Look Out For Phrasal Verbs

• Look out for: To take care of someone or to ensure they are cared for.
• Look out for: To keep alert and try to see someone or something specific.

Look Round Phrasal Verbs

• Look round: To inspect a building or area.
• Look round: To search a place for a specific item.
• Look round: To turn one’s head to see what is behind oneself.

Look Through Phrasal Verbs

• Look through: To gaze through a gap or aperture, seeing something through an opening.
• Look through: To search something, either with the eyes or by hand, looking for a specific item.
• Look through: To pretend not to see something or someone who is clearly visible, ignoring them on purpose.

Look To Phrasal Verbs

• Look to: To seek inspiration, advice, or reward from someone.

Look Up Phrasal Verbs

• Look up: To have better prospects, to improve or become more successful .
• Look up: To obtain information about something from a text source, such as a dictionary or encyclopedia.

Look Up To Phrasal Verbs

• Look up to: To show respect or admiration for someone, considering them to be a role model.

Look Upon Phrasal Verbs

• Look upon: To consider or regard something in a specific manner or to have a particular opinion about it.
• Look upon: To gaze at something, observing it or watching it without doing anything else.

Look Upon As Phrasal Verbs

• Look upon as: To consider or regard someone as something, seeing them in a specific way.

Make After Phrasal Verbs

• Make after: To chase someone or something, trying to catch them.

Make Away With Phrasal Verbs

• Make away with: To steal something, taking it wrongfully.

Make For Phrasal Verbs

• Make for: To move towards something.
• Make for: To contribute to something, to cause it or lead to it, usually in a negative way.

Make Into Phrasal Verbs

• Make into: To cause the first object to become the second object, changing or transforming it.

Make It Up To Phrasal Verbs

• Make it up to: To pay back someone, returning a previous good deed or making amends for wrongdoings.

Make Of Phrasal Verbs

• Make of: To form an opinion about someone or something, trying to understand them.

Make Off Phrasal Verbs

• Make off: To leave somewhere in a hurry, usually escaping from a situation.
• Make off: To escape or get away from a place or person, usually by stealth or by using trickery.

Make Off With Phrasal Verbs

• Make off with: To steal something and escape with it.

Make Out Phrasal Verbs

• Make out: To draw up a document, such as a cheque, designating a recipient or payee.
• Make out: To manage or get along in a situation, doing well, badly, or in some other way.
• Make out: To represent or make something appear to be true, even if it is not, creating a false impression.
• Make out: To kiss passionately with someone.

Make Out Of Phrasal Verbs

• Make out of: To construct or create something using a specific material or substance.

Make Over Phrasal Verbs

• Make over: To renovate or convert something to a different use, often applied to houses, offices, or rooms.
• Make over: To create a new physical look for someone, especially with a new hairstyle, cosmetics, or clothes.
• Make over: To improve upon and take in a new direction, making changes or enhancements.

Make Towards Phrasal Verbs

• Make towards: To head in the direction of something or someone.

Make Up Phrasal Verbs

• Make up: To compensate for something, fill in a missing part of a narrative, or to catch up on missed work or time.
• Make up: To invent or imagine a story, claim, or explanation, usually something untrue.
• Make up: To assemble or mix something, bringing parts together or combining ingredients.
• Make up: To apply cosmetics or makeup to a person's face.
• Make up: To resolve or forgive a dispute or fight, smoothing over disagreements.

Make Up For Phrasal Verbs

• Make up for: To compensate for something, replacing a loss or making amends for a mistake.

Make Up To Phrasal Verbs

• Make up to: To do something to show that you are sorry about the problems you have caused someone.

Make Way Phrasal Verbs

• Make way: To make progress in a particular area or to move forward successfully.

Mess About Phrasal Verbs

• Mess about: To misbehave or act in a silly or irresponsible way.
• Mess about: To be in a casual and non-committal relationship, not serious or exclusive.
• Mess about: To play with something or someone in a casual and non-serious way, wasting time.

Mess Around Phrasal Verbs

• Mess around: To fiddle idly with something, playing around or doing something without a specific purpose.
• Mess around: To joke, kid, or play with someone or something.
• Mess around: To have a sexual relationship with someone, usually one that is non-committal or casual.

Mess Up Phrasal Verbs

• Mess up: To make a mess of something, making it untidy or disorderly.
• Mess up: To cause a problem with something, introducing an error or mistake.
• Mess up: To spoil or ruin something.
• Mess up: To botch or bungle something, performing poorly or unsuccessfully.
• Mess up: To make a mistake, doing something incorrectly or failing to do something properly.
• Mess up: To cause another person to make unwanted mistakes in a task, usually through distraction or obnoxious behavior.
• Mess up: To damage something, harming it or injuring it.
• Mess up: To manhandle, beat up, or rough up someone physically.
• Mess up: To discombobulate or utterly confuse someone psychologically, throwing them into a state of mental disarray.

Mess With Phrasal Verbs

• Mess with: To interfere with something or someone, getting involved unnecessarily.
• Mess with: To diss or put someone down, criticizing them or expressing disrespect.
• Mess with: To joke around with or dupe someone, in either a friendly or unfriendly manner.

Move Forward Phrasal Verbs

• Move forward: To make progress, advancing towards a goal or objective.

Move On Phrasal Verbs

• Move on: To leave somewhere for another place, relocating or departing.
• Move on: To start dealing with a different topic or issue, changing the subject or focus.

Move Out Phrasal Verbs

• Move out: To vacate one's place of residence or employment, leaving a building or location.
• Move out: To leave one's current location and go to another place.

Move Up Phrasal Verbs

• Move up: To move one's position to allow others to occupy a place, creating a new space or opening up opportunities.

Pass Away Phrasal Verbs

• Pass away: To die, a more polite or euphemistic way of saying "die".

Pass By Phrasal Verbs

• Pass by: To travel past something without stopping, continuing on without a break.
• Pass by: To travel past something without stopping, ignoring it or disregarding it.
• Pass by: Of a period of time: to come to an end or elapse, passing without interruption.

Pass Down Phrasal Verbs

• Pass down: To transmit information or to give property to younger generations, such as a family heirloom or a legend.

Pass Off Phrasal Verbs

• Pass off: To happen, occurring unexpectedly or without prior warning.
• Pass off: To misrepresent something, making it seem to be something else or presenting it in a deceptive way.

Pass On Phrasal Verbs

• Pass on: To convey or communicate information or a message.
• Pass on: To skip or decline something offered, refusing to accept it.
• Pass on: To die.

Pass Out Phrasal Verbs

• Pass out: To faint or to become unconscious briefly, usually due to exhaustion, lack of oxygen, or other medical reasons.
• Pass out: To distribute something, handing it out to a group of people, such as leaflets or flyers.

Pass Over Phrasal Verbs

• Pass over: To ignore someone and give a job, reward, etc. to someone more junior, overlooking someone's qualifications or seniority.
• Pass over: To ignore or refuse to discuss a particular topic, avoiding it or refusing to acknowledge it.

Pass Round Phrasal Verbs

• Pass round: To distribute something, giving it to everyone present, usually at a gathering or event.

Pass Through Phrasal Verbs

• Pass through: To visit a place without stopping for a long time, or only stopping briefly before moving on.

Pass To Phrasal Verbs

• Pass to: To give ownership or responsibility to someone else, handing over something to someone else's care.

Pass Up Phrasal Verbs

• Pass up: To refuse or not accept something that is offered.

Pick Apart Phrasal Verbs

• Pick apart: To overcome an opponent or challenge by skilled execution, disassembling and defeating it with meticulousness.

Pick At Phrasal Verbs

• Pick at: To eat unwillingly or in a hesitant manner, nibbling at food without real appetite.
• Pick at: To pull or touch something several times, usually in an anxious or restless manner.

Pick Off Phrasal Verbs

• Pick off: To remove something by picking it off, carefully detaching it from something else.
• Pick off: To shoot or eliminate opponents or targets one by one, taking them out individually.
• Pick off: To dispose of tasks, obstacles, or opponents one by one, systematically overcoming challenges.

Pick On Phrasal Verbs

• Pick on: To bully, harass, or make fun of someone, targeting them unfairly or unkindly.
• Pick on: To select someone for a specific task or responsibility, often chosen unfairly or with little consideration for their abilities.

Pick Out Phrasal Verbs

• Pick out: To distinguish something from a group or to identify it clearly.
• Pick out: To ornament or relieve something with lines or other features of a different, usually lighter, colour.

Pick Through Phrasal Verbs

• Pick through: To search something that is disordered for something specific, sifting through a disorganized collection.

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