100 Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English grammar and are commonly used in daily conversations. They consist of a verb and a preposition or adverb, and their meanings can often be quite different from the individual words.
In this list, we have compiled 100 common phrasal verbs along with their meanings and example sentences to help you understand and use them correctly in your own writing and speaking.
- Ask out – to invite someone on a date
Example: He finally asked her out to dinner. - Back up – to support or defend someone or something
Example: I will back you up on this decision. - Break down – to stop working properly
Example: My car broke down on the way to work. - Bring up – to mention something in conversation
Example: I don’t like to bring up politics at the dinner table. - Call off – to cancel an event or meeting
Example: They had to call off the meeting because of bad weather. - Carry on – to continue doing something
Example: He told her to carry on with her work. - Catch up – to reach the same level as someone or something else
Example: I need to catch up on my reading. - Check in – to arrive and register at a hotel, airport or hospital
Example: We need to check in at the hotel before we go sightseeing. - Cheer up – to make someone feel better
Example: I tried to cheer him up by telling him a joke. - Clean up – to tidy and clean a place
Example: We need to clean up the kitchen before guests arrive. - Come across – to find or meet unexpectedly
Example: I came across an old friend on my way to work. - Come up with – to think of or suggest an idea or plan
Example: We need to come up with a new marketing strategy. - Count on – to rely on someone or something
Example: I can always count on my best friend to help me. - Cut off – to stop or interrupt someone or something
Example: The teacher cut off the student in the middle of his sentence. - Deal with – to handle or manage a problem or situation
Example: I need to deal with this issue before it becomes worse. - Do away with – to get rid of something
Example: They decided to do away with the old furniture and buy new. - Dress up – to wear formal clothes or make oneself look better
Example: She likes to dress up for special occasions. - Drop off – to take someone or something to a particular place
Example: I need to drop off the package at the post office. - End up – to finally reach or do something
Example: They ended up staying home instead of going to the party. - Fall apart – to break into pieces or fail completely
Example: The old car finally fell apart after years of use. - Fill in – to provide information that is missing or incomplete
Example: I had to fill in the missing details on the form. - Find out – to discover or learn something
Example: I need to find out what time the movie starts. - Get along – to have a good relationship with someone
Example: I get along well with my colleagues. - Get away – to escape or take a break from something
Example: I need to get away from work for a few days. - Get back – to return to a place or activity
Example: He will get back to work on Monday. - Get by – to manage to live or do something with limited resources
Example: They were able to get by on very little money. - Get off – to leave a vehicle or mode of transportation
Example: We need to get off the train at the next stop. - Get on – to board a vehicle or mode of transportation
Example: We need to get on the bus before it leaves. - Get out – to leave a place or situation
Example: I need to get out of this meeting. - Get over – to recover from an illness or emotional experience
Example: It took him a long time to get over his breakup.
- Give up – to stop doing something or trying to achieve something
Example: She decided to give up smoking. - Go ahead – to proceed or continue with something
Example: You can go ahead and start the presentation. - Go out – to leave one’s home to go somewhere, usually for social reasons
Example: We’re planning to go out for dinner tonight. - Grow up – to become an adult or mature
Example: He needs to grow up and start taking responsibility. - Hand out – to distribute something to a group of people
Example: She handed out the brochures at the conference. - Hang up – to end a phone call
Example: He hung up on me before I could finish speaking. - Hold on – to wait or pause for a moment
Example: Please hold on while I transfer your call. - Keep up – to maintain a certain level or pace
Example: It’s important to keep up with your studies. - Knock out – to defeat or render unconscious
Example: The boxer knocked out his opponent in the first round. - Look after – to take care of someone or something
Example: She looks after her younger siblings. - Look up – to search for information in a reference source
Example: I need to look up the meaning of that word. - Make up – to invent or fabricate something, or to reconcile after an argument
Example: He made up a story to explain his absence. - Mess up – to make a mistake or create a mess
Example: I accidentally messed up the report. - Pass away – to die
Example: Her grandfather passed away last week. - Pay back – to return money that is owed
Example: He promised to pay back the loan by next month. - Pick up – to lift or collect something, or to improve or learn something quickly
Example: She picked up the book from the table. - Point out – to draw attention to something or someone
Example: He pointed out the mistake in the report. - Put off – to postpone or delay something
Example: They decided to put off the meeting until next week. - Put up with – to tolerate or endure something unpleasant
Example: She can’t put up with the noise from the construction site anymore. - Read out – to read aloud
Example: She read out the names of the winners. - Run into – to meet someone unexpectedly
Example: I ran into an old friend at the mall. - Set up – to arrange or establish something
Example: They set up a meeting to discuss the new project. - Show off – to display one’s abilities or possessions to impress others
Example: He likes to show off his new car. - Sort out – to resolve a problem or organize something
Example: We need to sort out the issue with the supplier. - Stand by – to support or be loyal to someone or something
Example: I will stand by you no matter what. - Stand out – to be noticeable or outstanding
Example: Her bright red coat made her stand out in the crowd. - Take off – to remove clothing, or to become popular or successful
Example: She took off her shoes and sat down. - Take on – to accept a challenge or responsibility
Example: She decided to take on the new project. - Take over – to gain control or authority over something
Example: The new manager took over the department last month. - Talk over – to discuss something in detail with someone
Example: We need to talk over the plans for the weekend.
- Tear up – to rip into pieces
Example: She tore up the letter in anger. - Think over – to consider something carefully before making a decision
Example: He needs to think over the job offer before accepting it. - Throw away – to discard or dispose of something
Example: She threw away the old magazines. - Try on – to wear clothing to see if it fits or looks good
Example: She tried on several dresses before finding the perfect one. - Turn down – to refuse or reject something or someone
Example: He turned down the job offer because of the low salary. - Turn up – to arrive or appear unexpectedly
Example: He turned up at the party uninvited. - Use up – to exhaust or deplete a supply of something
Example: We used up all the paper in the printer. - Wait for – to remain in a place until someone or something arrives
Example: I will wait for you at the entrance. - Wake up – to stop sleeping and become alert or conscious
Example: He wakes up early every morning. - Warm up – to prepare the body for exercise or activity, or to become friendlier or more enthusiastic
Example: She always warms up with stretching before running. - Watch out – to be careful or cautious
Example: Watch out for that slippery patch of ice. - Wear out – to become worn or exhausted
Example: His shoes were worn out from all the walking. - Work out – to exercise or train, or to solve a problem
Example: She likes to work out at the gym every day. - Write down – to record something in writing
Example: He wrote down the phone number on a piece of paper. - Zip up – to close a zipper or fastener
Example: She zipped up her jacket to keep warm.
- Act out – to express one’s emotions or feelings through behavior
Example: The child was acting out because he was upset. - Back up – to support or provide assistance, or to make a copy of data
Example: She backed up her important files on an external hard drive. - Blow up – to explode or increase suddenly, or to become angry
Example: The balloon blew up when she tried to inflate it. - Break down – to stop functioning, or to become emotional and start crying
Example: The car broke down on the highway. - Bring up – to raise or mention a topic, or to raise a child
Example: She brought up the issue during the meeting. - Brush up on – to review or improve one’s skills or knowledge of something
Example: He needs to brush up on his French before his trip to Paris. - Burn down – to completely destroy a building or structure by fire
Example: The old warehouse burned down last night. - Call off – to cancel or abandon something
Example: They called off the wedding due to a family emergency. - Carry on – to continue with an activity or task
Example: She carried on with her work despite the distractions. - Catch up – to reach the same level or pace as someone else, or to update oneself on news or events
Example: She needs to catch up on the latest developments in the industry. - Check in – to register one’s arrival at a hotel or airport
Example: We need to check in at the hotel before 3 pm. - Cheer up – to become happier or to make someone else happier
Example: The sunny weather cheered her up. - Clean up – to tidy or remove dirt or clutter from a place
Example: They cleaned up the beach after the party. - Come across – to encounter or discover something or someone unexpectedly
Example: She came across an interesting article on the internet. - Come back – to return to a place or activity
Example: He will come back to work after his vacation. - Count on – to rely or depend on someone or something
Example: They know they can count on their parents for support. - Cut off – to stop or interrupt something suddenly
Example: The phone cut off in the middle of our conversation. - Deal with – to handle or manage a situation or problem
Example: We need to deal with the customer complaints as soon as possible. - Die down – to become less intense or loud
Example: The storm died down after a few hours. - Do over – to repeat or redo something
Example: She had to do the project over because of a mistake. - Draw up – to prepare or create a plan or document
Example: They drew up a proposal for the new project. - Drop off – to fall asleep, or to leave someone or something at a specific location
Example: She dropped off to sleep on the couch. - Eat out – to dine at a restaurant instead of at home
Example: They decided to eat out at their favorite restaurant. - Figure out – to understand or solve a problem
Example: He needs to figure out a way to fix the machine. - Fill out – to complete a form or document with information
Example: She filled out the application for the job.
Phrasal verbs can be challenging for non-native English speakers to master, but with practice and familiarity, they can become an essential part of your language skills. We hope this list of 100 phrasal verbs, meanings, and example sentences has been helpful in expanding your understanding and usage of these important language structures.
