Complete English Phrasal Verbs List A–Z with Meanings & Examples

#	Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example	Type
1	back up	support / reverse / make a copy	Back up your files regularly. I'll back you up.	separable
2	blow up	explode / inflate / enlarge	The balloon blew up. Don't blow up the photo too much.	separable
3	boil down to	summarize to essence	It all boils down to money.	inseparable
4	break down	stop working / analyze / lose control emotionally	My car broke down. Let's break down the problem.	inseparable
5	break in	interrupt / wear until comfortable	Sorry to break in, but I have news.	separable
6	break into	enter forcibly / start suddenly	Someone broke into our house. She broke into song.	inseparable
7	break off	end / snap off	They broke off negotiations.	separable
8	break out	escape / start suddenly (war, fire)	A fire broke out in the building.	inseparable
9	break through	overcome a barrier	Scientists broke through in cancer research.	inseparable
10	break up	end a relationship / disperse	They broke up after five years together.	separable
11	bring about	cause to happen	The internet brought about huge changes.	separable
12	bring back	return / reintroduce / remind	That song brings back memories.	separable
13	bring down	reduce / make unhappy	We need to bring down costs.	separable
14	bring in	introduce / earn	The company brought in record profits.	separable
15	bring out	release / reveal	They're bringing out a new model next year.	separable
16	bring together	unite people	The festival brings together people of all ages.	separable
17	bring up	raise a topic / raise a child	Don't bring up that embarrassing story.	separable
18	brush up on	refresh knowledge	I need to brush up on my French.	inseparable
19	burn out	exhaust oneself / stop burning	The candle burned out. Many teachers burn out.	inseparable
20	call back	return a phone call	I'll call you back in ten minutes.	separable
21	call for	require / demand / pick up	This situation calls for immediate action.	inseparable
22	call off	cancel	The game was called off due to rain.	separable
23	call on	visit / ask to speak	The teacher called on me to answer.	inseparable
24	call up	telephone / summon for military service	I'll call up the restaurant and make a reservation.	separable
25	carry off	succeed in doing something difficult	She carried off the award for best actress.	separable
26	carry on	continue	Carry on with your work, don't mind me.	inseparable
27	carry out	execute / perform	We must carry out the plan as agreed.	separable
28	carry over	transfer to next period	The unused vacation days carry over to next year.	separable
29	catch up with	reach same level	I need to catch up with the latest news.	inseparable
30	check in	register at hotel/airport	We checked in online to save time.	inseparable
31	check out	leave hotel / investigate / borrow	Check out this cool video!	separable
32	cheer up	become/make happier	A good movie always cheers me up.	separable
33	clean up	tidy thoroughly / make a profit	Clean up your room! They cleaned up on that deal.	separable
34	come about	happen / occur	How did this situation come about?	inseparable
35	come across	find accidentally / give impression	I came across an old photo. She comes across as confident.	inseparable
36	come along	arrive / make progress	How's your project coming along?	inseparable
37	come back	return	I just came back from vacation.	inseparable
38	come down	decrease / descend	Prices are coming down after the holidays.	inseparable
39	come down with	become ill with	I think I'm coming down with a cold.	inseparable
40	come in	enter	Come in and have a seat.	inseparable
41	come off	detach / succeed	The button came off my shirt.	inseparable
42	come out	be published / reveal / result	The new book comes out next month.	inseparable
43	come over	visit someone's home	Why don't you come over for dinner?	inseparable
44	come through	succeed / survive difficulty	She came through the surgery fine.	inseparable
45	come up	arise / be mentioned	Something urgent came up at work.	inseparable
46	come up with	think of an idea	We need to come up with a solution.	inseparable
47	count on	rely on	You can count on me.	inseparable
48	cross out	delete with a line	Cross out any wrong answers.	separable
49	cut back	reduce expenditure	The company is cutting back on expenses.	separable
50	cut down on	reduce consumption of	I need to cut down on sugar.	inseparable
51	cut in	interrupt / merge into traffic	He rudely cut in while I was speaking.	inseparable
52	cut off	disconnect / isolate	The phone call was cut off.	separable
53	cut out	remove / stop suddenly	The engine just cut out.	separable
54	deal with	handle / manage	How do you deal with stress?	inseparable
55	do away with	abolish / eliminate	They want to do away with the old system.	inseparable
56	do over	do again / redecorate	My homework was messy so I had to do it over.	separable
57	do without	manage despite lacking	I could do without all this noise.	inseparable
58	drag on	continue tediously	The meeting dragged on for hours.	inseparable
59	draw up	prepare formally	Let's draw up a contract.	separable
60	dress up	wear formal/fancy clothes	We dressed up for the wedding.	separable
61	drop by	visit informally	Feel free to drop by anytime.	inseparable
62	drop off	deliver / fall asleep / decrease	I'll drop off your package on the way.	separable
63	drop out	quit school/course	He dropped out of college after one year.	inseparable
64	eat out	dine at a restaurant	Let's eat out tonight.	inseparable
65	end up	eventually arrive at a situation	We ended up staying home after all.	inseparable
66	face up to	accept a difficult reality	You need to face up to your mistakes.	inseparable
67	fall apart	disintegrate / break down emotionally	The deal fell apart at the last minute.	inseparable
68	fall behind	not keep up	I fell behind on my rent payments.	inseparable
69	fall through	fail to happen	Our plans for the weekend fell through.	inseparable
70	figure out	understand / solve	I can't figure out why this isn't working.	separable
71	fill in	substitute temporarily / complete details	Can you fill in for me tomorrow?	separable
72	fill out	complete a form	Please fill out this application form.	separable
73	fill up	make completely full	The stadium filled up quickly.	separable
74	find out	discover	I need to find out what happened.	separable
75	get across	communicate successfully	I couldn't get my point across in the meeting.	separable
76	get along	have a friendly relationship	Do you get along with your neighbors?	inseparable
77	get along with	have good relationship with	She gets along with everyone.	inseparable
78	get around	travel / avoid a restriction	There's no way to get around the new rules.	inseparable
79	get away	escape / take a vacation	We're getting away for the weekend.	inseparable
80	get back	return / regain possession	When will you get back from your trip?	inseparable
81	get behind	support / fall behind schedule	The team got behind on the project.	inseparable
82	get by	manage with limited resources	We don't earn much but we get by.	inseparable
83	get down	descend / depress	This rainy weather really gets me down.	separable
84	get into	enter / become interested in	She got into photography last year.	inseparable
85	get off	leave a vehicle / finish work	I get off work at 5 PM.	inseparable
86	get on	board a vehicle / have a good relationship	She got on the bus. They get on well together.	inseparable
87	get out of	avoid a responsibility / exit	He always tries to get out of doing dishes.	inseparable
88	get over	recover from / overcome	It took weeks to get over the flu.	inseparable
89	get rid of	dispose of / eliminate	I need to get rid of these old clothes.	inseparable
90	get through	complete successfully / make contact	I finally got through to customer service.	inseparable
91	get together	meet socially	Let's get together for coffee sometime.	inseparable
92	get up	rise from bed / stand up	I usually get up at 7 AM.	inseparable
93	get used to	become accustomed to	It takes time to get used to a new job.	inseparable
94	give away	donate / reveal a secret	She gave away all her old books.	separable
95	give back	return something	Please give back the book when you're done.	separable
96	give birth to	produce offspring / create	She gave birth to a healthy baby boy.	inseparable
97	give in	yield / submit	After hours of negotiation, they finally gave in.	inseparable
98	give off	emit	The fire gives off a lot of heat.	separable
99	give out	distribute / stop functioning	The teacher gave out the test papers.	separable
100	give up	quit / surrender	Don't give up on your dreams.	separable
101	go ahead	proceed	Go ahead, I'll catch up later.	inseparable
102	go along with	agree / accompany	I'll go along with your plan.	inseparable
103	go back	return / date back	This tradition goes back centuries.	inseparable
104	go down	decrease / be received	Prices went down. The speech went down well.	inseparable
105	go for	choose / attack / try to achieve	I think I'll go for the steak.	inseparable
106	go off	explode / ring / spoil	The alarm went off at 6 AM. The milk has gone off.	inseparable
107	go on	continue / happen	What's going on here? Please go on with your story.	inseparable
108	go out	leave home socially / be extinguished	We're going out tonight.	inseparable
109	go over	review / examine	Let's go over the details one more time.	inseparable
110	go through	examine / experience difficulty	I've been going through a tough time.	inseparable
111	go up	increase / be built	Rents have gone up again.	inseparable
112	go with	match / accompany	This tie goes with your shirt perfectly.	inseparable
113	go without	endure lack of	We went without electricity for three days.	inseparable
114	grow up	mature from child to adult	I grew up in a small town.	inseparable
115	hand in	submit	Please hand in your assignments by Friday.	separable
116	hang on	wait / grip tightly	Hang on a second, I'll check.	inseparable
117	hang out	spend time casually	We used to hang out at the mall.	inseparable
118	have over	host someone at your home	We're having friends over for dinner.	separable
119	heat up	make warmer / become more intense	The competition is heating up.	separable
120	hit on	flirt with / suddenly think of	He tried to hit on her at the bar.	inseparable
121	hold back	restrain / conceal	She held back her tears.	separable
122	hold off	delay	Let's hold off on making a decision.	separable
123	hold on	wait / grip tightly	Hold on a moment, I'll be right back.	inseparable
124	hold out	resist / extend offering	The villagers held out against the flood.	inseparable
125	hold up	delay / support	Sorry I'm late — I was held up in traffic.	separable
126	join in	participate	Everyone joined in the singing.	inseparable
127	keep away	stay at a distance	Keep away from the edge of the cliff!	inseparable
128	keep back	withhold / stay at a distance	Keep back! It's dangerous!	separable
129	keep from	prevent / refrain from	I couldn't keep from laughing.	inseparable
130	keep on	continue	He keeps on making the same mistake.	inseparable
131	keep up	maintain pace	Keep up the good work!	separable
132	kick off	begin	The conference kicks off tomorrow.	separable
133	knock out	render unconscious / eliminate	The boxer knocked out his opponent.	separable
134	lay off	fire from a job / stop doing	The company laid off 200 workers.	separable
135	leave out	omit / exclude	You left out an important detail.	separable
136	let down	disappoint	I won't let you down.	separable
137	let in	allow to enter	Let me in, it's cold outside!	separable
138	let on	reveal a secret	Don't let on that you know.	inseparable
139	let out	release / make larger	Let the dog out. These pants need to be let out.	separable
140	live up to	meet expectations	The movie didn't live up to my expectations.	inseparable
141	look after	take care of	Can you look after my cat while I'm away?	inseparable
142	look back on	remember / reflect on	I look back on my college days fondly.	inseparable
143	look down on	regard with contempt	Don't look down on people who have less.	inseparable
144	look for	search for	I'm looking for my keys.	inseparable
145	look forward to	anticipate with pleasure	I'm looking forward to meeting you.	inseparable
146	look into	investigate	We're looking into the cause of the problem.	inseparable
147	look out	be careful	Look out! There's a car coming!	inseparable
148	look over	inspect	Could you look over my essay before I submit it?	inseparable
149	look through	examine quickly	I looked through the report before the meeting.	inseparable
150	look up	search in a reference / improve	Look this word up in the dictionary.	separable
151	look up to	admire	I've always looked up to my older brother.	inseparable
152	make do with	manage with something inferior	We had to make do with what we had.	inseparable
153	make for	head toward / contribute to	Good communication makes for a strong team.	inseparable
154	make fun of	ridicule	Don't make fun of other people's accents.	inseparable
155	make of	understand / form an opinion	What do you make of this situation?	inseparable
156	make off with	steal and escape	Thieves made off with $50,000 in jewelry.	inseparable
157	make out	distinguish / kiss passionately / pretend	I can't make out what this says.	inseparable
158	make up	invent / reconcile / constitute	He made up an excuse. They made up after the argument.	separable
159	make up for	compensate	Hard work can make up for lack of experience.	inseparable
160	mix up	confuse items	I always mix up their names.	separable
161	move in	start living somewhere	We're moving in next week.	inseparable
162	move on	proceed to something new	It's time to move on from this relationship.	inseparable
163	move out	stop living somewhere	She moved out of her parents' house.	inseparable
164	name after	give same name as	She was named after her grandmother.	separable
165	narrow down	reduce a list	We've narrowed down our choices to three.	separable
166	opt out	choose not to participate	You can opt out of the email list anytime.	inseparable
167	pass away	die	Her grandfather passed away peacefully.	inseparable
168	pass by	go past / visit briefly	Time passes by so quickly.	inseparable
169	pass on	transmit / decline / die	Pass on the message. I'll pass on dessert.	separable
170	pass out	faint / distribute	He passed out from the heat.	inseparable
171	pass up	miss an opportunity	Don't pass up this chance!	separable
172	pay back	return money / get revenge	I'll pay you back next week.	separable
173	pay for	suffer consequences of	You'll pay for your mistakes.	inseparable
174	pay into	deposit money into an account	I pay into my pension every month.	inseparable
175	pay off	complete debt payment / yield positive result	All your hard work will pay off.	separable
176	pick on	bully / single out unfairly	Stop picking on your little sister!	inseparable
177	pick out	choose / identify	Can you pick out your car in this photo?	separable
178	pick up	collect / learn / improve / lift	Can you pick up the kids from school?	separable
179	pick up on	notice / detect	She picked up on his nervousness.	inseparable
180	play down	minimize importance	The government played down the crisis.	separable
181	point out	indicate / draw attention to	Thanks for pointing out the error.	separable
182	pull off	succeed in doing something difficult	They pulled off an amazing comeback.	separable
183	pull out	withdraw / extract / leave	The troops pulled out of the region.	separable
184	pull over	drive to the side of the road	The police signaled us to pull over.	inseparable
185	pull through	survive a difficult situation	The doctors think she'll pull through.	inseparable
186	pull up	stop a vehicle	A car pulled up outside.	inseparable
187	put aside	save for later	We put aside some money each month.	separable
188	put away	store / eat a lot	Put away your toys please.	separable
189	put down	insult / place on surface	Stop putting yourself down.	separable
190	put forward	propose an idea	She put forward an interesting proposal.	separable
191	put off	postpone / discourage	Stop putting off your homework.	separable
192	put on	wear / gain weight / pretend	Put on your coat. He put on 5 kg.	separable
193	put out	extinguish / inconvenience	Firefighters put out the fire.	separable
194	put through	connect by phone / cause to endure	I'll put you through to the manager.	separable
195	put together	assemble	We need to put together a presentation.	separable
196	put up	provide accommodation / display	They put us up for the night.	separable
197	put up to	encourage someone to do wrong	His friends put him up to it.	separable
198	put up with	tolerate	I can't put up with this noise anymore.	inseparable
199	rely on	depend on	We rely on donations to keep going.	inseparable
200	rule out	exclude as a possibility	Police haven't ruled out foul play.	separable
201	run after	chase	The dog ran after the squirrel.	inseparable
202	run away	flee / escape	The teenager ran away from home.	inseparable
203	run down	hit with vehicle / criticize / exhausted	Stop running yourself down. He looks run down.	separable
204	run into	meet unexpectedly / encounter problems	I ran into an old friend at the mall.	inseparable
205	run out of	exhaust the supply of	We're running out of milk.	inseparable
206	run over	hit with a vehicle / exceed time limit	The meeting ran over by 30 minutes.	separable
207	run through	rehearse / use up quickly	Let's run through the presentation one more time.	inseparable
208	see off	say goodbye at departure	We went to the airport to see her off.	separable
209	set aside	reserve for a purpose	I've set aside some time for you this afternoon.	separable
210	set in	begin and likely continue	Winter is setting in.	inseparable
211	set off	begin a journey / trigger an alarm	We set off early. Smoke set off the fire alarm.	separable
212	set out	begin a journey / intend	They set out on their adventure at dawn.	inseparable
213	set up	establish / arrange	We need to set up the meeting room.	separable
214	settle down	become calm / establish a stable life	It's time to settle down and start a family.	inseparable
215	settle for	accept less than desired	Don't settle for second best.	inseparable
216	show around	tour someone through a place	Let me show you around the office.	separable
217	show off	display proudly / boast	He's always showing off his new car.	separable
218	show off	display proudly	Stop showing off in front of the guests.	separable
219	show up	arrive / embarrass	He showed up two hours late!	inseparable
220	shut down	close permanently / stop operating	The factory shut down last year.	separable
221	sign up	register / enlist	Sign up for our newsletter!	separable
222	slow down	reduce speed	You need to slow down and relax.	separable
223	sort out	resolve / organize	We need to sort out this misunderstanding.	separable
224	speak up	talk louder / express opinion	Please speak up if you disagree.	inseparable
225	split up	end relationship / divide	They split up after 10 years of marriage.	separable
226	stand by	support / be ready / observe without acting	I'll stand by my decision.	inseparable
227	stand for	represent / tolerate	What does CEO stand for?	inseparable
228	stand out	be noticeable	Her red dress made her stand out in the crowd.	inseparable
229	stand up for	defend	You need to stand up for yourself.	inseparable
230	stand up to	resist / confront	She stood up to the bully.	inseparable
231	stick to	adhere to / persist with	Stick to the plan and you'll succeed.	inseparable
232	sum up	summarize	To sum up, we're in a good position.	separable
233	switch off	stop paying attention / deactivate	I just switch off when he starts lecturing.	separable
234	tag along	follow / accompany without invitation	Can I tag along to the party?	inseparable
235	take after	resemble a family member	She takes after her mother in looks.	inseparable
236	take apart	disassemble	He took the engine apart to fix it.	separable
237	take back	return / retract a statement	I take back what I said earlier.	separable
238	take care of	look after / handle	Can you take care of the kids tonight?	inseparable
239	take down	write down / remove from high position	Take down these notes please.	separable
240	take for granted	fail to appreciate	Don't take your health for granted.	separable
241	take in	absorb / deceive / provide shelter	I couldn't take in all the information at once.	separable
242	take into account	consider	We must take all factors into account.	separable
243	take off	remove clothing / depart (plane) / become successful	The plane takes off at noon. Her career really took off.	separable
244	take on	accept responsibility / hire	Don't take on too much work.	separable
245	take out	remove / invite socially	He took her out for dinner.	separable
246	take over	assume control	A new CEO will take over next month.	separable
247	take up	start a hobby / occupy space	I've taken up painting. This desk takes up too much room.	separable
248	talk into	persuade	Don't let them talk you into doing something risky.	separable
249	tell off	scold / reprimand	The boss told him off for being late.	separable
250	think over	consider carefully	Take some time to think it over.	separable
251	throw away	discard	Don't throw away those old photos!	separable
252	throw up	vomit / abandon	The smell made me want to throw up.	separable
253	tide over	help through a difficult period	This loan should tide us over until payday.	separable
254	try on	test clothing fit	I'd like to try on this jacket.	separable
255	try out	test to evaluate	We're trying out a new ordering system.	separable
256	turn back	return to starting point	The weather was so bad we had to turn back.	inseparable
257	turn down	refuse / decrease volume	She turned down the job offer.	separable
258	turn in	submit / go to bed	It's late, I'm going to turn in.	separable
259	turn into	transform into	The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.	inseparable
260	turn off	deactivate / cause disgust	Turn off the TV. His arrogance really turns me off.	separable
261	turn on	activate	Could you turn on the lights?	separable
262	turn out	result / produce	It turned out to be a great day.	inseparable
263	turn over	flip / hand over	Turn over the page.	separable
264	turn up	arrive / increase volume	He turned up late as usual.	separable
265	use up	consume entirely	We've used up all the printer ink.	separable
266	wait on	serve / attend to	The staff waited on us hand and foot.	inseparable
267	warm up	prepare muscles / become friendlier	Let's warm up before the game.	separable
268	watch out for	be alert to danger	Watch out for pickpockets in this area.	inseparable
269	wear off	gradually disappear	The novelty will wear off soon.	inseparable
270	wear out	exhaust / make unusable through use	These shoes are worn out. I'm worn out from work.	separable
271	wind up	end up / tease / tighten a spring	We wound up at the same bar. Don't wind him up.	separable
272	wipe out	destroy completely / exhaust	The disease nearly wiped out the population.	separable
273	work on	focus effort on	I need to work on my presentation skills.	inseparable
274	work on	improve / fix	I'm working on my English pronunciation.	inseparable
275	work out	exercise / figure out / resolve	I work out three times a week. Let's work out a solution.	separable
276	work through	process mentally	She's working through some personal issues.	inseparable
277	work up	develop gradually	I worked up the courage to ask for a raise.	separable
278	wrap up	finish / cover with paper	Let's wrap up the meeting.	separable
279	write down	record in writing	Write down the address before you forget.	separable
280	write off	dismiss as unimportant / cancel a debt	Don't write off his idea just yet.	separable
281	zero in on	focus attention on	Let's zero in on the main problem.	inseparable

1

back up

support / reverse / make a copy

Back up your files regularly. I'll back you up.

separable

2

blow up

explode / inflate / enlarge

The balloon blew up. Don't blow up the photo too much.

separable

3

boil down to

summarize to essence

It all boils down to money.

inseparable

4

break down

stop working / analyze / lose control emotionally

My car broke down. Let's break down the problem.

inseparable

5

break in

interrupt / wear until comfortable

Sorry to break in, but I have news.

separable

6

break into

enter forcibly / start suddenly

Someone broke into our house. She broke into song.

inseparable

7

break off

end / snap off

They broke off negotiations.

separable

8

break out

escape / start suddenly (war, fire)

A fire broke out in the building.

inseparable

9

break through

overcome a barrier

Scientists broke through in cancer research.

inseparable

10

break up

end a relationship / disperse

They broke up after five years together.

separable

11

bring about

cause to happen

The internet brought about huge changes.

separable

12

bring back

return / reintroduce / remind

That song brings back memories.

separable

13

bring down

reduce / make unhappy

We need to bring down costs.

separable

14

bring in

introduce / earn

The company brought in record profits.

separable

15

bring out

release / reveal

They're bringing out a new model next year.

separable

16

bring together

unite people

The festival brings together people of all ages.

separable

17

bring up

raise a topic / raise a child

Don't bring up that embarrassing story.

separable

18

brush up on

refresh knowledge

I need to brush up on my French.

inseparable

19

burn out

exhaust oneself / stop burning

The candle burned out. Many teachers burn out.

inseparable

20

call back

return a phone call

I'll call you back in ten minutes.

separable

21

call for

require / demand / pick up

This situation calls for immediate action.

inseparable

22

call off

cancel

The game was called off due to rain.

separable

23

call on

visit / ask to speak

The teacher called on me to answer.

inseparable

24

call up

telephone / summon for military service

I'll call up the restaurant and make a reservation.

separable

25

carry off

succeed in doing something difficult

She carried off the award for best actress.

separable

26

carry on

continue

Carry on with your work, don't mind me.

inseparable

27

carry out

execute / perform

We must carry out the plan as agreed.

separable

28

carry over

transfer to next period

The unused vacation days carry over to next year.

separable

29

catch up with

reach same level

I need to catch up with the latest news.

inseparable

30

check in

register at hotel/airport

We checked in online to save time.

inseparable

31

check out

leave hotel / investigate / borrow

Check out this cool video!

separable

32

cheer up

become/make happier

A good movie always cheers me up.

separable

33

clean up

tidy thoroughly / make a profit

Clean up your room! They cleaned up on that deal.

separable

34

come about

happen / occur

How did this situation come about?

inseparable

35

come across

find accidentally / give impression

I came across an old photo. She comes across as confident.

inseparable

36

come along

arrive / make progress

How's your project coming along?

inseparable

37

come back

return

I just came back from vacation.

inseparable

38

come down

decrease / descend

Prices are coming down after the holidays.

inseparable

39

come down with

become ill with

I think I'm coming down with a cold.

inseparable

40

come in

enter

Come in and have a seat.

inseparable

41

come off

detach / succeed

The button came off my shirt.

inseparable

42

come out

be published / reveal / result

The new book comes out next month.

inseparable

43

come over

visit someone's home

Why don't you come over for dinner?

inseparable

44

come through

succeed / survive difficulty

She came through the surgery fine.

inseparable

45

come up

arise / be mentioned

Something urgent came up at work.

inseparable

46

come up with

think of an idea

We need to come up with a solution.

inseparable

47

count on

rely on

You can count on me.

inseparable

48

cross out

delete with a line

Cross out any wrong answers.

separable

49

cut back

reduce expenditure

The company is cutting back on expenses.

separable

50

cut down on

reduce consumption of

I need to cut down on sugar.

inseparable

51

cut in

interrupt / merge into traffic

He rudely cut in while I was speaking.

inseparable

52

cut off

disconnect / isolate

The phone call was cut off.

separable

53

cut out

remove / stop suddenly

The engine just cut out.

separable

54

deal with

handle / manage

How do you deal with stress?

inseparable

55

do away with

abolish / eliminate

They want to do away with the old system.

inseparable

56

do over

do again / redecorate

My homework was messy so I had to do it over.

separable

57

do without

manage despite lacking

I could do without all this noise.

inseparable

58

drag on

continue tediously

The meeting dragged on for hours.

inseparable

59

draw up

prepare formally

Let's draw up a contract.

separable

60

dress up

wear formal/fancy clothes

We dressed up for the wedding.

separable

61

drop by

visit informally

Feel free to drop by anytime.

inseparable

62

drop off

deliver / fall asleep / decrease

I'll drop off your package on the way.

separable

63

drop out

quit school/course

He dropped out of college after one year.

inseparable

64

eat out

dine at a restaurant

Let's eat out tonight.

inseparable

65

end up

eventually arrive at a situation

We ended up staying home after all.

inseparable

66

face up to

accept a difficult reality

You need to face up to your mistakes.

inseparable

67

fall apart

disintegrate / break down emotionally

The deal fell apart at the last minute.

inseparable

68

fall behind

not keep up

I fell behind on my rent payments.

inseparable

69

fall through

fail to happen

Our plans for the weekend fell through.

inseparable

70

figure out

understand / solve

I can't figure out why this isn't working.

separable

71

fill in

substitute temporarily / complete details

Can you fill in for me tomorrow?

separable

72

fill out

complete a form

Please fill out this application form.

separable

73

fill up

make completely full

The stadium filled up quickly.

separable

74

find out

discover

I need to find out what happened.

separable

75

get across

communicate successfully

I couldn't get my point across in the meeting.

separable

76

get along

have a friendly relationship

Do you get along with your neighbors?

inseparable

77

get along with

have good relationship with

She gets along with everyone.

inseparable

78

get around

travel / avoid a restriction

There's no way to get around the new rules.

inseparable

79

get away

escape / take a vacation

We're getting away for the weekend.

inseparable

80

get back

return / regain possession

When will you get back from your trip?

inseparable

81

get behind

support / fall behind schedule

The team got behind on the project.

inseparable

82

get by

manage with limited resources

We don't earn much but we get by.

inseparable

83

get down

descend / depress

This rainy weather really gets me down.

separable

84

get into

enter / become interested in

She got into photography last year.

inseparable

85

get off

leave a vehicle / finish work

I get off work at 5 PM.

inseparable

86

get on

board a vehicle / have a good relationship

She got on the bus. They get on well together.

inseparable

87

get out of

avoid a responsibility / exit

He always tries to get out of doing dishes.

inseparable

88

get over

recover from / overcome

It took weeks to get over the flu.

inseparable

89

get rid of

dispose of / eliminate

I need to get rid of these old clothes.

inseparable

90

get through

complete successfully / make contact

I finally got through to customer service.

inseparable

91

get together

meet socially

Let's get together for coffee sometime.

inseparable

92

get up

rise from bed / stand up

I usually get up at 7 AM.

inseparable

93

get used to

become accustomed to

It takes time to get used to a new job.

inseparable

94

give away

donate / reveal a secret

She gave away all her old books.

separable

95

give back

return something

Please give back the book when you're done.

separable

96

give birth to

produce offspring / create

She gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

inseparable

97

give in

yield / submit

After hours of negotiation, they finally gave in.

inseparable

98

give off

emit

The fire gives off a lot of heat.

separable

99

give out

distribute / stop functioning

The teacher gave out the test papers.

separable

100

give up

quit / surrender

Don't give up on your dreams.

separable

101

go ahead

proceed

Go ahead, I'll catch up later.

inseparable

102

go along with

agree / accompany

I'll go along with your plan.

inseparable

103

go back

return / date back

This tradition goes back centuries.

inseparable

104

go down

decrease / be received

Prices went down. The speech went down well.

inseparable

105

go for

choose / attack / try to achieve

I think I'll go for the steak.

inseparable

106

go off

explode / ring / spoil

The alarm went off at 6 AM. The milk has gone off.

inseparable

107

go on

continue / happen

What's going on here? Please go on with your story.

inseparable

108

go out

leave home socially / be extinguished

We're going out tonight.

inseparable

109

go over

review / examine

Let's go over the details one more time.

inseparable

110

go through

examine / experience difficulty

I've been going through a tough time.

inseparable

111

go up

increase / be built

Rents have gone up again.

inseparable

112

go with

match / accompany

This tie goes with your shirt perfectly.

inseparable

113

go without

endure lack of

We went without electricity for three days.

inseparable

114

grow up

mature from child to adult

I grew up in a small town.

inseparable

115

hand in

submit

Please hand in your assignments by Friday.

separable

116

hang on

wait / grip tightly

Hang on a second, I'll check.

inseparable

117

hang out

spend time casually

We used to hang out at the mall.

inseparable

118

have over

host someone at your home

We're having friends over for dinner.

separable

119

heat up

make warmer / become more intense

The competition is heating up.

separable

120

hit on

flirt with / suddenly think of

He tried to hit on her at the bar.

inseparable

121

hold back

restrain / conceal

She held back her tears.

separable

122

hold off

delay

Let's hold off on making a decision.

separable

123

hold on

wait / grip tightly

Hold on a moment, I'll be right back.

inseparable

124

hold out

resist / extend offering

The villagers held out against the flood.

inseparable

125

hold up

delay / support

Sorry I'm late — I was held up in traffic.

separable

126

join in

participate

Everyone joined in the singing.

inseparable

127

keep away

stay at a distance

Keep away from the edge of the cliff!

inseparable

128

keep back

withhold / stay at a distance

Keep back! It's dangerous!

separable

129

keep from

prevent / refrain from

I couldn't keep from laughing.

inseparable

130

keep on

continue

He keeps on making the same mistake.

inseparable

131

keep up

maintain pace

Keep up the good work!

separable

132

kick off

begin

The conference kicks off tomorrow.

separable

133

knock out

render unconscious / eliminate

The boxer knocked out his opponent.

separable

134

lay off

fire from a job / stop doing

The company laid off 200 workers.

separable

135

leave out

omit / exclude

You left out an important detail.

separable

136

let down

disappoint

I won't let you down.

separable

137

let in

allow to enter

Let me in, it's cold outside!

separable

138

let on

reveal a secret

Don't let on that you know.

inseparable

139

let out

release / make larger

Let the dog out. These pants need to be let out.

separable

140

live up to

meet expectations

The movie didn't live up to my expectations.

inseparable

141

look after

take care of

Can you look after my cat while I'm away?

inseparable

142

look back on

remember / reflect on

I look back on my college days fondly.

inseparable

143

look down on

regard with contempt

Don't look down on people who have less.

inseparable

144

look for

search for

I'm looking for my keys.

inseparable

145

look forward to

anticipate with pleasure

I'm looking forward to meeting you.

inseparable

146

look into

investigate

We're looking into the cause of the problem.

inseparable

147

look out

be careful

Look out! There's a car coming!

inseparable

148

look over

inspect

Could you look over my essay before I submit it?

inseparable

149

look through

examine quickly

I looked through the report before the meeting.

inseparable

150

look up

search in a reference / improve

Look this word up in the dictionary.

separable

151

look up to

admire

I've always looked up to my older brother.

inseparable

152

make do with

manage with something inferior

We had to make do with what we had.

inseparable

153

make for

head toward / contribute to

Good communication makes for a strong team.

inseparable

154

make fun of

ridicule

Don't make fun of other people's accents.

inseparable

155

make of

understand / form an opinion

What do you make of this situation?

inseparable

156

make off with

steal and escape

Thieves made off with $50,000 in jewelry.

inseparable

157

make out

distinguish / kiss passionately / pretend

I can't make out what this says.

inseparable

158

make up

invent / reconcile / constitute

He made up an excuse. They made up after the argument.

separable

159

make up for

compensate

Hard work can make up for lack of experience.

inseparable

160

mix up

confuse items

I always mix up their names.

separable

161

move in

start living somewhere

We're moving in next week.

inseparable

162

move on

proceed to something new

It's time to move on from this relationship.

inseparable

163

move out

stop living somewhere

She moved out of her parents' house.

inseparable

164

name after

give same name as

She was named after her grandmother.

separable

165

narrow down

reduce a list

We've narrowed down our choices to three.

separable

166

opt out

choose not to participate

You can opt out of the email list anytime.

inseparable

167

pass away

die

Her grandfather passed away peacefully.

inseparable

168

pass by

go past / visit briefly

Time passes by so quickly.

inseparable

169

pass on

transmit / decline / die

Pass on the message. I'll pass on dessert.

separable

170

pass out

faint / distribute

He passed out from the heat.

inseparable

171

pass up

miss an opportunity

Don't pass up this chance!

separable

172

pay back

return money / get revenge

I'll pay you back next week.

separable

173

pay for

suffer consequences of

You'll pay for your mistakes.

inseparable

174

pay into

deposit money into an account

I pay into my pension every month.

inseparable

175

pay off

complete debt payment / yield positive result

All your hard work will pay off.

separable

176

pick on

bully / single out unfairly

Stop picking on your little sister!

inseparable

177

pick out

choose / identify

Can you pick out your car in this photo?

separable

178

pick up

collect / learn / improve / lift

Can you pick up the kids from school?

separable

179

pick up on

notice / detect

She picked up on his nervousness.

inseparable

180

play down

minimize importance

The government played down the crisis.

separable

181

point out

indicate / draw attention to

Thanks for pointing out the error.

separable

182

pull off

succeed in doing something difficult

They pulled off an amazing comeback.

separable

183

pull out

withdraw / extract / leave

The troops pulled out of the region.

separable

184

pull over

drive to the side of the road

The police signaled us to pull over.

inseparable

185

pull through

survive a difficult situation

The doctors think she'll pull through.

inseparable

186

pull up

stop a vehicle

A car pulled up outside.

inseparable

187

put aside

save for later

We put aside some money each month.

separable

188

put away

store / eat a lot

Put away your toys please.

separable

189

put down

insult / place on surface

Stop putting yourself down.

separable

190

put forward

propose an idea

She put forward an interesting proposal.

separable

191

put off

postpone / discourage

Stop putting off your homework.

separable

192

put on

wear / gain weight / pretend

Put on your coat. He put on 5 kg.

separable

193

put out

extinguish / inconvenience

Firefighters put out the fire.

separable

194

put through

connect by phone / cause to endure

I'll put you through to the manager.

separable

195

put together

assemble

We need to put together a presentation.

separable

196

put up

provide accommodation / display

They put us up for the night.

separable

197

put up to

encourage someone to do wrong

His friends put him up to it.

separable

198

put up with

tolerate

I can't put up with this noise anymore.

inseparable

199

rely on

depend on

We rely on donations to keep going.

inseparable

200

rule out

exclude as a possibility

Police haven't ruled out foul play.

separable

201

run after

chase

The dog ran after the squirrel.

inseparable

202

run away

flee / escape

The teenager ran away from home.

inseparable

203

run down

hit with vehicle / criticize / exhausted

Stop running yourself down. He looks run down.

separable

204

run into

meet unexpectedly / encounter problems

I ran into an old friend at the mall.

inseparable

205

run out of

exhaust the supply of

We're running out of milk.

inseparable

206

run over

hit with a vehicle / exceed time limit

The meeting ran over by 30 minutes.

separable

207

run through

rehearse / use up quickly

Let's run through the presentation one more time.

inseparable

208

see off

say goodbye at departure

We went to the airport to see her off.

separable

209

set aside

reserve for a purpose

I've set aside some time for you this afternoon.

separable

210

set in

begin and likely continue

Winter is setting in.

inseparable

211

set off

begin a journey / trigger an alarm

We set off early. Smoke set off the fire alarm.

separable

212

set out

begin a journey / intend

They set out on their adventure at dawn.

inseparable

213

set up

establish / arrange

We need to set up the meeting room.

separable

214

settle down

become calm / establish a stable life

It's time to settle down and start a family.

inseparable

215

settle for

accept less than desired

Don't settle for second best.

inseparable

216

show around

tour someone through a place

Let me show you around the office.

separable

217

show off

display proudly / boast

He's always showing off his new car.

separable

218

show off

display proudly

Stop showing off in front of the guests.

separable

219

show up

arrive / embarrass

He showed up two hours late!

inseparable

220

shut down

close permanently / stop operating

The factory shut down last year.

separable

221

sign up

register / enlist

Sign up for our newsletter!

separable

222

slow down

reduce speed

You need to slow down and relax.

separable

223

sort out

resolve / organize

We need to sort out this misunderstanding.

separable

224

speak up

talk louder / express opinion

Please speak up if you disagree.

inseparable

225

split up

end relationship / divide

They split up after 10 years of marriage.

separable

226

stand by

support / be ready / observe without acting

I'll stand by my decision.

inseparable

227

stand for

represent / tolerate

What does CEO stand for?

inseparable

228

stand out

be noticeable

Her red dress made her stand out in the crowd.

inseparable

229

stand up for

defend

You need to stand up for yourself.

inseparable

230

stand up to

resist / confront

She stood up to the bully.

inseparable

231

stick to

adhere to / persist with

Stick to the plan and you'll succeed.

inseparable

232

sum up

summarize

To sum up, we're in a good position.

separable

233

switch off

stop paying attention / deactivate

I just switch off when he starts lecturing.

separable

234

tag along

follow / accompany without invitation

Can I tag along to the party?

inseparable

235

take after

resemble a family member

She takes after her mother in looks.

inseparable

236

take apart

disassemble

He took the engine apart to fix it.

separable

237

take back

return / retract a statement

I take back what I said earlier.

separable

238

take care of

look after / handle

Can you take care of the kids tonight?

inseparable

239

take down

write down / remove from high position

Take down these notes please.

separable

240

take for granted

fail to appreciate

Don't take your health for granted.

separable

241

take in

absorb / deceive / provide shelter

I couldn't take in all the information at once.

separable

242

take into account

consider

We must take all factors into account.

separable

243

take off

remove clothing / depart (plane) / become successful

The plane takes off at noon. Her career really took off.

separable

244

take on

accept responsibility / hire

Don't take on too much work.

separable

245

take out

remove / invite socially

He took her out for dinner.

separable

246

take over

assume control

A new CEO will take over next month.

separable

247

take up

start a hobby / occupy space

I've taken up painting. This desk takes up too much room.

separable

248

talk into

persuade

Don't let them talk you into doing something risky.

separable

249

tell off

scold / reprimand

The boss told him off for being late.

separable

250

think over

consider carefully

Take some time to think it over.

separable

251

throw away

discard

Don't throw away those old photos!

separable

252

throw up

vomit / abandon

The smell made me want to throw up.

separable

253

tide over

help through a difficult period

This loan should tide us over until payday.

separable

254

try on

test clothing fit

I'd like to try on this jacket.

separable

255

try out

test to evaluate

We're trying out a new ordering system.

separable

256

turn back

return to starting point

The weather was so bad we had to turn back.

inseparable

257

turn down

refuse / decrease volume

She turned down the job offer.

separable

258

turn in

submit / go to bed

It's late, I'm going to turn in.

separable

259

turn into

transform into

The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.

inseparable

260

turn off

deactivate / cause disgust

Turn off the TV. His arrogance really turns me off.

separable

261

turn on

activate

Could you turn on the lights?

separable

262

turn out

result / produce

It turned out to be a great day.

inseparable

263

turn over

flip / hand over

Turn over the page.

separable

264

turn up

arrive / increase volume

He turned up late as usual.

separable

265

use up

consume entirely

We've used up all the printer ink.

separable

266

wait on

serve / attend to

The staff waited on us hand and foot.

inseparable

267

warm up

prepare muscles / become friendlier

Let's warm up before the game.

separable

268

watch out for

be alert to danger

Watch out for pickpockets in this area.

inseparable

269

wear off

gradually disappear

The novelty will wear off soon.

inseparable

270

wear out

exhaust / make unusable through use

These shoes are worn out. I'm worn out from work.

separable

271

wind up

end up / tease / tighten a spring

We wound up at the same bar. Don't wind him up.

separable

272

wipe out

destroy completely / exhaust

The disease nearly wiped out the population.

separable

273

work on

focus effort on

I need to work on my presentation skills.

inseparable

274

work on

improve / fix

I'm working on my English pronunciation.

inseparable

275

work out

exercise / figure out / resolve

I work out three times a week. Let's work out a solution.

separable

276

work through

process mentally

She's working through some personal issues.

inseparable

277

work up

develop gradually

I worked up the courage to ask for a raise.

separable

278

wrap up

finish / cover with paper

Let's wrap up the meeting.

separable

279

write down

record in writing

Write down the address before you forget.

separable

280

write off

dismiss as unimportant / cancel a debt

Don't write off his idea just yet.

separable

281

zero in on

focus attention on

Let's zero in on the main problem.

inseparable

Complete Phrasal Verbs List