Examples of the Most Common English Phrasal Verbs

What are phrasal verbs?

This post looks in depth at phrasal verbs in the English language. While other languages of the Germanic branch also have something akin to phrasal verbs, they are unique to English in their abundance. There are more than 5,000 phrasal verbs in total in the English language (some estimate that there are tens of thousands, taking all regional dialects into account) and a wide variety of common prepositions and adverbs feature in these.

Essentially, a phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or more prepositions or adverbs that together create a distinct, often idiomatic, meaning that can be different from the meaning that might be created by those words individually.

So, don’t be intimidated, and don’t hide from them; just learn them!

An explanation of the possible structures of phrasal verbs

1. Verb + Preposition = The preposition follows the verb:

• turn on
• give up
• look into
• take off

2. Verb + Adverb + Preposition = The adverb comes between the verb and the preposition:

• get away with
• look forward to
• come up with
• give in to

3. Verb + Adverb = Intransitive phrasal verbs where the adverb follows the verb:

• wake up
• sit down
• stand up

(An intransitive verb is a verb that doesn’t require a direct object to complete its meaning and can stand alone in a sentence.)

Some phrasal verbs have literal meanings, some have a meaning other than their literal appearance (an idiomatic meaning), and some have both.

A list of the most common phrasal verbs, listed by particle

Here are some common phrasal verbs with the most common prepositions or adverbs. Although explanations are given, some of these phrasal verbs may have literal meanings beside any non-literal meanings given.

About

Think about: consider or contemplate something

• I need some time to think about your proposal.

Talk about: discuss or mention a topic

• Let’s talk about our plans for the weekend.

Worry about: be concerned or anxious regarding something

• I can’t help but worry about the upcoming exam.

Ask about: request information concerning something

• I’ll ask about the availability of tickets at the box office.

Learn about: acquire knowledge or information on a subject

• I love reading books to learn about different cultures.

Care about: have an interest in or concern for someone or something

• She really cares about the environment and volunteers for clean-up events.

Lie about: to tell false or misleading information

• She didn’t want to get in trouble, so she lied about her whereabouts.

Joke about: to make jokes or humorous comments related to a topic

• We often joke about his love for spicy food.

Above

Look above: to direct your gaze upwards

• She looked above and saw a beautiful painting on the wall.

Rise above: to overcome a difficult situation or to be better than expected

• Despite the challenges, they managed to rise above and succeed.

Go above and beyond: to exceed what is required or expected

• The employee always goes above and beyond in their work.

Hover above: to remain in the air without moving downwards

• The helicopter hovered above the crash site, ready to assist.

Stand above: to be superior or better than something or someone

• Her skills in maths stand above those of her classmates.

Across

Come across: to find or encounter something or someone unexpectedly

• I came across an old friend at the shop yesterday.

Run across: to meet or find someone or something by chance

• I ran across a great book while browsing at the library.

Get across: to successfully communicate or convey an idea or message

• It can be challenging to get your point across in a foreign language.

Come across as: to be perceived in a certain way

• She came across as very confident during the presentation.

Look across: to gaze or direct your eyes in the direction of something

• We looked across the river at the beautiful sunset.

After

Go after: to pursue or chase something or someone

• She decided to go after her dream of becoming a pilot.

Look after: to take care of or attend to someone or something

• I need to look after my younger brother while my parents are away.

Call after: to name someone or something after someone else

• They called their daughter after her grandmother.

Take after: to resemble or have similar characteristics to a family member

• He takes after his father in terms of his love for music.

Ask after: to inquire about someone’s well-being or health

• When you see him, please ask after his family.

Run after: to pursue a romantic or emotional interest in someone

• She’s been running after him for years, but he doesn’t seem interested.

Against

Go against: to oppose or resist something

• She decided to go against her parents’ wishes and pursue her own career.

Push against: to exert force in the opposite direction

• They pushed against the heavy door until it finally opened.

Rebel against: to resist or defy authority or rules

• The workers rebelled against the new company policies.

Prejudice against: to hold biased or negative opinions about a particular group

• Discrimination is rooted in prejudice against certain races or ethnicities.

Test against: to evaluate or compare something with a standard or criteria

• They tested the product against industry standards before releasing it.

Guard against: to take precautions or be vigilant to prevent something undesirable

• You should guard against identity theft by protecting your personal information.

Count against: to be considered as a negative factor or disadvantage

• His lack of experience may count against him in the job interview.

Warn against: to advise someone against doing something risky or unwise

• The doctor warned against smoking due to its harmful health effects.

Around

Look around: to examine or search a place or area

• I looked around the room for my keys.

Hang around: to spend time in a place with no particular purpose

• They like to hang around the park after school.

Mess around: to waste time or engage in aimless activities

• Stop messing around and focus on your homework.

Turn around: to change direction or reverse one’s course

• She turned around and walked back to the car.

Get around: to move from place to place or find a way to overcome an obstacle

• He can get around the city easily using public transport.
• How can we get around this?

Joke around: to engage in playful or humorous behaviour

• We like to joke around with each other.

Play around: to engage in casual activities, not taken seriously

• They were just playing around in the park.

Dance around: to avoid discussing or addressing a topic directly

• Stop dancing around the issue and tell me what’s wrong.

Shop around: to compare prices or products at different stores before making a purchase

• I like to shop around to find the best deals.

Fool around: to engage in playful or silly behaviour, or to waste time

• Instead of studying, they were fooling around all evening.

As

Act as: to perform the function or role of something

• She acted as the team captain during the game.

Pass as: to be accepted or considered as something else

• His fake ID card passed as a legitimate one.

Serve as: to function or be used in a particular capacity

• The old warehouse now serves as an art gallery.

Qualify as: to meet the requirements or standards for something

• She qualified as a certified accountant after passing the exam.

Count as: to be considered equivalent to something

• This extra credit assignment will count as part of your final mark.

Hold as: to consider or believe something to be true

• He holds his family’s traditions as very important.

Regard as: to view or consider something in a particular way

• Many people regard him as a talented musician.

Identify as: to declare or recognize oneself as a member of a particular group or category

• She identifies as an atheist.

Pass off as: to try to make something or oneself be accepted as genuine or authentic

• He tried to pass off the counterfeit painting as an original.

Function as: to operate or work as something

• The new computer programme can function as a calculator as well.

At

Aim at (a target): to direct one’s efforts or actions towards achieving a specific goal or target

• She aimed at becoming a successful lawyer from a very young age.

Arrive at (a destination): to reach or reach one’s intended location or endpoint

• They finally arrived at the airport after a long flight.

Drive at (a great speed): to operate a vehicle at a high rate of speed

• The sports car was driving at incredible speeds on the racetrack.

Frown at: to express disapproval or displeasure through a facial expression

• When she saw the messy room, she couldn’t help but frown at her kids.

Good at (doing something): to possess a skill or ability to perform a specific task proficiently

• He’s really good at playing the guitar; he can play almost any song.

Laugh at (a good joke): to respond to humour by making a sound expressing amusement

• Everyone at the party laughed at the comedian’s hilarious jokes.

Look at: to direct one’s gaze towards something to observe or examine it

• She asked him to look at the beautiful sunset over the ocean.

Play at (a particular game): to engage in a game or sport for enjoyment or competition

• The children were playing at hide-and-seek in the backyard.

Priced at: to indicate the cost or value of something

• The new smartphone is priced at £599.

Work (hard) at: to put effort into completing a task, often with diligence and dedication

• She worked hard at her studies to achieve top grades in school.

By

Get by: to manage or survive with minimal resources or effort

• She had to get by on a tight budget during her university years.

Drop by: to visit someone briefly or make an unplanned visit

• I’ll drop by your house later this evening to drop off the book you lent me.

Go by: to pass or elapse (time) or to be guided by something

• Time seemed to go by so quickly during our holiday.

Stand by: to be ready or available to help or support

• The support team is standing by to assist you with any technical issues.

Live by: to follow or adhere to a particular principle or code of conduct

• He always believed in honesty and integrity and lived by those principles throughout his life.

Swear by: to have strong confidence in or trust something or someone

• She swears by her grandmother’s home remedy for a sore throat.

Pass by: to go past something or someone without stopping

• We watched the beautiful landscape as we passed by on the train.

Drop by: to deliver or leave something at a place casually or quickly

• Can you drop by the office and pick up the documents on your way home?

Get by: to cope or survive under difficult circumstances

• Despite facing financial difficulties, they managed to get by with the help of their friends and family.

Run by: to briefly explain or mention something for approval or feedback

• Before finalising the proposal, I’ll run it by the team for their input.

Abide by: to comply with or follow rules, laws or agreements

• It’s important to abide by the rules of the organisation to maintain a safe working environment.

Pass by: to ignore or disregard something or someone

• I can’t believe he just passed by without saying hello.

Be taken aback by: to be surprised or shocked by something

• I was taken aback by her sudden announcement that she was resigning from her job.

Down

Write down: to make a written record of something

• Please write down the important points of the meeting.

Break down: to stop working properly or to fail

• Their car broke down on the way to the party.

Slow down: to reduce speed or decrease in pace.

• The driver was asked to slow down in the school zone.

Cut down: to reduce the amount or quantity of something

• They decided to cut down on their expenses to save money.

Turn down: to reject or refuse an offer, request or invitation

• Unfortunately, they turned down his job application.

Track down: to locate or find someone or something, typically after searching

• They managed to track down the missing dog.

Narrow down: to reduce the number of options or possibilities

• We need to narrow down our choices for the holiday destination.

Calm down: to become or make someone less agitated or upset

• She needed some time to calm down after the argument.

Look down on: to see someone as beneath one

• Jane really looks down on me.

For

To account for: give information about

• The police have asked him to account for his whereabouts that night.

To ask for: to request or inquire about something

• He often asks his boss for a raise.

To care for: to feel affection to someone or something

• He really cares deeply for his dog.

To fall for: to believe something, to love someone

• Don’t fall for that story.
• She is falling for him.

To look for: to search for

• I searched everywhere for my keys.

To make up for: to compensate for

• He bought me some flowers to make up for our argument.

To stand up for: to take the side of a party, to support

• My best friend always stands up for me.

To stand for: to represent to put op with

• I will not stand for prime minister in the election.
• I won’t stand for this nonsense.

To thank for: to express gratitude or appreciation for something

• I want to thank you for your generous donation to the charity event.

To wait for: to stay in anticipation or readiness for someone or something to arrive or happen

• We’ll wait for you at the restaurant until you finish your work and can join us for dinner.

From

Benefit from: to gain an advantage or positive outcome from something

• Students benefit from studying regularly, as it helps them perform better in exams.

Recover from: to regain one’s health, strength, or normal state after an illness, injury or setback

• After a long illness, she finally recovered from her flu and returned to work.

Learn from: to gain knowledge or understanding through an experience, observation or instruction

• We can learn from our mistakes and use them as opportunities for personal growth.

Hide from: to conceal oneself to avoid being seen or found

• The children hid from their parents when they were playing hide-and-seek.

Suffer from: to experience physical or emotional pain or discomfort due to a particular condition or situation

• She has been suffering from allergies for years and takes medication to manage her symptoms.

Keep from: to withhold or refrain from disclosing information or actions

• He couldn’t keep himself from smiling when he heard the good news.

Come from: to originate or have one’s place of origin somewhere

• My grandparents come from a small village in Italy.

Take away from: to detract or diminish the value, importance or quality of something

• The unnecessary drama in the film took away from its overall impact.

Turn away from: to avert one’s gaze or attention from something

• She turned away from the disturbing scene in the film because it was too graphic.

Move away from: to relocate or change one’s position from a specific place or situation

• The family decided to move away from the city to enjoy a quieter life in the countryside.

Get away from: to escape or distance oneself from a person, place or situation

• He needed a holiday to get away from the stress of his demanding job.

Break away from: to separate or detach oneself from a group or relationship, often in pursuit of independence

• He decided to break away from his old friends and find new ones who shared his interests.

In

Fill in: to provide missing information or complete a form or document

• Please fill in your name and contact details on the application form.

Hand in: to submit or give something to someone in authority

• Students must hand in their assignments by the deadline.

Take in: to internalise information, or to physically take in an object or person

• I can’t take it all in. it’s too much information at once.
• They have taken in a refugee.

Move in: to begin living in a new residence or location, to get closer (often uncomfortably) to a person or situation

• We’re excited to move in to our new house next week.
• The troops are moving in on the target.

Drop in: to pay someone a visit

• Let’s drop in on Grandad on the way home.

Check in: to register one’s arrival or presence at a hotel, airport or event

• Before the flight, we checked in and had a cup of tea in the waiting area.

Pop in: to go in somewhere briefly

• The neighbour just popped in with some post for us.

Join in: to take part in an activity

• We’re playing rummy. Would you like to join in?

Step in: to replace someone or something

• Because Aidan is ill today, Johnno will step in.

Result in: to cause a particular outcome or consequence

• Poor communication can result in misunderstandings and conflicts.

Cash in: to exchange something, such as chips or an asset, for money or profit

• He decided to cash in his investments when the stock market reached a peak.

Believe in: to have faith or trust in the existence, value, or truth of something

• I believe in the power of education to change lives.

Fit in: to adapt, or to find one’s place, or to be socially accepted within a group or community

• It can be challenging to fit in when you’re new to a school, but making friends helps.

Into

Look into: to investigate or examine a situation or problem

• The detective promised to look into the mysterious disappearance.

Run into: to encounter unexpectedly or by chance

• I ran into an old friend at the corner shop yesterday.

Read into: to interpret or find hidden meaning in something

• He tends to read too much into people’s comments.

Get into: to become involved or interested in something

• She got into photography as a hobby and now takes amazing pictures.

Of

Get rid of: to dispose of or eliminate something unwanted or unnecessary

• She decided to get rid of all the old clothes in her wardrobe by donating them to charity.

Take care of: to attend to or look after someone or something

• Sarah offered to take care of her friend’s pets while they were on holiday.

Think of: to come up with an idea, concept or thought

• Can you think of a good name for our new product?

Speak of: to mention or discuss someone or something

• During the meeting, the manager spoke of the upcoming changes in the company’s policies.

Dream of: to have a strong desire or aspiration for something

• As a child, she used to dream of becoming an astronaut and exploring space.

Take advantage of: to make the most of an opportunity or situation

• He decided to take advantage of the sale and bought the computer at a discounted price.

Make fun of: to mock or ridicule someone or something in a light-hearted or hurtful manner

• It’s not polite to make fun of someone’s accent; it can be hurtful.

Run out of: to deplete the supply of something, usually to the point of exhaustion

• We need to go to the corner shop; we’ve run out of milk.

Get tired of: to become weary or bored with something over time

• After years of eating the same meal every day, he got tired of it and wanted something different.

Hear of: to become aware of or learn about someone or something through information or news

• Have you heard of the new restaurant that just opened?

Off

Take off: to remove something, like clothing or a lid, or to depart

• She just took off without any warning.

Set off: to start a journey or trip

• We will set off early tomorrow morning.

Turn off: to stop the operation of a device or switch something off

• Don’t forget to turn off the lights before you leave the room.

Back off: to move away from someone or something in order to create distance

• He told the aggressive person to back off and give him some space.

Run off: to produce copies of something using a machine

• I need to run off a few copies of this document for the meeting.

Show off: to display one’s abilities or possessions proudly

• He’s always showing off his new car to everyone.

Brush off: to dismiss or ignore someone or something casually

• She tried to offer help, but he brushed her off and continued working.

Call off: to cancel an event or activity

• They had to call off the picnic because of the bad weather.

Drop off: to deliver a person or parcel

• The package was dropped off this morning.

Lay off: to terminate someone’s employment

• Bob was laid off last week, along with three of his colleagues.

On

Based on: to derive information or make decisions from a particular source or foundation

• The project’s success was based on careful market research.

Take on: to accept or assume responsibility, a task or a challenge

• She decided to take on the leadership role in the team.

Put on: to wear clothing or accessories

• He put on his favourite coat before going out.

Go on: to continue or proceed with an action or event

• The concert will go on as scheduled, despite the rain.

Carry on: to persist or continue with an activity or behaviour.

• Despite the setbacks, she decided to carry on with her studies.

Turn on: to activate or start a device, appliance or mechanism

• Please turn on the lights; it’s getting dark in here.

Run on: to continue for a longer duration, often used for events or discussions

• The meeting ran on for hours, discussing various topics.

Write on: to compose or create written content on a particular subject

• The author decided to write on the topic of environmental conservation.

Call on: to request or invite someone to speak, contribute or answer

• The teacher called on the students to answer the maths problem.

Play on: to continue a game, activity or situation

• The football match will play on, despite the heavy rain.

Settle on: to make a decision or choice after considering various options

• After much debate, they finally settled on a holiday destination.

Keep on: to continue doing something without interruption

• Despite the challenges, he vowed to keep on working towards his goals.

Work on: to put effort into a task or project to make progress

• They need to work on improving their communication skills.

Depend on: to rely on someone or something for support, help or success

• Our success depends on the dedication of our team members.

Act on: to take action or make decisions based on information or advice

• The company decided to act on the customer feedback and make necessary improvements.

Focus on: to concentrate attention, effort or resources on a specific task or goal

• It’s important to focus on your studies during the exam week.

Hold on: to grasp or maintain one’s position or belief

• He asked her to hold on to the railing while climbing the stairs.

Catch on: to understand or become popular or widely accepted

• The new trend started to catch on among young people.

Look on: to observe or watch without direct involvement

• They stood at the side-lines to look on as the team practised.

Press on: to continue with determination despite difficulties or obstacles

• Despite the exhaustion, the walkers pressed on.

On to

Catch on to: to understand or grasp a concept or idea.

• It took a while, but she finally caught on to the new software.

Out

Find out: to discover or learn something

• I need to find out more about this mystery.

Work out: to exercise or calculate something

• I work out at the gym every morning.
• I just can’t work out what’s going on.

Figure out: to understand or solve a problem

• It took me a while to figure out the puzzle.

Sort out: to organise or resolve a problem

• I need to sort out my wardrobe; it’s a mess.

Check out: to examine or investigate something

• I’m going to check out that new restaurant.

Opt out: to choose not to participate in something

• I decided to opt out of the company’s health insurance plan.

Rule out: to eliminate or exclude a possibility

• The doctor ruled out any serious illness.

Hand out: to distribute or give something to people

• The teacher handed out the test papers to the students.

Run out: to deplete a supply until none is left

• We’ve run out of milk.

Through

Go through: to examine or review something in detail, or to experience

• I need to go through these documents before the meeting.

Sort through: to organise or examine a collection of items carefully

• I spent the afternoon sorting through old photographs.

Read through: to read something from beginning to end

• Please read through the report and provide your feedback.

Look through: to browse or examine quickly

• I will look through the catalogue to see if there is anything interesting.

Talk through: to discuss something in detail

• Let’s talk through the plan one more time before presenting it.

See through: to perceive the true nature of something, especially when it is deceptive

• She saw through his lies and did not believe a word he said.

Push through: to make an effort to complete something despite difficulties or obstacles

• We need to push through this project and meet the deadline.

Work through: to resolve or address a problem or issue systematically

• We shall work through these challenges together as a team.

Power through: to continue doing something with determination and effort

• Even though it’s tough, we need to power through and finish the task.

Break through: to overcome a barrier or obstacle

• With hard work and dedication, he managed to break through the competition and succeed.

To

Get to: to have the opportunity to do something

• After years of hard work, she finally got to visit her dream destination.

Come to: to reach a particular result or understanding

• After hours of debate, they came to an agreement on the budget.

Lead to: to result in or cause a specific outcome

• Poor time management can lead to missed deadlines.

Get used to: to become accustomed to or familiar with something

• It took him some time to get used to the fast-paced city life after living in a small town.

Look up to: to admire or respect someone

• Many young athletes look up to their sports idols as role models.

Get down to: to start focusing on or working seriously on a task

• We need to get down to studying if we want to pass the exam.

Set out to: to start a task or journey with a specific purpose or goal in mind

• She set out to write a novel that would inspire others.

Take to: to start liking or enjoying something

• He took to playing the guitar and soon became quite proficient.

Get around to: to finally find the time or opportunity to do something

• I’ll get around to cleaning the garage when I have a free weekend.

Get back to: to return a call, message or task after a delay

• I’ll get back to you with the information as soon as I can.

Come down to: to be fundamentally about or determined by a particular factor

• Success often comes down to hard work and determination.

Boil down to: to simplify or reduce a complex situation or problem to its essential elements

• The argument eventually boiled down to a simple disagreement over priorities.

Be up to: to be responsible for or involved in something, often with a sense of mischief or secrecy

• I wonder what those children are up to in the garden.

Get through to: to successfully communicate or make someone understand something

• It was difficult to get through to her that safety precautions were essential.

Hold on to: to keep or retain something, often with a tight grip

• She decided to hold on to her old childhood toys for sentimental reasons.

Look forward to: to anticipate or be excited about something in the future

• I look forward to our family reunion next month.

Talk down to: to condescend or speak to someone in a patronising or belittling manner

• It is important to treat everyone with respect and not talk down to others.

Get on to: to start dealing with a task or subject

• Let’s get on to the next item on our agenda.

Point to: to indicate or show something as evidence or proof

• The data points to a significant increase in sales this quarter.

Up

Wake up: to stop sleeping and become conscious

• I usually wake up at 7 o’clock.

Clean up: to tidy or make something clean and orderly

• Let’s clean up the kitchen after dinner.

Eat up: to finish all the food on your plate

• Do not waste food; eat up!

Save up: to set money aside for future use or a specific goal

• I am saving up for a holiday abroad.

Catch up: to get up to date with something or someone

• I need to catch up on my reading.

Cheer up: to become happier or make someone else happier

• I tried to cheer him up when he was feeling down.

Speed up: to increase the speed or pace of something

• We need to speed up production to meet the deadline.

Show up: to arrive or appear, often unexpectedly

• She did not show up for the meeting.

Hold up: to delay or hinder progress or movement

• The traffic accident held up the morning commute.

Meet up: to arrange a meeting or gathering with someone

• Let’s meet up for coffee later.

Prop up: to support or sustain something, often physically or metaphorically

• They used wooden beams to prop up the old building.

Take up: to begin or start a new activity, hobby or task

• I decided to take up painting as a creative outlet.

Look up: to search for information or reference in a source like a dictionary or the internet; to improve or become better

• I need to look up the definition of this word.
• The company’s performance is looking up this quarter.

Pile up: to accumulate or gather in a pile, heap or stack

• The papers on my desk have piled up; I need to organise them.

With

Get away with: to escape punishment or avoid consequences for something

• He thought he could get away with cheating on the test.

Catch up with: to reach the same level or pace as someone or something

• She had to run to catch up with her friends.

Come up with: to produce or invent something, such as an idea or solution

• She came up with a brilliant plan.

Deal with: to handle or address a situation, problem or task

• The manager had to deal with a difficult customer complaint.

Put up with: to tolerate or endure something unpleasant

• I can’t put up with his constant complaining.

Run away with: to elope or escape with someone, typically to get married secretly

• The young couple decided to run away with each other and get married in secret.

Stick with: to continue doing or using something without changing or giving up

• I’m going to stick with this workout routine until I see results.

Go along with: to agree or comply with someone’s suggestion or plan

• He decided to go along with his friend’s idea for the weekend trip.

Keep up with: to maintain the same pace or level as someone or something

• It’s challenging to keep up with the rapid changes in technology these days.

Part with: to give or sell something that is difficult to let go of

• She had to part with her childhood toys when she moved to a smaller home.

Break up with: to end a romantic relationship

• After many arguments, they decided to break up with each other.

Mess with: to interfere with or disturb something or someone

• Don’t mess with that fragile vase; it’s valuable and delicate.

Live with: to accept and endure a particular situation or condition

• Despite the noise from the construction site, we had to live with it until the project was finished.

Agree with: to hold the same opinion or view as someone else

• I completely agree with her assessment of the situation; it’s a serious issue that needs attention.

Splitting phrasal verbs

Some phrasal verbs can be split. That means that the words that make up the phrasal verb do not appear consecutively. However, not all phrasal verbs can be split and it is important to learn this as one learns the phrasal verbs.

Here are some examples of split phrasal verbs.

• Take off: She took her jacket off.
• Put on: He put his shoes on.
• Look up: Can you look that word up in the dictionary?
• Set up: They set the tent up.
• Throw away: She threw the banana skin away.
• Turn on: Please turn the lights on.
• Turn off: Don’t forget to turn the TV off.
• Pick up: I’ll pick you up at the airport.
• Check out: Let’s check the new restaurant out.
• Fill out: Please fill this form out.

What a phrasal verb is not

Phrasal verbs are often confused with other groups of collocating words such as adjective and preposition collocations:

• angry with
• similar to
• different from
• capable of
• responsible for
• dependent on

…and prepositional phrases:

• look forward to
• run out of
• get along with

… or compound prepositions:

• in spite of
• due to
• in between

For more on prepositions please see the relevant post.

A phrasal verb is not just any group of words that are collocated, but specifically a combination of a verb and one or more prepositions or adverbs that together create a distinct, often idiomatic, meaning that can be different from the meaning that might be created by those words individually.

Exercises to practise

These phrasal verbs are grouped according to the main verb in the phrase, with the participle changing each time. What might the meaning or meanings be of each of these phrasal verbs?

The answers are provided below the bibliography.

Take:

• Take off
• Take on
• Take up
• Take away
• Take out
• Take to
• Take down
• Take over
• Take in

Put:

• Put off
• Put up with
• Put up
• Put on
• Put down
• Put away
• Put out
• Put together
• Put through
• Put in
• Put aside
• Put forward

Get:

• Get up
• Get over
• Get along with
• Get in
• Get off
• Get to
• Get around to
• Get down to
• Get away with
• Get out of
• Get in on
• Get at
• Get by
• Get ahead
• Get through
• Get together

Turn:

• Turn into
• Turn out
• Turn on
• Turn off
• Turn up
• Turn away
• Turn over
• Turn in
• Turn around
• Turn down

Run:

• Run out of
• Run into
• Run on
• Run up against
• Run for
• Run through
• Run off
• Run away
• Run up
• Run over

Make:

• Make up
• Make up with
• Make off with
• Make up for
• Make out
• Make of
• Make do
• Make for
• Make over

Call:

• Call off
• Call up
• Call upon
• Call back
• Call out
• Call for
• Call on
• Call in

Look:

• Look into
• Look out for
• Look after
• Look up
• Look to
• Look back on
• Look up to
• Look down
• Look down on
• Look through
• Look forward to
• Look out

Go:

• Go on
• Go over
• Go off
• Go in
• Go without
• Go after
• Go around
• Go for
• Go with
• Go down
• Go up
• Go through
• Go out

Bring:

• Bring in
• Bring down
• Bring up
• Bring on
• Bring off
• Bring along
• Bring about

Set:

• Set up
• Set off
• Set out
• Set forth
• Set back
• Set in
• Set aside

Give:

• Give in to
• Give away
• Give up
• Give back
• Give out
• Give over
• Give off

Break:

• Break out
• Break through
• Break down
• Break in
• Break off
• Break away
• Break up

Pass:

• Pass by
• Pass on
• Pass out
• Pass up
• Pass away
• Pass off
• Pass through
• Pass down
• Pass for
• Pass over

Please scroll down for the answers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Burton-Roberts, Noel. Analysing Sentences: An Introduction to English Syntax, 4th edn (Routledge, 2016)

Cresswell, Julia. Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd edn (Oxford University Press, 2021)

Crystal, David. Spell it Out: The Singular Story of English Spelling (Profile Books, 2013)

Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 3rd edn (Cambridge University Press, 2019)

Gwynne, N. M. Gwynne’s Grammar: The Ultimate Introduction to Grammar and the Writing of Good English (Ebury Press/Random House, 2013)

Hewings, Martin, and others. Cambridge English Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced (Cambridge University Press, 2015)

Huddleston, Rodney, and others. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2002)

Lightbown, Patsy M., and others. How Languages are Learned, 4th edn (Oxford University Press, 2020)

Parrott, Martin. Grammar for English Language Teachers, 2nd edn (Cambridge University Press, 2011)

Pinker, Steven. Words and Rules (W&N/ Science Masters, 2001)

Quirk, Randolph, and others. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, reprint edn (Pearson, 2011)

Seely, John. Oxford A – Z of Grammar & Punctuation (Oxford University Press, 2020)

Yates Ph.D., Jean. Prepositions, 3rd edn (Barron’s Education, 2020)

New Hart’s Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors (Oxford University Press, 2005)

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/

Answers to exercises

Here are the meanings of the phrasal verbs in the practice exercise above.

Take off: To become airborne or remove something, such as clothing or accessories.

Take on: To accept a challenge or responsibility, or to hire someone.

Take up: To start a new hobby or activity, or to occupy a certain amount of space or time.

Take away: To remove something or someone, deduct or subtract something, or learn from an experience.

Take out: To remove something from a place or to order food to take away with you.

Take to: To develop a liking for or habit of something.

Take down: To remove or dismantle something, or to record information.

Take over: To assume control or responsibility for something.

Take in: To offer a person or animal refuge, to absorb information mentally, to reduce clothing in size by adjusting it.

Put off: To delay or postpone.

Put up with: To tolerate or endure.

Put up: To display or host.

Put on: To wear clothing or accessories.

Put down: To write or record.

Put away: To store.

Put out: To extinguish or publish.

Put together: To assemble or create.

Put through: To connect or subject to a process.

Put in: To invest time or effort.

Put aside: To save or reserve.

Put forward: To propose or suggest.

Get up: To rise from bed or a seated position.

Get over: To recover from an illness or emotional difficulty.

Get along with: To have a harmonious relationship with someone.

Get in: To enter a place or vehicle.

Get off: To disembark from a vehicle or cease a particular activity.

Get to: To reach or start doing something.

Get around to: To finally do something you have been postponing.

Get down to: To start working on something seriously.

Get away with: To escape punishment or consequences for something.

Get out of: To avoid doing something.

Get in on: To participate in or become involved in something.

Get at: To imply or suggest something indirectly.

Get by: To manage or survive with the available resources.

Get ahead: To make progress or succeed.

Get through: To finish or endure something.

Get together: To meet or assemble with others.

Turn into: Transform or change into something else.

Turn out: Produce a result or outcome, often unexpectedly.

Turn on: Activate or start a device, system, or mechanism.

Turn off: Deactivate or stop a device, system, or mechanism.

Turn up: Appear or arrive, often unexpectedly.

Turn away: Refuse entry or reject someone.

Turn over: Rotate or flip something, or hand over control or responsibility.

Turn in: Submit or hand over something, such as a report or assignment.

Turn around: Reverse direction or change a situation for the better.

Turn down: Reject an offer or request.

Run out of: Exhaust the supply of something.

Run into: Encounter someone or something unexpectedly.

Run on: Continue for an extended period.

Run up against: Encounter difficulties or obstacles.

Run for: Campaign as a candidate in an election.

Run through: Rehearse or review quickly.

Run off: Produce a copy of something, often in printing.

Run away: Escape from a situation or place.

Run up: Accumulate, especially debt or expenses.

Run over: Hit someone or something with a vehicle.

Make up: Invent or create something, often a story or excuse.

Make up with: Reconcile or mend a relationship.

Make off with: Steal and escape with something.

Make up for: Compensate for a loss or mistake.

Make out: Perceive or understand something, often in a challenging context. Alternatively, to act as if.

Make of: Form an opinion or judgment about something.

Make do: Manage with what is available, often in a challenging situation.

Make for: Head towards a destination or contribute to a result.

Make over: Transform or renovate something.

Call off: Cancel an event or arrangement.

Call up: Make a telephone call to someone, or enlist.

Call upon: Ask or request someone for help or assistance.

Call back: Return a phone call or remember something from the past.

Call out: Shout or declare something loudly.

Call for: Demand or require something.

Call on: Visit or request assistance from someone.

Call in: Request someone’s presence or expertise.

Look into: Investigate or examine closely.

Look out for: Be vigilant and watchful for something.

Look after: Take care of or be responsible for someone or something.

Look up: Search for information in a reference source.

Look to: Rely on or expect something from someone.

Look back on: Reflect on or remember something from the past.

Look up to: Respect or admire someone.

Look down: Lower one’s gaze or glance downward.

Look down on: Have a low opinion of someone or something.

Look through: Examine or review quickly.

Look forward to: Anticipate or be excited about something in the future.

Look out: Be cautious or aware of potential danger.

Go on: Continue or proceed on one’s way, or to talk in a prolonged manner.

Go over: Review or discuss something in detail.

Go off: Explode or make a loud noise suddenly.

Go in: Enter a place or location.

Go without: Manage without something you usually have or need.

Go after: Pursue or chase someone or something.

Go around: Circulate or distribute.

Go for: Choose or select something.

Go with: Choose to have or do something.

Go down: Move to a lower level or decrease.

Go up: Increase or rise.

Go through: Experience or endure something.

Go out: Leave one’s place or residence. Extinguish.

Bring in: Introduce, or introduce something new.

Bring down: Lower or reduce something, often prices.

Bring up: Raise or nurture something, often children.

Bring on: Cause or initiate something, often a change or problem.

Bring off: Successfully accomplish something.

Bring along: Take something or someone with you.

Bring about: Cause or lead to a particular outcome.

Set up: Arrange or establish something.

Set off: Start a journey or an explosion.

Set out: Begin a journey or task.

Set forth: Present or explain something clearly.

Set back: Delay or hinder progress.

Set in: Begin and continue, often referring to weather.

Set aside: Save or reserve something for a later time.

Give in to: Yield or surrender to someone or something.

Give away: Give something as a gift or reveal a secret.

Give up: Cease, quit, or stop trying.

Give back: Return something to its owner.

Give out: Distribute or run out of something.

Give over: Dedicate or surrender to a cause or activity.

Give off: Emit or release something, such as odour or heat.

Break out: Escape or begin suddenly, often referring to a conflict or disease.

Break through: Overcome a barrier or obstacle.

Break down: Collapse or fail emotionally or physically.

Break in: Enter a place illegally or prepare something for use.

Break off: End a relationship or conversation suddenly.

Break away: Escape from confinement or control.

Break up: End a relationship or a gathering of people.

Pass by: Move past something or someone.

Pass on: Transfer or convey something to someone else or pass away.

Pass out: Lose consciousness or distribute something to others.

Pass up: Decline an opportunity or offer.

Pass away: Die.

Pass off: Present something as genuine when it may not be.

Pass through: Travel or move through a place or phase.

Pass down: Hand down something to the next generation.

Pass for: Be accepted or mistaken as something else.

Pass over: Skip or ignore something or someone.

Please do enter any questions or comments below.