List of Phrasal Verbs and Their Meanings.
This list has been compiled from books, the internet, and university notes, and our brains! There are many more phrasal verbs than appear on this list, and some of those listed may also have additional meanings. Meanings may also differ, depending on regional usage.
There are three types of phrasal verbs: separable, inseparable, and intransitive.
Note: There's no way to tell if a phrasal verb is separable, inseparable, or intransitive. They must be learned and memorized, one by one. Remember that phrasal verbs are truly verbs, and are used in the present, past, and future tenses. You will notice that some phrasal verbs fit in more than one category, depending on their meaning.
Separable Phrasal Verbs A-B |
add up add; find the total
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ask out ask for a date
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back out of walk or drive backward instead of forward
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back up
when an outside force moves an item (car, chair, bicycle, etc) backwards
to affirm that someone else's information is true
to make an extra copy for protection
clogged drainage
|
blow up
to inflate
to explode or destroy by exploding
|
break down
list parts or sections of something separately
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break in
wear or use something new for a limited amount of time, increasing the time little by little; to treat a new product in a special way for a limited time
to train a person in a job
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bring back
to return something you are dissatisfied with or have borrowed
to re-instate something from the past. It may be an activity or a pastime or a person.
|
bring off
accomplish something difficult
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bring on
cause to happen
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bring over
bring to where you're going
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bring to (see "come to")
to revive to consciousness
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bring up
mention, talk about
to raise children = take care of their physical and emotional needs from the day they're born, and teach them the social customs of your culture
|
brush out
to sweep the inside of something
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burn up
to feel very angry
Use only this word order. |
butter up
praise someone excessively with the hope of getting some benefit
|
buy out
buy a person's or company's share of something
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buy up
purchase everything that's available of something
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Inseparable Phrasal Verbs A-B |
act like
behave in a certain way
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add up to
to total
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back out of
to change your mind about being a part of a plan; fail to keep a promise
|
back up
moves backwards
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bear down on
to pressure someone; browbeat (to bully)
|
bear up under
to endure
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blow up
to have an angry emotional outburst
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bone up on
review or study
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break in on
to interrupt
|
break into
interrupt
enter a house or building forcibly
to suddenly begin singing, yelling, crying, etc.
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break up with
end a personal relationship
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bring out
to reveal
to emphasize
to publicly announce a new product on the market
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brush up on
review or study briefly
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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs A-B |
act up
misbehave (for people), not work properly (for machines)
|
add up
fit together logically
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back down
not follow through with a statement or a threat; retreat from a statement or opinion,
|
back off
to stop in the middle of physically or verbally threatening someone; physically retreat
|
back out (same as "back out of", but no direct
object)
refuse to do something that is planned, fail to keep a promise
|
bear up
to endure
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beg off
decline an invitation; asked to be excused
|
blow in
visit someone unexpectedly (informal use only)
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blow up
get extremely windy, as happens before a big storm
lose one's temper
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break down
to stop functioning
to begin crying, to lose emotional control
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break up
disperse, scatter
end a relationship
when a solid thing breaks into small pieces
|
burn up/burn down
destroyed by fire
(We usually refer to houses and buildings as "burning down", and everything that been inside them as "burning up".) |
butt in
impolitely interrupt a conversation to give an unasked-for opinion
|
Separable Phrasal Verbs C-E |
call off
cancel something that's been scheduled
|
call up
to telephone
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calm down
become less agitated or help someone else become less upset
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carry over
continue to use/apply at another time or place
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check off
mark a list to show something is completed/finished
|
check out
pay for items being bought
borrow books from a library
to look at something carefully/to investigate
|
cheer up
cause to become happier
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chew out
scold severely
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chop up
cut something big into smaller pieces
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clean off; clear off
clean the surface of something; take everything that's on the surface (table or counter) off
|
clean out
clean the inside of something, taking out everything not needed
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clean up
put everything back in its proper place
|
clear out to make people or animals leave a particular place/to remove
to take out everything from something enclosed/to make empty
|
close down (pronounce like "close the door", not
like 'close' meaning 'near')
to stop operations or business permanently
|
close up (pronounce like "close the door", not
like 'close' meaning 'near')
to stop operations or business temporarily
to sew up an open wound
|
count in include
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count out
don't include
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count up
calculate
|
cross out/cross off
to delete something from a list; eliminate
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cut off
cut a portion from a solid piece
limit how much alcohol can be served/limit how much credit for gambling can be permitted
power outage or cessation of power
|
cut down
reduce the quantity
to use tools or machinery to take away trees
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cut out
eliminate, delete
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do in
make very tired
cause to die or to murder
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do over
repeat an action
|
draw out
prolong
to encourage a shy person to speak or enter into an activity
|
draw up
create a written document (usually a legal one, like a contract
when a mode of transportation approaches and stops at a particular point
|
dress up
to wear more formal clothes, not everyday clothes; to wear a costume
To make something attractive on a temporary or superficial basis
|
drop off
to bring someone or something to a certain point and leave them/it there
|
dust off
to clean the surface
|
dust out
wipe the dust from inside of something
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eat up
eat the whole amount of something
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egg on
to urge, to dare (usually to do something negative)
|
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs C-E |
call for
require (as in a recipe or directions)
go/come and get; pick up
|
call on
ask someone for an answer or to speak
to visit (formal usage)
|
call up
summon for military service
to search your memory, to try to remember
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care for
tend to, take care of
enjoy, like
have a fondness for; love
|
carry on
continue to do things as they had been done before/persevere
make a lot of very unpleasant noise/inappropriate behavior
|
carry on with
continue to do something without stopping
to have a love affair, usually with someone who's married
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carry out
fulfill/complete/perform (plans or orders)
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catch on
develop a knowledge or understanding of something
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check in (into)
register for an event or at a place of lodging
search for facts/investigate
|
check out (of)
is or isn't logical, to make or not make sense
the time one must pay the bill and leave a hotel
slang usage: to die
|
check up on verify or examine
|
chip in each person in a group of people contributing money to buy something
|
clam up
refuse to talk
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come across
find by accident/to honor a deal
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come along with
accompany
make progress towards a goal
|
come by
visit
possess a trait because of a specific reason
|
come down with
to begin to get sick, catch a disease Don't kiss me, because I think I am coming down with a cold. |
come out with
to say something
publicly show something
|
come to
total
to arrive at a decision
become conscious after being unconscious
|
come up with
generate ideas; think creatively
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count on
depend on someone (to help you) or something (to function properly
|
cut back on
use or do less of something
|
cut in
interrupt
|
cut it out an order to stop doing something (slang usage)
|
disagree with
cause physical discomfort (allergic reaction)
opposite of "'agree"
|
do away with
get rid of, abolish
kill
|
do without
deprive oneself
|
drop by
casual visit with no warning
|
drop in on
casual visit with no warning
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drop off
to fall asleep
|
drop out of
quit, stop attending a course before it's finished
|
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs C-E |
calm down
become less upset
|
came about
happened
|
carry on
persevere
behave badly
|
catch on (to)
understand (I got it!)
|
catch up to
to try to move quickly enough from behind to reach something far ahead
catch up with Has two meanings: the exact same meaning as "catch up to", OR it's just an expression similar to "see you later". "later" doesn't mean later the same day. The expression just means that you'll talk or see the person soon.
|
check up investigate
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chicken out
lose courage and back down from a plan
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clear out
leave
|
clear up talk about a misunderstanding to make it understandable
weather improves
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come along
progress, go with
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come back
return
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come by
visit with no advance plans or notice
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come out
to exit from one area to go to another
making one's debut in high-society
publishing of a book, or public appearance of a new product on the market
|
come over
visit, come to where someone is
|
come through
win/succeed/survive in spite of obstacles
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come to
regain consciousness
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cut in
interrupt
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die down
become less important/lesser degree of something decrease to the point of disappearing
|
die off/out
become extinct, disappear
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drag on
last longer than one expected
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drive back
return by car to the original location or starting point
|
eat out
eat at a restaurant instead of in your home
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end up
finally arrive arrive at a planned or unplanned place
the final result, after trying various possible solutions
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Separable Phrasal Verbs F-J |
figure out
solve a problem; find an answer; understand another person's behavior
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fill in
add material if some is missing
repair a crack/damage in an object
write information in the blank spaces on a form
|
fill out (same meaning as the last
definition of "fill in", but they're not interchangeable phrases)
to write information in the empty spaces on a form
|
fill up
fill completely
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fix up
repair to make more attractive or functional
slang usage: fix up: to arrange a date for two people who don't know each other
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get across
communicate clearly, explain something to make yourself understood
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get in
enter: a car, a room, a meeting or a concert, etc.
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get off
excused from a regular activity
a reduction in the amount of time of a jail term
excused from responsibility (by a court judge, or some other authority)
|
get out of
leave a small vehicle
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give back
return
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give out
distribute or spread the news
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give up
stop doing something (a habit)
|
hand down
announce a decision or law
pass possession of an item or an estate from one generation to another
|
hand in (turn in)
submit something in person (not by mail)
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hand out
distribute personally
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hand over
surrender something/return/give back
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have on
wear clothes
to know secret information about someone
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have over
invite someone to your home
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to hold up
lift higher
delay
to rob
|
iron out resolve a problem
|
jack (me, you, us, them, her, him) around (very informal/slang) lying to someone by telling them you're about to do something very soon, and then not doing what you promised
(only this word order) |
to jack up
lift with a jack (device used to lift a heavy object, like a car)
raise prices
|
to get jacked up (very informal/slang) to get into serious trouble, or to get someone else into serious trouble
(only this word order) |
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs F-H |
face up to
acknowledge the reality of something; acknowledge one's responsibility
|
fall back on
depend on for an emergency
|
feel up to
feel strong enough physically or emotionally to do something
|
fill in
give current information to someone
|
fill in for
substitute for
|
find out
discover
|
find out about
discover, learn, investigate
|
get across
move over an obstacle to get to another place
|
get ahead
to make progress, surpass
|
get ahead of
get in front of
|
get along (with)
have a relationship that has no conflict
|
get around
avoid something, evade
to eventually get something done
go from place to place, walking or driving
|
get away with
escape capture or punishment
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get by with/without
use little effort
survive with few creature comforts
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get down to business/ brass tacks
(informal)
become serious about something
stop talking about peripheral issues, and talk about the essential issues
|
get on
enter a large vehicle (bus, train, plane, etc.)
|
get on with
continue
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get out of
escape from doing something
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get rid of
give or throw away
fire someone, get them to leave
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get through with
finish
|
get up
change from a sitting or prone position, i.e., stand up
awaken
|
give up
to stop trying to accomplish something
to surrender
to sacrifice
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go back on
fail to keep a promise
return to doing a plan that was done before
|
go for
really like, be attracted to
plan a goal
to go somewhere to get something
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go in for
take part in, be interested in
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go on with
continue
|
go out with
have an appointment or a date
|
go over
review
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go with
harmonize with or match
accompany
date exclusively
|
go without
to not have something
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hang around
walking or waiting doing nothing while being somewhere
wait for someone
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hang up/hang up on
end a phone conversation
to end a 'phone conversation without saying "goodbye"
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have to do with
relate to, talk to, be with
be related to (doesn't mean relatives in a family), be the cause or reason for something
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hear from
receive telephone or mail communication
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hit on
find out/discover accidentally
to flirt with (informal)
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hold off
delay
|
hold on to
keep possession of
|
hold out against
resist
|
jump all over (informal)
scold angrily
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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs F-H |
fall behind
not progress at the expected rate/not be able to do something at the same speed as other people are doing it
|
fall off
decrease/lessen
|
fall through
a plan or deal didn't happen, fail
|
fill in
substitute
|
fill out (see separable list)
gain weight
|
find out
learn, discover
|
fly back
return by air
|
fly over
fly to over an area/to fly to some specific point
|
get ahead
make progress
|
get around
move from place to place
|
get away
escape
|
get by (on/with)
barely manage in a difficult situation/survive with difficulty
|
get in
gain admission ( to a building, movie, play, etc.)
arrive
|
get off
to leave a bus, train, or plane
slang usage: get off to really enjoy something a lot
|
get on
mount a horse, enter a car, plane, elevator etc.
continue doing something you'd stopped
be compatible
|
get over/get past
accept something negative that happened, and not feel pain about it anymore feel hopeful about the future
|
get up
rise from a sitting or lying down position
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get through (with)
finish, complete
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give out
to die lose all of one's energy/lose the use of some part of the body
|
go back
return
|
go off
explode
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go on
continue
|
go over
to present some kind of work and have it received by people in a positive way
travel to some point
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goof off (informal)
be lazy, not do anything productive
|
grow up
to go from childhood to adulthood
behave maturely
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hang in; hang on/hold on
keep waiting for conditions to improve (opposite of "give up")
wait while on the 'phone (don't hang up the receiver)
|
hold out
refuse to come to an agreement
|