List of Phrasal Verbs

This is by no means a complete list. Even some of the verbs included here may have other meanings or
uses.
(i = inseparable; s = separable)

Respect or obey
abide by i If you want to stay at this school, you must abide by the rules.
(the law, a decision, a rule)
account for i Explain; give a reason I hope you can account for the money you spent!
Take action as a result of
act on i The police acted on the call they received.
something
add up i Make sense; seem reasonable Her story just doesn't add up.
advise
i Recommend not doing something The doctor advised him against carrying heavy loads.
against
Take into consideration;
allow for i You'd better leave early to allow for heavy traffic.
Include in a calculation
answer
s Reply rudely Don't answer back your mother!
back
1) Normally parents have to answer for their children's
1) Be responsible for something.
answer for i behaviour.
2) Speak on behalf of someone.
2) I agree, but I can't answer for my associate.
Make a formal request for
apply for i something He applied for the job advertised.
(job, permit, loan, etc.)
Enquire about someone's well-
ask after i My mother is always asking after you.
being.
Mention it to people you see or
ask around i I'll ask around and see if anyone has seen your cat.
meet.
Invite someone to lunch, dinner,
ask out s John has asked Mary out several times.
the cinema ...
Local authorities backed down on their plans to demolish the
back down i Withdraw; concede defeat.
cinema.
1) Give support or
1) If I tell the boss we've got too much work, will
encouragement
back up s you back me up?
2) make a copy of (file,
program...) 2) It is recommended to back up all files.

Base your hopes on

bank on i Don't forget the date. I'm banking on your help.
something/someone.
black out i Faint; lose consciousness When he fell off the horse, he blacked out.
1) The petrol tank blew up when the car crashed
i 1) Explode.
blow up 2) They blew up the bridge so that the enemy couldnt follow
s 2) Destroy with an explosion.
them
boil down
i Be summarized as The problem boils down to a lack of money.
to
Start a computer by loading an
boot up s Just give me a few minutes to boot up the computer.
operating system or program.
break away i Escape from captivity. A few horses broke away from the paddock.
1) Go out of order, cease to
1) John's car broke down on the way to the airport.
break down i function.
2) The parents broke down when they heard the bad news.
2) Lose control of one's emotions.
break into i Enter by force. The burglars broke into the house around midnight.
1) It was decided to break off diplomatic relations with that
s 1) Stop, discontinue
break off country.
i 2) Stop speaking
2) She broke off in the middle of a sentence.
break out i Start suddenly. Rioting broke out as a result of the strike.
break out
i Escape from a place by force. Three prisoners broke out of jail.
of
Come to an end (marriage,
break up i After her marriage broke up, Emma went to live in London.
relationship...)
bring up s Raise (a child). She stopped working in order to bring upher children.
brush up Improve, refresh one's knowledge Mary decided to brush up on her Spanish before going to
i
(on) of something. South-America.
bump into i Meet by accident or unexpectedly. Pedro bumped into his English teacher at the supermarket.
butt in (on) i Interrupt impolitely. It's rude to butt in on a conversation.
call back s Return a phone call I'll call you back as soon as possible.
call off s Cancel The meeting was called off because of the strike.
call
i Formally invite or request. I now call upon the President to address the assembly.
on/upon
Become more relaxed or less
calm down i He was angry at first, but he eventually calmed down.
angry/upset.
carry on i Continue. He carried on gardening in spite of the rain.
Do something as specified (plan,
Tests are carried out to determine the efficiency of a new
carry out s order.), perform or conduct (test,
drug.
experiment ...)
For security reasons, you have to check in two hours before
check in i Register at a hotel or airport.
your flight.
i 1) Pay one's bill and leave (a 1) Is Mr. Bush still at the hotel? No, he checked out this
check out hotel) morning.
s 2) Investigate or verify. 2) I don't know if the address is still valid. I'll check it out.
clamp The government decided to clamp down on smoking in public
i Act strictly to prevent something.
down on areas.
When the factory closed down, the employees lost their jobs.
i Stop operating (company,
close down The government closed the disco down as it didnt comply
s restaurant, cinema ...)
with safety regulations.
i 1) Find by chance. 1) Julie came across some photographs of her grandparents in
come the attic.
across 2) Appear, seem, make an 2) The candidate came across as a dynamic person during the
i impression. interview.
come
i Present oneself. The police have asked any witnesses to come forward.
forward
come up
i Be faced with or opposed by. The project came up against a lot of criticism.
against
count on i Rely or depend on. I'm counting on the taxi driver to find the theatre.
Remove by drawing a line In some exercises you are asked to cross out the incorrect
cross out s
through. word.
cut down
i Reduce in number or size. The doctor told him to cut down on cigarettes.
on
Handle, take care of (problem,
deal with i The manager is good at dealing with difficult customers.
situation)
do without i Manage without. The shops are closed so we'll have to do without sugar.
Write (contract, agreement,
draw up s An agreement as drawn up and signed by the two parties.
document).
1) Wear elegant clothes.
1) Do people dress up to go to the opera in your country?
dress up i
2) Children love to dress up at Halloween.
2) Disguise oneself.
We were childhood friends but we drifted apart over the
drift apart i Become less and less close.
years.
drop
i Fall into a position behind others. Our sales have dropped behind those of our competitors.
behind
Visit, usually on the way I sometimes drop in to see my grandparents on my way home
drop in i
somewhere. from school.
1) Deliver someone or something.
s 1) I'll drop you off at the bus stop if you like.
drop off 2) Fall asleep.
i 2) Granddad often drops off in front of the TV.

She decided to go to art school, then dropped out after the

drop out i Leave school without finishing.
first term.
Finally reach a state, place or
end up i If he continues his misconduct, he'll end up in prison.
action
Accept a deal with something Sam will have to face up to the fact that Jenny is not in love
face up (to) i
unpleasant. with him.
fall behind i Fail to maintain a certain level She fell behind at school and had to study harder.
fall through i Fail / does not happen Our planned boat trip fell through because of the storm.
figure out s Understand / find the answer I'm trying to figure out how to assemble the wardrobe.
Please fill out the enclosed form and send it back as soon as
fill in/out s Complete (a form/application)
possible.
I'm going to call the cinema to find out what time the film
find out i Discover or obtain information
starts.
Feel comfortable or be in
fit in (with) i He just doesn't fit in with the others.
harmony with
get along Be on good terms / work well
i I get along (well) with my mother-in-law.
(with) with.
get at i Imply What exactly are you trying to get at?
get away i Escape The robbers got away in a black car.
get by (on) i Manage to cope or to survive. It's difficult to get by on a low salary.
get down to i Start to actually do something. It's time to get down to some serious work!
get in i Enter How did the burglar get in?
 i 1) Leave (bus, train, plane). 1) Get off the bus at Trafalgar Square.
get off
s 2) Remove from something. 2) She's trying to get the stain off.
get on i Board (bus, train, plane) You can pay when you get on the bus.
Continue to do something / make
get on with i Be quiet and get on with your homework.
progress
get on
i Have a good relationship with I get on very well with my colleagues.
(well) with
get out i Leave How did he get out?
get out
i Avoid doing something Some husbands manage to get out of doing any housework.
of (+verb)
Recover from (illness,
get over i Charlie had the 'flu but he got over it.
disappointment)
get round Find the necessary time to do
i I finally got round to making the list that I promised.
(to) something.
get up i Rise / leave bed I usually get up at 7 o'clock.
1) Give something free of charge.
s 1) He gave away most of his paintings.
give away 2) Reveal something.
s 2) The names of the witnesses will not be given away.

give back s Return something to its owner. He promised to give back the money he borrowed.
give up s Stop doing something. Sarah gave up smoking five years ago.
go along
i Agree with; accept. Alex tends to go along with anything his wife says.
(with)
Have something as an interest or
go in for i She doesn't really go in for sports.
hobby.
go through i Experience. Pete went through a lot of pain after the accident.
Spend one's childhood / become
grow up i He grew up in a small village in the mountains.
an adult
hand back s Return She read the article and then handed it back.
Pass on (by tradition,
hand down s My clothes were handed down to me by my older sister.
inheritance...)
All application forms must be handed in before the end of the
hand in s Submit (report, homework)
month.
hand out s Distribute Samples will be handed out at the end of the demonstration.
The boy was forced to hand over the mobile phone he had
hand over s Give to someone in authority.
stolen.
hang on i Wait Hang on a minute. I'm nearly ready.
Spend time in a particular place Where does he hang out these days?
hang out i
or with a group of friends Who does he hang out with?
hang up i End a telephone conversation Don't hang up. I haven't finished yet.
head off i Start to go somewhere. He headed off to the train station.
head for i Go/move in a certain direction. The boat was heading for the rocks.
i 1) Wait 1) Hold on please. I'll put you through to Mr. Brown.
hold on
i 2) Grip tightly 2) She held on to the railing as she crossed the bridge.
hurry up i Be quick / act speedily Hurry up! We'll miss the bus!
 Resolve by discussion/ eliminate The meeting tomorrow will be an opportunity to iron
iron out s
differences out difficulties.
join in i Participate She was too shy to join in the game.
1) John was in the army and Tom joined up as soon as he left
i 1) Engage in, become a member
school.
join up of
i 2) Meet and unite with
2) The two groups of tourists joined up at the hotel.
keep on i Continue doing something I told him to be quiet but he kept on making noise.
keep up Stay at the same level as
i Bill walks so fast it's difficult to keep up with him.
with someone or something
knock Strike someone or something to The child was knocked down by a car.
s
down the ground. The tree was knocked down during the storm
Cause someone to fall
knock out s The boxer was knocked out in the first round.
unconscious.
Make light of something /
laugh off s He laughed off the unflattering review of his latest book.
minimize
lay off s Fire, dismiss, let go Many factories have had to lay off workers.
leaf
i Turn over pages quickly She leafed through a magazine in the waiting room.
through
leak out i Become known (information) News of the planned merger leaked out.
leave out s Omit / not mention Tom's name was left out of the report.
let down s Disappoint You promised to come to the party, so don't let me down!
s 1) 1 watched the floodlights light up the castle.
light up i Illuminate 2) Her face always lights up when she sees her grandson.
i 3) The screen lights up when you turn on a computer.
line up s Stand in a row. The books were lined up neatly on the shelves.
live Experience something and
i My grandparents lived through two wars.
through survive
Make something livelier or more
liven up s We need to liven up the presentation somehow.
attractive.
Access a program or database
log in/on i You need to log in to your account before you use the services.
using a password.
log off i End access to a database. Log off the system and then turn off the computer.
A baby sitter looks after the children when their parents go
look after i Take care of
out.
look ahead i Think of the future It's time to forget the past and look ahead.
look down
i Consider as inferior He tends to look down on anyone who is not successful.
on
look into i Examine or investigate. I'll look into the matter and call you back.
look on i Be a spectator at an event Billy didn't take part in the fight. He just looked on.
look for i Try to find something Jane went shopping to look for a pair of shoes.
look
i Await or anticipate with pleasure I look forward to seeing you soon.
forward to
He was a wonderful teacher and many students looked up
look up to i Admire
to him.
lose out
i Be unsuccessful / suffer a loss I'm the one who'll lose out if our plan goes wrong.
on/to
make off He made off with my briefcase while I was checking the
i Steal and hurry away
with timetable.
Some employees make up excuses when they arrive late for
make up s Invent (excuse, story)
work.
make up
i End a quarrel It's time to shake hands and make up.
(with)
make up
i Compensate for With hard work I can make up for the daysI was absent.
for
miss out Lose an opportunity to do
i If you leave before Saturday you'll miss out on the party.
(on) something.
Mistake one thing or person for
mix up s I don't know the members' names yet. I tend to mix them up
another
move in i Arrive in a new home or office You've bought a new house? When are you moving in?
Leave your home/office for
move out i My neighbour is leaving. He's moving out next Saturday.
another one.
Give the same name as another
name after i William was named after his grandfather.
person
narrow Reduce a list or a number of The list of suspects has been narrowed down to three
i
down options. people.
nod off i Fall asleep My grandfather often nods off in front of the television.
note down s Write something down I'll call the station and note down the departure times.
Leave a system or decide not to I enjoy tennis but I'm so busy I had to opt out of the
opt out i
participate tournament.
The boy owned up. He said he kicked the ball through the
own up i Admit or confess something
window.
pass away i Die The old lady passed away peacefully.
pass on s Transmit Don't forget to pass on the information.
pass out i Faint / lose consciousness She passed out when she heard the bad news.
I will lend you 20 provided you pay me back before the end
pay back s Reimburse
of the week.
My stomach is starting to play up again after all that heavy
play up i Cause pain or discomfort.
food.
Emphasize or make something
play up i He always plays up his achievements.
seem more important.
Minimize or make something
play down s The government played down the gravity of the situation.
appear less important
pop across
Come or go quickly in the
/over/down i She popped over to visit her mother after lunch.
direction specified
/out
pop in i Make a brief visit He sometimes pops in for a cup of coffee.
pop up i Arise, occur The question popped up during the meeting.
pull
i Overcome difficulties or illness My grandmother caught pneumonia but she pulled through.
through
 Return something to its normal
put away s Please put away the dictionary when you've finished using it.
place after using it.
put off s Postpone / arrange a later date The meeting was put off because of the strike.
put on s Turn on / switch on Could you put on the light please?
put on s Wear a garment Put on your coat - it's getting cold.
put out s Extinguish It took a long time to put out the fire.
put
Go to a lot of trouble / be
(yourself) s Please don't put yourself out for us.
inconvenienced.
out
put
Leave/place someting outside the
(something s Don't forget to put out the dustbin.
house.
) out
put Connect two people (on the
s I'll put you through to Mr. Brown.
through telephone)
Accommodate / give someone a
put up s We can put you up if you'd like to come for the week-end.
bed
put up with i Tolerate I don't know how you can put up with all the noise.
pick up i Collect somebody I'll pick you up at the station.
Indicate / direct attention to
point out s The teacher pointed out the mistake.
something
She amazed everyone by reeling off all the phrasal verbs she
reel off s Recite without effort or pause
had learned.
Don't worry. You can rely on me. I can keep
rely on i Count on / depend on / trust
a secret.
rub out s Erase Write it in pencil so that you can rub it out.
rule out s Eliminate The police ruled out political motives.
Escape from a place or suddenly
run away i He ran away from home at the age of fourteen.
leave
Meet by accident or unexpectedly
run into i Sophie ran into Maria at the shopping centre.
(also : bump into)
run out of i Have no more of something What a nuisance! I've run out of coffee.
set off i Start a journey Early Saturday morning we set off for the ski slopes.
set up s Start a business She set up her own company 10 years ago.
shop
i Compare prices It's always wise to shop around before buying anything.
around
s
show off Brag or want to be admired There's David showing off in his new sports car!
i
show up i Appear / arrive We expected William to come but he didn't show up.
shut up
i Be silent, stop talking Oh shut up you idiot!
(impolite)
sign in i Register (e.g. at a hotel) Let's go and eat as soon as we've signed in.
Pay your bill and leave (e.g. a
sign out i He signed out and left for the airport.
hotel)
sign up
i Enroll in an activity Emma signed up for a computer course.
(for)
sign up Sign an agreement to work for
i Paul has signed up with a news agency.
(with) somebody
single out s Select for special attention Two boys were singled out for extra coaching.
sink in i To be fully understood It took a while for the scale of the disaster tosink in.
sit down i Take a seat Please come in and sit down.
sleep in i Sleep later than usual Tomorrow's Saturday, so I can sleep in!
Get rid of the effects of too much
sober up i Jack went for a long walk to sober up.
alcohol
stand up i Rise from a sitting position The pupils stood up when the headmaster arrived.
stick up for i Defend It's important to stick up for one's principles.
Resemble in appearance or
take after i Jamie really takes after his dad.
character
Dismantle or separate the The technician has to take the machine apart in order to
take apart s
components repair it.
Buy food at a restaurant and
take away s Two beef curries to take away please.
carry it elsewhere to eat it
Agree to receive back/ be
take back s We will take back goods only if you can produce the receipt.
returned.
Retract or withdraw something
take back s I take back what I said about cheating.
said
take care of i Look after I'll take care of your plants while you're away.
take off i Leave the ground The plane took off at 7 o'clock.
take in s Note with your eyes and register. She took in every detail of her rival's outfit.
take on s Hire or engage staff Business is good so the company is taking on extra staff.
take out s Remove / extract She took out a pen to note the address.
Invite someone to dinner, the
take out s He took her out for a meal on her birthday.
theatre, cinema, etc.
tell off s Reprimand / criticize severely The teacher told her off for not doing her homework.
test out s Carry out an experiment The theory hasn't been tested out yet.
think over s Consider I'll have to think over the proposal before I decide.
throw away s Discard as useless or unwanted. You can throw away that book - it's a load of rubbish!
throw up i Vomit / be sick I nearly threw up when I saw the injured passengers.
tire out s Exhaust completely The children tired out their grandmother.
touch down i Land on the runway The plane touched down exactly on time.
Think about, without serious
toy with i I've been toying with the idea of starting to walk to work.
intent
track down s Find by searching The police finally tracked down the main suspect.
Give as part payment for a new
trade in s I traded in my car for a new model.
article.
Put on or wear something to see
try on s I'm not sure about the size. Can I try it on?
if it suits or fits
Hundreds of fans were turned away from the football
turn away s Refuse entrance to someone
stadium.
 1)Lower the volume. 1)Please turn down the music; it's too loud.
turn down s
2)Refuse 2) I couldn't turn down an offer like that!
Stop by turning a switch, tap or
turn off s Turn off the lights please before you leave.
knob.
i 1) Arrive, appear 1) She turned up an hour late.
turn up
s 2) Raise the volume 2) Could you turn up the radio please?
Finish a product ( so that there's
use up s The kids have used up all the toothpaste.
none left)
Express confidence in, or
vouch for i You can give the keys to Andy. I can vouch for him.
guarantee something
1) Reheat something.
1) She warmed up some left-over soup.
warm up s 2) Make more lively or more
2) He told a few jokes to warm up the atmosphere.
relaxed.
wash up i Wash the dishes after a meal. Who's going to help me wash up?
watch out i Be careful Watch out! There's a car coming.
1) Dilute or make weaker by
1) If you water down the medicine it will be easier to take.
water down s adding water
2) He watered down his remarks so as not to offend anyone.
2) Make less severe
1) Become unusable 1) Julie wore out her shoes sightseeing.
wear out s
2) Become tired 2) At the end of the day Julie was worn out.
1) Do physical exercise
i 1) I work out twice a week at the gym club.
work out 2) Find a solution or calculate
s 2) It's expensive but I haven't worked out the exact cost yet.
something