Vocabulary • Phrasal Verbs
English Phrasal Verbs List
Master 185+ essential phrasal verbs to speak English more naturally. Organized by category with clear meanings and examples.
Last updated: March 2026 • 16 categories • Complete reference guide
What Are Phrasal Verbs?
Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that create a completely new meaning. For example, "give up" doesn't mean "give" + "up" literally-it means to stop trying or quit something.
This comprehensive guide contains 185+ carefully curated phrasal verbs organized into 16 practical categories including communication, work, relationships, travel, health, and more-essential for IELTS, TOEFL, and everyday conversation.
185+Phrasal Verbs
16Topic Categories
100%With Examples
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Phrasal Verbs(15 verbs) | ||
| bring up | Start talking about a particular subject. | "She was afraid to bring up the subject of money." |
| call back | Return a phone call. | "I'll call you back as soon as I'm free." |
| catch up | Exchange news with someone. | "Let's catch up over coffee next week." |
| chime in | Join a conversation; interrupt with a comment. | "He chimed in with his own opinion." |
| get across | Successfully communicate an idea. | "He found it difficult to get his point across to the committee." |
| get through to | Make someone understand something. | "I just can't get through to him that he needs to study." |
| hang up | End a phone call. | "Don't hang up on me, we need to talk." |
| put forward | Propose an idea for consideration. | "She put forward a new idea for the marketing campaign." |
| spell out | Explain something very clearly. | "The teacher had to spell out the instructions for the new student." |
| talk over | Discuss a problem or situation. | "We need to talk over our plans for the weekend." |
| speak up | Talk louder so others can hear. | "Could you speak up please? I can't hear you." |
| pipe down | Be quiet or stop talking. | "The teacher told the students to pipe down." |
| run by | Tell someone about an idea to get their opinion. | "Let me run this idea by my manager first." |
| touch on | Mention briefly without going into detail. | "The speaker touched on several important issues." |
| butt in | Interrupt a conversation rudely. | "Stop butting in when I'm speaking!" |
| Success & Failure Phrasal Verbs(13 verbs) | ||
| carry out | Complete a plan or task. | "The team successfully carried out the experiment." |
| fall through | Fail to happen. | "Our travel plans fell through at the last minute." |
| follow through | Continue an action or task to its conclusion. | "He made a promise but didn't follow through." |
| give up | Stop trying to do something. | "He gave up trying to fix the old computer." |
| mess up | Make a mistake or do something badly. | "I really messed up the exam." |
| pan out | (of a plan or situation) develop in a particular way. | "We'll have to see how his new business venture pans out." |
| pull off | Succeed in doing something difficult. | "I can't believe they pulled off the deal." |
| scrape through | Succeed in something but with a lot of difficulty. | "He only just scraped through his final exams." |
| pay off | Result in success after effort. | "All the hard work finally paid off when she got promoted." |
| blow up | To fail suddenly and dramatically. | "The deal blew up at the last minute." |
| back out | Withdraw from a commitment or promise. | "He backed out of the agreement at the last moment." |
| come off | Succeed or have a particular result. | "The party came off really well." |
| live up to | Meet expectations or standards. | "The movie didn't live up to the hype." |
| Feelings & Emotions Phrasal Verbs(12 verbs) | ||
| break down | Lose control of your emotions and start crying. | "She broke down in tears when she heard the news." |
| calm down | Become less angry, upset, or excited. | "You need to calm down and tell me what happened." |
| cheer up | Become happier or make someone happier. | "I bought her some flowers to cheer her up." |
| freak out | To become very anxious, upset, or afraid. | "He freaked out when he saw the spider." |
| lighten up | Become less serious. | "Oh, lighten up! It was just a joke." |
| look forward to | Feel excited about something that is going to happen. | "I'm really looking forward to my vacation." |
| open up | To start to talk more about yourself and your feelings. | "He finds it hard to open up about his problems." |
| bottle up | Keep emotions inside without expressing them. | "It's not healthy to bottle up your feelings." |
| let down | Disappoint someone by not doing what was expected. | "I'm sorry I let you down by missing your birthday." |
| wind up | Make someone angry or upset (informal). | "Stop winding me up! I know you're joking." |
| lash out | React angrily to someone or something. | "He lashed out at his colleagues when he was stressed." |
| warm up to | Begin to like someone or something. | "It took time, but she warmed up to her new coworkers." |
| Work: Jobs & Career Phrasal Verbs(14 verbs) | ||
| burn out | Become exhausted from overworking. | "If you keep working 12-hour days, you'll burn out." |
| fill in for | Do someone's job for them while they are away. | "Can you fill in for me while I'm on lunch break?" |
| get ahead | To be successful in the work that you do. | "She works hard to get ahead in her career." |
| knuckle down | Start working hard, especially when you should have done it earlier. | "It's time to knuckle down and study for the exams." |
| lay off | End someone's employment due to business reasons. | "The company had to lay off 50 workers." |
| slack off | To work less hard or with less energy than you should. | "He was fired for slacking off at work." |
| step down | Resign from a position. | "The CEO decided to step down after 10 years." |
| take on | Accept new work or responsibility. | "She decided to take on the role of project manager." |
| take over | Take control of a company or role. | "He will take over as manager when Sarah leaves." |
| clock in/out | Record time of arrival/departure at work. | "Employees must clock in before starting their shift." |
| hand over | Transfer responsibility or control to someone. | "I'll hand over the project to you next week." |
| phase out | Gradually stop using or producing something. | "The company is phasing out its older products." |
| branch out | Expand into new areas of business or activity. | "The bakery is branching out into catering services." |
| round up | Gather people together for a meeting or event. | "Can you round up the team for a quick meeting?" |
| Money & Business Phrasal Verbs(15 verbs) | ||
| bail out | Rescue a company from financial difficulties. | "The government had to bail out the failing bank." |
| buy up | Buy large quantities of something. | "Investors are buying up property in the city center." |
| chip in | To contribute some money to a group effort. | "We all chipped in to buy her a leaving present." |
| cut back on | Reduce spending. | "We need to cut back on our expenses this month." |
| fork over/out | To pay an amount of money, especially unwillingly. | "I had to fork over $100 for the speeding ticket." |
| pay back | Return money that was borrowed. | "I'll pay you back next week." |
| rip off | Charge someone too much money for something. | "The tourist felt he had been ripped off by the taxi driver." |
| save up | Save money for a specific purpose. | "I'm saving up for a new car." |
| sell out | Sell all of the items. | "The tickets for the concert sold out in minutes." |
| splash out | To spend a lot of money on something. | "She splashed out on a new designer handbag." |
| put aside | Save money for later use. | "Try to put aside some money each month for emergencies." |
| live off | Survive on a particular amount of money. | "She has to live off her small pension." |
| rack up | To accumulate a large amount (often debt). | "He racked up huge credit card debts." |
| cough up | Pay money unwillingly. | "I had to cough up $500 for the car repair." |
| dip into | Use money from savings. | "We had to dip into our savings to pay for the repairs." |
| Relationships Phrasal Verbs(15 verbs) | ||
| ask out | To invite someone for a date. | "He finally asked her out." |
| break up | End a romantic relationship. | "She broke up with her boyfriend last week." |
| drift apart | Become less close to someone over time. | "After college, we slowly drifted apart." |
| fall out | Have an argument and stop being friends. | "They fell out over something trivial." |
| get along | Have a friendly relationship with someone. | "I get along well with my colleagues." |
| grow apart | To stop having a close relationship with someone over time. | "We were good friends, but we've grown apart over the years." |
| hit it off | Immediately like each other. | "We hit it off the first time we met." |
| look up to | Admire and respect someone. | "He always looked up to his older brother." |
| make up | Forgive someone after an argument. | "They had a fight, but they made up the next day." |
| settle down | To start living a quieter life, especially by getting married. | "They decided to settle down and start a family." |
| split up | End a relationship or marriage. | "My parents split up when I was young." |
| stand by | Continue to support someone during difficult times. | "She stood by him throughout the trial." |
| look after | Take care of someone. | "She looks after her elderly parents." |
| fall for | Start to love someone; also to be deceived. | "He fell for her the moment they met." |
| put up with | Tolerate something unpleasant. | "I don't know how she puts up with his behavior." |
| Health & Daily Routines Phrasal Verbs(10 verbs) | ||
| come down with | Start to get an illness. | "I think I'm coming down with a cold." |
| cut down on | Reduce the consumption of something. | "I need to cut down on sugar." |
| doze off | To fall asleep, especially for a short time. | "He dozed off during the boring lecture." |
| freshen up | To wash and make yourself look clean and neat. | "I need to freshen up before the guests arrive." |
| get over | Recover from an illness. | "It took him a long time to get over the flu." |
| lie down | Rest on your back. | "I'm going to lie down for a few minutes." |
| pass out | Faint or lose consciousness. | "He passed out from the heat." |
| sleep in | To sleep later than usual. | "I love to sleep in on Saturdays." |
| wake up | Stop sleeping. | "I wake up at 7 AM every day." |
| work out | Exercise. | "She works out at the gym three times a week." |
| Travel & Movement Phrasal Verbs(10 verbs) | ||
| check in | Register at a hotel or airport. | "We need to check in at least two hours before the flight." |
| check out | Leave and pay for your stay at a hotel. | "We need to check out of the hotel by 11 AM." |
| drop off | Take someone or something to a place and leave them there. | "Can you drop me off at the station?" |
| get away | Go on vacation. | "I need to get away for a few days to relax." |
| get off | To leave a bus, train, or plane. | "We need to get off at the next stop." |
| get on | To board a bus, train, or plane. | "He got on the bus at the wrong stop." |
| see off | Go to the airport or station to say goodbye to someone. | "Her family came to see her off at the station." |
| set off | Start a journey. | "We set off early in the morning to avoid traffic." |
| stop over | To stay somewhere for a short time during a long journey. | "We stopped over in Dubai for a night on the way to Australia." |
| take off | When an airplane leaves the ground. | "The plane took off on time." |
| Actions & Movement Phrasal Verbs(8 verbs) | ||
| get up | To get out of bed. | "What time do you usually get up?" |
| go back | To return to a place. | "I have to go back to the office to get my phone." |
| look around | Explore a place. | "We had some time to look around the city." |
| run around | Be very busy doing many different things. | "I've been running around all day trying to get everything done." |
| show up | Arrive or appear somewhere. | "He finally showed up an hour late." |
| sit down | Move into a sitting position. | "Sit down and make yourself comfortable." |
| stand up | Rise to a standing position. | "Please stand up when the judge enters." |
| turn around | To change direction and face the opposite way. | "I forgot my wallet, so I had to turn around and go back home." |
| Starting & Finishing Phrasal Verbs(9 verbs) | ||
| carry on | To continue doing something. | "Please carry on with your work while I'm away." |
| end up | Finally be in a particular place or situation. | "We got lost and ended up on the wrong side of town." |
| get down to | To start doing something seriously. | "It's time to get down to business." |
| give in | To stop resisting; to surrender. | "The children kept asking for candy, and finally their mother gave in." |
| hold off | Delay doing something. | "Let's hold off making a decision until we have more information." |
| kick off | Begin an event or meeting. | "The festival will kick off with a parade." |
| run out of | Have no more of something left. | "We've run out of milk." |
| start over | To begin something again. | "This isn't working, let's start over." |
| wrap up | Finish or complete something. | "Let's wrap up this meeting by 5 PM." |
| Solving Problems & Decisions Phrasal Verbs(9 verbs) | ||
| come up with | Think of a plan or idea. | "He came up with a brilliant plan to save money." |
| deal with | Take action to solve a problem. | "You need to deal with this issue immediately." |
| figure out | Understand or find the solution to a problem. | "I can't figure out how to use this software." |
| get around | To find a way of dealing with or avoiding a problem. | "There's no getting around the fact that you have to take the exam." |
| mull over | To think carefully about something over a period of time. | "I need a few days to mull it over before I make a decision." |
| sleep on it | Delay making a decision until the next day. | "I'm not sure what to do; I'll have to sleep on it." |
| think over | Consider something carefully before making a decision. | "I need some time to think over your offer." |
| weigh up | To consider the good and bad aspects of something before making a decision. | "You should weigh up the pros and cons before accepting the job." |
| work out | Find a solution to a problem. | "We need to work out a compromise." |
| Food & Drink Phrasal Verbs(6 verbs) | ||
| cut up | Cut something into small pieces. | "Could you cut up the vegetables for the salad?" |
| dig in | To start eating eagerly. | "The food is ready. Dig in!" |
| drink up | Finish your drink. | "Drink up, we have to leave in five minutes." |
| eat out | Eat at a restaurant instead of at home. | "We're too tired to cook, let's eat out tonight." |
| polish off | To finish all of a particular dish or meal. | "He polished off the entire pizza by himself." |
| whip up | Quickly make a meal or something to eat. | "I can whip up a simple pasta dish for dinner." |
| Technology & Computers Phrasal Verbs(14 verbs) | ||
| back up | Make a copy of computer data. | "You should always back up your important files." |
| boot up | Start a computer. | "My computer takes a long time to boot up." |
| go offline | To disconnect from the internet. | "I'm going offline for a few hours to focus on my work." |
| log in / on | Enter your username and password to start using a system. | "I can't log in because I forgot my password." |
| log out / off | Sign out of a system. | "Don't forget to log out when you finish." |
| print out | To produce a paper copy of a document from a computer. | "Could you print out this report for me?" |
| scroll down/up | To move information on a screen to see a different part of it. | "Just scroll down to the bottom of the page." |
| shut down | Turn off a computer. | "Please shut down your computer before you leave." |
| sign up | Create an account for a service. | "You need to sign up to use the new features." |
| plug in | Connect an electronic device to power or another device. | "Don't forget to plug in your laptop before the meeting." |
| zoom in/out | Make an image appear larger or smaller on screen. | "Can you zoom in on that part of the map?" |
| pop up | Appear suddenly on a computer screen. | "An error message keeps popping up." |
| hack into | Illegally access a computer system. | "Hackers tried to hack into the company's database." |
| opt in/out | Choose to join or leave a service. | "You can opt out of marketing emails at any time." |
| Crime & Authority Phrasal Verbs(8 verbs) | ||
| break in / into | Enter a building illegally. | "Someone tried to break into our house last night." |
| get away with | Avoid punishment for a crime. | "He thought he could get away with cheating on the test." |
| hold up | Rob someone using violence or threats. | "The gang held up a bank and stole thousands of dollars." |
| let off | Give someone a lighter punishment than they deserve. | "The judge let him off with a warning." |
| own up | To admit that you have done something wrong. | "No one owned up to breaking the window." |
| report to | To be accountable to someone at a higher level. | "You will report directly to the manager." |
| track down | To find someone or something after a long search. | "The police managed to track down the thief." |
| turn in | Give someone to the police. | "He decided to turn himself in to the authorities." |
| Academic Writing & Learning Phrasal Verbs(15 verbs) | ||
| bone up on | To study a subject intensively to prepare for something. | "I need to bone up on my history before the exam." |
| brush up on | To improve your knowledge of something you have partly forgotten. | "I should brush up on my Spanish before my trip to Madrid." |
| fall behind | Fail to keep up with schoolwork. | "She was sick for a week and fell behind in her classes." |
| go over | Review or check something. | "Let's go over the main points of the chapter." |
| hand in | Submit an assignment. | "You must hand in your essay by Friday." |
| jot down | Write something quickly. | "I should jot down his phone number before I forget it." |
| look up | Find information in a book or database. | "If you don't know the word, look it up in a dictionary." |
| point out | To draw attention to a fact. | "The author points out that the data is inconclusive." |
| read up on | To read a lot about a subject to become informed. | "I need to read up on the company before my job interview." |
| sum up | Summarize the main points. | "To sum up, the research shows a clear correlation." |
| catch up on | Do work or studying that you missed. | "I need to catch up on the lectures I missed last week." |
| drop out | Leave school or university before finishing. | "He dropped out of college to start his own business." |
| get by | Manage with the minimum effort or resources. | "I can get by with my basic French while traveling." |
| keep up with | Stay at the same level as others. | "It's hard to keep up with all the new research in this field." |
| pick up | Learn something without formal study. | "She picked up some Japanese while working in Tokyo." |
| Everyday Life & Home Phrasal Verbs(12 verbs) | ||
| clean up | Make a place tidy by removing dirt or mess. | "Can you help me clean up the kitchen after dinner?" |
| throw away | Dispose of something you no longer need. | "Don't throw away those boxes-we might need them." |
| put away | Return something to its proper place. | "Please put away your toys before going to bed." |
| turn on/off | Start or stop the operation of something. | "Can you turn off the lights when you leave?" |
| pick up | Lift something from a surface. | "He picked up the book from the floor." |
| tidy up | Make a place neat and organized. | "I need to tidy up my room before guests arrive." |
| sort out | Organize or resolve something. | "We need to sort out the mess in the garage." |
| move in/out | Start or stop living in a place. | "They're moving into their new apartment next month." |
| lock up | Secure a building by locking all doors. | "Don't forget to lock up before you leave." |
| settle in | Become comfortable in a new home or situation. | "It took a few weeks to settle in to our new house." |
| run out of | Have no more of something. | "We've run out of milk-can you buy some?" |
| heat up | Make food or a room warm. | "I'll heat up some leftovers for lunch." |
How to Learn Phrasal Verbs Effectively
✅ Best Practices
- • Learn in context - Study phrasal verbs through example sentences, not just definitions
- • Group by topic - Learn related verbs together (all work verbs, all travel verbs)
- • Practice actively - Use new phrasal verbs in your writing and speaking
- • Note separability - Learn whether objects can go between the verb and particle
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- • Don't memorize long lists without context-you'll forget them quickly
- • Avoid separating inseparable phrasal verbs ("look after him" ✓, not "look him after")
- • Be aware that the same phrasal verb can have multiple meanings
- • Don't overuse phrasal verbs in formal academic writing
Separable vs. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
✓ Separable (object can go in the middle)
"Turn off the light" OR "Turn the light off"
"Pick up your clothes" OR "Pick your clothes up"
Note: When using pronouns, you MUST separate: "Turn it off" (not "Turn off it")
✗ Inseparable (keep verb + particle together)
"Look after the children" ✓ (not "Look the children after")
"Get over the illness" ✓ (not "Get the illness over")
Note: Most phrasal verbs with prepositions are inseparable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Phrasal Verbs
What is a phrasal verb in English?▼
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or more particles (preposition or adverb) that creates a meaning different from the original verb. For example, "give up" means to stop trying, which is completely different from "give." Phrasal verbs are essential for natural English communication.
How many phrasal verbs are there in English?▼
English has over 10,000 phrasal verbs, but most learners need to know around 200-300 commonly used ones for effective communication. This guide covers the most frequently used phrasal verbs organized by practical categories.
Are phrasal verbs tested on IELTS and TOEFL?▼
Yes, phrasal verbs are commonly tested on IELTS and TOEFL exams, particularly in the listening and reading sections. Using phrasal verbs naturally in speaking and writing can also improve your band score by demonstrating a more advanced vocabulary range.
What's the difference between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs?▼
Separable phrasal verbs allow you to put an object between the verb and particle (e.g., "turn the light off" or "turn off the light"). Inseparable phrasal verbs must keep the verb and particle together (e.g., "look after the children," NOT "look the children after").