| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
| abide by | Respect or obey (the law, a decision, a rule) |
| account for | Explain; give a reason |
| ache for | Want something or someone very much. |
| act on | Take action as a result of something |
| act out | Demonstrate something with gestures and actions. |
| act up | Cause pain or annoyance by functioning badly |
| act upon | To take action because of something such as information has been received |
| act upon | Affect |
| add up | Make sense; seem reasonable |
| add up to | Have a certain result |
| add up to | Come to a certain amount or figure |
| adhere to | Support; follow; act in accordance with |
| advise against | Recommend not doing something |
| agree with | Have the same opinion as someone else |
| aim at | Direct towards a target |
| allow for | Take into consideration; |
| allow for | Include in a calculation |
| amount to | Reach; be equivalent to |
| angle at | Show from a particular point of view. |
| angle for | Try to obtain something by hinting. |
| answer back | Reply rudely |
| answer for | Be responsible for something. |
| answer for | Speak on behalf of someone. |
| answer to | Be responsible to/be controlled by (someone) |
| appeal to | Plead or make an earnest request. |
| appeal to | Be attractive or interesting. |
| apply for | Make a formal request for something |
| arrive at | To reach an agreement, a decision, a conclusion) |
| ask after | Enquire about someone’s well-being. |
| ask around | Mention it to people you see or meet. |
| ask in | Invite someone to come inside. |
| ask out | Invite someone to lunch, dinner, the cinema … |
| average out at | Result in an average (amount) |
| back away | Move backwards, in fear or dislike |
| back down | Withdraw; concede defeat. |
| back off | Retreat, abandon an intention. |
| back out | Withdraw from an agreement. |
| back up | Give support or encouragement |
| back up | make a copy of (file, program…) |
| bail out | Pay money to secure someone’s release |
| bail out | Rescue from financial difficulties |
| band together | Unite in a group. |
| bank on | Base your hopes on something/someone. |
| bargain for | Expect; be prepared for. |
| bear with | Be patient. |
| beef up | Improve or make more substantial |
| black out | Faint; lose consciousness |
| block off | Separate using a barrier. |
| blow up | Explode. |
| blow up | Be destroyed by an explosion. |
| boil down to | Be summarized as |
| boot up | Start a computer by loading an operating system or program. |
| break away | Escape from captivity. |
| break down | Go out of order, cease to function. |
| break down | Lose control of one’s emotions. |
| break into | Enter by force. |
| break off | Stop, discontinue |
| break off | Stop speaking |
| break out | Start suddenly. |
| break out of | Escape from a place by force. |
| break up | Come to an end (marriage, relationship…) |
| bring up | Raise (a child). |
| bring up | Mention something. |
| brush up on | Improve, refresh one’s knowledge of something. |
| bump into | Meet by accident or unexpectedly. |
| burn out | Stop (something) working |
| burn out | Become exhausted from overworking |
| butt in (on) | Interrupt impolitely. |
| call back | Return a phone call |
| call off | Cancel |
| call on/upon | Formally invite or request. |
| calm down | Become more relaxed or less angry/upset. |
| carry on | Continue. |
| carry out | Do something as specified (plan, order, threat…) |
| carry out | Perform or conduct (test, experiment …) |
| carry over | Postpone until later. |
| catch up on | Acquire information you have missed. |
| catch up with | Reach the same stage as someone else. |
| check in | Register at a hotel or airport. |
| check out | Pay one’s bill and leave (a hotel) |
| check out | Investigate or verify. |
| cheer up | Put someone in a better mood. |
| chip in | Contribute to, or participate in, something done by a group. |
| clam up | Refuse to speak. |
| clamp down on | Act strictly to prevent something. |
| close down | Stop operating (company, restaurant, cinema …) |
| come across | Find by chance. |
| come across | Appear, seem, make an impression. |
| come down with | Become ill with … |
| come forward | Present oneself; volunteer |
| come up against | Be faced with or opposed by. |
| come up with | Produce an idea or plan. |
| conk out | Stop working. |
| conk out | Stop or fall asleep (from exhaustion). |
| count on | Rely or depend on. |
| cross out | Remove by drawing a line through. |
| cut down on | Reduce in number or size. |
| cut out | Remove using scissors. |
| cut out | Stop doing something. |
| deal with | Handle, take care of (problem, situation) |
| deck out (in/with) | Dress; decorate |
| die down | Calm down, become less strong. |
| dig into | Try to find deep inside something. |
| dig into | Start to do something. |
| dig into | Take from something. |
| dig up | Break up the soil/remove by digging. |
| dig up | Discover or reveal information. |
| dish out | Distribute or give away a lot. |
| dispense with | Decide to do without something. |
| do away with | Get rid of; abolish. |
| do over | Clean or redecorate. |
| do up | Fasten (a garment) |
| do without | Manage without. |
| drag on | Last longer than expected. |
| drag out | Make something longer than necessary. |
| drag out | Make someone reveal or give information unwillingly. |
| draw up | Write (contract, agreement, document). |
| dress up | Wear elegant clothes. |
| dress up | Disguise oneself. |
| drift apart | Become less and less close. |
| drift off | Gradually fall asleep. |
| drive at | Insinuate; be trying to say. |
| drop in | Visit, usually on the way somewhere. |
| drop off | Deliver someone or something. |
| drop off | Fall asleep. |
| drop out | Leave school without finishing. |
| drown out | Be louder in order to cover another sound. |
| ease off/up | Reduce, become less severe or slow down |
| egg on | Encourage |
| embark on/upon | Start or engage in |
| end in | Finish in a certain way / result in |
| end up | Finally reach a state, place or action |
| even out | Eliminate differences of opinion. |
| even out | Become level or regular |
| explain away | Find an excuse or plausible explanation |
| face up (to) | Accept ad deal with something unpleasant. |
| fall apart | Disintegrate; break; fall into pieces. |
| fall back on | Be have something in reserve to use something in an emergency |
| fall behind | Fail to maintain a certain level |
| fall through | Fail / does not happen |
| figure out | Understand / find the answer |
| fill in for | Temporarily substitute for another person |
| fill out | Complete (a form/application) |
| find out | Discover or obtain information |
| fire away | Ask questions in quick succession. |
| fit in (with) | Feel comfortable or be in harmony with |
| fix up | Repair or renovate |
| fizzle out | Gradually end |
| focus on | Concentrate on something |
| fold in | Mix one ingredient with another. |
| freak out | Panic or go crazy |
| frown on/upon | Disapprove |
| fuss over | Pay excessive attention to |
| get about/around | Move from place to place |
| get about/around | Spread, circulate |
| get along (with) | Be on good terms / work well with. |
| get at | Imply |
| get away | Escape |
| get by (on) | Manage to cope or to survive. |
| get down to | Start to actually do something. |
| get in | Enter |
| get into | Enter |
| get off | Leave (bus, train, plane). |
| get off | Remove from something. |
| get on | Board (bus, train, plane) |
| get on with | Continue to do something / make progress |
| get on (well) with | Have a good relationship with |
| get out | Leave/Escape |
| get out of | Avoid doing something |
| get over | Recover from (illness, disappointment) |
| get rid of | Eliminate |
| get round (to) | Find the necessary time to do something. |
| get together | Meet each other |
| get up | Rise / leave bed |
| give away | Give something free of charge. |
| give away | Reveal something. |
| give back | Return something to its owner. |
| give in | Accept defeat; surrender |
| give up | Stop doing something. |
| give up | Stop trying to do something |
| gloss over | Treat something briefly so as to avoid embarrassing details. |
| go along (with) | Agree with; accept. |
| go back | Return |
| go away | Leave a place |
| go away | Disappear / fade |
| go in | Enter |
| go into | Go inside |
| go into | Join or enter a profession or organization. |
| go in for | Have something as an interest or hobby. |
| go out | Leave one’s home to attend a social event. |
| go out with | Have someone as a boyfriend/girlfriend. |
| go with | Look good with something else. |
| go through | Experience. |
| go with/together | Match; harmonize (with) |
| grow up | Spend one’s childhood / become an adult |
| hand back | Return |
| hand down | Pass on (by tradition, inheritance…) |
| hand in | Submit (report, homework) |
| hand out | Distribute |
| hand over | Give to someone in authority. |
| hang back | Be reluctant to do something |
| hang on | Wait |
| hang on (to) | Keep a hold on something |
| hang out | Spend time in a particular place or with a group of friends |
| hang up | End a telephone conversation |
| head off | Start to go somewhere. |
| head for | Go/move in a certain direction. |
| hit at | Aim a blow at something. |
| hit back | Retaliate / reply to an attack |
| hit on/upon | Find unexpectedly or by inspiration |
| hold on | Wait |
| hold on | Grip tightly |
| hold up | Show as a example |
| hold up | To rob |
| hook up | Fasten (a garment) |
| hook up | To meet a person |
| hook up (with) | Link broadcasting facilities |
| hurry up | Be quick / act speedily |
| idle away | Waste time doing nothing much. |
| iron out | Resolve by discussion/ eliminate differences |
| impose on/upon | Ask too much of someone. |
| improve on/upon | Make better |
| indulge in | Allow yourself to enjoy something |
| insure against | Guarantee compensation for damage etc. |
| invite out | Ask someone to join you for lunch, dinner, etc. |
| join in | Participate |
| join up | Engage in, become a member of |
| join up | Meet and unite with |
| jot down | Take quick notes |
| keep at | Persevere. |
| keep back | Retain / force to stay back |
| keep on | Continue doing something |
| keep up with | Stay at the same level as someone or something |
| kneel down | Go down on your knees |
| kick off | Begin, start |
| knock back | Drink quickly (usually alcohol) |
| knock down | Strike someone or something to the ground. |
| knock out | Cause someone to fall unconscious. |
| know of | have heard of / have knowledge about |
| laugh off | Make light of something / minimize |
| lay off | Fire, dismiss, let go |
| leaf through | Turn over pages quickly |
| leak out | Become known (information) |
| leave out | Omit / not mention |
| let down | Disappoint |
| let down | Lengthen (skirt, pants) |
| light up | Illuminate |
| line up | Stand in a row. |
| live through | Experience something and survive |
| liven up | Make something livelier or more attractive. |
| log in/on | Access a program or database using a password. |
| log off | End access to a database. |
| look after | Take care of |
| look ahead | Think of the future |
| look back on | Remember the past |
| look down on | Consider as inferior |
| look into | Examine or investigate. |
| look on | Be a spectator at an event |
| look for | Try to find something |
| look forward to | Await or anticipate with pleasure |
| look up to | Admire |
| lose out on/to | Be unsuccessful / suffer a loss |
| make fun of | Laugh at / make jokes about |
| make off with | Steal and hurry away |
| make up | Invent (excuse, story) |
| make up (with) | End a quarrel |
| make up for | Compensate for |
| mark down | Reduce the price. |
| miss out (on) | Lose an opportunity to do something. |
| mix up | Mistake one thing or person for another |
| move in | Arrive in a new home or office |
| move out | Leave your home/office for another one. |
| nail down | Make someone say something precisely |
| name after | Give the same name as another person |
| narrow down | Reduce a list or a number of options. |
| nod off | Fall asleep |
| nose about/around | Try to discover by searching. |
| note down | Write something down |
| opt out | Leave a system or decide not to participate |
| own up | Admit or confess something |
| pass away | Die |
| pass on | Transmit |
| pass out | Faint / lose consciousness |
| pay back | Reimburse |
| pick on | Choose someone to blame, punish, bully, etc. |
| pick out | Select; choose |
| pick up | Learn |
| pick up | Collect; give someone a lift |
| play up | Cause pain or discomfort. |
| play up | Emphasize or make something seem more important. |
| play down | Minimize or make something appear less important |
| pop across/over/down/out | Come or go quickly in the direction specified |
| pop in | Make a brief visit |
| pop up | Arise, occur |
| pull through | Overcome difficulties or illness |
| put away | Return something to its normal place after using it. |
| put off | Postpone / arrange a later date |
| put on | Turn on / switch on |
| put on | Wear a garment or piece of clothing. |
| put out | Extinguish |
| put (yourself) out | Go to a lot of trouble / be inconvenienced. |
| put (something) out | Leave/place something outside the house. |
| put through | Connect two people (on the telephone) |
| put up | Accommodate / give someone a bed |
| put up with | Tolerate |
| pick up | Collect somebody |
| point out | Indicate / direct attention to something |
| pick up | Learn |
| pick up | Collect; give someone a lift |
| play up | Cause pain or discomfort. |
| play up | Emphasize or make something seem more important. |
| play down | Minimize or make something appear less important |
| pop across/over/down/out | Come or go quickly in the direction specified |
| pop in | Make a brief visit |
| pop up | Arise, occur |
| pull through | Overcome difficulties or illness |
| put away | Return something to its normal place after using it. |
| put off | Postpone / arrange a later date |
| put on | Turn on / switch on |
| put on | Wear a garment or piece of clothing. |
| put out | Extinguish |
| put (yourself) out | Go to a lot of trouble / be inconvenienced. |
| put (something) out | Leave/place something outside the house. |
| put through | Connect two people (on the telephone) |
| put up | Accommodate / give someone a bed |
| put up with | Tolerate |
| pick up | Collect somebody |
| point out | Indicate / direct attention to something |
| reel off | Recite without effort or pause |
| rely on | Count on / depend on / trust |
| rig out | Dress or equip |
| ring back | Return a phone call (Also: call back) |
| ring off | End a phone call |
| rub out | Erase |
| rule out | Eliminate |
| run away | Escape from a place or suddenly leave |
| run into (also : bump into) | Meet by accident or unexpectedly |
| run out of | Have no more of something |
| scale back/down | Make something smaller than originally intended. |
| scrape together | Manage to find or collect enough of something you need, usually money |
| scrape up | Manage to find or collect enough of something you need, usually money |
| scrape through | Succeed with difficulty |
| set off | Start a journey |
| set up | Start a business |
| settle for | Accept something not quite satisfactory. |
| shop around | Compare prices |
| show off | Brag or want to be admired |
| show up | Appear / arrive |
| shut up (impolite) | Be silent, stop talking |
| sign away | Give up one’s rights or ownership |
| sign in | Register (e.g. at a hotel) |
| sign out | Pay your bill and leave (e.g. a hotel) |
| sign over (to) | Transfer ownership of something |
| sign up (for) | Enroll in an activity |
| sign up (with) | Sign an agreement to work for somebody |
| single out | Select for special attention |
| sink in | To be fully understood |
| sit down | Take a seat |
| sleep in | Sleep later than usual |
| sleep over | Stay overnight at someone else’s home. |
| slip up | Make a mistake |
| sober up | Get rid of the effects of too much alcohol |
| sort out | Organize, resolve a problem |
| stand for | Represent, mean |
| stand for | Tolerate |
| stand up | Rise from a sitting position |
| stick to | Continue without changing anything |
| stick up for | Defend |
| take after | Resemble in appearance or character |
| take apart | Dismantle or separate the components |
| take away | Buy food at a restaurant and carry it elsewhere to eat it. |
| take away | Cause something to disappear |
| take back | Agree to receive back/ be returned. |
| take back | Retract or withdraw something said |
| take care of | Look after |
| take off | Leave the ground |
| take in | Allow to stay in one’s home |
| take in | Note with your eyes and register. |
| take in | Understand what one sees, hears or reads / realize what is happening. |
| take on | Hire or engage staff |
| take out | Remove / extract |
| take out | Invite someone to dinner, the theatre, cinema, etc. |
| talk into | Persuade someone to do something |
| talk out of | Persuade someone not to do something |
| tear up | Rip into pieces |
| tell off | Reprimand / criticize severely |
| test out | Carry out an experiment |
| think over | Consider |
| throw away | Discard as useless or unwanted. |
| throw up | Vomit / be sick |
| tire out | Exhaust completely |
| touch down | Land on the runway |
| toy with | Think about, without serious intent |
| track down | Find by searching |
| trade in | Give as part payment for a new article. |
| try on | Put on or wear something to see if it suits or fits |
| turn away | Refuse entrance to someone |
| turn down | Lower the volume. |
| turn down | Refuse |
| turn off | Stop by turning a switch, tap or knob. |
| turn up | Arrive, appear |
| turn up | Raise the volume |
| use up | Finish a product ( so that there’s none left) |
| veer away from | Avoid, stay away from |
| vie with | Compete or rival with someone |
| vouch for | Express confidence in, or guarantee something |
| ward off | Keep away or repel (something dangerous or unpleasant). |
| warm up | heat something. |
| warm up | make more lively or more relaxed. |
| wash up | Wash the dishes after a meal. |
| watch out | Be careful |
| water down | Dilute or make weaker by adding water |
| water down | Make less severe |
| wear out | Become unusable |
| wear out | Become very tired |
| whip up | Prepare quickly. |
| wolf down | Eat greedily and quickly. |
| work out | Do physical exercise |
| work out | Find a solution or calculate something |
| wind up | Finish or put an end to something |
| wind up | Arrive finally in a place. |
| wipe off | Clean (board, table) |
| wrap up | Cover; enclose |
| wrap up | Complete (a task, a discussion) |