Important Phrasal Verbs in English
ask around:
ask many people the same question
Ex: I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
back something up:
reverse.
Ex: You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
back someone up:
support
Ex: My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
break down:
stop functioning (vehicle, machine).
Ex: Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
break something down:
divide into smaller parts
Ex: Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.
break-in:
force entry to a building.
Ex: Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
break into something:
enter forcibly.
Ex: The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.
break-in:
interrupt
Ex: The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death.
break up:
end a relationship
Ex: My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.
break up:
start laughing (informal)
Ex: The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
break out:
escape
Ex: The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking.
bring someone down:
make unhappy
Ex: This sad music is bringing me down.
bring someone up:
raise a child
Ex: My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bring something up:
start talking about a subject
Ex: My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
bring something up:
vomit
Ex: He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around:
phone many different places/people
Ex: We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
call someone back:
return a phone call
Ex: I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.
call something off:
cancel.
Ex: Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call on someone:
visit someone.
Ex: We called on you last night but you weren't home.
call someone up:
phone.
Ex: Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.
calm down:
relax after being angry
Ex: You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.
not care for someone/something:
not like (formal)
Ex: I don't care for his behavior.
catch up:
get to the same point as someone else
Ex: You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.
check-in:
arrive and register at a hotel or airport.
Ex: We will get the hotel keys when we check-in.
check out:
leave a hotel.
Ex: You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
Check someone/something out:
look at carefully, investigate
Ex: The Company checks out all new employees.
cheer up:
become happier
Ex: She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer someone up:
make happier
Ex: I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in:
help
Ex: If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up:
tidy, clean
Ex: Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come across something:
find unexpectedly
Ex: I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart:
separate
Ex: The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down with something:
become sick
Ex: My nephew came down with chickenpox this weekend.
come forward:
volunteer for a task or to give evidence.
Ex: The woman came forward with her husband's fingerprints.
come from somewhere:
Originate in
Ex: The art of origami comes from Asia.
cut something down:
make something fall to the ground.
Ex: We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
cut in:
interrupt
Ex: Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
cut in:
pull in too closely in front of another vehicle.
Ex: The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
cut something off:
remove with something sharp.
Ex: The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cut something off:
stop providing
Ex: The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
cut someone off:
take out of a will.
Ex: My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cut something out:
remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)
Ex: I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
do something over:
do again
Ex: My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.
do away with something:
discard
Ex: It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
do something up:
fasten, close
Ex: Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
dress up:
wear nice clothing.
Ex: It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
drop-in/by/over:
come without an appointment.
Ex: I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.
Drop someone/something off:
take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there
Ex: I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.
drop out:
quit a class, school, etc.
Ex: I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.
end up:
eventually reach/do/decide.
Ex: We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart:
break into pieces.
Ex: My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
fall down:
fall to the ground.
Ex: The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning.
fall out:
separate from an interior.
Ex: The money must have fallen out of my pocket.
figure something out:
understand, find the answer.
Ex: I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
fill something in:
to write information in blanks (Br.E.).
Ex: Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
fill something out:
to write information in blanks (N.Amer.)
Ex: The form must be filled out in capital letters.
fill something up:
fill to the top
Ex: I always fill the water jug up when it is empty.
find out:
discover
Ex: We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
find something out:
discover
Ex: We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.