This is a list of common phrasal verbs, with meanings and examples.
A phrasal verb is a verb + a preposition or adverb. Preposition and adverb come after the verb. The combination creates a meaning different from the original verb.


Verb

Meaning

Example

ask someone out invite on a date Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
ask around ask many people the same question I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
add up to something equal Your purchases add up to $205.32.
back something up reverse You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
back someone up support My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
blow up explode The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
blow something up add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
break down stop functioning (vehicle, machine) Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
break down get upset The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.
break somethingdown divide into smaller parts Our teacher broke the final project downinto three separate parts.
break in force entry to a building Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
break into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.
break something in wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.
break in interrupt The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death.
break up end a relationship My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.
break up start laughing (informal) The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
break out escape The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking.
break out insomething develop a skin condition I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
bring someone down make unhappy This sad music is bringing me down.
bring someone up raise a child My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bring something up start talking about a subject My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
bring something up vomit He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around phone many different places/people We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
call someone back return a phone call I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.
call something off cancel Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call on someone ask for an answer or opinion The professor called on me for question 1.
call on someone visit someone We called on you last night but you weren't home.
call someone up phone Give me your phone number and I willcall you up when we are in town.
calm down relax after being angry You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.
not care forsomeone/something not like (formal) I don't care for his behaviour.
catch up get to the same point as someone else 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 We will get the hotel keys when wecheck in.
check out leave a hotel You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
checksomeone/somethingout look at carefully, investigate The company checks out all new employees.
check outsomeone/something look at (informal) Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up become happier She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer someone up make happier I brought you some flowers to cheer youup.
chip in help If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up tidy, clean Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come acrosssomething find unexpectedly I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart separate The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down withsomething become sick My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
come forward volunteer for a task or to give evidence The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints.
come fromsomewhere originate in The art of origami comes from Asia.
count onsomeone/something rely on I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
cross something out draw a line through Please cross out your old address and write your new one.
cut back onsomething consume less My doctor wants me to cut back onsweets and fatty foods.
cut something down make something fall to the ground We had to cut the old tree in our yarddown after the storm.
cut in interrupt Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
cut in pull in too closely in front of another vehicle The bus driver got angry when that carcut in.
cut in start operating (of an engine or electrical device) The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
cut something off remove with something sharp The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cut something off stop providing The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
cut someone off take out of a will My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cut something out remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper) I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
dosomeone/somethingover beat up, ransack (Br.E., informal) He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.
do something over do again (N.Amer.) My teacher wants me to do my essayover because she doesn't like my topic.
do away withsomething discard It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
do something up fasten, close Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
dress up wear nice clothing It's a fancy restaurant so we have todress up.
drop back move back in a position/group Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/by/over come without an appointment I might drop in/by/over for tea some time this week.
dropsomeone/somethingoff take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.
drop out quit a class, school etc I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.
eat out eat at a restaurant I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.
end up eventually reach/do/decide We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart break into pieces My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
fall down fall to the ground The picture that you hung up last nightfell down this morning.
fall out separate from an interior The money must have fallen out of my pocket.
fall out (of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.
figure something out understand, find the answer 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.) Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
fill something out to write information in blanks (N.Amer.) The form must be filled out in capital letters.
fill something up fill to the top I always fill the water jug up when it is empty.
find out discover We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
find something out discover We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.