TIPS for English (o) Phrasal verbs (2) (list - alphabetically)

List of Common Phrasal verbs (alphabetically)

(scroll down to read the phrasal verbs) 

phrasal verb	meaning	example
ask somebody out	invite on a date	David asked Mary out to dinner.
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 $250.00.
back something up	reverse	You'll have to back up your car so I can get out.
back somebody up	support	My family 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)	Yesterday our car broke down on the side of the highway
break down	get upset	The woman broke down when the doctor told her that her husband had died.
break something down	divide into smaller parts	Our teacher broke the final project down into four separate parts.
break in	force entry to a building	Somebody broke in last night and stole us.
break into something	enter forcibly	The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the woman.
break something in	wear something a few times so that it doesn't look or feel new	I must break these sneakers in before we run the Marathon next week.
break in	interrupt	The TV broke in to broadcast the news of the politician’s death.
break up	end a relationship disintegrate or disperse. (of a gathering or collective) disband; end.	My boyfriend and I broke up recently The grey clouds had begun to break up After about an hour, the meeting broke up
break up	start laughing (informal)	The kids just broke up when they saw the clown
break out of	Escape from prison	The prisoners broke out of jail.
break out in something	develop a skin condition	I broke out in a rash after my trip to Africa
bring somebody down	make unhappy	This sad movie is bringing me down.
bring somebody up	raise a child	My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bring something up	start talking about a subject	My brother walks out of the room when my father brings up the movie he saw
bring something up	vomit	He drank so much that he brought his lunch up in the toilet.
call around	phone many different places or people	We called around, but we couldn’t find the technician we needed.
call somebody back	return a phone call	I called my mother back to check if she was OK
call something off	cancel	I called the wedding off
call on somebody	ask for an answer or opinion	The professor called on me for the exercise in Maths.
call on somebody	visit somebody	I called on her in the morning, but she wasn't home.
call somebody up	phone	Give me your cell phone number, and I will soon call you up
calm down	relax after being angry	You need to calm down before you speak to her
catch up	get to the same point as somebody else	You'll have to walk faster if you want to catch up with them
check in	arrive and register at a hotel or airport	We will check in at the hotel/ airport tomorrow morning
check out	leave a hotel	We have to check out of the hotel before 9 am.
check somebody/ something out	look at carefully, investigate	Our company checks out all new employees.
check out somebody/ something	look at (informal)	Check out the frizzy (= (of hair) very curly and not smooth or shiny (*)) hair on that woman!
cheer up	become happier	She cheered up when she saw the kids
cheer somebody up	make happier	I brought you a gift to cheer you up.
chip in	Help Contribute something as one's share of a joint activity, cost, etc. (informal) Make an interjection; interject	If everyone chips in, we can tidy our house by noon John chipped in with eight saves and four wins The council will chip in a further $40,000 a year (with direct speech) ‘He's right,’ Helen chipped in
clean something up	tidy, clean	I asked the kids to clean up their bedroom
come across something	find unexpectedly	Yesterday I came across an old friend
come apart	separate	My shoes are coming apart at the seams (seam (pronounced siːm) = a line where two things join, especially a line of sewing joining two pieces of cloth or leather (*))
come down with something	become sick	I came down with flu.
come forward	volunteer for a task or to give evidence	Two witnesses have come forward with information.
come from someplace	originate in	This china art comes from Asia.
count on somebody/ something	rely on	I am counting on you to help me with my project
cross something out	draw a line through	I crossed out the student’s mistake
cut back on something	consume less	My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets because I am diabetic
cut something down	make something fall to the ground	I cut the tree in my yard down after the storm.
cut in	interrupt	The kids cut in while I was dancing with my wife
cut in	pull in too closely in front of another vehicle	The truck driver got angry when that car cut in.
cut in	(of an engine or electrical device) start operating	Emergency generators cut in
cut something off	remove with something sharp	The doctors cut off his leg because of frostbite
cut something off	stop providing	The gas company cut off my gas supply because I didn't pay the bill.
cut somebody off	take out of a will	My grandparents cut my brother off after their quarrel
cut something out	remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)	I cut the actor’s photo out  of the magazine (pronounced ˌmæɡ.əˈziːn)
do somebody/ something over	beat up, ransack ((pronounced ˈræn.sæk) = to search a place or container violently and carelessly (*)) (British English, informal)	They said they would do me over if I refused to sign the paper
do something over	do again (American English)	My teacher wants me to do my project over because he wasn’t satisfied with it
do away with something	discard ((pronounced dɪˈskɑːd) = to throw something away or get rid of it because you no longer want or need it (*))	It's time to do away with all of these old newspapers and magazines
do something up	fasten, close	Do your coat up! It has turned chilly (= uncomfortably cool or cold)!
dress up	wear nice clothing	It's an official dinner, so we have to dress up.
drop back/ behind	Fall back or get left behind	The colt (= a young, uncastrated male horse, in particular, one less than four years old) was struggling to stay with the pace and started to drop back
drop in/ by/ over	come without an appointment	I might drop in/by/over for tea tomorrow
drop somebody/ something off	take somebody/ something somewhere and leave them/it there	I have to drop my husband off at work, and I will return at 10 am
drop out	quit a class, school, etc. Not to do something that you were going to do or to stop doing something before you have completely finished  Reject conventional society to pursue an alternative lifestyle (Rugby) Restart play with a dropkick	I dropped out of Math(s) because it was too difficult. He dropped out of the race after 2 laps (^^^) Without dropping out of society, I can't keep my kids away from the bad influences of junk food and junk toys. However, Smith finished the game on top, forcing play to the try line and dropping out from the restart.
eat out	eat at a restaurant	I didn’t cook today, as I planned to eat out.
end up	eventually, reach/do/decide	We ended up watching TV instead of going to the party
fall apart/ to pieces	break into pieces (of a person) lose one's capacity to cope.	Their marriage is likely to fall apart Annie fell to pieces because she had lost everything
fall down	fall to the ground	The painting that you hung up just fell down
fall out	separate from an interior	My wallet must have fallen out of my pocket.
fall out	(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached	His hair started to fall out when he started chemo (= chemotherapy) Her baby teeth are starting to fall out (**)
figure something out	understand, find the answer	I need to figure out how to open this.
fill something in	to write information in blanks, as on a form (British English) Act as a substitute for someone when they cannot do their job.	You must fill in the form with your name, DOB (Date of Birth), address, and phone number. My producer will have to have someone standing by to fill in for me
fill something out	to write information in blanks, as on a form (American English) Give more details about something	A few seconds later, she sits down and fills out a report on him. Further research will fill out these early findings
fill something up	fill to the top	I filled my glass up with Coke
find out	discover	How can we find out if she is married?
find something out	discover	We tried to keep our date secret, but my father found it out.
get something across/ over	communicate, make understandable	I tried to get my point across/over to my boss, but he was reluctant to hear me
get along/on	like each other	I was surprised by how well my fiance and my parents got along/on.
get around	To travel to a lot of places	The UK last week and France this week - he gets around, doesn't he!
get away	go on a vacation	I am so tired of the drudgery (=hard, menial, or dull work) of work that I really need to get away for a week.
get away with something	do without being noticed or punished	He always gets away with cheating on cards
get back	return	He just got back from his trip
get something back	receive something you had before	Mary finally got her book back from her friend, who borrowed it
get back at somebody	retaliate, take revenge	My ex-girlfriend got back at me for cheating on her.
get back into something	become interested in something again	I got back into my book and finished it.
get on something	step onto a vehicle	I got on the school bus.
get over something	recover from an illness, loss, difficulty	My mother got over the flu, and she is fine now
get over something	overcome a problem	The company will have to close if it can't get over the high taxes
get round to something	finally, find time to do (American English: get around to something) Coax (= to persuade someone gently to do something or go somewhere, by being kind and patient, or by appearing to be) or persuade someone to do or allow something they initially do not want to.	I don't know when I am going to get round to finishing my homework You're not getting round me that easily!
get together	meet (usually for social   reasons)	Let's get together for a BBQ (barbecue) this weekend.
get up	get out of bed	The kids got up early today
get up	stand	You should get up and give the senior man your seat.
give somebody/ something away	reveal hidden information/ secret about somebody/ something	They gave him away to the cops He gave away military secrets
give somebody away	take the bride to the altar	Her father gave her away at her wedding
give something away	(in sports) concede (= admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it (*)) a goal or advantage to the opposition, especially through careless play.	The goal we gave away was a bit sloppy (= careless and unsystematic; excessively casual)
give something away	give something to somebody for free	The charity was giving away clothes to poor people
give something back	return a borrowed item	I gave him back the book I borrowed from him
give in	reluctantly stop fighting or arguing	My girlfriend didn't want to go to the movies but finally gave in.
give something out	Distribute or broadcast something.	I've been giving out leaflets (leaflet (pronounced ˈliː.flət) = a piece of paper that gives you information or advertises something (*))
give something up	quit a habit	I gave up smoking
give up	stop trying	The gym was so tiring that I gave up.
go after somebody	follow somebody	I went after the burglar, but eventually, I lost him
go after something	try to achieve something	I went after my dream, and now I am a doctor
go against somebody	compete, oppose	Tomorrow we are going against the best basketball team
go ahead	start, proceed	Please go ahead with your homework
go back	return to a place	I have to go back home as I forgot my briefcase
go out	leave home to go to a social event	We're going out for lunch
go out with somebody	date	Ann has been going out with John since they met last month
go over something	review	Please go over your answers before you hand (= pick something up and give to someone) your IELTS answer sheets.
go over	visit somebody nearby	I haven't seen mother for a long time, so in the afternoon, I'll go over for an hour
go without something	suffer lack or deprivation	I like to give my children what they want, even if I have to go without
grow apart	stop being friends over time	My best friend and I grew apart after we graduated from college
grow back	regrow	My vine tree grew back this summer.
grow into something	grow big enough to fit	These shoes are too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.
grow out of something	get too big for	I need a new pair of shoes because I have grown out of my old ones.
grow up	become an adult	When he grows up, he wants to be a teacher
hand something down	give something used to   somebody else	I handed my old school books down to my little brother
hand something in	Submit Give something to a person in authority for their attention.	I have to hand in my project by the end of this week The silent walk of protest will take place on Sunday, January 17, starting at the Pro-Cathedral   in Dublin at 1 pm and ending at the Archbishop's Palace in Drumcondra, where the letter will be handed in
hand something out	to distribute to a group of people Impose or inflict a penalty or misfortune on someone.	The pub will also be doing street promotions where vouchers for a free drink will be handed out, which doubles as an entry form Harsher punishments are being handed out to reckless drivers
hand something over	Give someone or something, or the responsibility for someone or something, to someone else.	Her parents handed her over to be brought up by her grandparents.
hang in	stay positive (informal)	I only need to look at the faces of my children to know why I hung in there so long
hang on	wait a short time (informal)	Hang on while I take my cell   phone
hang out	spend time relaxing (informal)	We are going to spend two days just relaxing and hanging out in quiet and privacy
hang up	end a phone call	‘Thanks,’ she says and hangs up
hold somebody/ something back	prevent from doing/going	She felt that having children would hold her back.
hold something back	hide an emotion	I held back my tears when I watched the Titanic
hold on	wait a short time	Please hold on while I transfer you to the human resources dept.
hold on to/onto somebody/ something	to keep something or someone that is important or useful	You should hold on to him; he’s too good to lose to a competitor
hold somebody/ something up	rob	Yesterday a thug held the bank up
keep on doing something	continue doing	I kept on moving
keep something from somebody	not tell	We kept our relationship from our parents for two years
keep somebody/ something out	stop from entering	Try to keep the kids out of the living room, as I expect a guest
keep something up	continue at the same rate	Keep up the good work
let somebody down	fail to support or help, disappoint	You need to pass the IELTS exams. Don't let me down this time!
let somebody in	allow entering	Can you let the dog in?
log in	sign in (to a website, database, etc.)	I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my password.
log out	sign out (of a website, database, etc.)	I just logged out from YouTube
look after somebody/ something	take care of	I have to look after my children
look down on somebody	think less of, consider inferior	Your parents look down on me.
look for somebody/ something	try to find	I'm looking for a book
look forward to something	be excited about the future	I look forward to seeing you
look into something	investigate	I’ll look into the reasons for the decision
look out	be careful, vigilant ((pronounced ˈvɪdʒ.əl.ənt)= keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties), and   take notice	Look out for the traffic light
look out for somebody/ something	be especially vigilant for	Don't forget to look out for the kids
look something over	check, examine	Can you look over my homework?
look something up	search and find information in a reference book or database	When did you last go to one of your books and look something up?
look up to somebody	have a lot of respect for	I have always looked up to my father
make something up	invent, lie about something	The kids made up a story about why they were late.
make up	forgive each other	We quarreled, but we eventually made up
make somebody up	apply cosmetics to	My sister made me up for my wedding
mix something up	confuse two or more things	I mixed up their names again!
pass away	die	My father passed away from cancer
pass out	faint	It was so hot I passed out.
pass something out	give the same thing to many people	The professor passed the notes out to the class.
pass something up	decline (usually something good)	I passed up the job because the   wage was low
pay somebody back	return owed money	Thanks for lending me $10. I'll pay you back tomorrow
pay for something	be punished for doing something bad	That idiot will pay for harassing my sister
pick something out	choose	I picked out two dresses for you to try on.
point somebody/ something out	Direct someone's gaze or attention towards, especially by extending one's finger.	I pointed out a conical heap (= an untidy pile or mass of things) of stones
put something down	Record something in writing. Suppress a rebellion, coup, or riot by force Kill an animal because it is sick, injured, or old. Pay a specified sum as a deposit. Preserve or store food or wine for future use. Land an aircraft.	He’s putting a few thoughts down on paper The security forces put down a coup attempt in the capital The horse's condition deteriorated, and he was put down He put a thousand down and paid the rest over six months I put down twelve quarts of pickles The pilot had to put down in a field
put somebody down	insult, make somebody feel stupid	He put me down in front of my own employees
put something off	postpone	We are putting off our holidays for a week
put something out	extinguish	I put the fire out before the firefighters arrived.
put something together	Make something by assembling different parts or people.	He can take a clock apart and put it back together again
put up with somebody/ something	tolerate	I don't think I can put up with my mother in law
put something on	put clothing/ accessories on your body	Don't forget to put on your new necklace for the wedding
run into somebody/ something	meet unexpectedly	I ran into an old school friend at the party
run over somebody/ something	drive a vehicle over a person or thing	I accidentally ran over a weasel (= a small, slender, carnivorous mammal related to, but generally smaller than, the stoat)
run someone/ something through run through	Stab a person or animal to kill them. Be present in every part of; pervade (= when qualities, characteristics, or smells pervade a place or thing, they spread through it and are present in every part of it (*)). Use or spend recklessly or rapidly. Go over something quickly as a reminder or rehearsal (= a practice or trial performance of a play or other work for later public performance)	He threatened to run him through with his sword A sense of personal loss runs through many of his lyrics Her husband had long since run through her money I'll just run through the schedule for the weekend
run away	leave unexpectedly, escape	The child ran away from the foster family (= a family that provides custody or guardianship for children whose parents are dead or unable to look after them)
run out	have none left	My car ran out of gas
send something back	return (usually by mail)	My parcel (= a thing or collection of things wrapped in paper to be carried or sent by mail) was sent back to me because of an unknown address
set-up	(informal) (usually in singular) How something, especially an organization or equipment, is organized, planned, or arranged. An organization or arrangement.	These conflicting results may be attributed to differences in the experimental set-up or the organisms used. It was all a great experience, I suppose, but I got thrown into the international set-up before I should have been
set-up	A set of equipment needed for a particular activity or purpose. (usually in singular) A scheme (pronounced skiːm) or trick intended to incriminate (= make someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing; strongly imply the guilt of someone) or deceive someone. (usually in singular) (in a ball game) a pass or play intended to provide an opportunity for another player to score.	I have a recording set-up in my house ‘Listen. He didn't die. It was a set-up!’ The team may pursue a big-name set-up man, although I feel that isn't necessary
shop around	compare prices	I want to shop around before I decide on this purse
show off	act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)	He was showing off, trying to make a really big impression
sleep over	(informal) stay somewhere for the night A type of party when a young person or a group of young people stay for the night at the house of a friend (^^) (Note: slumber party is a party when a group of children spends the night at one child's house (^^))	You should sleep over tonight if you are tired to drive home.
sort something out	Separate something from a mixed group. Arrange or organize something.	I sorted out the lettuce from the spinach They are anxious to sort out travel arrangements
stick to something	continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing	You will decrease your blood cholesterol levels if you stick to the low-fat diet.
switch something off	stop the energy flow, turn off	Could you please switch off the TV?
switch something on	start the energy flow, turn on	I switched on the radio to listen to music
take after somebody	resemble a family member	I take after my mother. We are both stubborn!
take something apart take someone/something apart	Dismantle (= to take a machine apart or to come apart into separate pieces (*)) something. (informal) Attack, criticize, or defeat someone or something vigorously or forcefully.	I watched workers dismantling several ships and asked why they were taking the vessels  (= ships or large boats) apart, for they seemed to be very careful not to damage the integrity of the pieces. Hopefully, some members of the opposition parties will take him apart.
take something back	return an item	I need to take the book back to the library.
take off	start to fly	My flight takes off in 1 hour
take something off	remove something (usually clothing)	Take off your clothes, wear your swimming suit and come with me to swim
take something out	remove from a place or thing	Can you take the garbage out to the trash can?
take somebody out	pay for somebody to go somewhere with you	My parents took us out for dinner
tear something up	rip into pieces	I tore up my ex-wife's photos
think back	Recall a past event or time.	I keep thinking back to school
think something over	Consider something carefully.	He told the player to go home and think over his offer
throw something away	dispose of	I threw my old sofa away
turn something down	decrease the volume or strength (heat, light, etc.)	Please turn the TV down
turn something down	refuse	I turned the job down because the salary was low
turn something off	stop the energy flow, switch off	Please turn the TV off when the guests arrive
turn something on	start the energy, switch on	It's too dark. Could you please turn the lights on?
turn something up	increase the volume or   strength (heat, light, etc.)	Can you please turn the music up?
turn up	Be found, especially by chance, after being lost. Put in an appearance; arrive.	My puppy turned up after missing it for 1 day He failed to turn up,   and the judge issued the present warrant (= an official document, signed by a judge or other person in authority, that gives the police permission to search someone's home, arrest a person, or take some other action (*))
try something on	sample clothing	I will try this suit on to see if it will fit.
try someone/ something out	Test someone or something new or different to assess their suitability or effectiveness.	I try out new recipes on my daughter Plant them in containers, to begin with, so you can try them out in different positions.
use something up	finish the supply	The kids used all of the shampoos up
wake up	stop sleeping	Tomorrow I need to wake up early for work
warm somebody/ something up	increase the temperature	You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.
warm up	Prepare for physical exertion or a performance by exercising or practicing gently beforehand. (of an engine or electrical appliance) reach a temperature high enough to allow it to operate efficiently. Become livelier (lively (pronounced ˈlaɪv.li) = full of energy and enthusiasm; interesting and exciting (*))  or more animated (= full of life or excitement; lively).	I always warm up  before I start weight-lifting The band was warming up. In a minute, I'm in my car with the doors locked, and the engine warms up After several more rounds, things began to warm up in the bar
wear (pronounced wɛː) off	Lose effectiveness or intensity.	So, there is a curiosity at first, but it soon wears off. After the effectiveness of the vaccines wears off, the risk of actual infection returns
work out	exercise	I work out at the gym four times weekly
work out	be successful	My plan worked out
work something out (usually: be worked out)	Solve a sum or determine an amount by calculation. Solve or find the answer to something. Plan or devise something in detail (= plan or invent a complex procedure, system, or mechanism by careful thought). (literary) Accomplish or attain something with difficulty. Work a mine until it is exhausted of minerals.	Precise mathematical calculations are worked out, and this determines how a person's life is affected I couldn't work out whether it was a band playing or a record I'd say most of the responses lean toward staying together and working it out, as will mine. Malicious ((pronounced            məˈlɪʃ.əs) = characterized by malice ((= pronounced ˈmæl.ɪs) intending or intended to do harm)) fates are bent on working out an ill intent This became Europe's most important source of gold until the deposits were worked out by the 1760s

Thanks for reading!

Reference

(Retrieved: November 17, 2017): https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm

For an extended list you may visit:

https://www.easypacelearning.com/all-lessons/grammar/1219-phrasal-verbs-list-meanings-and-examples

Online Phrasal verbs list 

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/phrasals.htm

http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phrasal-verbs/

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm

https://vuonlen089.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/200-common-phrasal-verbs.pdf

http://www.englishlearnsite.com/vocabulary/150-most-common-english-phrasal-verb-list-1/

http://online-english-lessons.eu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/50-common-English-phrasal-verbs.pdf

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/phrasal-verbs/list

https://www.easypacelearning.com/all-lessons/grammar/1219-phrasal-verbs-list-meanings-and-examples

https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-common-phrasal-verbs/

https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/list.html

 

Reference – Links

(Retrieved: November 17, 2017):

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/english-phrasal-verbs/

https://blog.abaenglish.com/25-most-useful-phrasal-verbs/

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/phrasals.htm

http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phrasal-verbs/

https://vuonlen089.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/200-common-phrasal-verbs.pdf

http://www.englishlearnsite.com/vocabulary/150-most-common-english-phrasal-verb-list-1/

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/phrasal-verbs/list

https://www.easypacelearning.com/all-lessons/grammar/1219-phrasal-verbs-list-meanings-and-examples

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUQfzO4tBSk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUWTubehtE0

https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/100-phrasal-verbs-used-as-commands/

https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-common-phrasal-verbs/