Common Phrasal Verbs

This is a list of common phrasal verbs which your students should know.

• back up - support
• break into - enter illegally
• break off - separate, remove
• break out - escape
• break up - dismantle, take to pieces
• bring about - cause to happen
• bring off - succeed in doing s.t.
• bring round - help regain consciousness
• bring up - raise (a child)
• call off - cancel
• call up - conscript into the army
• catch on - become popular
• check out - examine
• check up on - make sure s.o. is working
• clear up - tidy up a mess
• come into - inherit
• come up with - think of, invent
• counted in - include
• count on - rely on
• cut off - disconnect (telephone)
• do away with - abolish s.t.
• do down - criticise badly
• do up - repair, renovate
• drop off - fall asleep
• face up to - accept and deal with
• fall for - suddenly attracted to s.o.
• get back - take possession of again
• get by - survive
• get on with - be friends with
• get round to - find time to do s.t.
• get through to - communicate to
• give away - part with
• give off - emit, exude
• give out - emit; distribute
• give in - stop trying
• give up - stop doing s.t.
• go for - attack
• go off - become bad, mouldy etc.
• go through - examine, check
• hang onto - keep, not let go
• hang up - put the phone down
• hold back - restrain
• hold down - manage to keep (a job)
• hold up - delay; rob at gunpoint
• join up - enter the army
• keep in - stop from leaving
• keep up with - be as good/fast etc. as
• knock off - finish work; steal
• knock out - hit unconscious
• leave out - omit
• let down - disappoint s.o.
• let in - admit into
• let off - free without punishment
• look after - take care of
• look for - search for s.t.
• look up - search for s.t. in a book
• look up to - respect
• make for - head towards
• make out - discern, see clearly
• make up - invent (a story etc.)
• own up - admit
• pass away - die
• pass by - go past something
• pass out - faint
• pass up - not take advantage of
• pay back - return s.t. borrowed
• picked up - acquire (habits)
• pick out - choose
• pull down - demolish (building)
• pull up - stop (a car)
• put off - postpone; dissuade
• put up with - tolerate
• ring off - put the phone down
• ring up - call on the phone
• run into - meet unexpectedly
• run off with - steal and leave
• run over - knock down with a car
• see through - finish a (difficult) job
• send for - call s.o. to visit you
• set off - begin, start (a journey)
• soak up - absorb
• stand by - support; reserve
• stand for - tolerate; represent
• stand in for - replace as a substitute
• stand out - be obvious
• stand up to - resist, fight against
• stop over - spend the night
• take after - resemble
• take down - write down
• take off - imitate; remove
• take over - assume control of
• take up - start a new hobby
• try out - test to see if it works
• turn up - arrive unexpectedly
• wear off - fade away
• wear out - tire