First Phrasal Verbs

8/8/2019 First Phrasal Verbs

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Verb Meaning Example

ask someone out invite on a date Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.

ask ar ou nd ask many people the same question I asked ar ou nd but nobody has seen my wallet.

add u p to something equal Your purchases add u p to $205.32.

back something u p reverse You'll have to back u p your car so that I can get out.

back someone u p support My wife backed me u p over my decision to quit my job.

bl ow u p explode The racing car ble w u p after it crashed into the fence.

bl ow something u p add air We have to bl ow 50 balloons u p for the party.

break d ow n stop functioning (vehicle, machine) Our car br o ke d ow n at the side of the highway in thesnowstorm.

break d ow n get upset The woman br o ke d ow n when the police told her thather son had died.

break something d ow n divide into smaller parts Our teacher br o ke the final project d ow n into threeseparate parts.

break in force entry to a building Somebody br o ke in last night and stole our stereo.

break in to something enter forcibly The firemen had to break in to the room to rescue thechildren.

break something in wear something a few times so that it doesn't I need to break these shoes in before we run next


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look/feel new week.

break in interrupt The TV station br o ke in to report the news of the president's death.

break u p end a relationship My boyfriend and I br o ke u p before I moved toAmerica.

break u p start laughing (informal) The kids just br o ke u p as soon as the clown startedtalking.

break out escape The prisoners br o ke out of jail when the guardsweren't looking.

break out in something develop a skin condition I br o ke out in a rash after our camping trip.

bring someone d ow n make unhappy This sad music is bringing me d ow n .

bring someone u p raise a child My grandparents br ou gh t me u p after my parentsdied.

bring something u p start talking about a subject My mother walks out of the room when my father brings u p sports.

bring something u p vomit He drank so much that he br ou gh t his dinner u p in

the toilet.

call ar ou nd phone many different places/people We called ar ou nd 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 closedfor the weekend.


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call something off cancel Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in lovewith his fianc.

call o n someone ask for an answer or opinion The professor called o n me for question 1.

call o n someone visit someone We called o n you last night but you weren't home.

call someone u p phone Give me your phone number and I will call you u p when we are in town.

calm d ow n relax after being angry You are still mad. You need to calm d ow n before youdrive the car.

not care fo r someone/something

not like (formal) I don't care fo r his behaviour.

ca t ch u p get to the same point as someone else You'll have to run faster than that if you want to ca t chu p with Marty.

check in arrive and register at a hotel or airport We will get the hotel keys when we check in .

check out leave a hotel You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.

check someone/something out

look at carefully, investigate The company checks out all new employees.

check out someone/something

look at (informal) C heck out the crazy hair on that guy!

cheer u p become happier Shecheered u p when she heard the good news.

cheer someone u p make happier I brought you some flowers to cheer you u p .


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chip in help If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted bynoon.

clean something u p tidy, clean Please clean u p your bedroom before you go outside.

co me acr o ss something find unexpectedly I came acr o ss these old photos when I was tidying thecloset.

co me apar t separate The top and bottom co me apar t if you pull hardenough.

co me d ow n w it h something become sick My nephew came d ow n w it h chicken pox thisweekend.

co me fo r w ard volunteer for a task or to give evidence The woman came fo r w ard with her husband's finger prints.

co me f r o m somewhere originate in The art of origami co mes f r o m Asia.

cou n t o n someone/something

rely on I am cou n t ing o n you to make dinner while I am out.

cr o ss something out draw a line through Please cr o ss out your old address and write your newone.

cut back o n something consume less My doctor wants me to cut back o n sweets and fattyfoods.

cut something d ow n make something fall to the ground We had to cut the old tree in our yard d ow n after thestorm.

cut in interrupt Your father cut in while I was dancing with your


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uncle.

cut in pull in too closely in front of another vehicle The bus driver got angry when that car cut in .

cut in start operating (of an engine or electricaldevice)

The air conditioner cut s in when the temperature getsto 22C.

cut something off remove with something sharp The doctors cut off his leg because it was severelyinjured.

cut something off stop providing The phone company cut off our phone because wedidn'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 withscissors and paper)

I cut this ad out of the newspaper.

d o someone/something ov er beat up, ransack (Br.E., informal) He's lucky to be alive. His shop was d o ne ov er by astreet gang.

d o something ov er do again (N.Amer.) My teacher wants me to d o my essay ov er becauseshe doesn't like my topic.

d o aw ay w it h something discard It's time to d o a w ay w it h all of these old tax records.

d o something u p fasten, close Do your coat u p before you go outside. It's snowing!

dress u p wear nice clothing It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress u p .

dr o p back move back in a position/group Andrea dr o pped back to third place when she fell off her bike.


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dr o p in/by/ ov er come without an appointment I might dr o p in/by/ ov er for tea some time this week.

dr o p someone/something off

take someone/something somewhere andleave them/it there

I have to dr o p my sister off at work before I comeover.

dr o p out quit a class, school etc I dr o pped out of Science because it was too difficult.

ea t out eat at a restaurant I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's ea t out .

end u p eventually reach/do/decide We ended u p renting a movie instead of going to thetheatre.

f all apar t break into pieces My new dressf ell apar t in the washing machine.

f all d ow n fall to the ground The picture that you hung up last night f ell d ow n thismorning.

f all out separate from an interior The money must have f allen out of my pocket.f all out (of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached His hair started to f all out when he was only 35.

f igu re something out understand, find the answer I need to f igu re out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.

f ill something in to write information in blanks (Br.E.) Please f ill in the form with your name, address, and

phone number.f ill something out to write information in blanks (N.Amer.) The form must be f illed out in capital letters.

f ill something u p fill to the top I always f ill the water jug u p when it is empty.

f ind out discover We don't know where he lives. How can we f ind out ?


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f ind something out discover We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, butSamantha fou nd it out .

ge t something acr o ss/ ov er communicate, make understandable I tried to ge t my point acr o ss/ ov er to the judge but shewouldn't listen.

ge t al o ng/ o n like each other I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and mysister got al o ng/ o n .

ge t ar ou nd have mobility My grandfather can ge t ar ou nd fine in his newwheelchair.

ge t aw ay go on a vacation We worked so hard this year that we had to ge t aw ay for a week.

ge t aw ay w it h something do without being noticed or punished Jason always ge t s a w ay w it h cheating in his mathstests.

ge t back return We got back from our vacation last week.

ge t something back receive something you had before Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate.

ge t back a t someone retaliate, take revenge My sister got back a t me for stealing her shoes. Shestole my favourite hat.

ge t back in to something become interested in something again I finally got back in to my novel and finished it.

ge t o n something step onto a vehicle We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us ge t o n the bus.

ge t ov er something recover from an illness, loss, difficulty I just got ov er the flu and now my sister has it.


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ge t ov er something overcome a problem The company will have to close if it can't ge t ov er thenew regulations.

ge t r ou nd to something finally find time to do (N.Amer.: ge t ar ou ndto something )

I don't know when I am going to ge t r ou nd to writingthe thank you cards.

ge t to ge t her meet (usually for social reasons) Let's ge t to ge t her for a BBQ this weekend.

ge t u p get out of bed I got u p early today to study for my exam.

ge t u p stand You should ge t u p and give the elderly man your seat.

giv e someone aw ay reveal hidden information about someone His wife ga v e him aw ay to the police.

giv e someone aw ay take the bride to the altar My father ga v e me a w ay at my wedding.

giv e something aw ay ruin a secret My little sister ga v e the surprise party a w ay by

accident.giv e something aw ay give something to someone for free The library was giv ing a w ay old books on Friday.

giv e something back return a borrowed item I have to giv e these skates back to Franz before hishockey game.

giv e in reluctantly stop fighting or arguing My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he

finally gav

e in .giv e something out give to many people (usually at no cost) They were giv ing out free perfume samples at the

department store.

giv e something u p quit a habit I am giv ing u p smoking as of January 1st.


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giv e u p stop trying My maths homework was too difficult so I ga v e u p .

go a ft er someone follow someone My brother tried to go a ft er the thief in his car.

go a ft er something try to achieve something I w en t a ft er my dream and now I am a publishedwriter.

go agains t someone compete, oppose We are go ing agains t the best soccer team in the citytonight.

go ahead start, proceed Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.

go back return to a place I have to go back home and get my lunch.

go out leave home to go on a social event We're go ing out for dinner tonight.

go out w it h someone date Jesse has been go ing out w it h Luke since they met

last winter.go ov er something review Please go ov er your answers before you submit your

test.

go ov er visit someone nearby I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go ov er for an hour or two.

go

w

ith

out something suffer lack or deprivation When I was young, we

wen

t w

ith

outwinter boots.

gr ow apar t stop being friends over time My best friend and I gre w apar t after she changedschools.

gr ow back regrow My roses gre w back this summer.


10/17

gr ow u p become an adult When Jack gr ow s u p he wants to be a fireman.

gr ow out of something get too big for Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she hasgr ow n out of her old ones.

gr ow in to something grow big enough to fit This bike is too big for him now, but he should gr ow in to it by next year.

hand something d ow n give something used to someone else I handed my old comic books d ow n to my little

cousin.

hand something in submit I have to hand in my essay by Friday.

hand something out to distribute to a group of people We will hand out the invitations at the door.

hand something ov er give (usually unwillingly) The police asked the man to hand ov er his wallet andhis weapons.

hang in stay positive (N.Amer., informal) Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon.

hang o n wait a short time (informal) Hang o n while I grab my coat and shoes!

hang out spend time relaxing (informal) Instead of going to the party we are just going to hangout at my place.

hangu

p end a phone call He didn't say goodbye before he hu

ngu

p .h o ld someone/something

back prevent from doing/going I had toh o ld my dog back because there was a cat in

the park.

h o ld something back hide an emotion Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral.


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h o ld o n wait a short time Please h o ld o n while I transfer you to the SalesDepartment.

h o ld o n to someone/something

hold firmly using your hands or arms H o ld o n to your hat because it's very windy outside.

h o ld someone/something u p rob A man in a black mask held the bank u p this morning.

keep o n d o ing something continue doing K eep o n stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.

keep something f r o m someone

not tell We kep t our relationship f r o m our parents for twoyears.

keep someone/something out

stop from entering Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.

keep something u p continue at the same rate If you keep those results u p you will get into a great

college.

let someone d ow n fail to support or help, disappoint I need you to be on time. Don't let me d ow n this time.

let someone in allow to enter Can you let the cat in before you go to school?

loo k a ft er someone/something

take care of I have to loo k a ft er my sick grandmother.

loo k d ow n o n someone think less of, consider inferior Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad hasloo ked d ow n o n me.

loo k fo r someone/something try to find I'm loo king fo r a red dress for the wedding.

loo k fo r w ard to something be excited about the future I'm loo king fo r w ard to the Christmas break.


12/17

loo k in to something investigate We are going to loo k in to the price of snowboardstoday.

loo k out be careful, vigilant, and take notice Look out! That car's going to hit you!

loo k out fo r someone/something

be especially vigilant for Don't forget to loo k out fo r snakes on the hiking trail.

loo k something ov er check, examine Can you loo k ov er my essay for spelling mistakes?

loo k something u p search and find information in a reference book or database

We can loo k her phone number u p on the Internet.

loo k u p to someone have a lot of respect for My little sister has always loo ked u p to me.

make something u p invent, lie about something Josie made u p a story about about why we were late.

makeu

p forgive each other We were angry last night, but we madeu

p at breakfast.

make someone u p apply cosmetics to My sisters made me u p for my graduation party.

mix something u p confuse two or more things I mixed u p the twins' names again!

pass a w ay die His uncle passed a w ay last night after a long illness.

pass out faint It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passedout .

pass something out give the same thing to many people The professor passed the textbooks out before class.

pass something u p decline (usually something good) I passed u p the job because I am afraid of change.


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pay someone back return owed money Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back onFriday.

pay fo r something be punished for doing something bad That bully will pay fo r being mean to my little brother.

pick something out choose I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.

p o in t someone/something out

indicate with your finger I'll p o in t my boyfriend out when he runs by.

p ut something d ow n put what you are holding on a surface or floor You can p ut the groceries d ow n on the kitchencounter.

p ut someone d ow n insult, make someone feel stupid The students p ut the substitute teacher d ow n becausehis pants were too short.

p ut something off postpone We are p utt ing off our trip until January because of the hurricane.

p ut something out extinguish The neighbours p ut the fire out before the firemenarrived.

p ut something to ge t her assemble I have to p ut the crib to ge t her before the baby arrives.

put

u

pw

ith someone/something tolerate I don't think I can p

ut u

pw

ith three small children inthe car.

p ut something o n put clothing/accessories on your body Don't forget to put o n your new earrings for the party.

r u n in to someone/something

meet unexpectedly I ran in to an old school-friend at the mall.


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r u n ov er someone/something

drive a vehicle over a person or thing I accidentally ran ov er your bicycle in the driveway.

r u n ov er/ t hr ou gh something

rehearse, review Let's r u n ov er/ t hr ou gh these lines one more time before the show.

r u n a w ay leave unexpectedly, escape The child ran a w ay from home and has been missingfor three days.

r u n out have none left We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair withsoap.

send something back return (usually by mail) My letter got sen t back to me because I used thewrong stamp.

se t something u p arrange, organize Our boss se t a meeting u p with the president of thecompany.

se t someone u p trick, trap The police se t u p the car thief by using a hiddencamera.

sh o p ar ou nd compare prices I want to sh o p ar ou nd a little before I decide on these boots.

sh ow off act extra special for people watching (usually

boastfully)

He always sh ow s off on his skateboard

sleep ov er stay somewhere for the night (informal) You should sleep ov er tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.

so r t something out organize, resolve a problem We need to so r t the bills out before the first of themonth.


15/17

st ick to something continue doing something, limit yourself toone particular thing

You will lose weight if you st ick to the diet.

sw it ch something off stop the energy flow, turn off The light's too bright. Could you sw it ch it off .

sw it ch something o n start the energy flow, turn on We heard the news as soon as we sw it ched o n the car radio.

t ake a ft er someone resemble a family member I t ake a ft er my mother. We are both impatient.

t ake something apar t purposely break into pieces He too k the car brakes apar t and found the problem.

t ake something back return an item I have to t ake our new TV back because it doesn'twork.

t ake off start to fly My plane t akes off in five minutes.

take something

off remove something (usually clothing)

Take

off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!

t ake something out remove from a place or thing Can you t ake the garbage out to the street for me?

t ake someone out pay for someone to go somewhere with you My grandparents too k us out for dinner and a movie.

t ear something u p rip into pieces I to re u p my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him.

t hink back remember (often + to, sometimes + on) When I t hink back on my youth, I wish I had studiedharder.

t hink something ov er consider I'll have to t hink this job offer ov er before I make myfinal decision.


16/17

t hr ow something a w ay dispose of We t hre w our old furniture aw ay when we won thelottery.

tu rn something d ow n decrease the volume or strength (heat, lightetc)

Please tu rn the TV d ow n while the guests are here.

tu rn something d ow n refuse I tu rned the job d ow n because I don't want to move.

tu rn something off stop the energy flow, switch off Your mother wants you to tu rn the TV off and come

for dinner.tu rn something o n start the energy, switch on It's too dark in here. Let's tu rn some lights o n .

tu rn something u p increase the volume or strength (heat, lightetc)

Can you tu rn the music u p ? This is my favouritesong.

tu rn u p appear suddenly Our cat tu rned u p after we put posters up all over the

neighbourhood.t ry something o n sample clothing I'm going to t ry these jeans o n , but I don't think they

will fit.

t ry something out test I am going to t ry this new brand of detergent out .

u se something u p finish the supply The kids u sed all of the toothpaste u p so we need to

buy some more.w ake u p stop sleeping We have to w ake u p early for work on Monday.

w arm someone/something u p

increase the temperature You can w arm your feet u p in front of the fireplace.


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w arm u p prepare body for exercise I alwaysw arm u p by doing sit-ups before I go for arun.

w ear off fade away Most of my make-up wo re off before I got to the party.

wo rk out exercise I wo rk out at the gym three times a week.

wo rk out be successful Our planwo rked out fine.

wo rk something out make a calculation We have to wo rk out the total cost before we buy thehouse.

Br.E.: British English; N.Amer.: North American

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First Phrasal Verbs