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Phrasal
Verb |
Meaning |
Example |
| A |
abide by |
respect or obey. (the law, a decision, a rule) |
If you want to stay at this school, you must abide by the rules. |
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account for |
explain, give a reason |
I hope you can account for the money you spent! |
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add up |
make sense, seem reasonable |
Her story just doesn't add up. |
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advise against |
recommend not doing something |
The doctor advised him against carrying heavy loads. |
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agree with |
have the same opinion as somebody else. |
I agree with you. I think she deserves the award too. |
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aim at |
point something in the direction of
a target |
The policeman aimed his gun at the hijacker. |
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allow for |
take into consideration,
include in a calculation |
You'd better leave early to allow for traffic jams. |
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answer back |
reply rudely |
Don't answer back your mother! |
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appeal to |
1) plead or make an earnest request
2) be attractive or interesting |
1) The organizers appealed to the crowd to stay calm.
2) A trekking holiday doesn't appeal to me. |
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apply for |
make a formal request for something
(job, permit, loan etc.) |
He applied for the job he saw advertised in the newspaper. |
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avail (oneself) of |
take advantage of something (an opportunity) |
When the company is privatized, you should avail yourself of
the opportunity and buy some shares. |
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| B |
back away |
move backwards, in fear or dislike |
When he saw the dog, he backed away. |
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back down |
withdraw, concede defeat |
Local authorities backed down on their plans to demolish the building. |
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back up |
1) give support or encouragement
2) make a copy of (file, program, etc.) |
1) If I tell the boss we've got too much work, will you back me up?
2) It is recommended to back up all files in a secure location. |
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bail out |
1) pay money to secure someone's release
2) rescue from financial difficulties |
1) When he was arrested, his family refused to bail him out.
2) The government bailed out the bank. |
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bank on |
base your hopes on someone/something |
Don't forget the date. I'm banking on your help. |
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beef up |
improve, make more substantial |
He beefed up his presentation with diagrams and statistics. |
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black out |
faint, lose consciousness |
When he fell off the horse he blacked out. |
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block off |
Separate using a barrier. |
The area was blocked off during the demonstration. |
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blow up |
1) explode;
2) be destroyed by an explosion |
1) The terrorists said the bomb would blow up at 9 o'clock.
2) The car blew up but luckily there was nobody in it. |
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boil down to |
be summarized as |
The problem boils down to a lack of money. |
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boot up |
start a computer by loading an
operating system or program. |
Just give my a few minutes to boot up the computer. |
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break away |
escape from captivity |
A few horses broke away from the paddock. |
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break down |
1) go out of order, cease to function
2) lose control of one's emotions |
1) John's car broke down so he had to take the bus.
2) The parents broke down when they heard the bad news. |
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break into |
enter by force |
Burglars broke into the house around midnight. |
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break out |
start suddenly |
Rioting broke out as a result of the strike. |
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break out of |
escape from a place by force |
Three prisoners broke out of jail. |
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break up |
come to an end (marriage, relationship) |
After her marriage broke up, Emma went to live in London. |
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bring up |
raise (a child) |
She stopped working in order to bring up her children. |
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brush up on |
improve, refresh one's knowledge of something |
Mary had to brush up on her Spanish before going to South America. |
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bump into |
meet by accident or unexpectedly |
Pedro bumped into his English teacher at the supermarket. |
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burn out |
1) stop (something) working
2) become exhausted from over-working |
1) The fuse has burnt out.
2) Tom will burn himself out if he doesn't slow down. |
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butt in (on sthg) |
interrupt impolitely |
It's rude to butt in on a conversation like that! |
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| C |
call back |
return a phone call |
I'll call you back as soon as possible. |
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call off |
cancel |
The meeting was called off because of the strike. |
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call on/upon sby |
formally invite or request |
I now call upon the President to address the assembly. |
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calm down |
become more relaxed, less angry or upset |
He was angry at first but he eventually calmed down. |
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carry on |
continue |
He carried on gardening in spite of the rain. |
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carry out |
1) do something as specified
(a plan, an order, a threat)
2) perform or conduct (test, experiment) |
1) The plan was carried out to perfection.
2) Tests are carried out to determine the efficiency of a new drug. |
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carry over |
postpone until later |
As regards holidays, can you carry over any days from one year
to the next? |
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check in |
register at a hotel or airport |
For security reasons you have to check in two hours before your flight. |
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check out |
1) pay one's bill and leave (a hotel)
2) investigate |
1) Is Mr. Blair still at the hotel? No, he checked out this morning.
2) I don't know if the address is still valid. I'll check it out. |
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clam up |
refuse to speak |
When the teacher arrived she clammed up. |
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clamp down on |
act strictly to prevent something |
The government has decided to clamp down on smoking in public places. |
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close down |
stop operating (company, restaurant, cinema). |
When the factory closed down, the employees lost their jobs. |
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come across |
1) find by chance
2) appear, seem, make an impression |
1) Julie came across some photographs of her grandparents in the attic.
2) The candidate came across as a dynamic person during the interview. |
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come forward |
present oneself |
The police have asked any witnesses to come forward. |
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come up against |
be faced with or opposed by |
The project came up against a lot of criticism. |
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conk out |
1) stop working
2) stop or fall asleep (from exhaustion) |
1) The car conked out on the motorway.
2) He was so exhausted, he conked out in front of the TV. |
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count on |
rely or depend on (for help) |
I'm counting on the taxi driver to find the theatre. |
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cross out |
remove by drawing a line through |
In some exercises, you are asked to cross out the incorrect word. |
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cut down on |
reduce in number or size |
The doctor told him to cut down on cigarettes. |
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cut out |
1) remove using scissors
2) stop doing something |
1) She cut out a picture in a magazine.
2) I'm going to cut out eating between meals. |
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| D |
deal with |
handle, take care of (problem, situation) |
The manager is good at dealing with difficult customers. |
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die down |
calm down, become less strong |
When the applause died down, she started to sing. |
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do without |
manage without |
The shops are closed so we'll have to do without sugar. |
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drag on |
last longer than expected |
We expected a short speech but it dragged on and on! |
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draw up |
write (contract, agreement, document) |
An agreement was drawn up and signed by the two parties. |
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dress up |
1) wear elegant clothes
2) disguise oneself |
1) Do people dress up to go to the opera in your country?
2) Children love to dress up at Halloween. |
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drop in |
visit, usually on the way somewhere |
I sometimes drop in to see my grandparents on my way home from school. |
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drop off |
1) deliver someone or something
2) fall asleep |
1) I'll drop you off at the bus stop if you like.
2) Granddad often drops off in front of the TV. |
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drop out |
leave school without finishing |
She decided to go to art school then dropped out after the first term. |
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| E |
ease off |
reduce, become less severe or slow down
(pain, traffic, work) |
After Christmas the workload generally eases off. |
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end in |
finish in a certain way; result in |
Their marriage ended in divorce. |
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end up |
finally reach a state, place or action |
If he continues his misconduct he'll end up in prison. |
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even out |
1) eliminate differences of opinion.
2) become level or regular |
1) After a long discussion they managed to even out their differences.
2) The road was evened out to make it safer. |
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| F |
fall through |
fail; doesn't happen |
Our planned boat trip fell through because of the storm. |
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figure out |
understand, find the answer |
I'm trying to figure out how to assemble the bookshelves. |
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fill out |
complete (a form/an application) |
Please fill out the enclosed form and return it as soon as possible. |
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find out |
discover or obtain information |
I'm going to call the cinema to find out what time the film starts. |
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focus on |
concentrate on something |
The advertising campaign will focus on the quality of the product. |
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figure out |
understand; find a solution |
We'll have to figure out a way to deliver the goods faster. |
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| G |
get along (with) |
be on good terms; work well with |
I get along (well) with my mother-in-law. |
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get at |
imply |
What exactly are you trying to get at? |
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get away |
escape |
The robbers got away in a black car. |
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get by |
manage to cope or to survive |
It's difficult to get by on a low salary. |
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get in |
enter |
How did the burglar get in? |
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get into (+noun) |
enter |
How did the burglar get into the house? |
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get off |
1) leave (bus, train, plane)
2) remove |
1) You should get off the bus at Trafalgar Square.
2) She can't get the stain off her sweater. |
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get on |
board (bus, train, plane) |
You can pay when you get on the bus. |
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get on with (something) |
continue to do; make progress |
Be quiet and get on with your homework. |
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get on (well) with (somebody) |
have a good relationship with |
I get on very well with my colleagues. |
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get out |
leave |
How did he get out? |
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get out of (+noun) |
leave |
How did he get out of the house? |
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get out of |
avoid doing something |
Some husbands manage to get out of doing any housework. |
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get over |
recover from (illness, disappointment) |
My grandmother had pneumonia but she got over it. |
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get rid of |
eliminate |
It's difficult to get rid of old habits. |
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get together |
meet each other |
Let's get together for lunch on day. |
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get up |
rise, leave bed |
I usually get up at 7 o'clock. |
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give up |
stop doing something |
Sarah gave up smoking 5 years ago. |
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go through |
experience |
Pete went through a lot of pain after the accident. |
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grow up |
spend one's childhood; develop; become an adult |
He grew up in a small village in the mountains. |
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| H |
hand in |
submit (report, homework) |
All application forms must be handed in before the end of the month. |
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hand out |
distribute |
Samples will be handed out at the end of the demonstration. |
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hang out |
spend time in a particular place,
or with a group of friends |
Where does he hang out these days?
Who does he hang out with? |
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hang up |
end a phone conversation |
"Don't hang up. I haven't finished yet." |
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hit at |
aim a blow at |
He hit at the wasp with the newspaper. |
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hit back |
retaliate; reply to an attack |
When he was attacked by the others, the boy hit back. |
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hit on/upon |
find unexpectedly or by inspiration |
She hit upon an idea for her new collection. |
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hold on |
-wait
-grip tightly |
- 'Hold on please. I'll put you through to Mr. Brown."
- She held on to the railing as she crossed the bridge. |
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hurry up |
be quick, act speedily |
Hurry up! We'll miss the bus. |
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| I |
iron out |
resolve by discussion, eliminate differences |
The meeting tomorrow will be an opportunity to iron out difficulties. |
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| J |
join in |
participate |
She was too shy to join in the game. |
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join up |
-engage in, become a member of
- meet and unite with |
- John was in the Army and Tom joined up as soon as he left school.
- The two groups of tourists joined up at the hotel. |
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jot down |
take quick notes |
I jotted down the address while watching the programme on TV. |
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| K |
keep on |
continue doing something |
It told him to be quiet but he kept on making noise. |
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keep up with |
stay at the same level as someone or
something |
Bill walks so fast it's difficult to keep up with him. |
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kick off |
begin, start |
The football match kicked off at 3 o'clock. |
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| L |
leave out |
omit, not mention |
The child's name was left out of the report. |
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let down |
disappoint |
You promised to come to the party, so don't let me down! |
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look after |
take care of |
A babysitter looks after the children when they go out. |
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look ahead |
think of the future |
It's time to forget the past and look ahead. |
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look down on |
consider as inferior |
He tends to look down on anyone who is not successful. |
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look on |
be a spectator at an event |
Billy didn't take part in the fight. He just looked on. |
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look for |
try to find something |
Jane went to the shops to look for a pair of shoes. |
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look forward to |
await or anticipate with pleasure |
I look forward to seeing you soon. |
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look up to |
admire |
He was a wonderful teacher and many students looked up to him. |
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| M |
make fun of |
laugh at/ make jokes about |
The old lady dresses so strangely that the kids make fun of her. |
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make up |
invent (excuse, story) |
Some employees make up excuses when they arrive late for work. |
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mix up |
mistake one thing or person for another |
I don't know my neighbours' names yet. I keep mixing them up. |
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move in |
arrive in a new home or office |
You've bought a new house? When are you moving in?. |
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move out |
leave your home/office for another one. |
My neighbour is leaving. He's moving out next Saturday. |
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N |
nod off |
fall asleep |
My grandfather often nods off in front of the television. |
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note down |
write something |
I'll call the station and note down the departure times. |
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O |
opt out |
leave a system or decide not to participate |
I enjoy tennis but I'm so busy I had to opt out of the tournament. |
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own up |
admit or confess something |
The boy owned up. He said he kicked the ball through the window. |
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P |
pass away |
die |
The old lady passed away peacefully. |
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pass out |
faint |
She passed out when she heard the bad news. |
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pay back |
reimburse |
I'll lend you 20€ provided you pay me back before the end of the week. |
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put off |
postpone, arrange a later date |
The meeting was put off because of the strike. |
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put on |
turn on, switch on |
Could you put on the light please? |
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put out |
extinguish |
It took a long time to put out the fire. |
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put up |
accommodate, give somebody a bed |
We can put you up if you'd like to come for a week-end. |
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pick up |
collect somebody |
I'll pick you up at the station when you arrive. |
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point out |
indicate/direct attention to something |
She pointed out the mistake. |
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R |
rely on |
count on, depend on, trust |
Don't worry. You can rely on me. I can keep a secret. |
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rule out |
eliminate |
The police ruled out political motives. |
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run away |
escape from a place or suddenly leave |
He ran away from home at the age of fourteen. |
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run into |
meet by accident or unexpectedly (also: bump into) |
Sophie ran into Maria at the shopping centre. |
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run out of |
have no more of something. |
What a nuisance! We've run out of coffee. |
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S |
set off |
start a journey; |
Early Saturday morning we set off for the ski slopes . |
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set up |
start a business |
She set up her own company 10 years ago. |
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shop around |
compare prices |
It's always wise to shop around before buying anything. |
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show off |
brag or want to be admired |
There's David showing off in his new sports car! |
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show up |
appear/arrive |
We expected David to come but he didn't show up. |
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shut up
(impolite) |
be silent, stop talking |
Oh shut up, you idiot! |
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sit down |
take a seat |
Please come in and sit down. |
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stand up |
rise from a sitting position |
The pupils stood up when the headmaster arrived. |
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stick up for |
defend |
It's important to stick up for one's principles. |
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T |
take after |
resemble, in appearance or character |
Jamie really takes after his dad. |
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take care of |
look after |
I'll take care of your plants while you're away. |
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take off |
leave the ground |
The plane took off at 6 a.m. |
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take on |
hire or engage staff |
Business is good so the company is taking on extra staff. |
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take out |
remove; extract |
She took out a pen to note the address. |
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tell off |
reprimand/criticize severely |
The teacher told her off for not doing her homework. |
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think over |
consider |
I'll have to think over the proposal before I decide. |
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try on |
wear something to see if it suits or fits |
I'm not sure about the size. Can I try it on? |
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turn down |
refuse |
I couldn't turn down an offer like that! |
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U |
use up |
finish a product (so that there's none left) |
The kids have used up all the toothpaste. |
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V |
vouch for |
express confidence in, or guarantee something |
You can give the keys to Andy. I can vouch for him. |
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| W |
watch out |
be careful |
Watch out! There's a car coming. |
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wear out |
1) become unusable
2) become very tired |
1) Julie wore out her shoes visiting the city.
2) At the end of the day Julie was worn out. |
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work out |
1) do physical exercise
2) find a solution or calculate something |
1) I work out twice a week at the gym club.
2) It's expensive but I haven't worked out the exact cost yet. |
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wipe off |
clean (board, table). |
The teacher asked Lee to wipe off the board. |
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