Grammar Part 2 Phrasal Verbs

Part 2: Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
ask somebody out	invite on a date	I asked my girlfriend out to dinner.
ask around	ask many people the same question	I asked around but nobody has seen my smartphone.
add up to something	equal	Your purchases add up to 2,500 baht.
back something up	reverse	You’ll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
back somebody up	support	My mother backed me up over my decision to get married.
blow up	explode	The car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
blow something up	add air	We have to blow a lot of balloons up for the new year party.
break down	stop functioning (vehicle, machine)	Our car broke down at the side of the highway.
break down	get upset	The old woman broke down when her son left her alone.
break something down	divide into smaller parts	Our teacher broke the assignments down into four separate parts.
break in	force entry to a building	The thief broke in last night and stole our TV.
break into something	enter forcibly	The firemen had to break into the bedroom 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 the football match 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.
break out in something	develop a skin condition	Kim broke out in a rash after eating seafood.
bring about	cause it to happen	One way they can bring about political change is by putting pressure on the country.
bring somebody down	make unhappy	This sad movie is bringing me down.
bring out	to produce a particular quality	The greeting-card company is bringing out a new line of Mother’s Day cards.
bring somebody up	raise a child	My grandparents brought me up when I was young.
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	Oliver drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
call around	phone many different places/people	We called around but we weren’t able to find the hotel we needed.
call somebody back	return a phone call	I called the company back but the offices were closed.
call for	to need or deserve a particular action, remark, or quality	This calls for a celebration!
call in	to telephone the place you work	Call in to this radio station and ask the governor a question.
call something off	cancel	Jason called the wedding party off.
call on somebody	ask for an answer or opinion	The teacher called on me for the first question.
call on somebody	visit somebody	I called on my friend last night but she wasn’t home.
calm down	relax after being angry	You need to calm down before you drive the car.
care for somebody/ something	feel concern or interest	Jessica made her boyfriend feel special and cared for.
catch up	get to the same point as somebody else	You have to run faster to catch up with Martin.
check in	arrive and register at a hotel or airport	Guests will get the hotel room keys when they check in.
check out	leave a hotel	You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
check somebody/ something out	look at carefully, investigate	The policemen check out clothing the witness.
check out somebody/ something	look at (informal)	Check out the crazy clothing on that guy!
cheer up	become happier	She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer somebody up	make happier	I gave you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in	help	If everyone chips in, we can finish working by noon.
clean something up come about	tidy, clean to happen, or start to happen	Please clean up the kitchen before you leave. How did such a confused situation come about?
come across something	find unexpectedly	I came across my ex-boyfriend when I was going shopping.
come apart	separate	I picked up the book and it came apart in my hands.
come down with something	become sick	My sister came down with fever last week.
come from some place	originate in	Chocolate comes from the cacao tree.
count on somebody/ something	rely on	I can always count on my best friend.
come up	to happen, usually unexpectedly	I’ve got to go because something has just come up and I need to go.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
cross something out	draw a line through	Please cross out your old address and write the new one.
cry out	to shout or make a loud noise because you are frightened, hurt, etc.	“Why are you doing this?” she cried out suddenly.
cut back on something	consume less	My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets.
cut something down	make something fall to the ground	We had to cut the old trees in our yard down after the storm.
cut in	interrupt	You shouldn’t cut in while I was dancing with this lady.
cut in	pull in too closely in front of another vehicle	The bus driver got angry when that taxi driver cut in.
cut in	start operating (of an engine or electrical device)	If the computer starts to overheat, the fan cuts in.
cut something off	remove with something sharp	The doctors cut off his leg because of the accident.
cut something off	stop providing	The phone company cut off our phone because we didn’t pay the bill.
cut something out	remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)	I cut this picture out of the magazine.
dress up	wear nice clothing	It’s a luxurious hotel, so we have to dress up.
drop back	move back in a position/group	Andrew dropped back to third place when he fell off his bike.
drop in/ by/ over	come without an appointment	I can drop in/by/over and pick you up after work.
drop somebody/ something off	take somebody/ something somewhere and leave them/it there	I have to drop my son off at school before I come over.
drop out	quit a class, school etc.	Some students dropped out of school because of the financial issues.
eat out	eat at a restaurant	Let’s eat out to celebrate your birthday.
end up	eventually reach/do/decide	We ended up going shopping instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart	break into pieces	My poor old shoes are falling apart.
fall down	fall to the ground	The picture on the wall fell 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 teeth started to fall out when he was 70.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
figure something out	understand, find the answer	It takes time to figure out the math problem.
fill something in	to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE)	Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
fill something out	to write information in blanks, as on a form (AmE)	The form must be filled out in capital letters.
fill something up	fill to the top	I always gas fill the tank up when it gets to half.
find out	discover	I must find out how much the new mobile phone will cost.
find something out	discover	We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found out.
get something across/ over	communicate, make understandable	Our ideas are better and we need to find a different way of getting that across.
get along/on	like each other	My mother and new girlfriend get along/on well.
get around	have mobility	My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.
get away	go on a vacation	We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.
get away with something	do without being noticed or punished	Tom always gets away with cheating in his science tests.
get back	return	We got back from our vacation last week.
get something back	receive something you had before	Liza finally got her science notes back from her roommate.
get back at somebody	retaliate, take revenge	My sister got back at me for stealing her mobile phone.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
get over something	recover from an illness, loss, difficulty	I just got over the flu.
get round to something	finally find time to do (AmE: get around to something)	I don’t know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.
get together	meet (usually for social reasons)	Let’s get together this weekend.
get up	get out of bed	I get up early every day.
give somebody away	reveal hidden information about somebody	The father gave away his daughter at the wedding.
give somebody away	take the bride to the altar	My father gave me away at my wedding.
give something away	give something to somebody for free	The library was giving away old books.
give something back	return a borrowed item	I have to give these skates back to Frank before his hockey game.
give in	reluctantly stop fighting or arguing	My boyfriend didn’t want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.
give something out	give to many people (usually at no cost)	They are giving out free perfume samples at the department store.
give something up	quit a habit	I am giving up smoking.
give up	stop trying	I gave up doing my math homework because it was difficult.
go after somebody	follow somebody	My brother tried to go after the thief.
go against somebody	compete, oppose	We are going against the best soccer team tonight.
go ahead	start, proceed	Please go ahead and eat before the pizza gets cold.
go back	return to a place	I have to go back home before midnight.
go out	leave home to go on a social event	We’re going out for dinner tonight.
go out with somebody	date	Jenny has been going out with Kim since last winter.
go over something	review	Please go over your answers before you submit your homework.
go over	visit somebody nearby	I haven’t seen Tina for a long time. I think I’ll go over for an hour or two.
go without something	suffer lack or deprivation	How long can they go without food?
grow apart	stop being friends over time	My close friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.
grow back	regrow	My roses grew back this summer.
grow into something	grow big enough to fit	This shirt is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.
grow out of something	get too big for	Rita needs a new skirt because she has grown out of her old one.
grow up	become an adult	When Jack grows up, he wants to be a policeman.
hand something down	give something used to somebody else	I handed my old comic books down to my younger brother.
hand something in	submit	I have to hand in my homework by Friday.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
hand something out	to distribute to a group of people	We will hand out the brochures at the door.
hand something over	give (usually unwillingly)	The policeman asked the man to hand over his wallet.
hang in	stay positive (informal)	Hang in there. I’m sure you’ll find a better job soon.
hang on	wait a short time (informal)	Hang on while I buy these shoes!
hang out	spend time relaxing (informal)	We are going to hang out at my apartment.
hang up	end a phone call	I didn’t say goodbye before hanging up.
hold somebody/ something back	prevent from doing/going	I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park.
hold something back	hide an emotion	Amy didn’t pass the examination, and she tried to hold back her tears.
hold on	wait a short time	Please hold on while I am taking a bath.
hold onto somebody/ something	hold firmly using your hands or arms	Hold onto your hat because it’s very windy.
hold somebody/ something up	rob	A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.
keep on doing something	continue doing	Keep on doing exercise and you’ll be in good shape.
keep something from somebody	not tell	We kept our secret from our parents for one year.
keep somebody/ something out	stop from entering	Keep the wet dog out of the bedroom.
keep something up	continue at the same rate	If you keep up exercising , you will stay healthy.
let somebody down	fail to support or help, disappoint	Don’t let me down, darling.
let somebody in	allow to enter	Can you let the dog in before going out?
log in (or on)	sign in (to a website, database etc.)	I can’t log into Facebook.
log out (or off)	sign out (of a website, database etc.)	If you don’t log off, somebody could get into your account.
look after somebody/ something	take care of	I have to look after my grandmother.
look down on somebody	think less of, consider inferior	Your father looks down on me because I am not a rich man.
look for somebody/ something	try to find	I’m looking for a beautiful dress for the wedding party.
look forward to something	be excited about the future	I’m looking forward to summer.
look out	be careful, vigilant, and take notice	Look out! That motorbike is going to hit you!
look out for somebody/ something	be especially vigilant for	Don’t forget to look out for snakes in the forest.
look something over	check, examine	Can you look over my paragraph writing for spelling mistakes?

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
look something up	search and find information in a reference book or database	We can look up her phone number on the Internet.
look up to somebody	have a lot of respect for	My little sister always looks up to my mother.
make something up	invent, lie about something	Joe made up a story about why he arrived late.
make up	forgive each other	We were angry last night, but we made up this morning.
mix something up	confuse two or more things	I mixed up the twins’ names again!
pass away	die	His aunt passed away last night.
pass out	faint	It was so hot that an old lady passed out.
pass something out	give the same thing to many people	The salesman passed out the brochures during the party.
pass something up	decline (usually something good)	I can’t believe she passed up the chance to go to USA.
pay somebody back	return owed money	I’ll pay you back on Friday.
pay for something	be punished for doing something bad	My uncle will pay for the movie.
pick something out	choose	I picked out the dress for the party.
point somebody/ something out	indicate with your finger	I’ll point out my boyfriend when I see him.
put something down	put what you are holding on a surface or floor	You can put down the groceries on this table.
put something off	postpone	We are putting off our trip until next month.
put something out	extinguish	The firemen put the forest fire out in Australia.
put something together	assemble	It took several hours to put the puzzle together.
put up with somebody/ something	tolerate	I don’t think I can put up with three small children in the car.
put something on	put clothing/ accessories on your body	I will put on a new dress for my birthday party.
run away	leave unexpectedly, escape	The dogs ran away from.
run over somebody/ something	drive a vehicle over a person or thing	I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.
run over/ through something	rehearse, review	Let’s run over/through these songs before the show.
run out	have none left	We ran out of shampoo.
send something back	return (usually by mail)	My letters were sent back to me because I used the wrong address.
set something up	arrange, organize	Our boss set up a meeting for next Wednesday.
show off	act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)	He always shows off to his classmates.
sleep over	stay somewhere for the night (informal)	You should sleep over tonight because the weather is too bad to drive home.
sort something out	organize, resolve a problem	If you have a problem, the officer can help you sort yourself out.
stick to something	continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing	You can lose weight if you stick to the diet.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
switch something on	start the energy flow, turn on	We heard the news when we switched on the TV.
take after somebody	resemble a family member	Amy takes after her mother. They are both beautiful.
take something apart	purposely break into pieces	He took apart the car brakes and found the problem.
take something back	return an item	I will take my new computer back because it doesn’t work.
take off	start to fly	My plane takes off in ten minutes.
take something off	remove something (usually clothing)	Take off your shoes when entering the house.
take something out	remove from a place or thing	Henry took out his wallet.
take somebody out	pay for somebody to go somewhere with you	My grandparents took us out for dinner.
tear something up	rip into pieces	I tore up all the photos of my ex-boyfriend.
think back	remember (often + to, sometimes + on)	When I think back on my childhood, I always feel happy.
think something over	consider	I’ll have to think this job offer over before I quit.
throw something away	dispose of	We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.
turn something down	decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc.)	Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.
turn something down	refuse	I turned the job down because I don’t want to move.
turn something off	stop the energy flow, switch off	Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for dinner.
turn something on	start the energy, switch on	It’s too dark in here. Let’s turn on some lights.
turn something up	increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc.)	Can you turn the music up? I really like this song.
turn up	appear suddenly	Our dog turned up after we put an announcement on TV.
try something on	sample clothing	I’m going to try these jeans on, but I don’t think they will fit.
try something out	test	I am going to try out this new brand of detergent.
use something up	finish the supply	The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more.
wake up	stop sleeping	We have to wake up early on Monday.
warm somebody/ something up	increase the temperature	You can warm up your hands in front of the fireplace.
warm up	prepare body for exercise	I always warm up before I go for a run.
wear off	fade away	Most of my make-up wore off after the show.
work out	exercise	I work out at the gym every weekend.
work out	be successful	Our plan worked out, so our boss gave us a bonus.
work something out	make a calculation	I have to work out the price before I buy a new smartphone.

Curriculum

Grammar Part 2 Phrasal Verbs

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