English Vocabulary

List of Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs List with definitions and usage

Understanding phrasal verbs is key to mastering fluent English communication. In this blog post, you will learn how verb-preposition combinations form new meanings beyond individual words. Many English learners struggle with phrasal verbs because they don’t follow direct translations or standard grammar patterns. This list helps you understand commonly used phrasal verbs that appear in everyday speech, writing, and listening tasks. By studying these expressions, you can build stronger sentence structure, boost comprehension, and speak with more confidence.

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that change the meaning of the original verb. They are commonly used in spoken and written English and can sometimes be confusing because the meaning isn’t always obvious.

  • “give up” means to stop doing something.
  • “look after” means to take care of someone or something.

Learning phrasal verbs helps improve both understanding and fluency in English.

Common Phrasal Verbs List

Below are some of the most common phrasal verbs used in daily English:

  • get up
  • give up
  • take off
  • turn on
  • turn off
  • look after
  • run out
  • break down
  • come in
  • go out
  • carry on
  • find out
  • check out
  • hang out
  • hold on
  • look for
  • put off
  • throw away
  • bring up
  • call back

80+ Phrasal Verbs List with Meaning

  • Ask out – Invite someone on a date
  • Back up – Support someone or something
  • Blow up – Explode or get very angry
  • Break down – Stop functioning (vehicle/machine), or become emotional
  • Break up – End a relationship
  • Bring up – Mention a topic or raise a child
  • Call off – Cancel something
  • Carry on – Continue doing something
  • Catch up – Reach the same level or standard
  • Check in – Register at a hotel or airport
  • Check out – Leave a hotel or examine something
  • Come across – Find unexpectedly
  • Come in – Enter a place
  • Come over – Visit someone
  • Come up with – Think of an idea or plan
  • Count on – Rely on or trust
  • Cut down on – Reduce the use of something
  • Cut off – Stop supply or disconnect
  • Deal with – Handle a problem or situation
  • Do over – Repeat something
  • Dress up – Wear fancy or formal clothes
  • Drop by – Visit without appointment
  • Drop out – Quit school or an activity
  • Figure out – Understand or solve something
  • Fill in – Complete a form
  • Fill out – Write all required information
  • Find out – Discover or learn
  • Get along – Have a good relationship
  • Get away – Escape
  • Get back – Return to a place
  • Get in – Enter (a car, building)
  • Get off – Leave a bus, train, or plane
  • Get on – Board a vehicle
  • Get over – Recover from something
  • Give away – Donate or reveal a secret
  • Give back – Return something
  • Give up – Stop trying or surrender
  • Go after – Try to get something
  • Go away – Leave a place
  • Go back – Return to a place
  • Go on – Continue or happen
  • Go out – Leave home for social activities
  • Grow up – Become an adult
  • Hang on – Wait a short time
  • Hang out – Spend time relaxing
  • Hold on – Wait or grip tightly
  • Hurry up – Do something quickly
  • Keep on – Continue doing something
  • Keep up – Maintain the same pace
  • Kick out – Force someone to leave
  • Leave out – Exclude
  • Let down – Disappoint someone
  • Look after – Take care of someone/something
  • Look for – Search for
  • Look forward to – Anticipate something with pleasure
  • Look out – Be careful or watch out
  • Look up – Search for information
  • Make up – Invent a story or reconcile
  • Mix up – Confuse two things
  • Pass away – Die
  • Pass out – Faint or distribute
  • Pick up – Lift something or someone
  • Point out – Indicate or show
  • Put away – Store or tidy
  • Put off – Postpone
  • Put on – Wear clothes or gain weight
  • Put out – Extinguish something
  • Run out of – Have no more of something
  • Set up – Arrange or establish
  • Show off – Brag or attract attention
  • Shut down – Close or stop operating
  • Slow down – Reduce speed
  • Speak up – Talk louder
  • Stand by – Support or be ready
  • Take after – Resemble a relative
  • Take away – Remove something
  • Take back – Return something
  • Take off – Remove or begin flight
  • Take over – Gain control
  • Talk over – Discuss
  • Think over – Consider carefully
  • Throw away – Discard
  • Turn down – Refuse or lower volume
  • Turn off – Stop a machine or switch
  • Turn on – Start a machine or switch
  • Turn up – Arrive or increase volume
  • Wake up – Stop sleeping
  • Watch out – Be careful
  • Work out – Exercise or find a solution
  • Write down – Record on paper
Common Phrasal Verbs List with meanings in English grammar
80+ Common phrasal verbs used in spoken English with rules

100+ Phrasal Verbs List

  1. Get up
  2. Wake up
  3. Go out
  4. Come in
  5. Take off
  6. Put on
  7. Turn on
  8. Turn off
  9. Run out
  10. Check out
  11. Give up
  12. Look after
  13. Bring up
  14. Call back
  15. Find out
  16. Figure out
  17. Get along
  18. Get over
  19. Come across
  20. Come up with
  21. Fall apart
  22. Fall down
  23. Fill out
  24. Fill in
  25. Get back
  26. Get in
  27. Get out
  28. Go back
  29. Grow up
  30. Hang on
  31. Hang out
  32. Hold on
  33. Keep on
  34. Let down
  35. Look for
  36. Look forward to
  37. Look out
  38. Make up
  39. Move in
  40. Move out
  41. Pass away
  42. Pass out
  43. Pay back
  44. Pick up
  45. Point out
  46. Put down
  47. Put up with
  48. Run into
  49. Run out of
  50. Set up
Common Phrasal Verbs List in English grammar
Learn English phrasal verbs with usage and grammar rules
  1. Show up
  2. Shut down
  3. Slow down
  4. Sort out
  5. Speak up
  6. Stand up
  7. Take away
  8. Take back
  9. Take out
  10. Take over
  11. Think over
  12. Throw away
  13. Try on
  14. Turn around
  15. Turn up
  16. Use up
  17. Wake up
  18. Watch out
  19. Work out
  20. Write down
  21. Break up
  22. Calm down
  23. Check in
  24. Check out
  25. Come back
  26. Cut off
  27. Deal with
  28. Dress up
  29. Drop by
  30. Drop off
  31. End up
  32. Fall behind
  33. Focus on
  34. Get by
  35. Give in
  36. Go over
  37. Hand in
  38. Hold back
  39. Keep away
  40. Kick off
  41. Knock out
  42. Leave out
  43. Look back
  44. Move on
  45. Note down
  46. Put on
  47. Read out
  48. Run away
  49. Set off
  50. Stick to
  51. Talk over

Phrasal Verbs Examples Sentences List

  • Fatimah gave up eating sugar to improve her health.
  • Bilal looked after the garden during the summer.
  • Yusuf took off his shoes before entering the masjid.
  • Khadijah put off her exam preparation until the last minute.
  • They turned on the heater when it got cold.
  • Aisha ran out of money while shopping.
  • The bus broke down on the way to the university.
  • Please come in and close the door behind you.
  • I found out the answer after checking the book.
  • The children grew up in a peaceful village.

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are a key part of English that add variety and depth to the language. Although they can be tricky at first, learning their meanings and how to use them in sentences will greatly improve your speaking and writing. Try to memorize them in context to make them easier to understand.

FAQs

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or more particles (like prepositions or adverbs) that changes the verb’s meaning.

Why are phrasal verbs important in English?

They are common in everyday English and help express ideas more naturally and fluently.

How can I remember phrasal verbs?

Use them in daily sentences and learn them in context with examples.

Can one verb have multiple phrasal meanings?

Yes. For example, “take off” can mean to remove clothes or for a plane to leave the ground.

Are phrasal verbs used in formal writing?

They are more common in spoken and informal writing but some are used in formal contexts too.

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