phrasal verb meaning example sentence
ask someone out invite on a date Brian askedJudy out to dinner and a movie.
ask around ask many people the same question I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
add up to something equal Your purchases add up to$205.32.
back something up reverse You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
back someone up support My wife backed me upover my decision to quit my job.
blow up explode The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
blow something up add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
break down stop functioning (vehicle, machine) Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
break down get upset The woman broke downwhen the police told her that her son had died.
break somethingdown divide into smaller parts Our teacher broke the final project downinto three separate parts.
break in force entry to a building Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
break into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break into the room 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 we run 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 when the guards weren't looking.
break out insomething develop a skin condition I broke out ina rash after our camping trip.
bring someone down make unhappy This sad music is bringing me down.
bring someone up raise a child My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bring something up start talking about a subject My mother walks out of the room when my father brings upsports.
bring something up vomit He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around phone many different places/people We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
call someone back return a phone call I called the company backbut the offices were closed for the weekend.
call something off cancel Jason calledthe wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call on someone ask for an answer or opinion The professor called on me for question 1.
call on someone visit someone We called onyou last night but you weren't home.
call someone up phone Give me your phone number and I will callyou up when we are in town.
calm down relax after being angry You are still mad. You need to calm downbefore you drive the car.
not care forsomeone/something not like (formal) I don't care for his behaviour.
catch up get to the same point as someone else You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up 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.
checksomeone/somethingout look at carefully, investigate The company checks out all new employees.
check outsomeone/something look at (informal) Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up become happier She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer someone up make happier I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in help If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up tidy, clean Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come acrosssomething find unexpectedly I came acrossthese old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart separate The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down withsomething become sick My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
come forward volunteer for a task or to give evidence The woman came forwardwith her husband's finger prints.
come fromsomewhere originate in The art of origami comes from Asia.
count onsomeone/something rely on I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
cross something out draw a line through Please cross out your old address and write your new one.
cut back onsomething consume less My doctor wants me to cut back onsweets and fatty foods.
cut something down make something fall to the ground We had to cutthe old tree in our yard downafter the storm.
cut in interrupt Your father cut in while I was dancing with your 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 electrical device) The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
cut something off remove with something sharp The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cut something off stop providing The phone company cut off our phone because we didn'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 with scissors and paper) I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
dosomeone/somethingover beat up, ransack (BrE, informal) He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.
do something over do again (AmE) My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.
do away withsomething discard It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
do something up fasten, close Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
dress up wear nice clothing It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
drop back move back in a position/group Andrea dropped backto third place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/by/over come without an appointment I might drop in/by/overfor tea sometime this week.
dropsomeone/somethingoff take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there I have to dropmy sister off at work before I come over.
drop out quit a class, school etc I dropped outof Science because it was too difficult.
eat out eat at a restaurant I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.
end up eventually reach/do/decide We ended uprenting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart break into pieces My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
fall down fall to the ground The picture that you hung up last night 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 hair started to fall outwhen he was only 35.
figure something out understand, find the answer I need to figure outhow to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
fill something in to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE) Please fill inthe 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 fillthe water jug up when it is empty.
find out discover We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
find something out discover We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.
get somethingacross/over communicate, make understandable I tried to getmy point across/overto the judge but she wouldn't listen.
get along/on like each other I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.
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 withsomething do without being noticed or punished Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.
get back return We got backfrom our vacation last week.
get something back receive something you had before Liz finally gother Science notes backfrom my room-mate.
get back at someone retaliate, take revenge My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.
get back intosomething become interested in something again I finally got back into my novel and finished it.
get on something step onto a vehicle We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on the bus.
get over something recover from an illness, loss, difficulty I just got overthe flu and now my sister has it.
get over something overcome a problem The company will have to close if it can't get over the new regulations.
get round tosomething finally find time to do (AmE: get around tosomething) I don't know when I am going to get round towriting the thank you cards.
get together meet (usually for social reasons) Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.
get up get out of bed I got up early today to study for my exam.
get up stand You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.
give someone away reveal hidden information about someone His wife gavehim away to the police.
give someone away take the bride to the altar My father gaveme away at my wedding.
give something away ruin a secret My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.
give something away give something to someone for free The library was giving awayold books on Friday.
give something back return a borrowed item I have to givethese skates back to Franz 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 were giving outfree perfume samples at the department store.
give something up quit a habit I am giving upsmoking as of January 1st.
give up stop trying My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up.
go after someone follow someone My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.
go after something try to achieve something I went aftermy dream and now I am a published writer.
go against someone compete, oppose We are going against the best soccer team in the city tonight.
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 m