In this review, we focus on the adsorptive removal of common organic contaminants, especially from water. To understand adsorption properly, it is essential to understand the possible adsorption mechanisms or interactions between adsorbates and adsorbents. A number of interactions have been observed to play a key role in different types of adsorption. We have also tried to sort out the different mechanisms that were observed during adsorptive removal of hazardous contaminants from water over MOFs. Hopefully, this will help research on improving the potential use of MOFs for future applications.