100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs: Definitions and Examples

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Most Common Phrasal Verbs in English

Add up to something	To amount to; to equal a total.
Ask around	To ask several people about something.
Ask somebody out	To invite someone to go on a date.
Back somebody up	To support or defend someone.
Blow up	To explode; to get very angry.
Break down	To stop functioning (machine); to become very upset.
Break in	To enter a building illegally; to interrupt.
Break up	To end a relationship or group.
Break out	To escape; to suddenly start (e.g., a fire, a fight).
Bring somebody down	To make someone feel sad or depressed.
Bring something up	To mention a topic or issue.
Call something off	To cancel something.
Call on somebody	To ask someone to do something; to visit someone.
Calm down	To relax or become less upset.
Catch up	To meet and talk about recent events; to reach the same level.
Check in	To register (at a hotel, airport, etc.); to report your arrival.
Check out	To examine something; to leave a hotel.
Check somebody/ something out	To look at someone/something carefully or with interest.
Chip in	To contribute money or help.
Come across something	To find something by chance.
Count on somebody/ something	To rely on someone/something.
Cut back on something	To reduce the amount of something.
Cut in	To interrupt; to drive in front of someone.
Cut something off	To remove something by cutting it; to stop something suddenly.
Cut somebody off	To stop someone from speaking; to disconnect communication.
Do away with something	To get rid of something.
Do something up	To fasten, close, or decorate something.
Dress up	To wear formal clothes or special clothing.
Drop somebody/ something off	To deliver someone or something to a destination.
Drop out	To leave something (like school, a course, or competition) before completing it.
End up	To finally be in a place or situation after a series of events.
Fall apart	To break into pieces; to lose control emotionally.
Fall out	To have an argument or disagreement, often resulting in a broken relationship.
Figure something out	To understand or solve something.
Fill something in	To complete a form or document by providing information.
Find out	To discover information.
Get along/on	To have a good relationship with someone.
Get away with something	To do something wrong without being caught or punished.
Get something back	To receive something that was returned.
Get over something	To recover from something (e.g., a setback, illness, or disappointment).
Get together	To meet or gather with others.
Give somebody away	To reveal a secret.
Give something away	To donate something for free.
Give in	To yield or surrender after resistance.
Give up	To stop trying or surrender.
Go after somebody	To pursue someone (e.g., romantically or professionally).
Go after something	To pursue or strive to achieve something.
Go against somebody	To oppose or fight someone.
Go ahead	To proceed with something.
Go back	To return to a previous place or situation.
Go out	To leave your home for social activities; to date someone.
Go over something	To review or examine something in detail.
Grow apart	To become less close or connected over time.
Grow out of something	To become too old or mature for something.
Grow up	To mature or become an adult.
Hand something down	To pass something on to someone, usually in a family.
Hand something over	To give control or possession of something to someone.
Hang on	To hold something tightly; to wait.
Hang out	To spend time with others informally.
Hang up	To end a phone call; to suspend something.
Hold somebody/ something back	To prevent someone/something from progressing.
Hold on	To wait; to keep holding something tightly.
Keep something from somebody	To not allow someone to know something.
Let somebody down	To disappoint someone.
Look after somebody/ something	To take care of someone or something.
Look down on somebody	To regard someone with a sense of superiority.
Look for somebody/ something	To search for someone or something.
Look forward to something	To anticipate something with pleasure.
Look out	To be careful or watchful.
Look up to somebody	To admire or respect someone.
Make something up	To invent or fabricate a story or excuse.
Mix something up	To confuse things or people.
Pass away	To die.
Pass out	To lose consciousness.
Pass something out	To distribute something to people.
Put something together	To assemble or create something.
Put up with somebody/ something	To tolerate or endure something unpleasant.
Run into somebody/ something	To meet someone unexpectedly; to collide with something.
Run away	To escape from a place or situation.
Run out	To use up all of something; to expire.
Set something up	To arrange or establish something.
Show off	To display something in a way that is meant to impress others.
Sleep over	To spend the night at someone else's house.
Stick to something	To continue doing something consistently.
Take something back	To return something to its original place or owner.
Take off	To ascend (for a plane); to become successful or popular quickly.
Tear something up	To rip something into pieces.
Think something over	To carefully consider something.
Turn something down	To reject or refuse something.
Turn something off	To switch off a device or machine.
Turn something on	To switch on a device or machine.
Try something out	To test something to see how well it works.
Warm up	To prepare by doing light activity; to heat something.
Wear off	To gradually stop having an effect.
Work out	To exercise; to find a solution.
Come up with	To think of an idea or solution.
Kick off	To begin something (event, meeting, etc.).
Pull over	To move a vehicle to the side of the road.
Show up	To arrive at a place.
Turn up	To appear or arrive unexpectedly.

Most Common Phrasal Verbs Examples

-After buying groceries, snacks, and drinks, the total added up to nearly $100.

-I lost my wallet at the park, so I asked around to see if anyone had found it.

-After weeks of texting, he finally gathered the courage to ask her out to dinner on Saturday.

-When my brother was accused of cheating, I backed him up because I knew he was honest.

-The balloon suddenly blew up in my face when I was trying to inflate it too quickly.

-On the way to the beach, our car broke down in the middle of nowhere, and we had to wait for a tow truck.

-Someone tried to break in through the back door last night, but the alarm scared them off.

-They decided to break up after realizing they wanted completely different things in life.

-A huge argument broke out at the meeting when they discussed the budget cuts.

-Negative people really bring me down when I’m trying to stay motivated.

-I wanted to bring up the idea of taking a trip together during the family dinner.

-They called off the wedding because they realized they weren’t ready.

-During the lecture, the professor called on me to explain the theory to the class.

-I know you’re upset, but you need to calm down before we can talk about it.

-Let’s meet for coffee this weekend and catch up on everything that’s happened lately.

-We checked in at the hotel around 2 p.m. and then went straight to the beach.

-You should check out the new Italian restaurant downtown—it’s amazing!

-I checked out that new book you recommended, and it’s really good.

-Everyone chipped in a few dollars to buy a farewell gift for the teacher.

-While cleaning the attic, I came across some old photos from my childhood.

-You can always count on Mia to be there when you need help.

-I’ve been trying to cut back on coffee because it keeps me up at night.

-He rudely cut in while I was in the middle of explaining my idea.

-They cut off the internet service because I forgot to pay the bill.

-That guy just cut me off on the highway without using his turn signal.

-The school did away with uniforms, so now students can wear whatever they like.

-We did up the house with lights and decorations for the party.

-She loves to dress up even for casual events; she always looks so elegant.

-I dropped the kids off at school before heading to work.

-He dropped out of college in his second year to start his own business.

-We got lost on the way and ended up at a totally different beach.

-After her dog passed away, she completely fell apart emotionally.

-They fell out over a misunderstanding and haven’t spoken since.

-I finally figured out how to fix the leaking faucet myself.

-Please fill in this form and bring it with you to your appointment.

-I just found out that my cousin is expecting a baby!

-My roommate and I get along really well, which makes living together easy.

-I can’t believe he got away with lying to the teacher.

-I lent her my book last month and finally got it back yesterday.

-It took him months to get over his breakup with Maria.

-We should get together sometime next week and catch up.

-Her father gave her away during the beautiful wedding ceremony.

-I gave away my old laptop to my cousin who needed one for school.

-After hours of negotiating, they finally gave in to our demands.

-I almost gave up on learning guitar, but I kept practicing and now I love it.

-The coach told the players to go after the ball with full effort.

-She’s really going after her dream of becoming an architect.

-It goes against my principles to lie, even if it’s a small thing.

-If you want to leave early, go ahead—I’ll finish up here.

-I would love to go back to Paris one day; it was such a magical trip.

-We’re going out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary tonight.

-Let’s go over your essay together before you submit it.

-Over the years, we just grew apart and started living separate lives.

-She grew out of her obsession with dolls when she turned ten.

-I grew up in a small village where everyone knew each other.

-My grandma handed down her wedding ring to me.

-Please hand over your phone during the test.

–Hang on, I’ll grab my coat and come with you.

-We usually hang out at Sarah’s place on Friday nights.

-I was about to say something important, but she hung up too quickly.

-Fear of failure held him back from applying to his dream college.

–Hold on just a second while I finish this email.

-I didn’t want to keep it from you, but I wasn’t sure how to tell you.

-I promised I’d help him move, and I can’t let him down now.

-Can you look after my cat while I’m away this weekend?

-She looks down on anyone who didn’t go to college.

-I’ve been looking for my headphones all morning.

-I’m really looking forward to the concert this Friday.

–Look out! That branch is about to fall.

-I’ve always looked up to my grandfather for his wisdom.

-He made up an excuse for being late to work again.

-I mixed up the meeting dates and showed up on the wrong day.

-My neighbor’s dog passed away peacefully last night.

-She was so exhausted that she passed out on the couch.

-The teacher passed out the tests as soon as class began.

-I spent the whole afternoon putting together that new bookshelf.

-I don’t know how she puts up with his constant complaining.

-I ran into my old roommate at the grocery store yesterday.

-The puppy ran away when the gate was left open.

-We ran out of milk, so I had to go back to the store.

-I’ll set up a Zoom call so we can all join the meeting.

-He always tries to show off his guitar skills at parties.

-My cousin is going to sleep over at my place this weekend.

-It’s hard, but I’m trying to stick to my diet.

-I want to take back what I said earlier—it wasn’t fair.

-The plane took off right on time despite the storm.

-She tore up the letter after reading it once.

-I need some time to think over your offer.

-He turned down the job because it required too much travel.

-Don’t forget to turn off the oven before you leave.

-Can you turn on the lights? It’s getting dark.

-I tried out the new yoga class, and I really liked it.

-Let’s warm up with some stretches before we go jogging.

-The pain medication wore off after a few hours.

-Don’t worry, everything will work out in the end.

-She came up with a brilliant idea for the campaign.

-The event will kick off at 6 p.m. with live music and food.

-The police asked me to pull over because my brake light was out.

-He didn’t show up to the interview, which was disappointing.

-My missing earring finally turned up in my sock drawer.

Frequently Asked Questions About 100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs: Definitions and Examples

What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are expressions that combine a main verb and a preposition or adverb (or both) to create a different meaning than the original verb. For example, “run into” means to meet someone by chance, not to physically collide. They are commonly used in both spoken and written English.

Why should I learn phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are essential for understanding and using natural English. Native speakers use them all the time, so knowing them helps you sound more fluent and confident. Listening and reading comprehension are both improved by them.

Can phrasal verbs have more than one meaning?
Many phrasal verbs can have different meanings depending on the context. For instance, “take off” can mean to remove something, for a plane to leave the ground, or even for a career to become successful. Understanding the context is crucial for understanding the correct meaning.

Do I need to learn every phrasal verb in English?
Learning all of them is not required, there are hundreds of them. Start with the most common ones, like those in this blog post. These will cover a wide range of daily situations and give you a solid foundation.

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