phrasal verb meaning example sentence

Brian asked Judy out to dinner

ask sby out invite on a date
and a movie.
ask many people the same I asked around but nobody has
ask around
question seen my wallet.
add up to Your purchases add up to
equal
sthg $205.32.
You'll have to back up your car so
back sthg up reverse
that I can get out.
My wife backed me up over my
back sby up support
decision to quit my job.
The racing car blew up after it
blow up explode
crashed into the fence.
We have to blow 50 balloons up
blow sthg up add air
for the party.
stop functioning (vehicle, Our car broke down at the side of
break down
machine) the highway in the snowstorm.
The woman broke down when the
break down get upset police told her that her son had
died.
break sthg Our teacher broke the final project
divide into smaller parts
down down into three separate parts.
Somebody broke in last night and
break in force entry to a building
stole our stereo.
break into The firemen had to break into the
enter forcibly
sthg room to rescue the children.
wear sthg a few times so I need to break these shoes in
break sthg in
that it doesn't look/feel new before we run next week.
The TV station broke in to report
break in interrupt
the news of the president's death.
My boyfriend and I broke up
break up end a relationship
before I moved to America.
The kids just broke up as soon as
break up start laughing (informal)
the clown started talking.
The prisoners broke out of jail
break out escape
when the guards weren't looking.
break out in I broke out in a rash after our
develop a skin condition
sthg camping trip.
bring sby This sad music is bringing me
make unhappy
down down.
My grandparents brought me up
bring sby up raise a child
after my parents died.
My mother walks out of the room
bring sthg up start talking about a subject
when my father brings up sports.
He drank so much that he brought
bring sthg up vomit
his dinner up in the toilet.
call around phone many different We called around but we weren't
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
places/people able to find the car part we needed.
I called the company back but the
call sby back return a phone call offices were closed for the
weekend.
Jason called the wedding off
call sthg off cancel because he wasn't in love with his
fianc.
The professor called on me for
call on sby ask for an answer or opinion
question 1.
We called on you last night but
call on sby visit sby
you weren't home.
Give me your phone number and I
call sby up phone will call you up when we are in
town.
You are still mad. You need to calm
calm down relax after being angry
down before you drive the car.
not care for
not like (formal) I don't care for his behaviour.
sby/ sthg
get to the same point as sby You'll have to run faster than that if
catch up
else you want to catch up with Marty.
arrive and register at a hotel We will get the hotel keys when we
check in
or airport check in.
You have to check out of the hotel
check out leave a hotel
before 11:00 AM.
check sby/ The company checks out all new
look at carefully, investigate
sthg out employees.
check out Check out the crazy hair on that
look at (informal)
sby/ sthg guy!
She cheered up when she heard
cheer up become happier
the good news.
I brought you some flowers to
cheer sby up make happier
cheer you up.
If everyone chips in we can get
chip in help
the kitchen painted by noon.
Please clean up your bedroom
clean sthg up tidy, clean
before you go outside.
come across I came across these old photos
find unexpectedly
sthg when I was tidying the closet.
The top and bottom come apart if
come apart separate
you pull hard enough.
come down My nephew came down with
become sick
with sthg chicken pox this weekend.
come volunteer for a task or to give The woman came forward with
forward evidence her husband's finger prints.
come from The art of origami comes from
originate in
some place Asia.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
count on I am counting on you to make
rely on
sby/ sthg dinner while I am out.
cross sthg Please cross out your old address
draw a line through
out and write your new one.
cut back on My doctor wants me to cut back
consume less
sthg on sweets and fatty foods.
cut sthg We had to cut the old tree in our
make sthg fall to the ground
down yard down after the storm.
Your father cut in while I was
cut in interrupt
dancing with your uncle.
pull in too closely in front of The bus driver got angry when that
cut in
another vehicle car cut in.
start operating (of an engine The air conditioner cuts in when
cut in
or electrical device) the temperature gets to 22C.
The doctors cut off his leg
cut sthg off remove with sthg sharp
because it was severely injured.
The phone company cut off our
cut sthg off stop providing phone because we didn't pay the
bill.
My grandparents cut my father off
cut sby off take out of a will
when he remarried.
remove part of sthg (usually
cut sthg out I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
with scissors and paper)
do sby/ sthg beat up, ransack (BrE, He's lucky to be alive. His shop
over informal) was done over by a street gang.
My teacher wants me to do my
do sthg over do again (AmE) essay over because she doesn't
like my topic.
do away with It's time to do away with all of
discard
sthg these old tax records.
Do your coat up before you go
do sthg up fasten, close
outside. It's snowing!
It's a fancy restaurant so we have
dress up wear nice clothing
to dress up.
move back in a Andrea dropped back to third
drop back
position/group place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/ by/ come without an I might drop in/by/over for tea
over appointment sometime this week.
drop sby/ take sby/ sthg somewhere I have to drop my sister off at work
sthg off and leave them/it there before I come over.
I dropped out of Science because
drop out quit a class, school etc
it was too difficult.
I don't feel like cooking tonight.
eat out eat at a restaurant
Let's eat out.
We ended up renting a movie
end up eventually reach/do/decide
instead of going to the theatre.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
My new dress fell apart in the
fall apart break into pieces
washing machine.
The picture that you hung up last
fall down fall to the ground
night fell down this morning.
The money must have fallen out of
fall out separate from an interior
my pocket.
(of hair, teeth) become loose His hair started to fall out when he
fall out
and unattached was only 35.
I need to figure out how to fit the
figure sthg
understand, find the answer piano and the bookshelf in this
out
room.
Please fill in the form with your
to write information in
fill sthg in name, address, and phone
blanks, as on a form (BrE)
number.
to write information in The form must be filled out in
fill sthg out
blanks, as on a form (AmE) capital letters.
I always fill the water jug up when
fill sthg up fill to the top
it is empty.
We don't know where he lives. How
find out discover
can we find out?
We tried to keep the time of the
find sthg out discover party a secret, but Samantha
found it out.
get sthg communicate, make I tried to get my point across/over
across/ over understandable to the judge but she wouldn't listen.
I was surprised how well my new
get along/on like each other girlfriend and my sister got
along/on.
My grandfather can get around
get around have mobility
fine in his new wheelchair.
We worked so hard this year that
get away go on a vacation
we had to get away for a week.
get away do without being noticed or Jason always gets away with
with sthg punished cheating in his maths tests.
We got back from our vacation last
get back return
week.
Liz finally got her Science notes
get sthg back receive sthg you had before
back from my room-mate.
My sister got back at me for
get back at
retaliate, take revenge stealing her shoes. She stole my
sby
favourite hat.
get back into become interested in sthg I finally got back into my novel
sthg again and finished it.
We're going to freeze out here if
get on sthg step onto a vehicle
you don't let us get on the bus.
get over sthg recover from an illness, loss, I just got over the flu and now my
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
difficulty sister has it.
The company will have to close if it
get over sthg overcome a problem
can't get over the new regulations.
I don't know when I am going to
get round to finally find time to do (AmE:
get round to writing the thank you
sthg get around to sthg)
cards.
meet (usually for social Let's get together for a BBQ this
get together
reasons) weekend.
I got up early today to study for my
get up get out of bed
exam.
You should get up and give the
get up stand
elderly man your seat.
give sby reveal hidden information His wife gave him away to the
away about sby police.
give sby My father gave me away at my
take the bride to the altar
away wedding.
give sthg My little sister gave the surprise
ruin a secret
away party away by accident.
give sthg The library was giving away old
give sthg to sby for free
away books on Friday.
give sthg I have to give these skates back to
return a borrowed item
back Franz before his hockey game.
reluctantly stop fighting or My boyfriend didn't want to go to
give in
arguing the ballet, but he finally gave in.
give to many people (usually They were giving out free perfume
give sthg out
at no cost) samples at the department store.
I am giving up smoking as of
give sthg up quit a habit
January 1st.
My maths homework was too
give up stop trying
difficult so I gave up.
My brother tried to go after the
go after sby follow sby
thief in his car.
I went after my dream and now I
go after sthg try to achieve sthg
am a published writer.
go against We are going against the best
compete, oppose
sby soccer team in the city tonight.
Please go ahead and eat before
go ahead start, proceed
the food gets cold.
I have to go back home and get
go back return to a place
my lunch.
leave home to go on a social
go out We're going out for dinner tonight.
event
go out with Jesse has been going out with
date
sby Luke since they met last winter.
Please go over your answers
go over sthg review
before you submit your test.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
I haven't seen Tina for a long time.
go over visit sby nearby I think I'll go over for an hour or
two.
go without When I was young, we went
suffer lack or deprivation
sthg without winter boots.
My best friend and I grew apart
grow apart stop being friends over time
after she changed schools.
grow back regrow My roses grew back this summer.
This bike is too big for him now, but
grow into
grow big enough to fit he should grow into it by next
sthg
year.
Elizabeth needs a new pair of
grow out of
get too big for shoes because she has grown out
sthg
of her old ones.
When Jack grows up he wants to
grow up become an adult
be a fireman.
hand sthg I handed my old comic books
give sthg used to sby else
down down to my little cousin.
I have to hand in my essay by
hand sthg in submit
Friday.
hand sthg to distribute to a group of We will hand out the invitations at
out people the door.
hand sthg The police asked the man to hand
give (usually unwillingly)
over over his wallet and his weapons.
Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a
hang in stay positive (informal)
job very soon.
Hang on while I grab my coat and
hang on wait a short time (informal)
shoes!
spend time relaxing Instead of going to the party we are
hang out
(informal) just going to hang out at my place.
He didn't say goodbye before he
hang up end a phone call
hung up.
I had to hold my dog back
hold sby/
prevent from doing/going because there was a cat in the
sthg back
park.
hold sthg Jamie held back his tears at his
hide an emotion
back grandfather's funeral.
Please hold on while I transfer you
hold on wait a short time
to the Sales Department.
hold onto hold firmly using your hands Hold onto your hat because it's
sby/ sthg or arms very windy outside.
hold sby/ A man in a black mask held the
rob
sthgup bank up this morning.
keep on Keep on stirring until the liquid
continue doing
doing sthg comes to a boil.
keep sthg not tell We kept our relationship from our
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
from sby parents for two years.
keep sby/ Try to keep the wet dog out of the
stop from entering
sthg out living room.
If you keep those results up you
keep sthg up continue at the same rate
will get into a great college.
fail to support or help, I need you to be on time. Don't let
let sby down
disappoint me down this time.
Can you let the cat in before you
let sby in allow to enter
go to school?
sign in (to a website, I can't log in to Facebook because
log in (or on)
database etc) I've forgotten my password.
log out (or sign out (of a website, If you don't log off somebody could
off) database etc) get into your account.
look after I have to look after my sick
take care of
sby/ sthg grandmother.
Ever since we stole that chocolate
look down think less of, consider
bar your dad has looked down on
on sby inferior
me.
look for sby/ I'm looking for a red dress for the
try to find
sthg wedding.
look forward I'm looking forward to the
be excited about the future
to sthg Christmas break.
look into We are going to look into the price
investigate
sthg of snowboards today.
be careful, vigilant, and take Look out! That car's going to hit
look out
notice you!
look out for Don't forget to look out for snakes
be especially vigilant for
sby/ sthg on the hiking trail.
look sthg Can you look over my essay for
check, examine
over spelling mistakes?
search and find information
We can look her phone number up
look sthg up in a reference book or
on the Internet.
database
look up to My little sister has always looked
have a lot of respect for
sby up to me.
Josie made up a story about why
make sthg up invent, lie about sthg
we were late.
We were angry last night, but we
make up forgive each other
made up at breakfast.
My sisters made me up for my
make sby up apply cosmetics to
graduation party.
mix sthg up confuse two or more things I mixed up the twins' names again!
His uncle passed away last night
pass away die
after a long illness.
It was so hot in the church that an
pass out faint
elderly lady passed out.
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
pass sthg give the same thing to many The professor passed the
out people textbooks out before class.
I passed up the job because I am
pass sthg up decline (usually sthg good)
afraid of change.
Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay
pay sby back return owed money
you back on Friday.
be punished for doing sthg That bully will pay for being mean
pay for sthg
bad to my little brother.
I picked out three sweaters for you
pick sthg out choose
to try on.
point sby/ I'll point my boyfriend out when he
indicate with your finger
sthg out runs by.
put sthg put what you are holding on You can put the groceries down on
down a surface or floor the kitchen counter.
The students put the substitute
put sby
insult, make sby feel stupid teacher down because his pants
down
were too short.
We are putting off our trip until
put sthg off postpone
January because of the hurricane.
The neighbours put the fire out
put sthg out extinguish
before the firemen arrived.
put sthg I have to put the crib together
assemble
together before the baby arrives.
put up with I don't think I can put up with three
tolerate
sby/ sthg small children in the car.
put clothing/ accessories on Don't forget to put on your new
put sthg on
your body earrings for the party.
run into sby/ I ran into an old school-friend at
meet unexpectedly
sthg the mall.
run over sby/ drive a vehicle over a person I accidentally ran over your bicycle
sthg or thing in the driveway.
run over/ Let's run over/through these lines
rehearse, review
through sthg one more time before the show.
The child ran away from home and
run away leave unexpectedly, escape
has been missing for three days.
We ran out of shampoo so I had to
run out have none left
wash my hair with soap.
send sthg My letter got sent back to me
return (usually by mail)
back because I used the wrong stamp.
Our boss set a meeting up with the
set sthg up arrange, organize
president of the company.
The police set up the car thief by
set sby up trick, trap
using a hidden camera.
I want to shop around a little
shop around compare prices
before I decide on these boots.
show off act extra special for people He always shows off on his
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
watching (usually boastfully) skateboard
You should sleep over tonight if
stay somewhere for the night
sleep over the weather is too bad to drive
(informal)
home.
We need to sort the bills out
sort sthg out organize, resolve a problem
before the first of the month.
continue doing sthg, limit
You will lose weight if you stick to
stick to sthg yourself to one particular
the diet.
thing
switch sthg The light's too bright. Could you
stop the energy flow, turn off
off switch it off.
switch sthg We heard the news as soon as we
start the energy flow, turn on
on switched on the car radio.
take after I take after my mother. We are
resemble a family member
sby both impatient.
take sthg He took the car brakes apart and
purposely break into pieces
apart found the problem.
take sthg I have to take our new TV back
return an item
back because it doesn't work.
take off start to fly My plane takes off in five minutes.
remove sthg (usually Take off your socks and shoes and
take sthg off
clothing) come in the lake!
Can you take the garbage out to
take sthg out remove from a place or thing
the street for me?
pay for sby to go somewhere My grandparents took us out for
take sby out
with you dinner and a movie.
I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters
tear sthg up rip into pieces
and gave them back to him.
remember (often + to, When I think back on my youth, I
think back
sometimes + on) wish I had studied harder.
think sthg I'll have to think this job offer over
consider
over before I make my final decision.
throw sthg We threw our old furniture away
dispose of
away when we won the lottery.
turn sthg decrease the volume or Please turn the TV down while the
down strength (heat, light etc) guests are here.
turn sthg I turned the job down because I
refuse
down don't want to move.
stop the energy flow, switch Your mother wants you to turn the
turn sthg off
off TV off and come for dinner.
It's too dark in here. Let's turn
turn sthg on start the energy, switch on
some lights on.
increase the volume or Can you turn the music up? This is
turn sthg up
strength (heat, light etc) my favourite song.
turn up appear suddenly Our cat turned up after we put
posters up all over the
phrasal verb meaning example sentence
neighbourhood.
I'm going to try these jeans on, but
try sthg on sample clothing
I don't think they will fit.
I am going to try this new brand of
try sthg out test
detergent out.
The kids used all of the toothpaste
use sthg up finish the supply
up so we need to buy some more.
We have to wake up early for work
wake up stop sleeping
on Monday.
warm sby/ You can warm your feet up in front
increase the temperature
sthg up of the fireplace.
I always warm up by doing sit-ups
warm up prepare body for exercise
before I go for a run.
Most of my make-up wore off
wear off fade away
before I got to the party.
I work out at the gym three times a
work out exercise
week.
work out be successful Our plan worked out fine.
work sthg We have to work out the total cost
make a calculation
out before we buy the house.