List of Common English Phrasal Verbs and their Meanings:

Total
Phrasal
Meaning (Most Common) Number of
Verb
Definitions

Aim At To point a weapon at someone or something. 3

Ask For To request something. 2

When you ask someone to go with you to a

certain place or for a special occasion, to spend
Ask Out time together and have fun. If one or both 1
parties involved are interested in a romantic
way, then it is considered a date.

To withdraw your position in a fight, argument,

Back Down 1
plan, etc.

When you leave an emotional situation, or to

Back Off 1
allow someone to handle something alone.

Back Up To walk or drive a vehicle backwards. 4

When someone punches, kicks, or hits

Beat Up someone repeatedly using fists or with an 2
object.

Beef Up To make changes or an improvement. 1

Believe In To feel confident about something or someone. 2

Bite Off To use your teeth to bite a piece of something. 2

When the wind moves an object or person from

Blow Away 4
where it was.

When the wind removes something from its

Blow Off 3
place.

Blow Out To extinguish or make a flame stop burning. 3

Blow Up To make something explode. 6

Boil Down To have determined or analyzed the solution or

1
To reason for something.

Break When someone loses self-control and is

6
Down emotionally and/or mentally agitated. This
 meaning has a noun form for a situation where
someone loses self-control.

To enter a place illegally and with the use of

Break In 3
force.

Break Off To remove a part of something with force. 4

Break Out To escape from a place, situation or way of life. 3

Break
To make a way through a barrier or a surface. 2
Through

Break Up To stop a fight. 4

Bring Back To return something you’ve borrowed. 4

To bring someone or something from one place

Bring Over 1
or area to another.

To bring something from a lower level/place to

Bring Up 3
a higher level/place.

To remove something(dust particle, insect, etc)

Brush Off 2
with your hand.

To practice and review your knowledge or a

Brush Up 2
skill that you haven’t used in a while.

Build To add a fixture or component to a certain area

1
In/Into or place through construction.

When you meet people by accident or

Bump Into 2
unexpectedly.

Burn Down When someone uses fire to destroy a structure. 2

When a candle stops burning because there is

Burn Out 3
nothing left to burn.

Burn Up To destroy something with heat or fire. 4

Burst Out To suddenly do or say something. 2

Butt In To interrupt a conversation or activity. 1

Call Back To call someone again. 2

Call In To request that someone come and help. 3

To cancel an event that has been previously

Call Off 2
planned.
Call Up To be chosen to take part in a military mission. 2

To become less violent, nervous, excited or

Calm Down 1
angry.

To nurture or take care of someone or

Care For 2
something.

To do something out of the ordinary due to

Carry Away 2
strong emotions.

To continue doing something or to continue on

Carry On 3
in life despite an obstacle.

To move something or someone from one place

Carry Out 5
to another using your arms or an object.

Catch On To understand or realize something. 2

To move faster to reach someone or something

Catch Up 2
that is ahead of you.

When you are emotionally and/or sexually

Cheat On 2
unfaithful to your girlfriend/boyfriend or spouse.

Check In To register at a hotel or airport upon arrival. 2

To leave a hotel or other form of an

Check Out 5
accommodation after your stay there.

Chicken To refrain from doing something because of

1
Out fear.

Chop Up To cut something into pieces with a knife. 2

To clean or clear the inside of something

Clean Out 3
thoroughly.

To remove things completely from an area or

Clear Out 2
place.

To do something to solve a problem or a

Clear Up 3
misunderstanding.

When something in a drain or valve prevents

Clog Up 1
the flow of water or other liquids

Close When the activities or services of a business

3
Down permanently end.

Close Off To block an entrance or pathway. 2

Come
When something happens or occurs. 1
About

Come The way other people perceive something or

3
Across someone.

Come When something breaks or separates piece by

1
Apart piece.

Come Back To return to a place. 3

Come To move from a higher to a lower position or

2
Down from north to south.

Come When a situation is reduced to a certain

1
Down To outcome.

Come When you start to experience the symptoms of

1
Down With a disease or illness.

When someone or something enters a place,

Come In 7
building, or room.

When something is removed or breaks off from

Come Off 4
where it was originally attached to.

To appear on television or be heard on the

Come On 5
radio.

Come Out To leave a place. 8

Come Over To make a visit. 3

Come
When someone or something expected arrives. 3
Through

When something appears or happens, either

Come Up 6
expected or unexpected.

Come Up When you think of a solution, idea, plan, or

1
With excuse.

To persuade someone to do something through

Con Into 1
lies and deception.

To persuade someone to give or do something

Con Out Of 1
through lies and deception.

Cool Off To lose temperature. 2

To rely on someone for support when you need

Count On 2
it most.
Count Up To count all of something or people in a group. 1

Cover Up To use something to conceal something else. 2

Crack To take more action than usual against

1
Down wrongdoing.

To remove or delete someone or something

Cross Off 1
from a list.

Cut Back When you spend less money on something. 4

To do less of something or to use something in

Cut Down 3
smaller amounts.

To completely remove or separate a part of

Cut Off something by cutting it with something sharp 6
like a knife or a pair of scissors, etc.

To remove something using a knife or a pair of

Cut Out 5
scissors.

When you use a knife or scissors to cut

Cut Up 2
something into several pieces.

When you do everything you must do to solve a

Deal With 2
problem or complete.

Do Away
To dispose of something. 2
With

To do something again in order to improve or

Do Over 2
correct mistakes.

To make a connection between two or more

Do With 1
things.

Do Without To manage well without something or someone. 1

Doze Off To go to sleep unintentionally. 1

To wear formal clothes, or a costume for a

Dress Up 1
special occasion.

To visit someone unexpectedly or without

Drop In 2
making arrangements first.

Drop Off To gradually decline/become less. 2

Drop Out To quit a school program or training course. 1

Dry Off To dry something or a surface quickly. 1

 To remove water or other liquid from a
Dry Out 3
container.

Dry Up When all the liquid and/or moisture evaporates. 2

Eat Up When someone consumes all their food. 3

To remove everyone or everything from a

Empty Out 1
space.

The end result of something planned or

End Up 1
unplanned.

When something breaks all at once or piece by

Fall Apart 3
piece.

Fall Behind To move slower than others. 2

Fall Down To fall to the ground. 1

When you have an intense attraction to

Fall For 2
something or someone.

Fall Off When something drops to a lower level. 2

Fall Out To fall from or through something. 3

When someone or something falls from an

Fall Over 2
upright position to the ground.

Fall If things do not go as planned, or if a plan, deal

2
Through or agreement fails.

When you have/don’t have the energy and

Feel Up To 1
confidence to do something.

When you defend yourself/resist an attack, or

Fight Back make an effort against an opponent in a 2
competition.

Figure On To expect or plan for something. 1

To add personal information in the blank

Fill In 3
spaces of an official document.

Fill Out To complete a form. 2

Fill Up To fill something completely. 3

Find Out To become aware of something or someone. 1

 To make plans or arrangements with someone
Fix Up 4
or for others.

To become very mad or lose control over your

Flip Out 1
emotions.

Float When an object or a person is near, but you

2
Around cannot pinpoint the exact location.

To find out more about something, or take

Follow Up 1
further action in regards to it.

Fool
To waste time doing unimportant or silly things. 4
Around

When someone becomes irrationally upset or

Freak Out 1
angry, sometimes to the point of confusion.

To become successful in the professional

Get Ahead 3
environment or make consistent progress in life.

Get Along To have good interactions with others. 2

Get Around To do something that needed to get done at an

1
To earlier time.

Get Away To escape from something. 2

Get Back To return to a place. 4

Get Back
To get revenge. 1
At

When you talk to someone at a later time either

Get Back
because you are busy or you have obtained 2
To
additional or new information.

To learn, work, or progress more slowly than

Get Behind 4
others.

Get By To pass someone or something. 3

Get Down To move to a lower place or level. 4

Get In To arrive or enter a place, room, building, etc. 5

Get Off To leave a form of transportation, except a car. 6

Get Off On To be excited or to truly enjoy doing something. 2

 When you move your body and either stand, sit,
Get On lie, kneel, etc. towards something (non- 6
separable).

Get Out To leave or escape. 6

To receive a benefit and/or satisfaction from

Get Out Of 4
doing something.

Get Over To move past an obstacle to the other side. 3

Get Over
To finish something that needs to get done. 1
With

Get When a message, meaning, or idea is

6
Through understood or accepted.

Get To To arrive to or assist someone to a place. 5

Get
To meet and spend time together. 3
Together

Get Up To move to a higher level/position. 4

To give something for free or without expecting

Give Away 4
anything in return.

Give In To surrender to something. 2

Give Out To distribute something. 4

Give Up To stop doing something without completing it. 4

To take the necessary steps to get something

Go About 2
done.

When you do your best to get something no

Go After 4
matter how difficult it is.

To proceed to do something that you were

Go Ahead 2
hesitant about.

Go Along to accept or agree with a decision, rule, opinion,

2
With etc.

Go Around To follow a circular path. 6

To move or travel from one place to another

Go Away 3
place.

Go Back To return to a place, time, activity, or a person. 2

Go Back When you fail to fulfill a promise you made to
1
On someone.

To be more than or better than what is normal

Go Beyond 1
or expected.

Go By To pass someone or something quickly. 4

To move to a lower position, place, price, level,

Go Down 7
etc.

Go For To try to obtain. 5

Go In To enter a place, building, room, etc. 3

Go In For To enter a place or area for a specific reason. 2

To enter a place, room, building, etc. usually

Go In/Into 4
through a door.

Go Off To leave unannounced. 5

Go On When something takes place. 3

Go Out To leave a place or area you’re in. 5

Go Over To review something. 4

Go
When you make a decision to do something,
Through 1
and actually do it.
With

To move or extend to a higher level or farther

Go Up 3
North.

Go With To accompany someone to a place. 6

Goof
To waste time doing silly or unimportant things. 1
Around

Gross Out To be disgusted with someone or something. 1

Grow Out
To become too big or too tall for your clothes. 3
Of

When you physically change from a child to an

Grow Up 2
adult.

When you return something to the person who

Hand Back 1
owns it after the person has given it to you

Hand In To give something to a person of authority. 1

Hand Out To distribute something free to other people. 1

Hand Over To give upon request or demand. 2

Hang
To spend time in a place or an area. 1
Around

When you hold something, often for support of

Hang On 3
comfort.

Hang Out To hang something, usually wet clothes, to dry. 3

To hang clothes or an object on a hook, hanger

Hang Up 3
or rod.

Have On To wear clothing, cosmetics, perfume, etc. 2

To go to a place where you’ve been before or

Head Back 1
where you started from.

Head For When a situation becomes more likely. 2

Head To move in the direction where someone or

2
Toward something is.

When you learn details about something or

Hear About 1
someone.

Hear Of When you learn about something or someone. 2

To make something warmer or cause a rise in

Heat Up 2
temperature.

Help Out To assist people with something. 1

To suddenly have a solution to a problem or an

Hit On 2
interesting idea.

Hold When you don’t forgive or have little respect for

2
Against someone because of something they did.

Hold Off To delay something. 2

Hold On When you wait for a short time. 3

To extend your hand or an object in front of

Hold Out 3
you.

Hold Up To hold someone or something up in the air. 4

When you connect two electrical devices

Hook Up 3
together.
Hurry Up To do something quickly. 2

To continue doing an activity even though it

Keep At 1
may be difficult.

To avoid getting close to someone or

Keep Away 2
something.

Keep Down To make sound, music and noise minimal. 3

To stop yourself or other people from doing

Keep From 1
something.

To avoid discussing a particular subject or

Keep Off 2
topic.

Keep On To continue doing something. 2

Keep To When you don’t share information. 2

Keep Up To continue to do something. 4

To illegally pay extra money to someone as part

Kick Back 2
of the price.

To force someone to leave an organization or

Kick Out 1
place.

To use force to cause someone or something to

Knock Off fall from its place, whether intentionally or 6
accidentally.

When someone is struck hard enough to cause

Knock Out 6
them to lose consciousness.

To make contact with something or someone in

Knock Over 1
such a way it or they fall.

Know To have knowledge of or be familiar with

1
About something.

Lay Down To place something on a surface or an object. 3

When a company or business ends a worker’s

Lay Off 2
employment.

When a period of time or a series of events

Lead Up To cause an event, situation or conversation to 1
happen.

Leave When you don’t take something or someone

4
Behind with you when you leave.
 To accidentally or intentionally not include a
Leave Off 2
person or thing on a list.

Leave Out To not include someone or something. 3

When you have a portion that still remains from

Leave Over something after you have used or eaten the rest 2
of it.

Let Down To disappoint someone. 2

To allow someone or something to enter a

Let In 2
place.

Let Off To allow someone to leave a car, bus, train etc. 3

Let On To tell something that is a secret or private. 1

When you give permission for someone to

Let Out 3
leave or be released from a place.

When someone or something becomes less

Let Up 1
intense or strong.

Lie Around To be lazy or to not do anything. 2

To raise someone or something to a higher

Lift Up 2
level.

Light Up To illuminate something. 2

When a conversation is changed or a person

Lighten Up 1
changes to become less serious.

To form in a row one after another or side-by-

Line Up 3
side.

Live With To share the same residence. 2

To secure people or things behind a closed

Lock In 3
door.

When you don’t have the key or passcode to

Lock Out 2
enter a secured place.

When you shut the windows and doors of a

Lock Up 2
place or building.

Look To turn your head to see what or who is around

3
Around you.

Look At To divert your eyes to someone or something. 4

 When you consider someone or something as
Look Down
unimportant or with little to no value. The 1
On
opposite of yesterday’s phrasal verb.

Look To anticipate a future event because it either

1
Forward To makes you happy and/or you benefit from it.

To investigate or get more facts about

Look Into 1
something.

Look Out To remain alert. 2

Look Over To examine or inspect something or someone. 1

Look Up When a situation becomes better. 3

This particular phrasal verb is used to say you

Look Up To 1
view someone with respect and/or admiration.

Luck Out To have exceptionally good luck. 1

Make For To go in a certain direction, typically in a hurry. 2

Make Of To understand the meaning of something. 1

Make Up To invent a story. 7

Mess Up When something is dirty or unorganized. 2

To put or combine different things together so

Mix Up 3
they’ll merge successfully.

Monkey
To try to play with or repair a device that you
Around 2
have no true knowledge about.
With

When you bring your personal belongings and

stuff to a new place where you will live.
Move In 3
Yesterday’s phrasal verb, Move Out, has the
opposite meaning.

When you permanently remove all your

Move Out belongings and personal items from a place 3
where you live or stay.

Narrow To reduce the number of options or

1
Down possibilities.

When you return money that you owe

Pay Back 2
someone.

Pay For To purchase merchandise. 2

 To repay money that is owed to a person or
Pay Off 3
entity.

Pay Up To pay all the money that is owed or asked for. 1

To tease and/or criticize someone over a period

Pick On 1
of time.

When you are able to recognize something or

Pick Out 2
someone from a group.

To get someone or something from

Pick Up 8
somewhere.

Pile Up To put things in a pile or heap. 2

Piss Off [Informal] To be angry about something. 1

Plan Ahead To prepare for a future event or situation. 1

To prepare for a big event or expectation in the

Plan For 1
future.

Plan On When you have the intention to do something. 1

To connect an electrical device to an electrical

Plug In 2
outlet.

To connect an electrical appliance/machine to

Plug In/Into another piece of equipment or to a power 1
source.

To block a narrow passage such as a hole,

Plug Up 2
drain, or pipe so that nothing can flow through.

Point Out To make someone aware of something. 1

When you aim at something or someone using

Point To 2
your finger or hand.

To produce a hard copy of a computer

Print Out 1
document.

To succeed in doing something difficult or

Pull Off 2
tricky.

Pull Out When something or someone leaves a place. 7

To drive your vehicle to the side of the road to

Pull Over 1
stop.
Pull
To recover from an injury or illness. 2
Through

Punch In To enter data or record time on a device. 1

To record the time you leave the workplace

Punch Out 2
using a special clock.

To place something where it cannot be seen or

Put Away 4
isn’t in the way of other things.

When something is causing a project to slow

Put Back 4
down.

Put Down To place something on a surface or an object. 6

When you invest or make a deposit. In this

Put In example, the amount almost always separates 7
the verb.

Put Off To become offended by someone or something. 2

Put Out To extend a part of your body. 6

To not be surprised by a person’s actions.

Put Past 1
[Always used with the negative]

To cause someone or something to be in a

Put To 2
certain state or to do something extra.

Put
To assemble or connect the parts of something. 3
Together

Put Up To move an object to a higher level. 6

To encourage or persuade someone to do

Put Up To 2
something.

Put Up To tolerate or accept something that you’d

1
With rather not.

Ring Up To call someone on the phone. 2

When someone asks for a price for something

Rip Off that is too high, when someone cheats or 3
steals.

To tear something (i.e. paper, cloth, etc.) into

Rip Up 2
pieces.

When someone or something is excluded as a

Rule Out 1
possibility.
Run Across To move or run from one side to the other. 2

Run
To go from one place to another in a hurry. 3
Around

Run Down To hit someone or something with a vehicle. 4

When something collides with another object by

Run Into 4
accident.

When people exit a place very quickly. Run In/

Run Out 2
Run Into is the opposite of this meaning.

Run Over When someone is injured or killed by a vehicle. 5

To run from a lower elevation or level to a

Run Up 5
higher elevation or level.

To ensure the top of a container/bottle is

Screw On 2
sealed.

Screw Out
To cheat or deceive someone. 1
Of

Screw Up To make a mistake or do something really bad. 1

See About To seriously think about doing something. 1

When all the inventory of a particular product

Sell Out 2
has been purchased.

To organize or plan for an activity/event to

Set Up 6
happen.

Settle
To begin living a stable and routine life. 2
Down

To accept something even though it’s not what

Settle For 1
you want or need.

Shake Up To mix something in a container by shaking it. 3

Show Off To overly display your skills or what you have. 1

To stop the operation of an electrical or

Shut Off 1
mechanical device.

Shut Up To stop talking. 1

To write your name on a list to indicate the day

Sign In 2
and time you arrived at a certain place.
 To write your name on a list to indicate the day
Sign Out 2
and time of your departure.

Sit Down To change from a standing to a sitting position. 2

Slow Down To do something slower. 1

Sneak To enter a place quietly to avoid being seen or

1
In/Into heard.

Sneak Out To leave a place without being noticed. 1

To arrange or separate things into groups

Sort Out 2
according to similarities.

When someone’s attention is not in the present

moment. [Adj.] {spaced out} To describe a
Space Out 1
person whose attention isn’t in the present
moment.

Stand To stand in one place or area when you should

2
Around be doing something.

Stand For To support or represent an idea, belief, etc. 1

To rise from sitting or lying down to a vertical

Stand Up 3
position.

The beginning of an event, activity or time

Start Off 4
period.

Start Out To begin a trip or venture to some place. 3

Start Up To start something. 2

Stay Off To avoid discussing a certain subject or topic. 4

Stay Out To spend time out of your own home. 3

To remain in a place that is higher than ground

Stay Up 2
level.

Step On To place your foot on something or someone. 2

Stick To stay in a place or with someone for any

1
Around period of time.

Stick Out To extend something outward. 4

When something is attached to another by

Stick To 2
some form of adhesive.
 To use a weapon, especially a gun, to rob
Stick Up 4
someone.

Stick With To continue to use or do something. 3

To make a quick stop on your way to a

Stop Off 1
destination.

Stop Over To visit someone for a short period of time. 2

Straighten
To make something straight. 3
Out

Stress Out To feel very worried, nervous or anxious. 1

When you move something from the ‘on’ state

Switch Off to the ‘off’ state. Synonymous with “Turn Off.” 1
Yesterday’s “Switch On” is the opposite.

When you move something from the ‘off’ state

Switch On to the ‘on’ state. Synonymous with “Turn On,” 1
while “Switch Off” is the opposite.

To disconnect or separate the parts of an

Take Apart 1
object.

Take Back To return something or someone. 5

To be successfully tricked or deceived by

Take In 5
someone.

To remove an object from an area, place or

Take Out 4
container.

To direct your anger towards someone or

Take Out
something when you’re really upset about 1
On
someone or something else.

Take Up When you accept an invitation or offer from

1
On someone.

To talk to someone as if they are less intelligent

Talk Down
than you by conveying a tone of voice or 1
To
attitude that says so.

Talk Into To convince someone to do something. 1

Talk Out Of To convince someone not to do something. 1

Talk To To have a conversation with someone. 1

Tear Down To deconstruct a building or home. 2

Tear Off To remove with force. 2

To be able to differentiate something or

Tell Apart 1
someone from something or someone else.

To inform an authoritative figure about what

Tell On 1
someone else did.

Think To consider something prior to making a final

2
About decision.

Think To think and plan carefully for a future situation

1
Ahead or event.

To use your imagination to create a plan, idea,

Think Up 1
or a solution.

Throw To dispose of something you no longer find

2
Away useful in a waste bin, trash, etc.

When you get rid of something by putting it in a

Throw Out 2
trash can, bin, etc.

Throw Up To vomit or puke. 3

Track To locate someone or something after a long

1
Down search

Trade In To exchange something old for something new. 2

To convince or persuade someone to believe

Trick Into 1
something untrue or to do something for you.

To see how something fits or looks before

Try On 1
purchasing.

Try Out To show that you are qualified to do something. 2

Turn When someone or something moves until it

3
Around faces the opposite direction.

Turn Down To decrease the temperature, sound, etc. 2

To give someone or something to the police or

Turn In 3
someone of authority.

Turn Into To transform. 1

Turn Off To stop a device from functioning. 3

To cause someone to feel interested and/or

Turn On 3
attracted.
Turn Out To attend an event, meeting, etc. 4

To move an object so that the part that is on top

Turn Over 3
becomes the bottom and vice versa.

To increase the controls of an electronic or

Turn Up 3
mechanical device.

Use Up To completely consume or use all of a supply. 1

Wake Up When you are finished sleeping. 2

To remove dirt or unwanted markings with soap

Wash Off 1
and water.

Wash Up To clean your face, hands, body, etc. 3

Watch Out To be aware of someone or something. 1

To make the surface or top of something

Wear Down 2
disappear due to friction.

Wear Off To decrease or disappear gradually. 1

When something is damaged or weakened from

Wear Out 2
use and age.

To operate a mechanical device by turning its

Wind Up 4
handle.

To completely remove or clean something from

Wipe Off 1
a surface or location.

Wipe Out To clean the inside of something. 4

To remove liquid from a surface using a

Wipe Up 1
sponge, towel or cloth, etc.

To make time in a busy schedule for a person

Work In 2
or an activity.

When a situation, event, plan, or idea is

Work Out 6
successful.

To gradually improve at or make progress in

Work Up 3
something.

To cover something with some kind of special

Wrap Up 4
paper.

Zip Up To close an item that has a zipper. 1