Phrasal verbs (Idioms)

Separable Phrasal Verbs

back up blow up break down
add up
cause to move backwards; cause to explode; analyze; list the parts
add
support destroy by explosives of separately

bring about bring off bring on

cause to happen accomplish cause

bring out bring over bring to

publish; emphasize bring revive

bring up
brush out burn down
raise; care for from
brush the inside of destroy by burning
childhood

buy out
burn up buy up
by the other person's share
consume by fire buy the whole supply of
of a business

call up
call off calm down
telephone; summon for
cancel; order away become calm
military service

carry out carry over

carry on
fulfill; complete; carry; continue at
continue
accomplish; perform another time or place

cheer up chew up chop up

cause to become cheerful chew thoroughly chop into small pieces

clean off clean out clean up

clear the surface of clean the inside of tidy

clear out clear up close down

clear the inside of clarify; clear the inside of close permanently

close up count in count out

close temporarily include exclude

count up cut off

cross out
calculate; count; add to a interrupt; sever;
eliminate
total amputate

draw up
cut out cut down
write; compose (a
eliminate; delete reduce in quantity
document)

dress up dust out eat up

put clothes on; adorn dust the inside of eat completely
 fill in
figure out figure up
complete (a printed
interpret; understand compute
form)

fill up
fill out find out
fill completely (a
complete (a printed form) discover
container)

fix up
get across give back
repair; arrange in a suitable
cause to be understood return
manner

hand down
give out give up deliver; pronounce
distribute; announce surrender something formally; leave as an
inheritance

hand over hang up have on

yield control of suspend be dressed in

have over hold up

hold off
entertain someone delay; rob; threaten with
delay; restrain
informally at one's home a weapon

keep up
leave out let down
continue; keep the same
omit disappoint
pace

live down
let out light up
live in such a way as to
release from confinement; light; illuminate
cause something to be
make larger (in sewing) thoroughly
forgotten

make over move over pass out

remake move to the side distribute

pass up
pass on pay back
not take advantage of (as
transmit repay
an opportunity)

pick up
pay off
come to meet an escort; lift
discharge a debt play down
with hands or fingers; learn
completely; give someone minimize
casually; initiate an
his final pay
association publicly

pull down
play up point out
pull in a downward
emphasize indicate
direction; raze

push across
put off put on
cause to be understood or
postpone dress in; deceive or fool
accepted
put up
quiet down ring up
preserve (food); receive as
be quiet the telephone
an overnight guest

rinse off rinse out rule out

rinse the surface of rinse the inside of eliminate

run down run off

save up
trace; disparage; hit with a cause to depart; reproduce
accumulate
vehicle mechanically

see through see off send back

complete; in spite of accompany someone to the send to a place where
difficulties beginning of a trip formerly located

send over set up show off

send to where someone is arrange exhibit ostentatiously

shut off slow up spell out

cause to cease functioning cause to move more slowly enumerate; state in detail

stand up take back

sweep out
fail to keep an appointment return; retract a
sweep the inside of
with statement

take down
take in take over
remove from a high
understood; fool; deceive; take; assume command
position; write from
make smaller (in sewing) of
dictation

tear down tear up tell off

destroy tear into small pieces scold; reprimand

think through
think over think up
consider from beginning to
consider create; invent
end

throw away throw over tie up

discard reject tie securely or tight

try on
tire out touch up
put on a garment to
cause to be exhausted repair
verify the fit

turn out
try out turn down
produce; force into exile,
test refuse; lower the volume
extinguish (a light)

wear out
wash off wash out
use until no longer
wash the surface of wash the inside of
usable; tire greatly

wind up wipe off wipe out

finish, tighten the spring of wipe the surface of wipe the inside of;
 a watch or machine decimate

write out
work out write down
write down every detail;
solve record
spell out

write up
compose; prepare (a
document)

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

back out of bear down on bear on
desert; fail to keep a promise lean on; browbeat have to do with

bear up under break in on break into

endure interrupt interrupt

call for care for carry on with

come to get; require like; guard; supervise; maintain continue

catch up with
check up on come across
cover the distance between
examine; verify find accidentally
oneself and

come along with come by come down with

accompany; make progress find accidentally become ill with

come out with come up with count on

utter; produce utter; produce rely on

cut in on disagree with do away with

interrupt cause illness or discomfort to abolish

do without drop in at/on drop out of

deprive oneself of visit casually without planning leave; quit

face up to fall behind in fall back on

acknowledge lag; not progress at required pace use for emergency purpose

fall out with fill in for get ahead of

quarrel with substitute for surpass; beat

get away with

get around get by with
do without being caught or
evade; avoid manage with a minimum of effort
punished

get down to get in get off

become serious about; consider enter (a vehicle) descend from; leave
get on get on with get through with
enter (a vehicle); mount proceed with terminate, finish

go back on go for go in for

desert; fail to keep (a promise) like a great deal be interested in; participate in

go with
go on with go over
harmonize with; look pleasing
continue review
together

go without hang around hear from

abstain from remain idly in the vicinity of receive a communication from

hear of
hit on hold on to
learn about (sometimes
discover accidentally grasp tightly
accidentally)

hold out against keep at keep to

resist persevere at persist in; continue

keep up with lie down on live on

maintain the pace of evade; fail to do support or sustain oneself by means of

live up to
look after look back on
maintain the standard demanded
take care of remember nostalgically
of

look down on look forward to look up to

feel superior to anticipate respect; admire

make up for pass on pick on

compensate for transmit tease; bully

play up to put up with read up on

flatter for personal advantage tolerate search out information on

run against run away with run for

compete against in an election leave; escape from campaign for

see about see to settle on

consider; arrange arrange; supervise decide on; choose

stand for stand up for stand up to

represent; permit support; demand resist

stick to stick up for take after

persist support; defend resemble

talk back to talk over tell on

answer impolitely discuss report misbehavior to authority

touch on turn into wait on

mention briefly become serve
 wait up for watch out for
not go to bed while waiting for be careful for

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

back down
back out back up
retreat from a position in an
desert; fail to keep a promise move backwards
argument

bear up blow in blow over

endure drop in to visit unexpectedly pass without doing harm

blow up call up calm down

explode; lose one's temper telephone become calm

catch up
carry on catch on
cover the distance between oneself
continue as before; misbehave understand
and a moving goal

check up check out cheer up

investigate leave; pay one's bill become cheerful

clear out clear up close down

leave become clear close permanently

close up came about come along

close temporarily happen accompany; make progress

come back come by come out

return visit someone in his home appear; make a social debut

come over
come through come to
come to someone's house, to
succeed regain consciousness
where someone is

cut in die away die down

interrupt fade; diminish fade; diminish

die off/out dress up drive back

disappear; become extinct don fancy or unusual clothes return by car

drop in drop out

drop over
visit someone casually without abandon some organized activity;
visit someone casually
planning leave; quit

fall behind fall through

fall off
not progress at required pace fail; not be accomplished
decrease; lose weight

fill in find out fly back

substitute learn return by air
fly over get ahead get along
fly to where someone is make progress have a friendly relationship

get by
get around get away
manage; either just barely or with a
circulate; move about escape
minimum of effort

get in get off get on

enter descend from leave enter (a vehicle); mount (a horse, etc.)

get on/along get up get through

progress; be compatible rise finish

give out give up go back

become exhausted surrender; fail to finish return

go off go on go out
explode happen; continue stop burning; leave one's residence

go over grow up hang around

go; succeed mature remain idly; dawdle

hang up hold on
hold out
replace a telephone receive on its grasp tightly; persevere; wait
continue to resist; persevere; persist
hook while telephoning

keep up
keep on let up
maintain the required pace or
continue diminish in intensity
standard; continue

lie down look on make out

recline be a spectator progress; succeed

make up move over pan out

become reconciled move to the side turn out well; be successful

pass out pass on pick up

become unconscious die grow; increase

pull in pull out pull through

arrive deport survive (barely)

run away run down

ride over
escape; leave; leave quickly slowly lose power so as to stop
ride to where someone is
without permission functioning

sell out
run off settle up
sell the ownership or
depart running; drain pay one's bills or debts
responsibility

show off show up shut up

boast by words or actions arrive; appear unexpectedly stop talking

slow up stand by stand up

reduce speed wait; be prepared to assist stand; rise from sitting; last; endure

stay over
step aside take off
remain at someone's house
move to one side leave the ground
overnight or longer

take over talk back throw up

assume command answer impolitely vomit

turn around turn out

turn in
turn so that one is facing another succeed; come; appear, as at a public
go to bed
direction meeting

turn up wait up wake up

arrive; be found unexpectedly remain awake in anticipation awaken

walk back walk over wash out

return on foot to where one was walk to where someone is fade or disappear from washing

wear off wear out

watch out
fade; disappear through use or become unusable through use;
be careful
time become used up

work out
be successful