Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs List

Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb or verb + preposition. Think of them as you would any other English vocabulary. Study them as you come across them, rather than trying to memorize many at once. Use the list below as a reference guide when you find an expression that you don't recognize. The examples will help you understand the meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily. Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

The object may come after the following phrasal verbs or it may separate the two parts:

• You have to do this paint job over.

• You have to do over this paint job.

When the object of the following phrasal verbs is a pronoun, the two parts of the phrasal verb must be separated:

• You have to do it over.

Verb Meaning Example

blow up explode The terrorists tried to blow up the railroad station.

bring up mention a topic My mother brought up that little matter of my prison record again.

bring up raise children It isn't easy to bring up children nowadays.

call off cancel They called off this afternoon's meeting

do over repeat a job Do this homework over.

fill out complete a form Fill out this application form and mail it in.

fill up fill to capacity She filled up the grocery cart with free food.

find out discover My sister found out that her husband had been planning a surprise party for her.

give away give something to someone else for free The filling station was giving away free gas.

give back return an object My brother borrowed my car. I have a feeling he's not about to give it back.

hand in submit something (assignment) The students handed in their papers and left the room.

hang up put something on hook or receiver She hung up the phone before she hung up her clothes.

hold up delay I hate to hold up the meeting, but I have to go to the bathroom.

hold up (2) rob Three masked gunmen held up the Security Bank this afternoon.

leave out omit You left out the part about the police chase down Asylum Avenue.

look over examine, check The lawyers looked over the papers carefully before questioning the witness. (They looked them over carefully.)

look up search in a list You've misspelled this word again. You'd better look it up.

make up invent a story or lie She knew she was in trouble, so she made up a story about going to the movies with her friends.

make out hear, understand He was so far away, we really couldn't make out what he was saying.

pick out choose There were three men in the line-up. She picked out the guy she thought had stolen her purse.

pick up lift something off something else The crane picked up the entire house. (Watch them pick itup.)

point out call attention to As we drove through Paris, Francoise pointed out the major historical sites.

put away save or store We put away money for our retirement. She put away the cereal boxes.

put off postpone We asked the boss to put off the meeting until tomorrow. (Please put it off for another day.)

put on put clothing on the body I put on a sweater and a jacket. (I put them on quickly.)

put out extinguish The firefighters put out the house fire before it could spread. (They put it out quickly.)

read over peruse I read over the homework, but couldn't make any sense of it.

set up to arrange, begin My wife set up the living room exactly the way she wanted it. She set it up.

take down make a written note These are your instructions. Write them down before you forget.

take off remove clothing It was so hot that I had to take off my shirt.

talk over discuss We have serious problems here. Let's talk them over like adults.

throw away discard That's a lot of money! Don't just throw it away.

try on put clothing on to see if it fits She tried on fifteen dresses before she found one she liked.

try out test I tried out four cars before I could find one that pleased me.

turn down lower volume Your radio is driving me crazy! Please turn it down.

turn down (2) reject He applied for a promotion twice this year, but he was turned down both times.

turn up raise the volume Grandpa couldn't hear, so he turned up his hearing aid.

turn off switch off electricity We turned off the lights before anyone could see us.

turn off (2) repulse It was a disgusting movie. It really turned me off.

turn on switch on the electricity Turn on the CD player so we can dance.

use up exhaust, use completely The gang members used up all the money and went out to rob some more banks.

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)

With the following phrasal verbs, the lexical part of the verb (the part of the phrasal verb that carries the "verb-meaning") cannot be separated from the prepositions (or other parts) that accompany it: "Who will look after my estate when I'm gone?"

Verb Meaning Example

call on ask to recite in class The teacher

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