In English, a phrasal verb is a verb whose original meaning changes when combined with a particle (a small word like on, off, up, down, etc.). For example, the verb to turn means to rotate, but the phrasal verb: to turn on means to switch on.
In this vocabulary guide, we will explore the 75 most common English phrasal verbs, show you how to use them in sentences with examples and audio recordings, and highlight the essential phrasal verbs you should memorize.
Shall we get down to it? …Ready to get started? Let’s dive in! 😉
Table of contents →
List of the 75 most common phrasal verbs in English
There are thousands of phrasal verbs in the language of Shakespeare. We have compiled 75 phrasal verbs that are commonly used in daily conversations.
Below is a table with these phrasal verbs and their meaning. You will also find a second table with example sentences.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| account for | explain / give a reason for | |
| add up | make sense | |
| agree with | support | |
| allow for | consider / take into account | |
| appeal to | be attractive to | |
| apply for | submit an application | |
| back away | step back abruptly | |
| back down | give up in a fight | |
| black out | faint / lose consciousness | |
| blow up | explode / enlarge | |
| boil down | summarize | |
| break away | leave a group / escape | |
| break down | stop working / become very upset | |
| break up | to separate (relationship or marriage) | |
| bring up | raise / mention | |
| bump into | meet by chance | |
| burn out | become exhausted | |
| call back | return a phone call | |
| call off | cancel | |
| calm down | relax | |
| carry on | continue | |
| carry out | do / complete | |
| check in / check out | register at or leave a hotel | |
| come forward | offer help | |
| come up | be mentioned | |
| count on | depend on / trust | |
| cut down | reduce / decrease | |
| deal with | handle / manage | |
| do without | manage without | |
| drop in | visit without notice | |
| drop off | deliver / fall asleep | |
| drop out | quit school or a course | |
| end up | find yourself in a situation | |
| fall through | fail to happen | |
| find out | discover / learn | |
| get along | be on good terms | |
| get away | escape | |
| get out | leave | |
| give up | stop trying | |
| go by | pass (time) | |
| grow up | become an adult | |
| hang up | end a phone call | |
| hold on | wait / hold tightly | |
| join in | participate | |
| keep up | continue / maintain | |
| knock out | make unconscious | |
| look for | seek | |
| look forward to | feel excited about something | |
| make up | create / invent | |
| make up for | compensate | |
| move in / move out | start living in or leave a place | |
| own up | admit | |
| pass away | die | |
| pass out | faint | |
| pick up | lift / collect | |
| point out | indicate | |
| put up with | tolerate / endure | |
| rely on | depend on / trust | |
| rule out | exclude / eliminate | |
| run away | escape | |
| show off | brag / try to impress | |
| shut up | stop talking | |
| sit down | take a seat | |
| slow down | reduce speed | |
| take after | resemble | |
| take out | remove | |
| think over | consider carefully | |
| turn down | refuse / reject | |
| turn into | become / change into | |
| turn on / turn off | switch on / switch off | |
| wake up | stop sleeping | |
| want out | desire to leave | |
| watch out | be careful | |
| work out | exercise / solve a problem | |
| write down | make a note |
| Example sentence | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| I hope you can account for your behavior! | I hope you can explain your behavior! | |
| Your story simply doesn’t add up! | Your story doesn’t make sense! | |
| I agree with you. | I share your opinion. | |
| Please allow for sufficient time to go to the airport. | Give yourself enough time to get to the airport. | |
| The company is trying to appeal to a younger demographic. | The company is trying to attract younger people. | |
| He applied for a job with a famous company. | He formally requested a job at a famous company. | |
| When I saw the spider on the wall, I backed away in disgust. | I moved back quickly when I saw the spider. | |
| The protesters forced the authorities to back down on the project. | The protesters made the authorities stop the project. | |
| The alcohol made him black out. | The alcohol made him lose consciousness. | |
| The bomb blew up, but fortunately, there were no victims. | The bomb exploded, but no one was hurt. | |
| It boils down to a set of simple rules. | It can be summarized into simple rules. | |
| He broke away from the crowd. | He separated himself from the group. | |
| He broke down in tears when he heard the news. | He started crying when he heard the news. | |
| They broke up yesterday. | They ended their relationship yesterday. | |
| They brought up three children together. | They raised three children together. | |
| I bumped into my best friend at the mall. | I met my best friend by chance at the mall. | |
| Stop working so much or you will burn out. | Stop working too hard or you will get too tired. | |
| Could you call me back in a few minutes? | Can you return my call in a few minutes? | |
| Call off the attack. | Cancel the attack. | |
| Calm down! No need to be so upset. | Relax! There’s no need to get so angry. | |
| You can’t carry on with this nonsense. | You can’t continue with this foolishness. | |
| Soldiers have to carry out orders without questions. | Soldiers must follow orders without asking questions. | |
| You can check in today and check out tomorrow. | You can register at the hotel today and leave tomorrow. | |
| Don’t be shy, come forward! | Don’t be afraid, introduce yourself! | |
| I came up with a solution to our problem. | I thought of a solution to our problem. | |
| You can count on me. | You can rely on me. | |
| The management decided to cut down on superfluous expenses. | The management decided to reduce unnecessary expenses. | |
| I’m too tired to deal with this situation. | I’m too tired to handle this problem. | |
| I can do without food for three days. | I can survive without food for three days. | |
| You can drop in anytime. | You can visit anytime. | |
| I just came by to drop off the keys. | I just stopped by to deliver the keys. | |
| Bob dropped out of college and started his own company. | Bob quit college and started his own business. | |
| I ended up eating alone. | I found myself eating alone. | |
| The multimillion-dollar contract fell through. | The big contract failed to happen. | |
| The police found out who was responsible. | The police discovered who was responsible. | |
| I’m getting along well with my sister. | I have a good relationship with my sister. | |
| She always gets away with murder. | She always avoids punishment. | |
| Get out of this room! | Leave this room! | |
| I give up, you win. | I stop trying, you win. | |
| The day went by quickly. | The day passed quickly. | |
| It’s time to grow up and find yourself a job. | It’s time to become an adult and get a job. | |
| He just hung up on me, can you imagine? | He ended the phone call on me, can you believe it? | |
| Hold on, we’re not done yet. | Wait, we’re not finished yet. | |
| You can join in and voice your opinion. | You can participate and share your thoughts. | |
| Keep up the great work. | Continue doing a good job. | |
| This medicine is strong enough to knock out a horse. | This medicine is very powerful. | |
| She is looking for her phone. | She is searching for her phone. | |
| I’m looking forward to seeing you. | I’m excited to see you. | |
| You’re always making up excuses. | You’re always inventing excuses. | |
| I’ll make up for it, I promise! | I’ll fix it, I promise! | |
| I moved out of my old apartment and immediately moved in with my girlfriend. | I left my old apartment and started living with my girlfriend. | |
| If you own up to your crime, you will be forgiven. | If you admit your crime, you will be forgiven. | |
| Her grandmother passed away. | Her grandmother died. | |
| I was so exhausted I passed out at work. | I was so tired that I fainted at work. | |
| I’ll come to the station to pick you up. | I’ll go to the station to collect you. | |
| As I already pointed out, it’s way too expensive. | As I’ve already said, it’s too expensive. | |
| I can’t put up with your bad manners anymore. | I can’t tolerate your bad manners anymore. | |
| You should not rely on them. | You shouldn’t trust them. | |
| He has a solid alibi. We should rule him out from the list of suspects. | He has a good excuse. We should remove him from the suspect list. | |
| The prisoner ran away and is currently hiding someplace. | The prisoner escaped and is hiding. | |
| He is always showing off with his luxury car. | He is always trying to impress people with his fancy car. | |
| Oh, shut up! | Oh, be quiet! | |
| Sit down, we have plenty of time. | Take a seat, we have lots of time. | |
| Slow down, you’re driving too fast. | Drive more slowly, you’re going too fast. | |
| You really take up after your mother. | You really look like your mother. | |
| Can I take you out for dinner? | Can I invite you to dinner? | |
| Think it over before making a decision. | Consider it before deciding. | |
| I have to turn down your offer. | I must refuse your offer. | |
| His ambition turned him into a monster. | His ambition changed him into a bad person. | |
| Do you mind turning off the light? | Can you please switch off the light? | |
| I wake up at 6 a.m. every day. | I get up at 6 a.m. every day. | |
| This job is so tedious… I want out! | This job is so boring…I want to leave! | |
| Watch out! Someone is crossing the road! | Be careful! Someone is crossing the road! | |
| I should work out more. | I should exercise more. | |
| Can you write it down for me, please? | Can you make a note of it for me, please? |
Note: Be careful, many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning. For example, to turn down can mean to refuse or to reject, as shown in this table, but it can also mean to lower the volume.
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a common grammatical construction in English where a verb changes its meaning when combined with a particle (like off, up, or out).
For example, the verb to take means to receive or accept something. But the phrasal verb take off can mean to leave the ground (for an airplane) or to remove (like clothes).
They are systematically composed of 2 elements:
- a base verb
- a particle
In this example, the particle off has therefore transformed the verb take into a phrasal verb, and modified its initial meaning, creating a new expression.
An informal way to replace a formal verb
In many cases (but not always!), a phrasal verb is an informal and common way of replacing a more formal verb.
| Type | Sentence | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Phrasal verb | Even Einstein could not sort this problem out. | |
| Formal verb | Even Einstein could not resolve this problem. |
Here, the verb resolve is more formal than the phrasal verb sort out. However, both sentences convey the same meaning.
| Type | Sentence | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Phrasal verb | The producer gave the team an hour to put the stage up before the play. | |
| Formal verb | The producer gave the team an hour to erect the stage before the play. |
Here, the verb erect is more formal than the phrasal verb put up. However, both sentences convey the same meaning.
What is the difference between a phrasal verb and a prepositional verb?
The key difference between phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs is their relationship with an object: A prepositional verb always needs an object complement to complete its meaning, but a phrasal verb can stand alone without an object complement, and therefore be sufficient in itself.
When the infinitive of an English verb is made up of more than one element, it is:
- be a phrasal verb
- be a prepositional verb
Prepositional verbs (or prepositive verbs) are very similar to phrasal verbs since they are also made up of:
- a verbal base
- a preposition
With prepositional verbs, the particle is always a preposition. For example:
- after
- into
- with
- without
- etc.
| Sentence | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Please, sit down. | Sit down is a phrasal verb that doesn’t need an object. The sentence is complete as it is. | |
| Can we listen to Bob Dylan? | Listen to is a prepositional verb. The sentence is correct because it includes the object (Bob Dylan). | |
| This sentence is incorrect because listen to needs an object to complete the sentence. | / |
Listen to is a prepositional verb. The sentence is correct only if we mention the object complement that the verb refers to.
What are phrasal-prepositional verbs?
A phrasal-prepositional verb is a combination of elements of both a phrasal verb and a prepositional verb. This means the verb is no longer made up of 2 elements but consists of 3 parts:
- a verbal base (like catch, get, look)
- a particle (like up, on)
- a preposition (like with, to)
Examples
| Sentence | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| No worries, you guys – I’ll catch up with you in an hour! | Catch up with means to join or reach someone later. | |
| Mike doesn’t get on with his father-in-law. | Get on with means to have a good relationship with. | |
| I look forward to hearing from you. | Look forward to means to eagerly anticipate something. |
How to use phrasal verbs in sentences?
Using phrasal verbs correctly in English sentences involves knowing how to pair the verb with its particle and any object that may follow. This section will guide you on how to do this accurately!
Please note: for ease of reference, we will use the term phrasal verbs here to designate any verb whose infinitive is made up of at least 2 elements. This will therefore include:
- phrasal verbs
- prepositional verbs
- phrasal-prepositional verbs
In what tenses should phrasal verbs be used?
Phrasal verbs can be used in all tenses—past, present, and future—just like regular verbs. They follow the same conjugation rules as the base verbs:
- in the present tense, add an S to the 3rd person singular,
- and in the past, beware of irregular endings!
In the present and the future
As a general rule, in the present and future tenses, the particle is placed directly after the verb base to which it is attached.
| Tense | Sentence | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present simple | My cat wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning. | The verb wakes up is in the present tense, showing a regular action. | |
| Future (will) | The show will go on. | The verb go on is in the future tense, showing something that will happen. |
This rule also applies to sentences using a present participle:
| Sentence | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| History was my passion, growing up. | Growing up is a present participle, showing an action that was happening during a past time. | |
| They’re giving out free candies! | Giving out is a present participle, showing an ongoing action. |
In the past
Phrasal verbs are used in the past just like any other verb. Whether in the past simple, present perfect, or past perfect, the structure remains consistent.
| Tense | Sentence | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past simple | He gave up way too soon! | Gave up is in the past simple tense, showing an action that happened at a specific time in the past. | |
| Present perfect | I haven’t given up yet! | Given up is in the present perfect tense, showing an action that started in the past and may continue. | |
| Past perfect | I had woken up long before my alarm went off. | Woken up is in the past perfect tense, showing an action that happened before another past event. |
Note: Many phrasal verbs are based on irregular verbs, so they don’t follow the regular -ED ending in the past tense.
When can we separate phrasal verbs?
In the examples we’ve seen in the past, present, and future, the particle follows immediately after the verb: there are no other words between them. However, it is common for the particle not to follow the verb directly!
If the complement is not a personal pronoun
In most cases, if the object complement is not a personal pronoun (like me, you, him, her, us, etc.), you can place the complement:
- either after the particle
- either between the verbal base and the particle
| Example | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Do I need to take off my shoes? | Object (my shoes) is placed after the particle (off ) | |
| Do I need to take my shoes off? | Object (my shoes) is placed between the verbal base (take) and the particle (off ) |
If the complement is a personal pronoun
On the contrary, when the complement is a personal pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, etc.), it must be placed between the verb base and the particle.
| Example | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| My daughter just turned twelve – I can’t lift her up anymore! | The complement (her) is placed between the verb base (lift) and the particle (up). | |
| My daughter just turned twelve – | Placing the personal pronoun (her) after the phrasal verb would be wrong and incorrect. | / |
The complement is particularly long
When the object complement in a sentence is particularly long (more than 2 or 3 words), it should be placed after the particle rather than between the verb and the particle.
| Example | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| I will not take on the responsibility of taking my child to a heavy metal concert! | The object is long, so it comes after the particle (on). |
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Most phrasal verbs are separable, meaning you can place an object complement between the verb and the particle. However, some phrasal verbs are inseparable, meaning nothing can come between the verb and the particle.
| Example | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| I came across a strange animal on the way to your house. | Came across is an inseparable phrasal verb, so the object (a strange animal) cannot be placed between came and across. | |
| Incorrect: Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot have the object placed between the verb and the particle. | / |
| Example | Explanation | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| I have to look after my children today. | Look after is an inseparable phrasal verb, meaning to take care of, and the object, my children, cannot be placed between look and after. | |
| Incorrect: The object cannot be split between the verb and the particle in inseparable phrasal verbs. | / |
To determine whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable, the best approach is to consult an English dictionary!
