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 time
Ask Out together and have fun. If one or both parties 1
involved are interested in a romantic way, then it is
considered a date.

To withdraw your position in a fight, argument, plan,

Back Down 1
etc.

When you leave an emotional situation, or to allow

Back Off 1
someone to handle something alone.

Back Up To walk or drive a vehicle backwards. 4

When someone punches, kicks, or hits someone

Beat Up 2
repeatedly using fists or with an 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.

Blow Off When the wind removes something from its place. 3

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 Down When someone loses self-control and is emotionally 6

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

Break In To enter a place illegally and with the use of force. 3

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 or

Bring Over 1
area to another.

To bring something from a lower level/place to a

Bring Up 3
higher level/place.

To remove something(dust particle, insect, etc) with

Brush Off 2
your hand.

To practice and review your knowledge or a skill that

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

Build To add a fixture or component to a certain area or

1
In/Into place through construction.

Bump Into When you meet people by accident or unexpectedly. 2

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

Call Off To cancel an event that has been previously planned. 2

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

Calm Down To become less violent, nervous, excited or angry. 1

Care For To nurture or take care of someone or something. 2

To do something out of the ordinary due to strong

Carry Away 2
emotions.

To continue doing something or to continue on in life

Carry On 3
despite an obstacle.

To move something or someone from one place to

Carry Out 5
another using your arms or an object.

Catch On To understand or realize something. 2

To move faster to reach someone or something that

Catch Up 2
is ahead of you.

When you are emotionally and/or sexually unfaithful

Cheat On 2
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 accommodation

Check Out 5
after your stay there.

Chicken Out To refrain from doing something because of fear. 1

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

Clean Out To clean or clear the inside of something thoroughly. 3

Clear Out To remove things completely from an area or place. 2

To do something to solve a problem or a

Clear Up 3
misunderstanding.

When something in a drain or valve prevents the

Clog Up 1
flow of water or other liquids

When the activities or services of a business

Close Down 3
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 Apart When something breaks or separates piece by piece. 1

Come Back To return to a place. 3

To move from a higher to a lower position or from

Come Down 2
north to south.

Come Down
When a situation is reduced to a certain outcome. 1
To

Come Down When you start to experience the symptoms of a

1
With 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.

Come On To appear on television or be heard on the radio. 5

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 excuse. 1
With

To persuade someone to do something through lies

Con Into 1
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 it

Count On 2
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 Down To take more action than usual against wrongdoing. 1

 To remove or delete someone or something from a
Cross Off 1
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 like a 6
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 something

Cut Up 2
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 correct

Do Over 2
mistakes.

Do With To make a connection between two or more things. 1

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 special

Dress Up 1
occasion.

To visit someone unexpectedly or without making

Drop In 2
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

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

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

Eat Up When someone consumes all their food. 3

Empty Out To remove everyone or everything from a space. 1

End Up The end result of something planned or unplanned. 1

Fall Apart When something breaks all at once or piece by piece. 3

Fall Behind To move slower than others. 2

Fall Down To fall to the ground. 1

When you have an intense attraction to something or

Fall For 2
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 upright

Fall Over 2
position to the ground.

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

2
Through 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 make

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

Figure On To expect or plan for something. 1

To add personal information in the blank spaces of

Fill In 3
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 or for

Fix Up 4
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 cannot

2
Around pinpoint the exact location.

Follow Up To find out more about something, or take further 1

 action in regards to it.

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

When someone becomes irrationally upset or angry,

Freak Out 1
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 At To get revenge. 1

When you talk to someone at a later time either

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

Get Behind To learn, work, or progress more slowly than others. 4

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, lie,
Get On 6
kneel, etc. towards something (non-separable).

Get Out To leave or escape. 6

To receive a benefit and/or satisfaction from doing

Get Out Of 4
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 understood or
6
Through 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

Go About  To take the necessary steps to get something done. 2

When you do your best to get something no matter

Go After 4
how difficult it is.

To proceed to do something that you were hesitant

Go Ahead 2
about.

Go Along
to accept or agree with a decision, rule, opinion, etc. 2
With

Go Around To follow a circular path. 6

Go Away To move or travel from one place to another place. 3

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

When you fail to fulfill a promise you made to

Go Back On 1
someone.

To be more than or better than what is normal or

Go Beyond 1
expected.

Go By To pass someone or something quickly. 4

Go Down To move to a lower position, place, price, level, etc. 7

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 through

Go In/Into 4
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 Through When you make a decision to do something, and

1
With actually do it.

Go Up To move or extend to a higher level or farther North. 3

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

Grow Up When you physically change from a child to an adult. 2

When you return something to the person who owns

Hand Back 1
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 or

Hang Up 3
rod.
Have On To wear clothing, cosmetics, perfume, etc. 2

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

Head Back 1
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

Hold Out To extend your hand or an object in front of you. 3

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

Hook Up When you connect two electrical devices together. 3

Hurry Up To do something quickly. 2

To continue doing an activity even though it may be

Keep At 1
difficult.

Keep Away To avoid getting close to someone or something. 2

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

To stop yourself or other people from doing

Keep From 1
something.

Keep Off To avoid discussing a particular subject or topic. 2

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 of

Kick Back 2
the price.

Kick Out To force someone to leave an organization or place. 1

To use force to cause someone or something to fall

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

When someone is struck hard enough to cause them

Knock Out 6
to lose consciousness.

To make contact with something or someone in such

Knock Over 1
a way it or they fall.

Know About To have knowledge of or be familiar with something. 1

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 cause an

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

Leave When you don’t take something or someone with

4
Behind you when you leave.

To accidentally or intentionally not include a person

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

Let Down To disappoint someone. 2

Let In To allow someone or something to enter a place. 2

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

Let Out When you give permission for someone to leave or 3

 be released from a place.

When someone or something becomes less intense

Let Up 1
or strong.

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

Lift Up To raise someone or something to a higher level. 2

Light Up To illuminate something. 2

When a conversation is changed or a person changes

Lighten Up 1
to become less serious.

Line Up To form in a row one after another or side-by-side. 3

Live With To share the same residence. 2

Lock In To secure people or things behind a closed door. 3

When you don’t have the key or passcode to enter a

Lock Out 2
secured place.

When you shut the windows and doors of a place or

Lock Up 2
building.

Look
To turn your head to see what or who is around you. 3
Around

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 opposite 1
On
of yesterday’s phrasal verb.

Look To anticipate a future event because it either makes

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

Look Into To investigate or get more facts about something. 1

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 view

Look Up To 1
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 they’ll

Mix Up 3
merge successfully.

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

When you bring your personal belongings and stuff

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

When you permanently remove all your belongings

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

Narrow
To reduce the number of options or possibilities. 1
Down

Pay Back When you return money that you owe someone. 2

Pay For To purchase merchandise. 2

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

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

To tease and/or criticize someone over a period of

Pick On 1
time.

When you are able to recognize something or

Pick Out 2
someone from a group.

Pick Up To get someone or something from somewhere. 8

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

Plug In To connect an electrical device to an electrical outlet. 2

To connect an electrical appliance/machine to

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

To block a narrow passage such as a hole, drain, or

Plug Up 2
pipe so that nothing can flow through.

Point Out To make someone aware of something. 1

When you aim at something or someone using your

Point To 2
finger or hand.

Print Out To produce a hard copy of a computer document. 1

Pull Off To succeed in doing something difficult or tricky. 2

Pull Out When something or someone leaves a place. 7

Pull Over To drive your vehicle to the side of the road to stop. 1

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 using a

Punch Out 2
special clock.

To place something where it cannot be seen or isn’t

Put Away 4
in the way of other things.

Put Back When something is causing a project to slow down. 4

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

When you invest or make a deposit. In this example,

Put In 7
the amount almost always separates 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. [Always

Put Past 1
used with the negative]

To cause someone or something to be in a certain

Put To 2
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.

To tolerate or accept something that you’d rather

Put Up With 1
not.

Ring Up To call someone on the phone. 2

When someone asks for a price for something that is

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

Rip Up To tear something (i.e. paper, cloth, etc.) into pieces. 2

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

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

Run Out 2
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 higher

Run Up 5
elevation or level.

Screw On To ensure the top of a container/bottle is sealed. 2

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 has

Sell Out 2
been purchased.
Set Up To organize or plan for an activity/event to happen. 6

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

To accept something even though it’s not what you

Settle For 1
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 mechanical

Shut Off 1
device.

Shut Up To stop talking. 1

To write your name on a list to indicate the day and

Sign In 2
time you arrived at a certain place.

To write your name on a list to indicate the day and

Sign Out 2
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 heard. 1
In/Into

Sneak Out To leave a place without being noticed. 1

To arrange or separate things into groups according

Sort Out 2
to similarities.

When someone’s attention is not in the present

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

Stand To stand in one place or area when you should be

2
Around 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.

Start Off The beginning of an event, activity or time period. 4

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

Stay Up To remain in a place that is higher than ground level. 2

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

Stick To stay in a place or with someone for any period of

1
Around time.

Stick Out To extend something outward. 4

When something is attached to another by some

Stick To 2
form of adhesive.

Stick Up To use a weapon, especially a gun, to rob someone. 4

Stick With To continue to use or do something. 3

Stop Off To make a quick stop on your way to a destination. 1

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 to the

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

When you move something from the ‘off’ state to

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

Take Apart To disconnect or separate the parts of an object. 1

Take Back To return something or someone. 5

Take In To be successfully tricked or deceived by someone. 5

To remove an object from an area, place or

Take Out 4
container.

Take Out To direct your anger towards someone or something 1

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

When you accept an invitation or offer from

Take Up On 1
someone.

To talk to someone as if they are less intelligent than

Talk Down
you by conveying a tone of voice or attitude that says 1
To
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 someone

Tell Apart 1
from something or someone else.

To inform an authoritative figure about what

Tell On 1
someone else did.

To consider something prior to making a final

Think About 2
decision.

Think To think and plan carefully for a future situation or

1
Ahead event.

To use your imagination to create a plan, idea, or a

Think Up 1
solution.

Throw To dispose of something you no longer find useful in

2
Away a waste bin, trash, etc.

When you get rid of something by putting it in a trash

Throw Out 2
can, bin, etc.

Throw Up To vomit or puke. 3

Track Down To locate someone or something after a long search 1

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.

Try On To see how something fits or looks before 1

 purchasing.

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

Turn When someone or something moves until it faces the

3
Around 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 and

Wash Off 1
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 disappear

Wear Down 2
due to friction.

Wear Off To decrease or disappear gradually. 1

When something is damaged or weakened from use

Wear Out 2
and age.

Wind Up To operate a mechanical device by turning its handle. 4

To completely remove or clean something from a

Wipe Off 1
surface or location.
Wipe Out To clean the inside of something. 4

To remove liquid from a surface using a sponge,

Wipe Up 1
towel or cloth, etc.

To make time in a busy schedule for a person or an

Work In 2
activity.

Work Out When a situation, event, plan, or idea is successful. 6

To gradually improve at or make progress in

Work Up 3
something.

Wrap Up To cover something with some kind of special paper. 4

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