100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs List With Meaning and Examples

Phrasal verbs are an essential part of the English language and can often be challenging for learners to understand. These verbs consist of a verb and a particle, such as an adverb or preposition, which together change the meaning of the original verb. As there are so many phrasal verbs in English, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That’s why we have compiled a list of the 100 most common phrasal verbs with their meanings and examples. By mastering these phrasal verbs, you can improve your English communication skills and speak with more confidence.

What are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are a combination of a verb and a particle, such as a preposition or adverb. The particle changes the meaning of the original verb, creating a new verb that can have a completely different meaning. For example, the verb ‘take’ combined with the particle ‘off’ creates the phrasal verb ‘take off,’ meaning to remove clothing or leave a place quickly.

Why Are Phrasal Verbs Important?

Phrasal verbs are essential for effective English communication. Native speakers use phrasal verbs frequently in both casual and formal settings, making them a crucial part of any conversation. Furthermore, using phrasal verbs correctly can make you sound more fluent and natural in English.

100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs List With Meaning and Examples:

1. Act out: To perform something, usually a play or a scene from a play. Example: The students acted out a scene from Romeo and Juliet in class.
2. Add up: To make sense or be logical. Example: Her story just doesn’t add up.
3. Ask around: To inquire about something or someone by asking many people. Example: She asked around to find out who had lost the keys.
4. Ask out: To invite someone to go out on a date or do something socially. Example: He finally worked up the courage to ask her out.
5. Back up: To move in reverse, or to provide support or assistance. Example: I had to back up the car to get it out of the tight space.
6. Blow up: To explode or become very angry. Example: He blew up when he found out about the mistake.
7. Break down: To stop functioning, to fail, or to have an emotional collapse. Example: The car broke down on the highway.
8. Bring up: To raise a topic or subject in conversation. Example: She brought up the issue of budget cuts during the meeting.
9. Brush up on: To review or practice something to improve your skills or knowledge. Example: I need to brush up on my Spanish before my trip to Mexico.
10. Call off: To cancel something that was previously arranged. Example: They had to call off the picnic because of the rain.
11. Catch up: To get up to speed or to be current with something. Example: I need to catch up on my emails before I can leave.
12. Check out: To leave a hotel or pay a bill at a store or restaurant. Example: We need to check out of the hotel by noon.
13. Cheer up: To make someone feel better or become happier. Example: She brought him a bouquet of flowers to cheer him up.
14. Clean up: To tidy or make something clean. Example: We need to clean up the house before the guests arrive.
15. Come across: To find or discover something by chance. Example: I came across an old photo album in the attic.
16. Come down with: To become sick with a particular illness. Example: She came down with the flu and had to stay home from work.
17. Come up with: To think of an idea or solution. Example: We need to come up with a new marketing strategy.
18. Count on: To rely on or trust someone or something. Example: I know I can count on you to help me with this project.
19. Cut down: To reduce or decrease something. Example: We need to cut down on our expenses to save money.
20. Cut off: To disconnect or stop something abruptly. Example: The phone call was cut off before we could finish the conversation.
21. Do over: To repeat or redo something. Example: She had to do the experiment over because the results were inconclusive.
22. Drop off: To deliver or deposit something or someone. Example: I need to drop off this package at the post office.
23. Eat out: To eat a meal at a restaurant. Example: We decided to eat out for dinner tonight.
24. Figure out: To solve or understand something. Example: I’m trying to figure out how to use this new software program.
25. Fill out: To complete a form or document by adding required information. Example: Please fill out this form before your appointment.
26. Find out: To discover or learn something. Example: I finally found out the truth about what happened.
27. Get along: To have a good relationship with someone. Example: He gets along well with his coworkers.
28. Get away: To escape or go on a vacation. Example: We need to get away from the city for a few days.
29. Get over: To recover from an illness or emotional trauma. Example: It took her a long time to get over the loss of her dog.
30. Give up: To quit or stop trying to do something. Example: She finally gave up trying to learn how to play the guitar.
31. Go on: To continue or happen. Example: The party went on until the early hours of the morning.
32. Grow up: To mature or become an adult. Example: He needs to grow up and take responsibility for his actions.
33. Hand out: To distribute or give something to someone. Example: She handed out the flyers to passersby on the street.
34. Hang out: To spend time with friends or in a social setting. Example: We love to hang out at the local coffee shop on weekends.
35. Hold on: To wait or stay on the line during a phone call. Example: Please hold on while I transfer your call.
36. Keep up: To maintain or stay at the same level or pace. Example: She works hard to keep up with her studies.
37. Knock off: To stop working or finish for the day. Example: Let’s knock off early and go to the movies.
38. Look after: To take care of or watch over someone or something. Example: She promised to look after her friend’s dog while they were away.
39. Look up: To search for information in a reference book or online. Example: I need to look up the definition of that word.
40. Make up: To invent or create a story or excuse. Example: He made up an excuse for being late.
41. Pass out: To faint or lose consciousness. Example: She passed out during the concert and had to be taken to the hospital.
42. Pay back: To return money that was borrowed or owed. Example: He promised to pay back the money he borrowed from me.
43. Pick out: To choose or select something. Example: She picked out a new dress for the party.
44. Point out: To draw attention to or indicate something. Example: He pointed out the mistake in the report.
45. Put away: To store or tidy something in its proper place. Example: Please put away your toys before dinner.
46. Put off: To postpone or delay something. Example: We had to put off the meeting until next week.
47. Put on: To wear clothing or accessories. Example: She put on her coat before leaving the house.
48. Put out: To extinguish a fire or stop something from burning. Example: He put out the candles before going to bed.
49. Run into: To meet or encounter someone unexpectedly. Example: I ran into my old friend at the grocery store.
50. Run out of: To use up or exhaust something completely. Example: We ran out of milk and had to go to the store.
51. Set up: To arrange or organize something in advance. Example: We need to set up the equipment before the presentation.
52. Show off: To display or exhibit one’s abilities or possessions in an ostentatious manner. Example: He always tries to show off his new car.
53. Show up: To arrive or appear, especially unexpectedly or at an inconvenient time. Example: He showed up at the party uninvited.
54. Shut up: To be quiet or stop talking. Example: Please shut up and let me concentrate.
55. Sort out: To organize or solve a problem. Example: We need to sort out the issue with the shipment.
56. Stand up: To rise from a sitting or lying position. Example: He stood up to greet his guests.
57. Take after: To resemble or have similar characteristics to a parent or relative. Example: She takes after her mother in her love of cooking.
58. Take off: To leave a place, especially by airplane. Example: They took off for Paris on their honeymoon.
59. Take on: To accept a task or responsibility. Example: She took on the challenge of managing the project.
60. Take out: To remove or extract something from a container or a person. Example: He took out his wallet to pay for the dinner.
61. Think over: To consider carefully before making a decision. Example: Let me think over your proposal before I give you an answer.
62. Throw away: To dispose of or get rid of something. Example: She threw away the old magazines.
63. Try on: To test or wear clothing to see if it fits properly. Example: She tried on several dresses before choosing the perfect one.
64. Turn down: To refuse or reject an offer or request. Example: He turned down the job offer because of the low salary.
65. Turn off: To stop a machine or device from operating. Example: She turned off the TV before going to bed.
66. Turn on: To start or activate a machine or device. Example: He turned on the radio to listen to the news.
67. Break up: To end a relationship or group. Example: They broke up after dating for two years.
68. Bring about: To cause something to happen. Example: The new policy brought about positive changes in the company.
69. Carry on: To continue doing something. Example: She carried on working even when she was tired.
70. Come up with: To think of or suggest an idea or solution. Example: Can you come up with a new name for our project?
71. Cut off: To disconnect or stop communication. Example: They cut off the phone line due to unpaid bills.
72. Drop off: To deliver or leave someone or something at a place. Example: I dropped off the package at the post office.
73. Fill out: To complete a form or document. Example: Please fill out this application form.
74. Get over: To recover from a difficult situation or illness. Example: It took her some time to get over her breakup.
75. Give away: To give something for free or as a gift. Example: They gave away their old furniture to charity.
76. Go on: To continue or happen. Example: The meeting went on for hours.
77. Keep up: To maintain or continue at the same level or pace. Example: She struggled to keep up with the fast-paced class.
78. Look up: To search for information or improve one’s mood. Example: She looked up the definition of the word in the dictionary.
79. Make up: To create or invent something, or to reconcile after a disagreement. Example: She made up a story to explain why she was late, and they made up after their argument.
80. Pass away: To die or pass on. Example: Her grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep.
81. Pull off: To succeed or accomplish something difficult. Example: She managed to pull off the challenging task.
82. Run into: To encounter someone unexpectedly. Example: She ran into her old friend at the grocery store.
83. Set up: To arrange or establish something. Example: He set up the meeting for next week.
84. Take up: To begin or start a new activity or hobby. Example: She decided to take up painting in her free time.
85. Turn out: To result in a certain way, or to attend an event in large numbers. Example: The party turned out to be a huge success, and many people turned out for the event.
86. Work out: To exercise or solve a problem. Example: She works out at the gym three times a week, and they managed to work out a compromise in their disagreement.
87. Do without: To manage or live without something. Example: They had to do without electricity for a few days.
88. Figure out: To understand or solve a problem. Example: He finally figured out the solution to the math problem.
89. Fill in: To provide information or details, or to temporarily do someone else’s job. Example: Can you fill in the missing information? She filled in for her colleague while they were on vacation.
90. Find out: To discover or learn information. Example: He found out the truth about the situation.
91. Get along: To have a good relationship or interact well with someone. Example: She gets along well with her coworkers.
92. Keep on: To continue doing something or persist in a behavior. Example: She kept on practicing until she became an expert.
93. Look forward to: To anticipate or be excited about something in the future. Example: I’m looking forward to the upcoming vacation.
94. Make out: To understand or see something unclearly, or to kiss someone passionately. Example: She couldn’t make out the text on the small screen. They made out in the park.
95. Pay back: To repay a debt or revenge on someone. Example: He paid back the money he borrowed from his friend.
96. Pick up: To collect or learn something, or to give someone a ride in a vehicle. Example: Can you pick up some groceries on your way home? She picked up her friend from the airport.
97. Put off: To postpone or delay something. Example: They put off the meeting until next week.
98. Run out: To use up or exhaust a supply of something. Example: They ran out of gas on the way to the gas station.
99. Settle down: To calm down or establish a permanent residence. Example: After traveling for many years, she finally settled down in a small town.
100. Show up: To appear or arrive at a place. Example: He showed up late to the party.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Q: What are phrasal verbs? A: Phrasal verbs are a combination of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions, adverbs, or both) that together have a different meaning from the individual words.
• Q: Why is it important to learn phrasal verbs? A: Phrasal verbs are common in English and are used in everyday conversations, making them an essential part of learning the language.
• Q: How can I memorize phrasal verbs easily? A: Practice is the key to memorizing phrasal verbs. Try using them in sentences or conversations and review them regularly.
• Q: Are all phrasal verbs separable? A: No, some phrasal verbs are inseparable and cannot be separated by the object.
• Q: Can phrasal verbs be used in formal writing? A: It is best to use formal alternatives to phrasal verbs in formal writing. However, they are acceptable in informal writing and speech.

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs can be challenging to understand and remember, but they are an essential part of the English language. By learning the 100 most common phrasal verbs list with meanings and examples, you can improve your communication skills and understanding of English conversations. Practice using these phrasal verbs in everyday conversations, and you will soon find that they become second nature to you. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep practicing until you feel confident using these phrasal verbs in your everyday life.