5 August 2022

Phrasal Verbs Examples

English Grammar

List of Common Use Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs Meanings Examples
Act for Work on behalf of someone Stuntmen act for the heroes in action films.
Act up Act badly or wrongly My fridge has been acting up for four days.
Act against To oppose You must act against the criminals.
Abide by To accept any rule or decision We are willing to abide by his decision.
Attend to Look after Dr. Das attends to his patients’ need constantly.
Allow of Accepting something that is correct The students are allowed of answering pointwise.
Act upon Rely We are acting upon your decision.
Ask for Demand The workers are asking for money.
Back up To support The new report will back up her statement.
Bear away Win Yesterday I bore away the silver medal.
Bear with Tolerate I can’t bear with such pain anymore.
Blow up Destroy by explosion The terrorists blew up a hotel.
Blow out Extinguish Water has blown out the fire.
Break away Escape The prisoners broke away from the prison.
Break down Fail totally or stop working Her health broke down. My bike has broken down.
Bring about Cause Excessive rain has brought about flood.
Break in To get into something by force The dacoits broke in through the window.
Bring down Reduce This will bring down the growth of the plant.
Bring out To launch or publish Our school is going to bring out our monthly magazine.
Bring up Look after or educate He was brought up by his uncle.
Build up Organise Netaji built up a strong army.
Burn down To destroy or be destroyed by fire The building was burnt down.
Burn out To become exhausted Don’t burn out your valuable energy over such a trivial matter.
Burst into Explode The boy bursted into tears.
Call up Remember I cannot call up his name.
Call for Require This report calls for a quick review.
Call at Visit You must call at her place.
Call upon To order The boss called upon a junior to give updates.
Call off Withdraw The strike will be called off soon.
Call over Read out She called over his name repeatedly.
Call on Visit I will call on her place tomorrow.
Call In To summon Call in a nurse.
Carry out To execute A survey of five schools in our area will be carried out next month.
Carry on Continue Carry on with your work.
Carry over Continue in the next/another page Carry over your writing to the next page.
Check up Examine Father has gone for eye checkup.
Check in Arrive (hotel) They checked in the hotel yesterday.
Come of Happen to / descend Whatever may come of I must go to Korea. Swami Vivekananda came of a cultured family.
Come off Take place The final examination will come off next month.
Come down Decrease The price of banana has come down.
Come across Meet by chance She came across her school friends at a movie hall.
Come forward Advance Please come forward.
Come through To survive Mr. Bose came through the war uninjured.
Come up with To produce She came up with a new and unique idea.
Cut down Reduce Try to cut down your expenses.
Cut off Get severed The computer wires are cut off.
Cut out To remove something by cutting A large board was cut out.
Deal with To discuss This book deals with the Indian modern art.
Do away with Abolish We must do away with child labour.
Fall out Quarrel Don’t fall out with your sister.
Fall back Withdraw They are going to fall back their plans.
Fall on Attack Go and fall on your enemies.
Fall off Deteriorate The quality of this product has fallen off.
Get along with Adjust Try to get along with your roommate.
Get away with To escape The robbers get away with the booty.
Get over Recovery She is getting over a bad attack of small pox.
Get by Manage Please try to get by the situation.
Get in Reach What time did you get in last night?
Give away Distribute The prizes will be given away tomorrow.
Give up Abandon Don’t give up hope.
Give in Surrender You should never give into anyone’s evil desires.
Go on Continue What is going on here?
Go with Suit / Match This haircut doesn’t go with you.
Go through Read thoroughly Please go through the poem carefully.
Go over Examine Please go over the answers.
Go down Decrease The price of mobile phones have gone down.
Go out Extinguish The lights went out after it started raining.
Hand down Pass on to generations Fables are handed down from the past, from ear to ear.
Hand out Circulate Roshan is going to hand out paper bills before opening his cafeteria.
Hand over To deliver The thief was handed over to the policemen.
Hang on Depend Don’t always hang on her.
Hold up Delay The train from Mumbai was held up for one hour.
Hold out Offer They have held out a good salary.
Hold back Hide Mala seems to hold back something.
Hold over Postpone Please hold over the date of our meeting.
Keep away from Be at a distance Keep away from strangers.
Keep up Maintain Keep up the good work.
Keep down Put a limit to The Government must keep down the prices of essential goods.
Keep off Keep at a distance from You must keep off wild animals.
Lay by Save Mother suggested her to lay by some money for future.
Look over Examine Look over every details before signing the contract.
Look up Search / searching something in a book Look up the synonym of “search” in the dictionary.
Look down upon Hate Do not look down upon the poor.
Look after Take care of You must look after your parents.
Look out To search for I was looking out his picture on facebook.
Look forward to Expect with pleasure I am looking forward to her arrival.
Make out Understand I cannot make out the meaning of this phrase.
Make up Compensate She doesn’t know how she will make up for his loss.
Make of Think What do you make of me?
Pass out Become unconscious She passed out due to over exercise.
Put out Extinguish Put out the fire.
Put on Wear/Assume Put on your new dress for the party.
Put off Postpone She has put off the meeting.
Put in Submit Please put in your application to me.
Put up with Tolerate He could not put up with this anymore.
Run away Flee The thief ran away from the house with a lot of money.
Run after Rush for The dogs were running after the thief.
Run out Become exhausted Mita’s patience has run out.
Run over Drive over A car ran over a woman.
See off To bid goodbye I went to the airport to see her off It’s hard to see
See through Detect through the cause of his illness.
Set back Hinder It is too late to set back my plans.
Set about Start I must set about unpacking my luggage.
Set in Begin The summer season has set in.
Set off Begin a journey We will set off before the night.
Set aside Reserve/ Save Mala set aside a part of her income for the future.
Set up Establish It was set up in 1931.
Set on Urge to attack She sets her dogs on me.
Stand against Resist It is high time to stand against corruption.
Stand by Support She will always stand by me.
Stand for Represent White stands for purity.
Stand up Standing on the feet Stand up all of you, said the teacher.
Stand out Oppose She is likely to stand out his idea.
Take down Write Take down the dictation.
Take after Resemble The girl has taken after her mother.
Take on Undertake Tendulkar took on the charge of the Indian cricket team.
Take over Take the charge From now on, he will take over the charge of the hotel.
Take back Withdraw She wishes to take back her promises.
Take off Leave the ground The plane will take off at 8 am.
Take for Consider a person for someone else She took him for her brother.
Tell of Describe She told of her experience.
Tell upon Affect Over exercise can tell upon one’s health.
Turn about Turn around You are ordered to turn about.
Turn down Refuse He turned down my proposal.
Turn off Switch off Please turn the radio off.
Turn up Arrive She must turn up in time.
Turn on Open/Switch on Please turn the fan on.
Turn out Produce The company turns out 150 mobiles every week.
Write down Record in writing Sudha wrote down every word spoken by the teacher.
Write out Copy She wrote out the entire passage.
Work on Influence The Prime Minister’s speech worked on the citizens.
Work out Solve I don’t know how to work out your problems.
Work for Try for Gandhiji worked for the freedom of India.
Work up Excite Rana worked him up to anger.
Work off Get rid of Ramu worked off his anger.

 

Phrasal Verb Exercises
Examples

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