Top 50 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

This resource offers clear definitions and examples, aiding both teachers and students in understanding and using these essential language elements effectively. Benefit from concise explanations that make learning engaging and straightforward

The Top 50 Common Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb	Common Meaning	Example
Act on	To take action because of something like information received	The police were ACTING ON a tip from an informer and caught the gang red-handed.
Act up	Behave badly or strangely	My computer's ACTING UP; I think I might have a virus.
Add up to	Have a certain result	Trains delays are getting worse and with the high fares, it all ADDS UP TO misery for the commuters.
Agree with	Affect- usually used in the negative to show that something has had a negative effect, especially is it makes you feel bad	I feel terrible- that food didn't AGREE WITH my stomach.
Amount to	Total	Their rent bills AMOUNTED TO ten thousand a year.
Answer back	To reply rudely to someone in authority	Her mother was shocked when she started ANSWERING her BACK and refusing to help.
Answer for	Be held responsible for a problem	The government should be made to ANSWER FOR their failure to sort out the problem.
Ask about	Ask how someone is doing, especially professionally and in terms of health	He ASKED ABOUT my father.
Ask after	Enquire about someone's health, how life is going	Jenny rang earlier and ASKED AFTER you, so I told her you were fine.
Ask around	Ask a number of people for information of help	I have no idea, but I'll ASK AROUND at work and see if anyone can help.
Ask around	Invite someone	We ASKED them AROUND for dinner.
Ask for	To provoke a negative reaction	You're ASKING FOR trouble.
Ask for	Request to have or be given	I ASKED FOR the menu.
Ask in	To invite somebody into your house	'Jon's at the door.' 'ASK him IN.'
Ask out	To invite someone for a date	He wanted to ASK her OUT but was too shy.
Ask over	Invite	They have ASKED us OVER for drinks on Friday.
Ask round	Invite someone	We ASKED John ROUND for diner.
Call off	Cancel	The concert had to be CALLED OFF because the singer went down with a bad case of flu.
Calm down	Stop being angry or emotionally excited	When I lose my temper, it takes ages for me to CALM DOWN again.
Carry on	Continue	CARRY ON quietly with your work until the substitute teacher arrives.
Catch up	Reach someone who was ahead of you	He started well, but I CAUGHT him UP on the third lap.
Do over	Do something again from the beginning, especially because you did it badly the first time	OK, we'll DO it OVER, but try to sing the right words this time.
Eat out	Eat in a restaurant	We couldn't be bothered to cook so we ATE OUT last night.
Eat up	Consume	This car EATS UP petrol.
Figure out	Find the answer to a problem	The police couldn't FIGURE OUT how the burglars had got into the warehouse.
Give up	Surrender, stop trying	I can't think of the answer; I GIVE UP.
Go over	Look at something, revise	We WENT OVER our notes before the exam.
Hack into	Break into a computer system	He HACKED INTO the government database and stole a lot of data.
Hang around	Stay in a place	They HANG AROUND the station most of the day.
Hang out	Spend time socially	He HANGS OUT in the pub The Monarch; he's there most nights.
Hold on	Wait	Could you HOLD ON for a minute; she'll be free in a moment.
Keep on	Continue doing something	He KEPT ON trying and succeeded in the end.
Keep up	Maintain a continuous action, persist	First I phoned you and left a message that you should phone me; then you phoned and I was out, so you left a message; then...! How long can we KEEP this UP without ever speaking to each other directly?
Look for	Try to find	I've been LOOKING FOR all their hidden files, but I can't find them anywhere.
Make do with	Accept something less satisfactory because there's no alternative	There's no coffee, so we'll have to MAKE DO WITH tea.
Pass out	Faint, lose consciousness	He got so drunk that he PASSED OUT.
Pass up	Decline a chance	She PASSED UP the opportunity to go to university because she'd been offered a job.
Pick up	Collect	While you're in town, can you PICK UP my trousers from the Dry Cleaner?
Put off	Postpone	The concert's been PUT OFF until next month because the singer's got a throat infection.
Put on	Start wearing	I PUT my coat ON before we went out.
Take off	When a plane departs or leaves the ground	The flight for Dublin TOOK OFF on time.
Throw away	Discard something when no longer needed	I THREW the alarm clock AWAY because it had stopped working.
Turn down	Reduce volume, temperature, etc.	The room was too hot, so she TURNED the heating DOWN.
Turn off	Stop a machine	I TURNED the TV OFF and went to bed.
Turn on	Start a machine	I TURNED the radio ON to get the weather forecast.
Turn up	Increase volume, temperature, etc.	I TURNED the music UP full blast.
Wake up	Stop sleeping	I WOKE UP at half past six this morning.
Walk off with	Win easily	He WALKED OFF WITH the award.
Work out	Find the answer or solution	I couldn't WORK OUT all the answers to the crossword puzzle.
Work out	Exercise	She went to the gym three times a week to WORK OUT