80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs (2023) (2023)

Phrasal verbs are two or more words that together act as a completely new word, with a meaning separate from the original words. E.g,pick upmeans "to seize" or "to pick up", very different from the definitionschooseIgorealone. Popular in spoken English, phrasal verbs can be quite confusing as their definitions are not always easy to guess - and there are thousands of them. In fact, many phrasal verbs are different variations of the same basic verb, which can add to the confusion.

Especially for multilingual speakers, phrasal verbs are one of the most difficult subjects inEnglish teacher. To simplify this complicated issue, the following is our guide to understanding English phrasal verbs, including a list of the most common ones.

What is a phrasal verb?

And the phrasal verb is combined normallyverbs andaccessoriesshe hassuggestionto create an entirely new verbal phrase - thefrazni glagol. The meaning of a phrasal verb is usually unrelated to the meaning of the words that make it up, so think of a phrasal verb as a completely new and independent word.

When used in a sentence, phrasal verbs function like other verbsconjugationand location, although they have specialgrammaticallyrules about word order, which we will talk about below. Phrasal verbs can be conjugated inany form of verb, so you can use them anywhere you can use a normal verb.

Let's look at the phrasal verbCome overas an example. Verbfewalone means "to acquire," and preposofsam usually refers to being taller or going over something. However, put them together with a phrasal verbCome overmeans "to recover" or "to overcome", a completely new definition that is separate from the definitionsfewIof.

You can useCome overjust like a normal verb, in any form or tense. Here are some quick examples:

Simple past tense:

I had the flu last week but got over it.

Infinitive:

He wrote the poem to get over his grandmother's death.

gerundive:

Overcoming prejudice at work is never easy.

take part:

After they finally got over the breakup, they were ready to return their partner's belongings.

How to conjugate phrasal verbs

When a phrasal verb is used asMain verbsentences, inflect the verb part and leave the other words as they are. Simply use the form of the verb you would use if it were alone.

In the summer I get up at noon.

However, I got up at dawn this morning.

I got up early too many times this month.

Notice how just the wordfewchanges, but the wordgoreremains the same. Also notice howfew, inirregular verb, uses its irregular shapes to fit the time it needs.

You can use phrasal verbs in this waybring the word, so you can communicate what you want. Conjugation is also important for maintenanceconsistency of the verb tenseif you use phrasal verbs in a list with other verbs.

Types of phrasal verbs

For a better understanding of phrasal verbs, it helps to organize them into two pairs: transitive and intransitive; separable and inseparable. A phrasal verb can only belong to one of each pair (althoughatseparable phrasal verbs are transitive).

Transitive phrasal verbs

Transitive phrasal verbs use a direct object, just like regular onestransitive verber.

Charlie couldn't stand meowing cats anymore.

Intransitive fraseverber

Isto tako, neprelazni frazni glagoli doit isuse the topic.

The regional director arrived late, so the sales team started without her.

Separable phrasal verbs

With transitive phrasal verbs, you can sometimes put the direct object between the words, for example “choosevasup.” However, there are a few rules to follow with separable phrasal verbs, so pay attention to our next section on word order.

He forgot to turn off the light before he left.

Inseparable phrasal verbs

Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be separated and must be used together.

The wayward son continued without a father.

Word order with phrasal verbs

Most of the time the words in a phrasal verb stay together. For intransitive and inseparable phrasal verbs, verb and participlemorathey go hand in hand and must never be separated.

But different phrasal verbs follow different rules. First, separable phrasal verbs are always transitive, so they always have a direct object.You can put the direct object in the middle of separable phrasal verbs, between the verb and the participle:

Augustus would never let Hazel down.

This also applies to nouns; place all the words in the noun phrase between the verb and the participle of the phrasal verb:

You would never let your friends down.

Some separable verbs require you to put the direct object in the middleeverytime. For example, let's look at a phrasal verbclimb down.

The beginning of the movieGoreit comes up to everyone.

The beginning of the movieGoreturn everything down.

On the other hand, sometimes it doesn't matter whether the direct object is in the middle or at the end of the phrasal verb. Both options are acceptable. Unfortunately, there is no method of knowing whether to separate a phrasal verb or not; you just have to study and practice until it comes naturally.

Pick up the box and cover itthe kitchen.

Pick up the box and take it into the kitchen.

However,pronounFollow a special rule when dealing with separable phrasal verbs:If the object is a pronoun, it must be placed in the middle of the phrasal verb.Direct objects of pronouns cannot end.

Pick it up and take it to the kitchen.

Pick it up and take it to the kitchen.

keep in mind thatnot all transitive phrasal verbs can be separated. Transitive phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable, so be careful where you place your object. For example, transitive phrasal verbspass,get in between, dvsgo againstthey are all inseparable, so the direct object always comes after them.

Nothing stands between us.

Nothing stands between us.

80 common phrasal verbs (with meanings and examples)

back [x] up

support or defend someone

When the class made fun of me, only the teacher supported me.

pause

stop working, especially when dealing with machinery

The ice cream machine at McDonald's always breaks.

call around

contact several people

Roy called around to find a mechanic nearby.

relax

relax after an energetic or irritated state

I need a few minutes to calm down after that fight.

turn [x] off.

cancel

We canceled the party./We canceled the party.

check [x].

to affirm a person or thing (can sometimes be flirtatious when used in relation to a person)

I'll check the contract./I'll check the contract.

Drive up

to be extremely successful in an endeavor, such as business, sports, or gambling

Our hockey team cleaned up at the tournament and went home undefeated.

stop suspicious behavior, such as the use of drugs or alcohol

Her boss told her to either clean up or find a new job.

done [x].

clean the general area

John cleaned the living room./John cleaned the living room.

coin on [x].

to make someone happy, especially if they were sad before

Reading always cheers me up on a rainy day.

come by

change your mind or see a new point of view

I've never liked seafood, but I came around after trying the fried calamari.

get in between

disrupt the relationship

After more than fifty years of marriage, nothing could stand between them.

come down

attack or punish severely

Ever since last month's accident, the police have cracked down hard on drunk driving.

Get sick

Get sick

After sitting in the rain for hours, Chandra caught a cold.

Get out of

arise as a result of another event

We missed a day of school, so at least something good came out of our boring class trip.

come on

become a topic of discussion or gain attention

Everyone talked about how much they enjoyed the movie, but the conversation didn't mention running time.

to approach or approach

As I was walking outside the fence, a cow came right up to me and licked my face.

happen or arise, as with an event or situation

Don't worry about a problem until it happens.

Come up with

think of an idea, especially as the first person to do it, or produce a solution

Sahar comes up with his best ideas for stories at night, so he writes them down before he forgets them.

count on

rely on or depend on

If I ever make a mistake, I can count on my friends to warn me.

dive into

to deal with something; quickly penetrate or quickly reach

I'll dive into the new TV show later tonight.

Get dressed

put on nice clothes or show yourself in the best light

Abed dressed up for the awards ceremony.

to complete

eventually reaching a conclusion or destination

After a day of thinking, he finally accepted the job.

to fall apart

break into pieces

My new dress completely fell apart after only two washes.

suffering from mental or emotional stress

He took all kinds of bullying at work without flinching, but completely fell apart when his cat got sick.

fill in [x].

to fulfill something completely

Bruce filled his wine glass to the brim./Bruce filled his wine glass to the brim.

to find out

discover or learn

We will have to wait for the next TV episode to find out who the killer is.

get [x] over

to communicate or explain something clearly

The professor talked for hours but said nothing to the students.

progress

succeed or thrive

You'll never get ahead in this business if you don't follow the rules.

walk around

travel from place to place

It is impossible to move around this city without a car.

get to [x]

do something at last

I'll start fixing the table after the playoffs.

Go out

to avoid a fine or other inconvenience

Shirley thought she got away with cheating until her teacher asked her to stay after class.

agree with

be kind with

My dog ​​gets along with everyone as long as they aren't cats.

approach

now

I have an itch on my back that I can't reach.

try to prove or explain

These charts show that we will be broke next week.

move

run away or walk away from

Lucio liked to go to the lake every weekend, just to get away from the city.

Go out

to avoid punishment for a crime or deed

The boss's nephew gets away with it far more than any other employee.

get [x] back

to get something in return

Rodger got his pen back from Greta./Rodger took his pen back from Greta.

return to

take revenge on someone

Laila promised herself that she would get revenge on whoever started the rumours.

control

survive or get by on the bare minimum

When Sheila lost her job, the family had to survive only on their savings.

climb down

to enjoy without inhibitions, especially with music or dance

Vicente may be too formal at work, but he sure knows how to capture hip-hop.

drop [x] down

to depress or discourage someone

Kima always annoys everyone with her stories from the hospital.

record or write something down

The president spoke quickly at the press conference, and reporters had a hard time catching all of his comments.

came to

begin or begin

When everyone arrives, we start choosing the teams.

connect

participate in the activity

After Bitcoin started to rise, everyone wanted to get into cryptocurrency.

enter

discuss something thoroughly

I will not go into our finances now; we talk after our guests have left.

extract [x] from

to benefit from something

Babysitting the Cohles was a nightmare, but at least Janelle got some money out of it.

Come over

recover or overcome

Drinking a lot of water helps to get over the disease.

pass

to complete or endure an unpleasant task

Alessandra can't get through the morning without coffee.

came to

bother or disturb anyone

I like people who don't clean up after their dogs.

get together

have a social event

The volleyball team gathers for dinner after practice.

give [x] away

donate something or give something for free

Mindy gave away her precious doll collection./Mindy gave away her precious doll collection.

give op

accept defeat, give up or surrender

Carin felt like giving up every time she saw a traffic light.

give up [x].

stop consuming or doing something, often a habit

Minh gave up chocolate in his diet./Minh gave up chocolate in his diet.

go against

to contradict, oppose, or fight against

A group of students went against the school's dress code yesterday wearing ripped jeans.

continue

to continue or move on

Due to the snow, we cannot continue with the festival.

Go on

agree or pretend to agree

Even though Cedric hated lifting weights, he agreed to do it because his trainer suggested it.

go after

to try or try to achieve something

Carlos trains so hard because he is going after the Olympic gold medal.

Continue

continue to do something (cfcontinue [x].)

The boys will continue digging until they come across a water pipe.

Go over

review or revisit

Marie reviewed the study guide one last time before the test.

hand in

hand in (especially an assignment)

The teacher wants us to submit our essays via email.

hold [x] back

prevent someone from doing something

I wanted to be an architect, but bad grades held me back.

continue [x].

continue to do something (cfContinue)

Keep up this pace and you will set a new record!

omit [x].

omit or ignore

Orna has omitted the diagram from the presentation. / Orna has omitted the graph from the presentation.

drop [x].

disappoint

Kamal let Marc down when he was late./Kamal let Marc down when he was late.

release

free or free

Don't let go of the rope until I'm safe.

let [x] enter

allow access

Close the door or you'll let the flies in!

notify [x].

say something to someone

Let me know as soon as Leslie replies.

beware

to take care of someone or something

Thank you for taking care of me when I was sick.

look up to [x]

to admire or idolize someone

I looked up to this YouTuber until I read about their scandal.

mix

mistake something for something else

It's easy to confuse Chris Pine and Chris Pratt.

drag [x] up

to reach or bring something closer

Eugene pulled up the document on his computer./Eugene pulled up a document on his computer.

set X].

to carry or add something to one's person or object

I always put on my backpack before I leave the house./I always put on my backpack before I leave the house.

allow

tolerate or forgive

Somehow, Paz could tolerate Janice's cynical attitude.

run out

to use up everything or exhaust the supply of something

Isabella ran out of toilet paper at the worst possible time.

Can you see it

make sure something is done

I'll make sure to water the plants while you're gone.

set X].

arrange or arrange

When no one invited me to join their study group, I started it myself.

to show off

deliberately displaying skills or achievements to impress people

Panya shouldn't have shot so many threes; she just showed up.

turn [x] off.

switch off, especially the machine

Don't forget to turn off the water after showering./Don't forget to turn off the water after showering.

take after

similar, especially in parents and their children

Li looks up to his father when it comes to politics.

take out [x].

move something out

Please take out the trash before dinner./Please take out the trash before dinner.

think [x].

consider something

When his parents suggested selling his Pokemon card, Yosef reconsidered.

caste [x].

get rid of something

Can you throw away the old burrito?/Can you throw away the old burrito?

turn [x] down

refuse or say "no"

My crush rejected me after asking them out.

the top of

to fill something to the brim; to complete something in a special or spectacular way

Can I refill your drink?

hang on

servers, especially in a restaurant

Billie waited impatiently at the new customer table, hoping for a big tip.

Frequently asked questions about phrasal verbs

English speakers of all backgrounds often have questions about phrasal verbs - after all, they are quite confusing! Here are some frequently asked questions about phrasal verbs to help youcleansome things.

What are phrasal verbs?

Phrasal verbs are a group of words that combine a verb with an adverb or a preposition. Together, these words function as a single verb and take on an entirely new meaning that is independent of the meaning of the individual words.

What are examples of phrasal verbs?

Phrasal verbs are very common and you hear them all the time in spoken English. Some popular examples includeGo out,relax,data, dvsallow.

What are the four types of phrasal verbs?

There are four types of phrasal verbs, divided into two pairs: transitive and intransitive; separable and inseparable. A phrasal verb can only belong to one of each pair, but note that all separable phrasal verbs are transitive.

This article was originally written in 2020 by Nikki Piontek. It has been updated to include new information.