500 Phrasal Verbs List: A Complete Guide for Mastering English

Are you ready to boost your English skills? Phrasal verbs are an essential part of mastering the English language.

Whether you’re preparing for exams, creating fluent conversations, or simply expanding your vocabulary, this list of 500 phrasal verbs has you covered.

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are phrases that consist of a verb combined with a preposition, adverb, or both. They often have meanings that are different from the original verb. For example:

• Break down: To stop working (e.g., “My car broke down on the way home.”)
• Look after: To take care of (e.g., “She looks after her younger brother.”)

Learning and using phrasal verbs effectively can make your English sound more natural and fluent.

Importance of Phrasal Verbs in Daily Communication

• Improves Understanding: Knowing phrasal verbs helps you understand native speakers better.
• Enhances Expression: They allow you to express ideas more concisely.

The First Top 5 Phrasal Verbs List

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Add up	Make sense	“Her story doesn’t add up.”
Back up	Support someone/something	“Can you back me up during the meeting?”
Break out	Escape	“The prisoner broke out last night.”
Call off	Cancel	“They called off the meeting.”
Find out	Discover information	“I found out about the surprise party.”

The Top More 15 Phrasal Verbs List

Come across	Find unexpectedly	“I came across an old photo album.”
Run out of	Use up completely	“We ran out of milk this morning.”
Turn up	Appear, arrive unexpectedly	“She turned up late to the meeting.”
Get over	Recover from something	“It took her months to get over the flu.”
Take up	Start a new activity	“He took up painting as a hobby.”
Keep up with	Maintain the same level or pace	“She struggles to keep up with her work.”
Break up	End a relationship	“They broke up after three years together.”
Look forward to	Anticipate something with pleasure	“I look forward to meeting you soon.”
Pick out	Select or choose	“He picked out a gift for his mother.”
Bring up	Raise a topic or mention	“She brought up an interesting point.”
Set off	Begin a journey	“We set off early in the morning.”
Cut down on	Reduce something	“I’m trying to cut down on sugar.”
Look back on	Reflect on the past	“He looked back on his school days fondly.”
Work out	Exercise or solve a problem	“She works out at the gym daily.”
Turn down	Reject or refuse	“He turned down the job offer.”

The Top More 15 Phrasal Verbs List

Calm down	Relax after being angry	“She took a deep breath to calm down.”
Turn off	Stop a machine or device	“Please turn off the lights before leaving.”
Put up with	Tolerate or endure	“I can’t put up with this noise anymore.”
Pass away	Die	“Her grandfather passed away last year.”
Get along with	Have a good relationship	“They get along with each other very well.”
Give up	Stop trying or surrender	“He gave up after several failed attempts.”
Fall behind	Lag or progress more slowly	“She fell behind in her studies.”
Show up	Arrive or appear	“He showed up late for the event.”
Pull over	Move a vehicle to the side of the road	“The police asked us to pull over.”
Bring out	Highlight or showcase	“This dress brings out the color of your eyes.”
Call back	Return a phone call	“I’ll call back as soon as I’m free.”
Do without	Manage without something	“We’ll have to do without a car for now.”
Go over	Review or examine carefully	“Let’s go over the report before submitting it.”
Look into	Investigate or explore	“The company is looking into the complaint.”
Come up with	Think of an idea or plan	“She came up with a brilliant solution.”

The Top More 15 Phrasal Verbs List

Take after	Resemble a family member	“She takes after her mother in looks and manners.”
Hold on	Wait or continue	“Hold on a moment, I’ll be right back.”
Put down	Criticize someone	“Don’t put down others; it’s disrespectful.”
Carry on	Continue doing something	“Despite the difficulties, they carried on with their work.”
Break down	Stop functioning	“My car broke down during the road trip.”
Catch on	Understand or become popular	“It took her a while to catch on to the joke.”
Get away	Escape or take a break	“They plan to get away for the weekend.”
Turn in	Submit or go to bed	“I turned in my assignment late.”
Look out	Be careful	“Look out! There’s a car coming.”
Cut off	Stop supply or interrupt	“The phone call was cut off abruptly.”
Fall out	Argue and lose friendship	“They fell out over a silly misunderstanding.”
Bring in	Introduce or earn	“The new product brought in a lot of revenue.”
Lay off	Dismiss from a job	“The company had to lay off several employees.”
Pick up	Learn or collect something/someone	“He picked up Spanish while traveling.”
Take off	Leave or succeed quickly	“Her career took off after the promotion.”

The Second Top More 15 Phrasal Verbs List

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Turn over	Pass responsibility or give control	“He turned over the task to his assistant.”
Bring around	Convince someone	“She managed to bring him around to her idea.”
Put out	Extinguish a fire	“The firefighters put out the flames quickly.”
Come out	Become visible or public	“The truth finally came out.”
Back down	Retreat from a position or argument	“He refused to back down during the debate.”
Look down on	Regard someone with disdain	“She looks down on people with less money.”
Take in	Absorb or understand	“It took her a while to take in the news.”
Bring up	Raise or care for a child	“They brought up their kids with good values.”
Settle down	Live quietly or establish roots	“They want to settle down in the countryside.”
Go through	Experience or endure something	“She went through a tough time last year.”
Make up	Reconcile or invent	“They made up after the fight.”
Break in	Interrupt or enter forcefully	“Someone broke in while we were away.”
Call out	Challenge or criticize someone	“He called out the team for poor performance.”
Figure out	Solve or understand something	“I can’t figure out what’s wrong.”
Hold up	Delay or support	“Traffic held us up for hours.”

The Top More 10 Phrasal Verbs List

Stand out	Be noticeable or exceptional	“Her talent really stands out.”
Fall for	Be deceived or fall in love	“Don’t fall for that scam.”
Catch up	Reach the same level or speed	“She ran faster to catch up with the group.”
Take over	Assume control	“She took over the family business.”
Go out	Leave or stop burning	“We decided to go out for dinner.”
Break into	Enter by force	“The burglars broke into the house last night.”
Come across as	Appear or seem in a certain way	“He comes across as very confident.”
Set out	Start a journey or plan	“They set out early to reach the summit.”
Look over	Review something quickly	“Please look over these documents.”
Get along	Be on good terms	“They don’t get along very well.”

The Top More 15 Phrasal Verbs List

Bring in	Include or attract	“The company brought in new investors.”
Take down	Remove or write	“He took down the posters from the wall.”
Look forward to	Await something with anticipation	“I look forward to your response.”
Go back	Return to a place or activity	“They decided to go back to their hometown.”
Call off	Cancel	“The event was called off due to rain.”
Run over	Hit something with a vehicle	“He accidentally ran over a pothole.”
Put up	Raise or accommodate	“They put up a new sign at the entrance.”
Come down with	Start to suffer from an illness	“She came down with the flu last night.”
Turn out	Happen or be revealed	“It turned out better than expected.”
Let in	Allow entry	“Could you let in the delivery person?”
Throw away	Discard	“Don’t throw away those old magazines.”
Pass out	Faint or distribute	“She passed out from exhaustion.”
Hold on to	Retain or keep	“Hold on to your ticket for the refund.”
Bring over	Take someone or something to a place	“Can you bring over the documents tomorrow?”
Break out in	Develop a rash or sweat	“He broke out in hives after eating peanuts.”

The Top More 10 Phrasal Verbs List

Fill in	Complete or substitute	“Could you fill in this form for me?”
Carry on with	Continue doing something	“She carried on with her studies despite challenges.”
Check in on	Ensure someone is doing well	“I’ll check in on my grandmother later.”
Drop by	Visit casually or briefly	“Feel free to drop by any time.”
Take apart	Dismantle	“He took apart the clock to repair it.”
Turn around	Reverse direction or improve	“The team managed to turn around the project.”
Set aside	Reserve or save	“He set aside some money for the trip.”
Make out	Discern or understand	“I couldn’t make out what he was saying.”
Bring off	Succeed in doing something difficult	“She brought off an impressive presentation.”
Stand up for	Defend or support	“He stood up for his beliefs.”

The Top More 20 Phrasal Verbs List

Bring forward	Suggest or propose	“She brought forward an interesting idea.”
Turn away	Refuse entry or dismiss	“They turned away dozens of applicants.”
Throw up	Vomit	“He felt sick and threw up after dinner.”
Take on	Accept responsibility or challenge	“She’s taking on extra work this week.”
Look up to	Admire or respect	“He looks up to his older brother.”
Go over	Revise or discuss carefully	“We need to go over the contract again.”
Back up	Move backward or support	“Back up a little so I can fit in.”
Come up	Be mentioned or occur	“That topic came up during the meeting.”
Step down	Resign from a position	“He decided to step down as CEO.”
Break down	Analyze or stop functioning	“Let me break down the problem for you.”

Take out on	Vent frustration on someone	“Don’t take out your anger on me.”
Keep on	Continue doing something	“He kept on talking despite my objections.”
Put across	Communicate an idea clearly	“She put across her point effectively.”
Run down	Criticize or reduce strength	“Stop running down your colleagues.”
Look into	Investigate or examine	“The company is looking into new solutions.”
Come along	Arrive or develop	“A better opportunity came along soon after.”
Move on	Progress or change	“It’s time to move on to the next chapter.”
Go through with	Proceed despite difficulties	“He went through with the risky decision.”
Stand by	Support or be ready	“I’ll stand by you no matter what happens.”
Break away	Escape or separate	“The player broke away from the defenders.”

The Top More 20 Phrasal Verbs List

Call out	Shout or summon	“He called out for help when he got stuck.”
Show off	Display boastfully	“He likes to show off his new car.”
Take apart	Dismantle or analyze	“She took apart the machine to figure out the issue.”
Come down to	Be ultimately dependent on	“It all comes down to making the right choice.”
Pick up on	Notice or understand	“She picked up on his nervous behavior.”
Look back	Reflect on past events	“It’s important to look back and learn from mistakes.”
Carry over	Transfer or continue	“The balance will carry over to next month.”
Knock down	Strike to the ground	“The old building was knocked down for renovation.”
Work on	Improve or develop	“He’s working on his communication skills.”
Bring in	Earn or attract	“The new campaign brought in more customers.”

Keep up	Maintain pace or continue	“He’s struggling to keep up with the workload.”
Hand over	Give responsibility or deliver	“Handed over the documents to the manager.”
Give out	Distribute or stop functioning	“The teacher gave out the assignments.”
Stand in	Substitute for someone	“She stood in for her colleague at the event.”
Cut down	Reduce	“You should cut down on unnecessary expenses.”
Turn off	Deactivate or repel	“The rude comment turned me off completely.”
Come over	Visit or approach	“Why don’t you come over for dinner?”
Fall behind	Lag behind in progress	“He fell behind in his studies this semester.”
Make up for	Compensate for something	“She worked hard to make up for lost time.”
Take apart	Disassemble	“He took apart the gadget to repair it.”

The Top More 20 Phrasal Verbs List

Break up	Divide into smaller parts or end a relationship	“The project was broken up into manageable tasks.”
Get off	Leave a vehicle or avoid punishment	“He got off the bus at the next stop.”
Put back	Return something to its original place	“Please put back the book when you’re done.”
Take off	Remove or start flying	“The plane took off smoothly.”
Call back	Return a phone call	“I’ll call back after lunch.”
Fall out	Argue and lose friendship	“They fell out over a disagreement.”
Hold out	Extend or resist	“She held out her hand for the payment.”
Look out for	Watch carefully for something or someone	“Look out for cars when crossing the road.”
Go ahead	Proceed	“You can go ahead with your plans.”
Come across	Appear or find by chance	“I came across an interesting book at the library.”

Stick to	Continue or adhere to something	“Let’s stick to the original plan.”
Cut out	Remove or stop doing something	“You should cut out junk food from your diet.”
Check in	Register or confirm arrival	“We checked in at the hotel yesterday.”
Run away with	Escape with something	“The thieves ran away with the money.”
Settle for	Accept something less satisfactory	“I won’t settle for anything but the best.”
Turn up	Increase or appear	“Could you turn up the volume?”
Bring down	Reduce or depress	“This sad news brought down the entire mood.”
Take off with	Steal or escape with something	“Someone took off with my wallet!”
Go off on	Criticize or become angry with someone	“She went off on her coworker for being late.”
Look in on	Visit briefly to check on someone	“I’ll look in on Grandma later.”

Comprehensive 310 Phrasal Verbs List

Here is the expanded 310 phrasal verbs list to further boost your vocabulary.

1. Commonly Used Phrasal Verbs

These are versatile and frequently found in everyday English conversations:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Break in	Interrupt or enter forcefully	“He broke in during the meeting to make a point.”
Set up	Establish or arrange	“We set up the new equipment yesterday.”
Get over	Recover from something	“It took him weeks to get over the flu.”
Look down on	Regard with contempt	“She looks down on people with less experience.”
Work out	Solve or exercise	“They worked out the problem efficiently.”

2. Business Phrasal Verbs

Perfect for professional contexts and workplace communication:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Bring up	Mention or introduce a topic	“He brought up the need for additional resources.”
Look into	Investigate or research	“We’re looking into ways to improve productivity.”
Hand over	Transfer responsibility	“She handed over the project to the new team.”
Turn down	Refuse or reject	“They turned down the candidate due to lack of experience.”
Carry out	Execute or complete	“The company carried out the survey successfully.”

3. Casual Conversation Phrasal Verbs

Used in informal or friendly interactions:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Hang out	Spend time socially	“We hung out at the park this afternoon.”
Cheer up	Make someone feel better	“A funny movie will cheer you up!”
Run into	Meet unexpectedly	“I ran into an old friend at the supermarket.”
Pick up	Collect someone or learn something	“I picked up Spanish while traveling in Spain.”
Catch up	Reach the same level or update	“Let’s catch up over coffee next week.”

4. Travel-Related Phrasal Verbs

Essential for navigating journeys and travel scenarios:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Check out	Examine or leave	“We checked out of the hotel early this morning.”
Take off	When a plane leaves the ground	“The flight took off an hour late.”
Hold up	Delay or obstruct	“The bus was held up by heavy traffic.”
Get on	Board a vehicle	“We got on the train to London.”
Come across	Discover by chance	“I came across a charming café near the station.”

5. Academic Phrasal Verbs

These are ideal for students, educators, and professionals involved in academic work or research:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Go over	Review or examine carefully	“Let’s go over your essay before submission.”
Look into	Investigate or research thoroughly	“She’s looking into the history of the topic.”
Point out	Highlight or indicate	“He pointed out the key arguments in the paper.”
Catch up on	Make up for missed work	“I need to catch up on my reading this weekend.”
Back up	Support with evidence	“You need to back up your claims with references.”
Set out	Start a journey or explain in detail	“The researcher set out to prove the hypothesis.”
Break down	Separate into smaller parts	“He broke down the results into simpler terms.”
Write up	Prepare a formal report or document	“She wrote up her findings for the presentation.”
Hand in	Submit work or assignments	“He handed in his thesis on time.”
Figure out	Solve or understand	“They figured out how to improve the method.”

6. Household Phrasal Verbs

Commonly used in daily household tasks and routines:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Clean up	Tidy or organize a space	“We need to clean up the kitchen after dinner.”
Put away	Store something in its proper place	“Please put away your toys before bedtime.”
Take out	Remove or dispose of	“Can you take out the trash, please?”
Mop up	Clean liquid from a surface	“He mopped up the spilled juice.”
Wash up	Clean dishes or oneself	“She washed up after cooking dinner.”
Throw out	Discard or get rid of	“He threw out the broken chair.”
Hang up	Suspend clothes or end a call	“Please hang up your coat by the door.”
Turn on	Activate or start	“Turn on the lights when it gets dark.”
Turn off	Deactivate or stop	“Don’t forget to turn off the stove.”
Fix up	Repair or renovate	“They fixed up the old house beautifully.”

7. Emotional and Social Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs used to express emotions or social interactions:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Cheer up	Make someone feel better	“A kind word can cheer anyone up.”
Let down	Disappoint someone	“She felt let down by her friends.”
Open up	Share personal feelings	“He finally opened up about his struggles.”
Bring up	Raise a topic or mention	“She brought up an interesting point during the conversation.”
Break up	End a relationship	“They broke up after years of being together.”
Get along	Have a harmonious relationship	“They get along well despite their differences.”
Calm down	Relax after being upset	“She tried to calm him down after the argument.”
Stand up for	Defend or support	“He stood up for his friend during the conflict.”
Fall for	Be attracted to or deceived	“He fell for her charm immediately.”
Go out with	Date someone	“She’s going out with her classmate.”

8. Communication-Related Phrasal Verbs

These phrasal verbs focus on verbal or written communication, often found in conversations and professional exchanges:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Speak up	Talk louder or express an opinion	“You need to speak up if you want to be heard.”
Talk over	Discuss a problem or issue	“Let’s talk over the details of the contract.”
Bring up	Introduce a topic or issue	“She brought up the need for better planning.”
Get across	Communicate clearly	“He struggled to get his ideas across in the meeting.”
Spell out	Explain something in detail	“Can you spell out the process step by step?”
Call back	Return a phone call	“I’ll call you back after the meeting.”
Put across	Express an idea effectively	“He managed to put across his opinion clearly.”
Pass on	Relay information	“Please pass on the message to everyone.”
Cut off	Interrupt someone speaking	“She cut him off in the middle of his sentence.”
Turn to	Ask someone for help or advice	“She turned to her mentor for guidance.”

9. Relationship-Related Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs commonly used to describe relationships and interactions:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Break up	End a relationship	“They broke up after four years of dating.”
Make up	Reconcile after a disagreement	“They made up and are friends again.”
Fall out	Have an argument and stop being close	“They fell out over a trivial matter.”
Get together	Meet socially	“We should get together for lunch sometime.”
Put up with	Tolerate	“I can’t put up with his behavior anymore.”
Drift apart	Gradually become distant	“They drifted apart after college.”
Run into	Meet unexpectedly	“I ran into an old friend at the store.”
Look up to	Admire or respect	“He has always looked up to his older brother.”
Go out with	Be in a romantic relationship	“She’s been going out with him for a year.”
Take after	Resemble a family member	“She takes after her mother in many ways.”

10. Technology-Related Phrasal Verbs

These are relevant for modern communication and tech-savvy interactions:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Log in	Access a system or account	“You need to log in to check your email.”
Log out	Exit a system or account	“Don’t forget to log out before leaving.”
Set up	Configure or prepare	“She set up the new software on her laptop.”
Back up	Create a copy of data	“Always back up your files to avoid losing them.”
Shut down	Turn off a device or system	“He shut down his computer after work.”
Turn on	Activate a device	“Can you turn on the printer for me?”
Turn off	Deactivate a device	“Turn off the TV before you leave.”
Plug in	Connect to a power source	“He plugged in his phone to charge it.”
Power up	Start a machine or device	“You need to power up the system before use.”
Hack into	Gain unauthorized access to a system	“Someone hacked into the company’s database.”

11. Sports and Fitness Phrasal Verbs

These phrasal verbs are great for talking about exercise, sports, and physical activities:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Warm up	Prepare the body for physical activity	“You should warm up before running.”
Cool down	Relax after exercise	“Make sure to cool down after the workout.”
Work out	Exercise or solve	“I work out at the gym every morning.”
Give up	Stop trying or quit	“He gave up after losing the match.”
Catch up	Move faster to reach someone/something	“She caught up with the runner ahead.”
Take on	Challenge or compete	“They took on their rivals in the final game.”
Back off	Retreat or avoid confrontation	“He backed off when he realized he was outnumbered.”
Pull ahead	Move into a leading position	“She pulled ahead during the last lap of the race.”
Sit out	Skip participation in an activity	“He sat out the game due to an injury.”
Keep up	Maintain the same pace	“Try to keep up with the coach during practice.”

12. Work and Career Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Step up	Take responsibility or improve efforts	“He stepped up and took the lead on the project.”
Break down	Analyze or fail	“We need to break down the budget for clarity.”
Look up to	Admire or respect someone	“She looks up to her manager for guidance.”
Take over	Assume control of something	“He took over as the team leader.”
Lay off	Dismiss someone from a job	“The company had to lay off employees due to budget cuts.”
Keep up with	Stay updated or maintain pace	“She tries to keep up with the latest trends in the industry.”
Turn down	Refuse or reject	“He turned down the job offer.”
Carry out	Complete or execute a task	“They carried out the project successfully.”
Bring in	Earn or attract	“The new campaign brought in a lot of revenue.”
Hold on to	Retain or keep	“He held on to his position despite challenges.”

13. Health and Well-being Phrasal Verbs

These are useful for discussing physical and emotional health:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Come down with	Start to suffer from an illness	“She came down with a cold last week.”
Get over	Recover from an illness or setback	“It took him months to get over the injury.”
Break out in	Develop a rash or sweat	“He broke out in hives after eating peanuts.”
Calm down	Relax after being upset	“He calmed down after the stressful meeting.”
Check up on	Monitor someone’s health	“The doctor checked up on her progress.”
Throw up	Vomit	“He felt sick and threw up after dinner.”
Cut down on	Reduce something harmful	“You should cut down on sugary drinks.”
Build up	Develop or improve strength	“She’s working to build up her endurance.”
Pull through	Recover from a serious illness	“He pulled through after the surgery.”
Look after	Take care of someone or yourself	“She looks after her children with great care.”

14. Travel and Adventure Phrasal Verbs

These are useful for describing journeys, adventures, and travel-related activities:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Set off	Start a journey	“We set off early to reach the mountains.”
Check out	Leave a hotel or examine something	“We checked out of the hotel after breakfast.”
Take off	When a plane leaves the ground	“The flight took off on time.”
Hold up	Delay or obstruct	“The bus was held up by heavy traffic.”
Get on	Board a vehicle	“We got on the train to New York.”
Get off	Leave a vehicle	“We got off the bus at the next stop.”
Stop over	Have a short stay somewhere	“We stopped over in Dubai on our way to Europe.”
Look around	Explore or inspect a place	“We looked around the old town for souvenirs.”
Pick up	Collect someone or something	“We picked up some snacks for the trip.”
Drop off	Deliver someone or something	“I dropped off my friend at the airport.”

15. Conflict and Resolution Phrasal Verbs

These are useful for describing disputes and their resolutions:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Break out	Start suddenly (conflict or violence)	“A fight broke out during the game.”
Calm down	Relax or become less angry	“He calmed down after hearing an apology.”
Back down	Withdraw from a confrontation	“She backed down when she realized she was wrong.”
Make up	Reconcile after a dispute	“They made up and are friends again.”
Stand up for	Defend or support	“He stood up for his rights during the debate.”
Fall out	Argue and lose closeness	“They fell out over a misunderstanding.”
Push back	Resist or oppose	“The team pushed back against the new policy.”
Give in	Surrender or yield	“He gave in after hours of negotiation.”
Work out	Resolve or find a solution	“They worked out their differences in the meeting.”
Break off	End or discontinue	“They broke off the talks after disagreements.”

16. Nature and Environment Phrasal Verbs

Perfect for describing activities related to nature, conservation, and the environment:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Cut down	Reduce or remove	“They cut down the old tree in the backyard.”
Throw away	Discard something	“Don’t throw away plastic—it can be recycled.”
Break down	Decompose or fail	“Organic waste breaks down faster in compost.”
Clean up	Remove waste or tidy	“Volunteers cleaned up the beach after the storm.”
Die out	Become extinct or less common	“Many animal species are dying out due to habitat loss.”
Give off	Emit or produce	“Plants give off oxygen during photosynthesis.”
Pollute with	Contaminate with harmful substances	“The river was polluted with industrial waste.”
Grow up	Mature or develop	“Flowers grow up faster in sunny weather.”
Look after	Take care of	“He looks after the garden every weekend.”
Run out	Use up completely	“We’re running out of water resources quickly.”

17. Shopping-Related Phrasal Verbs

Perfect for discussing buying, selling, and retail activities:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Try on	Test clothing for fit or style	“She tried on several dresses before buying one.”
Pick out	Choose or select something	“He picked out a pair of sneakers he liked.”
Shop around	Compare prices or options	“It’s a good idea to shop around before making a purchase.”
Sell out	Have no more stock available	“The concert tickets sold out in minutes.”
Put on	Wear an item of clothing	“She put on a jacket because it was cold.”
Ring up	Record a sale on a cash register	“The cashier rang up the items quickly.”
Stock up on	Buy a large quantity of something	“We need to stock up on groceries for the week.”
Take back	Return a purchase	“I took back the shoes because they didn’t fit.”
Look for	Search for something	“He’s looking for a gift for his friend.”
Mark down	Reduce the price of an item	“The store marked down its winter collection.”

18. Entertainment and Leisure Phrasal Verbs

Useful for describing recreational activities and fun experiences:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Hang out	Spend time casually	“We hung out at the mall all afternoon.”
Chill out	Relax and take it easy	“Let’s chill out by the pool this weekend.”
Catch up on	Watch or do something you’ve missed	“I need to catch up on the latest episodes of my favorite show.”
Take up	Start a new hobby or activity	“He took up painting during his free time.”
Check out	Visit or see something interesting	“We checked out the new café downtown.”
Go out	Leave home for entertainment	“They went out for dinner and a movie.”
Turn up	Arrive unexpectedly or with enthusiasm	“He turned up at the party without an invitation.”
Sing along	Join in singing with others	“Everyone sang along to the popular song.”
Sit back	Relax and enjoy	“Just sit back and enjoy the show.”
Join in	Participate in an activity	“Feel free to join in the game anytime.”

19. Emotional and Psychological Phrasal Verbs

Describing inner feelings and mental states:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Hold back	Control or restrain emotions	“She couldn’t hold back her tears during the movie.”
Let out	Release a sound or emotion	“He let out a sigh of relief after the exam.”
Break down	Become overwhelmed emotionally	“She broke down in tears after hearing the news.”
Open up	Share feelings openly	“He opened up about his struggles with his friends.”
Feel for	Empathize or sympathize with someone	“I really feel for her after what happened.”
Cheer up	Make someone feel better	“A kind word can cheer anyone up.”
Bottle up	Suppress emotions	“He bottled up his anger for too long.”
Get over	Recover from a mental or emotional event	“She took time to get over the breakup.”
Freak out	Become very anxious or upset	“She freaked out when she saw the spider.”
Calm down	Relax after being upset	“He calmed down after a long walk.”

20. Workplace Dynamics Phrasal Verbs

Useful for discussing interactions and scenarios in professional environments:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Bring up	Introduce a topic or issue	“He brought up the budget concerns during the meeting.”
Step in	Intervene or assist	“The manager stepped in to resolve the conflict.”
Stand up to	Confront or oppose someone	“She stood up to her boss’s unfair criticism.”
Back out	Withdraw from an agreement or plan	“They backed out of the deal at the last minute.”
Keep at	Persist with a task	“She kept at her work until it was finished.”
Pitch in	Contribute or help	“Everyone pitched in to meet the deadline.”
Run by	Share an idea to get feedback	“Let me run this by you before I send it to the client.”
Turn around	Improve a situation	“The team managed to turn around the failing project.”
Take on	Accept responsibility or hire someone	“The company is taking on new employees.”
Hand over	Transfer responsibility	“He handed over the project to the new team.”

21. Conflict Resolution Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Talk it over	Discuss a problem to find a solution	“They talked it over and decided to compromise.”
Back down	Concede or withdraw from a position	“He backed down after realizing he was mistaken.”
Patch up	Resolve or fix a problem	“They patched up their differences and moved on.”
Bring about	Cause something to happen	“The new agreement brought about peace between the groups.”
Work out	Resolve or figure out	“They worked out their disagreement amicably.”
Give in	Surrender or yield	“She gave in after hours of negotiation.”
Stand up for	Defend or support someone	“He stood up for his colleagues during the meeting.”
Smooth over	Make a situation less tense	“They smoothed over the argument with an apology.”
Sort out	Organize or resolve	“We need to sort out this issue before proceeding.”
Call off	Cancel or end	“They called off the strike after reaching a compromise.”

22. Learning and Study Phrasal Verbs

Essential for students and lifelong learners:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Catch up	Reach the same level as others	“I need to catch up on my reading for class.”
Look into	Research or investigate	“She’s looking into the topic for her essay.”
Keep up with	Stay updated or maintain progress	“He struggles to keep up with his assignments.”
Figure out	Solve or understand something	“She figured out how to solve the math problem.”
Take in	Absorb or learn new information	“He found it hard to take in all the details during the lecture.”
Drop out	Withdraw from a course or institution	“She dropped out of college to pursue her passion.”
Go over	Review or examine	“Let’s go over your notes before the test.”
Write down	Record information on paper	“She wrote down the key points from the lecture.”
Sit in on	Attend a class or meeting without participating	“He sat in on the seminar to learn more.”
Hand in	Submit work or assignments	“She handed in her homework on time.”

Tips for Learning and Using Phrasal Verbs

• Practice Daily: Use phrasal verbs in your conversations or writing.
• Flashcards: Create flashcards to memorize their meanings.
• Watch and Listen: Engage with English movies, songs, and podcasts to hear phrasal verbs in context.

23. Time Management and Productivity Phrasal Verbs

Ideal for discussing organization and efficiency:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Keep up with	Stay on schedule or maintain pace	“She tries to keep up with her busy schedule.”
Plan ahead	Prepare in advance	“You need to plan ahead to avoid last-minute stress.”
Set aside	Reserve time or resources	“He set aside an hour for studying every day.”
Catch up on	Make up for lost time	“I need to catch up on my work before the deadline.”
Hold off	Delay or postpone	“Let’s hold off on making a decision until we get more information.”
Cut back on	Reduce time spent	“She cut back on TV to focus on her studies.”
Work out	Resolve or figure out	“Let’s work out how we can complete this task efficiently.”
Stick to	Stay committed to a plan or schedule	“You should stick to your study plan for success.”
Set up	Arrange or organize	“We set up a detailed timeline for the project.”
Look forward to	Anticipate something positively	“I’m looking forward to finishing this report.”

24. Household Tasks and Cleaning Phrasal Verbs

Perfect for describing chores and upkeep:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Tidy up	Organize or clean a space	“She tidied up the living room before guests arrived.”
Wash off	Remove dirt or stains	“He washed off the mud from his boots.”
Mop up	Clean liquid spills	“He mopped up the spilled water quickly.”
Sweep away	Remove debris or dirt	“She swept away the leaves from the porch.”
Throw out	Discard or get rid of	“We threw out old newspapers last night.”
Hang up	Suspend clothes or end a call	“Please hang up your wet jacket to dry.”
Take out	Remove garbage or other items	“Could you take out the trash before you leave?”
Wipe down	Clean a surface thoroughly	“He wiped down the kitchen counter after cooking.”
Fix up	Repair or renovate	“They fixed up the broken chair easily.”
Put away	Store items in their proper place	“She put away her books after finishing her homework.”

25. Socializing and Networking Phrasal Verbs

Great for describing social scenarios and connections:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Meet up	Gather with others	“We’re meeting up at the café later.”
Hang out	Spend time casually	“They hung out at the park after school.”
Call over	Invite someone to come	“She called her friends over for dinner.”
Get together	Gather socially	“Let’s get together this weekend for a barbecue.”
Come over	Visit someone’s home	“Why don’t you come over for coffee later?”
Reach out	Contact someone for support	“She reached out to her colleagues for advice.”
Drop by	Visit briefly	“I’ll drop by your office to give you the file.”
Run into	Meet someone unexpectedly	“I ran into my old teacher at the store.”
Catch up	Reconnect and share updates	“Let’s catch up over lunch soon.”
Join in	Participate in an activity	“Feel free to join in the game if you’d like.”

26. Travel and Transportation Phrasal Verbs

Useful for describing modes of transport and related activities:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Get off	Leave a vehicle or transportation	“We got off the bus at the last stop.”
Get into	Enter a vehicle	“He got into the car and drove off.”
Pull over	Stop a vehicle at the side of the road	“The police asked him to pull over.”
Speed up	Accelerate	“The driver sped up to overtake the truck.”
Slow down	Decelerate or go more slowly	“You need to slow down when approaching a curve.”
Fill up	Refuel or fill completely	“He filled up the car with gas before the trip.”
Get on	Board a vehicle	“She got on the train just in time.”
Drop off	Leave someone or something at a location	“I dropped off my friend at the airport.”
Check in	Register at a hotel or airport	“We checked in at the airline counter.”
Take off	Depart, especially for flights	“The airplane took off exactly on schedule.”

27. Technology and Digital Interaction Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs relevant for our modern, digital world:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Log in	Access a system or account	“Make sure to log in to your account securely.”
Log out	Exit a system or account	“Always log out when using public computers.”
Shut down	Turn off a computer or device	“She shut down her laptop before leaving.”
Back up	Create a copy of data	“You should back up your files regularly.”
Hook up	Connect devices	“He hooked up the printer to his computer.”
Look up	Search for information	“She looked up the meaning of the word online.”
Turn on	Activate a device	“Can you turn on the Wi-Fi router?”
Turn off	Deactivate a device	“Don’t forget to turn off your phone during the meeting.”
Plug in	Connect to a power source	“You need to plug in your charger to power it up.”
Hack into	Gain unauthorized access	“Someone hacked into the company’s database.”

28. Weather and Nature Phrasal Verbs

Helpful for talking about the environment and weather patterns:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Blow over	Pass without causing damage	“The storm will blow over by the evening.”
Clear up	Improve or become brighter	“The sky cleared up after the rain stopped.”
Cool down	Become cooler	“The weather has cooled down significantly.”
Dry up	Become dry	“The river dried up during the summer.”
Warm up	Become warmer	“The temperatures are warming up this season.”
Die down	Become less intense	“The wind died down by the evening.”
Cloud over	Become cloudy	“The sky clouded over just before the storm.”
Come down	Fall to the ground (rain/snow)	“The snow came down heavily overnight.”
Freeze over	Become covered with ice	“The pond froze over during the winter.”
Blow away	Be carried away by the wind	“The strong winds blew away their umbrellas.”

29. Work and Professional Development Phrasal Verbs

Essential for discussing career growth, tasks, and work-related activities:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Step up	Take responsibility or improve efforts	“She stepped up to take charge of the project.”
Move forward	Progress or advance	“It’s time to move forward with the new plans.”
Follow up	Check progress after an initial action	“Let me follow up on the email I sent yesterday.”
Take over	Assume control or responsibility	“He took over as manager when the previous one retired.”
Put forward	Suggest an idea or proposal	“She put forward an innovative strategy during the meeting.”
Break down	Analyze or fail	“We need to break down the budget into smaller parts.”
Bring in	Recruit or involve someone	“The company brought in a new consultant for the project.”
Work on	Focus effort on a task	“We’re working on a solution to improve sales.”
Call off	Cancel or postpone	“They called off the event due to bad weather.”
Lay out	Explain or arrange something clearly	“He laid out the project timeline in the meeting.”

30. Health and Fitness Phrasal Verbs

Perfect for discussing physical activities and well-being:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Warm up	Prepare the body for physical activity	“You should warm up before running.”
Cool down	Relax after exercise	“Make sure to cool down after your workout.”
Work out	Exercise or solve	“He works out at the gym every morning.”
Bulk up	Gain muscle	“He’s been bulking up for the competition.”
Slim down	Lose weight	“She’s working hard to slim down for the wedding.”
Tone up	Improve muscle definition	“This workout helps tone up your arms.”
Build up	Develop strength	“She’s building up her endurance for the marathon.”
Cut down on	Reduce unhealthy habits	“He’s cutting down on sugar to improve his health.”
Pull through	Recover from a serious illness	“She pulled through after battling pneumonia.”
Throw up	Vomit	“He threw up after eating bad seafood.”

31. Interpersonal and Emotional Phrasal Verbs

Useful for describing social dynamics and feelings:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Open up	Share personal thoughts or feelings	“She opened up about her worries to her friend.”
Cheer up	Make someone feel better	“A kind word can cheer you up on a bad day.”
Let down	Disappoint someone	“He felt let down when his team lost the match.”
Break down	Be overwhelmed emotionally	“She broke down in tears after hearing the news.”
Hold back	Restrain emotions	“He held back his anger during the argument.”
Bottle up	Suppress feelings	“She bottled up her frustration for too long.”
Calm down	Relax after being upset	“The teacher calmed the class down after the commotion.”
Freak out	Become very anxious or upset	“She freaked out when she saw the exam results.”
Fall for	Be attracted to or deceived	“He fell for her charm instantly.”
Stand up for	Defend someone or a cause	“She stood up for her friends during the debate.”

FAQs ❓

What are phrasal verbs and why are they important?

Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs with prepositions or adverbs, often with unique meanings. They improve fluency and expression in English.

What is the best way to memorize phrasal verbs?

Use daily practice, flashcards, and expose yourself to English media like movies, songs, and podcasts to understand them in context.

Are phrasal verbs difficult to learn for beginners?

Not at all! With structured categories, examples, and learning tips, beginners can easily grasp and start using phrasal verbs effectively.

Conclusion 🌟

Mastering phrasal verbs transforms your English skills by making communication natural, fluent, and expressive. This guide offers over 500 versatile phrasal verbs, categorized for convenience, alongside tips for effective learning.

Whether you’re preparing for exams, enhancing workplace communication, or simply enriching your vocabulary, these phrasal verbs empower you to elevate your language skills. Begin incorporating them into your everyday conversations to unlock a world of confident expression and meaningful connections.