Phrasal Verb |
Meaning |
Examples |
Keep up with |
stay at the same level as someone or something |
Karan walks so fast it's difficult to keep up with him. |
Point out |
indicate/direct attention to something |
She pointed out the mistake.
|
Run away |
escape from a place or suddenly leave |
He ran away from home at the age of fourteen. |
Look down on |
consider as inferior |
He tends to look down on anyone who is not successful. |
Hurry up |
be quick, act speedily |
Hurry up! We'll miss the bus. |
Check out |
2. investigate |
2. I don't know if the address is still valid. I'll check it out. |
Pick up |
collect somebody |
I'll pick you up at the station when you arrive. |
Hand out |
distribute |
Samples will be handed out at the end of the demonstration. |
Stick up for |
defend |
It's important to stick up for one's principles. |
Rely on |
count on, depend on, trust |
Don't worry. You can rely on me. I can keep a secret. |
Boil down to |
be summarized as |
The problem boils down to a lack of money. |
Look up to |
admire |
He was a wonderful teacher and many students looked up to him.
|
Die down |
calm down, become less strong |
When the applause died down, she started to sing. |
Carry over |
postpone until later |
As regards holidays, can you carry over any days from one year to the next? |
Call back |
return a phone call |
I'll call you back as soon as possible. |
Put off |
postpone, arrange a later date |
The meeting was put off because of the strike. |
Pass out |
faint |
She passed out when she heard the bad news. |
Join up |
2. meet and unite with |
2. The two groups of tourists joined up at the hotel. |
Get on (well) with (somebody) |
have a good relationship with |
I get on very well with my colleagues. |
Pass away |
die |
The old lady passed away peacefully. |
Dress up |
1. wear elegant clothes |
1. Do people dress up to go to the opera in your country? |
Add up |
make sense, seem reasonable |
Her story just doesn't add up. |
Abide by |
respect or obey. (the law, a decision, a rule) |
If you want to stay at this school, you must abide by the rules. |
Hit on/upon |
find unexpectedly or by inspiration |
She hit upon an idea for her new collection. |
Get up |
rise, leave bed |
I usually get up at 7 o'clock. |
Break down |
2. lose control of one's emotions |
2. The parents broke down when they heard the bad news. |
Carry out |
1. do something as specified (a plan, an order, a threat) |
1. The plan was carried out to perfection. |
Even out |
1. eliminate differences of opinion. |
1. After a long discussion they managed to even out their differences. |
Cross out |
remove by drawing a line through |
In some exercises, you are asked to cross out the incorrect word. |
Get together |
meet each other |
Let's get together for lunch on day. |
Get on with (something) |
continue to do; make progress |
Be quiet and get on with your homework. |
Get by |
manage to cope or to survive |
It's difficult to get by on a low salary. |
Get out of |
avoid doing something |
Some husbands manage to get out of doing any housework. |
Jot down |
take quick notes |
I jotted down the address while watching the programme on TV. |
Focus on |
concentrate on something |
The advertising campaign will focus on the quality of the product.
|
Mix up |
mistake one thing or person for another |
I don't know my neighbours' names yet. I keep mixing them up. |
Take off |
leave the ground |
The plane took off at 6 a.m. |
Do without |
manage without |
The shops are closed so we'll have to do without sugar. |
Rule out |
eliminate |
The police ruled out political motives. |
Check in |
register at a hotel or airport |
For security reasons you have to check in two hours before your flight. |
Count on |
rely or depend on (for help) |
I'm counting on the taxi driver to find the theatre. |
Get along (with) |
be on good terms; work well with |
I get along (well) with my mother-in-law. |
Bail out |
1. pay money to secure someone's release |
1. When he was arrested, his family refused to bail him out. |
Move out |
leave your home/office for another one. |
My neighbour is leaving. He's moving out next Saturday. |
Aim at |
point something in the direction of a target |
The policeman aimed his gun at the hijacker. |
Drop out |
leave school without finishing |
She decided to go to art school then dropped out after the first term. |
Cut out |
2. stop doing something |
2. I'm going to cut out eating between meals.
|
Stand up |
rise from a sitting position |
The pupils stood up when the headmaster arrived. |
Look for |
try to find something |
Seema went to the shops to look for a pair of shoes. |
Drag on |
last longer than expected |
We expected a short speech but it dragged on and on! |
Bring up |
raise (a child) |
She stopped working in order to bring up her children. |
Drop in |
visit, usually on the way somewhere |
I sometimes drop in to see my grandparents on my way home from school. |
Even out |
2. become level or regular |
2. The road was evened out to make it safer. |
Hold on |
1. wait |
1. "Hold on please. I'll put you through to Mr. Khanna" |
Break into |
enter by force |
Burglars broke into the house around midnight. |
Get into (+noun) |
enter |
How did the thief get into the house? |
Opt out |
leave a system or decide not to participate |
I enjoy tennis but I'm so busy I had to opt out of the tournament. |
Hang up |
end a phone conversation |
"Don't hang up. I haven't finished yet." |
Bank on |
base your hopes on someone/something |
Don't forget the date. I'm banking on your help. |
Go through |
experience |
Priya went through a lot of pain after the accident. |
Agree with |
have the same opinion as somebody else. |
I agree with you. I think she deserves the award too. |
Burn out |
1. stop (something) working |
1. The fuse has burnt out. |
Get over |
recover from (illness, disappointment) |
My grandmother had pneumonia but she got over it. |
Put out |
extinguish |
It took a long time to put out the fire. |
Get off |
2. remove |
2. She can't get the stain off her sweater. |
Make up |
invent (excuse, story) |
Some employees make up excuses when they arrive late for work. |
Take care of |
look after |
I'll take care of your plants while you're away. |
Allow for |
take into consideration, include in a calculation |
You'd better leave early to allow for traffic jams. |
Fall through |
fail; doesn't happen |
Our planned boat trip fell through because of the storm. |
Look after |
take care of |
A babysitter looks after the children when their parents go out. |
Apply for |
make a formal request for something, (job, permit, loan etc.) |
He applied for the job he saw advertised in the newspaper. |
Look on |
be a spectator at an event |
Billu didn't take part in the fight. He just looked on. |
Come up against |
be faced with or opposed by |
The project came up against a lot of criticism. |
Iron out |
resolve by discussion, eliminate differences |
The meeting tomorrow will be an opportunity to iron out difficulties. |
Take out |
remove; extract |
She took out a pen to note the address.
|
Brush up on |
improve, refresh one's knowledge of something |
Meena had to brush up on her English before going to America. |
Come across |
1. find by chance |
1. Veena came across some photographs of her grandparents in the store room. |
Join in |
participate |
She was too shy to join in the game. |
Join up |
1. engage in, become a member of |
1. Deven was in the Army and Shekher joined up as soon as he left school. |
Get in |
enter |
How did the thief get in? |
Find out |
discover or obtain information |
I'm going to call the cinema to find out what time the film starts. |
Dress up |
2. disguise oneself |
2. Children love to dress up at Halloween. |
Pay back |
reimburse |
I'll lend you Rs. 20 provided you pay me back before the end of the week. |
Run into |
meet by accident or unexpectedly (also: bump into) |
Sheetal ran into Meera at the shopping centre. |
Hit back |
retaliate; reply to an attack |
When he was attacked by the others, the boy hit back. |
Fill out |
complete (a form/an application) |
Please fill out the enclosed form and return it as soon as possible. |
Calm down |
become more relaxed, less angry or upset |
He was angry at first but he eventually calmed down. |
Get on |
board (bus, train, plane) |
You can pay when you get on the bus. |
Leave out |
omit, not mention |
The child's name was left out of the report. |
Account for |
explain, give a reason |
I hope you can account for the money you spent! |
Break out |
start suddenly |
Rioting broke out as a result of the strike. |
Call on/upon |
formally invite or request |
I now call upon the President to address the assembly. |
Show up |
appear/arrive |
We expected Deepak to come but he didn't show up. |
Grow up |
spend one's childhood; develop; become an adult |
He grew up in a small village in the mountains.
|
Carry out |
2. perform or conduct (test, experiment) |
2. Tests are carried out to determine the efficiency of a new drug. |
Burn out |
2. become exhausted from over-working |
2. Tom will burn himself out if he doesn't slow down.
|
Nod off |
fall asleep |
My grandfather often nods off in front of the television. |
Break out of |
escape from a place by force |
Three prisoners broke out of jail. |
Own up |
admit or confess something |
The boy owned up. He said he kicked the ball through the window. |
Take after |
resemble, in appearance or character |
Jagat really takes after his dad. |
Put up |
accommodate, give somebody a bed |
We can put you up if you'd like to come for a week-end. |
Look forward to |
await or anticipate with pleasure |
I look forward to seeing you soon. |
Make fun of |
laugh at/ make jokes about |
The old lady dresses so strangely that the kids make fun of her. |
Ease off |
reduce, become less severe or slow down (pain, traffic, work) |
After Christmas the workload generally eases off. |
Put on |
turn on, switch on |
Could you put on the light please? |
Come forward |
present oneself |
The police have asked any witnesses to come forward. |
Back down |
withdraw, concede defeat |
Local authorities backed down on their plans to demolish the building. |
End up |
finally reach a state, place or action |
If he continues his misconduct he'll end up in prison. |
Cut out |
1. remove using scissors |
1. She cut out a picture in a magazine. |
Get out of (+noun) |
leave |
How did he get out of the house? |
Back away |
move backwards, in fear or dislike |
When he saw the dog, he backed away. |
Drop off |
2. fall asleep |
2. Granddad often drops off in front of the TV. |
Carry on |
continue |
He carried on gardening in spite of the rain. |
Note down |
write something |
I'll call the station and note down the departure times. |
Appeal to |
1. plead or make an earnest request |
1. The organizers appealed to the crowd to stay calm. |
Cut down on |
reduce in number or size |
The doctor told him to cut down on cigarettes. |
Show off |
brag or want to be admired |
There's Devesh showing off in his new sports car! |
Break away |
escape from captivity |
A few horses broke away from the paddock. |
Get rid of |
eliminate |
It's difficult to get rid of old habits. |
Figure out |
understand, find the answer |
I'm trying to figure out how to assemble the bookshelves. |
Take on |
hire or engage staff |
Business is good so the company is taking on extra staff. |
Call off |
cancel |
The meeting was called off because of the strike. |
Bump into |
meet by accident or unexpectedly |
Padma bumped into her English teacher at the supermarket. |
Avail (oneself) of |
take advantage of something (an opportunity) |
When the company is privatized, you should avail yourself of the opportunity and buy some shares.
|
Let down |
disappoint |
You promised to come to the party, so don't let me down! |
Keep on |
continue doing something |
It told him to be quiet but he kept on making noise. |
Back up |
2. make a copy of (file, program, etc.) |
2. It is recommended to back up all files in a secure location. |
Break down |
1. go out of order, cease to function |
1. Nitish's car broke down so he had to take the bus. |
End in |
finish in a certain way; result in |
Their marriage ended in divorce. |
Advise against |
recommend not doing something |
The doctor advised him against carrying heavy loads. |
Back up |
1. give support or encouragement |
1. If I tell the boss we've got too much work, will you back me up? |
Come across |
2. appear, seem, make an impression |
2. The candidate came across as a dynamic person during the interview. |
Hit at |
aim a blow at |
He hit at the wasp with the newspaper. |
Drop off |
1. deliver someone or something |
1. I'll drop you off at the bus stop if you like. |
Hold on |
2. grip tightly |
2. She held on to the railing as she crossed the bridge. |
Shop around |
compare prices |
It's always wise to shop around before buying anything. |
Draw up |
write (contract, agreement, document) |
An agreement was drawn up and signed by the two parties. |
Sit down |
take a seat |
Please come in and sit down. |
Get at |
imply |
What exactly are you trying to get at? |
Hand in |
submit (report, homework) |
All application forms must be handed in before the end of the month. |
Get out |
leave |
How did he get out? |
Check out |
1. pay one's bill and leave (a hotel) |
1. Is Mr. Kumar still at the hotel? No, he checked out this morning. |
Deal with |
handle, take care of (problem, situation) |
The manager is good at dealing with difficult customers. |
Shut up (impolite) |
be silent, stop talking |
Oh shut up, you idiot! |
Boot up |
start a computer by loading an operating system or program. |
Just give me a few minutes to boot up the computer. |
Appeal to |
2. be attractive or interesting |
2. A trekking holiday doesn't appeal to me. |
Get away |
escape |
The robbers got away in a black car. |
Get off |
1. leave (bus, train, plane) |
1. You should get off the bus at the main market of the town. |
Break up |
come to an end (marriage, relationship) |
After her marriage broke up, Seema went to live in London. |
Clamp down on |
act strictly to prevent something |
The government has decided to clamp down on smoking in public places. |
Kick off |
begin, start |
The football match kicked off at 3 o'clock. |
Bail out |
2. rescue from financial difficulties |
2. The government bailed out the bank. |
Give up |
stop doing something |
Rajesh gave up smoking 5 years ago. |
Move in |
arrive in a new home or office |
You've bought a new house? When are you moving in? |
Look ahead |
think of the future |
It's time to forget the past and look ahead. |
Clam up |
refuse to speak |
When the teacher arrived she clammed up. |
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