An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...

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To respect or obey a decision, If you want to keep your job here, and emails for FREE!
abide by
a law or a rule you must abide by our rules.

I hope you can account for the

account for To explain, give a reason
time you were out!

To make sense, seem The facts in the case just dont

add up
reasonable add up.

To recommend not doing I advise against walking alone in

advise against
something this neighborhood.

To have the same opinion as I agree with you. I think you

agree with
someone else. should go as well.

We need to allow for unexpected

allow for To take into consideration
charges along the way.

1. To plead or make a 1. He appealed to the court

request to change its decision.

appeal to 2. To be attractive or 2. A vacation of sunbathing

interesting doesnt appeal to me.

To make a formal request for

He applied for a scholarship for
apply for something (job, permit, loan
next semester.
etc.)

To move backwards, in fear or When he saw the bear, he backed

back away
dislike away in fright.

Local authorities backed down on

back down To withdraw, concede defeat their threats to build on that part of
the beach.

1. Im going to be very strict

1. To give support or with him. I hope youll
encouragement back me up on this?

back up 2. To make a copy of 2. You should back up all

(file, program, etc.) your computer files in a
secure location.

To base your hopes on Im banking on you to help with

bank on
something / someone the charity event.

Jenna fell in the parking lot and

black out To faint, lose consciousness
blacked out.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

The police blocked off the street

block off To separate using a barrier.
after the explosion.

1. Tommy blew up the red

1. To explode balloon.

blow up 2. To get angry 2. Dont blow up at me. Its

not my fault.

It all boils down to who has more

boil down to To be summarized as
power.

To start a computer by loading You need to boot up your

boot up an operating system or computer before you begin to
program work.

One of the wolves broke away

break away To separate from a crowd
from his pack.

1. The washing machine

1. To go out of order,
cease to function
2. To lose control of
break down
ones emotions
broke down so we had
to call in the repair
technician.
2. John broke down when
he heard the news.

Burglars broke into my car last

break into To enter by force
night.

Rioting broke out after the

break out To start suddenly government raised the fuel prices
again.

To escape from a place by Several prisoners broke out of

break out of
force jail.

To come to an end (marriage, She broke up with Daniel after

break up
relationship) dating him for five years.

Sara is bringing up her children

bring up To raise (a child)
by herself.

To improve, refresh ones I must brush up on my French

brush up on
knowledge of something before going to Paris next month.

To meet by chance or I bumped into Adam at the bank.

bump into
unexpectedly He says hello.

1. The light bulb burnt out.

1. stop (something)
Please change it.
working
2. She needs to work fewer
burn out 2. become exhausted
hours. Otherwise she will
from over-working
burn out.

Could please call back in ten

call back To return a phone call
minutes?

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

The game was called off because

call off To cancel
of bad weather.

To become more relaxed, less It took Kylie several hours to calm

calm down
angry or upset down after she saw the accident.

The soldiers carried on walking in

carry on To continue order to get to their post before
dark.

1. To do something as
1. His orders were carried
specified (a plan, an
out to the letter.
order, a threat)
2. That company does not
carry out 2. To perform or
carry out tests on
conduct (test,
animals.
experiment)

They said I must check in at least

check in To register at a hotel or airport
three hours before my flight.

1. Donna checked out of

1. To pay ones bill and the hotel this morning.
leave (a hotel) 2. I dont know if this price is
check out 2. To investigate correct. Ill check it out
online.

When the police started asking

clam up To refuse to speak questions, the suspect clammed
up.

The local authorities have decided

clamp down To act strictly to prevent
to clamp down on illegal parking
on something
in handicapped parking places.

1. I was cleaning up and

came across some old
1. To find by chance photos of you.
2. To appear, seem, 2. The politician came
come across make an impression across as a complete
fool during the TV
interview.

Has the owner of the winning lotto

come forward To present oneself
ticket come forward?

You can count on me to keep

count on To rely or depend on (for help)
your secret.

Ive decided to cut down on the

cut down on To reduce in number or size
amount of sweets I eat.

1. To remove using 1. She cut out a coupon

scissors from the newspaper.

cut out 2. To stop doing 2. You need to cut out all

something red meat from your diet.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

To handle, take care of Catherine is not good at dealing

deal with
(problem, situation) with stress.

After the storm died down, we

To calm down, become less
die down went outside to see the damage it
strong
had caused.

She didnt get a salary this month,

do without To manage without so shell have to do without extra
treats.

The suspects trial dragged on

drag on To last longer than expected
longer than we had expected!

To write (contract, agreement, They drew up a contract and had

draw up
document) me sign it.

Their wedding gave us a chance

dress up wear elegant clothes to dress up and get out of the
house.

To visit, usually on the way Why dont you drop in to see us

drop in
somewhere on your way home?

1. Ill drop off the papers

1. To deliver someone
later today.
or something
drop off 2. I often drop off in front of
2. To fall asleep
the TV.

To leave school without Zack dropped out of college and

drop out
finishing joined the army.

To reduce, become less

Traffic usually eases off about
ease off severe or slow down (pain,
7pm
traffic, work)

To finish in a certain way;

end in Her marriage ended in divorce.
result in

To finally reach a state, place If you dont improve your work

end up
or action habits, youll end up being fired.

His plans to trek through South

fall through To fail; doesnt happen America fell through when he got
sick.

Hes trying to figure out how to

To understand, find the
figure out earn enough money to go on the
answer
trip to Spain.

To complete (a form/an Please fill out the enclosed form

fill out
application) and return it as soon as possible.

To discover or obtain Im going to to find out whos

find out
information responsible for the power cut.

Tom had difficultty focusing on

focus on To concentrate on something work the day before his holiday
started.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

get along To be on good terms; work Its important to get along with
(with) well with your team supervisor.

What are you getting at? Do you

get at To imply
think Im to blame?

I think we should get away for the

get away To escape
weekend.

To manage to cope or to Students without jobs have a hard

get by
survive time getting by.

get in To enter When did you get in last night?

get into How did you get into your car

To enter
(+noun) without the keys?

1. You should get off the

1. To leave (bus, train,
train in Kings Heath.
plane)
get off 2. I cant get the ink stain
2. To remove
off my shirt.

Im trying to get on the flight to

get on To board (bus, train, plane)
Brussels.

get on with To continue to do; make After they split up, she had a hard
(something) progress time getting on with her life.

get on (well) He doesnt get on very well with

To have a good relationship
with the other members of the
with
(somebody) committee.

He had a hard time getting out of

get out To leave
Newark because of the snow?

Ednas trying to get out of

get out of To avoid doing something
working the night shift.

To recover from (illness,

get over Has she gotten over the flu?
disappointment)

To recover from (illness, Mary had the chickenpox last

get over
disappointment) week but she got over it.

Please get rid of that old t-shirt.

get rid of To eliminate
Its so ragged.

Lets get together for your

get together To meet each other
birthday on Saturday.

Will you please get up? Youve

get up To rise, leave bed
got a class in 20 minutes.

1. We will never give in to

1. To cease opposition;
the terrorists demands.
yield
give in 2. Ill give in my paper
2. To To hand in; submit
tomorrow.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

Morris gave up drinking 10 years

give up To stop doing something
ago.

Andy went through a lot of pain

go through To experience
after his mother died.

To spend ones childhood; Hes like Peter Pan. He never

grow up
develop; become an adult really grew up at all.

Please hand in your papers

hand in To submit (report, homework)
before Friday.

Susan volunteered at the shelter

hand out To distribute where she handed out warm
clothes.

To spend time in a particular

Which pub does the team hang
hang out place or with a group of
out at after the game?
friends

If you hang up now, Ill never

hang up To end a phone conversation
speak to you again.

1. Please hold on and a

representative will
1. To wait answer your call.

hold on 2. To grip tightly 2. She was so scared on

the rollercoaster ride that
she held on for dear life.

Hurry up and finish your lunch or

hurry up To be quick, act speedily
well miss the train.

The two countries met at the

To resolve by discussion,
iron out conference to iron out their
eliminate differences
differences.

Yes David, you can join in the

join in To participate
discussion any time you like.

1. There was a war on, so

some kids were only
1. To engage in,
sixteen when they joined
become a member of
up.
join up 2. To meet and unite
2. Lets separate now and
with
join up later at the
restaurant.

If you keep on making that noise I

keep on To continue doing something
will get annoyed.

To stay at the same level as I read the paper every day to keep
keep up with
someone or something up with the news.

The rugby match kicked off at 3

kick off To begin, start
oclock.

Please check your form again and

leave out To omit, not mention
make sure nothing is left out.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

I feel so let down because they

let down To disappoint promised me a puppy but all I got
was a doll.

Andy can you look after your

look after To take care of
sister until I get back?

Shes such a snob. She always

look down on To consider as inferior looks down on anyone who is
poor.

If you dont want to take part in the

look on To be a spectator at an event
game you can look on for now.

Harry went to the shop to look for

look for To try to find something
a new computer.

look forward To await or anticipate with Im looking forward to my

to pleasure birthday. Its in two days time.

I always looked up to my father.

look up to To admire
He was a great man.

Its not nice to make fun of people

make fun of To laugh at/ make jokes about
in wheelchairs.

Thats a good excuse. Did you

make up To invent (excuse, story)
make up it up yourself?

To mistake one thing or She had so many cats that she

mix up
person for another kept mixing up their names.

To arrive in a new home or Did you hear? Our new neighbors

move in
office are moving in this afternoon.

To leave your home/office for When are you moving out? We

move out
another one. need your office for the new guy.

You were so tired after the game

nod off To fall asleep
that you nodded off on the couch.

To admit or confess Come on. Own up. We know you

own up
something did it!

Your grandfather passed away

pass away To die
peacefully in his sleep last night.

He didnt drink enough water so

pass out To faint he passed out at the end of the
race.

Ill pay you back as soon as I get

pay back To reimburse
the loan.

To postpone, arrange a later Dont put off until tomorrow, what

put off
date you can do today.

Its very dark in here. Please put

put on To turn on, switch on
on the light on.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

The fire fighters were able to put

put out To extinguish
out fire in ten minutes.

To accommodate, give I can put you up until the

put up
somebody a bed weekend but then Im going away.

Ill pick you up at around 7:00 to

pick up To collect somebody
take you to the airport.

To indicate/direct attention to As I already pointed out, there

point out
something was a mistake in your calculation.

You can rely on me. I always

rely on To count on, depend on, trust
arrive on time.

Since he had a sound alibi, the

rule out To eliminate
police ruled him out as a suspect.

To escape from a place or He ran away from home and

run away
suddenly leave joined the circus.

To meet by accident or
Im so glad I ran into you. I need
run into unexpectedly (also: bump
to ask you something.
into)

To have no more of Weve run out of milk. Ill just pop

run out of
something. next door to borrow some.

Lets set off early to miss the rush

set off To start a journey;
hour traffic.

They set up their own company

set up To start a business when they were still in high
school.

Dont buy that. Lets shop around

shop around To compare prices and see if we can find something
cheaper.

Hes such a show off. He has to

show off To brag or want to be admired tell everybody about his new
computer.

I dont think shell show up

show up To appear/arrive
tonight. Her daughter is sick.

shut up Shut up, youre spoiling the

To be silent, stop talking
(impolite) movie!

I think you should sit down. Its

sit down To take a seat
bad news.

The whole stadium stood up for

stand up To rise from a sitting position
the national anthem.

My big brother always stuck up

stick up for To defend
for me when I got into a fight.

To resemble, in appearance or Angie really takes after her

take after
character grandmother.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

Please take care of my cat when

take care of To look after
Im away.

The plane will take off as soon as

take off To leave the ground
the fog lifts.

I hear theyre taking on extra staff

take on To hire or engage staff
for this event.

Please take out your mobile

take out To remove; extract
phones and turn them off.

The coach told her off for not

tell off To reprimand/criticize severely
trying hard enough.

Take your time and think it over

think over To consider
before you decide.

To wear something to see if it Go ahead, try it on and see if it

try on
suits or fits fits?

I asked her out but she turned me

turn down To refuse
down flat.

To finish a product (so that Your parents used up all the

use up
theres none left) coffee!

Watch out! Theres a dog in the

watch out To be careful
road.

1. Julie wore out her shoes

1. To become unusable running the marathons.

wear out 2. To become very tired 2. Julie was worn out after
all that running.

1. To do physical 1. You should work out

exercise twice a week at the gym.

work out 2. To find a solution or 2. Can you work this out?

calculate something Im no good at math.

Ill wash up if you wipe off the

wipe off To clean (board, table).
table.

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An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-phra...
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