Phrasal verbs

add up to find the total of The shop assistant added up what I'd bought
and told me the total.
blow up to explode Luckily, the bomb didn’t blow up.
break down to stop working (for a machine, etc) Our car broke down on the motorway.
break in(to) to enter illegally A house in Brecon Place was broken into last
night.
bring up to take care of a child until he or she
becomes an adult She brought up three sons on her own.
build up to increase These exercises are good for building up leg
strength.
call back to ring again on the phone
I'll call you back later when you're not so busy.
call off to cancel The concert has been called off because of
the weather.
calm down to become/make calmer The woman finally calmed down and
explained what had happened.
carry on The phone rang, but Mark just carried
to continue on watching TV.
catch up (with) to reach the same point/level as He's missed so much school that he’s going to
find it hard to catch up.
cheer up to become/make happier
1 started to cheer up when the sun came out.
clear up to tidy I’ll clear up if you want to go to bed.
come across to find something by chance 1 came across a word I'd never seen
before.
come back (from) to return (from) Give me a call when you come back from
Greece.
come on to be quicker Come on, or we’ll be late!
come out to be published When does her new book come out?
cross out
to draw a line through something written Just cross it out and rewrite it correctly.
cut down (on) to do less of something (smoking, etc) I’m trying to cut down on the amount of sugar
1 eat.
cut off to disconnect (phone, electricity, etc) Pay the electricity bill tomorrow or they might
cut us off.
cut off to completely remove by cutting Keep your roses healthy by cutting off any
dead flowers.
do up to button/zip up a piece of clothing It's very windy, so do your coat up.
eat out to eat at a restaurant
Would you like to stay in or eat out tonight?
fall down to trip and fall 1 fell down and hurt my knee.
fall out (with) to have an argument with someone and stop Have you two fallen out?
being friends
fill in to add information in the spaces on
a form, etc Just fill in this application form, please.
fill up to make something completely full Just fill this bowl up with sugar and put it on
the table.
find out to discover information, etc
1 don’t want Jerry to find out about this.
get away with to escape punishment for They have repeatedly broken the law and got
away with it.
get in(to) to enter a car Phrasal verbs
1 hurt my head as 1 was getting into the car.
get off to leave a bus/train/etc You need to get off the bus opposite the
supermarket.
get on (with) to have a good relationship (with) She seems to get on with everybody.
get on(to) to enter a bus/train/etc
You can buy a ticket when you get on the bus.
get out (of) to leave a car/building/room/etc Quick! Get out of the car!
get over to recover from (an illness, etc)
It can take weeks to get over an illness like that.
get up to leave your bed He never gets up before nine.
give away to give something free of charge They’re giving away free tickets at the cinema!

give back Could you give my CDs back because you've

to return something you've taken/borrowed had them for two weeks.
give up to stop doing something you do regularly You should give up smoking.
go away to leave a place/someone Why don't you just go away and leave me
alone?
go back (to) to return (to) 1 can’t wait to go back to Italy.
go off to no longer be fresh Has this milk gone off?
go on to continue happening or doing something Please go on with your work while 1 speak to
the head teacher.
go on to happen There isn't much going on in this town in the
evening.
go out to stop burning
The fire must have gone out during the night.
go out with to be the boyfriend/girlfriend of Greg used to go out with Katy.
grow up to become older (for children) He rarely saw his father while he was growing
up.
hang on to wait Just hang on - I'll be ready in a minute.

hang up to put clothes in a wardrobe, etc The women hung up their coats and sat down.

hang up 1 can’t believe that Jessica hung up without

to put the receiver down to end a phone call saying goodbye!
have on to wear (a piece of clothing) The man had a strange hat on.
hurry up to do something more quickly We haven’t got much time, so hurry up!
join in to participate, take part Ask them if you can play - I’m sure they'll let you
join in.
keep out to prevent from entering Cars should be kept out of the city centre.

leave out to not include Don't leave your brother out - let him play with
you and your friends.
let down to disappoint You’ve really let me down.
lie down to start lying (on a bed, etc) I'm going to go and lie down for a while.

log off to disconnect from the Internet/ a website Don't forget to log off when you Ve finished
checking your e-mail.
log on(to) to connect to the Internet/a website You need your password to log on.
look after to take care of It’s hard work looking after three children all
day.
look up to try to find information in a book, etc
1 had to look the word up in a dictionary.
 make up to invent an explanation, excuse, etc He made up some excuse about the dog
Phrasal verbs eating his homework.
move in to start living in a new house, etc We're moving in next week.
pay back to return money (to someone) Did you pay Denise back?
pick up Please pick those toys up and put them
to lift something from the floor, a table, etc away.
point out to tell someone important information He pointed out that we had two hours of
free time before dinner.
print out to make a paper copy of something on a
computer Let me print those photographs out for you.
pull off to break by pulling 1 pulled off the arm of my sunglasses by
mistake.
put away to return something to where it belongs
He put the notebook away and stood up.
put back to return something to where it was Can you put the book back when you Ve
finished with it?
.............................................
put down to stop holding
Emma put her bag down and went upstairs.
put off to delay to a later time Can we put the meeting off until tomorrow?
................................_.. .........................
put on to gain (weight)
1 don’t want to put on any more weight!
put on to start wearing (a piece of clothing) Put your gloves and scarf on - it's cold
outside.
put out to make something stop burning
It took three firefighters to put the fire out.
put up to put something on a wall (eg a picture) The teachers will put a notice up about the
new courses.
read out to say something out loud which you are He read the list of names out.
reading
rip up to tear into pieces Rip up this piece of paper when you've
finished reading it.
rub out to remove with a rubber
1 can't rub it out because 1 wrote it in pen.
run away (from) to escape by running
The thief ran away from the police officers.
run out (of) to not have any left
Many hospitals are running out of money.
save up (for) to save money (for a specific purpose) I'm saving up for a new electric
guitar.
send off
to make a player leave a game It was a very bad foul and the referee sent
(eg football) the plaver off.
set off to start a journey Go to sleep because we're setting off earlv
in the morning.
set up to start (a business, organization, etc)
My dad is going to set up a taxi company.