100 Common English Phrasal Verbs with Meanings and Examples

wake up

stop sleeping

I wake up before my alarm on sunny mornings.

get up

leave your bed

I get up early when I have a long train journey.

lie down

put your body in a flat position

If your back hurts, lie down for a few minutes.

sit down

move into a sitting position

Please sit down while I make the tea.

stand up

rise to your feet

Everyone stood up when the speaker entered the room.

go out

leave home to spend time away

We go out for a short walk after dinner.

come back

return to a place

I will come back after I finish this phone call.

tidy up

make a place neat

I tidy up my desk before I start studying.

clean up

remove dirt or a mess

We cleaned up the kitchen after cooking together.

hurry up

do something more quickly

Hurry up or we will miss the beginning of the film.

look after

take care of someone or something

Could you look after my plants while I am away?

look for

try to find someone or something

I am looking for my blue notebook.

look forward to

feel excited about something in the future

We look forward to seeing you on the weekend.

get along with

have a friendly relationship with someone

Mina gets along with everyone in her new class.

hang out

spend relaxed time with people

We often hang out at the park after work.

drop by

visit briefly and without a long plan

I might drop by your office this afternoon.

come over

visit someone at their home

Why don't you come over for lunch on Sunday?

move in

start living in a new home

Our neighbors moved in last month.

move out

leave a home permanently

My cousin is moving out at the end of June.

call back

return a telephone call

I am in a meeting, but I will call you back later.

bring up

start talking about a subject

Nadia brought up the travel plans during lunch.

point out

draw attention to something

The guide pointed out a quiet path beside the river.

find out

discover information

I found out that the library opens at eight.

work out

solve or understand something

We worked out the answer together.

figure out

find an answer or solution

Leo figured out how to fix the printer.

talk over

discuss something carefully

Let us talk over the options before we decide.

speak up

speak more loudly or express an opinion

Please speak up because the room is noisy.

write down

record something in writing

Write down the address before you leave.

fill in

add information to complete something

Please fill in your email address on the form.

leave out

not include something

Do not leave out the final step in the instructions.

carry out

do and complete a task

The students carried out a short survey.

hand in

give completed work to a teacher or manager

Please hand in your project by Friday.

catch up

reach the same level as someone or something

I missed a week, so I need to catch up.

keep up with

continue at the same speed or level as something

It is hard to keep up with every new message.

fall behind

fail to keep pace with work or study

She fell behind after being ill for several days.

go over

review or check carefully

Let us go over the notes before the test.

look up

search for information

I looked up the word in a learner dictionary.

set up

arrange or prepare something

The team set up the room for the workshop.

take on

accept a task or responsibility

I took on an extra project this month.

take over

take control or responsibility from someone else

A new manager will take over next week.

check in

register at a hotel or airport

We checked in online before the flight.

check out

leave a hotel after paying

We checked out just before noon.

get on

board a bus, train, or other vehicle

Hurry so we can get on the next bus.

get off

leave a bus, train, or other vehicle

We get off at the fourth station.

pick up

collect someone or something

I will pick up the tickets at the station.

drop off

take someone somewhere and leave them there

Can you drop me off near the museum?

set off

begin a journey

We set off before the roads became busy.

take off

leave the ground, especially in an aircraft

The plane took off exactly on time.

turn back

return in the direction you came from

The hikers turned back when the weather changed.

see off

go to a station or airport to say goodbye

We went to see our friends off at the airport.

break down

stop working

Our washing machine broke down yesterday.

break up

end a romantic relationship

They broke up after talking honestly and stayed friends.

calm down

become less upset or make someone less upset

Take a breath and calm down before you reply.

cut down on

reduce the amount of something you use

I am trying to cut down on sugary drinks.

deal with

handle a problem or situation

The help desk dealt with my question quickly.

get over

recover from an illness or difficult experience

It took her a week to get over the flu.

give up

stop trying or stop doing something

Do not give up after one difficult exercise.

hold on

wait for a short time

Hold on while I check the booking details.

sort out

solve a problem or organize something

We sorted out the timetable together.

turn down

reject something or reduce its level

He turned down the offer because the hours were unsuitable.

back up

support an idea or claim

The figures back up her explanation.

call off

cancel a planned event

They called off the match because of heavy rain.

carry on

continue doing something

Please carry on with the exercise while I check the answers.

come up with

think of an idea or plan

Our group came up with a practical solution.

end up

finally be in a particular place or situation

We ended up taking the later train.

go ahead

proceed with a plan

The organizer said we could go ahead with the workshop.

put off

delay something until later

Do not put off your application until the last day.

run out of

have no more of something left

We ran out of paper during the lesson.

stick to

continue following a plan or rule

I am trying to stick to my study schedule.

think over

consider something carefully

Take the evening to think over the invitation.

cut back on

spend or use less of something

We cut back on eating out to save money.

put aside

save something for later

She puts aside a little money each month.

pay back

return money that you borrowed

I will pay you back after payday.

shop around

compare different shops or prices

It is wise to shop around before buying a laptop.

try on

put on clothing to see if it fits

Can I try on this jacket in a smaller size?

take back

return something to the place where you bought it

The shop let me take back the unused headphones.

sell out

have no more of a product available

The popular tickets sold out in an hour.

use up

finish a supply completely

We used up the last of the coffee this morning.

splash out

spend a lot of money on something special

They splashed out on a comfortable sofa.

pick out

choose one thing from a group

Please help me pick out a birthday card.

cheer up

become happier or make someone happier

A funny message helped cheer me up.

grow up

become an adult

My brother grew up in a small coastal town.

let down

disappoint someone

I promised not to let my teammates down.

look up to

admire and respect someone

Many young players look up to their coach.

make up

become friends again after an argument

The two friends made up before the end of the day.

put up with

tolerate something unpleasant

I cannot put up with that noise all night.

run into

meet someone unexpectedly

I ran into an old classmate at the market.

turn up

arrive or appear

Sam turned up early with a box of pastries.

get together

meet socially

Let us get together for coffee next week.

open up

talk honestly about your thoughts or feelings

He opened up about his worries to a close friend.

log in

enter a computer or online account

You need to log in before you can see your results.

log out

leave a computer or online account

Remember to log out on a shared computer.

scroll down

move the page lower on a screen

Scroll down to read the rest of the instructions.

click on

press a link or button with a mouse or finger

Click on the blue button to start the lesson.

plug in

connect a device to a power source

Please plug in the charger before the battery is empty.

switch on

start a light or machine

Switch on the desk lamp so we can read.

switch off

stop a light or machine

Switch off the oven when the bread is ready.

sign up

register to use a service or join something

I signed up for a free pronunciation class.

print out

produce a paper copy of a document

Could you print out the travel confirmation?

send back

return something to a person or place

Please send back the signed form by Friday.