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Phrasal Verbs
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Phrasal Verb
Phrasal verbs are a mash-up of a verb and usually a preposition or adjective that come together to form a different meaning. It’s one of the unique ways that we create new meaning in the English language without having to coin new words for everything.
Some verbs have multiple phrasals formed by attaching different prepositions, pronouns, and adjectives.
For example, the verb TURN and can be used in the following ways:
| Turn around | Turn over | Turn up |
| Turn into | Turn down | Turn off |
Likewise, the preposition UP can attach to many verbs to form a phrasal verb and create new meaning:
| Blow up | Check up | Dress up | End up | Grow up |
| Heat up | Meet up | Open up | Set up | Speak up |
Phrasal verbs themselves can even have multiple meanings, like the phrasal “dress up.” It can mean to put on a costume or to dress fancier than normal.
Take a look at the list below and see how many you can recognize!
| Phrasal Verb | - Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Break down | - Deconstruct - Make into smaller pieces or segments | We always break down our cardboard boxes for recycling. Mrs. Wise helped me break down the word into syllables so I could sound it out. |
| Calm down | - Change from angry to homeostasis or state or normalcy | I was so angry it took 20 minutes of deep breathing for me to calm down. |
| Cheer (somebody) up | - Doing something to change from sad to happy | Eating chocolate and watching a funny movie always cheers me up! |
| Chip in | - Give money or help towards | We all chipped in to pay for the pizza. |
| Do away with | - Finish using, as an actual or hypothetical | I wish we would do away with homework so I could play more. |
| Drop back | - Move back in action, while continuing to move forward | The fourth runner dropped back in the race during the second lap, but sprinted at the end to win! |
| Get around to | - Delaying focus or delaying doing something | I’ll get around to it by the end of today. |
| Go ahead | - Affirmative command or approval | The boss gave me the go ahead to begin the project. |
| Hang out | - Spend time together | We all decided to hang out at my place after the football game. |
| Let down | - Disappointment or talking through something potentially disappointing or sad | I let her down easy after realizing she was not the right person for the job. |
| Look forward to | - Anticipate with excitement | I’m looking forward to going to the amusement park tomorrow. |
| Make up | - Put aside differences - create/imagine | We made up after not speaking for three days. I just made up this game today! |
| Put up with | - Endure, usually with negative sentiment | I can put up with this cold weather as long as summer comes soon. |
| Run into | - Meet unexpectedly | I ran into my old English teacher today at the mall. |
| Shop around | - Look for different prices to get the best deal | I’m going to shop around before buying a car. |
| Think back | - Remember something in the past | Let me think back to last year when we all went to the library and see if I can recall the title. |
| Throw down | - Cause a disagreement with the intent of resolution | We’re going to throw down about this paint color or we will both be unhappy. |
| Wake up | - Awaken | The first thing I do when I wake up is brush my teeth. |
| Work out | - exercise | I always work out in the morning so I can shower off the sweat. |
Here is a list of other common phrasal verbs:
| Abide by | Add up (to) | Ask (someone) about | Ask around | Ask (someone) out |
| Back up | Blow up | Break down | Break out | Break up with |
| Bring up | Bring down | Build up | Burn up | Call around |
| Call back | Call up | Care for | Catch up | Check in |
| Check out | Check up | Cheer up | Chip in | Chop up |
| Clean up | Come across | Come apart | Come down with | Come in |
| Come up | Count on | Cut back on | Cut in | Divide up |
| Do away with | Do over | Do up | Draw up | Dress down |
| Dress up | Drop back | Eat out | Eat up | End up |
| Fall apart | Fall down | Fall out | Figure out | Fill in |
| Find out | Fix up | Get across | Get around | Get around to |
| Get away with | Get back | Get back at | Get back into | Get off |
| Get on | Get along | Get out | Get together (with) | Get up |
| Give away | Give back | Give in | Give up | Go after |
| Go against | Go ahead | Go back | Go out | Go out with |
| Go up | Grow apart | Grow into | Grow out of | Grow up |
| Hand out | Hang in | Hang out | Hang up | Hold back |
| Hold on | Hold up | Hurry up | Keep from | Keep on |
| Keep up | Let down | Let in | Liven up | Log in |
| Log on | Log out | Log off | Look after | Look back |
| Look down on | Look into | Look for | Look forward to | Look out for |
| Look up | Make up | Meet up | Open up | Pass away |
| Pass up | Pay back | Pay for | Pick up | Point out |
| Put down | Put off | Put on | Put together | Put up |
| Put up with | Run into | Run out | Run over | Run through |
| Run over | Send back | Set up | Shop around | Show off |
| Show up | Sit down | Sleep over | Sort out | Speak up |
| Speed up | Stand up | Stick to | Switch off | Switch on |
| Take after | Take off | Take up | Tear down | Think back |
| Throw down | Try on | Try out | Turn around | Turn off |
| Turn on | Turn up | Use up | Wake up | Warm up |
| Wear off | Work out | Write up |
