Common English Phrasal Verbs and Their Meanings
woList
January 04, 2025
English phrasal verbs are an essential part of everyday communication and often pose challenges for learners. These combinations of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) can change the verb's meaning significantly. Mastering them can greatly enhance your fluency. Below, we explore some common phrasal verbs along with their meanings and examples.
Break Down – To stop functioning (for machines) or to lose emotional control (for people).
- The car broke down on the highway, so we had to call a tow truck.
- During the meeting, she broke down and started crying.
- The computer system broke down due to a power surge.
Bring Up – To raise a topic in conversation or to care for a child until they are grown.
- She brought up an interesting point during the discussion.
- It’s not easy to bring up children as a single parent.
- Let’s not bring up past mistakes; let’s focus on the future.
Call Off – To cancel something, such as an event or a meeting.
- The manager decided to call off the meeting due to bad weather.
- They had to call off the wedding because of unforeseen circumstances.
- The search for the missing hiker was called off after three days.
Catch Up – To reach the same level or standard as someone else, or to update each other on news.
- After missing two weeks of school, he struggled to catch up with his classmates.
- Let’s meet for coffee and catch up on everything we’ve missed.
- I need to catch up on my reading before the exam.
Come Across – To find something by chance or to give an impression.
- I came across an old photo album while cleaning the attic.
- He comes across as a very confident person.
- While browsing online, I came across a great deal on flights.
Get Along – To have a friendly relationship with someone.
- My siblings and I get along really well despite our differences.
- Do you get along with your new coworkers?
- They found it hard to get along at first, but now they’re good friends.
Give Up – To stop trying to do something or to surrender.
- Never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it gets.
- After hours of searching, they gave up and went home.
- He decided to give up smoking for the sake of his health.
Look After – To take care of someone or something.
- Could you look after my dog while I’m away?
- She looks after her elderly parents with great dedication.
- The nurse is looking after the patients in the ward.
Put Off – To postpone something or to make someone lose interest in something.
- We had to put off the trip due to heavy rain.
- The strange smell in the room really put me off my lunch.
- Don’t put off your homework until the last minute.
Take Up – To start doing something new or to occupy space or time.
- She’s taken up yoga to improve her flexibility.
- This couch takes up too much space in the living room.
- He decided to take up painting as a hobby.
Turn Down – To reject an offer or request or to reduce the volume.
- He turned down the job offer because the salary wasn’t high enough.
- Could you please turn down the music? It’s too loud.
- She turned down the invitation to the party because she had other plans.
Run Out Of – To have none of something left.
- We ran out of milk, so I’ll have to go to the store.
- She ran out of patience waiting for the train.
- They’ve run out of ideas for the marketing campaign.
Work Out – To exercise or to find a solution to a problem.
- He works out at the gym every morning before work.
- We need to work out a plan to solve this issue.
- Everything worked out well in the end despite the challenges.
Look Forward To – To be excited about something that is going to happen.
- I’m really looking forward to the concert next week.
- She looks forward to visiting her grandparents during the holidays.
- He is looking forward to starting his new job.
Pass Out – To faint or lose consciousness.
- He passed out from the heat during the marathon.
- She nearly passed out after hearing the shocking news.
- The doctor said he passed out due to dehydration.
Pick Up – To lift something or someone, or to learn something new.
- Can you pick up the groceries on your way home?
- He picked up a few words of Spanish while traveling.
- The baby started crying as soon as she was picked up.
Set Up – To arrange or establish something.
- They set up a new company to market their product.
- She set up the meeting for next Monday.
- The chairs and tables were set up before the event started.
Show Up – To arrive or appear somewhere.
- He showed up late to the party as usual.
- She didn’t show up for the appointment.
- Everyone was surprised when he showed up unannounced.
Turn Up – To arrive or to increase the volume.
- She turned up at the office unexpectedly.
- Could you turn up the heat? It’s freezing here.
- The missing keys eventually turned up in the kitchen.
Figure Out – To understand something or solve a problem.
- I finally figured out how to use the new software.
- Can you figure out why the printer isn’t working?
- It took her a while to figure out the answer to the puzzle.
Mastering phrasal verbs can be challenging, but consistent practice and usage in real-life scenarios can make it easier. Try incorporating these into your daily conversations to enhance your English fluency!
Story 1: Weekend Plans
This weekend, I plan to catch up on some work I’ve been putting off. My friend wanted to go hiking, but we had to call it off because of the weather forecast. Instead, I might take up baking as a new hobby—I’ve always wanted to learn how to make homemade bread!
Story 2: Office Troubles
Yesterday at work, the printer broke down right before a big meeting. I had to figure out a way to fix it quickly, but in the end, I had to put off printing the reports until the afternoon. Luckily, everything worked out, and the meeting went smoothly.
Story 3: Reunion
It was so great to catch up with my old classmates at the reunion. Some didn’t show up, but those who did were excited to reminisce. We all agreed to set up another get-together soon, so no one would miss out next time.
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