Common English Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word (up, out, off, back...) that together mean something new — give up means quit, not give. Native speakers use them constantly. Here are 72 of the most useful ones, grouped by topic, each with a simple definition.

▶13:49 🎬 Watch: 72 phrasal verbs in pictures The same 72 phrasal verbs on this page, one picture at a time, each with its meaning read aloud.

🖼️ Prefer pictures? Phrasal verbs picture dictionary — 72 verbs with pictures, audio & quizzes

🎬 On this site: Every grammar video, listed in order

• Morning to night — daily routine
• wake up – to stop sleeping
• get up – to leave your bed after sleeping
• turn on – to start a machine or light
• turn off – to stop a machine or light
• put on – to place clothes on your body
• take off – to remove clothes; also, when a plane leaves the ground
• sit down – to move from standing to sitting
• stand up – to rise to your feet
• lie down – to rest your body flat, for example on a bed
• go out – to leave home for fun, like a restaurant or a party
• eat out – to eat at a restaurant instead of at home
• come back – to return to a place
• People and relationships
• get along with – to have a friendly relationship with someone
• hang out – to spend relaxed time with friends
• grow up – to change from a child into an adult
• break up – to end a romantic relationship
• make up – to become friendly again after a fight; also, to invent a story
• ask out – to invite someone on a date
• look after – to watch and care for someone, for example a child or a pet
• cheer up – to become happier, or to make someone happier
• let down – to disappoint someone
• show up – to arrive, especially when people are waiting
• catch up with – to reach someone ahead of you; also, to share news after time apart
• run into – to meet someone by chance
• Work and study
• find out – to learn new information
• figure out – to understand something after thinking about it
• fill out – to complete a form
• turn in – to give finished work to a teacher or boss
• write down – to write information on paper so you remember it
• look up – to search for information in a dictionary or online
• point out – to show or mention something important
• put off – to delay something until later
• go over – to review or check something carefully
• give up – to stop trying
• keep up with – to move or progress as fast as others
• set up – to prepare or arrange something, like equipment or a meeting
• Movement and travel
• get in – to enter a car or taxi
• get out of – to leave a car or taxi
• get on – to enter a bus, train, or plane
• get off – to leave a bus, train, or plane
• pick up – to collect someone or something, often by car
• drop off – to take someone or something to a place and leave them there
• slow down – to go less fast
• speed up – to go faster
• pull over – to drive to the side of the road and stop
• turn around – to face or move in the opposite direction
• go away – to leave a place or person
• come over – to visit someone at their home
• Money and shopping
• try on – to put on clothes to see if they fit
• pick out – to choose something from a group
• take back – to return something to a store
• pay back – to return money you borrowed
• pay off – to finish paying all the money you owe
• run out of – to use all of something so none is left
• give away – to give something for free
• save up – to keep money over time for something special
• cut back on – to use or spend less of something
• add up – to find the total; also, to make sense
• shop around – to compare prices at different stores
• rip off – to charge someone too much money (informal)
• Everyday actions and problems
• break down – to stop working, like a car or machine
• clean up – to make a place clean and organized
• throw away – to put something in the trash
• put away – to return things to their usual place
• look for – to try to find something
• take care of – to handle a job or problem so it is finished
• turn down – to refuse an offer; also, to lower the volume
• turn up – to raise the volume; also, to appear unexpectedly
• give back – to return something to its owner
• calm down – to become less angry or excited
• hurry up – to move faster
• watch out for – to be careful about something dangerous