40 Common Phrasal Verbs in English

• Act up  

Meaning: Behave or function improperly

• Add up

Meaning: Make sense

• Ask out

Meaning: Invite on a date

• Ask over  

Meaning: Invite to one’s home

• Back down 

Meaning: Stop defending your opinion in a debate

• Back out  

Meaning: Not keep (a promise, agreement, deal)

• Back up 

Meaning: Give support/ move backwards, reverse

• Bawl out     

Meaning: Criticize, reprimand (inf.)

• Blow in

Meaning: Visit unexpectedly

• Blow over   

Meaning: Pass without creating a problem

• Blow up 

Meaning: Explode/ suddenly become very angry

• Break down      

Meaning: Analyze in detail

• Break in           

Meaning: Interrupt

• Break out

Meaning: End something

• Break up      

Meaning: Break into pieces/ disperse/ stop/ end a relationship

• Bring about        

Meaning: Cause to happen

• Bring off            

Meaning: succeed at something difficult or unexpected

• Bring on

Meaning: cause something

• Bring up   

Meaning: mention/ raise

• Burn up     

Meaning: be hot/ consume, destroy by fire

• Call off

Meaning: cancel something/ order to stop

• Call on 

Meaning: visit/ invite someone to speak in a meeting or a classroom

• Call up

Meaning: telephone

• Calm down         

Meaning: make someone relax

• Catch on

Meaning: slowly start to understand

• Catch up  

Meaning: make up for lost time

• Check back 

Meaning: return to see if everything is OK

• Check for            

Meaning: try to find

• Check out  

Meaning: investigate, take a look at/ leave a hotel, hospital

• Check up on       

Meaning: investigate someone or something

• Check with 

Meaning: ask a person for confirmation

• Check over     

Meaning: closely examine the condition of something

• Cheer up    

Meaning: become cheerful/ make someone feel cheerful

• Chew up     

Meaning: chew into small pieces

• Clean up   

Meaning: tidy

• Clear out         

Meaning: leave

• Dress up          

Meaning: wear a costume or style of clothing/ improve the appearance

• Drop out 

Meaning: quit a class/school

• Eat out

Meaning: eat at a restaurant

• Fall down       

Meaning: get depressed/fail

Common Phrasal Verbs in English | Image