100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs List with Meanings and Examples

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in English—from casual conversations to professional writing. These combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb often have meanings that aren’t obvious from the individual words. Mastering phrasal verbs not only boosts your vocabulary but also helps you sound more fluent, relaxed, and confident when speaking English.

What is a Phrasal Verb?

A phrasal verb is a combination of a standard verb and either an adverb or a preposition (known as the particle) that together form a new expression with a unique meaning. This meaning often differs significantly from the individual meanings of the words that make up the phrase.

For Example:

Take the phrasal verb “get over.”

• The verb get usually means “to obtain” or “to receive.”
  
  
• The preposition over often implies movement above or across something.

However, when combined as “get over,” the phrase takes on an entirely new meaning: to recover from something (like an illness, loss, or emotional setback). This meaning is unrelated to either “get” or “over” on their own.

 Types of Phrasal Verbs

To better understand how phrasal verbs work, we can divide them into two main categories:

1. Transitive vs Intransitive
2. Separable vs Inseparable
   
   

A phrasal verb fits into only one type in each pair. (Note: All separable phrasal verbs are transitive.)

Transitive Phrasal Verbs

These phrasal verbs need a direct object—something or someone that receives the action.

Example:
Charlie couldn’t put up with the meowing cats any longer.
(The meowing cats is the direct object.)

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

These phrasal verbs do not take a direct object.

Example:
The regional director was late, so the sales team went ahead without her.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

Some transitive phrasal verbs let you place the direct object between the verb and the particle.

Example:
He forgot to shut the lights off before he left.
(You can also say: He forgot to shut off the lights.)

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

With these phrasal verbs, the verb and particle must stay together—you cannot separate them.

Example (Intransitive):
The wayward son carried on without his father.

Example (Transitive but Inseparable):
They went over the contract meticulously before signing it.

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Word Order with Phrasal Verbs

Understanding the word order in phrasal verbs is important, especially when dealing with different types: intransitive, transitive, separable, and inseparable.

Intransitive and Inseparable Transitive Phrasal Verbs

For intransitive phrasal verbs (those that do not take a direct object) and inseparable transitive phrasal verbs (those that do take an object but the verb and particle cannot be split), the verb and its particle must always stay together. You should never insert anything between them.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

Separable phrasal verbs are always transitive, which means they always have a direct object. With these verbs, you can place the direct object between the verb and the particle.

Example: You never let any of your friends down.
With some separable phrasal verbs, placing the direct object between the verb and the particle is required. Consider the phrasal verb “get down”:

• Incorrect: The beginning of the movie “Up” gets down everyone.
  
  
• Correct: The beginning of the movie “Up” gets everyone down.
  
  

For other separable phrasal verbs, it is acceptable to place the direct object either between the verb and the particle or after the full phrasal verb. Both positions are grammatically correct.

Examples:

• Pick the box up and carry it to the kitchen.
  
  
• Pick up the box and carry it to the kitchen.
  
  

Special Rule for Pronouns

When the direct object is a pronoun (such as it, him, her, them), it must always come between the verb and the particle. Pronouns cannot be placed at the end of separable phrasal verbs.

Incorrect: Pick up it and carry it to the kitchen.
Correct: Pick it up and carry it to the kitchen.

Important Note on Transitive Phrasal Verbs

Not all transitive phrasal verbs are separable. Some are inseparable, meaning the direct object always comes after the entire phrasal verb. Examples of inseparable transitive phrasal verbs include: get through, come between, and go against.

Incorrect: Nothing comes us between.
Correct: Nothing comes between us.

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Why Learning Phrasal Verbs Matters

Mastering phrasal verbs is a key step toward achieving fluency in English. They are a natural part of everyday language—both spoken and written—and help you sound more like a native speaker. Here’s why understanding phrasal verbs is so important:

Common in Daily Conversations

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in spoken English. Native speakers use them all the time to express ideas clearly and casually. If you want to communicate naturally, learning these expressions is essential.

Boosts Fluency

Using phrasal verbs correctly helps you speak more fluidly and confidently. They allow you to say things in a way that feels effortless and familiar—just like a native speaker. This adaptability also helps you navigate both casual and formal situations more effectively.

Better Listening Skills

You’ll hear phrasal verbs constantly in TV shows, songs, podcasts, and daily conversations. Understanding them makes it easier to follow what’s being said and catch subtle meanings that might otherwise be missed.

Expands Your Vocabulary

Many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings and can be used in various situations. Learning them gives you more ways to express emotions, actions, and ideas—making your vocabulary richer and more dynamic.

More Natural-Sounding Speech

Phrasal verbs help your English sound relaxed, friendly, and natural—especially in informal settings. They can make your speech feel less stiff and more approachable.

How Phrasal Verbs Change with Tense

Phrasal verbs can be used in any verb tense, just like regular verbs. When a phrasal verb acts as the main verb in a sentence, you only need to conjugate the verb part, while the particle (like up, in, or on) stays the same.

Examples:

• Present tense: I get up at noon during the summer.
• Past tense: This morning, I got up at sunrise.
• Present perfect: I have gotten up early too many times this month.

Notice that only the verb “get” changes to reflect the tense. The word “up” remains unchanged. Since “get” is irregular, it follows its own pattern: get – got – gotten.

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How to use Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs can be challenging to use correctly because the verb often differs from the exact meaning of the words that make it up. You can use these tips to use phrasal verbs correctly:

Learn in context

To use them correctly, it is essential to have a proper understanding of context. This means learning how they are used in real-life situations rather than memorizing their definitions.

For example, you might learn the verb “break up” to mean the end of a romantic relationship, but to use it correctly, you need to understand when and how to use it in a sentence.

Use in sentences

Once you have an idea of context, practice using it in sentences. This will help you understand how to use it correctly in different contexts.

For example, if you have learned the verb “turn off,” you might practice using it in different situations, such as “turn off the TV,” “turn off the lights,” or “turn off the computer.”

Pay attention to the particles

The particles or prepositions that make up these verbs are essential to their meaning. Therefore, paying attention to them when learning and using phrasal verbs is important.

For example, the verbs “look up” and “look after” have different meanings because they have different particles. “Look up” means searching for information, while “looking after ” means caring for someone.

Understand the different forms

These verbs can take on different forms depending on the tense or form of the sentence. For example, “turn off” can be used in the present tense, as in “I turn off the lights,” or in the past tense, as in “I turned off the lights.”

It can also be used in the present participle form, as in “I am turning off the lights,” or in the past participle form, as in “I have turned off the lights.” Understanding the different forms of these verbs will help you use them correctly in different contexts.

Use naturally

Finally, it is essential to use phrasal verbs naturally in conversation. This means not trying to force them into sentences but using them when they fit naturally. Using phrasal verbs can make your speech or writing sound natural, so using them sparingly and appropriately is important.

Read More: Verb tenses | 12 tenses to strengthen your English

100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs 

Looking for an easy way to learn phrasal verbs? This phrasal verbs list categorizes the most common phrasal verbs based on the prepositions or adverbs they are used with. Each group includes clear phrasal verbs examples and meanings to help you understand and use them confidently in everyday English.

Phrasal Verbs with “in”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Check in	To register (hotel/airport)	Do you know how to check in at the hotel?
End in	To conclude in a certain way	Her marriage ended in divorce.
Hand in	To submit	We’ll hand in the report before Sunday.
Drop in	Visit informally	I decided to drop in at my friend’s place.
Get in	To enter	How did you get in today?
Give in	To submit or surrender	They gave in their homework quickly.
Join in	To participate	Should I join in the meeting now?
Move in	To relocate	They moved in without permission.
Chip in	To contribute/help	Let’s all chip in for the party snacks.
Cut in	To interrupt	He cut in while I was dancing.
Break in	To interrupt/enter forcefully	He broke in during the class.
Hang in	To stay strong	Hang in there — better days are coming.
Log in	To access a system	Check the password before you log in.
Believe in	To have confidence in	She believes in me.
Turn in	To submit to authority	Turn in the paper to be allowed entry.
Put in	To enter or insert	How did they put in the files?
Lock in	To secure or confine	The children were locked in due to rain.
Fill in	To complete (form)	I need to fill in this job application.

Phrasal Verbs with “on”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Try on	To test clothing	I tore the jacket while trying it on.
Put on	To wear or activate	Please put on the light.
Rely on	To depend or trust	You can rely on your team.
Take on	To hire or accept responsibility	They took on five new employees.
Look on	To observe	He looked on quietly as the scene unfolded.
Look down on	To belittle others	She tends to look down on others.
Keep on	To continue	He kept on working through the night.
Hold on	To wait	Please hold on a moment.
Get on	To board (transport)	She got on the bus.
Focus on	To concentrate	You must focus on your goals.
Drag on	To last longer than expected	The meeting dragged on for hours.
Count on	To depend on	I count on you for support.
Cut down on	To reduce	He cut down on sugar.
Carry on	To continue	Carry on with your project.
Brush up on	To refresh knowledge	I brushed up on my math skills.

Phrasal Verbs with “off”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Wipe off	To clean	She wiped off the board.
Take off	To depart (plane)	The flight took off on time.
Show off	To brag/display	He loves to show off his car.
Set off	To begin a journey	We set off early in the morning.
Put off	To postpone	Can we put off the meeting?
Nod off	To fall asleep	I nodded off after dinner.
Kick off	To start	The game kicked off at 6 PM.
Get off	To exit a vehicle	I got off at the wrong stop.
Ease off	To slow down	The pain is easing off.
Drop off	To deliver or fall asleep	I’ll drop you off later.
Call off	To cancel	They called off the wedding.
Block off	To restrict access	The road was blocked off.

Phrasal Verbs with “of”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Take care of	To look after	Can you take care of the baby?
Get out of	To avoid	He got out of doing the chores.
Break out of	To escape	The prisoner broke out of jail.
Get rid of	To eliminate	She got rid of her old clothes.
Make fun of	To mock	Making fun of people is rude.
Run out of	To exhaust supply	I ran out of petrol.

Phrasal Verbs with “out”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Watch out	To be careful	Watch out for the dog!
Wear out	To get exhausted	He wore out quickly.
Work out	To exercise	She works out daily.
Take out	To remove	Take out the trash.
Rule out	To eliminate	We ruled out that option.
Put out	To extinguish	Put out the fire.
Pass out	To faint	She passed out after the run.
Move out	To leave a place	He moved out last week.
Leave out	To omit	He left out key points.
Iron out	To fix problems	Let’s iron out the details.
Hand out	To distribute	Hand out the papers.
Hang out	To spend time	We hung out at the mall.
Get out	To escape	Get out of the building!
Figure out	To understand	I figured out the problem.
Fill out	To complete (form)	Please fill out this form.
Find out	To discover	I found out the truth.
Do without	To manage alone	I’ll do without help.
Cut out	To remove	Cut out the unnecessary text.
Check out	To pay and leave	Let’s check out of the hotel.

Phrasal Verbs with “for”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Account for	To explain	Can you account for your absence?
Allow for	To consider	Allow for delays.
Apply for	To formally request	I applied for a visa.
Stick up for	To defend	She stuck up for her brother.
Look for	To search	I’m looking for my keys.
Look out for	To take care	Look out for your little brother.
Ask for	To request	He asked for help.
Care for	To look after	I care for animals deeply.
Go for	To try or attempt	She went for the top prize.
Go in for	To participate	He went in for the contest.
Stand for	To represent	USA stands for the United States of America.

Phrasal Verbs with “into”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Appeal to	To request	They appealed to the mayor.
Run into	To meet unexpectedly	I ran into an old friend.
Look forward to	To anticipate	I look forward to the weekend.
Look up to	To admire	She looks up to her mother.
Get into	To enter	He got into the car.
Bump into	To meet by chance	I bumped into him at the mall.
Break into	To forcefully enter	Thieves broke into the store.
Get back into	To return to	She got back into writing.
Grow into	To become large enough	He grew into his role.
Look into	To investigate	They looked into the issue.
Build into	To include as part	They built it into the design.
Go into	To enter	He went into the room.
Plug into	To connect	Plug it into the socket.
Talk into	To persuade	She talked me into joining.

Phrasal Verbs with “down”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Calm down	To relax	Calm down, everything’s fine.
Let down	To disappoint	He let me down again.
Turn down	To reject	She turned down the offer.
Back down	To withdraw	He backed down from the fight.
Die down	To become quiet	The noise died down.
Sit down	To take a seat	Sit down, please.
Break down	To decompose/separate	The car broke down.
Cut down	To reduce/remove	They cut down the old trees.
Fall down	To collapse	She fell down the stairs.
Hand down	To pass to the next generation	He handed down the family watch.
Put down	To record or insult	He put down my idea.

Phrasal Verbs with “up”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Add up	To total	It doesn’t add up.
Back up	To support/copy	Back up your data.
Blow up	To explode or get angry	He blew up over the issue.
Boot up	To start a computer	Boot up your system.
Bring up	To raise (a topic/child)	Don’t bring that up now.
Join up	To enlist	He joined up with the army.
Hurry up	To go faster	Hurry up or we’ll be late.
Hang up	To end a call	She hung up on me.
Grow up	To become older	I grew up in Mumbai.
Give up	To quit	He gave up smoking.
Get up	To rise	I got up early today.
End up	To finish in a place/state	He ended up broke.
Draw up	To draft/write	Draw up the contract.
Dress up	To wear fancy clothes	She dressed up for the event.
Clam up	To go silent	He clammed up when questioned.
Break up	To separate	They broke up last year.
Catch up	To reach the same level	Catch up with your peers.
Make up	To invent or reconcile	She made up a story.
Own up	To admit	He owned up to the mistake.

Phrasal Verbs with “at”

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Get at	To imply or access	What are you getting at?
Keep at	To persist	Keep at it—you’re doing great!
Look at	To observe	Look at this photo.
Aim at	To target	Aim at your goals.
Get back at	To take revenge	She got back at him with a prank.

Key Takeaways

• Phrasal verbs are made up of a verb plus one or more particles (like up, off, in), which often change the original meaning of the verb.
• Understanding the particle used in the phrasal verb helps you grasp the full meaning and use it correctly.
• Be aware of their different forms, such as present and past participles, to use them properly in different tenses.
• Use phrasal verbs naturally in speech and writing—don’t overuse them or force them into sentences.

We hope this comprehensive guide has provided you with valuable insights and information. If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Good luck with your exams!

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FAQs

Question 1. What are phrasal verbs?

Answer. Phrasal verbs are expressions made up of a main verb combined with one or more particles (usually prepositions or adverbs). These particles change the original meaning of the verb, often creating a completely new idea.

Question 2. Why is it important to learn phrasal verbs?

Answer. Phrasal verbs are used frequently in everyday English, both in speaking and writing. Learning them helps you understand native speakers more easily and makes your own English sound more fluent and natural.

Question 3. How can I use phrasal verbs to sound more fluent and natural?

Answer. To improve your fluency, practice phrasal verbs in real-life contexts. Listen to how native speakers use them in conversations, TV shows, and articles. This will help you use them more comfortably and naturally, avoiding overly formal or stiff language.