Learning phrasal verbs is essential if you want to understand everyday English and speak more naturally. This guide covers 100 useful English phrasal verbs, including their meanings, example sentences, and practical exercises for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced students.
Phrasal verbs combine a verb with one or more particles, usually an adverb or preposition. The combination often has a meaning that is different from the original verb. For example, give means to hand something to someone, but give up means to stop trying.
You will encounter phrasal verbs in conversations, movies, podcasts, emails, workplace discussions, and informal writing. Rather than memorizing long lists without context, learn each expression through a definition and a complete sentence.
Everyday English
Learn expressions such as wake up, get up, and find out.
Work and study
Use expressions such as carry out, hand in, and follow up.
Fluent conversations
Understand expressions such as bring up, get along, and come across.
How to Use This Phrasal Verbs List
Use the search box to find a verb, meaning, or example. You can also filter the list by topic. Each entry includes a common meaning and a practical sentence so you can see how the expression works in context.
Search the 100 Phrasal Verbs
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| # | Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example sentence |
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100 Common English Phrasal Verbs: Meanings and Examples
The following expressions are widely used in everyday and professional English. Some phrasal verbs have several meanings; the definitions below focus on common uses rather than every possible meaning.
| # | Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake up | Stop sleeping | I wake up at seven every morning. |
| 2 | Get up | Leave your bed | She gets up early to exercise. |
| 3 | Turn on | Start a device | Could you turn on the lights? |
| 4 | Turn off | Stop a device | Please turn off the television. |
| 5 | Put on | Dress yourself in something | He put on his jacket before leaving. |
| 6 | Take off | Remove clothing; leave the ground when an aircraft departs | Take off your shoes at the door. |
| 7 | Go out | Leave home for a social activity | We usually go out on Friday nights. |
| 8 | Come back | Return | I’ll come back after lunch. |
| 9 | Come in | Enter | Please come in and have a seat. |
| 10 | Go back | Return to a place or situation | She went back to the office. |
| 11 | Find out | Discover information | I need to find out what time the train leaves. |
| 12 | Look for | Try to find something | I’m looking for my keys. |
| 13 | Look after | Take care of someone or something | Can you look after my dog? |
| 14 | Look at | Direct your eyes toward something | Look at this photograph. |
| 15 | Look up | Search for information | Look up the word in a dictionary. |
| 16 | Give up | Stop trying or quit | Don’t give up when English gets difficult. |
| 17 | Give back | Return something to its owner | Please give back the book tomorrow. |
| 18 | Pick up | Collect someone or something | I’ll pick you up at the station. |
| 19 | Drop off | Take someone or something to a place | She dropped off the package this morning. |
| 20 | Put away | Return something to its proper place | Put away your clothes before dinner. |
| 21 | Take out | Remove something from a place | He took out his phone to check the time. |
| 22 | Throw away | Dispose of something | Don’t throw away those useful notes. |
| 23 | Clean up | Make a place clean and tidy | We need to clean up the kitchen. |
| 24 | Eat out | Eat at a restaurant | Let’s eat out tonight. |
| 25 | Run out of | Have none left | We’ve run out of coffee. |
| 26 | Call back | Return a phone call | I’ll call you back in ten minutes. |
| 27 | Hang up | End a phone call | She hung up after saying goodbye. |
| 28 | Speak up | Speak louder or express an opinion | Could you speak up, please? |
| 29 | Bring up | Mention a topic | He brought up an interesting question. |
| 30 | Point out | Draw attention to something | She pointed out a mistake in the report. |
| 31 | Talk over | Discuss something carefully | Let’s talk over the plan tomorrow. |
| 32 | Get back to | Respond to someone later | I’ll get back to you this afternoon. |
| 33 | Ask for | Request something | He asked for more information. |
| 34 | Write down | Record information in writing | Write down the address before you forget it. |
| 35 | Read over | Read something to check it | Please read over your essay before submitting it. |
| 36 | Carry out | Perform or complete a task | The team carried out the research successfully. |
| 37 | Set up | Arrange, establish, or prepare something | We set up a meeting for Monday. |
| 38 | Work on | Spend time improving or completing something | I’m working on a new project. |
| 39 | Hand in | Submit work or a document | Students must hand in their assignments by Friday. |
| 40 | Fill out | Complete a form | Please fill out this application form. |
| 41 | Check out | Examine something; leave a hotel | Check out this useful website. |
| 42 | Follow up | Take further action after an earlier interaction | I’ll follow up with the client next week. |
| 43 | Look into | Investigate something | We are looking into the problem. |
| 44 | Bring in | Introduce or involve someone or something | The company brought in an expert. |
| 45 | Take over | Assume control or responsibility | Maria will take over the project next month. |
| 46 | Call off | Cancel an event or plan | They called off the match because of the rain. |
| 47 | Put off | Postpone or delay | Don’t put off your English practice. |
| 48 | Carry on | Continue doing something | Please carry on with your work. |
| 49 | Keep up | Maintain the same pace or level | It’s hard to keep up with all the changes. |
| 50 | Give in | Stop resisting or agree under pressure | After a long discussion, he gave in. |
| 51 | Break down | Stop working; lose emotional control | Our car broke down on the highway. |
| 52 | Break up | End a relationship; separate into pieces | They broke up last summer. |
| 53 | Break into | Enter a place by force | Someone tried to break into the office. |
| 54 | Come across | Find or encounter unexpectedly | I came across an old photo yesterday. |
| 55 | Come up with | Think of an idea or solution | She came up with a creative solution. |
| 56 | End up | Finally reach a situation or place | We ended up staying home. |
| 57 | Get over | Recover from an illness or difficult experience | It took him weeks to get over the flu. |
| 58 | Get through | Finish a difficult experience; make contact | We got through a very busy week. |
| 59 | Go through | Experience something or examine it carefully | Let’s go through the instructions together. |
| 60 | Hold on | Wait; keep a firm grip | Hold on a moment, please. |
| 61 | Move on | Continue to a new subject or stage | Let’s move on to the next question. |
| 62 | Turn up | Arrive unexpectedly; increase volume | He turned up twenty minutes late. |
| 63 | Turn down | Reject an offer; reduce volume | She turned down the job offer. |
| 64 | Bring back | Return something; make someone remember | This song brings back childhood memories. |
| 65 | Cut down on | Reduce the amount of something | I’m trying to cut down on sugar. |
| 66 | Cut off | Disconnect or stop a supply | The storm cut off the electricity. |
| 67 | Use up | Consume all of something | We used up all the paper. |
| 68 | Pay back | Return borrowed money | I’ll pay you back next week. |
| 69 | Save up | Gradually collect money for something | She’s saving up for a new laptop. |
| 70 | Give away | Give something for free; reveal a secret | They gave away free samples. |
| 71 | Get along | Have a friendly relationship | I get along well with my coworkers. |
| 72 | Look forward to | Feel excited about a future event | I’m looking forward to meeting you. |
| 73 | Get together | Meet socially | Let’s get together this weekend. |
| 74 | Hang out | Spend time relaxing with others | We hang out at the park after class. |
| 75 | Make up | Reconcile after an argument; invent a story | They argued yesterday but made up today. |
| 76 | Fall out | Have an argument and stop being friendly | They fell out over a business disagreement. |
| 77 | Look down on | Consider someone inferior | Good leaders don’t look down on others. |
| 78 | Stand up for | Defend someone or something | She stood up for her colleague. |
| 79 | Count on | Depend on or trust someone | You can count on me for help. |
| 80 | Let down | Disappoint someone | I don’t want to let my team down. |
| 81 | Show up | Arrive or appear | He showed up just before the meeting started. |
| 82 | Run into | Meet someone unexpectedly; encounter a problem | I ran into an old friend downtown. |
| 83 | Get away | Escape or take a break from routine | We hope to get away for a few days. |
| 84 | Set off | Begin a journey; trigger something | We set off early to avoid traffic. |
| 85 | Take up | Start a hobby or activity | He took up swimming last year. |
| 86 | Give up on | Stop believing in or supporting someone or something | Don’t give up on your goals. |
| 87 | Catch up | Reach the same level; exchange recent news | I need to catch up on my reading. |
| 88 | Keep on | Continue doing something | Keep on practicing and you’ll improve. |
| 89 | Put up with | Tolerate something unpleasant | I can’t put up with this noise. |
| 90 | Look out | Be careful or watch for danger | Look out! There’s a car coming. |
| 91 | Watch out | Be alert to danger | Watch out for slippery steps. |
| 92 | Back up | Make a copy of data; support someone | Back up your files before updating the computer. |
| 93 | Log in | Access an account or system | Log in with your email address. |
| 94 | Log out | Exit an account or system | Remember to log out on a shared computer. |
| 95 | Shut down | Turn off a machine or close operations | Shut down your computer before leaving. |
| 96 | Open up | Begin to share feelings or information | He opened up about his worries. |
| 97 | Sort out | Organize or solve a problem | We need to sort out this billing issue. |
| 98 | Work out | Exercise; solve or understand something | We worked out a solution together. |
| 99 | Figure out | Understand or solve something | Can you figure out how this app works? |
| 100 | Slow down | Reduce speed or pace | Please slow down so I can understand you. |
How to Learn Phrasal Verbs Faster
1. Learn Verbs in Context
Memorizing a definition is a useful start, but a complete sentence shows how a phrasal verb is used naturally. Instead of learning only put off = postpone, remember the example: “We put off the meeting until Friday.”
2. Group Expressions by Topic
Learn related expressions together. For daily routines, study wake up, get up, put on, and take off. For work, focus on carry out, follow up, hand in, and set up. Topic-based learning makes it easier to recall vocabulary when you need it.
3. Practice Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Some phrasal verbs allow a direct object between the verb and particle. Others do not. This difference is important for natural sentence structure.
| Pattern | Example | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Separable | Turn off the light. / Turn the light off. | Both forms are possible. |
| Pronoun with a separable verb | Turn it off. | A pronoun normally goes between the verb and particle. |
| Inseparable | Look after the child. | Do not say “look the child after.” |
| Multi-word verb | Look forward to meeting you. | In this expression, “to” is a preposition, so use a noun or -ing form after it. |
4. Write Your Own Examples
Choose five phrasal verbs each day and create sentences about your life. For example, “I need to catch up on emails,” or “I look forward to the weekend.” Personal examples are often easier to remember than generic definitions.
5. Review Regularly
Review new expressions the next day, several days later, and again the following week. Use flashcards or a vocabulary notebook and test yourself by covering the meanings before reading them.
Common Phrasal Verb Mistakes
-
Incorrect: “I look forward to meet you.”
Correct: “I look forward to meeting you.” -
Incorrect: “Please turn off it.”
Correct: “Please turn it off.” -
Incorrect: “She explained me the problem.”
Better: “She explained the problem to me.”
Note: “Explain” is not a phrasal verb here, but this is a useful related grammar point. -
Incorrect: “We ran out from milk.”
Correct: “We ran out of milk.” -
Incorrect: “I can’t put up this noise.”
Correct: “I can’t put up with this noise.”
Interactive Phrasal Verbs Quiz
Test your knowledge with these five questions. Choose the correct phrasal verb for each sentence and check your score.
Frequently Asked Questions About Phrasal Verbs
What are phrasal verbs in English?
Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a particle, such as an adverb or preposition, to create a particular meaning. Examples include give up, look after, and find out.
How many phrasal verbs should I learn?
Start with the most useful expressions for your daily life, studies, or job. Learning 5–10 phrasal verbs at a time, with example sentences and regular review, is more manageable than memorizing a large list in one sitting.
Are phrasal verbs formal or informal?
Many are common in everyday conversation, but some are also used in professional and academic contexts. For example, “carry out research” and “follow up with a client” are appropriate in many workplace situations.
What is the difference between a phrasal verb and an idiom?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle, while an idiom is an expression whose meaning may not be predictable from its individual words. Some phrasal verbs are also idiomatic, so the categories can overlap.
Can I separate a phrasal verb?
Some are separable, such as “turn off the light” and “turn the light off.” With a pronoun, say “turn it off.” Others, such as “look after someone,” are inseparable. Learn the pattern with each expression.
What is the best way to memorize phrasal verbs?
Study the meaning, read an example, create your own sentence, and review the expression later. Grouping verbs by topic and using them in speaking and writing can improve long-term recall.
Conclusion
These 100 common English phrasal verbs provide a strong foundation for understanding everyday conversations, reading more naturally, and communicating confidently at work or school. Focus on meaning, sentence structure, and context rather than memorizing translations alone.
Start by learning five expressions a day. Use the search tool to find relevant verbs, write your own examples, and return to the quiz to check your progress. With regular practice, phrasal verbs will become a natural part of your English.