Phrasal verbs are everywhere in English — in conversations, WhatsApp messages, professional emails, and exams. But most learners either avoid them or guess their meaning wrong. This chapter gives you the 50 most essential phrasal verbs, grouped by topic, with clear meanings and real example sentences you can use right away.
📌 What Is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb = a verb + a particle (preposition or adverb) that together
create a new meaning — often very different from the original verb.
Example: give = to hand something over.
Give up = to stop trying. Completely different!
Group 1: Starting & Stopping
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| give up | stop trying; quit | "Don't give up — you are almost there." |
| set up | start or arrange something | "She set up her own business last year." |
| kick off | begin something (informal) | "The presentation kicks off at 10 AM." |
| call off | cancel something | "They called off the match because of rain." |
| wrap up | finish or conclude | "Let's wrap up this meeting by 5 o'clock." |
| carry on | continue doing something | "Carry on with your work — I will be back soon." |
| run out of | use up all of a supply | "We ran out of milk this morning." |
| break down | stop working (machines); collapse emotionally | "The car broke down on the highway." |
Group 2: People & Relationships
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| get along (with) | have a good relationship with someone | "She gets along well with all her colleagues." |
| break up (with) | end a romantic relationship | "They broke up after three years together." |
| make up | reconcile after an argument | "We had a fight, but we made up the next day." |
| look up to | admire or respect someone | "She really looks up to her older sister." |
| let down | disappoint someone | "He let me down by not coming to the event." |
| stand up for | defend or support someone / something | "Always stand up for what you believe in." |
| fall out (with) | have a serious argument; stop being friendly | "They fell out over money and stopped speaking." |
| catch up (with) | meet and talk after not seeing someone for a while | "Let's catch up over coffee this weekend." |
Group 3: Work & Study
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| hand in | submit work or a document | "Please hand in your assignment by Friday." |
| go over | review or check something carefully | "Let's go over the report before we send it." |
| take on | accept a task or responsibility | "She took on extra work to help the team." |
| point out | draw attention to something | "He pointed out an error in my calculations." |
| look into | investigate or research something | "We are looking into the problem right now." |
| put off | postpone; delay doing something | "Don't put off your revision — exams are near." |
| fill in (for) | temporarily replace someone | "Can you fill in for me while I'm on leave?" |
| come up with | think of an idea or solution | "She came up with a brilliant plan in minutes." |
Group 4: Everyday Life
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| wake up | stop sleeping | "I wake up at 6 every morning." |
| get up | rise from bed or a seat | "He got up and left the room quietly." |
| eat out | have a meal at a restaurant instead of at home | "We eat out every Friday night." |
| pick up | collect someone from a place; also learn something casually | "Can you pick me up from the station at 7?" |
| drop off | deliver someone or something to a place | "I will drop you off at the airport." |
| turn up | arrive, often unexpectedly or late | "He turned up two hours late with no explanation." |
| sort out | resolve a problem or organise something | "I need to sort out my schedule for next week." |
| throw away | discard something; put it in the bin | "Throw away those old newspapers." |
Group 5: Talking & Communication
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bring up | mention a topic in conversation | "She brought up an interesting point in the meeting." |
| speak up | talk louder; say what you really think | "Don't be afraid to speak up if you disagree." |
| talk over | discuss something in detail with others | "Let's talk over the plan before we decide." |
| get across | make an idea or message understood | "He found it difficult to get his point across." |
| find out | discover or learn some information | "How did you find out about this event?" |
| open up | talk honestly about feelings; become less reserved | "It took him a long time to open up about his problems." |
Group 6: Progress & Change
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| move on | stop thinking about the past and progress forward | "It's time to move on and try something new." |
| grow up | become an adult; also behave more maturely | "I grew up in a small town in Bihar." |
| take off | become very successful quickly; also (plane) leave the ground | "Her career really took off after that interview." |
| turn into | change and become something different | "The small café turned into a popular restaurant chain." |
| end up | finally be in a situation or place, often unexpectedly | "We took the wrong road and ended up in another village." |
| work out | succeed or happen well; also to exercise | "I hope everything works out for you." |
| step up | take on more responsibility; increase effort | "She stepped up when the team needed a leader." |
| fall behind | fail to keep up with a pace or schedule | "Don't fall behind on your revision." |
Group 7: More Must-Know Phrasal Verbs
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| look after | take care of someone or something | "She looks after her younger brother every day." |
| look forward to | feel excited about a future event | "I am really looking forward to the holidays." |
| run into | meet someone unexpectedly | "I ran into my old teacher at the market yesterday." |
| get over | recover from illness or a difficult experience | "It took her weeks to get over the flu." |
| go through | experience something difficult; also to examine carefully | "He went through a very tough time last year." |
| hold on | wait; also to grip something tightly | "Hold on — let me check that for you." |
| turn down | refuse an offer; also reduce volume or heat | "He turned down the job offer for a better one." |
| put up with | tolerate something unpleasant | "I can't put up with this noise anymore." |
| show up | arrive or appear somewhere | "He didn't show up for the interview." |
| try out | test something to see if it works or suits you | "Let's try out this new café near the college." |
⚠️ The Most Common Mistake with Phrasal Verbs
❌ "She gave up to study medicine."
✅ "She gave up studying medicine."
After most phrasal verbs, use the gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive (to + verb). Other examples: carry on trying, end up losing, keep on practising.
Separable vs Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Some phrasal verbs are separable — the object can go between the verb and its particle. Others are inseparable — the two parts must always stay together.
-
Separable:
"Turn the music down." ✅
"Turn down the music." ✅
But with a pronoun, you must separate: "Turn it down." ✅ "Turn down it." ❌ - Inseparable: "Look after the children." ✅ "Look the children after." ❌
Quick Reference: All 50 Phrasal Verbs
| # | Phrasal Verb | Core Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | give up | quit / stop trying |
| 2 | set up | start / arrange |
| 3 | kick off | begin (informal) |
| 4 | call off | cancel |
| 5 | wrap up | finish / conclude |
| 6 | carry on | continue |
| 7 | run out of | use up completely |
| 8 | break down | stop working / collapse emotionally |
| 9 | get along with | have a good relationship |
| 10 | break up with | end a romantic relationship |
| 11 | make up | reconcile after a fight |
| 12 | look up to | admire / respect |
| 13 | let down | disappoint |
| 14 | stand up for | defend / support |
| 15 | fall out with | argue; stop being friends |
| 16 | catch up with | meet after a long time |
| 17 | hand in | submit |
| 18 | go over | review carefully |
| 19 | take on | accept a task / responsibility |
| 20 | point out | draw attention to something |
| 21 | look into | investigate |
| 22 | put off | postpone / delay |
| 23 | fill in for | temporarily replace someone |
| 24 | come up with | think of an idea / solution |
| 25 | wake up | stop sleeping |
| 26 | get up | rise from bed or a seat |
| 27 | eat out | dine at a restaurant |
| 28 | pick up | collect / learn casually |
| 29 | drop off | deliver to a place |
| 30 | turn up | arrive (often unexpectedly) |
| 31 | sort out | resolve / organise |
| 32 | throw away | discard |
| 33 | bring up | mention a topic |
| 34 | speak up | talk louder / say what you think |
| 35 | talk over | discuss in detail |
| 36 | get across | make an idea understood |
| 37 | find out | discover information |
| 38 | open up | talk honestly / become less reserved |
| 39 | move on | progress / stop dwelling on the past |
| 40 | grow up | become an adult |
| 41 | take off | become successful quickly / (plane) leave ground |
| 42 | turn into | change and become something different |
| 43 | end up | finally be in a situation (often unexpected) |
| 44 | work out | succeed / exercise |
| 45 | step up | take on more responsibility |
| 46 | fall behind | fail to keep up with pace or schedule |
| 47 | look after | take care of |
| 48 | look forward to | feel excited about a future event |
| 49 | run into | meet someone unexpectedly |
| 50 | get over | recover from illness or a bad experience |
Practice: Fill in the Blank
Choose the correct phrasal verb to complete each sentence:
- "She ______ a great idea during the brainstorming session." → came up with
- "I am really ______ our trip next month." → looking forward to
- "He ______ the job offer because the pay was too low." → turned down
- "We have ______ sugar — can you buy some?" → run out of
- "Don't ______ your studies or you will struggle before exams." → put off
- "I ______ my school friend at the railway station yesterday." → ran into
- "The small startup really ______ after it received investment." → took off
- "Please ______ your homework before the deadline." → hand in
Summary
- A phrasal verb = verb + particle, creating a new combined meaning.
- The meaning is often very different from the original verb — always learn phrasal verbs as a whole unit.
- Use the gerund (-ing) after phrasal verbs, not the infinitive: "keep on trying", not "keep on to try".
- Separable phrasal verbs: the object can go between verb and particle — "turn the music down" or "turn down the music".
- Inseparable phrasal verbs: verb and particle must stay together — "look after the kids" (never "look the kids after").
- The best way to master phrasal verbs is to read and listen in context — notice them in articles, shows, and everyday conversations.