What are Phrasal Verbs?
A phrasal verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition or verb +adverb) that when used together, usually take on a different meaning to that of the original verb.
Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
Act on | To take action because of something like information received. |
Act out | Perform something with actions and gestures.. |
Act up | Behave badly or strangely. |
Add on | Include in a calculation. |
Add up | To make a mathematical total. |
Agree with | Affect- usually used in the negative to show that something has had a negative effect, especially is it makes you feel bad. |
Aim at | To target. |
Allow for | Include something in a plan or calculation. |
Allow of | Make possible, permit. |
Angle for | Try to get something indirectly, by hinting or suggesting. |
Answer back | To reply rudely to someone in authority. |
Argue down | Beat someone in a debate, discussion or argument. |
Argue down | Persuade someone to drop the price of something they’re selling. |
Argue out | Argue about a problem to find a solution. |
Ask about | Ask how someone is doing, especially professionally and in terms of health. |
Ask after | Enquire about someone’s health, how life is going. |
Ask around | Ask a number of people for information of help. |
Ask in | To invite somebody into your house. |
Ask out | To invite someone for a date. |
Ask over | Invite. |
Ask round | Invite someone. |
Auction off | Sell something in an auction. |
Back away | Retreat or go backwards. |
Back down | Retract or withdraw your position or proposal in an argument. |
Back into | Enter a parking area in reverse gear. |
Back off | Retreat. |
Back out | Fail to keep an arrangement or promise. |
Back out of | Fail to keep an agreement, arrangement. |
Back up | Make a copy of computer data. |
Bag out | Criticise. |
Ball up | Confuse or make things complicated. |
Bargain down | Persuade someone to drop the price of something they’re selling. |
Bash about | Mistreat physically. |
Bash in | Break, damage or injure by hitting. |
Bash out | Write something quickly without much preparation. |
Be after | Try to find or get. |
Be along | Arrive. |
Be away | Be elsewhere; on holiday, etc.. |
Be cut out for | Be suitable, have the necessary qualities. |
Be cut up | Be upset. |
Be down | Be depressed. |
Be fed up | Be bored, upset or sick of something. |
Be taken with | Like something. |
Be up | Be out of bed. |
Bear down on | Move towards. |
Bear on | Influence, affect. |
Bear out | Confirm that something is correct. |
Bear up | Resist pressure. |
Bear up under | Cope with something difficult or stressful. |
Bear with | Be patient. |
Beat down | Strong sunshine. |
Beat out | Narrowly win in competition. |
Beat up | Attack violently. |
Belong with | Be in the correct or appropriate location with other items. |
Bend down | Lower the top half of your body. |
Big up | Exaggerate the importance. |
Bitch up | Spoil or ruin something. |
Black out | Fall unconscious. |
Blast off | Leave the ground- spaceship or rocket. |
Block in | Park a car and obstruct another car. |
Block off | Obstruct an exit to prevent people from leaving. |
Blow away | Impress greatly. |
Blow down | When the wind forces something to fall. |
Blow in | Arrive, sometimes suddenly or unexpectedly. |
Blow off | Not keep an appointment. |
Blow up | Explode. |
Boil up | Feel a negative emotion strongly. |
Bone up on | Study hard for a goal or reason. |
Book in | Check in at a hotel. |
Call up | Telephone. |
Calm down | Stop being angry or emotionally excited. |
Cancel out | Have an opposite effect on something that has happened, taking things back to the beginning. |
Cap off | Finish or complete, often with some decisive action. |
Care for | Like. |
Carried away | Get so emotional that you lose control. |
Carry forward | Make something progress. |
Carry off | Win, succeed. |
Carry on | Continue. |
Creamed off | To cream off part of a group of people means to take them away and treat them in a special way, because they are better than the others |
Decide upon | Choose, select. |
Die away | Become quieter or inaudible (of a sound). |
Die back | When the parts of a plant above ground die, but the roots remain alive. |
Die down | Decrease or become quieter. |
Die for | Want something a lot. |
Die off | Become extinct. |
Die out | Become extinct or disappear. |
Dig in | Start eating greedily. |
Dig into | Reach inside to get something. |
Fawn over | Praise someone in an excessive way to get their favour or something from them. |
Feed off | Eat a food as part of an animals diet. |
Feed on | Give someone a particular food. |
Feed up | Give someone a lot of food to restore their health, make them bigger, etc. |
Feel up | Touch sexually, grope. |
Feel up to | Feel capable of doing something. |
Get ahead | Progress. |
Get ahead of | Move in front of. |
Get along | Leave. |
Give up | Stop doing something that has been a habit. |
Hit on | Have an idea. |
Hold off | Stop someone from attacking or beating you. |
Hold on | Wait. |
Hook up | Meet someone. |
Hunt out | Search until you find something. |
Jack up | Increase sharply. |
Jam on | Apply or operate something forcefully. |
Jaw away | Talk just for the point of talking rather than having anything to say. |
Jazz up | Make something more interesting or attractive. |
Keep around | Keep something near you. |
Keep at | Continue with something difficult. |
Keep away | Don’t allow someone near something. |
Keep back | Maintain a safe distance. |
Key to | Plan things to fit or suit people or situations. |
Key up | Make someone excited or nervous. |
Kick about | Discuss. |
Kick in | When a drug starts to take effect. |
Kick out | Expel. |
Knock off | Finish work for the day. |
Lash down | Secure something with ropes or cords. |
Lash into | Criticise someone strongly. |
Lash out | Suddenly become violent. |
Lay on | Organise, supply. |
Lay out | Spend money. |
Let in | Allow someone to enter. |
Let off | Not punish. |
Line up | Arrange events for someone. |
Link up | Connect, join. |
Live by | Follow a belief system to guide your behaviour. |
Live down | Stop being embarrassed about something. |
Live with | Accept something unpleasant. |
Log in | Enter a restricted area on a computer system. |
Log into | Enter a restricted area of a computer system. |
Log off | Exit a computer system. |
Log on | Enter a computer system. |
Log out | Exit a computer system. |
Look up | Consult a reference work (dictionary, phonebook, etc.) for a specific piece of information.. |
Magic away | Make something disappear quickly. |
Make after | Chase. |
Make away with | Steal. |
Make it | Arrive or get a result. |
Make it up to | Try to compensate for doing something wrong. |
Make of | Understand or have an opinion. |
Make off | Leave somewhere in a hurry. |
Mash up | Mix sources of audio, video or other computer sources. |
Melt down | Heat something solid, especially metal, until it becomes liquid. |
Mess about | Not be serious, not use something properly. |
Mix up | Confuse. |
Move into | Start living in a place. |
Move up | Move to make space. |
Nail down | Succeed in getting, achieve. |
Name after | Give someone a name to remember another person. |
Narrow down | Remove less important options to make it easier to choose. |
Nerd out | Play safe and avoid taking a risk. |
Opt for | Choose. |
Opt in | Choose to be part or a member of something. |
Opt into | Choose to be a member or part of something. |
Opt out | Choose not to be part of something. |
Pack in | Stop doing something. |
Pack off | Send someone away. |
Pack out | Fill a venue. |
Pack up | Stop doing something. |
Pad down | Sleep somewhere for the night. |
Pad out | Make a text longer by including extra content, often content that isn’t particularly relevant. |
Pal around | Be friendly and spend time with someone. |
Pal up | Become friends. |
Pass away | Die. |
Pass back | Return. |
Pass by | Go past without stopping. |
Patch up | Fix or make things better. |
Pay back | Repay money borrowed. |
Pay off | Produce a profitable or successful result. |
Peel away | Leave a group by moving in a different direction. |
Peg out | Put washing outside to dry. |
Phase in | Introduce gradually. |
Phase out | Remove gradually. |
Pick at | Eat unwillingly. |
Pick up | Collect. |
Pig out | Eat a lot. |
Pile up | Accumulate. |
Pin down | Discover exact details about something. |
Pin on | Attach the blame to someone. |
Pin up | Fix something to a wall, or other vertical surface, with a pin. |
Pine away | Suffer physically because of grief, stress, worry, etc. |
Pipe down | Be quiet (often as an imperative). |
Pipe up | To speak, raise your voice. |
Play along | Pretend to agree or accept something in order to keep someone happy or to get more information. |
Play around | Be silly. |
Play up | Behave badly. |
Plug in | Connect machines to the electricity supply. |
Plump down | Put something in a place without taking care. |
Plump for | Choose. |
Point out | Make someone aware of something. |
Poke about | Move things around or search in a casual way to try to find something. |
Poke around | Move things around or search in a casual way to try to find something. |
Polish off | Finish, consume. |
Polish up | Improve something quickly. |
Pop in | Visit for a short time. |
Pop off | Talk loudly, complain. |
Power up | Turn a computer or electronic device on so that it is ready to use. |
Price up | Charge more for something. |
Pull ahead | Overtake, move in front. |
put something down | put what you are holding on a surface or floor |
put somebody down | insult, make somebody feel stupid |
put something off | postpone |
put something out | extinguish |
put something together | assemble |
put up with somebody/ something | tolerate |
put something on | put clothing/ accessories on your body |
run across | meet or find by chance |
run into somebody/ something | meet unexpectedly |
run over somebody/ something | drive a vehicle over a person or thing |
run over/ through something | rehearse, review |
run away | leave unexpectedly, escape |
run out | have none left |
send something back | return (usually by mail) |
set something up | arrange, organize |
set somebody up | trick, trap |
shop around | compare prices |
show off | act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully) |
sleep over | stay somewhere for the night (informal) |
sort something out | organize, resolve a problem |
stick to something | continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing |
switch something off | stop the energy flow, turn off |
switch something on | start the energy flow, turn on |
take after somebody | resemble a family member |
take something apart | purposely break into pieces |
take something back | return an item |
take off | start to fly |
take something off | remove something (usually clothing) |
take something out | remove from a place or thing |
take somebody out | pay for somebody to go somewhere with you |
tear something up | rip into pieces |
think back | remember (often + to, sometimes + on) |
think something over | consider |
throw something away | dispose of |
turn something down | decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc) |
turn something down | refuse |
turn something off | stop the energy flow, switch off |
turn something on | start the energy, switch on |
turn something up | increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc) |
turn up | appear suddenly |
try something on | sample clothing |
try something out | test |
use something up | finish the supply |
wake up | stop sleeping |
warm somebody/ something up | increase the temperature |
warm up | prepare body for exercise |
wear off | fade away |
work out | exercise |
work out | be successful |
work something out | make a calculation |
Thanks. “run across” was asked in OAVS TGT 2019