A phrasal verb can be a combination of three words. The three-word phrasal verbs are made up of verb + particle + preposition, and they are non-separable. The phrasal verb is transitive because the third word, usually a preposition, must take a noun or pronoun object.
Examples:
- The members came out with a set of proposals on reform of the club.
(Come out with = say or express something) - The police are following up on leads pointing to the whereabouts of the kidnapped victim.
(Follow up on = discover more or take further action connected with something.) - He's wondering aloud how he could get out of meeting his mother-in-law this weekend.
(Get out of = avoid doing something) - He spends the weekends hanging out with a bunch of kids at the shopping centre.
(Hang out with = spend a lot of time with someone) - He often listened in on her phone conversations without her knowledge.
(Listen in on = listen secretly to a private conversation) - We always looked up to him for his courage.
(Look up to = respect or admire [someone]) - I'm saving more this month to make up for a withdrawal last month.
(Make up for = compensate; or have something to correct or take the place of something else) - She shopped the whole day at the sales and never seemed to run out of money.
(Run out of = use up something so that none is left) - We have to stand up for ourselves.
(Stand up for = defend or support [someone or something] against attack or criticism) - Someone walked off with my bag of groceries when I wasn't looking.
(Walk off with = steal or take something without asking for permission)