Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs with prepositions or adverbs that create new meanings different from the original verb. The table below lists common phrasal verbs along with their meanings and example sentences to help you understand their usage.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| call back | Return a phone call; recall someone to a place/job | I’ll call you back after the meeting. |
| call for | Require; publicly demand; go to collect | This recipe calls for fresh basil. |
| call in | Visit briefly; request the services of; summon | We had to call in an electrician. |
| call off | Cancel something planned | They called off the match because of rain. |
| call on | Visit; request/ask formally; choose someone to speak | The teacher called on Mia to answer. |
| call up | Phone; summon for duty; bring to mind (memory) | He called up his friend to share the news. |
| carry on | Continue; behave in an excited/overwrought way | Despite setbacks, they carried on with the project. |
| carry out | Perform; execute; complete | The team carried out a series of tests. |
| carry over | Transfer to a later time or place | Unused vacation days will carry over to next year. |
| catch on | Become popular; understand | The trend caught on quickly in schools. |
| catch up | Reach the same level/point; exchange news | Run ahead—I’ll catch up later. |
| catch up with | Finally reach someone; cause consequences to affect | The police caught up with the suspect. |
| clean out | Thoroughly empty; remove unwanted items | I spent the weekend cleaning out the garage. |
| clean up | Make clean and tidy; profit greatly (informal) | Let’s clean up before guests arrive. |
| clear away | Remove and put out of sight | Please clear away the dishes. |
| clear off | Leave quickly; remove from a surface | It’s late—clear off home now. |
| clear out | Leave or depart; empty a place of contents | Security told everyone to clear out by 6. |
| clear up | Tidy; resolve; (weather) become bright | We need to clear up this misunderstanding. |
| close down | Shut permanently (business); cease operation | The factory closed down last year. |
| close in | Move nearer from all sides; (time/weather) draw in | Fog began to close in on the runway. |
| close off | Block access; isolate | Police closed off the street for repairs. |
| close out | Conclude; sell remaining stock at reduced prices | They closed out the quarter with strong sales. |
| close up | Shut securely; move closer together; heal (wound) | The shop closes up at 9 p.m. |
| come about | Happen; occur | How did this error come about? |
| come across | Find by chance; make a certain impression | I came across an old photo in the attic. |
| come along | Arrive; accompany; make progress | We’re leaving—do you want to come along? |
| come apart | Break into pieces; fall apart emotionally | The toy came apart in my hands. |
| come around | Regain consciousness; change one’s opinion; visit | She fainted but soon came around. |
| come at | Move toward to attack; approach (a problem) | The dog came at us barking loudly. |
| come back | Return; become fashionable again | Neon colors have come back this season. |
| come before | Be presented to/considered by; precede in time | The bill will come before the committee tomorrow. |
| come between | Cause division or interfere | Don’t let money come between friends. |
| come by | Obtain; visit briefly | Good data is hard to come by. |
| come down | Descend; decrease; be demolished; be handed along (story) | Prices have come down lately. |
| come down on | Punish or criticize severely | The coach came down on them for being late. |
| come down to | Be reduced to; be essentially about | It all comes down to trust. |
| come down with | Become ill with | She came down with the flu. |
| come for | Arrive to take; seek to harm | A taxi will come for you at 7. |
| come forward | Offer help/information; present oneself | Witnesses are urged to come forward. |
| come from | Originate in; be the result of | This cheese comes from Spain. |
| come in | Enter; arrive; become fashionable/available | Come in and take a seat. |
| come of | Be the result of; arise from | Nothing good will come of rushing. |
| come off | Succeed; detach; take place | The launch came off without a hitch. |
| come out | Emerge; be published; become known; declare identity | Her new novel comes out next month. |
| come out of | Emerge from; result from | Great ideas can come out of small teams. |
| come out with | Produce or say suddenly; release | They came out with a bold new design. |
| come over | Visit; be felt strongly; change sides | Why don’t you come over this evening? |
| come to | Regain consciousness; amount to (total); reach a decision | He fainted but soon came to. |
| come through | Succeed; survive; be received (message); deliver on a promise | Against the odds, she came through in the finals. |
| come under | Be subjected to; fall into a category | The plan came under heavy criticism. |
| come up | Arise/occur; be mentioned; approach/near in time | Your proposal will come up at the next meeting. |
| come up against | Encounter (a difficulty/opponent) | We came up against several legal hurdles. |
| come up for | Be due for consideration/review/renewal | His contract comes up for renewal in June. |
| come up with | Think of; produce (an idea/solution) | Can you come up with a better headline? |
| come upon | Find/encounter by chance | They came upon a hidden waterfall. |
| count down | Reckon backward to zero before an event | We counted down to midnight on New Year’s Eve. |
| count in | Include someone in an activity/plan | If you’re going hiking, count me in. |
| count on | Rely or depend on | You can count on us to deliver. |
| count out | Exclude; count money/items one by one | You can count me out of the prank. |
| cross off | Remove from a list by drawing a line through | Cross off tasks as you complete them. |
| cross out | Cancel by writing a line through; delete | She crossed out the wrong answer. |
| cut across | Go through to save time; affect multiple groups | The path cuts across the field. |
| cut away | Remove by cutting; edit out (film) | They cut away the dead branches. |
| cut back | Reduce (spending, production, etc.) | We’re cutting back on travel this quarter. |
| cut down | Reduce; fell a tree; kill (literary) | They cut down energy use by half. |
| cut in | Interrupt; enter a lane suddenly; start operating automatically | Sorry to cut in, but there’s an update. |
| cut off | Sever; isolate; stop supply; interrupt | A fallen tree cut off the village for days. |
| cut out | Remove by cutting; eliminate; stop doing; (machine) stop | You should cut out added sugar. |
| cut up | Cut into small pieces; behave wildly; be deeply upset (BrE passive) | She cut up the vegetables for soup. |
