Phrasal Verbs (Sentence examples: dawn on – dry up)

Phrasal verbs are verbs joined with little words like “up”, “out”, or “on” that change or extend the verb’s meaning. They are extremely common in everyday English, especially in conversation, emails, TV shows, and social media. Learning them will help you sound more natural and understand native speakers more easily. On this page, you’ll find useful phrasal verbs organized in a clear list, each with simple, practical example sentences. Read through them, notice how they are used in context, and try making your own sentences so these expressions become part of your active vocabulary.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
dawn on	To slowly become clear or understood.	It suddenly dawned on her that she had left her keys in the taxi.
deal in	To buy and sell a particular type of thing.	That shop mainly deals in second-hand computer parts.
deal with	To handle or manage a problem or situation.	The manager promised to deal with our complaint immediately.
decide on	To choose something after thinking about it.	They finally decided on the blue sofa for their living room.
delight in	To enjoy something very much, often mischievously.	He seems to delight in teasing his younger brother.
depend on/upon	To rely on something or someone for help or success.	Their success in the exam will depend on how hard they study this month.
die away	To gradually become weaker until it stops.	The sound of the train’s whistle slowly died away in the distance.
die down	To become less strong or intense.	We waited indoors until the storm died down.
die off	To disappear gradually in number or population.	Many of the old trees in the forest have died off due to disease.
die out	To stop existing completely.	Some traditional crafts are dying out as machines take over.
do away with	To remove or abolish something.	Many people think we should do away with plastic shopping bags.
do away with	To kill someone (informal).	The villain threatened to do away with anyone who betrayed him.
do for	To be enough or suitable for a purpose.	This small table will do for now until we buy a bigger one.
do in	To exhaust someone completely.	The long hike in the heat really did me in.
do in	To murder someone (informal).	The detective believed the gang had done him in over a money dispute.
do out	To clean or tidy a room or place.	We’ll do out the guest room before our friends arrive.
do out of	To cheat someone so they lose something.	He was done out of his share of the profits by his dishonest partner.
do over	To repeat or redo something, usually to improve it.	The teacher asked her to do the assignment over because it was incomplete.
do up	To repair or decorate something to make it look better.	They bought an old cottage and spent a year doing it up.
do up	To style or arrange something to look attractive.	She did her hair up for the wedding.
do up	To wrap something neatly.	He did the parcel up with brown paper and string.
do up	To fasten something such as buttons, a belt, or a zip.	Can you help me do up the buttons on this dress?
do with	To need or would like to have something.	I could really do with a short break after this project.
do without	To manage even though you don’t have something.	We’ll have to do without a printer until it’s repaired.
do without	To prefer not to have or experience something.	I can do without all this noise when I’m trying to study.
draw away	To move further ahead of others.	In the final lap, the cyclist drew away from the rest of the riders.
draw in	To become involved in something.	I don’t want to be drawn in to their argument.
draw into	To cause someone to become involved in something.	Young people are sometimes drawn into crime by bad influences.
draw off	To remove a small amount from a larger amount.	The mechanic drew off some oil to check for metal particles.
draw on	To use something that you have, such as experience or money.	She drew on her savings to pay for the course.
draw out	To take money from a bank account.	He drew out enough money to pay the rent in cash.
draw up	To write an official or legal document.	The lawyer drew up the contract for both parties to sign.
draw up	To come to a halt, especially a vehicle.	A white van drew up outside the school.
draw up	To prepare a plan or list.	The committee drew up a schedule for the event.
dream away	To spend time idly thinking instead of acting.	He dreams away his afternoons instead of doing his homework.
dream of	To think about something pleasant that you would like to happen.	She often dreams of travelling around the world.
dream on	Used to say that what someone wants is very unlikely.	“You’ll be rich by next week?” “Dream on!”
dream up	To invent an idea, often unusual or imaginative.	Who dreamt up this crazy game we’re playing?
drive at	To try to express or suggest something indirectly.	I’m not sure what you’re driving at—can you explain more clearly?
drive away	To behave in a way that makes people not want to stay.	His constant criticism eventually drove his friends away.
drive off	To leave in a vehicle.	She waved goodbye and drove off without looking back.
drive out	To force someone or something to leave a place.	High rents have driven out many small businesses from the city center.
drive up	To cause prices or levels to increase.	The shortage of housing is driving up property prices.
drop behind	To fall behind others in work or progress.	She dropped behind in her studies after missing several weeks of school.
drop by	To visit briefly, usually without a firm appointment.	If you’re in the area, feel free to drop by for coffee.
drop in	To make a short, informal visit.	My neighbours sometimes drop in just to say hello.
drop off	To lessen in number or amount.	Attendance at the club meetings usually drops off during the holidays.
drop off	To start to fall asleep.	I dropped off as soon as my head hit the pillow.
drop off	To take someone or something to a place by vehicle.	I’ll drop you off at the station on my way to work.
drop out	To leave school, college, or a course before finishing.	He regretted dropping out of university so early.
drop out	To stop taking part in something before it is complete.	She had to drop out of the race due to an ankle injury.
dry off	To become dry or make something dry, especially after being wet.	We sat in the sun to dry off after the rain.
dry out	To become completely dry, often after being very wet.	Leave the boots near the window so they can dry out.
dry up	To lose all water or liquid.	During the long drought, several small streams dried up.