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 |
|---|---|---|
| hand around / hand round | Distribute to people in a group | She handed around the survey forms before the talk. |
| hand back | Return something to its owner | Please hand back the keys when you’re done. |
| hand down | Pass to a younger generation; formally deliver (a decision) | My grandmother handed down this bracelet to me. / The court handed down its ruling today. |
| hand in | Submit (work, documents) | Don’t forget to hand in your assignment by Friday. |
| hand out | Give something to each person; distribute | Volunteers handed out water to the runners. |
| hand over | Give control/possession, often officially or reluctantly | The suspect handed over his passport at the desk. |
| hang around | Spend time idly; loiter | We hung around the mall waiting for the movie to start. |
| hang back | Be reluctant to move forward or speak; hold oneself in reserve | She hung back while the others went on stage. |
| hang on | Wait; keep holding tightly; depend on | Hang on a minute—I’m almost ready. |
| hang on to | Keep; retain | I’m hanging on to those receipts just in case. |
| hang out | Spend time relaxing or socializing | Let’s hang out at my place after class. |
| hang over | Cause a lingering threat/worry; be suspended above | The deadline is hanging over me all week. |
| hang together | Remain united; be logically consistent | If we hang together, we can finish this project. / The argument doesn’t quite hang together. |
| hang up | End a phone call; place on a hook; cause/experience a delay (be hung up) | He hung up before I could say goodbye. |
| happen along | Arrive/appear by chance | A taxi happened along just when we needed one. |
| happen by | Pass or stop by unexpectedly | If you happen by tomorrow, drop in for tea. |
| happen on / happen upon | Find or meet by chance | We happened upon a lovely little café. |
| happen to | Do/experience by chance; softener in polite questions | Do you happen to know the time? |
| hold against | Resent; blame someone for something | I made a mistake—please don’t hold it against me. |
| hold back | Restrain; prevent progress; hesitate | Nerves held him back from applying. |
| hold down | Keep at a low level; maintain (a job); restrain | They’re trying to hold down costs this quarter. |
| hold forth | Speak at length, often pompously | He held forth on politics for an hour. |
| hold off | Delay; keep at a distance | Let’s hold off the decision until Monday. |
| hold on | Wait; keep gripping; persevere | Hold on—we’ll get through this together. |
| hold on to | Keep; not give up | She held on to her shares through the downturn. |
| hold out | Resist; continue to endure; persist | The strikers vowed to hold out for a better deal. |
| hold out for | Refuse to accept less; wait for something better | They’re holding out for a higher salary. |
| hold out on | Withhold information or resources from someone | Are you holding out on me about the results? |
| hold over | Postpone; keep for a later period | The item was held over to next week’s agenda. |
| hold to | Adhere to; insist someone keeps (a promise/plan) | We’ll hold you to your commitment. |
| hold together | Stay intact or unified; remain coherent | The old car barely holds together on long trips. |
| hold up | Delay; rob (AmE); remain strong | Traffic was held up by an accident. / The store was held up last night. |
| hold up as | Present/quote as an example or model | The program was held up as a success story. |
