Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a small word (up, out, off) to create new meanings. Below you’ll find each one with a clear definition, a natural example sentence, and notes on separability. Browse, compare, and try them out in your own sentences.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| make away with | Steal and escape with | A shoplifter made away with a bar of chocolate. |
| make for | Move toward | When the boat began leaking, we made for the riverbank. |
| make for | Help to produce a result | Sharing a language makes for smoother teamwork. |
| make into | Transform something into something else | They made trash into charming ornaments. |
| make of | Determine the outcome you create from something | Your life becomes what you make of it. |
| make of | Ask or form an opinion about | His last word was “poison”—what do you make of that? |
| make off | Leave quickly, often to avoid being caught | The robbers made off when the alarm sounded. |
| make off | Steal and get away with | Police caught a pickpocket who made off with ten wallets. |
| make out | Understand | She whispered, but I couldn’t make out the words. |
| make out | Perceive with difficulty | Through the fog, I could barely make out the sign. |
| make out | Write or fill in (a document) | He made out a cheque to pay the fees. |
| make out | Portray someone a certain way | Why do they make him out to be religious when he isn’t? |
| make over | Transfer legal ownership | He made over his entire estate to his only child. |
| make over | Renovate or transform | They bought the crumbling mansion and made it over magnificently. |
| make towards | Head in the direction of | She made towards the exit once she’d finished shopping. |
| make up | Tidy or prepare (a room/bed) | The maid made up the bedroom while they were out. |
| make up | Invent (a story/excuse) | It’s obvious she made up that story about being attacked. |
| make up | Assemble or compile | We made up a priority list of tasks. |
| make up | Supply what’s missing; cover a shortfall | He saved what he could, and his dad made up the rest. |
| make up | Apply cosmetics | She spends a few minutes making up before work. |
| make up | Constitute; form part of a whole | Tips made up a large share of his income. |
| make up | Reconcile after a quarrel | The neighbors made up and shook hands. |
| make up for | Compensate for | No amount of money can make up for her loss. |
| make up to | Flatter or behave nicely for advantage | Jack made up to Jill, hoping to stay on her good side. |
| mark down | Reduce the price | The store drew crowds after most items were marked down. |
| mark off | Tick or note as completed | She marked off everything she’d bought. |
| mark off | Separate with markers | Police marked off the crime scene with tape. |
| mark out | Draw lines to demarcate | They’ve marked out the parking area. |
| mark up | Raise the price | Expect flour to be marked up if supplies tighten. |
| mete to | Give (esp. punishment); often seen as “mete out” | The family felt the sentence meted to him was too harsh. |
| mix up | Confuse two or more things | I mixed up your phone number with another. |
| mix up | Jumble into the wrong order | Someone mixed up the cards that were alphabetized. |
| mop up | Soak up liquid to clean | The milk spilled—who’s going to mop it up? |
| move away | Relocate to live elsewhere | The children moved away soon after they married. |
| move in | Begin living in a new place | We moved in as soon as the house was ready. |
| move in on | Advance to seize or attack | Police found the hideout and are moving in on the gang. |
| move on | Continue to the next place or topic | We’ve been here two days—let’s move on. |
| move on | Leave a place when told | I pulled over, but the officer waved me to move on. |
| move out | Stop living in a place | We decided to move out after another rent hike. |
| move over | Shift to make room | Let’s move over so he can sit down. |
| nibble away at | Gradually reduce or erode | Little expenses keep nibbling away at our savings. |
| nod off | Doze unintentionally | He often nods off in front of the TV. |
| occur to | Come to mind | It never occurred to me you truly believed that. |
| open into | Lead directly to (a space) | Like a hotel, each room opens into the corridor. |
| open up | Begin shooting | The soldier snapped and opened up with a machine gun. |
| open up | Start trading or operating | Market stallholders open up well before dawn. |
| open up | Speak freely | After coaxing, she opened up about that day. |
| open up | Operate on surgically | The surgeons opened him up and confirmed their suspicion. |
| open up | Make land accessible for new use | The developer opened up the site for housing. |
