Phrasal verbs are a group of two words – a verb and a preposition – that combine to form a new meaning. To use phrasal verbs correctly, you need to remember their unique meaning, as the meaning of the combined words can be different from their individual definitions.
In this article, you will find an A to Z list of phrasal verbs with their meanings and examples in a downloadable PDF format. For example, “get over” is a phrasal verb where “get” is the verb and “over” is the preposition. The meaning of “get” and “over” separately is different from their meaning when combined. In the case of “get over,” the phrasal verb means “to overcome a difficulty.”
- You can get over your problems. (get over)
- Why do you run after money? (Run after)
- I put up in Delhi for 10 years. (Put up)
Most Common Phrasal Verbs List With English Meaning & Examples
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Examples |
| Account for | To explain/ Responsible | You should account for for all the money that You had spent on the tour. |
| ache for | Want something or someone a lot. | They were so lonely. They ACHED FOR the sound of a human voice. |
| Act on | To take action because of something like information received. | I’m ACTING ON the advice of Police. |
| Act out | Perform something with actions and gestures.. | He was ACTING OUT his feelings of inferiority. |
| Act up | Behave badly or strangely. | My computer’s ACTING UP; I think I might have a virus. |
| Act upon | Affect. | The enzyme ACTS UPON certain proteins. |
| Add on | Include in a calculation. | cars with ADD-ON extras |
| Allow for | Include something in a plan or calculation. | Everyone should ALLOW FOR delays when planning a journey. |
| Allow of | Make possible, permit. | The evidence ALLOWS OF two possible interpretations. |
| Angle for | Try to get something indirectly, by hinting or suggesting. | she was ANGLING FOR sympathy. |
| Answer back | To reply rudely to someone in authority. | Her mother was shocked when she started ANSWERING her BACK and refusing to help. |
| Answer for | Be held responsible for a problem. | The government should be made to ANSWER FOR their failure to sort out the problem. |
| Answer for | Speak on behalf of someone or from knowing them. | I can ANSWER FOR my partner because I know her position on this issue. |
| Argue down | Beat someone in a debate, discussion or argument. | The teacher tried to ARGUE the girl DOWN, but she couldn’t. |
| Argue down | Persuade someone to drop the price of something they’re selling. | She ARGUED him DOWN ten percent. |
| Argue down | Try to persuade people not to accept a proposition, motion, etc. | They tried to ARGUE DOWN the proposal. |
| Argue out | Argue about a problem to find a solution. | If we can’t ARGUE our differences OUT, we’ll have to take them to court. |
| Ask about | Ask how someone is doing, especially professionally and in terms of health. | He ASKED ABOUT my father. |
| Ask after | Enquire about someone’s health, how life is going. | Jenny rang earlier and ASKED AFTER you, so I told her you were fine. |
| Ask around | Invite someone. | We ASKED them AROUND for dinner. |
| Ask for | Request to have or be given. | God has given him everything he could ask for. |
| Ask in | To invite somebody into your house. | Jon’s at the door.’ ‘ASK him IN.’ |
| Ask out | To invite someone for a date. | He wanted to ASK her OUT but was too shy. |
| Ask over | Invite. | They have ASKED us OVER for drinks on Friday. |
| Ask round | Invite someone. | We ASKED John ROUND for diner. |
| Back up | provide support for someone | I will contest the election if you promise to back up. |
| Back out | withdraw from a commitment. | When I asked him to support me in the election he agreed at first but letter backed out. |
| Carry on | Continue. | You should carry on your work to achieve success in life. |
| Come to | Talk about (doing) something | When it comes to me, I keep mum/ quiet. |
| Come up with | To produce/ present | He has come up with a very good idea. |
| Die for | Want something a lot. | I’m DYING FOR Pizza. |
| Feel down | Feel bad / Depressed | I really feel down. |
| Get ahead | Progress. | Nowadays, you need IT skills if you want to GET AHEAD. |
| Hit on | Have an idea. | I suddenly HIT ON the solution |
| Jack up | Increase sharply. | They have JACKED UP the price of oil this month. |
| Keep away | Don’t allow someone near something. | Medicines should always be KEPT AWAY from children. |
| Line up | Arrange events for someone. | We have LINED UP a lot of meetings for them. |
| Make after | Chase. | The police MADE AFTER the stolen car. |
| Mess up | Do wrong / Make a mistake | Don’t mess up the files |
| Nerd out | Play safe and avoid taking a risk. | I’m going to NERD OUT and not go on the river trip. |
| Opt for | Choose. | I OPTED FOR an endowment mortgage and lost a lot of money. |
| Pack up | Stop doing something | You should PACK UP smoking. |
| Put off | To postpone / To delay | He put off the meeting until tomorrow. |
| Quarrel with | Dispute or disagree with something. | I am not QUARRELLING WITH their idea, but I think there are other possibilities. |
| Reach out for | Try to achieve something difficult. | They are REACHING OUT FOR major economic reforms. |
| See to | Deal with something. | He SAW TO the arrangements and everything ran smoothly and efficiently. |
| Take down | Make notes or write down in full. | The police TOOK DOWN his answers to their questions. |
| Turn down | Refuse | He turned down my proposal |
| Use up | Finish or consume all of something. | We USED UP all the olive oil. |
| Vacuum up | Consume. | He VACUUMED UP all of the food. |
| Wait up! | Stop (imperative). | Wait up! I need to talk to you. |
| Yack on | Talk continuously, especially if it is an annoying way. | He YACKED ON for an hour. |
| Zip it | Keep quiet, say nothing. | He told me to ZIP IT, so I said nothing |
To download the Complete list of Phrasal Verbs With Meaning and Examples, Click on the link given below.