The 100 Most Important Phrasal Verbs to Learn.

Phrasal verbs are phrases that indicate actions. They are generally used in spoken English and informal texts. Examples of such verbs include: turn down, come across and run into.

Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a preposition or an adverb

The meaning of phrasal verbs

Sometimes, it is difficult to understand the meaning of phrasal verbs. Before looking them up in a dictionary, it would be helpful to use the context to understand them.

Literal meaning

Some phrasal verbs have a literal meaning. They can be easily understood.

She opened the door and looked outside.
She was walking across the street when she heard the sound of an explosion.

Idiomatic meaning
Phrasal verbs can also have a figurative or idiomatic meaning which makes them difficult to understand.
- Can you put me up for tonight?
  The phrasal verb 'put up' here does not mean to build (as in putting a fence up). It has, however, an idiomatic/figurative meaning. It means to let someone stay in your house.
  
  The 60 Most Important Phrasal Verbs for Achieving a B2 to C2 Level of English.
Separable or inseparable?
1. Sometimes, the preposition/adverb is placed either after the verb or after the object.
Examples:
- Mary made up a really entertaining story.
- Mary made the story up.
  
  2. If the object is a pronoun, however, the preposition/adverb has to be placed after the pronoun (object).
  Examples:
  - She made it up.
  - Put it down.
  - Take it off.
  3. Some phrasal verbs are always inseparable.
  Example:
  - I came across some old photos in a drawer.
  NOT
  - ~~I came some old photos across in a drawer~~

Below is a list of 100 of the most important phrasal verbs for language learners to know, especially those who are attempting to achieve a C2 level of Advanced English.

I hope that you find them helpful.

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1. ask out

ask someone out
Steven asked me out but I don't know if I should say yes.
Steven has asked me out but I don't know whether to say yes.

2. be off

shove off
I'm off! See you on Monday.
I'm going! See you on Monday.

3. beat up

hit
A group of teenagers beat up our English teacher.
A group of teenagers beat up our English teacher.

4. blow up

exploit
My pressure cooker blew up suddenly.
My pressure cooker suddenly exploded.

5. blow out

turn off (blowing)
Make a wish before you blow out the candles!
Make a wish before blowing out the candles.

6. break down

break down
My car broke down on the way to my job interview.
My car broke down on the way to my job interview.

7. break up

break up, break up a romantic relationship
Her parents broke up when she was five years old.
His parents separated when he was five years old.

8. bring up

raise
I was brought in a farm in Northern England.
I grew up on a farm in the north of England.
bring up
I don't like bringing up this topic but you still owe me £ 20.
I don't like to bring up this topic, but you still owe me £ 20.

9. bring it on!

come on / come on / let's go!
If you think you can beat me, bring it on!
If you think you can beat me, come on, come on!

10. bump into

meet someone
Guess who I bumped into in the bus this morning.
Guess who I ran into on the bus this morning.
collide with
I bumped into a lamppost on my way to class.
I ran into a lamppost on the way to class.
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11. butt in

interrupt, remove the word
Please stop butting in! It's my turn to talk!
Please stop interrupting me! It is my turn to speak.

12. call off

suspend / cancel
The wedding was called off at the last minute due to the coronavirus.
The wedding was canceled at the last minute due to the coronavirus.

13. care about

worry about / care about something or someone
He doesn't care about recycling.
He doesn't care about recycling.

14. carry on

continue
? If you carry on like that, you'll never succeed.
If you continue like this, you will never be successful.

15. carry out

to carry out
The police are carrying out an investigation into the murder.
The police are conducting an investigation into the murder.

16. catch up

catch up
I missed two classes so now I need to catch up.
I missed two classes so I need to catch up.
catch / reach
You go ahead; I'll catch up with you later.
You go going, then I'll catch up with you.

17. cheat on

be unfaithful / cheat
I would never cheat on you darling.
I would never cheat on you with another dear.

18. cheer sb. up

encourage someone
I bought you these flowers to cheer you up.
I bought you these flowers to cheer you up.

19. chop up

chop, chop
You chop up the vegetables while I boil the rice.
You chop the vegetables while I boil the rice.

20. close down

permanently close
The restaurant closed down after the inspection.
The restaurant closed after inspection.

21. come across

bump into / find / discover
Today I came across an amazing website for learning English.
Today I have discovered an incredible website to learn English.

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22. come down to

reduce to
In the end it all comes down to how we react to our problems.
In the end it all comes down to how we react to problems.
go down to
Are you coming down to London this weekend?
Are you going down to London this weekend?

23. come down with

Fall ill
I think I'm coming down with a cold.
I think I've caught a cold.

24. come in

enter / pass
Please come in and take a seat.
Please come in and have a seat

25. come over

come / pass
Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow?
Do you want to come to dinner tomorrow?

26. count on

count on / trust
Please don't worry! You can always count on me.
Do not worry! You can always count on me.

27. cut down on

Reduce the consumption of
I think you should cut down on chocolate.
I think you should cut back on chocolate.

28. doze off

falling asleep / fried
I dozed off and missed the end of the film!
I was freaked out and missed the end of the movie.

29. dress up

dress smart / make yourself pretty
Are you going to dress up for the party?
Are you going to dress up a lot for the party?
wear costumes
What are you going to dress up as? I'm going to dress up as Harry Potter.
What are you going to dress up as? I'm going to dress up as Harry Potter.

30. drop in

Spend without specifying an hour
I'm really busy right now. Can you drop in a bit later?
I'm very busy now, can you stop a little later?
Do you mind if I drop in and collect the money later?
Mind if I come by and collect the money later?

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31. drop off

Leave to
Could you drop me off at the supermarket on your way home?
Could you drop me off at the grocery store on the way home?

32. drop out

leave something halfway, abandon
My university course was so boring! I dropped out in the first semester.
My career was so boring. I quit in the first semester.

33. eat up

finish the meal
Eat up your vegetables or there'll be no dessert.
Finish the veggies or there won't be dessert.

34. eat out

Go to eat out
Shall we eat out tonight?
Shall we have dinner out tonight?

35. end up

end up doing something in a place that was not planned
We ended up walking home because there were no taxis.
We ended up walking home because there were no taxis.

Keep avoiding taxes and you'll end up in jail.
Continue without paying taxes and you will end up in jail.

36. fall behind

be delayed
I've fallen behind on my mortgage payments.
I am behind on my mortgage payments.

37. fall out with sb

Get angry, quarrel, stop being friends, stop talking
Have you fallen out with Tom? We fell out ages ago.
Don't you talk to Tom anymore? We stopped talking centuries ago.

38. fall over

fall down
He was so drunk he fell over in the middle of the party.
He was so drunk that he fell to the ground in the middle of the party.

39. fill in

fill in, complete
Please fill in this form and wait till the doctor calls you in.
Fill out this form and wait for the doctor to call you.

40. fill in for sb.

replace
Can you fill in for me tomorrow? It's due to a family issue.
Can you replace me tomorrow? It is for a family matter.

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41. fill up

fill in
Would you like me to fill your bottle up with water?
Do you want me to fill your bottle?
Fill
The gym usually starts to fill up around 7 pm
The gym usually starts to fill up around 7 pm.

42. find out

discover, find out
How did you find out about this place?
How did you discover this site?

43. freak out

freaking out, panicking / freaking out, losing track
I freak out every time I see a cockroach.
I go crazy every time I see a cockroach.

44. get away from

escape from / get away
I'll get away from work as soon as I can.
I'll get away from work as soon as I can.
Get away from me-your breath stinks.
Get away from me, your breath stinks.

45. get away with something

go unpunished, without punishment
Don't be tempted to cheat in the exam, you won't get away with it.
Don't even think about cheating on the exam, you won't get rid of punishment.

46. get down

Get down
Get down from that ladder now!
Get off that ladder right now!

47. get sb. down

discourage
Don't let those critics let you down!
Don't let those reviews put you off.

48. get in / out

get on / off private transport, get in / out
Get out my house!
Get out of my house!
Get in the car!
Get in the car.

49. get on / off

go up / down public transport
We're getting off at the next stop.
We got off at the next stop.
Get on the bus!
Get on the bus.

50. get on (well) with

get along
Do you get on well with your neighbors?
Do you get along with your neighbors?

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51. get over

overcome, recover
I can't get over my shyness.
I can't get over my shyness.
It took me ages to get over my broken foot.
It took me centuries to recover from my broken foot.

52. give in

give up, give in
The government will not give in to terrorist threats.
The government will not give in to threats from terrorists.

53. give up

leave, abandon
He's unbearable since he gave up smoking.
He's been unbearable since he quit smoking.
Never, never, never, ever give up your dreams.
Never, never, never ever give up your dreams.

54. grow up

grow up, get older, mature
Your soon has grown up so much!
How old is your son!

55. go away

leave / leave / go on a trip
I'm trying to do some work. Go away!
I am trying to work. Get out!
Are you going away for Easter?
Are you going on a trip at Easter?

56. go off

spoil, expire
Keep the milk in the fridge or it'll go off.
Store the milk in the fridge or it will spoil.
exploit
The boiler went off while I was in the shower.
The boiler exploded while I was in the shower.
Dream
My alarm didn't go off this morning.
I didn't have my alarm sounded this morning.
Stop liking someone
I've gone off Katie since she told that dirty joke.
I've stopped liking Katie ever since she told that dirty joke.

57. go through

cross / pass
I got searched when I went through the airport security.
They searched me when I passed the airport security check.
suffer / have a bad time
We've gone through a lot this year.
We have had a hard time this year.
check
In this lesson we'll go through the irregular verbs.
In this class we will review irregular verbs.

58. hang on

expect
Hang on a moment, I'm going to get my jacket.
Wait a minute, I'm going to get my jacket.
put up with
Hang on a bit longer, you will succeed in the end.
Hold on a little longer, I'm sure you will.
keep something, hold on to something
Why do you hang on to all those teddy bears? They remind me of my childhood.
Why do you keep so many teddy bears? They remind me of my childhood.

59. hang up

hang up the phone
Please don't hang up!
Please, do not hang up!
hang something
Hang your towel up, it won't dry on the floor.
Hang your towel, it won't dry on the floor.

60. head back

come back, come back
It's getting late, we should start heading back home.
It's getting late, we should go home.

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61. heat up

to warm
Did you head up the soup?
Have you heated the soup?

62. hold on

resist / endure
During your blood test…
Hold on, we're almost done.
Hold one, we're almost done.
keep
Hold on to your ticket, you'll need it to get out of the car park.
Keep your ticket, you will need it to exit the car park.
Hold on to something
Hang on to the strap. There'a a tight bend!
Grab the handle, a sharp bend is coming.

63. hurry up

hurry up
Hurry up! I do not have all day! - Hurry up! I haven't got all day!
If you don't hurry, we'll be late. - If you don't hurry up, we're going to be late.

64. keep on

continue
If you keep on talking, you'll have to leave.
If you keep talking you will have to go.
leave on
Keep your clothes on Mr Jones, I'm only checking your blood pressure.
Don't take off your clothes, Mr. Jones. I'm just going to take his blood pressure.

65. keep up

follow the rythm
She walked so fast that I could barely keep up.
He walked so fast that he could barely keep up.
to be informed about
Are you keeping up with the latest news?
Are you aware of all the latest news?
keep it up
Very good! Keep it up!
Very well! Keep it up!

66. kick out

expel
My teacher kicked me out of the class because I was yawning.
The teacher kicked me out of class for yawning.

67. knock sb out

knock out
The boxer knocked his opponent out in the third round.
The boxer knocked his opponent unconscious in the third round.
astonish / surprise
Her spectacular singing voice knocked everyone out!
His spectacular voice did not leave everyone stunned.

68. knock over

run over, run over
The cyclist was knocked over by a car.
The cyclist was hit by a car.
knock down
The baby knocked over my coffee mug.
Baby threw away my coffee cup

69. let somebody down

disappoint someone
Everyone seems to let him down.
Everyone ends up disappointing him.

70. let off

Leave acquitted, free
I'll let you off this time.
This time you got rid of it.

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71. lighten up

relax / unwind
Our English teacher should lighten up a bit.
Our English teacher should relax a bit.

72. look after

look after
Can you look after my little rat while I'm away?
Can you take care of my mouse while I'm traveling?

73. look into

investigate, search, evaluate
We're looking into ways to improve our service.
We are evaluating ways to improve our service.

74. look sth / sb up

search for
If you don't know the address just look it up online.
If you don't know the address, look it up on the internet.

75. look forward to sth

really want to
I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
I really want to see you tomorrow.

76. make up

invent
Really? You made up the whole story?
Seriously? Did you make up the whole story?
make peace
We had an argument but we kissed and made up.
We had an argument, but we have made up.

77. pay back

return money
When are you going to pay me back the money?
When are you going to pay me back?
take revenge on someone for something
It's pay back time!
Time for revenge!

78. pick up

pick up in a vehicle
Can you pick me up later?
Can you come pick me up later?
answer the phone
I called three times but not one picked up.
I called three times but no one answered.
learn easily
I didn't study French at school, I just picked it up while living in Paris.
I didn't study French in high school, I learned it when I lived in Paris.
to get better
Hopefully, sales will pick up in January.
Hopefully, sales will improve in January.

79. plug in

plug
Do you mind if I plug my phone in?
Do you mind if I plug in my mobile?

80. put on

Put on (clothes / shoes)
Hurry up, come on put your shoes on.
Hurry up, come put your shoes on.
put
Shall I put some music on?
Do I put on some music?
gain weight / gain weight
Have you put on weight?
You have gained weight?

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81. put out

inconvenience
I need someone to check my homework but I don't want to put you out.
I need someone to review my homework but I don't want to bother you.
to turn off
Put your cigarette out before you get in the car.
Put out your cigarette before getting in the car.
have sex
We've been dating for 6 months and she still won't put out.
We've been dating for 6 months but he still doesn't want to sleep with me.

82. put off

disgust, cause rejection, remove the desire
I'm sure black rice is lovely, but the look of it really puts me off.
I am sure the black rice is delicious, but its appearance causes me rejection.
That photo is disgusting! You've put me off my food!
What a disgusting photo! I have lost the desire to eat.

83. put up with

tolerate / endure
I'm not going to put up with this behavior. Go to bed!
I do not intend to tolerate this behavior. Go to bed!

84. rip off

tear
The stripper ripped his shirt off.
The stripper tore off his shirt.
scam / con someone
I got ripped off as soon as I left the airport.
I was ripped off as soon as I left the airport.
copy
That artist has ripped off my painting!
That artist has copied my painting.

85. run into

stumble / meet
I ran into your grandmother in the pharmacy.
I met your grandmother at the pharmacy.

86. run out of

stay without
We've run out of English tea. This is a catastrophe!
We have run out of English tea. It is a catastrophe.

87. run over

run over
I accidentally ran over a weasel this morning.
I accidentally ran over a weasel this morning.

88. sell out

wear out
The ticked sold out in 2 hours.
Tickets have been sold out in 2 hours.

89. set off

get out
We have to set off at 6:00 am to avoid the traffic.
We have to leave at 06:00 to avoid traffic.

90. show off

brag / brag
Stop showing off your new car! You're unbearable!
Stop bragging about your new car. You are unbearable!

Tips for making it easier to learn Phrasal Verbs