Phrasal verbs are very important in daily English conversation.
They can help you communicate more effectively and accurately. Here are 50 interesting phrasal verbs that you can use in your daily life.
- Look After
to take care of someone or something and make certain that they have everything they need
He looked after my pets when I was away.
- Get On With
to give your time to something and make progress with it
We can get with the celebration once we finish the work.
- Put Up With
to accept someone or something unpleasant in a patient way
Nobody can put up with bad behavior for a long time.
- Come Up With
to think of something such as an idea or a plan
My friends really come up with the best traveling plans.
- Keep In With
to stay friendly with someone, especially someone who can help you
You should keep in with her friend. They are really helpful.
- Pay For
To give money in order to buy something
Let me pay for the dinner.
- Take Over
to begin to do something that someone else was doing
Can you take over the cooking while I walk the dog?
- Get Away From
to stop having a particular idea or belief that is old–fashioned or not helpful
We want to get away from this idea that women are meant for cooking.
- Get Back To
to phone, write, or speak to someone at a later time because you were busy or could not answer their question earlier.
I will get back to you once I finish my work.
- Put Off
to delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it
I was trying to put off the moment when I would have to leave.
- Give Up On
to stop hoping that someone will improve and stop trying to help or change them
Most of the teachers gave up on her years ago.
- Turn Down.
to not accept an offer or request
How could you turn down such a fantastic job?
- Back Out
to decide not to do something you agreed to do
I promised to help and I’m not backing out now.
- Come across
to meet someone, or to find something by chance
I came across a word I’d never seen before.
- Dab off
to remove something from a surface by gently touching it several times with something such as a piece of cloth.
He put his handkerchief to his face and dabbed off a tear.
- Ease off
if something unpleasant or annoying eases off, it becomes less unpleasant or annoying
If the rain eases off overnight, we’ll leave in the morning.
- Face down
with the front or face towards the ground
He was lying face down in the water.
- Dabble in
to be involved in an activity for a short time in a way that is not very serious
When he was younger he dabbled in astrology.
- Comes down to
to be the most important aspect of a situation or problem
In the end, it all comes down to who wants the job the most.
- Triffle with.
to deal with something in a way that shows you do not have a serious attitude towards it
Stop trifling with her feelings!
- Call for
to say publicly that something must happen.
Several of the newspapers were calling for his resignation.
- Boils down to
to be the main reason for something or the most basic part of something
It’s difficult to choose which appliance to buy, but in the end it usually boils down to cost.
- Single out
to choose one person from a group for special attention
Katie was often singled out for punishment.
- Send off
to post something to someone
I must get the parcel sent off tomorrow.
- Narrow down
to reduce the number of possibilities or choices
We’re working to narrow down the list of possible suspects.
- Speak of
to seem to prove that something exists or is true
Her extensive library spoke of her love of reading.
- Bump into
to meet someone unexpectedly
I bumped into your mother at the supermarket.
- Blow up at
to suddenly become angry and shout at someone
- Cut back
to reduce the amount of something, especially money that you spend
It’s time we cut back a little.
- Fall out
to stop being friendly with someone because you have had a disagreement with them
Have you two fallen out?
- Get around
to go or travel to different places
At the age of 85 Milly still gets around quite well.
- Hang in
Stay positive
Hang in there! I’m sure you will find a job soon.
- Take after
to look or behave like an older relative
In looks she takes after her father.
- Reflect on
to give people a particular opinion of someone or something
We hope her success will reflect well on the school.
- Juice up
to improve something by making it more interesting, attractive, or powerful
Certain scenes were juiced up for commercial purposes.
- Wear off
if something such as a pain, an emotion, or a feeling wears off, it gradually disappears
The numbness in his shoulder was starting to wear off.
- Whip up
to encourage strong emotions or behavior in people
Newspaper articles have whipped up fears of the new tax policies.
- Ease off
if something unpleasant or annoying eases off, it becomes less unpleasant or annoying
If the rain eases off overnight, we’ll leave in the morning.
- End in
to have something as a final result
His attempt to persuade the boy ended in failure.
- Map out
to plan in detail how something will happen
Her own future had been mapped out for her by her parents.
- Toss around
to discuss something such as an idea, often in an informal way
We tossed some thoughts around for a while.
- Keep off
to not touch something, or to prevent something from touching something
- Knock off
to reduce a price or an amount
Kelly knocked two seconds off her previous time.
- Hand down
to give knowledge or skill to someone who is younger than you and will live after you have died
These skills have been handed down from generation to generation.
- Keep away
to avoid someone or something, or to make someone else do this
I’ve told him to keep away, but he won’t listen.
- Own up
to admit that you have done something bad or embarrassing
Dan could have made this whole thing go away simply by owning up.
- Major in
to have or do a lot of something; to focus on a particular thing.
When someone asked me how my day went, I majored in the things that went wrong rather than the good things.
- Make off
to leave quickly, especially after doing something wrong
The kids made off when they heard us coming.
- Read into
to find an extra meaning in someone’s words or actions that is not obvious or does not exist
I think you’re reading too much into a casual remark.
- Ringback
to phone someone again.
I’ll ring back later.
Frequently Asked Questions about Phrasal Verbs in English
What are phrasal verbs in English?
Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with one or two short words (prepositions or adverbs) that create a new meaning different from the original verb. Examples: “give up” (quit), “look after” (take care of), “run into” (meet by chance), “put off” (postpone). English has 5,000+ phrasal verbs and native speakers use them constantly — mastering common ones is essential for fluency.
Why are phrasal verbs important in English?
Phrasal verbs make English sound natural. Native speakers use phrasal verbs constantly in casual conversation: “I have to figure out”, “we’ll catch up later”, “I’m running out of time”, “she came up with a good idea”. Using formal verbs (“ascertain”, “communicate”, “depleting”, “originated”) sounds stiff and non-native. Phrasal verbs are the difference between sounding native and sounding like a textbook.
What are the most common English phrasal verbs?
Top high-frequency phrasal verbs every learner should know: look up (search), turn on/off (activate/deactivate), put off (postpone), give up (quit), find out (discover), take off (leave or remove), pick up (collect or learn), go on (continue), come up (arise), get along with (have good relations), look forward to (anticipate), break down (stop functioning), run out of (deplete), set up (arrange), figure out (understand). Mastering 50 phrasal verbs covers ~80% of everyday usage.
How do I learn phrasal verbs effectively?
Effective phrasal verb learning: (1) Group by topic (e.g., business: take over, sign off, follow up). (2) Learn in real sentences, not isolated lists. (3) Use each new phrasal verb in conversation within 24 hours. (4) Watch English shows and note how characters use phrasal verbs naturally. (5) Practice with a TESOL/ESL-certified Expert who can prompt you to use phrasal verbs and correct misuse. EngVarta‘s 1-on-1 audio sessions help you incorporate phrasal verbs naturally — most learners who use them daily for 4-6 weeks shift from textbook English to natural English.
What’s the difference between phrasal verbs and regular verbs?
Regular verbs are single-word verbs (“decide”, “investigate”, “continue”). Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a particle to create new meaning (“decide to vs decide on”, “look into vs look at vs look up”). The same verb can have multiple phrasal forms with different meanings. Native English uses phrasal verbs in casual contexts; formal verbs in academic and professional writing. Both registers matter — fluent speakers switch between them.
Are phrasal verbs separable or inseparable?
Some phrasal verbs are separable: “Pick the kids up” or “Pick up the kids” (both correct). Some are inseparable: “Look after the kids” (NOT “Look the kids after”). Rule of thumb: if the phrasal verb has an object and you can put the object between verb and particle, it’s separable. Common separable: pick up, take off, turn on. Common inseparable: look after, run into, get over. With pronouns, separable phrasal verbs MUST be separated: “Pick them up” (not “Pick up them”).
How long does it take to master English phrasal verbs?
Realistic timeline: master 50 high-frequency phrasal verbs in 6-8 weeks of daily practice with usage. Reach 200 phrasal verbs (covering most everyday English) in 6-12 months. Achieve idiom-level mastery (using phrasal verbs flexibly in any context) in 1-2 years. The key is USING them, not just memorising lists. Daily live conversation accelerates significantly.
