Most Useful Phrasal Verbs in English

List of Common Phrasal Verbs with Examples in Sentence 

What is Phrasal Verbs:

Some verbs take a preposition or an adverb or both after them and make a new meaning of the verb. Such a combination of verb-adverb-preposition is called Group Verb or Phrasal Verb or Prepositional Verb.

What is the difference between Simple Verbs and Phrasal Verbs:

Read the following examples for illustrations:

Example:

Tina laughs. 

Tina laughs at the poor.

In the first sentence, the verb ‘laughs‘ has a simple meaning and it has no preposition connected with it.

But in the second sentence, the verb ‘laughs at‘ is formed with the combination of preposition and it means – ridicules, which is an idiomatic or different meaning. You may also like:Role and Importance of Newspaper How to Write Job Application Essay on Importance of Discipline 

What are the most common Phrasal Verbs in English:

■ 1) Phrasal Verbs with – Act:

● Act on – Over exercise affects (acts on) one’s health. 

 Act upon – The police relied on (acted upon) the informer.

● Act against– Arun is working against (acting against) the system of the institution.

■ 2) Phrasal Verbs with – Ask:

● Ask for – He prayed for (asked for) a loan of one thousand rupees. 

■ 3) Phrasal Verbs with – Bear:

● Bear with – I can not tolerate (bear with) such insult.

● Bear out – His evidence doesn’t support (bear out) his innocence. 

● Bear away – Sunita has won (bore away) all the prizes.

■ 4) Phrasal Verbs with – Break:

● Break down – Hesring the news he declines (breaks down) in sorrow.

● Break into – The robbers entered (broke into) the shop at night.

● Break out – Cholera has spread (broken out) in the area rapidly. 

● Break up – Our school ends (breaks up) at 4 p.m■

5) Phrasal Verbs with – Bring:

● Bring down – Government new policy has reduced (brought down) the price of necessary goods. 

● Bring about – Scientific inventions have caused (brought about)  amazing progress in modern society.

● Bring out – Ruskin Bond has recently published (brought out) his new book.

● Bring up – The childhood of Rabindranath was reared (brought up) by domestic servants. 

● Bring on – The monsoon rain causes (brings on) cough and cold.

■ 6) Phrasal Verbs with – Burst:

● Burst out – The girl suddenly begins (bursts out) laughing.

■ 7) Phrasal Verbs with – Call:

● Call at – I shall visit (call at) your house soon.

● Call in – Please send for (call in) a doctor at once.

● Call on – I shall meet (call on) you at your house. 

● Call up – I could not remember (call up) his name.

● Call out – The lady shouted (called out) for help.

● Call off – The labourers withdrawn (called off) the strike.■

8) Phrasal Verbs with – Carry:

● Carry on – He is continuing (carrying on) his father’s business smoothly. 

● Carry out – The followers should execute (carry  out) the orders of their leader.

■ 9) Phrasal Verbs with – Come:

● Come about – How did the accident happen (come about)?

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● Come across – I met (came across) my friend Soumitra suddenly at New Market.

● Come round – He will soon recover (come round) under the treatment. 

● Come of – Rabindranath Tagore was born (come of) in a respectable family. 

● Come down – The bridge fell on (came down) on the road.

● Come by – How did you get (come by) this rare book?

■ 10) Phrasal Verbs with – Cut:

● Cut down – Always try to reduce (cut down) monthly budget.

● Cut off – He has separated/dislocated (cut off) his family bond.

■ 11) Phrasal Verbs with – Deal:

● Deal with – He behaves with (deals with) me very well.

● Deal in – He trades (deals in) tea.

■ 12) Phrasal Verbs with – Draw:

● Draw back – The enemy soldiers are now retreating/receding (drawing back).

● Draw on – I shall have to withdraw (draw on) from my savings.

■ 13) Phrasal Verbs with – Fall:

● Fall on/upon – The soldiers attacked (fell on/upon) the enemy at the right time.

 Fall out – Two friends quarrelled (fell out) over a little matter.

 Fall behind – He always lags (falls behind) with his work.

● Fall in with – Finally I could not but agree (fall in with) with his view.

● Fall through – The meeting failed (fell through) because of inclement weather. 

■ 14) Phrasal Verbs with – Get:

● Get at – The fox failed to reach (get at) the grapes. 

● Get down – Open the exercise book and write (get down) everything he says.

● Get out – We stood on the road after going out (getting out) of the car.

● Get up – Early to bed, early to rise (get up).

● Get together – Let us meet together (get together) once again. 

● Get into – He boarded (got into) the first class compartment of the train. 

■ 15) Phrasal Verbs with – Give:

● Give away – The Headmaster distributed (gave away) the prizes among the students. 

● Give in – The enemy has surrendered/yielded (given away) finally. 

● Give up – Leave (give up) the habit of smoking.

● Give off – Burning of coal emits (gives off) smoke.

■ 16) Phrasal Verbs with – Go:

● Go through – He has read (gone through) the book with attention. 

● Go up – The price of rice has increased (gone up).

● Go against – All the people opposed (went against) my suggestion.

● Go on – The meeting continued (went on) for an hour. 

● Go back – We should return (go back) now.

● Go after – The guard followed (went after) him.

■ 17) Phrasal Verbs with – Keep:

● Keep up – He always tries to maintain (keep up) his good academic career. 

● Keep away – Try to remain at a distance (keep away) from bad companies. 

● Keep up with – We have to adjust (keep up with) with the changing society. 

● Kerp down – No difficulties could not suppress (keep down) him.

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■ 18) Phrasal Verbs with – Look:

● Look at – Behold (look at) her single in the field.

● Look after – Parents always take care (look after) their children. 

● Look down upon – Don’t despise (look down upon) the poor.

● Look out – The police has been searching (looking out) the thief for a long time.

● Look into – The C.B.I Department is investigating (looking into) the matter. 

● Look for – He is searching (looking for) for a job desperately. 

■ 19) Phrasal Verbs with – Make:

● Make up – The Government has decided to compensate (make up) the loss.

● Make of – The house is constructed (made of) of stone.

● Make out – I could understand (make out) his answer. 

■ 20) Phrasal Verbs with – Pass:

● Pass away – The man died (passed away) last night.

● Pass on – Please hand over (pass on) the parcel. 

■ 21) Phrasal Verbs with – Put:

● Put up – They hoisted (put up) a banner across the street.

● Put up with – I could not tolerate (put up with) such insult. 

● Put off – He went into the room and take off (put off) his coat.

● Put on – He wore (put on) his new shirt.

● Put out – The fire tenders extinguished (put out) the fire at the right time. 

● Put down – Please write down (put down) your name on a sheet of paper. 

● Put by – Save (put aside) something for future. 

■ 22) Phrasal Verbs with – Run:

● Run after – The police is chasing (running after) the thief. 

● Run away – A prisoner fled (ran away) from the jail.

● Run over – A speeding car knocked down (ran over) the child. 

■ 23) Phrasal Verbs with – Set:

● Set up – He has established (set up) his own business. 

● Set in – The rain has started (set in).

● Set out – The mariners started (set out) their sea voyage. 

■ 24) Phrasal Verbs with – Take:

● Take after – The girl resembles (takes after) her mother.

● Take back – You should withdraw (take back) your promise. 

● Take over – The minister undertook (take over) the charge. 

● Take off – The plane rose from the land (took off)  and was up in the air.

● Take off – Remove (take off) your shirt. 

■ 25) Phrasal Verbs with – Turn:

● Turn down – His appeal was rejected (turned down).

● Turn up – All the students appear (turn up) at the prayer meeting. 

● Turn out – The factory produces (turn out) many cars in this year.

● Turn out – The boy was driven out (turned out) of the class.

■ 26) Phrasal Verbs with – Work:

● Work out – I have solved (worked out) the problem. 

● Work at – He was engaged (worked at) in this project. 

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