a phrase that consists of a verb with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts:

"Pay for", "work out", and "make up for" are all phrasal verbs.

I’m going to show you some phrasal verbs tricks so you can use new phrasal verbs in conversation with less effort.

You’ll also be able to understand a lot more of what people are saying in English and even understand phrasal verbs without a dictionary.

A world will open up to you!

1. How to understand “off” in phrasal verbs

“Off” can mean away.

I want to start this one with some unpleasant phrases.

That’s because, although these kinds of phrases are definitely not very nice, they’re easier to remember.

If you don’t like swearing or aggressive language, please look away now.

So here we go:

“Sod off*, will you? We asked you several times to leave us alone. We don’t want to buy your insurance!”

“Piss off*, man! I’m trying to balance these rocks. You’re not helping!”

*Be careful! These phrases are definitely not polite!

Eugh — not the nicest of expressions.

But why “off”?

In this case, “off” means “away.”

Phrasal verbs with “off” meaning “away”

Wander off = walk away without much direction or purpose

e.g.

“Where’s Todd?”

“I don’t know. He was here but just sort of … wandered off.”

Trail off = slowly get quieter and disappear

e.g.

“He started talking about the economy with such confidence but after a couple of minutes his voice sort of trailed off. He really doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Walk off = walk away

e.g.

“How rude! I was talking to him about my new kitchen extension, and he just walked off while I was still mid-sentence. Unbelievable!”

Rush off = leave quickly

e.g.

“Sorry — I’ve got to rush off. See you!”

Piss off = Go away! (WARNING: VERY, VERY RUDE!)

e.g.

“You again! Leave me alone! That’s it — piss off, yeah?”

2. How to understand “down” in phrasal verbs

“Down” can mean “get smaller” or “become calmer.”

Let’s start with one you know for sure:

Notice that we say “calm down” and not just “calm.”

That’s because the word “down” can relax a situation.

It’s all about relaxing — about getting quieter, calmer, smaller and more relaxed.

“Down” is the relaxer!

Phrasal verbs with “down” meaning “get smaller/calmer”

Die down = for a sound or an activity to become quieter or calmer

e.g.

“We should wait for the rain to die down before we leave. What do you think?”

Settle down = calm down / get married, maybe have kids, get into the routine of life and stop being so spontaneous. Maybe also get a mortgage. That kind of thing.

e.g.

“OK kids, settle down, settle down!”

“I don’t think he’ll ever settle down. He’s just not that kind of guy.”

Grind down (to a halt) = gradually slow down and eventually stop

e.g.

“… then the funding stopped coming, and the whole project ground down to a halt. Building the wall was a stupid idea anyway.”

Play down = make something seem less important

e.g.

“The government did a really good job of playing down the scandal. No one talks about it anymore.”

3. How to understand “out” in phrasal verbs

Again, let’s start with a common phrase:

In this case, “out” has a direct meaning. It means “out of the house.”

So it can mean “publicly” or “out of the house.”

But we can also use “out” when we want to talk about lots of the same thing going to different people.

Like the way your teacher gives everyone in the class the same photocopy.

Or how after the factory makes the bikes, and the bikes then go to lots of different shops around the country.

In other words, it can mean “distribute.”

Let’s look at some examples.

Phrasal verbs with “out” meaning “distribute” or “publicly”

Give out = give something to a lot of people

e.g.

“Oh no — them again! Wherever I go, they’re there giving out their leaflets about how the earth is flat.”

Hand out = give something to people in a particular group. This can be students in a classroom, people in the audience at the theatre or the people in your tennis team.

e.g.

“OK, before we hand out the prizes, let’s announce the winners!”

Speak out = give your opinion about something honestly and directly. This is usually for something that “needs to be said.” Perhaps it’s something that a lot of people aren’t talking about — stuff that people don’t want to talk about, like how the mafia is running the country or why the president keeps having all those secret meetings all the time.

e.g.

“I just want to take this opportunity to speak out against the ridiculous new idea for a flying cafe. Why are we spending all this money when there are people sleeping in the streets?”

Call someone out on something = tell someone that what they’re doing isn’t acceptable. Like when your uncle’s friend starts with the racist comments again. Or if you have a friend who’s drinking too much.

e.g.

“I’m really glad you called me out on that. I had no idea that winking was so offensive in this country.”

4. How to understand “up” in phrasal verbs

OK. Let’s start with a very well-known and popular phrasal verb:

“Up” can mean “completely” or “fully.”

And what’s more complete than saying goodbye to a bad habit forever! And also to that awful hat.

(By the way, it’s been over a year and a half since I gave up smoking. Pretty awesome, yeah?)

Phrasal verbs with “up” meaning “completely” or “fully”

Lock up = lock a building securely so everyone can leave for the night and no one is going to break in and steal all the chairs. This is usually used for an office, a factory or another place of work.

e.g.

“Sami usually locks up, but he’s on holiday this week. Can you do it?”

Drink up = finish your drink

e.g.

“Come on — drink up! We’ll miss the beginning.”

Finish up = finish whatever it is that you’re doing. But really finish it. Completely. Until it’s finished. Really finished.

e.g.

“OK. Just give me a couple of minutes to finish up here, and I’ll be with you.”

Shut up = Stop talking! (Warning: very rude!)

e.g.

“Oh please shut up about the flat earth thing again. You’re making a fool out of yourself.”

5. How to understand “on” in phrasal verbs

There are a couple of ways we can use “on”; both of them have a feeling of continuing.

Sometimes it simply means “continue what you were doing.”

And sometimes it means “this person won’t stop, and I really want them to stop. But they just continue.”

Phrasal verbs with “on” meaning “continuously”

Play on = keep playing

e.g.

“The ship was going down, but the band played on till the very end.”

Carry on = keep doing whatever you were doing before

e.g.

“The cops had already warned him, but he just carried on dancing in the fountain. Everyone loved it!”

Go on and on and on and on = Did you notice the repetition? We use this phrase when someone simply won’t stop talking, or something like a meeting or a terrible film just keeps going and doesn’t finish. Usually, it’s when we find it boring or annoying.

e.g.

“He could see that I was totally bored, but that didn’t stop him going on and on about his kitchen extension. I should’ve just walked off or something.”

Moan on = You know those people who love to complain? They just complain without stopping. Forever. This one’s for them.

e.g.

“Oh, I have no idea what he said. I stopped listening while he was moaning on and on about the trains.”

Move on = continue going where you were going before you stopped

e.g.

“Nothing to see here! Move on now…”

6. How to understand “around” in phrasal verbs

“Around” is an interesting word.

You might’ve seen it in sentences like this:

“Is there a good traditional musical sports shop around here?”

or this:

In these examples, “around” is used to mean “in this area.”

So “around” is not about going in a particular direction, like “off” or “on.” It’s about not really going anywhere at all.

That’s why “around” often has a feeling of pointlessness or purposelessness.

We use it when there’s not much of a reason for doing something.

There’s no target — we’re just doing it.

This can be both positive or negative, as you’re about to discover.

Phrasal verbs with “around” meaning “in the area” or “without an aim”

Hang around = spend time somewhere but without really doing anything in particular. Think about bored teenagers in town. With nowhere to go, they just sort of hang around — looking cool and being unnecessarily noisy, usually.

e.g.

“Well, the film doesn’t start until 8. Let’s not hang around here … pub?”

Wait around = wait somewhere for something or someone to arrive, usually without a book or something to do. For those of you who know me well, you’ll know that this is my personal idea of hell.

e.g.

“When all the flights were cancelled because of the volcano, everyone was left waiting around at the airport.”

Lounge around = relax in a lazy way. Sometimes this is pretty good. Lounging around on the beach or by the pool is kind of normal. But sometimes it can be used to describe super-lazy people.

e.g.

“He just lounges around all day talking about how he’s going to make the first time-travelling bicycle. I think he smokes too much.”

Wander around = walk somewhere with no particular reason or destination. Just for the fun of walking in a particular place. Think about the high street on a Sunday afternoon.

e.g.

“The first thing I’d like to do when we arrive is just wander around town and get a feel for the place.”

7. How to understand “away” in phrasal verbs

Finally, let’s end with a positive preposition.

“Away” is the preposition of freedom.

You know that feeling when you don’t care what other people think about you?

When you can just do something happily without worrying about doing it right.

Just doing something because it comes completely naturally.

The other day, for example, I was in the supermarket. There was a guy there who was clearly bored waiting for his girlfriend, who was looking at stuff. So he just started dancing away.

In the supermarket. That’s right!

I liked him.

That’s “away.”

Phrasal verbs with “away” meaning “freely”

Chat away = Don’t you love it when you meet someone and you just “click” with them — you just become friends, and conversation with them is easy and effortless? That’s what this means!

e.g.

“When they first met a few minutes ago they didn’t know what to say to each other, but now they’re just chatting away.”

Smile away = when someone has that look on their face:

e.g.

“Look at you smiling away. Did you go elephant riding at midnight again last night? You did, didn’t you?”

In fact, you can add “away” to almost any verb, and it would have a similar meaning:

“The musicians played away into the night.”

“As soon as he gets home, he gets out his paper and pens and is drawing away until dinner.”

“Jenny? Oh, you won’t be able to get much conversation out of her. She’s in her office writing away. She’ll be hours.”

________________________________________

OK — so hopefully next time you hear one of these kinds of phrasal verbs, you’ll immediately understand what’s going on.

But let’s test out your knowledge!

What do these phrasal verbs mean?

1. I tried to talk to her, but she brushed me off.

2. This project’s looking too big. We need to scale it down a bit.

3. Bored? Let’s have a big night out! (technically not a phrasal verb)

4. They finally broke up. Fair enough — they’d been fighting for months.

5. We can’t quit just because it’s getting difficult. Come on! Soldier on!

6. Hey you! Stop messing around and get back to work!

7. What? You expect me to slave away all day for nothing? I don’t think so, matey!

Reference: https://www.clarkandmiller.com/understand-phrasal-verbs-without-a-dictionary/

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PVs are Like Idioms, you Can’t Deduce their Meaning

One of the major characteristics of phrasal verbs is that they’re non-compositional. This means that most of the times you can’t tell the meaning of a phrasal verb by its individual words.

For example, play out means “to develop” but “play” on its own has a different meaning from that of the phrasal verb. The same goes for “to pick on someone” or “to pull something off.” (We’ll see these verbs in more detail below).

A verb construction like “look up” as in “There’s something in the sky, look up” can be argued not to be a phrasal verb because “look” and “up” work as two different words with meanings of their own. However, “look up” as in “Look up  on the dictionary” will always be a considered a phrasal verb

Hanging out with friends.

because “look up” is a single unit of meaning. The same goes for, for example:

• Hang out the clothes (HANG is the action, out answers WHERE)

• Hang out with friends (HANG OUT is the action)

Regardless of what technically makes a phrasal verb, many times you will notice that the individual words don’t retain their original meanings in a phrasal verb. Instead, they form one singe unit with a specific meaning that’s different from the meanings of the isolated words.

Literal and Metaphoric Meanings

Although phrasal verbs are notoriously confusing for not making sense word by word, there are still some of them that are pretty transparent if you look at them as metaphors.

Take the phrasal verb to take off, which refers to an aircraft leaving the ground.

The plane took off at 3.

As many other PVs, take off can be used figuratively to mean “to become successful.”

After so much hard word, the project finally took off.

Literal Metaphoric

Look up at: physical action of looking at what’s overhead.

“Look up at the sky” Look up to: to admire someone

“I look up to my grandfather.”

Walk away: to leave a place by walking.

“He walked away from the scene of the crime.” Walk away: to abandon someone or quit your job.

“He walked away on his wife.”

Pick up: to lift something from the ground or from a lower position.

“Pick up the pencil. “ Pick up: to learn something from practice rather than from studying theory.

“He picked up Thai when he travelled around Thailand. “

Dive in/into water: jump into water.

“Paul dived into the pool.” Dive in/into: to start doing something enthusiastically.

“She dived into Netflix as soon as she got it on her computer.“

Below are a few examples of PVs used literally and metaphorically or figuratively.

Particles Add Emphasis or an Informal tone

Sometimes particles are used to add emphasis or a more conversational tone to the language. In these cases, particles don’t change the original meaning of the verb as we’ve seen above, but they still function as a single unit of meaning with the verb.

Phrasal verbs that add emphasis:

• finish off 

• eat up

• start out

If you omit the particles, the core of the message would still be expressed. The particles only intensify the meaning of the verb. We see these verbs in more detail below in the article.

Phrasal verbs that add a conversation tone to the verb:

• help out

• start off   

• save up

Again, the particles “out,” “off,” and “up” don’t change the meaning of the verb, they add a tone of informality to the verb. Adding these particles to your way of speaking will make your speech be perceived more native-like.

Lastly, there’s another instance where a particle is added next to the verb:

Particles turn nouns into verbs:

• team up

• calm down

• stand up

In this case, you need to add the particle next to the verb or else it wouldn’t sound complete. “Team” is a noun, and to make it a verb you need to add “up.” Saying “Let’s team” doesn’t sound natural. You either say “let’s team up” or use a completely different structure: “let’s make a team.”

Avoiding Phrasal Verbs

Here’s a fact: when we speak a foreign language, we avoid using words or structures that are difficult, and instead we use simpler alternatives. So, many times instead of using a phrasal verb we use a regular verb to get our meaning across.

For example, we would say something like “Could you inform me on…” instead of “Could you fill me in on…” Or use “postpone,” “tolerate,” and “discover” instead of “put off,” “put up with,” and “find out” respectively.

This is known as the avoidance strategy, and numerous studies have been conducted on this topic. One particular study shows that

“97.75% of the EFL student avoided using some idioms and phrasal verbs in speaking and 85.50% in writing. Thus, a huge majority of the subjects, that is, more than 90% on average adopted avoidance behaviour in their learning of and performance in EFL.” [source]

The reason why you sometimes struggle to use and learn phrasal verbs is because they don’t fit with a pre-established linguistic concept in your brain (because, remember, they don’t exist in your native language).

Paraphrasing is indeed a linguistic survival skill that will help you produce your message. You do this when you aren’t fully confident using a specific phrasal verb (or any complex structure) and resort to using Latinate verbs like “inform,” “postpone,” “tolerate,” etc. However, an even better skill is being able to learn and use phrasal verbs when the context calls for them.

The best way you can learn phrasal verbs and use them spontaneously in conversation is first getting a grasp on what they mean and on how they’re used, and then actually making them a part of your speech. You can speed this process up by setting aside some time to learn and practice just phrasal verbs.

That’s precisely what you’ll be doing as you keep reading.

By this point you have found out about some general ideas about phrasal verbs. Now it’s time to actually LEARN some phrasal verbs.

Phrasal Verbs Time: The Particles

Instead of grouping phrasal verbs by the verb, a more effective approach is grouping them by the particle because verbs are easier to remember than particles.

So, instead of looking at all the phrasal verbs with “give” or “take,” we’re going to learn a handful of phrasal verbs with the particles “off,” “away,” “up’ and so on.

The phrasal verbs below are labelled under 3 levels according to my perception of how much learners use them.

 Level 1 – basic PVs; most intermediate speakers use them to some extent.

 Level 2 – less frequent in intermediate speakers; barely present in advanced speakers. They’re many times avoided.

 Level 3 – only few advanced speakers use these phrasal verbs. when they don’t, they use an alternative that’s closer to their native language.

Jump to a specific spot on the article: 

Off — Away — Up — Out — On — In — Around — Down — Over

OFF

Level 1

take off: to remove a piece of clothing. (2) (of an aircraft) to leave the ground.

“I took my sweater off when it got warmer.”

(2) “The plane takes off at 5 pm.”

show off: to behave in a way intended to attract admiration.

“He was showing off how much money he makes.“

kick off: to start something.

“The game kicks off at 9pm.“

Usage note about “show off”: this verb carries a negative connotation when is used to refer to someone’s attitude or behaviour, but it’s generally used in a complementary way when it refers to someone demonstrating their skills (pic).

He’s showing off his BMX skills.

Level 2

pay off: to finally see the results of hard work.

“All the years of hard work paid off when he got a promotion.“

pull off: to succeed doing something that’s very difficult.

“Robert was the only student who was able to pull off a perfect score in the exam.“

rip off: to sell something at a much higher price that something is actually worth.

“They ripped you off at that hotel. “

Note about “rip off”: commonly used as “to get ripped off” The noun “a rip-off,” which has the same meaning as the phrasal verb, is also very common. This is a phrasal noun.

That’s a total rip-off!

Level 3

write (sb) off: to start to believe someone (or sth) won’t be able to achieve something.

“I wouldn’t write him off just yet. He still has a chance to win.“

cut (sb) off: to stop being so close to someone.

“Her friends cut her off when she got engaged.“

blow off: to not go somewhere you were planning to go, or to not show up at an arranged meeting with someone.

“We were supposed to have a coffee, but he blew me off.“

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

start off – “They started the meeting off by addressing the most important issues first.”

finish off – “I just need 10 more minutes to finish off this report.”

As I said before, the “off”‘ here doesn’t change the meaning of these verbs. It adds a conversational tone to start and intensifies the meaning of the verb finish.

Expressions & Collocations

take time off: “He took a day off from work.” (didn’t go to work).

knock it off \ cut it off: used to tell someone to stop doing something that annoys you. “Knock it off, kids! You’re going to wake up the baby.”

knock your socks off: to completely surprise someone or make them feel very excited about something. “The new 2016 car is going to knock your socks off.”

ring off the hook: (of a telephone) to ring repeated times in a short period of times. “Her phone has been ringing off the hook ever since she was on TV”

let of (some) steam: to release one’s anger or other strong emotions. “She was punching a boxing bag to let off some steam.”

AWAY

Level 1

give away: to give something as a present or for free.

“I have 5 tickets to give away.“

throw away: to get rid of something.

“This old fridge doesn’t work anymore, I’m going to throw it away“

go away: to leave a place. (2) to disappear.

“Don’t go away, stay here til I’m back”

“The pain went away.”

Level 2

blow away: if something blows you away, you’re utterly surprised by it. Note: also commonly used as “to be blown away.”

“I was blown away by her performance.“

They were blown away by the trick the magician pulled off.

put away: to put something in the place it’s supposed to be stored into or placed.

“Kids, put your toys away before going to bed.“

walk away: to leave a situation or a place, especially because there’s something that’s hard to deal with. (2) “to walk away on someone” means to abandon them.

“A lot of investors walked away thinking the product wasn’t going to succeed.”

(2) “My girlfriend walked away on me.”

Level 3

take away from: to reduce the value of what someone did by getting involved it it and attracting the attention to you.

“I don’t want take anything away from their win, but they had a little bit of luck.”

carry away: if something carries you away, you lose control of what you’re doing because it excites you very much. Note: usually said in the passive with the constructions “to be carried away” or “get carried away.”

“I got carried away by her speech and forgot I had a meeting at 4.”

shy away from: to avoid a situation because you don’t feel confident or you don’t like it.

“Don’t shy away from the camera when I film what we’re doing.”

“Don’t shy away from doing what you love.“

Expressions & Collocations

get away with murder: (figurative) used to say that someone did something bad and did not get punished for it.

“He got into a fight in the school hall, but because it was the last day of school, I think he’s gonna get away with murder.“

far away: not close, at a distance. “The hospital is far away, maybe an hour by car.”

an apple a day keeps the doctor away: (saying) used to say that eating an apple a day will make you feel healthy.

UP

Level 1

give up: to stop trying to do something.

“The rescue team didn’t give up and kept looking for survivors”

“Don’t give up! Hard work will pay off“

make up: to invent something.

“He made up a fake story.”

look up: to seek information in a book, dictionary, etc.

“I don’t know this word, can you look it up on Google?“

Note: If you add “to” to look up, it means to admire someone.

My mom is a superhero to me. I look up to her.

Level 2

end up: to result in a particular way.

“I thought this game was going to be boring, but it ended up being pretty exciting. “

set up: to start or organize something. (2) to make something like a system or piece of equipment ready to use.

“We need to set up a meeting immediately.”

(2) “I need someone to help me set up a website for my business. “

bring up: to start talking about a specific topic in a conversation.

“I didn’t want to get into politics, but he brought it up.“

Level 3

hold up: to continue to work properly, especially when you think it won’t.

“When the world went into a recession, the economy of Canada held up pretty well.”

“It’s an old car but I think it can still hold up 10 more years.“

wrap up: to bring to an end.

“It’s time to wrap up the show.“

back up: to show someone that what you said is right.

“I said he was going win the race, and he backed it up.“

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

sneak up on: to approach someone without them realizing it.

(literally) “A little kid just snuck up on me and yelled ‘boo! I scared you!’”

(figuratively) “I wish I would have finished the essay. The deadline snuck up on me.”

Note: to get a better grasp on this phrasal verb, you need to imagine how someone moves when they sneak.

The girl and the old lady are sneaking out of the hospital.

put up with: to tolerate something or someone.

“I’m not going to keep putting up with this nonsense!”

suck up to: to do and say things that will please someone in order to get something from them, like approval or something else.

“He’s so fake. He’s always sucking up to the boss.”

make it up to: to compensate for something.

“I’m sorry but you can’t come. I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

stick up for – stand up for: to defend someone or show support for a belief, plan, etc.

“My friend stuck up for me against the bullies.”

load up on: to get a large amount of something so that it’s available when you need it.

“Claudia loaded up on CDs for the road trip.”

come up with: to think of an idea, plan, etc.

“Have you come up with a plan B?”

catch up with: if something catches up with you, you start to see the negative influence it has on you now. (2) to meet someone and find out about what they’ve been doing after a long time without talking to them.

“So many years of smoking caught up with him when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.”

“How have you been? We need to catch up with each other“

live up to: to be as good as expected.

“The movie didn’t live up to my expectations.”

beat (sb) up to: to manage to do something first than another person.

“I was willing to do the washing-up but you beat me up to it.”

hung up on/about: to think too much about something.

“She’s so hung up on what other people think about her.”

“He’s still hung up about breaking up with his girlfriend.

chalk up to: to give a reason or excuse for something bad that happened to you.

“He did badly in the exam and chalked it up to spending to much time playing video games.”

walk up to: to approach to someone.

“I walked up to me and asked me for directions.“

gang up on (someone): to form a team to attack someone (verbally or physically).

Slang – Very Informal “up” Phrasal Verbs

man up: to act as a man –to face a situation with courage and determination.

“Come on, man! Man up, ask her out!“

hook up: to make out (kiss) or have sex with someone.

“Did you hook up with that girl last night?“

knock up: to impregnate a woman.

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

team up: “The two families teamed up to organize the wedding.”

save up: “I didn’t got to travel to Europe because I didn’t save up enough money.”

open up: “Open up! I need to get in.”

Expressions & Collocations

keep it up!: (also keep up the good work!) used to encourage someone to continue doing what they’re doing.

“Congrats, you’ve made great progress. Keep it up!”

take (sb) up on an offer: (opposite of turn down) to accept someone’s offer.

“All right, I’ll take you up on that. When do we start the GYM?“

to be are up shit creek: to be in a difficult situation.

“Having just lost his job and expecting a kid, he is up shit creek without a paddle.“

Note: sometimes people say add “without a paddle” to intensify the meaning of the expression.

Up shit creek.

OUT

Level 1

check out: to take a look at something; to inspect something.

“Check this series out. You might like it.“

find out: to learn about a situation; to discover something, to realize about something.

“I just found out they neighbors are stealing our WIFI.”

figure out: to be able to understand something; to discover how something works.

“It took me some time to figure out how to play this video game.”

“He couldn’t figure out what the problem was and neither could I.”

Albert Einstein figured out that time and space are relative.

Level 2

hang out: to spend time with someone you like being around with. 

“Wanna hang out tonight at the big store at the Solaris plaza?”

“We just hung out.” 

kick out: to expel someone from a place.

“Security kicked him out of the museum because he got drunk.”

sort out: to find a solution to a problem. (2) to organize things into different categories or groups.

“No need to call the guy to fix the computer, I sorted out the problem myself.”

“First, sort the paperwork out by date.”

Level 3

rule out: to not consider something as an option anymore.

“He’s been ruled out of the main team due to an injury.”

“I haven’t ruled out the possibility of moving abroad, but I haven’t made a decision yet either.

play out: to develop.

“We’ll see how things play out, and when we have more information, we’ll take a decision.”

“The trial played out favorably to him.”

max out: to reach the limit of something. (2) to use the full amount possible.

“This Chevrolet maxes out at about 250 km/h.”

“I maxed out my credit card on the trip to Las Vegas.”

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

call (sb) out on: to let somebody know that you know that they made a mistake or lied.

“Jake, didn’t really graduate from Harvard. Yea! I’m calling you out.”

“She called them out on their lies.”

cut out for: to be suitable for a job or activity.

“They told me I’m not cut out for being a chef.”

“I like working and being out of the house. So, you guess, I’m not cut out for being a housewife.” 

I knew I wasn’t cut out for this shit!

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

stress out: “Being stressed out about money 24/7 is being detrimental for her health.”

hear out: “Wait a second, hear me out. What if we tell them a little white lie and avoid any problems?” (used to direct someone’s attention to what you’re about to say).

plan out: “They have everything planned out.”

Expressions & Collocations

hold out hope: to still hope for something. 

“I’m still holding out hope I’ll get a call from that company I sent my application to.” 

out loud: audibly; in a loud voice so that it can be heard.

“Can you read the introduction out loud?“

think out loud: to verbalize your thoughts, sometimes without realizing it.

“Sorry, I wasn’t talking to you, I was just thinking out loud.“ 

ON

Level 1

turn on: to make a piece of equipment start working. 

“I just want to get home, kick my feet up and turn on the TV and watch my favorite show.”

go on: to continue. (2) to happen.

“Sorry someone called me, go on with what you were saying.”

“The party actually went on for two more hours.”

(2) “What’s going on over there?”

try on: to momentarily wear a piece of clothing in order to see how it looks on you and decide whether or not to buy it.

I tried on about 10 pairs of shoes but I wasn’t able to decide on any.

Level 2

move on:  to continue onto the next thing, whether it is a topic of conversation (1), a new thing, or new phase in your life (2).

“Let’s move on to the next topic on the agenda”

“I have made peace with the fact that she broke up with me, and I’ve moved on.“

check on: to see or talk to someone to make sure they’re okay. 

“I am going to my grandma’s. I want to check on her.” 

pick on: to harass or unfairly criticize someone. 

“My sister loved picking on me when we were kids.”

Level 3

hit on: to talk to someone in a way that shows you’re attracted to them.

“Mark is hitting on me“.

drag on: to last for a long period of time. Commonly said more emphatically as “drag on and on.”

“The meeting dragged on more than I was expecting.”

hate on: to be criticize someone, especially because you’re jealous.

“All celebrities are constantly hated on on Twitter.”

Note: remember that as a phrasal verb, “hate on” doesn’t have the same meaning as “hate” on its own.

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

hold on to: to hold something tightly.

“The robber tried snatching her purse, but she held on to it.“

go on to: this expression is actually used in direct speech (when we say what someone else said using quotation marks) to connect two different ideas.

“He said “I didn’t do it”, and then he went on to say “I know who did it, but I’m not going to tell you.”

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

keep on: to continue.

“He just keeps on failing the math exam.”

Expressions & Collocations

later on: sometime later.

“I can’t return his call now, I’ll do it later on today.” 

on and off: intermittently.

“He lived in Europe on and off during his childhood.“

go on [activity]: this phrase is collocated with numerous words, meaning the activity mentioned has begun or is in effect. Some examples are “to go on vacation,” “go on strike,” “to go on a diet,” “go on sale.”

IN

Level 1

give in: to stop arguing or maintaining a position after someone or something has been insisting you do the opposite- opposite of to stay firm; to accept defeat.

“She gave in to her kids’s insistence and let them play outside.”

“I was determined not to download Pokemon Go, but I ended up giving in because that’s all my friends were doing.”

hand in: to submit.

“I was the last one to hand in the exam.“

log in: to enter your account details to gain access to a computer system.

“Something is wrong with the website, I can’t log in.”

Note: if you specify the computer system you are trying to get access into, then “in” becomes “into.”

“I can’t log into my Facebook account.”

Level 2

chip in: to contribute with money or assistance.

“Let’s all chip in for a taxi to downtown.”

break in: to make something more comfortable by using it a few times.

“I got a nice pair of Adidas shoes, but I need to break them in before the triathlon.”

I’m going to go for a run to break in these brand new shoes.

fill (sb) in: to give someone essential or missing information.  

“What happened in the meeting? Fill me in.”

“He filled me in on the changes to the plan.“

Level 3

rub it in: to emphasize something that will make someone feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. Often followed by “in someone’s face.”

“When Real Madrid beat Barcelona, he rubbed it in my face every day for a month.”

“He was right, and he won’t stop rubbing it in.”

kick in: to take effect. 

“When the caffeine kicks in I feel much more energized.”

“The antidepressant take 2 months to kick in.“

squeeze in: to manage to make some time in your busy day to do something else.

“He’s really busy but he always manages to squeeze in some exercise every day.” 

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

fill in for: substitute temporarily.

“Sarah is going to fill in for me while I’m away for a few days.“

be/let in on: exclusively involved with something or knowing secret information. If you let someone in on something, you reveal a secret to them.

“Is she in on our plan?”

“I’m going to let you in on a secret.“

weigh in on: to express an opinion.

“She weighed in on who she believes should be the next president.” 

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

join in: “We’re going to the movies. You want to join in?”

want in: “I created a Facebook group for the class. Whoever wants in let me know by sending me a private message.”

fit in: “I don’t have anything personal against them, it’s just that I don’t fit in with your friends.”

He tried to fit into the group.

Expressions & Collocations

put in the work/the hours/practice/training: to work hard to achieve something.

 “I love working hard and I don’t mind putting in the hours, but at the end of the month I want to get paid well.”

call in sick: to inform your superior at work that you won’t be able to come to work because you’re ill.

“Mark just called in sick, he won’t work today.”

AROUND

Level 1

mess around: to behave in a silly way. (2) to be making jokes.

“Stop messing around and do your homework.”

(2) “I was just messing around with you.“

Note: When people use it in a negation, like I don’t mess around, it means “I just take care of business” or “I get to the point.” If someone says “Don’t mess around with him” it means don’t annoy him because that could get you in trouble.

ask around: to ask a lot of people about something to get information.

“I didn’t know where the museum was, so I started to ask people around about directions.”

show around: to show someone different parts of a place or city.

“I you ever come to Moscow, I’ll show you around the city.”

Level 2

stick around: to stay at a place instead of going away.

“Don’t leave just yet guys, stick around for 30 more minutes.”

rush around: to do a lot of things very fast because you’re in a hurry. 

“Let’s make sure we arrange everything for the party before hand, so that we don’t need to rush around when it happens.”

lie around: to spend time lying down. (2) If something is lying around, it’s situated in a random place rather than on a specific and strategic place.

“I spent Sundays lying around and not doing anything.”

(2) “I’ve had this book lying around home for years, but I’ve now finally got around to reading it.” 

Level 3

come around: to change your opinion about something.

“It took me a long time to talk him into not quitting college, and it looks he’s little by little coming around.”  

get around: to travel frequently; to move from place to place. (2) (slang) to have sex with a lot of people.

“It’s easy to get around this city because it’s quite small.“

I get around Barcelona mainly by bike.

turn sth around: to improve significantly.

“He was able to turn his life around with sheer willpower“

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

got around to: to finally do something after procrastinating. 

“I finally got around to reading the final chapter of that book.”

Expressions & Collocations

know your way around: if you know you’re way around, it means you’re knowledgeable about something or are familiar with a place. “She knows her way around the kitchen. She’s a good chef.”

what goes around comes around: used to say that one’s actions, either good or bad, will bring consequences.

get/wrap one’s head around: to finally understand a complex concept or idea. “I spent a whole year trying to wrap my head around the music business until I was able to make some money.”

do sth around the clock: without stopping; all the day long. “He works around the clock to provide for his family.”

DOWN

Level 1

write down: to write something quickly, often so that you do not forget. More informal alternative: jot down.

“Give me a sec, I’ll grab a pen to write down the address.”

Usage note: we use write down when we’re talking about a writing down a small piece of text. If it’s a longer text, we just say to write. Ex: “to write a book” vs “to write down an idea.”

break down: to stop functioning properly. (2) to separate something into smaller and more manageable areas.

“The car broke down in the middle of nowhere.”

“Let me break down the report into parts.”

My car broke down.

turn down: to reduce the volume or intensity of something. (2) to not accept an offer; to reject.

“Turn down the music”

“Someone offered me a good contract to work abroad but I turned it down because I’m happy with my current job.“

Level 2

let down: to make someone feel disappointed because they expected something from you.

“He said he was sorry he let down his fans.”

go down: (informal) to take place.

“The boxing match went down in front of 20 thousand people.”

lie down: to put your back against the bed or the floor to rest, sleep, etc.; opposite of get up.

“They just want to lie down on the beach.”

The puppy loves lying down on the grass.

Level 3

water down: to reduce something in force or effectiveness. (literal) to mix a drink with another liquid so as to lessen its original flavour.

“Don’t water down the message in order to not offend the wrong people. Say it like it is.”

(literally) “Water down the orange juice with some water.”

back down: to no longer want to do something because you’re afraid or something else is making you change your mind.

“They were supposed to get married but he backed down in the last minute.”

put (sb) down: to make someone feel stupid. (2) to kill an old animal; to euthanize.

“They kids are incredibly impolite. Today they tried to put down the cleaning lady.”

(2) “The lion was too sick, so the zoo staff had to put him down.“

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

come down to: used to describe a situation by the most essential concept or thing. Also said as “to boil down to.“

“To be successful it all comes down to doing what you love and letting other people love you.” 

come down with: to become ill with a disease.

“He came down with the flu.” 

look down on: to think someone isn’t as important as you are; opposite to to look up to.

“He looked down on her because she’s an immigrant.“

narrow down to: to make a number of choices or options smaller.

“We’ve narrowed down the list of candidates to two people.”

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

slow down: “Their progressed slowed down when the recession hit.”

cool down: “It’s really hot today. I’ll take a cold shower to cool myself down.“

calm down: “I always get nervous before taking important exams, I need to learn how to calm down.“

Expressions & Collocations

lay down the rules: to establish the rules. “The coach laid down the rules, and said that if someone comes in to training more than 3 times, he’s out.” 

get down to business: to get serious about doing something you need to do. “Okay, enough dilly dallying, let’s get down to business and get started with the meeting.

break down in tears: to suddenly start crying. “She broke down in tears when she found out her puppy had died.”  

OVER

Level 1

go over: to examine or review. 

“I need 10 more minutes to go over the speech script.”

take over: to take a position of power. (2) to become a predominant thing in your life.

“The new president is going to take over the government next month”

(2) “Partying and drugs took over his life.“

get over: to start feeling well again. 

“I got a cold last week and I can’t get over it yet.”

Level 2

run (sb) over: to hit someone with a vehicle and drive over them.

“She got run over by a car”

knock over: to make something fall onto one side by push something it (especially accidentally).

“The cat knocked the glass over.“

That must have been the cat knocking stuff over again.

stay over: to stay overnight at someone else’s house.

“It’s too late for you to go back home. Don’t you want to stay over for the night?“

Level 3

think (sth) over: to think carefully about something before making a decision.

“I’ll take some time to think over the idea . I’ll call you tomorrow.“

screw over: to take advantage of someone’s trust in you.

“They made us pay, but never sent us the product. They screwed us over.“

Don’t believe none of what that guys says. He’ll screw you over.

pull over: (of a vehicle) to stop by the side of the road.

“I pulled over to write a message on my phone.“

Note: when the police pulls you over or when you get pulled over, the police makes you stop at the side of the road.

He got pulled over for speeding.

3-word phrasal verbs (adverb + preposition)

get it over with: to finish doing an unpleasant task or activity.

“Can we get the class over with? I’m hungry and I want to go home.“

head over to: to travel to some place.

“I’m heading over to California this fall.”

Used as an Intensifier or Conversational Element

trip over: “He didn’t see the step on the floor and tripped over.“

start over: “I overcooked the cake and had to start over.”

Expressions & Collocations

be/ go over someone’s heads: if something goes over your head, it is too complicated for you to understand.

“All these tax regulations are way over my head.“

over to you: used to say that now it’s your turn to do or say something.

over and over again: time and time again; yet another time. The phrase over and over gives more emphasis to the fact that something has been repeating itself several times.

“I’ve told her the same thing over and over again, but she just won’t pay attention.”

turn over a new leaf: to make a fresh start after a failure or unfortunate turn of events.

“He decided to put behind his history with drugs and turn over a new leaf.”

THROUGH

As far as I’m concerned, learners don’t tend to use many phrasal verbs with the particle “through.” That’s why I only listed just one phrasal verb under level 1, which if anything is more of a level 2 thant level 1 phrasal verb.

Level 1

flick through: to turn the pages of a book, magazine, etc. very quickly, only reading some headlines or a few sentences.

“He flicked through the magazine to kill some time.”

Note: “To skim through” is a similar expression but it means reading a text really quick to get an idea of what it’s about, to look for misspellings or to find specific information.

Level 2

see through: to perceive the hidden reason of someone’s behaviour. 

“He’s trying to be nice because he wants something from you, can’t you see through his intentions?”

go through: to analyze something, piece by piece. (2) to experience a difficult situation or period in one’s life.

“Let me go through the list of options until I make a final decision.”

(2) “He went through a lot of hardships in his childhood.”

get through: to manage to go through a difficult task or period with the help of something or someone. (2) To contact someone by phone. 

“We need to buy some warmer clothes to get us through the winter when we move to the north.”

“I need some caffeine in the morning to help me get me through the day.”

(2) “I called a hundred times but I couldn’t get through to him.“

follow through: to continue doing something until it’s completed. 

“We need to follow through with the plan.”

“He promised the bank he was going to pay his debt but he didn’t follow through on it.”

come/shine through: if something like a talent or quality comes or shines through, it can be clearly seen. (2) to be sent or processed successfully.

“His skills shone through in the final match.”

“His years of hard work and dedication came through in the most important moment.

“The wire transfer didn’t come through.”

Level 3

fall through: (of a plan, arrangement, deal, etc.) to fail, to not become what was expected. 

“We were holding out hope we would get to an agreement, but the contract negotiations fell through.”

power through: to do what you need to do to complete a task in a very determined and proactive way and in spite of all difficulties.

“We have a busy day ahead but we’re going to power through it as a team.” 

walk / take (sb) through (sth): to explain something to someone.

“Mark walked me through the process.”

“The trainer took us through all the surgical instruments.”

Expressions & Collocations

pass through one’s head: (also cross one’s mind) to think about something briefly.

“Going back home never passed through his mind.“

go/be through the roof: to increase to a very high level.

“Her blood pressure was through the roof.”

“Inflation has gone through the roof in this country.”

lie through one’s teeth: to tell a an outright lie.

“He lied through his teeth when he said he would follow through on his promise.”

pay through the nose: to pay a really high price for something.

“I paid through my nose last night at the restaurant.

Reference: https://www.maxenglish.tips/afraid-phrasal-verbs-heres-master/

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Phrasal Verbs List

________________________________________

200 common phrasal verbs, with

- meaning

- example sentence

________________________________________

ask somebody out

invite on a date

Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.

ask around

ask many people the same question

I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.

add up to something

equal

Your purchases add up to $205.32.

back something up

reverse

You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.

back somebody up

support

My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.

blow up

explode

The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.

blow something up

add air

We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.

break down

stop functioning (vehicle, machine)

Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.

break down

get upset

The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.

break something down

divide into smaller parts

Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.

break in

force entry to a building

Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.

break into something

enter forcibly

The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.

break something in

wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new

I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.

break in

interrupt

The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death.

break up

end a relationship

My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.

break up

start laughing (informal)

The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.

break out

escape

The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking.

break out in something

develop a skin condition

I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.

bring somebody down

make unhappy

This sad music is bringing me down.

bring somebody up

raise a child

My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.

bring something up

start talking about a subject

My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.

bring something up

vomit

He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.

call around

phone many different places/people

We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.

call somebody back

return a phone call

I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.

call something off

cancel

Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.

call on somebody

ask for an answer or opinion

The professor called on me for question 1.

call on somebody

visit somebody

We called on you last night but you weren't home.

call somebody up

phone

Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.

calm down

relax after being angry

You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.

not care for somebody/ something

not like (formal)

I don't care for his behaviour.

catch up

get to the same point as somebody else

You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.

check in

arrive and register at a hotel or airport

We will get the hotel keys when we check in.

check out

leave a hotel

You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.

check somebody/ something out

look at carefully, investigate

The company checks out all new employees.

check out somebody/ something

look at (informal)

Check out the crazy hair on that guy!

cheer up

become happier

She cheered up when she heard the good news.

cheer somebody up

make happier

I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.

chip in

help

If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.

clean something up

tidy, clean

Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.

come across something

find unexpectedly

I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.

come apart

separate

The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.

come down with something

become sick

My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.

come forward

volunteer for a task or to give evidence

The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints.

come from some place

originate in

The art of origami comes from Asia.

count on somebody/ something

rely on

I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.

cross something out

draw a line through

Please cross out your old address and write your new one.

cut back on something

consume less

My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.

cut something down

make something fall to the ground

We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.

cut in

interrupt

Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.

cut in

pull in too closely in front of another vehicle

The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.

cut in

start operating (of an engine or electrical device)

The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.

cut something off

remove with something sharp

The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.

cut something off

stop providing

The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.

cut somebody off

take out of a will

My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.

cut something out

remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)

I cut this ad out of the newspaper.

do somebody/ something over

beat up, ransack (BrE, informal)

He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.

do something over

do again (AmE)

My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.

do away with something

discard

It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.

do something up

fasten, close

Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!

dress up

wear nice clothing

It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.

drop back

move back in a position/group

Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.

drop in/ by/ over

come without an appointment

I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.

drop somebody/ something off

take somebody/ something somewhere and leave them/it there

I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.

drop out

quit a class, school etc

I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.

eat out

eat at a restaurant

I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.

end up

eventually reach/do/decide

We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.

fall apart

break into pieces

My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.

fall down

fall to the ground

The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning.

fall out

separate from an interior

The money must have fallen out of my pocket.

fall out

(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached

His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.

figure something out

understand, find the answer

I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.

fill something in

to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE)

Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.

fill something out

to write information in blanks, as on a form (AmE)

The form must be filled out in capital letters.

fill something up

fill to the top

I always fill the water jug up when it is empty.

find out

discover

We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?

find something out

discover

We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.

get something across/ over

communicate, make understandable

I tried to get my point across/over to the judge but she wouldn't listen.

get along/on

like each other

I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.

get around

have mobility

My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.

get away

go on a vacation

We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.

get away with something

do without being noticed or punished

Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.

get back

return

We got back from our vacation last week.

get something back

receive something you had before

Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate.

get back at somebody

retaliate, take revenge

My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.

get back into something

become interested in something again

I finally got back into my novel and finished it.

get on something

step onto a vehicle

We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on the bus.

get over something

recover from an illness, loss, difficulty

I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.

get over something

overcome a problem

The company will have to close if it can't get over the new regulations.

get round to something

finally find time to do (AmE: get around to something)

I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.

get together

meet (usually for social reasons)

Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.

get up

get out of bed

I got up early today to study for my exam.

get up

stand

You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.

give somebody away

reveal hidden information about somebody

His wife gave him away to the police.

give somebody away

take the bride to the altar

My father gave me away at my wedding.

give something away

ruin a secret

My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.

give something away

give something to somebody for free

The library was giving away old books on Friday.

give something back

return a borrowed item

I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game.

give in

reluctantly stop fighting or arguing

My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.

give something out

give to many people (usually at no cost)

They were giving out free perfume samples at the department store.

give something up

quit a habit

I am giving up smoking as of January 1st.

give up

stop trying

My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up.

go after somebody

follow somebody

My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.

go after something

try to achieve something

I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.

go against somebody

compete, oppose

We are going against the best soccer team in the city tonight.

go ahead

start, proceed

Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.

go back

return to a place

I have to go back home and get my lunch.

go out

leave home to go on a social event

We're going out for dinner tonight.

go out with somebody

date

Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last winter.

go over something

review

Please go over your answers before you submit your test.

go over

visit somebody nearby

I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for an hour or two.

go without something

suffer lack or deprivation

When I was young, we went without winter boots.

grow apart

stop being friends over time

My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.

grow back

regrow

My roses grew back this summer.

grow into something

grow big enough to fit

This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.

grow out of something

get too big for

Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones.

grow up

become an adult

When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman.

hand something down

give something used to somebody else

I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.

hand something in

submit

I have to hand in my essay by Friday.

hand something out

to distribute to a group of people

We will hand out the invitations at the door.

hand something over

give (usually unwillingly)

The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons.

hang in

stay positive (informal)

Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon.

hang on

wait a short time (informal)

Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!

hang out

spend time relaxing (informal)

Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang out at my place.

hang up

end a phone call

He didn't say goodbye before he hung up.

hold somebody/ something back

prevent from doing/going

I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park.

hold something back

hide an emotion

Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral.

hold on

wait a short time

Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department.

hold onto somebody/ something

hold firmly using your hands or arms

Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside.

hold somebody/ something up

rob

A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.

keep on doing something

continue doing

Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.

keep something from somebody

not tell

We kept our relationship from our parents for two years.

keep somebody/ something out

stop from entering

Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.

keep something up

continue at the same rate

If you keep those results up you will get into a great college.

let somebody down

fail to support or help, disappoint

I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time.

let somebody in

allow to enter

Can you let the cat in before you go to school?

log in (or on)

sign in (to a website, database etc)

I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my password.

log out (or off)

sign out (of a website, database etc)

If you don't log off somebody could get into your account.

look after somebody/ something

take care of

I have to look after my sick grandmother.

look down on somebody

think less of, consider inferior

Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me.

look for somebody/ something

try to find

I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.

look forward to something

be excited about the future

I'm looking forward to the Christmas break.

look into something

investigate

We are going to look into the price of snowboards today.

look out

be careful, vigilant, and take notice

Look out! That car's going to hit you!

look out for somebody/ something

be especially vigilant for

Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail.

look something over

check, examine

Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?

look something up

search and find information in a reference book or database

We can look her phone number up on the Internet.

look up to somebody

have a lot of respect for

My little sister has always looked up to me.

make something up

invent, lie about something

Josie made up a story about why we were late.

make up

forgive each other

We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.

make somebody up

apply cosmetics to

My sisters made me up for my graduation party.

mix something up

confuse two or more things

I mixed up the twins' names again!

pass away

die

His uncle passed away last night after a long illness.

pass out

faint

It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed out.

pass something out

give the same thing to many people

The professor passed the textbooks out before class.

pass something up

decline (usually something good)

I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.

pay somebody back

return owed money

Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday.

pay for something

be punished for doing something bad

That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.

pick something out

choose

I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.

point somebody/ something out

indicate with your finger

I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.

put something down

put what you are holding on a surface or floor

You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter.

put somebody down

insult, make somebody feel stupid

The students put the substitute teacher down because his pants were too short.

put something off

postpone

We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.

put something out

extinguish

The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.

put something together

assemble

I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives.

put up with somebody/ something

tolerate

I don't think I can put up with three small children in the car.

put something on

put clothing/ accessories on your body

Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party.

run into somebody/ something

meet unexpectedly

I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.

run over somebody/ something

drive a vehicle over a person or thing

I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.

run over/ through something

rehearse, review

Let's run over/through these lines one more time before the show.

run away

leave unexpectedly, escape

The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days.

run out

have none left

We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap.

send something back

return (usually by mail)

My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong stamp.

set something up

arrange, organize

Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the company.

set somebody up

trick, trap

The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera.

shop around

compare prices

I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots.

show off

act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)

He always shows off on his skateboard

sleep over

stay somewhere for the night (informal)

You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.

sort something out

organize, resolve a problem

We need to sort the bills out before the first of the month.

stick to something

continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing

You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.

switch something off

stop the energy flow, turn off

The light's too bright. Could you switch it off.

switch something on

start the energy flow, turn on

We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio.

take after somebody

resemble a family member

I take after my mother. We are both impatient.

take something apart

purposely break into pieces

He took the car brakes apart and found the problem.

take something back

return an item

I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work.

take off

start to fly

My plane takes off in five minutes.

take something off

remove something (usually clothing)

Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!

take something out

remove from a place or thing

Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?

take somebody out

pay for somebody to go somewhere with you

My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.

tear something up

rip into pieces

I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him.

think back

remember (often + to, sometimes + on)

When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.

think something over

consider

I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision.

throw something away

dispose of

We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.

turn something down

decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc)

Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.

turn something down

refuse

I turned the job down because I don't want to move.

turn something off

stop the energy flow, switch off

Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for dinner.

turn something on

start the energy, switch on

It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on.

turn something up

increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc)

Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song.

turn up

appear suddenly

Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the neighbourhood.

try something on

sample clothing

I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit.

try something out

test

I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.

use something up

finish the supply

The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more.

wake up

stop sleeping

We have to wake up early for work on Monday.

warm somebody/ something up

increase the temperature

You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.

warm up

prepare body for exercise

I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run.

wear off

fade away

Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party.

work out

exercise

I work out at the gym three times a week.

work out

be successful

Our plan worked out fine.

work something out

make a calculation

We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.

Reference: https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm