English 100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs List with Meaning
Table of Contents
Catch out
to show that sb is doing wrong
One day he caught her out when he found some letters she’d written.
Catch up on (sth)
to deal with a special activity to complete it.
You have to catch up on your reading.
Catch (sb) up on (sth)
to give sb the latest news or information about sth
Can someone catch us up on the latest news?
Catch on
to become popular
This game will catch on among young people.
Catch up (sb)
to reach sb by walking faster
John caught up with you later.
Catch up in (sth)
to be involved in sth unwillingly
They weren’t part of the conflict; they were just caught up in it.
Clear away
Meaning: to take away sth to clear a place
Example Sentence: You should clear away all your toys before bedtime.
Clear out (of)
Meaning: to leave a place
Example Sentence: She’ll clear out of the house in two weeks.
Clear sb off
Meaning: to make sb go away from a place
Example Sentence: The police’ll use dogs to clear the protesters off the road.
Clear up
Meaning: to solve or explain
Example Sentence: I think the trouble will clear up in a couple of days.
Check off
to mark with a tick
Let’s check off the names of the people to be invited.
Knock off
to stop working at the end of the day
What time will they knock off?
Knock back
to quickly drink sth
We have knocked back two double rums.
Knock up
to build or assemble sth quickly
He knocked up a bed out of some old pieces of wood?
Carry over
Continue past a certain point
The meeting carried over into lunch time.
Carry out
Perform a task
I would like to carry out the plan.
Carry on with
Continue
I want you to carry on with the work while I am out of country.
Get on
Enter a train, bus, plane etc… to climb on board
I think they get on the wrong train.
Drop off
Take somebody to a place
Where do you want me to drop you off?
Check in
Confirm you are taking a flight
I usually check in online.
Touch down
Land (planes)
Our flight touched down before night.
Hold up
Delay when travelling
I’m sorry, I am late but I was help up at work.
Set off
Start a journey
They set off for London just after five.
Stop over
Stay at a place for a night on the way to somewhere else
They stopped over in Singapore on their way to Australia.
Get away
Take a vacation, especially because you need a rest
I would love to get away and go to the beach next month.
Hang around
to move or to do sth slowly
Don’t hang around, you have a train to catch!
Hang on
to wait for a short time
Hang on a minute; I’m just coming.
Hang out
to spend a lot of time in a place
We will spend the whole day hanging out by the pool.
Hang over
to hover over
The clouds of war will hang over the east.
Keep from
refrain, control yourself
I couldn’t keep from playing football.
Keep in
not allow someone out.
Children were kept in after school.
Keep off
to not touch something
He kept off the subject of his divorce.
Keep away
to avoid someone or something
You must keep away medicines from children.
Make after
to chase or follow
The policeman made after the thief.
Make up
to make peace
Please come back. I want to make up.
Make out
to succeed in business
How are you making out in your new job?
Make up for
to recover, make sth better
Nothing can make up for the loss of a child.
Make into
to change sth into sth else
We had made the living room into an office.
Read back
to read something again
Please read back the text of the message.
Read up on sth
to read a lot about in order to learn about it
I read up on the history of the World War II.
Read over
look for mistakes or check details
I asked her to read over my essay.
Read through
to read quickly beginning to the end
Always read through your work when you’ve finished.
Look ahead
to think about future
The past is past. Let us look ahead.
Look back
to think about past
When I look back I can see where we went wrong.
Look after
to take care of sb/sth
He’s not competent to look after young children.
Look round
to visit a place and look at the things in it
I will spend all day looking round the city.
Look on
to watch sth happen without taking part in it
Look on the bright side –no one was badly hurt.
Look forward to
something that is going to happen
He had worked hard and was looking forward to his retirement.
Look in
to pay a short visit
You’ll look in and say hello when you have time.
Take over
to get control of sth
He can take over the business when I’m away.
Take away
to remove sth/sb from
Take away the glasses and the tray.
Take in
to allow sb to stay in your home
My house is full; I can’t take in any more guests.
Take against
to start to dislike
Why have you suddenly taken against her?
Take down
to remove sth from a high position
Take down this book and read slowly.
Cut back
to reduce
The Government will cut back on defence spending.
Cut in
to interrupt
When you cut in on our conversation, we were talking.
Cut into
to shortening into parts or to make sth smaller
Knives easily cut into the cake.
Cut across
to make a shorter route
If I cut across the field, it’ll save time.
Cut through
to go through by cutting
We cut through the solid rock to build the tunnel .
Cut up
to cut into pieces
My mother cut up the onions and put them in the pot.
Cut out
to stop working
There are two engines. One of them cut out yesterday.
Let in
Meaning; to allow sth/sb to enter
Example Sentence; She opened the window to let in some fresh air.
Let into
Meaning; to put into the surface of sth
Example Sentence; A skylight had been let into the roof.
Let in on
Meaning; to allow sb to know sth
Example Sentence; I‘m going to let him in on a little secret.
Let off
Meaning; to allow sb to leave
Example Sentence; They‘ll let you off if you apologize.
Let through
Meaning; to allow to pass
Example Sentence; He was let through to the front of the queue.
Let up
Meaning; to stop or to diminish
Example Sentence; When the rain lets up, you can go to outside.
Run across
Meaning:
to meet or to find unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
I ran across some old friends at the party.
Run away
Meaning:
to leave a place or sb
Example Sentence:
The prisoners ran away from the prison.
Put up with
Meaning:
to tolerate
Example Sentence:
I can’t put up with it any longer.
Put away
Meaning:
to clean up, to tidy
Example Sentence:
Put away any valuable or breakable objects.
Put across
Meaning:
to explain sth clearly
Example Sentence:
He was trying to put across a serious point.
Put out
Meaning:
to stop burning
Example Sentence:
It took two hours to put out the fire
Put down
Meaning:
to write
Example Sentence:
Put down your name in capitals.
Put on
Meaning:
to wear
Example Sentence:
She put on a new pair of nylon socks.
Run into
Meaning:
to experience sth unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
I’ve run into a difficulty with the project.
Run against
Meaning:
to oppose towards sb or sth
Example Sentence:
Luck was really running against you yesterday!
Run around
Meaning:
to be very busy doing lots of things
Example Sentence:
The child ran around all day in the garden
Run over
Meaning:
to look at quickly
Example Sentence:
We‘ll just run over the main points again.
Run on
Meaning:
to continue without interruption
Example Sentence:
The discussion ran on for hours.
Run down
Meaning:
to decline in number or size
Example Sentence:
The battery has run down; it needs recharging.
Set about
Meaning:
to begin doing something
Example Sentence:
She set about studying.
Set forth
Meaning:
to start a journey
Example Sentence:
They set forth on their travels in early June.
Set off
Meaning:
to initiate sth working
Example Sentence:
Someone set off a fire extinguisher.
Set up
Meaning:
to place or to build sth
Example Sentence:
The travelers set up a camp on the river bank.
Set to
Meaning:
to make sb feel sad
Example Sentence:
When my work gets me down, I want to resign.
Set aside
Meaning:
to keep sth available for a purpose
Example Sentence:
We set aside some money for repairs.
Set in
Meaning:
to take root, start and continue
Example Sentence:
The rainy season has set in.
Set on/upon sb
Meaning:
to attack sb
Example Sentence:
He was set on by a vicious dog.
Set down
Meaning:
to write
Example Sentence:
The rules for service have been set down.
Set back
Meaning:
to delay sth or sb
Example Sentence:
The government will set back the reforms.
Get along
to have a friendly relationship
It’s impossible to get along with her.
Get out
to become known
I don’t want it to get out that I’m leaving.
Get across
to make sb understand
Your meaning didn’t really get across.
Get away
to escape from sb/sth
She‘ll get away from work as soon as she can.
Get (sb) down
to make sb feel sad
When my work gets me down, I want to resign.
Get through
to be connected by phone
I tried to call her but couldn’t get through.
Get around
to visit lots of places
It’s quite easy to get around London.
Get over
to overcome
How would you get over that problem?
Get ahead
to be success
He wants to get ahead in his career.