Phrasal Verb

Definition

Sentence

Ask out

Invite on a date

He is too shy to ask her out

Ask around

ask many people the same

question

I asked around but nobody

has seen my wallet.

add up to

To make total amount of something

Your purchases add up to

$205.32

Back up

To support somebody/something

– I will back you up if they don’t believe you.

– the writer doesn’t back up his opinions with examples.

blow up

explode

The racing car blew up after it

crashed into the fence.

Break down

Stop working especially in reference to machines.

Our car broke down at the

side of the highway in the

snowstorm.

break in

To enter a building by force

Somebody broke in last night

and stole our stereo.

Break up

end a relationship

My boyfriend and I broke up

before I moved to America.

bring someone down

To make someone unhappy

This sad music is bringing me

down.

Call around

To contact multiple people

We called around but we

weren’t able to find the car part

we needed.

call someone back

return a phone call

I called the company back but

the offices were closed for the

weekend.

call something off

To cancel a planned event

Jason called the wedding off

because he wasn’t in love with

his fiance.

call on someone

visit someone

We called on you last night

but you weren’t home.

calm down

relax after being angry

You are still mad. You need to

calm down before you drive

the car.

check out

leave a hotel

You have to check out of the

hotel before 11:00 AM.

check someone/something out

look at carefully, investigate

The company checks out all

new employees

cheer up

become happier

She cheered up when she

heard the good news.

cheer someone up

To make someone happy, especially if they were previously sad.

I brought you some flowers to

cheer you up.

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

To break into pieces

The book just come apart in my hand

come between

To interfere with a relationship between two people

After more than fifty years of partnership, nothing could come between them.

dress up

wear nice clothing

It’s a fancy restaurant so we

have to dress

drop back

move back in a position/group

Andrea dropped back to third

place when she fell off her

bike.

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.

figure something out

understand, find the answer

I need to figure out how to fit

the piano and the bookshelf in

this room.

find out

discover

We don’t know where he lives.

How can we find out?

get along/on

like each other

I was surprised how well my

new girlfriend and my sister

got along/on.

get away

go on a vacation

We worked so hard this year

that we had to get away for a

week.

get back

return

We got back from our

vacation last week.

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.

give in

reluctantly stop fighting or

arguing

My boyfriend didn’t want to go

to the ballet, but he finally

gave in.

give up

stop trying

My maths homework was too

difficult so I gave up.

go after someone

follow someone

My brother tried to go after

the thief in his car.

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.

hand something down

give something used to

someone else

I handed my old comic books

down to my little cousin.

hang in

stay positive (N.Amer.,

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 up

end a phone call

He didn’t say goodbye before

he hung up.

hold on

wait a short time

Please hold on while I transfer

you to the Sales Department.

keep something up

continue at the same rate

If you keep those results up

you will get into a great

college.

let someone down

fail to support or help,

disappoint

I need you to be on time. Don’t

let me down this time.

let someone in

allow to enter

Can you let the cat in before

you go to school?

look after someone/something

take care of

I have to look after my sick

grandmother.

look down on someone

think less of, consider inferior

Ever since we stole that

chocolate bar your dad has

looked down on me.

look forward to something

be excited about the future

I’m looking forward to the

Lebaran break.