Phrasal verbs - 149

add up – make sense, be reasonable or logical
ask after – inquire about
back down – yield in argument, move backwards from a certain position
bargain for – take into account
bear out – confirm the truth, support with evidence or authority
break down – lose control of emotions
break off – stop talking, interrupt before its natural or planned end
break up – come to an end
bring about – cause to happen or occur
bring off – succeed in doing something, be successful; achieve a goal
bring on – cause the onset of an illness, cause to appear
bring round – influence someone to your point of view
bring up – mention, make reference to
call up – mobilize for military service
carry off – complete successfully, perhaps despite a problem
carry out – complete a plan, fulfill
catch on – become popular
come about – happen
come down to – be in the end a matter of
come in for – receive, especially criticism and blame
come off – take place successfully, happen in a particular manner
come out – appear or become visible; make a showing, be issued or published
come up – occur, usually a problem
come up against – meet a difficulty
come up to – equal, especially expectation and standard
come up with – think of, especially an answer, a plan, and a solution
count on – rely or depend on
crop up – happen unexpectedly, appear suddenly or unexpectedly
do away with – abolish, murder, eliminate
do up – decorate, wrap for decorative purposes
draw up – come to a stop, cause to stop; as of vehicles
drop in – pay a visit, visit informally and spontaneously
drop off – fall asleep
end up – finish in a certain way or place
face up to – have courage to deal with, especially responsibilities
fall about – show amusement, especially laughing
fall back on – use as a last resort
fall for – be deceived by; fall in love with
fall out with – quarrel with
fall through – fail to come to completion
feel up to – feel capable of doing
follow up – act upon a suggestion, take more action
get across – be understood, especially get an idea across
get at – imply about personal matters
get down – make to fell depressed
get down to – begin to seriously deal with
get off with – avoid punishment
get on for – approach a certain age/time/number
get on – make progress, especially in life
get over – be surprised
get over with – come to the end of something, usually unpleasant
get round to – find time to do, also around
get up to – do something, usually bad when about children
give away – betray
give off – send off a smell, liquid or gas
give out – be exhausted
give over – abandon, devote; stop
give up – surrender; believed to be dead or lost
go back on – break a promise
go in for – make a habit of; enter a competition
go off – become bad  food
go on – happen, usually negative
go round – be enough
go trough with – complete a promise or plan, usually unwillingly
grow on – become more liked
hang onto – keep
have (got) it in for – be deliberately unkind to someone
have it out with – express feelings so as to settle a problem
have someone on – deceive
hit it off – get on well with
hit upon/on – discover by chance, often an idea
hold out – offer, especially with hope
hold up – delay; use as an example
keep up – continue
lay down – state a rule, especially lay down the law
let down – disappoint, break a promise
let in on – allow to be a part of a secret
let off – excuse from punishment
let on – inform about a secret
(not) live down – suffer a loss of reputation
live up to – reach an expected standard
look into – investigate
look on – consider
look someone up – visit when in the area
make for – result in
make off with – run away with
make out – pretend; manage to see or understand
make someone out – understand someone’s behaviour
make up – invent
make up for – compensate for
miss out – fail to include; lose a chance
own up – confess
pack in – stop an activity
pay back – take a revenge
pick up – improve
pin someone down – force to give a clear statement
play up – behave or work badly
point out – draw attention to a fact
pull off – manage to succeed
push on – continue with some effort
put across – communicate ideas
put down to – explain the cause of
put in for – apply for a job
put oneself out – take trouble to help someone
put off – discourage, upset
put up – offer accommodation
put up with – tolerate, bear
rip off – charge too much
run down – criticize; lose power, allow to decline
run into – meet
run to – have enough money
run over – check; also run through
run up – a bill  let a bill get longer without paying
run up against – encounter, usually a problem
see someone off – go to station, airport, etc to say goodbye to someone
see through – realize the truth about
send up – make fun of by imitating
set about – start working
set in – establish itself, especially weather
set out – give in detail in writing; arrange; start an action
set up – establish
set on/upon – attack
sink in – realize slowly  intransitive!
slip up – make a mistake
sort out – find a solution
stand by – keep to an agreement
stand for – represent  initials (e.g. stands for exempli gratia); tolerate
stand in for – take the place of
stand up to – resist, bear stress
step down – resign
step up – increase
stick up for – defend, especially yourself, your rights
take in – deceive
take (it) out on – make someone else suffer because of one’s own sufferings
take off – imitate
take on – acquire a new characteristics; do something extra
take out – insurance  sign an insurance agreement
take over – gain control of
take to someone – develop a liking for
take up – time  occupy time
talk into /out for – dissuade from, persuade into
tell off – scold
tie in with – be in agreement with
track down – trace the whereabouts of
try out – test, try out a machine
turn down – reject an offer; come to a meeting or to from a crowd
turn up – be discovered by chance; arrive, often unexpectedly
wear off – lose effect, especially a drug
work out – calculate, also work out at for specific amounts

(149 phrasal verbs)