Top 50 Phrasal Verbs You Must Know

Learning phrasal verbs is one of the biggest challenges for English learners. Unlike standard verbs, phrasal verbs combine a base verb with a preposition or adverb, creating meanings that are not always literal. For example, “give up” means “to quit,” which is not directly related to the meanings of “give” or “up” on their own.

Because phrasal verbs appear constantly in spoken and written English, mastering them will greatly improve your fluency. Below, you’ll find 50 essential phrasal verbs with explanations and examples to help you use them confidently.

Why Phrasal Verbs Are Important

• Common in daily speech: Native speakers often prefer phrasal verbs over formal verbs. For instance, instead of “exit the vehicle,” people say “get out of the car.”

• Expressive and flexible: Many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings depending on context.

• Key for fluency: Knowing phrasal verbs makes your English sound natural and less “textbook-like.”

Top 50 Phrasal Verbs with Meanings and Examples

1. Break down

Meaning: Stop working (machines); lose emotional control.
Example: My car broke down on the highway. / She broke down in tears.

2. Bring up

Meaning: Mention a topic; raise a child.
Example: He brought up an interesting point. / She was brought up in Canada.

3. Call off

Meaning: Cancel something.
Example: They called off the meeting due to bad weather.

4. Carry on

Meaning: Continue doing something.
Example: Please carry on with your work.

5. Catch up (with)

Meaning: Reach the same level; update someone.
Example: I need to catch up on my homework. / Let’s meet and catch up.

6. Check in

Meaning: Register at a hotel or airport.
Example: We checked in at the hotel at noon.

7. Check out

Meaning: Leave a hotel; investigate.
Example: She checked out early. / You should check out this new café.

8. Come across

Meaning: Find by chance.
Example: I came across an old photo yesterday.

9. Come up with

Meaning: Think of a plan or idea.
Example: She came up with a brilliant solution.

10. Cut down (on)

Meaning: Reduce.
Example: I’m trying to cut down on sugar.

11. Drop off

Meaning: Deliver; fall asleep.
Example: Can you drop me off at the station? / He dropped off during class.

12. Figure out

Meaning: Understand, solve.
Example: I finally figured out the problem.

13. Find out

Meaning: Discover information.
Example: I found out she was moving abroad.

14. Get along (with)

Meaning: Have a good relationship.
Example: Do you get along with your coworkers?

15. Get back

Meaning: Return.
Example: When did you get back from Paris?

16. Get in / Get out

Meaning: Enter / leave a car or small space.
Example: She got in the taxi quickly. / He got out of the room.

17. Get over

Meaning: Recover from illness or difficulty.
Example: It took her weeks to get over the flu.

18. Give up

Meaning: Stop trying.
Example: Don’t give up on your dreams.

19. Go on

Meaning: Continue; happen.
Example: The show must go on. / What’s going on here?

20. Go out

Meaning: Leave home for entertainment.
Example: They went out for dinner last night.

21. Grow up

Meaning: Become an adult.
Example: I grew up in a small town.

22. Hang out

Meaning: Spend time together casually.
Example: Let’s hang out this weekend.

23. Hold on

Meaning: Wait; grip tightly.
Example: Hold on a minute, I’ll be right back. / Hold on to the railing.

24. Keep on

Meaning: Continue doing something.
Example: She kept on talking despite interruptions.

25. Look after

Meaning: Take care of.
Example: Who looks after the baby when you work?

26. Look for

Meaning: Search.
Example: I’m looking for my keys.

27. Look forward to

Meaning: Anticipate with pleasure.
Example: I’m looking forward to the weekend.

28. Look up

Meaning: Search for information; improve.
Example: You can look up the word in a dictionary. / Things are looking up.

29. Make up

Meaning: Invent (a story); reconcile after a fight.
Example: He made up an excuse. / They made up after their argument.

30. Pass away

Meaning: Die (polite).
Example: Her grandmother passed away last year.

31. Pick up

Meaning: Collect someone; learn quickly.
Example: I’ll pick you up at the airport. / She picked up Spanish easily.

32. Put off

Meaning: Postpone; discourage.
Example: The meeting was put off until next week. / The smell put me off.

33. Put on

Meaning: Wear clothing; gain weight.
Example: She put on her jacket. / He put on some weight.

34. Put out

Meaning: Extinguish; inconvenience.
Example: Firefighters put out the fire. / Sorry to put you out.

35. Run into

Meaning: Meet unexpectedly.
Example: I ran into an old friend yesterday.

36. Run out (of)

Meaning: Have no more.
Example: We ran out of milk.

37. Set up

Meaning: Arrange, organize.
Example: They set up a new business.

38. Show up

Meaning: Arrive, appear.
Example: She didn’t show up to the party.

39. Shut down

Meaning: Stop operating.
Example: The factory shut down last year.

40. Sit down / Stand up

Meaning: Take a seat / rise to feet.
Example: Please sit down. / Everyone stood up.

41. Sort out

Meaning: Organize, resolve.
Example: Let’s sort out this mess.

42. Speak up

Meaning: Talk louder; express opinions.
Example: Please speak up, I can’t hear you. / Don’t be afraid to speak up.

43. Take after

Meaning: Resemble a family member.
Example: She takes after her mother.

44. Take off

Meaning: Remove clothing; (plane) depart.
Example: He took off his shoes. / The plane took off on time.

45. Take over

Meaning: Assume control.
Example: She took over the project.

46. Take up

Meaning: Start a hobby; occupy space or time.
Example: He took up painting. / This table takes up too much space.

47. Throw away

Meaning: Discard.
Example: Don’t throw away that old book.

48. Turn down

Meaning: Refuse; lower volume.
Example: She turned down the job offer. / Turn down the music.

49. Turn on / Turn off

Meaning: Start / stop machine or light.
Example: Please turn on the TV. / Don’t forget to turn off the lights.

50. Work out

Meaning: Exercise; resolve a problem.
Example: I work out every morning. / Things will work out fine.

Tips for Learning Phrasal Verbs

1. Learn in context: Instead of memorizing lists, learn through sentences and real-life use.

2. Group by topic: For example, phrasal verbs related to travel (check in, check out, set off).

3. Practice speaking: Use them in conversations daily.

4. Keep a notebook: Write new ones with examples.

5. Use English media: Movies, songs, and podcasts help you notice phrasal verbs naturally.

Conclusion

Mastering phrasal verbs is essential if you want to sound natural and fluent in English. These 50 phrasal verbs appear frequently in conversations, business settings, and media. Start by practicing a few every day, and over time you’ll find yourself understanding and using them effortlessly.

FAQ:Top 50 Phrasal Verbs You Must Know

What are phrasal verbs and why are they important?

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a base verb plus one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that create a meaning different from the base verb alone. For example, give up means “quit,” and run into means “meet by chance.” They are essential because native speakers use them constantly in everyday conversation, business emails, and media. Mastering them helps your English sound more natural and fluent.

How are phrasal verbs different from normal verbs?

With normal verbs, the meaning is usually clear from the verb itself (e.g., cancel). With phrasal verbs, the particle shifts or transforms the meaning (e.g., call off = cancel). Many phrasal verbs are idiomatic and cannot be translated word-for-word. Some are also polysemous (multiple meanings), such as pick up (“collect someone,” “improve,” “learn informally”).

What do separable and inseparable mean?

Separable phrasal verbs allow the object to go between the verb and particle: “figure the problem out” or “figure out the problem.” If the object is a pronoun, it must go in the middle: “figure it out,” not “figure out it.”

Inseparable phrasal verbs keep the verb and particle together, so the object follows both: “look after the baby,” not “look the baby after.”

Which of the Top 50 are separable vs. inseparable?

Common separable examples: figure out, find out, turn off, turn on, put off, put on, take off (clothes), work out (a solution), sort out, bring up, call off, make up (a story), pick up (someone/something), put out (a fire), turn down (an offer).

Common inseparable examples: look after, run into, come across, get over (an illness), look for, look forward to, catch up (with), get along (with), grow up, go on, show up.

How can I tell if a phrasal verb is transitive or intransitive?

Transitive phrasal verbs take an object: “They called off the meeting.” Intransitive phrasal verbs do not take an object: “The plane took off at 9.” Some can be both depending on meaning: “We ran out (intransitive)” vs. “We ran out of milk (transitive with ‘of’ phrase).” Always check example sentences to see if an object is required.

What are the most common mistakes learners make?

• Wrong word order with pronouns: “turn it off,” not “turn off it.”
• Mixing particles: saying “look up for” instead of “look for.”
• Over-literal translation: assuming get over means physically “go over.”
• Register mismatch: using very informal phrasal verbs in formal writing where a single-word verb fits better.

What are formal equivalents I can use in academic or business writing?

In formal contexts, consider replacing some phrasal verbs with single-word verbs:

• find out → discover / determine
• look into (not in the Top 50 list, but useful) → investigate
• call off → cancel
• put off → postpone / defer
• set up → establish / arrange
• bring up → raise / introduce
• work out (a solution) → resolve
• shut down → close / cease operations

However, phrasal verbs are acceptable in many professional emails, especially short, direct ones. Choose based on tone and audience.

How should I study the Top 50 phrasal verbs efficiently?

Use a context-first approach. Group them by theme (e.g., travel: check in, check out, take off; relationships: get along, make up, break down emotionally). Create sentence banks from real situations in your life. Record yourself using 5–8 new phrasal verbs daily. Review with spaced repetition and quick speaking drills (“micro-dialogues”).

Can one phrasal verb have multiple meanings?

Yes. Many are polysemous. For instance, pick up can mean “collect someone,” “buy casually,” “improve” (sales picked up), or “learn informally” (pick up Spanish). Likewise, break down can mean “stop working” (machines) or “lose control emotionally.” Always learn 2–3 common meanings with separate examples.

What is the difference between look for, look up, and look after?

• look for = search: “I’m looking for my keys.”
• look up = search in a reference or online; also “improve”: “Look up the word.” / “Things are looking up.”
• look after = take care of: “She looks after her little brother.”

The particles change the meaning completely, so memorize them as fixed pairs.

How do stress and pronunciation work in phrasal verbs?

In speech, the particle is often stressed in phrasal verbs used as verbs: “We’ll put it OFF.” But when the same words form a noun or adjective, stress may shift: “a PUT-off” (less common) or “a TAKE-off.” Clear stress helps listeners distinguish meaning, especially on the phone or in noisy places.

Are there regional differences (US vs. UK) I should know?

Yes, but most Top 50 items are shared. For travel, Americans often say “get off the bus/train,” while British speakers do the same; however, some preferences differ (e.g., “take away” food in UK vs. “take out” in US—note that take out can also be a phrasal verb meaning “remove” or “bring someone on a date”). When writing for a specific audience, follow that region’s common usage.

What are common collocations with these phrasal verbs?

• call off + meeting / event / trip
• bring up + topic / issue / question
• figure out + solution / reason / answer
• get over + illness / breakup / shock
• look forward to + weekend / holidays / hearing from you
• put off + deadline / appointment / task
• work out + details / plan / differences

Learning typical objects will speed up your fluency.

How can I practice speaking with phrasal verbs naturally?

Try “replacement drills.” Take a formal verb and replace it with a phrasal verb in short dialogues:

• Formal: “We must cancel the session.” → Phrasal: “We must call off the session.”
• Formal: “Please continue.” → Phrasal: “Please carry on.”
• Formal: “I will return at 7.” → Phrasal: “I’ll get back at 7.”

Record yourself, then check for correct stress on the particle and smooth rhythm.

Can I use these phrasal verbs in professional emails?

Yes—especially the clear, neutral ones: follow up (not in the Top 50 list but widely used), set up (a meeting), work out (details), bring up (an issue), point out (also common), carry on, look into (investigate). For very formal documents (reports, proposals), consider the single-word alternatives listed above.

What’s the best way to remember separable placement rules?

Use this quick test:

1. If the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her), put it in the middle: “turn it off,” “put them on.”
2. If the object is a long noun phrase, many speakers prefer placing it after the particle for clarity: “turn off the light in the hallway.”
3. If the verb is inseparable, never split it: “look after the kids,” not “look the kids after.”

How do I avoid confusing similar phrasal verbs?

Create contrast cards with minimal pairs:

• put off (postpone) vs. put out (extinguish; inconvenience)
• turn down (reject; lower volume) vs. turn off (stop power; disgust)
• get over (recover) vs. get through (finish; survive a difficulty—useful though not in the Top 50 list)

Write a short story using both items correctly. Context locks the meaning into memory.

Are there noun or adjective forms related to phrasal verbs?

Yes. Some phrasal verbs form phrasal nouns or adjectives: takeoff (noun), setup (noun/adjective) vs. set up (verb), shutdown (noun). Spelling may change (often closed or hyphenated) when the phrase becomes a noun or adjective. Learn them as separate vocabulary items.

Can I replace all formal verbs with phrasal verbs to sound native?

No. Balance is key. In casual conversation and many emails, phrasal verbs sound natural. In academic writing, legal documents, and formal reports, prefer precise single-word verbs. A good rule: if clarity or tone could suffer, choose the single-word alternative. Otherwise, phrasal verbs keep your language direct and human.

Could you give short sample dialogues using the Top 50?

At work: “We might have to call off the launch. Let’s work out a new timeline and set up a call.”

With friends: “Can you pick me up at 7? If I show up late, we’ll still go on without Mark.”

Travel: “We checked in early but had to check out by noon. The flight took off on time.”

Health: “It took weeks to get over the flu, but things are looking up now.”

What next steps should I take to master these verbs?

Pick 10 phrasal verbs that match your life right now (e.g., set up meetings, follow up emails, work out plans, sort out issues). Create two original sentences for each—one spoken-style, one written-style. Then, schedule quick daily reviews: read, say aloud, and write mini-dialogues. After a week, rotate in 10 more. In a month, you’ll recognize and use the Top 50 confidently.

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