Phrasal Verbs Unleashed: 50 Essential Expressions to Power up Your English Conversations

Are you ready to take your English fluency to the next level? Mastering phrasal verbs is the key to unlocking natural, engaging conversations with native speakers. These seemingly small expressions pack a powerful punch, adding color and depth to your language skills. In this blog post, we've compiled a list of 50 common phrasal verbs, complete with their meanings and examples. So, buckle up and dive into the world of phrasal verbs to elevate your English speaking prowess!

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"Adding a Wide Range of Popular Phrasal Verbs Will be a Gamechanger for Your English Skills"

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1. Break down

Meaning: To stop functioning (machinery); to become emotionally upset.

Example 1: My car broke down on the highway, so I had to call a tow truck.

Example 2: She broke down in tears when she received the sad news.

2. Bring up

Meaning: To raise a child; to mention or introduce a topic in conversation.

Example 1: My grandparents brought me up while my parents worked.

Example 2: She brought up the issue of budget cuts during the meeting.

3. Call off

Meaning: To cancel an event or agreement.

Example 1: They called off the wedding after realizing they weren't compatible.

Example 2: The coach called off practice due to bad weather.

4. Carry on

Meaning: To continue an activity or process.

Example 1: Despite the setbacks, they decided to carry on with their plans.

Example 2: She carried on working even after her colleagues had left for the day.

5. Catch up

Meaning: To reach the same level as someone or something; to update oneself on someone's news or life.

Example 1: He worked hard to catch up with his classmates after missing several weeks of school.

Example 2: They met for coffee to catch up on each other's lives since they hadn't seen each other for years.

6. Check out

Meaning: To investigate or examine something; to pay and leave a hotel.

Example 1: You should check out that new restaurant everyone's talking about.

Example 2: We checked out of the hotel at noon and headed to the airport.

7. Come across

Meaning: To find or encounter something or someone by chance.

Example 1: I came across an old photo album while cleaning the attic.

Example 2: She came across her childhood friend while traveling abroad.

8. Cut back

Meaning: To reduce the amount or number of something.

Example 1: The company had to cut back on expenses due to financial difficulties.

Example 2: He decided to cut back on junk food to improve his health.

9. Do over

Meaning: To redo or repeat an action or task.

Example 1: The teacher asked the student to do over the assignment to correct the mistakes.

Example 2: She had to do over her presentation after receiving feedback from her supervisor.

10. Dress up

Meaning: To wear formal or fancy clothing; to disguise oneself in a costume.

Example 1: They dressed up for the fancy gala event at the museum.

Example 2: The children dressed up as superheroes for the costume party.

11. Drop by

Meaning: To visit someone informally and without a prior arrangement.

Example 1: I decided to drop by my friend's house on my way home from work.

Example 2: She dropped by the office to deliver the documents.

12. Fill out

Meaning: To complete a form or document by providing the necessary information.

Example 1: He filled out the job application and submitted it online.

Example 2: She filled out the survey to give feedback on the conference.

13. Find out

Meaning: To discover or learn information, facts, or truth.

Example 1: He tried to find out the truth behind the mysterious incident.

Example 2: She found out about the surprise party and spoiled the fun.

14. Get along

Meaning: To have a friendly relationship with someone.

Example 1: He gets along well with his coworkers, making the workplace enjoyable.

Example 2: The siblings learned to get along despite their differences.

15. Get rid of

Meaning: To remove or dispose of something or someone unwanted.

Example 1: He decided to get rid of his old clothes to make room for new ones.

Example 2: She managed to get rid of the annoying telemarketer by hanging up the phone.

16. Give up

Meaning: To stop trying to do something; to quit a habit or activity.

Example 1: After several failed attempts, he decided to give up trying to fix the computer.

Example 2: She gave up smoking to improve her health.

17. Hang out

Meaning: To spend time in a place or with someone, usually in a casual, relaxed way.

Example 1: They often hang out at the local coffee shop after work.

Example 2: She enjoys hanging out with her friends on weekends.

18. Hold on

Meaning: To wait for a short time; to grip or grasp something securely.

Example 1: Hold on a moment; I'll be with you shortly.

Example 2: He held on to the railing to avoid falling down the stairs.

19. Keep up

Meaning: To maintain the same pace or level as someone or something else.

Example 1: She struggled to keep up with the rest of the runners during the race.

Example 2: He tried to keep up with the latest technology trends to stay relevant in his field.

20. Look after

Meaning: To take care of or watch over someone or something.

Example 1: She asked her neighbor to look after her cat while she was away on vacation.

Example 2: He looked after his younger siblings while their parents were at work.

21. Look forward to

Meaning: To eagerly anticipate or be excited about something that will happen in the future.

Example 1: She looked forward to her upcoming vacation in Hawaii.

Example 2: He looked forward to meeting his long-lost friend after many years.

22. Make up

Meaning: To invent a story, excuse, or lie; to reconcile after an argument.

Example 1: He made up an excuse for being late to the meeting.

Example 2: They made up after their disagreement and continued to be friends.

23. Pick up

Meaning: To lift something or someone from a surface; to collect someone or something; to learn a skill or acquire knowledge informally.

Example 1: She picked up the fallen groceries from the floor.

Example 2: He picked up some conversational French during his trip to Paris.

24. Put off

Meaning: To postpone or delay an action or event.

Example 1: They decided to put off the meeting until next week due to scheduling conflicts.

Example 2: She kept putting off her dentist appointment out of fear.

25. Run out of

Meaning: To have no more of something; to exhaust a supply of something.

Example 1: They ran out of milk, so she went to the store to buy more.

Example 2: The car ran out of gas halfway to their destination.

26. Set up

Meaning: To establish or create something; to arrange or prepare something for use.

Example 1: They set up a new business to sell handmade crafts.

Example 2: She set up the projector for the presentation.

27. Show up

Meaning: To arrive or appear at a place, especially unexpectedly.

Example 1: He showed up late to the party, surprising everyone.

Example 2: She didn't expect her old friend to show up at her doorstep after so many years.

28. Take off

Meaning: To remove clothing; to leave a place quickly; to become successful.

Example 1: He took off his jacket when

Example 2: She took off from work early to attend her daughter's recital.

Example 3: Their new product took off in the market, making the company very successful.

29. Turn down

Meaning: To refuse or reject something or someone; to lower the volume or intensity of something.

Example 1: He turned down the job offer because it required relocation.

Example 2: She asked him to turn down the music because it was too loud.

30. Turn up

Meaning: To increase the volume or intensity of something; to arrive or appear unexpectedly.

Example 1: He turned up the heating as the room was too cold.

Example 2: She was surprised when her long-lost friend turned up at the reunion.

31. Wake up

Meaning: To stop sleeping; to cause someone to become alert or aware of something.

Example 1: He usually wakes up at 7 a.m. to get ready for work.

Example 2: The loud noise woke her up in the middle of the night.

32. Work out

Meaning: To exercise; to find a solution to a problem; to end successfully.

Example 1: He goes to the gym to work out every evening.

Example 2: They managed to work out their differences and stay together.

33. Blow up

Meaning: To explode; to inflate; to become very angry.

Example 1: The fireworks blew up in the sky, creating a beautiful display.

Example 2: He blew up the balloons for the birthday party.

34. Break in

Meaning: To enter a place forcibly or illegally; to train or tame an animal; to wear in new shoes or clothes.

Example 1: The burglars broke in and stole valuable items.

Example 2: She needed to break in her new hiking boots before the long trek.

35. Come up with

Meaning: To think of or create an idea, suggestion, or plan.

Example 1: He came up with a brilliant marketing strategy for the new product.

Example 2: She struggled to come up with a solution to the problem.

36. Cut off

Meaning: To interrupt or stop something; to disconnect or isolate someone or something.

Example 1: The construction worker accidentally cut off the electricity supply to the building.

Example 2: She felt cut off from her friends after moving to a new city.

37. Get away

Meaning: To escape or leave a place, often for a vacation or break.

Example 1: They planned a weekend getaway to recharge their batteries.

Example 2: The thief managed to get away before the police arrived.

38. Hand in

Meaning: To submit or deliver something, such as a document, assignment, or report.

Example 1: The students had to hand in their essays by Friday.

Example 2: He handed in his resignation letter to his boss.

39. Keep away

Meaning: To maintain a distance from something or someone; to avoid contact with.

Example 1: She tried to keep away from the aggressive dog.

Example 2: He decided to keep away from toxic people to protect his mental health.

40. Look up

Meaning: To search for information, often in a reference book or online.

Example 1: He looked up the word in the dictionary to understand its meaning.

Example 2: She looked up the restaurant's menu online before making a reservation.

41. Pull over

Meaning: To move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop.

Example 1: The police officer signaled for the driver to pull over.

Example 2: She pulled over to answer her phone safely.

42. Put away

Meaning: To return something to its proper place; to store or save something.

Example 1: He put away his toys after he finished playing with them.

Example 2: She put away some money each month for her retirement fund.

43. Run into

Meaning: To encounter someone or something unexpectedly; to collide with something.

Example 1: I ran into my old classmate at the grocery store.

Example 2: The car skidded on the icy road and ran into a tree.

44. Take after

Meaning: To resemble or have similar characteristics to a parent or relative.

Example 1: She takes after her mother in both appearance and personality.

Example 2: He took after his grandfather and pursued a career in medicine.

45. Throw away

Meaning: To discard or dispose of something.

Example 1: She decided to throw away her old, worn-out shoes.

Example 2: He threw away the spoiled food from the refrigerator.

46. Try on

Meaning: To wear clothes or accessories to see if they fit or look good.

Example 1: She tried on several dresses before finding the perfect one for the party.

Example 2: He tried on the sunglasses to see if they suited his face shape.

47. Watch out

Meaning: To be careful or pay attention to potential dangers or hazards.

Example 1: Watch out for the slippery floor when you enter the building.

Example 2: She warned him to watch out for pickpockets in the crowded market.

48. Wrap up

Meaning: To complete or finish something; to cover or enclose something.

Example 1: They wrapped up the meeting by summarizing the main points.

Example 2: She wrapped up the gift in colorful paper before giving it to her friend.

49. Go over

Meaning: To review or examine something carefully; to visit someone.

Example 1: He went over his notes before the final exam.

Example 2: She decided to go over to her friend's house to discuss their project.

50. Put up with

Meaning: To tolerate or endure something or someone unpleasant.

Example 1: She couldn't put up with her neighbor's constant noise any longer.

Example 2: He put up with the difficult working conditions for the sake of his family.

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Congratulations on exploring the fascinating world of phrasal verbs! We hope this blog post has provided you with valuable insights and practical examples to help you incorporate these expressions into your daily conversations. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't hesitate to use these phrasal verbs whenever the opportunity arises. Be sure to follow our blog for more language tips, and check out our courses and services for personalized guidance on your language learning journey. Keep experimenting with phrasal verbs and watch your English communication skills soar to new heights!