500 Phrasal Verbs (Meaning and Examples)

500 Phrasal Verbs (Meaning and Examples)

ESL students often find phrasal verbs difficult to learn and use. There are, however, 500 of them! This blog post will provide a list of 500 phrasal verbs in English, with definitions and examples. Knowing these verbs will help you improve your fluency and communication skills. Happy learning!!

500 Phrasal Verbs in English

The following is a list of 500 phrasal verbs, with definitions and examples.

Aim At: to direct one’s efforts toward achieving or accomplishing something

“He aimed at becoming the best basketball player in the world.”

Answer To: to be responsible for something

“The company answers to the shareholders.”

Argue With: to disagree with someone about something

“I was arguing with my friend about who was the better basketball player, Michael Jordan or LeBron James.”

Ask For: to request something from someone

“Can I ask for your help with this project?”

Back Down: to retreat from a position or demand

“The company backed down from its plans to lay off workers.”

Bad Mouth: to speak badly about someone or something

“He was bad mouthing the company he used to work for.”

Bear With: to tolerate or endure something

“Can you bear with me while I finish this project?”

Beat Around The Bush: to avoid talking about something directly

“Let’s not beat around the bush, I know you’re mad at me.”

Blow Off: to ignore or disregard someone

“I tried to talk to her, but she blew me off.”

Blow Up: to explode or rage

“The argument blew up and they started yelling at each other.”

Boil Down: to reduce something in complexity or size

“I boiled the problem down to its essentials.”

Book In: to reserve a place or time

“I booked in for a meeting with my boss.”

Bottle It Up: to keep feelings inside instead of expressing them

“She’s been bottling it up since her cat died.”

Break Down: to stop working or functioning properly

“The car broke down on the side of the road.”

Bring About: to cause or produce something

“The new policy brought about many changes in the company.”

Bring Up: to mention or discuss something

“I brought up the issue of salary at the meeting.”

Burn Out: to use up all of one’s energy or resources

“He burned out after working all day and night for a week.”

Call Off: to cancel something

“The party was called off because too few people RSVPed.”

Carry On: to continue doing something

“We’ll have to carry on without her, she’s not feeling well.”

Check In: to report arrival at a place

“I checked in at the hotel and went to my room.”

Check Out: to leave a place

“I checked out of the hotel and went to the airport.”

Cheat On: to be unfaithful to one’s spouse or partner

“He was caught cheating on his wife.”

Clean Up: to tidy up or organize something

“I need to clean up my room before my mom comes over.”

Come Across: to encounter or find something by chance

“I came across your resume online and I think you would be a great candidate for this position.”

Come Down: to lose status, power, or influence

“The company came down in the world after being acquired by a larger company.”

Come In: to enter a place

“Come in, please.”

Come Out: to reveal or announce something

“The news came out that the company was going bankrupt.”

Come Up With: to think of or generate an idea

“I need to come up with a new marketing strategy for this product.”

Cool Down: to become less angry, agitated, or excited

“He needed some time to cool down before he could talk to her.”

Count On: to depend on someone or something

“You can always count on me to help you.”

Cross Off: to mark something as completed or finished

“Can you cross off those items on the list?”

Cut Back: to reduce in amount, number, or extent

“We’ve been asked to cut back on travel expenses this year.”

Die Down: to become less intense or active

“The argument died down and they went their separate ways.”

Dig In: to start eating

“She dug in and started eating her lunch.”

Drop Out: to leave school or a program before completing it

“He dropped out of college after his first year.”

Fall Apart: to break down or collapse

“The company fell apart after the CEO was arrested.”

Take Advantage Of: to use someone for one’s own benefit

“He took advantage of her naïveté and conned her out of money.”

Talk Out: to discuss something until it is resolved

“They talked out their differences and decided to move on.”

Wait Out: to wait for something to change or end

“I’m going to wait out the storm in the car.”

Make Up: to invent or create something

“He made up a story about why he was late.”

Build Up: to increase in size, number, or intensity

“The company has been building up its workforce in preparation for the launch of the new product.”

Put Away: to tidy up or clean something

“Can you please put away your toys before dinner?”

Wind Down: to gradually end or decrease something

“We’re going to wind down production at the end of the year.”

Shape Up: to improve in behavior or performance

“If you don’t shape up, you’re going to be fired.”

Get Along: to have a good relationship with someone

“I get along well with my co-workers.”

Get Away: to leave a place

“I’m going to get away for the weekend.”

Get In: to enter a place

“Get in the car, we’re going to be late.”

Get Off: to exit or disembark from something

“I need to get off the bus at the next stop.”

Get On: to board or mount something

“Get on the bus and I’ll take you to school.”

Get Out: to leave a place

“It’s getting late, we should get out of here.”

Get Over: to recover from an illness, disappointment, or event

“I need some time to get over what happened.”

Get Together: to meet or assemble

“We’re going to get together to discuss the new project.”