Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions which add verbs, prepositions or particles together to form new verbs whose meaning is frequently not evident from the dictionary definitions of the individual words. They are pretty used in written and spoken English.

A

account for - explain
act out - perform something with actions and gestures
act up - behave badly or strangely
add on - include in a calculation
add up to - have a certain result
ask out - to invite someone for a date
aim at - to target
answer for - speak on behalf of somebody or from knowing them
ask for - to provoke a negative reaction; request to have or be given
ask out - to invite someone for a date

B

back down - retract or withdraw your position or proposal in an argument
back off - retreat
back up - make a copy of computer data; support
bank on - count or rely on
be after - try to find or get
be fed up - be bored, upset or sick of something
be up - when the time for something finishes or expires
beat up - attack violently
blow out - extinguish candles, matches, etc.
blow up - explode; inflate
book in - make a reservation in advance; check in at a hotel
bottle up - not express your feelings
break down - end negotiations unsuccessfully; start crying
break in - go into a building to steal something; interrupt something
break through - pass a barrier or obstacle
bring about - make something happen
bring back - cause someone to remember; return
bring on - cause something to happen or speed up the process
bring out - release or publish
bring up - mention; raise a child
build up - develop a company; increase
burn down - burn completely
burst into - catch fire very quickly; laugh, cry or clap loudly
butter up - praise or flatter someone excessively

C

call for - demand; require
call off - cancel
call after - name someone after somebody else
carry on - continue
carry out - perform a task
chicken out - be too afraid to do something
clear off - leave somewhere quickly
call up - telephone
calm down - stop being angry or emotionally excited
care for - like
carry on - continue; behave badly
carry out - perform a task
catch up - get work, etc, up to date; reach someone who was ahead of you
chicken out - be too afraid to do something
chill out - relax
clear off - leave somewhere quickly
clear out - tidy up thoroughly and throw away unwanted stuff
clear up - tidy up; explain
come about - happen, occur
come across - find by accident
come through - arrive (messages and information); communicate an emotion; produce a result
come up with - think of a solution, excuse, etc.
cut across - go across a place rather than around it to make the journey quicker; affect people of different groups, classes, etc
cut back - reduce
cut down - consume less; cut something from a high position
cut off - disconnect; isolate or make inaccessible

D

die for - want something a lot
die off - become extinct
do over - do something again
drop off - deliver something; deliver someone (by giving him/her a ride).
draw back - retreat, move backwards
dress down - dress casually
dress up - dress very smartly
drop by - visit informally
drop out - quit a course
drop out (of) - stop attending; leave school or an organization.

E

eat up - eat all of something; consume
empty out - empty something completely; remove some things or everything from a container
end up - arrive somewhere as a result or consequence; become or do something unplanned
eye up - look carefully at someone

F

face up to - admit to; take responsibility for; accept an unpleasant truth
face off - confront
fall apart - break into pieces; become emotionally disturbed and unable to behave normally
fall back - retreat
fall behind - make less progress
fall down - fall on the ground; have a weak point
fall for - be attracted to somebody, fall in love
fall in - collapse
fall into - start doing something unplanned
fall off - decrease
fall out - argue and be on bad terms with someone; lose hair
fall over - fall on the ground
fall through - be unsuccessful
feed on - give someone a particular food
fee up to - feel capable of doing something
fight back - defend yourself, resist an attack
figure out - find the answer to a problem
fill in - complete a form
fill in for - substitute
fill out - complete a form by adding required information
fill up - fill something completely
find out - discover
fit in - get on in a group of people; have enough time or space for something
fly by - When time seems to move quickly
follow through - do what is necessary to complete something or make it successful
follow up - do something to check or improve an earlier action
freak out - become very disturbed or angry 

G

get across - make something understood; communicate something understandably
get around - move from place to place
get by - survive, financially, in a difficult situation; not be noticed (problems, errors, etc)
get on - enter a large, closed vehicle
get off - leave a large, closed vehicle
give up - stop doing something (usually a habit)
get scross - communicate successfully; go from one side to the other
get ahead - progress
get along - have a good relationship
get around - become known; visit many different places; walk or go to places
get away with - not get caught, criticised or punished for doing something wrong;
achieve something, despite not doing it correctly or properly
get back - return; return something; move away
get back together - restart a relationship
get behind - support
get behind with - e late paying instalments for something.
get down - make someone depressed, unhappy, exhausted, etc.; descend, leave a vehicle; have an affair or sexual relations
get down on - criticize
get out - leave the house to visit a place and socialize; escape
get over - recover from something, feel better
get through - contact; finish; succeed in an exam or test; arrive
get together - meet socially
give away - tell a secret, often unintentionally; distribute something for free; give without asking for or expecting payment
give back - return something you've borrowed; return something that someone has lost
give in - stop doing something because it's too hard or requires too much energy; submit homework, etc.
give off - emit pollution or something else unpleasant; expand
give out - distribute; emit; make a sound or noise
give over - stop doing something bad or annoying; stop an activity
give up - stop doing something that has been a habit; surrender, stop trying
go after - chase, try to get
go ahead - proceed
go along with - accept a decision or suggestion
go around - circulate; visit
go away - eave a place or disappear
go back - return to, start doing something again
go down - decrease, get smaller; fall to the ground; happen, take place
go for - attack; be attracted to; choose, select
go into - discuss in some detail; enter a profession, hospital, trade, market
go off - explode (bomb), start ringing (alarm)
go on - continue, happen, start doing or taking something, progress
go out - leave a place
go over - look at something, revise
go through - experience, read again, examine, search, explain
go up - rise or climb
grow apart - become distant, stop having a close relationship because time, distance, interests, etc, have changed
grow up - mature, become adult, arise, emerge

H

have over - receive a guest
head for - move or travel towards
head off - stop someone or force them to change direction; leave somewhere to go to another place
heat up - make food hot
hel out - give assistance
hit back - attack or criticise
hit it off - have a good relationship from the first time you meet a person
hold back - not show emotion; prevent something moving forwards or progressing
hold on - keep a job; stop someone or something from moving
hold on - wait
hand in - submit homework, an assignment, etc.
hand out - distribute hang up - end a phone conversation by replacing the receiver

J

joke around - be funny, or try to
jump in - enter a conversation

K

keep on - continue
knock out - make unconscious
keep away - don't allow someone near something
keep back - maintain a safe distance
keep from - control yourself, refrain
keep on - continue
keep out - not allow someone to enter
keep up - move at the same rate; stay up to date
kick down - break something with your feet
kick off - start a game of football; die
Kick out - expel
Kick up - cause trouble or pain
Knock down - demolish; hit and injure someone
Knock it off! - stop doing something annoying
Knock out - hit and make somebody unconscious; sell, distribute

L

lay down - establish rules or procedures; kill, murder
lay off - dismiss someone from a job because of lack of work or money (not because of poor performance)
lay out - spend money
leave on - not turn off
leave out - not include
let down - disappoint, fail to keep an arrangement
let in - allow someone to enter
let off - not punish
let on - tell a secret
let out - allow to leave or go out; make a sound
lie down - rest
lift off - leave the ground (rocket or spaceship)
light up - light or start smoking a cigarette; illuminate
live by - follow a belief system to guide your behaviour
live it up - have a good time by spending a lot of money
live on - use money for basic necessities
look after - take care
look back - think about the past
look down on - have a low opinion of
look for - try to find
look forward to - wait for or anticipate something pleasant
look into - research, investigate
look on as - consider, regard
look out - be careful
look over - inspect
look up - consult a reference work (dictionary, phonebook, etc.) for a specific piece of information

M

make it - arrive or get a result
make over - change appearance
make up - stop being angry with someone; put on cosmetics; invent a story
make up for - compensate
move on - change the subject or your job; make people move from a place

N

nail down - succeed in getting, achieve
name after - give someone a name to remember another person
nod off - fall asleep
note down - write something short like a phone number for future reference

O

open up - start to talk freely about something
opt for - choose
opt out - choose not to be part of something
owe to - be the reason for something

P

pair up - form a pair
pass away - die
pass by - go past without stopping; visit briefly
pass on - give a message to someone; decline an invitation or opportunity; die
passo ut - faint, lose consciousness
pass through - visit a place without stopping or only stopping briefly
pay back - repay money borrowed; take revenge on
pay for - purchase
pay off - completely repay a debt; produce a profitable or successful result
pick on - bother, annoy, criticize or make fun of someone
pick out - choose
pick up - improve; learn quickly; collect
play along - pretend to agree or accept something in order to keep someone happy or to get more information
play around - be silly
play down - try to make something seem less important
play off - play a game to decide who the winner is
play up - behave badly
pull down - demolish; make someone depressed
pull off - manage to do something difficult or tricky; start moving (vehicles)
pull over - stop by the side of the road; make a vehicle stop
pull through - recover from and illness or problem
pull up - slow and stop a car; inform someone that they are wrong
pull yourself together - become calm or regain control of your emotions
put away - put something back in the correct place
put down - stop holding (but withdraw support gently)
put in - install
put off - postpone
put on - get fat; start wearing
put out - disturb or trouble someone; extinguish a cigarette, fire, etc.
put through - connect someone by phone
put up with - tolerate

R

reach out - stretch your arm to get something
ring off - finish a phone conversation
ring up - telephone
run across - meet or find accidentally
run after - chase, pursue
run away - escape from people chasing you; leave home because of problems with other family members
run into - meet by accident
run out of - have none left
run over - explain quickly; hit with a vehicle; exceed a time limit

S

save up - for money for a particular purpose; collect or store something for future use
see through - continue with something to the end; realise someone is lying or being deceitful
sell off - sell a business or part of it; sell something cheaply because you need the money or don't need it
sell out - have no more of something left because it has been bought
sellup - sell a house or business to move somewhere or do something different
send off for - order something by post
send out - send something to a lot of people
set forth - state or outline an opinion; start a journey
set off - explode a bomb; ring an alarm; start a journey
set out - display, show; start a journey
set up - prepare equipment, software, etc., for use; start a company
show off - behave in a way so as to attract attention; display something you are proud of
show out - take someone to out of a room or building
show up - attend something or arrive somewhere; become clear or apparent; make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed
shut down - Ccose a business, shop, etc.; turn a computer off
shut off - close, prevent access
shut out - exclude
shut up - stop talking or making noise; close for a period of time
sign for - write a signature on behalf on someone
sign in - register in a hotel; open a computer program that requires a name and password; write your name when entering a place
sign up - give your name to do something; subscribe
slow down - reduce speed; become less active
stand back - keep a distance from something
stand by - support someone; be ready and waiting for something to happen
stand for - accept or tolerate behaviour; the words represented by certain initials
stand out - be extraordinary and different
stand up for - defend, support
start over - begin something again
start up - open a business; begin, especially sounds; make an engine work
stay away from - avoid, not come
stay in - not go out
stay out - not go home
stay over - stay overnight
stay up - not go to bed
step aside - leave a job or position so that someone else can take over
step back - look at something from a different perspective
step out - leave a place for a very short time
stick around - stay in a place for some time
stick to - not change; restrict or limit and not change
stick together - support each other
stick with - not change something; stay near someone; continue with something difficult or unpleasant
stop behind - stay somewhere when other people leave
stop by - visit somewhere briefly or quickly

T

take after - look like, resemble
take aside - get someone alone to talk to them
take away - remove
take back - retract a statement, admit that something was wrong
take in - absorb information
take off - make great progress; remove
take on - assume a responsibility
take out - extract or remove
take over - assume control of a company or organisation
take up - fill or occupy time or space; start a new hobby, pastime, etc.
talk into - persuade someone to do something
talk over - discuss
tear apart - disturb or upset greatly
tear down - demolish
tear up - rip into pieces; destroy
tell apart - see a difference between two things
think over - consider something carefully
think through - consider all the possibilities and outcomes of a situation
think up - create or invent something, especially when lying
throw away - discard something when no longer needed
throw out - get rid of
throw up- vomit
try it on - provoke someone by being annoying or behaving badly; attempt to get something, usually by deceit, without great hopes of success
try on - put clothes on to see if they fit
try out - test; test something to see if you like it or want to buy it
turn away - not allow someone to enter a place
turn down - reduce volume, temperature, etc.; reject an offer, invitation, etc.
turn into - become
turn off - stop a machine
turn on - cause someone to feel attraction or pleasure; start a machine
turn out - produce
turn up - appear; increase volume, temperature, etc.

U

use up - finish or consume all of something

W

wait on - serve people in a restaurant
walk away from - leave something you don't like
walk on - continue walking
walk out - leave work because of a dispute with the management; leave a place angrily or because you are not satisfied
walk up - go to someone
warm up - do exercises before a sport
wash away - when floods or waves completely remove a structure, building, etc.
wash down - drink in order to swallow something solid
wash up - clean everything used to prepare food and eat it; when something in the sea or river is left on the shore or bank
watch out - be careful
watch over - keep an eye on something or someone to check that there's no trouble
wear down - make something weaker
wear off - stop having an effect
wear out - use something until it stops working
wind down - relax
wind up - close a company because it's unprofitable; tighten the spring in a watch or clock to make it work
work off - exercise to remove stress or weight
work out - end nicely; find the answer or solution
wrap up - cover in paper
write down - make notes

Z

Zip around - move quickly
Zip by - pass quickly
Zip up - keep quiet
zone in - pay attention after not doing so
zone out - not pay attention; dissociate yourself from a situation
zoom in - focus more closely
zoom out - focus less closely