English Phrasal Verbs Guide: 48 Phrasal Verbs by Particle
Phrasal verbs combine a verb with a particle (up, down, out, on, off, in) to create a completely new meaning. They are everywhere in spoken English. Use the search or filter by particle to explore.
48 phrasal verbs · 6 particles
"give up"
stop trying; quit
"Never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard things get."
"set up"
arrange or establish something
"Can you set up a meeting for Thursday afternoon?"
"come up with"
think of an idea or plan
"She came up with a brilliant solution to the problem."
"pick up"
collect someone or something; learn casually
"I picked up a lot of Spanish just from watching TV shows."
"make up"
invent a story; reconcile after a fight
"He made up an excuse for being late to the meeting."
"build up"
increase gradually; accumulate
"You need to build up your vocabulary over time with daily reading."
"end up"
eventually reach a situation or place
"We took the wrong turn and ended up in a completely different town."
"show up"
arrive or appear somewhere
"Only half the team showed up to the training session."
"break down"
stop working; lose emotional control
"The car broke down on the highway during rush hour."
"let down"
disappoint someone
"I really let the team down by missing the deadline."
"turn down"
refuse or reject an offer
"She turned down the job offer because the salary was too low."
"calm down"
become less angry or upset
"Just calm down and tell me exactly what happened."
"cut down"
reduce the amount of something
"The doctor told him to cut down on sugar and processed food."
"narrow down"
reduce a list of options to a smaller number
"We narrowed down the candidates to just three finalists."
"note down"
write something so you remember it
"Please note down the key points from this lecture."
"slow down"
reduce speed or pace
"You need to slow down — you are making too many mistakes by rushing."
"find out"
discover or learn new information
"How did you find out about the secret meeting?"
"run out"
use up all of a supply
"We've run out of milk — can you buy some on the way home?"
"work out"
exercise; solve a problem; develop successfully
"I go to the gym to work out three times a week."
"figure out"
understand or solve something
"I cannot figure out how this software works."
"point out"
draw attention to something
"My editor pointed out several errors in the first draft."
"carry out"
perform or complete a task
"The engineers carried out a full safety inspection of the building."
"turn out"
happen in a particular way; prove to be
"It turned out that nobody had locked the back door."
"burn out"
become exhausted from overwork
"She burned out after working 80-hour weeks for six months."
"carry on"
continue doing something
"Despite the setback, she carried on with the project."
"rely on"
depend on someone or something
"You can always rely on Marcus when things get difficult."
"focus on"
concentrate attention on something
"Let us focus on the most urgent tasks first thing in the morning."
"take on"
accept responsibility; employ someone
"The company decided to take on ten new graduates this year."
"move on"
stop dwelling on the past and progress forward
"It is time to move on and stop thinking about the old job."
"hold on"
wait; grip tightly
"Hold on a moment — I need to check my calendar before I confirm."
"check on"
verify the status or wellbeing of something
"Can you check on the report and see if it is ready?"
"go on"
continue; happen
"What is going on? I can hear shouting from the next room."
"take off"
leave the ground; become successful quickly
"The plane takes off at six, so we need to leave by four."
"call off"
cancel something that was planned
"They had to call off the outdoor concert because of the storm."
"put off"
postpone; cause someone to dislike something
"Stop putting off the difficult tasks — tackle them first."
"pay off"
result in success after effort; finish paying a debt
"All those years of practice finally paid off at the championship."
"show off"
display skills or possessions to impress others
"He was showing off his new car to everyone in the office."
"set off"
begin a journey; trigger an alarm
"We set off early to avoid the traffic on the motorway."
"cut off"
interrupt; stop the supply of something
"The storm cut off the power to the entire neighbourhood."
"turn off"
switch off a device; cause disinterest
"Please turn off all electronic devices before the performance starts."
"give in"
stop resisting; admit defeat
"After hours of arguing, he finally gave in and agreed to the plan."
"fit in"
belong to a group; find time for something
"It took her a few months to fit in with the new team."
"fill in"
complete a form; substitute for someone
"Could you fill in this registration form before the session starts?"
"join in"
participate in an activity
"Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion after the talk."
"break in"
enter by force; interrupt a conversation
"Someone broke in through the back window while we were away."
"hand in"
submit work to someone in authority
"Please hand in your assignments by Friday at five o'clock."
"log in"
enter credentials to access a system
"You need to log in with your company email address to access the portal."
"result in"
cause something to happen; lead to a consequence
"The accident resulted in significant delays on the main road."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a phrasal verb in English?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a base verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that together form a new meaning different from the individual words. For example, "give up" means to quit, which cannot be guessed from "give" or "up" alone.
How many phrasal verbs does English have?
English has over 10,000 documented phrasal verbs, but research shows that mastering the 200–300 most frequent ones covers the vast majority of everyday speech. Focusing on high-frequency particles like UP, DOWN, OUT, ON, OFF, and IN is the most efficient starting point.
What is the best way to learn phrasal verbs?
The most effective method is encountering phrasal verbs naturally in context — through podcasts, films, TV series, and native-level reading. Seeing a phrasal verb used in 5–10 real contexts builds intuitive understanding far better than memorising definitions from a list.
Why do particles like UP and DOWN change the meaning so much?
Particles carry core directional or metaphorical meanings that combine with verb roots to create new senses. UP often signals completion or increase, DOWN signals decrease or failure, OUT signals discovery or exhaustion. Understanding these patterns lets you predict the meaning of unfamiliar phrasal verbs.
Are phrasal verbs formal or informal?
Both. Many phrasal verbs are neutral to informal (e.g. "find out", "set up"), while some are perfectly acceptable in formal writing. However, in academic or very formal contexts, a single Latinate verb is often preferred — for example, "investigate" instead of "look into". Learning both forms helps you switch registers confidently.
The fastest way to internalise phrasal verbs is hearing them used naturally in real speech.
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