Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

call for +

require (as in a recipe)

This recipe calls for milk, not water.

call * off +

cancel something

They called the picnic off because of the rain.

call * off +

order to stop (an invasion, guard dogs)

He called off the dogs when he saw it was his neighbor.

call on +

visit

Mark called on Naomi while he was in town.

call on +

invite someone to speak in a meeting or a classroom

Professor Tanzer called on Tim to answer the question.

call * up +

telephone

I called Sam up to see if he wanted to go to the movies.

calm * down +

make someone relax

You can calm the baby down by rocking her gently.

care for +

nurse someone or something

He cared for the bird until its wing healed.

care for +

like someone or something

I don't care for sour cream on my potato.

carry on +

continue (a conversation, a game)

Please, carry on. I didn't mean to interrupt you.

carry on about +

continue in an annoying way

He kept carrying on about how much money he makes.

carry on with +

continue

I want you to carry on with the project while I am out of town.

carry * out +

complete and/or accomplish something

The secret agent carried out his orders exactly as planned.

carry * over +

continue on a subsequent day, page, etc.

The meeting carried over into lunch time.

catch on

slowly start to understand (inf.)

He caught on after a few minutes.

catch up

make up for lost time

I will never catch up. I am too behind in my work.

catch up with +

speed up to be at the same place as a person or thing in front of you

I had to run to catch up with the others.

catch up on +

become up-to-date

I need to catch up on world events. I haven't seen the news in ages.

check back

return to see if everything is OK

We will check back tomorrow to make sure the project is finished.

check by +

go to a place to see if everything is OK

We need to check by the office to see if the documents are ready.

check for +

try to find

They checked for termites before they bought the house.

check in

enter a hospital, hotel etc.

They need to check in before noon.

check into +

enter a hospital, hotel etc.

They checked into the hotel at 11:00 AM.

check into +

investigate, look for (often through a service)

We are checking into discount flights to London.

check * off +

make a mark next to (an item on a list)

Check each name off the list.

check on +

make sure something is OK

Let's check on the baby again before we go to sleep.

check * out +

investigate, take a look at

He checked out the new restaurant down the street.

check out

leave a hotel, hospital

It's already eleven. We need to check out.

check out of +

leave a hotel, hospital

We checked out of the hotel before ten.

check * over +

closely examine the condition of something

He checked over the old car to see if it was worth buying.

check up on +

investigate someone or something

The police are checking up on the bomb threats.

check * through

send luggage through (to a destination)

Your luggage will be checked through to Paris.

check with +

ask a person for confirmation

He needs to check with his parents before he goes.

cheer * up

make someone feel cheerful

The party really cheered me up.

cheer up

become cheerful

Cheer up. Everything will be all right.

chew * up +

chew into small pieces

The dog chewed up my shoe.

chop * down +

fell/cut ( a tree)

The lumberjack chopped the tree down.

chop * up +

chop/cut into small bits

He chopped the meat up into little pieces.

clean * up +

tidy

Susan cleaned the mess up before she left.

clear out

leave ( inf.)

Everybody clear out! We're closed.

clear * up +

tidy

Susan cleared up the mess before she left.

close * down +

close a place permanently

The corner market closed down because they didn't have many customers.

close down

close permanently

The bar was closed down because they served alcohol to minors.

close in on +

approach and threaten

The rebels were closing in on the capital, so the government called in the army.

close * up +

close temporarily

They are closing the ski resort up for the summer.

close up

close temporarily

The ski resort is closing up for the summer.

come about

occur / happen

How did you idea for the book come about.

come across +

discover by accident

They came across some lost Mayan ruins in the jungle.

come across +

initially seem or have the appearance

He comes across as rather rude, but he isn't.

come along

accompany someone

If you want, you can come along.

come along with +

accompany

Sam came along with us to the beach.

come along

progress

How's the research paper coming along.

come along with +

progress

How are you coming along with the research paper.

come away

leave a place with a particular feeling or impression

I came away from the meeting feeling like the presentation was a success.

come back

return

What time are you coming back?

come by +

get, receive

How did you come by that new Mercedes?

come by

visit a person at their house

I'll come by later this afternoon.

come down with +

become sick with

He came down with the flu.

come into +

inherit

He came into a large sum of money when his aunt died.

come off +

fall off, break off

The handle came off the suitcase when I picked it up.

come out

appear

I didn't see the car at first. It came out of nowhere.

come out

reveal you are homosexual

Sam finally came out last month.

come out

turn out, end up

The pictures came out great.

come out with +

produce and distribute a product

Microsoft is coming out with a new video game system next month.

come over

visit someone at their house

Why don't you come over after work for dinner.

come to

regain consciousness

Don't worry! She faints all the time. She always comes to after a few minutes.

come through

do what is needed or expected

Terry really came through for us in the end.

come up to +

approach; to equal

The job offer didn't come up to her expectations.

come up with +

produce or create (an idea, a plan)

She came up with a great proposal for the new advertising campaign.

come with +

include (an accessory)

The computer system doesn't come with a printer.

count * in +

include

Did you count expenses in?

count on +

depend/rely on

You can really count on Sarah.

count * out +

exclude

You can count James out. He hates playing poker.

count * up +

add

Count the change up and see how much we have.

crack down on +

become tougher on, better enforce laws on

The police have been cracking down on drunk driving.

crack up

laugh uncontrollably, laugh a lot

When I told the joke, they all cracked up.

crack up at +

laugh uncontrollably about, laugh a lot about

I cracked up at his joke.

cross * out +

draw a line through something, eliminate

Why did you cross my name out on the list?

cut down

decrease the amount of

You eat too much fat. You need to cut down.

cut down on +

decrease the amount of

You need to cut down on your fat intake.

cut in

interrupt

She suddenly cut in and delivered the news

cut in on +

interrupt

She cut in on the conversation and delivered the news.

cut * off

interrupt someone while they were speaking

She cut him off before he said something he would regret later.

cut * off +

sever ( with a knife)

His finger was accidentally cut off in an industrial accident.

cut * out +

remove

He cut the bone out of the steak.

cut * out

stop an action

Cut it out! You're bothering me.

cut * up +

cut into small pieces

He cut the beef up and put the pieces in the soup.

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

die away

diminish in intensity

The applause died away after 5 minutes.

die down

diminish in intensity

The controversy about the president's affair finally died down.

die off/out

become extinct

Whales are in danger of dying off.

disagree with +

cause to feel sick due to food or drink

Spicy food disagrees with me.

do away with +

abolish

Some Americans want to do away with the death penalty.

do * over +

repeat

You made many mistakes, so I want you to do the report over.

do without +

manage without something one wants or needs

I couldn't do without a car in California.

draw * up +

create ( a contract)

Let's draw an agreement up before we go any further with this project.

dress * down

reprimand severely

The mother dressed her son down for skipping school.

dress down

dress casually

I am dressing down because we're going to a barbecue by the beach.

dress * up +

decorate

You could dress this house up with some bright colors

dress up

wear elegant clothes

She always dresses up at work.

drive * back +

repulse

The invaders were driven back by the army.

drop in

visit someone unexpectedly

Meg dropped in yesterday after dinner.

drop in on +

visit someone unexpectedly

Let's drop in on Julie since we're driving by her house.

drop out

quit an organized activity

Yuri isn't on the team any more. He dropped out.

drop out of +

quit an organized activity (school)

It's difficult to get a good job if you drop out of high school.

drop over

visit someone casually

Drop over any time you feel like talking.

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

eat away

gradually destroy, erode

The heavy rains ate away at the sandstone cliffs.

eat * up +

devour

Ken ate the cookies up.

eat in

eat inside the home

We usually eat in instead of going out for dinner.

eat out

eat outside the home

They eat out once a week.

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

face up to +

acknowledge something difficult or embarrassing

I'll never be able to face up to my colleagues after getting so drunk last night at the work party.

fall back on +

be able to use in case of emergency

Yuki can fall back on her degree in biology if she doesn't succeed in her acting career.

fall behind

go slower than scheduled, lag

Hurry up or you will fall behind!

fall behind in +

go slower than scheduled, lag

Cheryl has missed several days of school and now she is falling behind in her homework.

fall off

decrease

Interest in the project fell off when they realized it wouldn't be profitable.

fall out with +

have an argument with

I had a falling out with my sister last month and we haven't talked to each other since.

fall through

fail to happen

Unfortunately, my trip to Indonesia fell through because I couldn't save enough money.

feel * up +

grope

She sued her boss for sexual harassment after he felt her up.

feel up to +

have the energy to do something

I don't feel up to going out tonight because I had a long day at work.

figure on +

expect

Where do you figure on living when you move to the the U.S.A.?

figure * out +

solve something, understand

I finally figured the joke out. Now I understand why everybody was laughing.

figure * up +

calculate

I need to figure my expenses up before I give you an estimate.

fill * in +

complete

Don't forget to fill in all the blanks on the application.

fill in

substitute

Who is going to fill in while you're gone?

fill in for +

substitute for

Miguel filled in for me at the meeting yesterday because I was sick.

fill * out +

complete (an application)

I filled out an application to rent the apartment last week.

fill out

mature, get breasts

Now that you're filling out honey, we need to get you a bra.

fill * up +

fill to the top

Fill the car up with unleaded gas, please.

find out +

discover

You will never find out all my secrets!

find out

discover

Vicky's parents are going to be so mad when they find out she got a tattoo.

fix * up +

repair, renovate, remodel

My neighbors are fixing their house up.