Top 50 English Phrasal Verbs You Must Know

Phrasal verbs are a key part of natural and fluent English. Native speakers use them in everyday conversations, emails, movies, and even professional settings. However, many learners find them confusing because their meanings are not always literal. That’s why learning the most common phrasal verbs is essential if you want to understand real English and speak confidently.

In this blog post, you will discover the top 50 English phrasal verbs you must know, explained in simple and clear language. Each phrasal verb includes an easy meaning and practical example to help you use it correctly in daily conversations. Whether you are preparing for exams, improving your speaking skills, or expanding your vocabulary, this guide will help you master essential phrasal verbs and sound more natural in English.

1. Everyday Phrasal Verbs

These are common phrasal verbs that you can use daily:

1. Wake up – To stop sleeping.
   • Example: I wake up at 7 a.m. every day.
2. Get up – To rise from bed.
   • Example: I get up when my alarm rings.
3. Turn on – To start something (like a device).
   • Example: Can you turn on the lights, please?
4. Turn off – To stop something (like a device).
   • Example: Don’t forget to turn off the TV when you leave.
5. Pick up – To lift something.
   • Example: I need to pick up my bag from the floor.
6. Put down – To place something down.
   • Example: She put down the book on the table.
7. Look after – To take care of someone or something.
   • Example: She looks after her younger brother when their parents are away.
8. Look for – To search for something.
   • Example: I’m looking for my keys. Have you seen them?
9. Go out – To leave home and do something for fun.
   • Example: We are going out to the movies tonight.
10. Come in – To enter a room or building.
    • Example: Please come in and have a seat.

2. Phrasal Verbs for Work

These phrasal verbs are helpful in professional settings:

11. Call off – To cancel something.
    • Example: The meeting was called off because of the weather.
12. Show up – To arrive at a place.
    • Example: He didn’t show up for work today.
13. Take over – To gain control of something.
    • Example: She will take over the project next month.
14. Follow up – To check on something or someone after an earlier action.
    • Example: I’ll follow up with you tomorrow to see how things are going.
15. Take on – To accept a responsibility or task.
    • Example: I’m taking on a new project at work.
16. Set up – To arrange or establish something.
    • Example: We need to set up the meeting room before the conference.
17. Cut back – To reduce something.
    • Example: The company decided to cut back on expenses.
18. Fill in – To complete or replace someone temporarily.
    • Example: I need you to fill in for me while I’m away.
19. Look into – To investigate something.
    • Example: I’ll look into your request and get back to you soon.
20. Take off – To become successful quickly.
    • Example: His business really took off last year.

3. Phrasal Verbs for Emotions

Understanding how to express emotions with phrasal verbs is crucial:

21. Cheer up – To make someone feel happier.
    • Example: You look sad. Let’s go out and cheer up.
22. Calm down – To relax after being upset or angry.
    • Example: Take a deep breath and calm down.
23. Break down – To become very emotional or upset.
    • Example: She broke down in tears when she heard the news.
24. Get over – To recover from something (e.g., illness or a sad event).
    • Example: It took her months to get over the breakup.
25. Open up – To share your feelings with someone.
    • Example: He finally opened up about his childhood.
26. Bottle up – To keep your emotions inside instead of sharing them.
    • Example: It’s not healthy to bottle up your feelings.
27. Hang in – To keep going despite difficulties.
    • Example: I know things are tough, but hang in there!
28. Fall for – To fall in love with someone.
    • Example: He fell for her the moment they met.
29. Warm up – To become friendlier or more relaxed.
    • Example: After a few minutes, he warmed up to the idea.
30. Lighten up – To relax or become less serious.
    • Example: You need to lighten up; it’s just a joke!

4. Phrasal Verbs for Movement

These phrasal verbs help describe movement and direction:

31. Go ahead – To proceed with something.
    • Example: You can go ahead and start the meeting without me.
32. Come across – To meet or find by chance.
    • Example: I came across an interesting article yesterday.
33. Get around – To travel or move from one place to another.
    • Example: It’s easy to get around the city by bike.
34. Move on – To progress to the next step or situation.
    • Example: It’s time to move on to the next task.
35. Walk out – To leave a place suddenly.
    • Example: He walked out of the meeting in anger.
36. Run into – To meet someone unexpectedly.
    • Example: I ran into an old friend at the grocery store.
37. Drive off – To leave in a car.
    • Example: She waved goodbye as he drove off.
38. Head out – To leave or go in a specific direction.
    • Example: I’ll head out to the park after lunch.
39. Check out – To look at or examine something.
    • Example: Check out that new restaurant downtown.
40. Drop off – To deliver something or someone.
    • Example: I’ll drop you off at school on my way to work.

5. Phrasal Verbs for Socializing

Socializing is easier with these common phrasal verbs:

41. Catch up – To talk to someone after a period of not talking.
    • Example: Let’s meet for coffee and catch up on life.
42. Hang out – To spend time relaxing or having fun with others.
    • Example: Do you want to hang out this weekend?
43. Pick on – To treat someone unfairly or bully them.
    • Example: Stop picking on your little brother.
44. Bring up – To mention a topic or issue.
    • Example: She brought up the idea of a vacation during the meeting.
45. Hang on – To wait for a short time.
    • Example: Hang on for a second while I grab my coat.
46. Invite over – To ask someone to come to your home.
    • Example: We invited them over for dinner last night.
47. Sit down – To take a seat.
    • Example: Please sit down and relax.
48. Get together – To meet with people for social reasons.
    • Example: Let’s get together for a birthday party.
49. Give up – To stop trying or doing something.
    • Example: I wanted to learn the guitar but I gave up after a month.
50. Break up – To end a romantic relationship.
    • Example: They decided to break up after two years of dating.

Conclusion

Mastering phrasal verbs is key to improving your fluency and understanding of English. These 50 phrasal verbs are a great place to start.

Practice using them in your daily conversations and writing, and soon you’ll notice a big improvement in your English skills.

Remember, phrasal verbs can have multiple meanings depending on the context, so always pay attention to how they are used in different situations.

Don’t be discouraged if they seem difficult at first—practice and patience are essential. Keep going, and you’ll soon sound like a native speaker!

You may also like these English learning articles:

• 30 Phrasal Verbs using “CUT” with Meanings and Sentences
• 30 Phrasal Verbs using “TAKE” with Meanings and Sentences
• 30 Phrasal Verbs using “BREAK” with Meanings and Sentences
• 30 Phrasal Verbs using “LET” with Meanings and Sentences