5.1.6 - Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and an adverb or preposition, for example ‘shut up’ or ‘look after’, which together have a particular meaning.

Examples:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example Sentence
abide by	To respect or obey a decision, a law or a rule	If you want to keep your job here, you must abide by our rules.
account for	To explain, give a reason	I hope you can account for the time you were out!
add up	To make sense, seem reasonable	The facts in the case just don’t add up.
advise against	To recommend not doing something	I advise against walking alone in this neighborhood.
agree with	To have the same opinion as someone else	I agree with you. I think you should go as well.
allow for	To take into consideration	We need to allow for unexpected charges along the way.
appeal to	To plead or make a request / To be attractive	He appealed to the court to change its decision.
apply for	To make a formal request	He applied for a scholarship for next semester.
back away	To move backwards in fear or dislike	When he saw the bear, he backed away in fright.
back down	To withdraw, concede defeat	The authorities backed down on their threats.
back up	To give support / To make a copy	You should back up all your computer files.
bank on	To base your hopes on someone or something	I’m banking on you to help with the charity event.
black out	To faint, lose consciousness	Jenna fell in the parking lot and blacked out.
block off	To separate using a barrier	The police blocked off the street after the explosion.
blow up	To explode / To get angry	Don’t blow up at me. It’s not my fault.
break down	To stop functioning / Lose emotional control	The washing machine broke down yesterday.
break into	To enter by force	Burglars broke into my car last night.
break out	To start suddenly	Rioting broke out after the fuel prices rose.
bring up	To raise a child	Sara is bringing up her children by herself.
call off	To cancel	The game was called off because of bad weather.
calm down	To become relaxed	It took her hours to calm down.
carry on	To continue	The soldiers carried on walking.
carry out	To perform or execute	His orders were carried out to the letter.
check in	To register (hotel/airport)	Please check in three hours before departure.
check out	To investigate / leave a hotel	I’ll check it out online.
come across	To find by chance / appear	He came across as confident.
cut down on	To reduce	I’ve cut down on sweets.
deal with	To handle a problem	She can deal with stress well.