Complete Phrasal Verb List - 100 Phrasal Verbs (P1)

Abide by

To accept or obey a rule, decision, or instruction.

Account for

To explain the reason or cause of something.

Ache for

To want someone or something very much, often with sadness or pain.

Act on

To take action based on advice, information, or a feeling.

Act upon

To take action as a result of something; to follow instructions or advice.

Act out

To express thoughts or feelings through actions, often negatively or dramatically.

Act up

To behave badly or not function properly.

Add on

To include something extra.

Add up

To make sense logically; also to calculate the total of numbers.

Add up to

To result in a total amount; to lead to a particular outcome.

Agree with

To have the same opinion as someone else; also, for food to suit one's digestion.

Aim at

To target or direct something (such as an action or remark) toward someone or something.

Allow for

To take something into consideration when planning or calculating.

Allow of

To make possible; to permit something.

Angle for

To try subtly or indirectly to get something, especially praise or a reward.

Answer back

To reply rudely or argue with someone in authority.

Answer for

To take responsibility for something; to be punished for something.

Argue down

To defeat someone in an argument or to persuade someone not to do something.

Argue out

To discuss a problem or situation thoroughly to reach a resolution.

Ask about

To inquire or request information about someone or something.

Ask after

To inquire about someone's health or well-being.

Ask around

To ask several people for information or help.

Ask for

To request something; also used to mean to provoke something bad.

Ask in

To invite someone into your home or a room.

Ask out

To invite someone to go somewhere with you, especially on a date.

Ask over

To invite someone to your house.

Ask round

To invite someone, especially for a meal or visit.

Auction off

To sell something to the highest bidder in a public sale.

Back away

To move backwards away from something, especially because of fear or dislike.

Back down

To withdraw a claim, demand, or argument, often in a dispute.

Back into

To reverse into something unintentionally.

Back off

To stop being involved in a situation; to withdraw or move away.

Back out

To decide not to do something you had agreed to do.

Back out of

To withdraw from an agreement or commitment.

Back up

To provide support or evidence for something; also to make a copy of data.

Bag out

(Informal, Australia) To criticize someone severely.

Bail out

To rescue someone from a difficult situation, especially financially.

Bail out of

To escape or withdraw from a situation or obligation.

Bail out on

To abandon someone or something in a difficult situation.

Bail up

(Australia) To stop or corner someone, especially to rob or question them.

Ball up

To make something tangled or confused.

Balls up

(Informal, rude) To ruin something completely.

Bang about

To move noisily or violently around a place.

Bang around

To make loud noises by hitting or moving things roughly.

Bang on

To talk about something in a boring or annoying way.

Bang on about

To speak repeatedly or tediously about something.

Bang out

To produce something quickly and often carelessly.

Bang up

To damage or injure someone or something; also, to put someone in prison (UK).

Bank on

To rely on something or someone confidently.

Bargain down

To persuade someone to reduce the price.

Bargain for

To expect or be prepared for something, usually unpleasant.

Bargain on

To anticipate or rely on something happening.

Barge in

To enter a place or interrupt rudely or abruptly.

Barge into

To collide with something or someone forcefully; to interrupt rudely.

Bash about

To hit or treat something roughly.

Bash in

To break or damage something by hitting it hard.

Bash out

To produce something quickly, often without much care.

Bash up

To beat someone severely.

Bawl out

To reprimand or criticize someone angrily and loudly.

Be after

To want or try to obtain something.

Be along

To arrive (used to indicate someone will come soon).

Be away

To be out of town or not at one’s usual place.

Be cut out for

To be naturally suited for something.

Be cut up

To be very upset or distressed.

Be down

To be depressed or sad; also, to be reduced in amount or number.

Be down on

To dislike or treat someone unfairly or critically.

Be down with

To be ill with a disease; also used to mean to agree with something (slang).

Be fed up

To be annoyed, bored, or frustrated with something persistent.

Be in

To be at home or at a place; also, to be involved in something.

Be in on

To be part of or informed about something secret or exclusive.

Be not on

To be unacceptable or inappropriate.

Be off

To leave a place; also, to be incorrect or spoiled.

Be on

To be scheduled or happening; also to take part in something.

Be on about

To talk repeatedly or tediously about something.

Be onto

To have discovered or be pursuing something important or suspicious.

Be out

To be away from home or not present; also, to be revealed or published.

Be out of

To not have something anymore; to be lacking.

Be out to

To try hard to get or do something.

Be snowed under

To be overwhelmed with too much work or responsibilities.

Be taken aback

To be shocked or surprised, often momentarily.

Be taken with

To be charmed or impressed by someone or something.

Be up

To be out of bed; also, to be happening or going on.

Be up for

To be willing to take part in something; to be a candidate for something.

Be up to

To be doing something (often something bad); also, to be capable of something.

Bear down on

To move in a threatening way toward someone or something.

Bear on

To be relevant or have an effect on something.

Bear out

To support the truth of something; to confirm.

Bear up

To remain strong and cheerful in a difficult situation.

Bear up under

To endure something difficult or stressful with courage or strength.

Bear with

To be patient with someone or something difficult or annoying.

Beat down

To reduce the price of something by negotiating; also, for heavy rain or sun to fall strongly.

Beat out

To defeat someone in a competition; also, to extinguish something (like a fire) by beating.

Beat up

To attack and hit someone repeatedly and violently.

Beaver away

To work hard and continuously, often at something boring or difficult.

Bed down

To go to bed, especially somewhere temporary; also, to become established in a new situation.

Bed out

To plant young plants outside after they have been grown indoors or in a greenhouse.

Beef up

To make something stronger, more effective, or more substantial.

Belong to

To be the property of someone; to be a member of an organization or group.

Belong with

To be in the right or suitable place or situation together with something or someone else.