phrasal verbs a-z

account for

to explain

add sth on {to}

to include in a calculation or on a list

add {sth} up

to total by adding

add up

to be satisfactory when you think about it

back down

to abandon your position in an argument

back out {of sth}

to break an agreement

back {someone} up

to support

back-up

spare copy of data or a disk

be down

1. to have decreased

2. to not be working

be in on {sth}

1. to know sth that isn’t common knowledge

2. to be invloved in sth

be off

to not be at work

be out of {sth}

to not have any more

be up

to have increased

boss {someone} around

to tell people what to do {often and needlessly}

branch out {into sth}

to expand into new areas

break down

to stop working

break {sth} down

1. to analyse

2. to show separately

breakdown {noun}

bring {sth} forward

1. to do sth earlier

2. to arrange to have

bring {sth} out

to launch a product

bring {sth} up

to mention

brush {sth} up

to renew your knowledge of someting

call for {sth}

to need or demand

call {sth} off

to cancel

call {someone} up

to phone

call {sth} up {on the computer}

to look for and open

carry on

to continue

carry {sth} out

1. to do

2. to complete or perform

catch up with {someone}

to reach the same standard

catch up on {sth}

1. to reach the required standard

2. to do work you should already have finished

change over {to sth}

to change to a new system or position

changeover {noun}

climb down

to admit you were wrong

climb-down {noun}

close {sth} down

to close permanently

close-down {noun}

come out

1. to be published

2. made public

come up

1. to be mentioned

2. to appear

come up against {sth}

to meet or face

come up with {sth}

to think of

crack down on {sth}

to act more strictly

crop up

1. to appear

2. happen unexpectedly

cross {sth or someone} off

to delete, to draw a line through

cross {sth} out

to delete, to draw a line through

cut back on {sth}

to reduce

cut down on {sth}

to reduce consumption

cut {someone} off

disconnect a phone call

deal with {sth or someone}

1. to take action on sth

2. to be responsible for

3. to have as its subject

4. to do business with

do away with {sth}

to abolish or to put an end to it

drag on

to continue slowly and boringly

drag {sth} out

to prolong or extend unnecessarily

draw {sth} up

1. to compose

2. to prepare

end up as

to eventually become

end up somewhere

to eventually find oneself/itself

end up doing sth

to eventually do sth

face up to {sth}

to accept a situation and take action

fall off

to decrease

fall through

to not succeed

fill {sth} in

to complete

fill in for {someone}

to substitute for someone at work

fill {someone} in on {sth}

to give information about

1. find {sth} out

2. find out about {sth}

to discover

fit in with {sth or ppl}

1. to complement or be in harmony with

2. to work well with others in a group

fit {sth or someone} in

to have or find enough time

get {sth} across

to make people understand

get down to {sth}

to start

get on with {sth}

to continue or progress

get on with {someone}

to have a good relationship

get through to {someone}

to contact by phone

give {sth} away

to give without receiving anything back

give {sth} out

to distribute

go ahead with {sth}

to proceed

go-ahead {noun}

go along with {sth}

to agree to

go down {well or badly etc.}

to be received

go into {sth}

to talk about in detail

go on with or doing {sth}

to continue

go on

to happen

go through

to be completed successfully

go through {sth}

1. to check or examine

2. to experience

go under

to go bankrupt

hand {sth} out

to distribute

hand-out {noun}

hand {sth} over

to give to someone else

handover {noun}

1. hang on

2. hold on

to wait

hang on to {sth}

to keep in your possession

hit on {sth}

to think of

hold {sth} up

to delay

hold-up {noun}

keep {someone} on

to not dismiss from work

key {sth} in

to type into the computer

lay {someone} off

to dismiss from work

lay-off {noun}

leak out

to become known

look down on {someone}

to consider inferior

look forward to {sth}

to anticipate with pleasure

look into {sth}

to investigate

look up

to improve

look {sth} up

to find information