100 Most Common English Phrasal Verbs (with Examples)

1What Are Phrasal Verbs (and Why They're Everywhere)

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or two small words — a preposition, a particle, or both — that together carry a meaning you cannot predict from the individual parts. "Give" means one thing. "Give up" means something completely different. "Give in," "give out," and "give away" each mean something different again. The small word changes everything.

Native English speakers use phrasal verbs constantly — not just in casual conversation but in meetings, podcasts, news broadcasts, films, and even formal writing. Researchers who study spoken English consistently find that phrasal verbs appear more often than their single-word equivalents. You are far more likely to hear "find out" than "discover," "put off" than "postpone," or "bring up" than "raise" in natural speech.

That means if you cannot recognize and use common phrasal verbs, you are missing a significant chunk of real English. This article covers the 100 most common ones, grouped by base verb so they are easier to learn and compare. Every entry has a clear meaning and a real example sentence.

Key insight: Phrasal verbs are not slang. They are the standard vocabulary of spoken English and informal writing. Avoiding them makes your English sound formal and unnatural.

2Why Phrasal Verbs Feel So Hard

If you find phrasal verbs confusing, you are in good company. Even advanced learners often say they are the hardest part of English vocabulary. There are four main reasons for this:

One verb, many meanings — a single phrasal verb can have several unrelated senses. "Run out" can mean you have no more of something, or that a contract has expired. Context is the only guide.

The same meaning, different verbs — "give up," "quit," and "stop" can all describe abandoning something, but native speakers reach for each one in slightly different situations.

Literal vs figurative — "I picked up a stone" (literal) and "I picked up Spanish in a year" (figurative) use the same phrasal verb in completely different ways.

Word order rules — some phrasal verbs can be split ("turn the light off" or "turn off the light"); others cannot (you cannot say "look into it" as "look it into"). The rules are real but rarely explained.

The good news is that you do not need to memorize all of them at once. Research on vocabulary acquisition shows that the top 100 phrasal verbs cover the vast majority of real usage. Learn those first and the long tail becomes much more manageable.

3Separable vs Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

One of the most useful things to know about any phrasal verb is whether it is separable. This determines whether you can place a noun object between the verb and the particle — and whether you must do so when the object is a pronoun.

Separable phrasal verbs

You can put the object before or after the particle. "Turn off the TV" and "Turn the TV off" are both correct. But with a pronoun, only the split version works: "Turn it off" is correct — "Turn off it" is not.

Inseparable phrasal verbs

The verb and particle must stay together. The object always comes after the full phrasal verb: "She looked after the children" — never "She looked the children after." Pronouns follow the same rule: "She looked after them."

In the lists below, most entries are followed by a natural example that shows the word order. If an example splits the verb and particle, the phrasal verb is separable; if the object always follows both words, it is inseparable. Using the wrong order is one of the most common mistakes intermediate learners make — so pay attention to the pattern in each example.

Tip: When you save a new phrasal verb, always note whether it is separable or not. Write two short example sentences — one with a noun object and one with a pronoun — so the word order becomes automatic.

4Phrasal Verbs with GET (16 verbs)

"Get" is one of the most versatile verbs in English, and its phrasal verb forms are among the most common in everyday speech. These 16 are essential — you will encounter all of them within the first few hours of listening to natural English.

get up — to rise from bed or from a seated/lying position

She gets up at six every morning to go to the gym.

get along (with) — to have a friendly relationship with someone

He gets along well with all of his colleagues.

get away — to escape or to take a vacation

They finally got away for a long weekend in the mountains.

get back — to return to a place, or to recover something

I got back from the conference late last night.

get by — to manage with limited resources or difficulty

We can get by on one income for a few months if we are careful.

get down — to make someone feel sad or depressed

All this rainy weather is really getting me down.

get in — to enter a vehicle or to arrive at a place

What time does your flight get in?

get into — to become interested in something, or to enter a place

She got into podcasting during the lockdown and never stopped.

get off — to leave a vehicle or to finish work

Get off the bus at the third stop and walk two blocks north.

get on — to board a vehicle, or to make progress

How are you getting on with your new project?

get out — to leave a place or situation

He decided it was time to get out of the corporate world.

get over — to recover from illness, disappointment, or a difficult experience

It took her months to get over losing that job.

get rid of — to remove or eliminate something or someone unwanted

I finally got rid of all those old books I was never going to read.

get through — to survive or finish something difficult, or to contact someone

I could not get through to the office — the line was busy all day.

get together — to meet as a group

Let's get together for coffee before the holidays.

get up to — to do something, often mischievous or unexpected

What have you been getting up to lately?

5Phrasal Verbs with TAKE, PUT and BRING

"Take," "put," and "bring" power dozens of high-frequency phrasal verbs. Learning them together helps you see the patterns — how a shared particle like "off" or "up" creates related meanings across different base verbs.

take off — for a plane to leave the ground, or to remove something

The plane took off two hours late due to the storm.

take on — to accept new work, a challenge, or to hire someone

She took on three extra clients this quarter and is feeling overwhelmed.

take out — to remove, or to invite someone on a social outing

He took her out to dinner to celebrate the promotion.

take over — to assume control of something

A larger company took over their startup last spring.

take up — to start a new hobby or activity, or to occupy space/time

I took up running last year and it has changed my mornings.

put away — to return something to its proper place

Please put your toys away before dinner.

put off — to postpone, or to cause someone to lose interest or enthusiasm

Stop putting off that difficult conversation — it only gets harder.

put on — to dress oneself in clothing, or to add weight

She put on her jacket and headed out into the cold.

put out — to extinguish a fire or light, or to cause inconvenience

It took firefighters two hours to put out the blaze.

put up with — to tolerate something or someone unpleasant

I do not know how she puts up with all that noise every day.

bring about — to cause something to happen

The new regulations were designed to bring about lasting change.

bring back — to return something, or to revive a memory

That song brings back memories of our road trip.

bring up — to raise a child, or to introduce a topic in conversation

He brought up the budget issue right at the end of the meeting.

bring out — to release a product, or to reveal a quality in someone

Competition really brings out the best in her.

bring forward — to reschedule something to an earlier time

Can we bring the deadline forward by a week?

6Phrasal Verbs with COME and GO

"Come" and "go" are the most basic verbs of movement in English, but their phrasal forms extend far beyond physical motion. Many express change, progress, surprise, and social interaction.

come across — to find or encounter something by chance

I came across an old photo album while cleaning the attic.

come along — to accompany someone, or to make progress

How is your French coming along these days?

come back — to return to a place or activity

She moved abroad for two years but came back last autumn.

come down with — to become ill with something

He came down with a bad cold the night before the presentation.

come out — to be published or released, or to be revealed

Her new book comes out in September.

come over — to visit someone at their home

Do you want to come over for dinner on Friday?

come up — to arise unexpectedly or be mentioned

Something came up at work and I had to cancel my plans.

come up with — to produce or think of an idea, plan, or solution

The team came up with a creative solution in under an hour.

go ahead — to proceed with something

Go ahead and start without me — I will be five minutes late.

go along with — to agree to or accept something

She did not fully agree but went along with the plan anyway.

go back — to return to a place or earlier time

They went back to the restaurant where they had their first date.

go off — for an alarm or bomb to activate, or for food to spoil

The alarm went off at three in the morning and woke everyone up.

go on — to continue, or to happen

What is going on in the meeting room?

go out — to leave home for social activities, or for a light to stop shining

They go out every Friday evening to unwind after the week.

go over — to review or examine something carefully

Let's go over the contract one more time before signing.

7Phrasal Verbs with LOOK, TURN and GIVE

"Look," "turn," and "give" each have a rich family of phrasal verbs that describe direction, change, and transfer. These are especially common in both conversation and writing.

look after — to take care of someone or something

Could you look after my cat while I am away?

look back — to think about the past

Looking back, I am glad I made that decision.

look for — to search for something or someone

I have been looking for my keys for the past twenty minutes.

look forward to — to anticipate something with pleasure

I am really looking forward to the summer holidays.

look into — to investigate or examine something

The manager promised to look into the complaint right away.

look out — to be careful or watch for danger

Look out — there is ice on the steps.

look up — to search for information, or for a situation to improve

Look up the word in a dictionary if you are unsure.

turn down — to refuse an offer, or to reduce the volume or level of something

She turned down the job offer because the commute was too long.

turn off — to stop a device or light from operating

Turn the TV off before you go to bed.

turn on — to start a device or light

Can you turn on the heating? It is freezing in here.

turn out — to result in a particular way, or to attend an event

The party turned out to be much more fun than I expected.

turn up — to arrive, often unexpectedly, or to increase the volume

He turned up at the party two hours late without an explanation.

give away — to give something for free, or to reveal a secret accidentally

Her expression gave away exactly how she felt about the news.

give in — to stop resisting and accept defeat

After weeks of nagging, he finally gave in and bought the new sofa.

give up — to stop trying or doing something

Never give up on something you really care about.

8Phrasal Verbs with SET, BREAK and RUN

"Set," "break," and "run" contribute some of the most useful and widely used phrasal verbs in English. Many of these appear constantly in business, news, and everyday conversation.

set off — to start a journey, or to trigger something

We set off early to avoid the traffic on the motorway.

set out — to begin a task or journey with a specific aim

She set out to prove that the theory was wrong.

set up — to establish or arrange something

They set up a small business from their kitchen table.

set back — to delay progress or cause a problem

The power cut set the project back by almost a week.

break down — for a machine to stop working, or to lose emotional control

The car broke down on the highway and we had to call for help.

break in — to enter by force, or to interrupt a conversation

Sorry to break in, but we are almost out of time.

break out — for something dangerous or unpleasant to start suddenly

A fire broke out in the warehouse early on Sunday morning.

break through — to overcome an obstacle or achieve success after difficulty

Scientists believe they have broken through in the search for a treatment.

break up — to end a relationship, or for a group to separate

They broke up after three years together.

run into — to meet someone unexpectedly, or to encounter a problem

I ran into an old school friend at the supermarket yesterday.

run out of — to use up all of something so that none is left

We ran out of coffee this morning — can you grab some on your way home?

run away — to escape from a place or situation

You cannot just run away from your problems.

run over — to review quickly, or to exceed a time limit

The meeting ran over by half an hour and everyone was late for lunch.

9More Everyday Phrasal Verbs You'll Hear Daily

These phrasal verbs span multiple base verbs and are among the most common in casual speech, workplace conversation, and everyday English media. Together with the earlier sections, they bring the total to well over 100.

find out — to discover information

Did you find out what time the train leaves?

figure out — to understand or solve something through thought

I finally figured out how to use the new software.

fill in — to complete a form, or to inform someone of information they missed

Can you fill me in on what happened at the meeting?

fill out — to complete a document or form

You will need to fill out this form before your appointment.

call off — to cancel something that was planned

They called off the outdoor concert because of the forecast.

call back — to return a phone call

He said he was busy and would call me back in an hour.

hold on — to wait, or to grip something tightly

Hold on a second — I need to grab my coat.

hold up — to delay something, or to rob at gunpoint

Road works are holding up traffic on the main road.

carry on — to continue doing something

Carry on with your work — I will be back in a moment.

carry out — to perform or complete a task or activity

Engineers carried out a full inspection of the bridge.

keep up — to maintain the same pace or standard

She was finding it hard to keep up with the rest of the class.

keep on — to continue doing something despite difficulties

Just keep on trying — it will click eventually.

show up — to appear or arrive at a place

Only half the guests showed up to the event.

end up — to arrive at a state, place, or result, often unintentionally

We missed the last bus and ended up walking home in the rain.

work out — to exercise, or for a plan or situation to succeed

I hope this new strategy works out for the team.

sort out — to resolve a problem or organise something

We need to sort out the delivery issue before the client calls back.

point out — to direct attention to something by mentioning or indicating it

She pointed out a mistake in the third paragraph.

make up — to invent a story, or to reconcile after an argument

Stop making things up — just tell me what really happened.

10How to Actually Learn and Remember Them

Reading a list of phrasal verbs is not the same as learning them. The difference between knowing a phrasal verb on paper and being able to use it naturally comes down to how you study it. Here are the approaches that research and experience both support:

Learn in context, not in isolation — a phrasal verb remembered alongside the sentence it came from is five times more likely to stay in memory than one learned as a bare definition.

Group by base verb — you are doing that right now. Comparing "get off," "get on," "get over," and "get out" in one session shows you the pattern and cuts revision time.

Use spaced repetition — review new phrasal verbs after one day, then three days, then a week. Each spaced review strengthens the memory trace before it fades.

Produce, don't just recognise — reading is passive. Write two sentences with each new phrasal verb, or say them aloud. Production forces your brain to retrieve and use the form.

Meet them in real audio — flashcard practice alone is not enough. You need to hear phrasal verbs used by real speakers at natural speed so your ear recognises them in conversation.

Review total exposure, not total items — if you encounter the same phrasal verb in three different videos over a week, that is better learning than studying thirty new verbs in a single session.

Important: do not aim to learn all 100 phrasal verbs in one sitting. Choose 5–8 that you find most useful or most confusing, learn them thoroughly this week, then return for the next set.

11How FlexiLingo Helps You Master Phrasal Verbs

The hardest part of learning phrasal verbs is not memorising lists — it is meeting them in real speech, at natural speed, with enough context to understand what they mean. FlexiLingo is built for exactly that: it puts a learning layer on top of the videos and podcasts you already want to watch, so every phrase you encounter becomes a lesson.

Meet phrasal verbs in real video context

Watch YouTube, BBC Audio, and podcasts with accurate dual subtitles. When a native speaker uses a phrasal verb at full speed, you see it on screen in its natural sentence — not as a dictionary entry.

Tap any phrasal verb to understand it instantly

Click on "come across" or "put off" mid-video to see the full meaning, an example, and a translation in your language — without pausing or switching tabs.

Save the full sentence with one click

Add a phrasal verb to your vocabulary collection along with the complete sentence it came from. That context is what makes it memorable and ensures you save the right meaning.

Review with spaced repetition

Your saved phrasal verbs automatically flow into smart flashcard reviews timed to resurface them just before you would forget them — so what you learn from real content actually stays.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many phrasal verbs do I need to know to sound natural?

Most researchers and teachers agree that the top 100–150 phrasal verbs cover the vast majority of everyday usage. If you know the 100 in this article and can use them naturally, you will sound fluent in almost any informal conversation. You can then expand from there as you meet new ones in context.

Is there a trick to remembering whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable?

There is no single rule that covers all cases, but there are patterns. Phrasal verbs that take a direct object (take something off, put something away) are usually separable. Phrasal verbs with a preposition rather than an adverb particle (look into something, go over something) are usually inseparable. The most reliable approach is to note the word order in example sentences as you learn each one.

Should I learn phrasal verbs from a list or from real content?

Both have a role. A well-organised list like this one gives you an efficient overview and helps you spot patterns. But research consistently shows that vocabulary sticks best when you later encounter it in real, memorable contexts. Use the list to get familiar, then look for each phrasal verb in podcasts, videos, and conversations to cement it.

Why do phrasal verbs change meaning depending on context?

English is highly context-dependent, and particles like "up," "out," and "off" carry loose conceptual meanings that shift depending on the base verb. "Up" often implies completion or increase; "out" often implies emergence or exhaustion; "off" often implies departure or discontinuation. Once you start noticing these patterns across many phrasal verbs, new ones become easier to guess and remember.

What is the fastest way to improve my phrasal verb use in speaking?

The fastest route is to pick five phrasal verbs per week, create your own example sentences using real situations from your life, and then use them in a conversation or voice note the same day. Combining personalised production with spaced repetition review and exposure to real audio will move a phrasal verb from recognition to automatic use faster than any other method.