Phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs 

Definition :

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs). These combinations create a meaning that is different from the original verb. The particle can change the meaning of the verb, and phrasal verbs are commonly used in both written and spoken English.

Here are examples for each of the verbs you’ve mentioned:

1. Call

• Call off – to cancel something
  • “They called off the meeting due to the storm.”
• Call up – to phone someone
  • “I will call you up later.”
• Call for – to require something
  • “This job calls for good communication skills.”

2. Ask

• Ask for – to request something
  • “She asked for a glass of water.”
• Ask around – to ask many people about something
  • “I’ll ask around to find the best restaurant in town.”

3. Look

• Look for – to search for something
  • “I’m looking for my keys.”
• Look after – to take care of something/someone
  • “She looks after her younger brother.”
• Look into – to investigate
  • “The police are looking into the case.”

4. Bear

• Bear with – to be patient with someone
  • “Please bear with me while I finish this task.”
• Bear up – to endure or cope with something
  • “She is bearing up well under the pressure.”

5. Blow

• Blow up – to explode
  • “The bomb blew up in the middle of the street.”
• Blow off – to cancel or not attend
  • “He blew off the meeting.”
• Blow over – to pass or be forgotten
  • “The controversy will blow over soon.”

6. Break

• Break down – to stop functioning
  • “My car broke down on the way to work.”
• Break up – to end a relationship
  • “They broke up after five years together.”
• Break into – to enter by force
  • “The thief broke into the house.”

7. Put

• Put off – to postpone
  • “They put off the meeting until next week.”
• Put up with – to tolerate
  • “I can’t put up with his rude behavior anymore.”
• Put down – to criticize
  • “Stop putting me down all the time.”

8. Bring

• Bring up – to mention or raise a topic
  • “She brought up the issue during the meeting.”
• Bring about – to cause something to happen
  • “The new law will bring about many changes.”
• Bring in – to introduce
  • “The company is bringing in new technology.”

9. Cast

• Cast off – to discard or get rid of
  • “He cast off his old clothes.”
• Cast around – to search for something
  • “He cast around for a solution to the problem.”

10. Catch

• Catch up – to update or get to the same level
  • “Let’s catch up soon over coffee.”
• Catch on – to become popular or understood
  • “The new trend caught on quickly.”

11. Come

• Come up – to occur or appear
  • “Something urgent has come up.”
• Come across – to find by chance
  • “I came across an old photo yesterday.”
• Come down with – to get sick
  • “She came down with a cold last week.”

12. Cop

• Cop out – to avoid responsibility or a commitment
  • “He copped out of attending the event.”
• Cope with: To deal with or manage a difficult situation.
  • She is learning how to cope with the stress of her new job.
• Cop to – to admit or confess
  • “He copped to the crime.”

13. Get

• Get along – to have a friendly relationship
  • “They get along really well.”
• Get over – to recover from
  • “It took her a while to get over the breakup.”
• Get by – to survive or manage
  • “We’re getting by with what we have.”

14. Drop

• Drop by – to visit someone unexpectedly
  • “I’ll drop by your house later.”
• Drop out – to leave or withdraw from something
  • “She dropped out of the course.”

15. Fall

• Fall apart – to break into pieces or lose control
  • “The old book started to fall apart.”
• Fall for – to fall in love with or be deceived by
  • “She fell for his charm.”
• Fall through – to fail or not be completed
  • “The deal fell through last minute.”

16. Let

• Let down – to disappoint
  • “I feel like I’ve let everyone down.”
• Let in – to allow someone to enter
  • “Let me in, please.”

17. Pull

• Pull over – to move to the side of the road
  • “The police officer asked the driver to pull over.”
• Pull out – to leave or withdraw from something
  • “He pulled out of the deal.”

18. Take

• Take off: To remove or to ascend (in the case of airplanes).
  The plane took off on time.
• Take after: To resemble.
  She takes after her mother in appearance.

19. Turn

• Turn up: To appear or arrive.
  She turned up late to the party.
• Turn down: To refuse or lower the volume.
  He turned down the job offer.

20. Run

• Run into: To encounter by chance.
  I ran into my old friend at the store.
• Run out of: To deplete a supply.
  We’ve run out of milk.

21. Set

• Set up: To arrange or establish.
  They set up a new office downtown.
• Set off: To start a journey or activate something.
  They set off early in the morning.

22. Calm

• Calm down: To relax or become less agitated.
  She calmed down after hearing the news.

More Common Phrasal verbs examples