Mastering Phrasal Verbs: Enhance Your English Fluency

Common Phrasal Verbs with Examples

Challenges and Solutions

Cope with: I'm finding it hard to cope with all the work I've got at the moment. I'm so stressed.

Back up: I always back up my important photos onto a pen drive in case I lose the original.

Public Demands and Cancellations

Calling for: The public are calling for (demanding) new elections as soon as possible.

Called off: Unfortunately, the concert was called off (cancelled) because the band were ill.

Past Habits and Clutter

Come round: He always used to come round (visit) to my house after school when we were kids.

Cluttered up: The front of his car is so cluttered up (filled untidily) with MacDonald's boxes that you can't see the floor.

Discoveries and Missed Opportunities

Came across: I came across (found) my old CD collection while I was cleaning the attic, I'd completely forgotten about it.

Act on: He gave me great advice but I didn't act on (follow) it and now look at the mess I'm in!

Plans and Preferences

Up to: What are you up to tomorrow night? (doing)

Go for: When I go to a sushi restaurant I always go for the sashimi!

Directions and Unexpected Outcomes

Head for: If you get lost just head for the big red house at the bottom of the mountain.

Ended up: We took a wrong turn on the motorway and ended up in the middle of nowhere!

Separations and Extinctions

Broken up: After the war Yugoslavia was broken up (separated) into several different countries.

Died out: The Dodo died out after pirates killed and ate them all.

Social Interactions and Belonging

Fiddling with: Stop fiddling with your pen, the noise is so annoying!

Fit in: When I first started here I found it very difficult to fit in.

Unexpected Events and Keeping Pace

Went off: A bomb went off in the city centre, miraculously no one was killed!

Keeping up with: I'm having trouble keeping up with the amount of paperwork I have to do in my new job.

Dealing with Situations and Falling Asleep

Deal with: I had to deal with 10 complaints this morning, it was horrible, and all the people were so rude!

Drops off: My grandad sometimes drops off while we're having lunch at his house, it's quite funny!

Quitting and Injuries

Drop out: My brother had to drop out of the marathon after 15 miles because he injured his knee.