Phrasal Verbs
fall out
(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached His hair started to _______ _______ when he was only 35.
fall out with someone
Argue and stop being friends or talking They _______ _______ after she started seeing her friend's ex-boyfriend.
blow something up
add air; inflate We have to _______ 50 balloons ______ for the party.
check in
arrive and register at a hotel or airport We will get the hotel keys when we _______ _______.
call on someone
ask for an answer or opinion The professor _______ _______ me for question 1.
ask around
ask many people the same question I ________ _______ but nobody has seen my wallet.
fall for something
be deceived by He ________ ________ the trick and gave them his credit card number over the phone.
come up
be mentioned or discussed; arise or appear (in a class, exam, meeting) I'm afraid I have to leave early--something's _______ _______.
cheer up
become happier She _______ _______ when she heard the good news.
catch on
become popular Sports drinks have _______ ________ as consumers have become more health-conscious.
fall for someone
become romantically attached to someone She _______ _________ him as soon as he walked into the room.
come down with something
become sick My nephew _______ _______ _______ chicken pox this weekend.
catch on (to something)
begin to understand He didn't _______ _______ at first but later he understood the meaning of the joke.
fall apart
break into pieces My new dress _______ _______ in the washing machine.
call something off
cancel Jason _______ the wedding ________ because he wasn't in love with his fiancée.
drop in/by/over
come without an appointment I might _______ _______ for tea sometime this week.
get something across/over
communicate, make understandable I tried to _______ my point _______ to the judge but she wouldn't listen.
cut back/down on something
consume less; reduce My doctor wants me to _______ _______ _______ sweets and fatty foods.
carry on with something
continue doing something Ignore the weather and _______ _______ _______ the match.
call for something
demand, request The economic situation _______ _______ immediate action.
break out in something
develop a skin condition I _______ _______ _____ a rash after our camping trip.
do away with something
discard It's time to _______ ______ ______ all of these old tax records.
find out
discover We don't know where he lives. How can we _______ _______?
break something down
divide into smaller parts Our teacher _______ the final project _______ into three separate parts.
carry out something
do a piece of work or research The building work was _______ ________ by a local contractor.
get away with something
do without being noticed or punished Jason always _______ _______ _______ cheating in his maths tests.
cross something out
draw a line through Please _______ _______ your old address and write your new one.
eat up something
eat all of something OR consume or use in great quantities Come on, ______ _______ all your broccoli. Correcting homework _________ __________ too much time in class.
eat out
eat at a restaurant I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's _______ _______.
break up
end a relationship My boyfriend and I _______ _______ before I moved to America.
break into something
enter forcibly The firemen had to _______ _______ the room to rescue the children.
add up (to something)
equal Your purchases _______ _______ _____ $205.32. Also: Your story doesn't _____ ______.
get away from someone/a place
escape The thieves _______ ________ in an old white van.
break out
escape The prisoners _______ _______ of jail when the guards weren't looking.
end up
eventually reach/do/decide We _______ _______ renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
blow up
explode The racing car _______ _______ after it crashed into the fence.
fall down
fall to the ground The picture that you hung up last night _______ _______ this morning.
do something up
fasten, button up clothes OR repair, redecorate or modernize a building or room Could you _______ _________ the back of this dress for me?
fill something up
fill to the top I always _______ the water jug _______ when it is empty.
get around to something
finally find time to do (N.Amer.: get around to something) I don't know when I am going to _______ _______ _______ writing the thank you cards.
come across something
find unexpectedly I _______ _______ these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
break in
force entry to a building Somebody _______ _______ last night and stole our stereo.
catch up with someone
get to the same point as someone else You'll have to run faster than that if you want to _______ _______ _______ Marty.
break down
get upset The woman ________ _______ when the police told her that her son had died.
get away
go on holiday, go for a break We worked so hard this year that we had to _______ _______ for a week.
get around
have mobility My grandfather can ________ ________ fine in his new wheelchair.
chip in
help If everyone _______ ________ we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
come into (money)
inherit She _______ _______ a fortune when her grandfather died.
cut in
interrupt Your father _______ ______ while I was dancing with your uncle.
check out
leave a hotel You have to _______ _______ of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
get along/on with someone
like each other; have a good relationship with someone I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister _______ _______.
check out someone/something
look at (informal) _____ _____ the crazy hair on that guy!
check someone/something out
look at carefully, investigate The company _______ _______ all new employees.
clear something up
make a place tidy She _______ ________ her workspace before she went home for the day.
cheer someone up
make happier I brought you some flowers to _______ you _______.
cut something down
make something fall to the ground We had to _______ the old tree in our yard _______ after the storm.
bring someone down
make unhappy This sad music is _______ me _______.
drop back
move back in a position/group Andrea _______ _______ to third place when she fell off her bike.
couldn't do without something
need something in order to survive or perform a job or task She __________ ____________ ___________ her mobile phone--she'd be lost!
could do with something
need, would like I _________ really ________ ___________ some dinner right now.
not care for someone/something
not like (formal) I don't _______ _______ his behaviour.
come from somewhere
originate in The art of origami _______ _______ Asia.
call someone up
phone Give me your phone number and I will _______ you _______ when we are in town.
call around
phone many different places/people We _______ _______ but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
cut in
pull in too closely in front of another vehicle The bus driver got angry when that car _______ _______.
drop out
quit a class, school etc I _______ _______ Science because it was too difficult.
bring someone up
raise a child My grandparents _______ me _______ after my parents died.
come in for criticism
receive criticism Fast food has _______ _______ _______ further criticism in a report published today.
calm down
relax after being angry You are still mad. You need to _______ _______ before you drive the car.
count on someone/something
rely on I am _______ _______ you to make dinner while I am out.
cut something out
remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper) I _______ this ad _______ of the newspaper.
cut something off
remove with something sharp The doctors _______ _______ his leg because it was severely injured.
do something over
repeat an action My teacher wants me to _______ my essay _______ because she doesn't like my topic.
get back
return We _______ _______ from our holiday last week.
call someone back
return a phone call I _______ the company _______ but the offices were closed for the weekend.
back something up
reverse You'll have to _______ _______ your car so that I can get out.
come apart
separate The top and bottom _______ _______ if you pull hard enough.
fall out
separate from an interior The money must have _______ _______ of my pocket.
clear up (a problem, misunderstanding)
solve a problem or a mystery The case was never _______ _______.
break up
start laughing (informal) The kids just ________ _______ as soon as the clown started talking.
cut in
start operating (of an engine or electrical device) The air conditioner _______ _______ when the temperature gets to 22°C.
bring something up
start talking about a subject My mother walks out of the room when my father _______ _______ sports.
cut something out
stop doing/eating something You should really _______ _________ sweets if you're diabetic.
break down
stop functioning (vehicle, machine) Our car _______ _______ at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
cut something off
stop providing The phone company _______ _______ our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
back someone up
support My wife ________ me ________ over my decision to quit my job.
cut someone off
take someone out of a will My grandparents _______ my father _______ when he remarried.
drop someone/something off
take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there I have to _______ my sister _______ at work before I come over.
come up with an idea
think of Is that the best you can _______ ______ ______?
clean something up
tidy, clean Please _______ _______ your bedroom before you go outside.
fill something out/in
to write information in blanks The form must be _______ _______ in capital letters.
get about
travel around You really need a car to _______ _______ here.
figure something out
understand, find the answer I need to _______ _______ how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
call on someone
visit someone We _______ _______ you last night but you weren't home.
come over/round
visit someone in their house Do you want to ______ _______ later?
come forward
volunteer for a task or to give evidence The woman _______ _______ with her husband's finger prints.
bring something up
vomit He drank so much that he _______ his dinner _______ in the toilet.
dress up
wear nice clothing It's a fancy restaurant so we have to _______ _______.
break something in
wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new I need to _________ these shoes _______ before we run next week.