Phrasal

Verb

Meaning

To break
down

To stop functioning

To call of To cancel
To carry
on
To fall
through
To fill in
To get on
with (1)
To get on
with (2)
To get
over
To give
up
To lay of
To look
after
To make
up for
To move
on to

Example
The machinery has broken down. We need to
get it repaired.
The union called off the strike when we
agreed to their demands

To continue

We can't carry on with this level of costs

To collapse

The deal has fallen through.

To replace temporarily

Could you fill in for John?

To progress

How are you getting on with the task?

To have a good relationship

with

I get on with my boss well.

To recover from

We need to get over this setback

To stop trying

We mustn't give up

To make redundant

They laid off 50 workers during the recession

To take responsibility for

Can you look after the new recruits?

Our increased profits in South America will

make up for the losses in Japan
To move to the next step in a Ok, I think we've decided that now. Let's
conversation or situation.
move on to the next agenda item.
They didn't have enough information, so
To put of
To postponse
they have put off the decision until the next
(1)
meeting.
To put of
To be a disincentive
The price put me off.
(2)
We'll roll out the changes to all the countries
To roll out To implement fully
after we've completed the pilot
To run
Our next meeting is starting. We've run out
To reduce a resource to zero
out of
of time.
To sort
We need to sort out this problem as soon as
To solve
out
we can
To enter a conversation or
Could I step in here? I don't really agree with
To step in
situation
what you are saying.
To sum
Before finishing, let's sum up what we've
To summarise
up
decided.
To Take
To buy a company
They took over the company two years ago.
Over (1)
To Take
To take responsibility or
I took over the department when Mr Smith
Over (2) control
retired.
We should try out the new software before
To try out To test
buying it.
We turned down his application for part time
To turn
To reject
work because it didn't fit our business
down
model.
To turn
The company turned over 4 Million Euro last
To generate revenue
over
year.
To wrap
I think we've discussed everything. Shall we
To conclude / finish
up
wrap up?
To compensate

Phrasal
Verb

Meaning

Deal with To handle, work on

To get control or
Take over responsibility for

something
To investigate, learn
Look into
more about
Look up
to

Example

Our new department head will deal

with the training of new staff
members.
Tom will take over the sales
department and become its new
manager.
We are now looking into new software
to use in our training.

Phrasal
Verb

Meaning

Example

1. Deal with
Type: Inseparable, transitive
Meaning: To handle, work on
Example: Our new department head will deal with the training of new
staff members.

2. Take over
Type: Separable, intransitive
Meaning: To get control or responsibility for something
Example: Tom will take over the sales department and become its new
manager.

3. Look into

Type: Inseparable, transitive

Meaning: To investigate, learn more about
Example: We are now looking into new software to use in our training.

4. Look up to
Type: Inseparable, transitive
Meaning: To respect
Example: Many of our co-workers look up to Jill, and she is well-liked by
her customers as well.

5. Look for

Type: Inseparable, transitive

Meaning: To search
Example: They are looking for a candidate who can speak both Chinese
and Portuguese.

6. Look through

Type: Inseparable, transitive

Meaning: To search many things
Example: They had to look through all of last months receipts to find
the one they wanted.

7. Catch on
Type: Inseparable, intransitive
Meaning: To finally understand, to understand something that other
people already understand
Example: Jim learns quickly, therefore he caught on after trying only
two times.

8. Get ahead

Type: Inseparable, intransitive

Meaning: To move up in position, improve your career
Example: My boss told me that if I wanted to get ahead, I would need to
work a little harder.

9. Drop in
Type: Inseparable, intransitive
Meaning: To make an unexpected visit
Example: I am always nervous when our CEO drops in.

10. Drop off (1)

Type: Inseparable, intransitive

Meaning: A sharp decrease
Example: At the end of summer there was a drop of in sales of bottled
water.

11. Drop off (2)

Type: Separable, transitive
Meaning: To deliver
Example: The new receptionist dropped our plans of on her way home.

12. Fill in (1)

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To write or type an item on a form
Example: You cant go on to page 2 until you fill in every answer on page
1.

13. Fill in (2)

Type: Inseparable, intransitive

Meaning: To do a job or hold a position temporarily
Example: When the president is away, the vice president will fill in.

14. Bring up

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To say or introduce a topic or issue
Example: Whenever we have a meeting, our manager brings up the fact
that we are improving every month.

15. Break down

Type: Separable, transitive
Meaning: To explain something or divide something into parts
Example: The new security system seemed confusing until
Mary broke it down into five easy steps.

16. Hold up

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To cause a delay
Example: The bad weather is holding progress up on the new bridge.

17. Turn down

Type: Separable, transitive
Meaning: To handle, work on
Example: Larry turned down a job at another company so that he could
continue his work here.

18. Think through

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To consider carefully and thoroughly
Example: The marketing team did not think it through carefully before
giving the product such a silly name.

19. Spell out

Type: Separable, transitive
Meaning: To say something in a simple way
Example: Don misunderstood the question so we had to spell it out for
him.

20. Point out

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To indicate or show something
Example: Everyone at the meeting was surprised when she pointed
out the accounting departments mistake.

21. Cut down

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To reduce, make something less
Example: We will be cutting down the electricity bill by installing solar
panels.

22. Cut out

Type: Separable, transitive

Meaning: To completely remove or erase
Example: Last year we cut out spending on TV commercials in order to
increase spending on radio commercials.

23. Call off

Type: Separable, transitive
Meaning: To cancel
Example: The department meeting was called of this week so please
use your time wisely.

24. Chip in

Type: Inseparable, intransitive

Meaning: To give some help
Example: If everyone chips in, we will be able to finish the job by lunch
time.

25. Put off

Type: Separable, transitive
Meaning: To postpone, delay
Example: The construction on the new building was put of because of
all the rain this summer.

#1 DRAW UP
To draw up an agreement, a contract, a list, etc. means to compose the document
and put it in written form.
My lawyer will draw up a contract and send it for your review.

#2 GET AHEAD

To get ahead means to be successful in your career or life; to make more

progress than others:
You need to make lots of connections in order to get ahead in this
industry.

#3 BURN OUT

To burn out means to work too hard, so that you become completely stressed and
exhausted. The noun form, burnout, is also used.
If you keep working 16-hour days, youll burn out within a month.

#4 (NOT) MEASURE UP
If something doesnt measure up; it means it is not satisfactory; it doesnt
compare well with the standards.
This designers work just doesnt measure up to the quality weve come
to expect.

#5 ZERO IN ON

To zero in on something means to focus closely on it.

Weve tried a lot of strategies, but we need to zero in on whats actually
working.

#6 LAY OFF
If an employee is laid of, he/she loses her job; the company terminates their
employment.
The R&D department had to lay of a couple of people.

#7 PENCIL IN

To pencil in an appointment means to set the appointment, but not confirm it as

final.
Lets pencil in a lunch meeting next Wednesday but Ill call you later to
confirm it.

#8 CLOSE DOWN
If a company, program, factory, etc. closes down, it means it stops operating.
The company closed down the factory because it wasnt meeting
production quotas.

#9 RUN BY/PAST

To run something by/past someone means to show an idea or proposal to that

person and ask for their approval or feedback.
Thats an interesting idea. Lets run it by the boss and see what she
thinks.

#10 SIGN OFF ON

To sign of on something means to give official approval for it.

The manager signed of on the revised budget for 2015.
Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

to ask around

to ask many people the same

question

I need a good real estate

agent. Could you ask around
and see if anyone knows
one?

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

to back * up

to support

Thanks for backing me up in

the meeting.

to call * back

to return a phone call

We have a bad connection. I'll

call you back in a few
minutes.

to call * off

to cancel

Management is going to call

the meeting off because so
many people are out sick
today.

to check in

to arrive and register at a

hotel or airport

We checked in around 5 p.m.

and then got something to
eat.

to check in (with
someone)

to talk with someone to

ensure things are going okay

As a manager, I feel it's

important to check in with
everyone on my team at least
once a day.

to check out

to leave a hotel

We checked out a few hours

late and had to pay an extra
fee.

to check * out

to look at carefully, investigate

I'm not sure why the copier

isn't working. I'll check it out.

to chip/pitch in

to help

We should be able to finish

quickly if everyone pitches in.

to come across

to find unexpectedly

I was reading last night and I

came across a couple of
phrasal verbs I had never
seen before.

to count on

to rely on

We have a great team. I can

count on everyone to do their
best.

to cut back on

to consume less

It's a tough economy. We're

trying to cut back on
unnecessary expenses.

to cut in

to interrupt

Can I cut in and say

something, please?

to do * over

to do again

I can't believe I closed the

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example
document without saving.
Now I'm going to have to do
the whole thing over.

to do away with

to discard; to put an end to

They did away with bonuses

last year because their profits
were so low.

to drop * off

to take someone/something
somewhere and leave them/it
there

My car was in the shop, so

Kevin dropped me off at my
house.

to drop/stop by

to come without an
appointment; to visit briefly

John dropped by my office to

talk about last month's sales
figures.

to end up

to eventually reach, do, or

decide

At first I thought I wanted to

be an accountant. Then, I
studied finance. I ended up
getting my degree in
management, though.

to figure * out

to understand; to find the

answer

I can't figure out why the

printer isn't working. I've tried
everything, and it still won't
work.

to fill * out

to write information in blanks

Please fill out these forms

and bring them on your first
day of work.

to find out

to gain knowledge about

something

I just found out how to

forward my email from one
account to another.

to get * back

to receive something that you

had before

It's a secure area, so you

have to leave your cell phone
with the guard. You'll get it
back when you exit the
building.

to get back at

to retaliate; to take revenge

on someone

He might get back at you for

asking him so many tough
questions during his
presentation.

to get in

1. to enter
2. to arrive

1. Get in the car. I'll give you a

ride.

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example
2. I worked late last night and
didn't get in until after 9 p.m.

to get over

to recover

I was upset that I didn't get

the promotion, but I got over it
after a while.

to get together

to gather, assemble

This weekend I'm going to get

together with some friends
from college.

to get up

1. to get out of bed

2. to stand

1. I get up late on the

weekends because I have to
get up really early during the
week.
2. He got up and walked to
the podium to give his
speech.

to give in

to reluctantly stop fighting or

arguing

Management didn't want to

give in to the union's
demands, but in the end they
had no choice.

to give * up

to quit a habit or quit doing a

certain activity

I gave up checking Facebook

at work. I'm trying to be more
productive.

to give up

to stop trying

Just because we failed the

first time doesn't mean we
should give up. We just need
a new approach.

to go after

1. to follow someone
2. to try to achieve something

1. Pam will give her talk first,

and Scott will go after her.
2. If we got their business,
they would be our biggest
client. I'm really going to go
after the account.

to go against

to compete; oppose

We're going against three or

four other contractors. Be
sure to bid low.

to go over

to review

I want to go over last month's

numbers with you.

to hand * in

to submit (a report, a paper,

I forgot to hand in my

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

etc)

expense reports. Now I won't

get reimbursed until next
month.

to hand * out

to distribute the same thing to

a group of people

I'll start explaining the

changes while Jason hands
out a copy of the new policy.

to hang/hold on

to wait for a short time

(informal)

Could you hang on for a

second? I'll be right there.

to keep * up

to continue doing something

You're doing a fantastic job.

Keep it up!

to let * down

to disappoint; to not help or

support

Our suppliers promised us

we'd have the shipment
yesterday. We still haven't
received our order. They
really let us down.

to let * in

to allow to enter

I forgot my badge again.

Hopefully someone else is in
the office and can let me in.

to look * over

to check; examine

Could you look over this

report to make sure there are
no mistakes?

to look forward to

to be excited about something

in the future

I'm looking forward to the

three-day weekend.

to look into

to investigate

We're looking into ways to cut

costs.

to look out for

to be careful, vigilant, and

take notice

You must always look out for

new business opportunities.

to look up to

to have a lot of respect for

someone

I look up to Madeline. She

has been with the company
for many years and is
extremely knowledgeable.

to make * up

1. to invent (a story, lie,

excuse, reason, etc.)
2. to compensate for
something

1. I don't believe their story. I

think they made it up.
2. I didn't get anything
accomplished yesterday. I'm
going to have to work extra
hard today to make up for it.

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example

to make up

to resolve an argument or
quarrel

Are they still fighting about

that? I thought they had made
up a while ago?

to mix * up

to confuse two or more things

I always mix their names up.

Which one is Bob, and which
one is Brad?

to not care for

to not like (formal)

I don't care for team building

activities. I think they are a
waste of time.

to pass * out

to give the same thing to

many people

Carly is passing out a

schedule of today's events.

to pass * up

to decline (usually something

good)

Don't pass up on this great

opportunity. Place your order
today.

to put * off

to postpone

I haven't done my taxes yet.

I've been putting it off for a
long time.

to put * together

to assemble

How long will it take to put

together a proposal?

to run into

to encounter someone
unexpectedly

I ran into Stacey from

Accounting in the
supermarket yesterday.

to send * back

to return

The product was defective.

We're sending it back.

to set * up

to arrange; organize

I'll set up the conference call

and send you the invite.

to shop around

to compare prices

We should bid low on this

one. They always shop
around.

to sort * out

to organize or resolve a
problem

There was some confusion

with the schedule. No one is
sure who is on call this
weekend. We're calling a
meeting to sort it out.

to take * back

1. to return an item
2. to retract a statement

1. This product isn't what I

expected. I'm going to take it

Phrasal Verb

Definition

Example
back to the store.
2. I didn't mean it. I take it
back.

to think * over

to consider

Honestly, I don't know what

I'm going to do. The job offer
is great, but I'm not sure I
want to leave my current
position. I'll have to think it
over.

to try * out

to test or use something

experimentally

We're going to try it out for a

few weeks and let you know
what we think. If we like it,
we'll place an order.

to turn * down

1. to decrease the volume or

strength of something
(volume, heat, etc.)
2. to reject an offer

1. Could you turn your music

down so I can take this call?
2. They turned down our
proposal.

to use * up

to finish the supply

I can't believe it's only May

and I've already used up all
my sick days.