30 Handy Phrasal Verbs to Help You Succeed on the TOEFL

Exam
The following list contains 30 phrasal verbs that can be used as either neutral or formal words, so you can
confidently use them in academic contexts like the TOEFL exam.

1. Account for
Meaning: To explain the reason for
Type: Inseparable
Example: Increased pollution may account for climate change.
2. Adhere to
Meaning: Obey
Type: Inseparable
Example: You must adhere to the terms of the contract.
3. Allude to
Meaning: Mention in an indirect way
Type: Inseparable
Example: She kept alluding to our agreement, but she didn’t want to reveal it.
4. Bring on
Meaning: To cause something bad to happen, especially illness
Type: Separable
Example: His heart condition was brought on by his diet.
5. Bring up
Meaning: To start discussing a subject
Type: Separable
Example: She brought the matter up very late so they didn’t have time to discuss it properly.
6. Come about
Meaning: To happen, especially by chance
Type: Inseparable
Example: Increased unemployment has come about through automated production.
7. Cut back
Meaning: To reduce
Type: Inseparable
Example: They are cutting back expenses.
8. Do without
Meaning: To succeed in living or working without
Type: Inseparable
Example: We can do without help from you.
9. Embark on
Meaning: To start a new project or activity, usually one that will be difficult or take time
Type: Inseparable
Example: After graduating from university, she embarked on a career in banking.
10. Follow through
Meaning: To continue doing something until it has been completed
Type: Inseparable
Example: You will need to follow through with some reading if you want to master the subject.
11. Frown upon
Meaning: To not approve of something
Type: Inseparable
Example: Failure to attend classes is frowned upon.
12. Get across
Meaning: To make people understand something
Type: Separable
Example: The teacher managed to get across how important it was to attend lectures.
13. Get around
Meaning: To be heard by a lot of people
Type: Inseparable
Example: News of his promotion got around very fast.
14. Get at
Meaning: To try to suggest something without saying it directly
Type: Inseparable
Example: What are you getting at? Was my presentation too long?
15. Get back
Meaning: To start doing something again after not doing it for a period of time.
Type: Inseparable.
Example: Let’s get back to discussing how this happened.
16. Look forward to
Meaning: To feel happy about something that is going to happen
Type: Inseparable
Example: I’m looking forward to meeting you later.
17. Look into
Meaning: To try to discover facts about something
Type: Inseparable
Example: After several customers complained about late deliveries, they decided to look into the matter.
18. Make of
Meaning: To understand someone or something in a certain way
Type: Inseparable
Example: What do you make of the teacher’s decision to shorten this course?
19. Map out
Meaning: To plan in detail how something will happen
Type: Separable
Example: Her career was mapped out for her when she decided to take that job.
20. Meet up
Meaning: To come together with someone
Type: Inseparable
Example: Let’s meet up and discuss how we are going to go about this project.
21. Narrow down
Meaning: To reduce the number of possibilities
Type: Separable
Example: The detectives narrowed down the list of suspects to just two.
22. Put forward
Meaning: To suggest an idea, opinion so that it can be discussed
Type: Separable
Example: The proposals were put forward last week, but the committee didn’t have time to discuss them.
23. Put off
Meaning: To delay doing something especially when you don’t want to do it
Type: Separable
Example: Are you putting off writing that essay because you can’t concentrate right now?
24. Resort to
Meaning: To do something unpleasant in order to solve a problem
Type: Inseparable
Example: We must resort to legal action of they don’t offer compensation.
25. Rule out
Meaning: To stop considering something as a possibility
Type: Separable
Example: The CEO said that yearly bonuses can be ruled out in light of the financial crisis.
26. Run by
Meaning: To tell someone your ideas so they can give you their opinion
Type: Separable
Example: I have a few ideas for tomorrow’s meeting. Can I run them byyou?
27. Talk out of
Meaning: To persuade someone not to do something
Type: Separable
Example: Her parents talked her out of living in a rented flat.
28. Think over
Meaning: To consider a problem carefully
Type: Separable
Example: You should think it over before handing in your resignation.
29. Turn out
Meaning: To develop in a particular way
Type: Inseparable
Example: The presentation turned out well, considering how little you prepared for it.
30. Verge on
Meaning: To almost be in a particular state
Type: Inseparable
Example: His speech was so good, it was verging on genius.