Phrasal Verb ( P )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
pan out	be successful, turn out well	The trip to Vegas didn't pan out.
pass away	die	After battling cancer for several years, he finally passed away at the age of 87.
pass * off +	try to convince someone that something is real	He tried to pass the fake watch off as a real Rolex.
pass * on +	transmit	Please pass this message on to your co-workers.
pass on +	not accept (an invitation to eat or do something)	Jennifer passed on the invitation to join us for dinner.
pass on	die	I am afraid Professor Johnson has passed on.
pass * out +	distribute	We need to pass out these flyers for the concert tomorrow.
pass out	become unconscious	He passed out because the room was too hot.
pass * up +	not take advantage (of an opportunity)	I can't believe she passed up the opportunity to study in Rome.
pay * back +	repay	If I loan you money, will you pay me back.
pay * off +	complete payment on a debt	It took me ten years to pay off my credit card debt.
pay * off +	to bribe	Don't try to pay the police officer off if you get pulled over for speeding.
pick on +	to tease, bully	She keeps picking on me! Make her stop.
pick * out +	choose	Diane picked out a lovely dress for the dance.
pick * up +	to lift an object with the hands	Keep your back straight when you lift the TV up.
pick * up +	come and get someone in a car	What time are you going to pick me up.
pick * up +	learn something without effort	It's possible to pick up enough English in two weeks to get by on your trip to Los Angeles.
pick * up +	try to initiate a relationship with someone (often in a bar)	Some weird guy tried to pick Patricia up at the bar.
pick up	grow, increase (inf.)	Business is really picking up this quarter.
play * down +	make less important (inf.)	The President played down his affair with the intern.
play * up	highlight something (inf.)	She played up her part in the new movie, but it was actually a very small role.
play up to +	flatter someone for your personal advantage	She has been playing up to the boss because she wants a promotion.
point * out +	indicate	I'd like to point out that figures in column two might be outdated.
pull down	earn	He pulls down about $300,000 a year.
pull in	park (a vehicle)	Mark pulled in too quickly and crashed into the wall.
pull out	depart (a vehicle)	Our train pulls out at 8:00, so don't be late.
pull through	barely survive	I didn't think she was going to make it, but she pulled through in the end.
put * across +	communicate (an idea or suggestion) clearly so that it is understood	I thought Ms. Smith put her ideas across rather clearly in the meeting.
put * away +	return to the proper place of storage	I told you kids to put your toys away.
put * down +	insult, say bad things about	She always puts down people who don't share her opinions.
put in +	officially submit a request (in the armed forces or public services)	He put in for a transfer to the division in Los Angeles.
put * off +	postpone	Don't put off your work - do it now!
put * on +	wear	Make sure you put on a sweater before you go outside.
put * on +	deceive	I didn't believe a thing he said. I think he was putting me on.
put * out +	extinguish (a fire)	Don't use water to put out a grease fire.
put * out +	inconvenience someone	I don't want to put you out, but could you pick me up at the airport.
put out +	spend (usually used with unreasonably large sums of money)	I can't put out that much money each month.
put * up	have a guest stay in your house for a short time	Can you put me up while I'm in town.
put up with +	tolerate	Sandy will not put up with smoking in her house.

Phrasal Verb ( O )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
occur to +	pop into one's mind, come to one's mind	It didn't occur to us that we had left the iron on.
open up	share feelings	I'm glad that John feels comfortable enough around me to open up.
out to + verb	try to	She is out to get revenge now that her husband left her for another woman.

Phrasal Verb ( N )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
name * after +	name a child using another family member's name	I was named after my grandfather.
nod off	fall asleep	The movie was so boring that I nodded off before it was finished.
nose around +	sneak around	I hate it when my mother noses around my room.

Phrasal Verb ( M )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
make * out	decipher	I can't make out your handwriting. What does this say?
make * out +	write a check or other document	Who should I make this check out to?
make out	succeed	He really made out in the stock market last year.
make out	progress	How is your son making out in his new job?
make out	kiss passionately	I saw Benno and Isabelle making out in the movie theater last night!
make out with +	kiss someone passionately	Did you make out with Sally?
make * over	do again	The teacher made me do my homework over.
make * up +	invent ( a story)	Don't believe anything she says. She always makes things up.
make * up +	complete what was missed	Fortunately, my professor let me make up the exam I missed yesterday.
make * up +	put on cosmetics	I takes me 10 minutes to make my face up.
make up	reconcile	You two have been friends for so long that I think you should make up.
make up for +	compensate for	Allen made up for being late by getting me flowers.
mix * up +	confuse	I sometimes mix the verb tenses up.
mix * up +	blend	We need to mix up these different kinds of nuts before we put them in a bowl.
mix * up +	make lively (a party)	Let's mix up this party with a little disco music.

Phrasal Verb ( L )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
lay away +	save for the future	Why don't you lay away your wedding outfit?
lay down +	establish (laws, rules)	Lori lays down the law in her class. English only!
lay in on +	scold or criticize severely	My mom really laid in on me when I got home at 4:00 in the morning last night.
lay into +	scold or criticize severely	I saw Reto's mom lay into him when he came home late last night.
lay * off +	suspend someone from a job (during a slow period)	The company was losing money, so they had to lay off 100 workers.
lay * out +	arrange	Why don't we lay the pieces of the table out before we put it together.
leave * out +	not include, omit	Why did your parents leave you out of their vacation plans?
let * down	disappoint	I felt let down when I didn't receive a birthday card from my sister.
let * down	lengthen (pants in sewing)	My uncle is a tailor, so he can let your pants down.
let * out	release	I am happy my brother was let out of prison early.
let * out	make bigger (in sewing)	I need to let out this skirt because I have gained weight.
let up	weaken in intensity	I told her NO a thousand times, but she won't let up.
lie down	rest, recline	I need to lie down before we go out tonight.
lie down on +	rest, recline ( on a couch, bed)	I'm going to lie down on the sofa for a while.
lie with +	be decided by	Whether or not you can go to the party lies with your father.
light * up +	illuminate	Let's get some candles to light this room up.
light up +	to smoke	Do you have to light up another cigarette? I thought you were trying to cut down.
live * down +	live in a way that a shameful or embarrassing event is forgotten	Jose will never live down singing that song at the karaoke bar.
live on +	survive from	I could live on bread and cheese.
live up to +	keep a standard	It would be hard to live up to her parent's expectations. They are so demanding.
look after +	take care of (a child, a house, a pet)	When my sister goes on vacation, I look after her dog.
look back on +	to remember nostalgically	When I look back on my childhood, I often feel angry.
look down on +	see as inferior	She's so conceited. She looks down on everybody else.
look for +	to seek or search for	I'm looking for my keys. Have you seen them?
look forward to +	anticipate with pleasure	I am looking forward to traveling to New York next year.
look into +	investigate	The police are looking into the murder.
look on	observe as a spectator	Everybody just looked on as the two men fought.
look out	be careful, pay attention, heed a certain danger	Look out, there's a black widow spider on the wall.
look * over +	examine, review	When I'm camping, I look my shoes over before I put them on.
look * up +	search for (in a dictionary)	I takes time to look up new vocabulary words.
look * up +	locate and visit	If you ever travel to California, you should look me up.
look up to +	respect, admire someone	He looks up to his father.

Phrasal Verb ( K )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
keep * around	have handy, have accessible	I always keep a dictionary around to translate new words.
keep at +	not give up (an activity), to persevere	You should keep at your studies.
keep * away	prevent access to, hold back	Keep the kids away from the cookies.
keep * back	maintain a safe distance, cause to maintain a safe distance	Keep back! The burning building is about to collapse.
keep * down	not vomit, not throw up, keep in one's stomach	If I ate that, I down know if I could keep it down.
keep * in	keep in a particular place, have something in a specific location	When I am not using it, I keep my passport in this drawer.
keep * off	prevent from stepping or climbing on to something	Keep the cat off the couch.
keep on	continue	He kept on talking after everybody asked him to stop.
keep * out	prevent from entering	Keep the dog out of the garden; he keeps digging up the flowers.
keep * over	cover something with, put something above	I keep a tarp over my bicycle at night to prevent it from getting wet.
keep to +	continue, persist in (an activity)	Everybody said she would never finish the puzzle, but she kept to it until it was done.
keep up	stay on the required schedule	You have to keep up if you want to work here.
keep * up +	continue	You are doing a great job! Keep it up.
keep up with +	stay on schedule with (a person, the workload, homework)	I have so much reading that I can't keep up with the writing exercises.
kick back	sit or lie back (to relax)	After work, I like to kick back in front of the TV and relax.
kick in	begin taking effect	The medicine takes one hour to kick in.

Phrasal Verb ( J )

Phrasal Verb	Definition	Example
jack up +	to raise	We need to jack up the car before we change the tire.
joke around	to be humorous	Mike is always joking around at work.
jump in	enter a conversation	Feel free to jump in at any moment while we are talking.
jump to +	make a quick, poorly thought out decision	You shouldn't jump to conclusions.