The term "phrasal verb" refers to a verb and adverb (or preposition) which together have a special meaning. For example, put + off means "postpone." Sometimes a phrasal verb consists of three parts. For example, put + up + with means "tolerate."

Separable Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb may be either separable or nonseparable. With a separable verb, the adverb may stand next to its verb, or it may follow a noun or adjective-noun combination. For example:

• I handed my paper in yesterday.
• I handed in my paper yesterday.
• I handed it in yesterday.

Phrasal verbs are especially common in informal English. The following is a list of frequently used phrasal verbs and their usual meanings. Those verbs marked with an asterisk (*) are nonseparable.

add up: make sense

ask out: ask someone to go on a date

break up: (1) dissolve; (2) separate

bring about, bring on: cause

bring up: (1) rear children; (2) mention or introduce a topic

call back: return a telephone call

call in: ask to come to an official place for a specific reason

call off: cancel

* call on: (1) ask to speak in class; (2) visit

call up: call on the telephone

* catch up (with): reach the same position or level

* check in, check into: register at a hotel

* check into: investigate

check out: (1) take a book from the library; (2) investigate

* check out (of): leave a hotel

cheer up: make (someone) feel happier

clean up: make clean and orderly

* come across: meet by chance

cross out: (1) draw a line through; (2) delete

cut down on: reduce

cut out: stop an annoying activity

do over: do again

* drop by, drop in (on): visit informally

drop off: leave something/someone at a place

* drop out (of): stop going to school, to a class, to a club, etc.

figure out: find the answer by reasoning

fill in, fill out: complete a questionnaire or official form

* get along (with): exist satisfactorily

get away with: avoid punishment

get back (from): (1) return from a place; (2) receive again

* get in, get into: (1) enter a car; (2) arrive

* get off: leave an airplane, a bus, a train, a subway, a bike

* get on: enter an airplane, a bus, etc.

* get out of: (1) leave a car; (2) avoid work or unpleasant activity

* get over: recover from an illness

* get through: finish

* get up: arise from bed, a chair

give back: return an item to someone

give up: stop trying

* go over: review or check carefully

* grow up (in): become an adult

hand in: submit an assignment

hang up: (1) end a phone conversation; (2) put clothes on a hanger

have on: wear

have to: must

keep on: continue

keep out (of): do not enter

* keep up (with): stay at the same position or level

kick out (of): force (someone) to leave

* leave out: omit

* look after: take care of

* look into: investigate

* look out (for): be careful (of)

look over: review or check carefully

look up: seek information in a reference book

make fun of: ridicule

make up :(1) invent; (2) do past work

name after, name for: give a baby the name of someone else

* pass away: die

pass out: (1) distribute; (2) lose consciousness

pick on: tease or bully

pick out: select

pick up: (1) go to get someone (e.g. in a car); (2) take in one's hand

point out: call attention to

put away: remove to a proper place

put back: return to original place

put off: postpone

put on: get dressed

put out: extinguish a fire

* put up (with): tolerate

* run into, * run across: meet by chance

* run out (of): finish or exhaust a supply of something

* show up: appear, come

shut off: stop a machine, light, faucet

* take after: resemble

take off: (1) remove clothing; (2) leave on a trip

take out: (1) take someone on a date; (2) remove

take over: take control

take up: begin a new activity or topic

tear down: demolish, reduce to nothing

tear up: rip into many little pieces

think over: consider carefully

throw away, throw out: discard, get rid of

throw up: vomit, regurgitate food

try on: put on clothing to see if it fits

turn down: decrease volume or intensity

turn in: (1) submit an assignment; (2) go to bed

turn off: stop a machine, light, faucet

turn on: start a machine, light, faucet

turn out: extinguish a light

turn up: increase volume or intensity

* use up: deplete the supply completely

wake up: stop sleeping

wear off: diminish slowly

* wear out: make unfit from hard use

wind up: complete

* wrap up: conclude an activity

* write down: put words on paper