Phrasal Verbs

Question 1

ask somebody out

Answer 1

invite on a date

Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.

Question 2

ask around

Answer 2

• ask many people the same question

Ex: I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.

Question 3

add up to something

Answer 3

• equal

Ex: Your purchases add up to $205.32.

Question 4

back something up

Answer 4

• reverse

You’ll have to back up your car so that I can get out.

Question 5

back somebody up

Answer 5

• support

My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.

Question 6

blow up

Answer 6

• explode

The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.

Question 7

blow something up

Answer 7

• add air

We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.

Question 8

break down

Answer 8

• stop functioning (vehicle, machine)
  Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
• get upset
  The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.

Question 9

break something down

Answer 9

• divide into smaller parts

Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.

Question 10

break in

Answer 10

• force entry to a building
  Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
• interrupt
  The TV station broke in to report the news of the president’s death.

Question 11

break into something

Answer 11

• enter forcibly

The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.

Question 12

break something in

Answer 12

• wear something a few times so that it doesn’t look/feel new
  I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.

Question 13

break up

Answer 13

• end a relationship
  My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.
• start laughing (informal)
  The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.

Question 14

break out

Answer 14

• escape

The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren’t looking.

Question 15

break out in something

Answer 15

• develop a skin condition

I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.

Question 16

bring somebody down

Answer 16

• make unhappy

This sad music is bringing me down.

Question 17

bring somebody up

Answer 17

• raise a child

My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.

Question 18

bring something up

Answer 18

• start talking about a subject
  My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
• vomit
  He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.

Question 19

call around

Answer 19

• phone many different places/people

We called around but we weren’t able to find the car part we needed.

Question 20

call somebody back

Answer 20

• return a phone call

I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.

Question 21

call something off

Answer 21

• cancel

Jason called the wedding off because he wasn’t in love with his fiancé.

Question 22

call on somebody

Answer 22

• ask for an answer or opinion
  The professor called on me for question 1.
• visit somebody
  We called on you last night but you weren’t home.

Question 23

call somebody up

Answer 23

• phone

Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.

Question 24

calm down

Answer 24

• relax after being angry

You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.

Question 25

not care for somebody/ something

Answer 25

- not like (formal) | I don't care for his behaviour.

Question 26

catch up

Answer 26

- get to the same point as somebody else | You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.

Question 27

check in

Answer 27

- arrive and register at a hotel or airport | We will get the hotel keys when we check in.

Question 28

check out

Answer 28

- leave a hotel | You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.

Question 29

check somebody/ something out

Answer 29

- look at carefully, investigate The company checks out all new employees. - look at (informal) Check out the crazy hair on that guy!

Question 30

cheer up

Answer 30

- become happier | She cheered up when she heard the good news.

Question 31

cheer somebody up

Answer 31

- make happier | I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.

Question 32

chip in

Answer 32

- help | If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.

Question 33

clean something up

Answer 33

- tidy, clean | Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.

Question 34

come across something

Answer 34

- find unexpectedly | I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.

Question 35

come apart

Answer 35

- separate | The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.

Question 36

come down with something

Answer 36

- become sick | My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.

Question 37

come forward

Answer 37

- volunteer for a task or to give evidence | The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints.

Question 38

come from some place

Answer 38

- originate in | The art of origami comes from Asia.

Question 39

count on somebody/ something

Answer 39

- rely on | I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.

Question 40

cross something out

Answer 40

- draw a line through | Please cross out your old address and write your new one

Question 41

cut back on something

Answer 41

- consume less | My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.

Question 42

cut something down

Answer 42

- make something fall to the ground | We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.

Question 43

cut in

Answer 43

- interrupt {dance} Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle. - pull in too closely in front of another vehicle The bus driver got angry when that car cut in. - start operating (of an engine or electrical device) The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.

Question 44

cut something off

Answer 44

- remove with something sharp The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured. - stop providing The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.

Question 45

cut somebody off

Answer 45

- take out of a will | My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.

Question 46

cut something out

Answer 46

- remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper) | I cut this ad out of the newspaper.

Question 47

do somebody/ something over

Answer 47

- beat up, ransack (BrE, informal) He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang. - do again (AmE) -- do something over My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.

Question 48

do away with something

Answer 48

- discard | It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.

Question 49

do something up

Answer 49

- fasten, close | Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!

Question 50

dress up

Answer 50

- wear nice clothing | It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.

Question 51

shift away

Answer 51

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