Everyday English phrasal verbs: 25 to learn first

A2–B225 words

Phrasal verbs are the part of English that dictionaries handle badly and native speakers use constantly. They resist logic, which makes them a textbook case for spaced repetition: you cannot deduce them, so you have to keep meeting them until they stick.

Where you will use it: Everyday conversation, films and informal writing.

Everyday phrasal verbs — The word list

Word	Meaning
give up	To stop trying.“Don't give up after one bad week.”
look after	To take care of someone or something.“Could you look after the cat this weekend?”
run out of	To have no more of something left.“We ran out of milk this morning.”
put off	To postpone.“They put off the meeting until Monday.”
work out	To find a solution, or to exercise.“We worked out a plan together.”
turn down	To refuse, or to lower volume.“He turned down the offer.”
come across	To find something by chance.“I came across this word in a novel.”
figure out	To understand after thinking.“I finally figured out how it works.”
bring up	To mention a topic.“She brought up the budget again.”
set up	To arrange or create something.“We set up the account in a minute.”
get along	To have a good relationship.“They get along really well.”
look forward to	To feel happy about something in the future.“I'm looking forward to the trip.”
carry on	To continue doing something.“Please carry on with your work.”
find out	To discover information.“I found out why the shop was closed.”
show up	To arrive or appear.“Only six people showed up.”
calm down	To become less upset or excited.“Take a breath and calm down.”
fill in	To complete missing information on a form.“Please fill in your address.”
check out	To examine something or leave a hotel.“Check out this new café.”
drop off	To take someone or something to a place.“I'll drop you off at the station.”
end up	To finally be in a situation or place.“We ended up staying for dinner.”
hold on	To wait for a short time.“Hold on while I find the receipt.”
make up	To invent something or become friends again.“He made up an excuse.”
point out	To draw attention to something.“She pointed out a small error.”
sort out	To solve or organise something.“We sorted out the payment problem.”
turn up	To arrive, often unexpectedly.“He turned up an hour late.”

Useful learning tips

Learn in small groupsTake five words at a time and review them before adding more.
Say the examples aloudReading each sentence aloud connects spelling, sound and meaning.
Write your own sentenceUse each word in a true sentence about your life or work.

How to study this list

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

Studying everyday phrasal verbs pairs well with our phrasal verbs with get, phrasal verbs with take and common English idioms list, or browse all free English word lists.

Related guides

Questions about this list

How can I practise Everyday phrasal verbs?

Start with five words and say each example aloud. Then recall the word from its meaning and review it over several days.

Where can I use Everyday phrasal verbs?

Everyday conversation, films and informal writing.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 English words with definitions and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete syllabus.

Turn this list into flashcards

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