SEPARABLE PHRASAL VERBS

add up: add (mathematics)

We are going to be five instead of four, so add one up.

back up: support

Her mother backed her up on everything.

blow up: cause to explode; destroy by explosives

He drove over a landmine and it blew the car up.

break down: analyze; list the parts of something separately

This is too much text. Break it down for me, please

bring off: accomplish something

It was an important event, and she’s managed to bring it off wonderfully.

bring on: encourage someone who is learning something to develop or improve

Mr Eden thought well of him, and was bringing him on.

bring over: bring (something/somebody here)

Sure, I can watch Sadie tonight—just bring her over after daycare.
bring up: to mention something

Why did you have to bring that up?

burn down: be completely destroyed by fire

He tried to burn the school down by setting fire to a pile of papers.

burn up: be consumed by fire

The reentry may burn the craft up. Beau burns the stage up with his rants.
buy out: by the other person’s share of a business

The Roy’s were trying to sell their business, so their rivals bought them out.
buy up: buy the whole supply of something

There were tons of agricultural surpluses, so the government bought them up.
call off: cancel (an event or meeting)

She’s not coming, so you better call the party off.

call up: to telephone somebody; summon for military service

Call me up if you need any help.

calm down: become calmer

The doctor helped to calm him down.

cheer up: cause somebody to become cheerful
Seeing my parents really cheered me up last week.
chop up: cut into small pieces

For the recipe we need a few carrots, so chop them up!

clean off: clear the surface of

Clean the counter off before putting anything on it.

clean up: tidy

Clean your room up before your grandma arrives!

clear out: clear the inside of; remove people from a place

The lava arrived to the city, so the police had to clear the villagers out.
clear up: clarify; clear the inside of

I don’t really understand the instructions, can you clear it up?

close down: shut or close permanently

My uncle had to close his shop down because he had not enough customers.
close up: close temporarily

If you let the water boil it’ll evaporate, close the lid up for two more minutes.
count in: include somebody in something (usually a list of participants)

That party sounds amazing, count me in!

count out: exclude something or somebody

If you need help burying the body, count me out.

cross out: eliminate; delete text manually

I already bought the soda, cross it out from the shopping list.
cut off: interrupt; sever; amputate

He cut his finger off in the accident.

cut out: eliminate; delete; stop doing something (as an imperative)

I don’t like your attitude. Cut it out!

cut down: reduce in quantity
Installing double-glazing will cut the noise from traffic down.
eat up: eat completely

We were always taught to eat our vegetables up.

figure out: interpret; understand; find a way to solve a problem

Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.

fill in: complete a gap in a form

Please, fill this document in with your name, right here.

fill out: complete; compile a full form

Fill this out with your data and we’ll contact you soon.
fill up: fill completely (a container)

Don’t be shy serving the wine, fill it up!

find out: discover

Nobody told me about their relationship. I found it out on my own.

fix up: repair; arrange in a suitable manner

My computer broke down, I need to fix it up soon.

get across: cause to be understood

It took him ages to get his point across.

give back: return something

He probably needs that book, you should give it back.

give out: distribute; announce

Can you give the drinks out, please?

give up: surrender something

She gave her job up and started writing poetry.

hand over: surrender control of something

He handed the phone over to me.

hang up: end a phone call; put clothes on a hanger for storage
She took her coat off and hung it up.
have on: be dressed in (clothes)

He had his best suit on.

have over: entertain someone informally at your home

We must have you over for dinner before we leave.

hold off: delay; restrain

There’s already a crowd of reporters outside – I’ll try to hold them off for a while.
hold up: delay;

Sorry I’m late – I was held up at work.

keep up: continue; maintain the same pace

I don’t think I can keep this up any longer.

leave out: omit somebody or something

She outlined the case to him, being careful not to leave anything out.
let down: disappoint somebody

The worst feeling is having let our fans down.

let out: release from confinement; make larger (in sewing)

The dog spent the night barking, you better let him out so he can go to the garden.
pass out: distribute

Get the flyers and pass them out.

pass up: not take advantage of (as an opportunity)

My favourite band is playing in my town, I can’t pass this up!

pass on: transmit

One catches the virus and they pass it on to the rest.

pay back: repay

I can’t believe you still haven’t paid John back the money he lent you.
pay off: discharge a debt completely; give someone their final pay
I won the lottery, so I can finally pay my debts off.
pick up: collect somebody from a place; lift with hands or fingers

Mum, can you pick me up from school?

play down: minimize the importance of something

He has very low self esteem, he’s always playing himself down.
play up: emphasize the importance of something

Play your strongest arguments up in the opening paragraph.

point out: indicate something

There’s a mistake in the first sentence, thanks for pointing it out.

pull down: pull in a downward direction; demolish something

My old school was in ruins after the earthquake, they had to pull it down completely.
put off: postpone an event or meeting

I know you don’t like going to the dentist, but you can’t put it off forever!
put on: dress in

You look lovely with the red suit, you should put it on tonight.
put up: build; put something for people to see; raise; stay or let somebody stay at a place

They put their house up for sale.

ring up: call somebody on the telephone

I’ll ring the manager up tomorrow.

rule out: eliminate something from consideration

But the ban remained - and it took effect from Thursday, ruling him out of Sunday’s races.
run off: to force someone to leave a place

Someone tried to run me off the road.

see through: continue with a task until completion (often in spite of difficulties)

It’ll take a lot of effort to see the project through.

see off: accompany someone to the beginning of a trip
They’ve gone to the airport to see their son off.
send back: send to a place where formerly located

If you’re not completely satisfied with the goods, send them back for a full refund.
set up: arrange something; cause the police to incorrectly believe somebody is guilty of a crime

Can someone set the overhead projector up?

show off: exhibit ostentatiously

There was a picture on the wall of the restaurant’s owners showing their award off.
shut off: cause to cease functioning

I let the engine run for a minute and then shut it off.
spell out: state something in detail or simple terms

‘W-E-I-R, ’ she said, spelling it out.

stand up: fail to keep an appointment with somebody (usually romantic appointments)

I was supposed to go to a concert with Kyle on Friday, but he stood me up.

take back: return; retract a statement

If the shirt doesn’t fit, take it back.

take down: remove from a high position; write from dictation

The curtains in the auditorium are ragged they took them down.
take in: let someone stay in your place; to understand; make smaller (in sewing)

Brett’s always taking stray animals in.

take over: take; assume command of something

His only reason for investing in the company was to take it over.
tear down: destroy something

They’re tearing our house down love Can’t live here anymore.
tear up: tear into small pieces

She tore his letter up and threw it away.

tell off: scold; reprimand
His mum must have told him off for being such a cheat.
think over: consider something

Why don’t you think it over and give me a call in a couple of days?
think through: consider something from beginning to end

I need time to think things through.

think up: create; invent

Did you think that up yourself?

throw away: discard

I never throw clothes away.

tie up: tie securely or tight

The intruders tied Kurt up and left him.

tire out: cause somebody to be exhausted

All that walking tired me out.

touch up: repair something (usually a minor repair)

This photo looks weird. Perhaps the photographer has touched it up.
try on: put on a garment to see if it is the correct size and appearance

Meg was trying the red dress on.

try out: test something

She enjoyed trying her French out on Jean-Pierre.

turn down: refuse an offer; lower the volume of something (TV, radio, music)

Can you turn the TV down? I’m trying to work.

turn out: produce; extinguish (a light)

Don’t forget to turn the lights out when you go!

wear out: use until no longer usable; become tired through an activity

All this shopping has worn us out.

wind up: finish, tighten a spring (of a watch), make a person angry (sometimes as a joke)
It’s time to wind things up – I have a plane to catch.
wipe out: decimate (usually a form of life – people, animals)

The fur trade has wiped leopards out in some areas.

work out: solve a puzzle

See if you can work this bill out.

write down: record something in writing

This is the address. Do you want to write it down?

write up: compose; prepare (a formal document)

The teacher repeated the word, and then wrote it up on the blackboard.