Most Common Phrasal Verbs 1

Abide by – to follow or adhere to a rule or decision
Example: “I will abide by your decision, even though I disagree with it.”

Account for – to explain or justify
Example: “Can you account for your absence yesterday?”

Act on – to take action based on information or advice
Example: “We need to act on this report as soon as possible.”

Add up – to make sense or be logical
Example: “His story just doesn’t add up.”

Agree to – to accept or consent to something
Example: “I agree to your terms and conditions.”

Aim at – to target or try to achieve
Example: “The company is aiming at increasing profits this year.”

Allow for – to make provision for or take into account
Example: “We need to allow for unexpected delays in our schedule.”

Answer for – to be responsible for or accountable for
Example: “He will have to answer for his actions.”

Apologize for – to express regret or remorse for something
Example: “I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused.”

Argue with – to dispute or disagree with
Example: “I don’t want to argue with you, let’s just agree to disagree.”

Ask around – to inquire or seek information from multiple sources
Example: “I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows where we can find a good Italian restaurant.”

Ask out – to invite someone on a date
Example: “He finally mustered up the courage to ask her out.”

Attend to – to give attention or care to
Example: “I’ll attend to the matter as soon as possible.”

Avoid doing – to refrain or abstain from doing something
Example: “I’m trying to avoid eating too much junk food.”

Back down – to retreat or withdraw
Example: “He refused to back down from his position.”

Back up – to support or reinforce
Example: “Can you back me up on this decision?”

Bear with – to be patient or tolerant
Example: “Bear with me, I’m still learning how to use this software.”

Beg off – to ask to be excused or released from something
Example: “I’m sorry, but I have to beg off from the meeting. I have another commitment.”

Blow up – to explode or detonate
Example: “The old tire blew up while I was driving.”

Break down – to malfunction or fail
Example: “My car broke down on the way to work this morning.”

Break off – to stop or terminate
Example: “We had to break off our conversation when my boss walked in.”

Break out – to escape or emerge
Example: “The prisoners broke out of jail last night.”

Bring about – to cause or bring about a change or result
Example: “His hard work and dedication brought about the success of the project.”

Bring up – to raise or mention a topic
Example: “Can we bring up the topic of salary at the next meeting?”

Brush up on – to review or refresh one’s knowledge or skills
Example: “I need to brush up on my French before my trip to Paris.”