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- CPE Phrasal Verbs: A-C
- CPE Phrasal Verbs: D-G
- CPE Phrasal Verbs: H-R
- CPE Phrasal Verbs: S-T
- CPE 300 Phrasal Verbs: Download PDF
- CPE 300 Phrasal Verbs: Download XLS
What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are verbs that consist of a verb and a particle.
| verb | particle | example | meaning |
| look | up | You can look up any new words in your dictionary. | You can find the meaning of any new words in your dictionary. |
| get | through | I tried to phone her but I couldn’t get through. | I tried to phone her but I couldn’t get a connection. |
| make | out | I just can’t make Jim out at all. | just can’t understand Jimh behaviour. |
Particles are small words that you already know as prepositions or adverbs. Here are some of the most common phrasal verb particles: about (a)round at away back down for in into off on out over through to up.
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First you need to know the meaning of the whole phrasal verb as a unit. For example, look means to use your eyes and up means the opposite of down, but the phrasal verb look up can have several different meanings:
Look the word up in the dictionary. [look up = search for information in a book/computer]
I’ll look you up next time I’m in London. [look up = visit someone you have not seen for a long time]
Things are looking up. [look up = improve]
CPE Phrasal Verbs: A-C
A
| act on | do whatever is advised / suggested |
| act up | behave awkwardly or badly |
| answer (sb) back | speak rudely to sb |
| answer back | defend oneself |
| answer for | be responsible for sth / pay for sth / vouch for |
| answer to | be under the command of sb / have the characteristics described |
B
| back down | cease to oppose |
| back out of | withdraw from |
| back up | support |
| balance against | assess in relation to |
| bank on | depend on |
| be / get in with sb | to be or become popular or friendly with someone, especially in order to gain an advantage |
| be beneath sb | be demeaning |
| be done for | be ruined |
| be down on sb | be hostile to sb |
| be down with | be ill (with disease) |
| be in for sth / it | have good reason to expect trouble or retribution |
| be into | (informal) take an interest in sth |
| be kept in | be detained after normal hours as a punishment |
| be made up | consist |
| be off | (1) cease to want or be interested in sth, (2) have come loose, detached from sth, (3) stay away from work / school, (4) cancel, (5) be bad, unhealthy (usu. food) |
| be on | be shown on television, at the cinema |
| be out | (1) be in bloom, (2) be extinguished, (3) be removed, (4) be absent (from home or work), (5) be wrong in calculation, (6) be unfashionable |
| be up to sb | to be the responsibility of someone |
| be up to sth | (informal) to be doing sth, often sth bad or illegal, usually secretly |
| bear on | be relevant to |
| bear out | support the truth of |
| bear with | be patient |
| become of | used for asking what has happened / what will happen to sb or sth, because you are worried about them |
| blink at | show surprise |
| blow over | stop and be forgotten |
| blow up | explode |
| book up | to make a reservation (for) |
| break away | escape from captivity |
| break down | (1) fail to function, (2) lose control of feelings |
| break down into | separate something into a number of parts |
| break in | (1) interrupt, (2) enter a building by force |
| break into | suddenly start doing sth |
| break off | end sth suddendly |
| break out | (1) start suddenly (of violent events), (2) escape from a place |
| break through | (1) make a discovery, (2) become visible, (3) achieve success despite obstacles or difficulties |
| break up | (1) end a relationship, (2) disperse |
| break with sth | to intentionally not continue doing something that is normal, expected, or traditional; give up a practice |
| bring about | cause |
| bring in | introduce (law / idea) |
| bring off | succeed in sth difficult |
| bring on | cause an illness |
| bring out | publish / release |
| bring round / to | cause sb to regaing consciousness |
| bring up | (1) stop, (2) mention a subject, (3) vomit, (4) raise a child |
| brush up | improve (by study) |
| build up | acquire gradually / accumulate |
C
| call at | visit briefly |
| call back | ask to return |
| call for | require |
| call off | cancel |
| call off | cancel |
| call out | cause one to go on strike |
| call sb in | consult; to ask someone to come to help in a difficult situation |
| call up | conscript (= enlist sb compulsorily into the armed forces) |
| carry off | succeed in doing sth difficult |
| carry on | (1) continue, (2) behave wildly |
| carry out | fulfil or perform sth |
| carry over | last from another time |
| carry through | complete sth in spite of difficulties |
| catch on | become popular |
| catch up | reach sb who is ahead |
| charge to | bill sb |
| charge with | publicly accuse sb of committing a wrong deed |
| cheat out of | prevent sb from having sth usu. in an unfair way |
| check in | register as a guest at a hotel |
| check out | pay one’s bill and leave a hotel |
| check up on | investigate sb’s behaviour etc |
| chip in | add one’s share of money |
| clear of | find innocent |
| clear off | run away |
| clear out | get rid of unwanted things |
| clear up | (of the weather) brighten up |
| come about | to happen, especially by chance |
| come across | find sth or meet sb by chance |
| come by | obtain sth |
| come down to | be passed to sb |
| come forward | (1) step forward, (2) to give evidence about a crime |
| come in | become fashionable |
| come into | inherit sth from sb |
| come on | (1) to make progress, or to achieve sth; to improve, (2) to start working by being switched on |
| come out | (1) become known, (2) be published |
| come out in sth | to have or develop an illness or symptom |
| come over | (1) to seem to be a particular type of person, (2) to come to a place |
| come over sb | to influence someone suddenly to behave in a particular way |
| come round / around to | change one’s opinion to another point of view; be persuaded |
| come through | succeed in surviving or dealing with (an illness or ordeal) |
| come to | amount to a total |
| come to / round / around | regain consciousness |
| come up | grow |
| come up to | reach, equal sth |
| come up with | have an idea about a way to solve a problem |
| cut back | reduce (outgoings) |
| cut down on | reduce (consumption) |
| cut in | interrupt sth |
| cut off | (1) isolate, (2) disconnect |
| cut out | omit |
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Sample papers, online practice tests & tips. CPE Phrasal Verbs: D-G
D
| deal in | trade in sth |
| deal with | tackle a problem; cope with |
| do away with | abolish |
| do down | criticise |
| do out of | deprive of |
| do up | fasten (a coat etc) |
| do with | need / would like |
| do without | manage in spite of lack |
| draw in | shorten (of days) |
| draw on | use part of a reserve |
| draw out | extend |
| draw up | come to a stop (of vehicles) |
| drive at | imply / suggest |
| drop in | visit unexpectedly |
| drop off | decrease |
| drop out of | withdraw from |
E
| eat into | consume a part of sth |
F
| fall back | retreat |
| fall back on | turn to sth/sb for help when all else has failed |
| fall for | fall in love with sb |
| fall in | collapse |
| fall in with | agree to |
| fall off | decline; become smaller or lower |
| fall on / upon sb | attack fiercely or unexpectedly |
| fall out | quarrel |
| fall through | fail to take place |
| feel for | sympathise |
| fit in | mix well with others |
| fit up / out | furnish / equip |
| fly at | attack (with blows or words) |
| fold up | collapse or fail |
G
| get about | (1) move about, (2) spread (of news, gossip etc) |
| get across | make understood |
| get ahead | succeed |
| get along / on | be on friendly terms with sb |
| get at | mean |
| get at sb | criticise, tease in an unkind way |
| get away with | escape punishment |
| get by | manage despite difficulties |
| get off | send |
| get off with | nearly escape punishment |
| get on | make progress |
| get on with | continue doing sth |
| get out of | avoid |
| get over | recover from |
| get round | persuade |
| get round to | find time |
| get sb down | depress sb |
| get through | contact by phone |
| get up to | be busy with sth surprising or undesirable |
| give (oneself) up | surrender |
| give away | (1) reveal, (2) give freely as a present |
| give in | (1) deliver, (2) yield |
| give off | send out / emit |
| give out | (1) come to an end, (2) announce, (3) distribute |
| give up | (1) stop doing sth, (2) admit defeat |
| go down | (of remarks, proposals etc) be received in a specified way |
| go down with | become ill |
| go for | be sold |
| go in for | take part in |
| go into | describe, examine in detail |
| go off | make a sudden loud noise |
| go on | happen |
| go on with | continue sth esp after a pause |
| go round | be enough for everyone to have a share |
| go through | (1) examine sth closely or systematically, (2) consume |
| go up | be built |
| go with | be included in the price |
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Sample papers, online practice tests & tips. CPE Phrasal Verbs: H-R
H
| hand over | give |
| head off | prevent |
| hold back | (1) prevent development, (2) delay, (3) withhold |
| hold in | control (feelings, oneself) |
| hold off | (1) keep at a distance, (2) delay |
| hold on | wait |
| hold out | (1) last, (2) resist |
| hold out for | wait to get sth desired |
| hold out on | keep a secret from sb |
| hold over | postpone to a later date |
| hold up | (1) rob (a bank, vehicle), (2) delay |
| hype up | exaggerate the value of sth |
J
| join up | become a member of the military |
K
| keep at | continue working at |
| keep back | hide |
| keep down | repress |
| keep in with | continue to be friendly |
| keep on | continue doing sth |
| keep on at | continue talking in an irritating way |
| keep to | follow |
| keep up (with) | (1) continue to do sth, (2) to pretend to do or feel sth, (3) to move at the same speed as sb or sth, (4) to learn new skills or information, (5) to prevent someone from going to bed |
L
| land in | get into trouble, difficulties |
| land up | to finally arrive at a place or situation after a series of events |
| lay aside | put aside |
| lay into | attack (with blows or words) |
| lay off | stop doing sth irritating |
| lay out | spend |
| lead on | persuade sb to believe or do sth by making false promises |
| let down | (1) disappoint, (2) lower sth |
| let in for | involve in trouble etc |
| let in on | allow sb to share a plan, secret |
| let on | reveal a secret |
| let out | (1) make (a garment etc) looser or longer ( opp: take in), (2) utter a cry |
| let sb off | not punish severely |
| let sb through | allow sb to pass an exam or a test |
| let up | become less in degree |
| let up on | treat sb less severely |
| live on sb/sth | get the money needed from |
| live through | experience over time |
| live up to | reach the standard that may be expected |
| live with | tolerate / accept sth and endure it |
| look after | take care of |
| look ahead | think about the future |
| look at | read |
| look back | think about one’s past |
| look down on | despise |
| look for | search for |
| look in | pay a short visit |
| look into | investigate / examine the facts relating to sth |
| look on | watch sth without taking part |
| look onto | have a view |
| look out | watch out; be careful |
| look out for | (1) search in order to find sth, (2) be alert in order to see / find sb |
| look over | examine (a place) |
| look to | rely on sb |
| look up | (1) search for (a word) in a reference book, (2) visit esp after a long time |
| look up to | respect |
M
| make for | head for |
| make off with | steal sth and hurry away with it |
| make out | (1) complete sth, (2) claim to be, (3) discern, (4) understand |
| make over | transfer the ownership of sth |
| make sth into | convert |
| make up | (1) invent (a story), (2) end a quarrel, (3) compensate for sth, (4) put cosmetics on sb’s face (5) form |
| make up for | compensate sb for the trouble one has caused them |
| meet with | have as a reaction |
| miss out | forget to include |
| move on to | pass to another subject |
N
| narrow down | reduce |
| note down | record |
P
| pass over | ignore |
| phase out | gradually stop using |
| piece together | discover gradually |
| put about | spread (false) reports |
| put across | communicate |
| put aside / by | save for later use |
| put away | put into confinement |
| put back | delay |
| put down | write in a particular place |
| put down to | attribute to |
| put forward | suggest |
| put in (a request) | make an official request |
| put in for | (1) apply for, (2) make an official request |
| put off | (1) discourage, (2) postpone |
| put on | (1) gain weight, (2) pretend to have, (3) advance, (4) clothe oneself with, (5) present |
| put out | extinguish |
| put sb up | give accommodation to |
| put sth behind one | deliberately forget |
| put through | (1) carry sth out, (2) cause sb to undergo (an ordeal) |
| put through to sb | connect by telephone |
| put up with | tolerate |
R
| rise up | rebel |
| rule out | exclude |
| run across | find by chance |
| run after | pursue |
| run away | leave (school |
| run away with an idea | accept it without careful thinking even though it is wrong |
| run behind | be delayed |
| run down | (1) criticise, (2) gradually stop functioning, (3) run sb down (with a vehicle) |
| run in | use a new vehicle carefully |
| run into | (1) meet by chance, (2) collide with |
| run off | produce quickly |
| run out of | exhaust the supply of sth |
| run through | (1) rehearse, (2) use up |
| run up | accumulate (bills etc) |
| run up against | encounter difficulties |
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Sample papers, online practice tests & tips. CPE Phrasal Verbs: S-T
S
| see about | make arrangements for |
| see off | accompany a traveller to his/her train etc |
| see out | accompany sb to an exit |
| see over | inspect properly |
| see through | (1) not be deceived, (2) support sb through a difficult time |
| see to | take care of |
| set about | begin |
| set an animal on sb | cause an animal to attack sb |
| set aside | save for a special purpose |
| set back | hinder |
| set in | begin (of a period, usu. bad) |
| set off | (1) start a reaction, (2) begin a journey (=set out) |
| set out | begin a task / job with a specific intention |
| set sb back | cost sb a lot of money |
| set up | (1) establish (a record), (2) start a business, (3) erect |
| settle down | live a more permanent life-style |
| settle for | accept sth (less than expected) |
| settle in | become used to a new house or job |
| settle on | decide on |
| settle up | pay (a debt, a bill etc) |
| stand by | (1) remain loyal to sb, (2) do nothing to stop a bad situation, (3) be ready for action |
| stand down | resign from a position |
| stand for | (1) support sth, (2) mean, symbolise, (3) tolerate, (4) enter oneself for election |
| stand in for | replace temporarily |
| stand out | be conspicuous / obvious |
| stand up for | defend; support |
| stand up to | defend oneself against |
T
| take aback | surprise |
| take after | look like a relative |
| take against | dislike sb |
| take away | remove |
| take back | withdraw a statement or comment |
| take down | (1) write down, (2) remove sth from a high place |
| take in | (1) deceive, (2) allow sb to stay in one’s home, (3) understand, (4) make clothes smaller |
| take off | (1) remove (clothing), (2) leave the ground (of aeroplanes etc), (4) brgin to succeed (of plans, ideas) |
| take on | (1) undertake sth, (2) employ staff, (3) accept sb as an opponent |
| take out | (1) extract, remove, (2) accompany sb to a theatre etc |
| take over | take control of sth esp in place of sb else |
| take sb for | mistake sb/sth for sb/sth else |
| take to | (1) find agreeable; like, (2) begin a habit, (3) escape to, hide in |
| take up | (1) begin a hobby sport etc, (2) occupy space |
| take up with | become involved in (usu derog) |
| talk about | (1) gossip about sb, (2) consider |
| talk at | speak to sb without listening to their replies |
| talk back | reply rudely |
| talk down to | speak to sb as if they were less clever than oneself |
| talk into | persuade sb to do sth |
| talk out | settle a problem by talking |
| talk out of | persuade sb not to do sth |
| talk round | persuade sb to agree to sth |
| tell against | spoil chances of success |
| tell apart | distinguish |
| tell off | scold/reprimand |
| think of | take sth into account |
| think out | prepare plans carefully |
| think over | reflect upon sth before making a decision |
| think up | invent or devise sth |
| turn away | refuse admittance to sb |
| turn down | (1) reject an offer, (2) reduce heat etc |
| turn in | go to bed |
| turn into | convert, change |
| turn off | switch off |
| turn on | switch on |
| turn out | (1) assemble as a crowd, (2) produce, (3) prove to be |
| turn over | fall on one side |
| turn sb in | report to the authorities |
| turn sth over (in one’s mind) | think carefully about sth |
| turn to | go to sb for help |
| turn up | (1) arrive, (2) increase volume |
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