List 14 - Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs (Sentence examples: get about – get up to)
Phrasal Verb |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
get about |
To move about, especially out of bed after an illness. |
Despite being an octogenarian, she certainly gets about a lot. |
get across |
To communicate successfully one’s ideas to others. |
I just don’t know how to get my message across to them. |
get ahead |
To be successful. |
She’s giving up politics as she feels it’s hard for her to get ahead. |
get ahead of |
To be in front of. |
Instead of getting ahead of others, we are actually falling further behind for not working harder. |
get along |
To be on friendly terms. |
They are trying to get along but they are arguing all the time. |
To manage successfully. |
He said he was quite happy when asked how he was getting along in his new job. |
|
get around |
To circulate. |
Rumour is getting around that Nick will be marrying a wealthy man’s daughter. |
To travel from place to place. |
In the place where we visited, people got around on camels. |
|
To evade. |
The politician somehow got around the question without giving an answer. |
|
To solve a problem. |
The four of us got around the problem of cost by sharing one hotel room. |
|
To do something that should have been done earlier. |
We finally got around to shearing the sheep. |
|
To persuade. |
Let us get around him to join us for a quick swim before breakfast. |
|
get at |
To make repeated criticisms against someone and cause them to feel annoyed. |
She didn’t seem to like him as she kept getting at him. |
To state indirectly. |
Nobody knew what he was getting at by making a remark like that. |
|
To reach something. |
Someone put that book on the top shelf and now I can’t get at it. |
|
To find out something. |
We still think he's the one who stole it; somehow, we will get at the truth. |
|
To bribe, or illegally influence someone. |
The father got at the police, and the charges against his son were dropped. |
|
get away |
To escape. |
I want to know who deliberately opened the cage and let the bird get away? |
To break free. |
He told his friends that the one that got away was that big, using his hands to indicate the size of the fish. |
|
To holiday somewhere. |
The boss felt he was overworked and that he needed to get away for a few days in Hawaii. |
|
get away from |
To face fact. |
We cannot get away from the fact that we just cannot afford to buy a new car. |
get away with |
To escape punishment for something wrong that one has done. |
He must have thought he could get away with murder; he’s now in prison for life. |
To succeed in doing something, which is not right. |
Maybe we can get away with entering the stadium for the match without tickets. |
|
get back |
To return to a place. |
We didn’t get back in time to watch the television programme. |
To do something in retaliation. |
She sworn to get him back for the remarks he made. |
|
To have something returned. |
She still hasn’t got her puppy back after spending the weekend looking for it. |
|
get back to |
To return to talk to someone. |
I’ll get back to him after he has calmed down completely. |
To do something again. |
I hope he won’t interrupt again; let’s get back to our conversation. |
|
To talk to someone again on the telephone. |
She said she would get back to me in five minutes; it’s already one hour and I’m still waiting for her call. |
|
get behind |
To be in arrears. |
Bob has got behind with his rent and is now avoiding the landlord. |
get by |
To succeed in managing. |
He has to stop smoking and drinking as his old age pension is barely enough to get by. |
|
To be unnoticed or ignored. |
The handball got by the referee, and a penalty was not given. |
get down |
To swallow. |
These pills were a bit too big, and I had a hard time getting them down. |
To make depressed or unhappy. |
The frequent arguments between the parents are starting to get the children down. |
|
To write down. |
He was a good speaker and we tried to get down all that he said. |
|
get down to |
To start doing something. |
It’s time to stop talking and get down to clearing out our bedroom. |
get in |
To enter a place. |
There were grossly fat people in the lift and we couldn’t get in. |
get into |
To cause surprise by behaving differently. |
Something must have got into him; he doesn’t usually behave like that. |
To become interested in something. |
Since her divorce, she has got into yoga. |
|
get off |
To send a letter, parcel, etc. |
The post office has just closed; now how am I going to get this letter off? |
To get out of a vehicle. |
The passenger fell getting off a bus while it was still moving. |
|
To receive little or no punishment. |
He got off owing to insufficient evidence. |
|
get on |
To go onto a bus, etc. |
I got on a wrong bus the other day and ended up next to a cemetery. |
To be able to manage. |
How are you getting on in your new job in the lighthouse? |
|
To have a good relationship. |
The grandfather and his grandson don’t seem to get on with each other. |
|
get out |
To publish. |
He is getting the next edition of his book out by the end of the month. |
To help to escape. |
They believed he got out with outside help. |
|
get out of |
To avoid. |
We’re having dinner with my mother-in-law tonight, but I’m planning to get out of it. |
To gain something that is useful. |
The seminar was about the same as the others; I didn’t get much out of it. |
|
To stop someone doing something habitually. |
Someone has to tell him to get out of constantly interrupting. |
|
get over |
To recover from a bad or sad experience. |
She still hasn’t got over the death of her parrot. |
get over with |
To complete an unpleasant but necessary task. |
It is getting over with the funeral that I am looking forward to. |
get through |
To pass an exam, test, etc. |
I nearly killed myself when I failed to get through my final exam. |
To succeed in making contact by telephone. |
It was the fifth attempt that I got through to the department. |
|
To make someone understand something. |
We must try to get through to him that it’s dangerous to perform the stunt. |
|
get to |
To begin. |
When she got to talking about politics, nothing could stop her. |
To adversely affect. |
I think I am moving out; the constant traffic noise is really getting to me. |
|
get together |
To come together. |
When we get together for a drink, we always end up arguing. |
get up |
To stand up. |
Everybody gets up when the woman boss enters. |
To wake up. |
He only gets up when the second alarm clock goes off. |
|
get up to |
To do something bad or suspicious. |
What are those fellows getting up to – walking in the middle of the road in the middle of the night? |
Phrasal Verbs (Sentence examples: give away – go without)
Phrasal Verb |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
give away |
To present bride to bridegroom. |
Is it the bride’s father, mother or eldest brother who gives the bride away? |
|
To make free offer. |
The store is giving away a packet of rat poison with every packet purchased. |
|
To unintentionally disclose secret information. |
She was to keep it a secret, but she gave it away. |
|
To let others have the things we no longer need. |
Since we no longer use all these clothes, why don’t we just give them away? |
give back |
To return. |
He hasn’t given back the money I lent him two years ago. |
give in |
To stop opposing. |
We are a weak team, but we always play to win; we never give in. |
give in to |
To submit. |
My best friend, a henpecked husband, always gives in to his wife. |
give of |
To devote one own self. |
She used to give of her free time to help charitable work. |
give off |
To send forth smell, energy, heat, etc. |
Some insects give off unpleasant smell. |
give out |
To distribute. |
Someone is giving out free samples of a brand-new snake oil. |
To fail to operate in the usual or proper way. |
Near the end of the race, his legs gave out causing him to knee down. |
|
give over to |
To submit oneself to feeling or doing something. |
After his girlfriend left him, he gave himself over to excessive drinking. |
give up |
To stop doing something. |
They searched for the missing child, but eventually gave up and made a police report. |
To surrender. |
The fugitive wanted by police gave himself up. |
|
To abandon what one has been trying to do. |
She gave up writing a book on the diverse sizes and shapes of the dinosaurs. |
|
give up on |
To lose hope. |
After waiting for two hours for the rain to stop, we soon gave up on it stopping any time soon. |
give up to |
To be emotionally overwhelmed. |
The family of the deceased gave themselves up to considerable grief. |
go about |
To begin to deal with something. |
We should discuss how to go about imposing discipline in the workplace. |
To begin working at something. |
The police recruits were shown how to go about patrolling the areas. |
|
To do what one usually does. |
Despite some civil unrest, people go about their business as usual. |
|
go after |
To try to catch someone. |
Police went after him in an abandoned house, but he had already fled. |
To try to get something. |
He preaches that you can get what you go after in life if you have the determination. |
|
go against |
To disagree. |
She went against her mother’s advice when she divorced her husband. |
To be unfavourable to. |
The judgment went against them, and they intend to appeal to a higher court. |
|
go ahead |
To happen. |
They went ahead with building the chemical plant despite strong local opposition. |
To give permission. to do something |
When asked if I could borrow some of his tools, he told me to go ahead. |
|
go along |
To continue with something. |
We will make the necessary adjustments as we go along with the project. |
go along with |
To agree. |
I’m afraid I can’t go along with your idea. |
go around |
To happen in the present time. |
A rumour is going around that someone is going to be fired. |
To meet the requirement. |
The problem now is we don’t have enough chairs to go around. |
|
To do something that is not supported or proven by evidence. |
You can’t go around thinking everyone is unfriendly to you. |
|
To go here and there. |
She often goes around talking to her own self. |
|
go at |
To attack with energy and enthusiasm. |
The two fighting cocks went at each other with killing intent. |
To commit oneself to an undertaking. |
They went at building the levee with urgency and energy. |
|
go away |
To spend time elsewhere from home. |
We are going away to one of those tropical islands this Summer. |
To leave. |
She was so angry with him that she told him to go away and leave her alone. |
|
go back |
To return for something. |
I left my wallet at home and now I’ve to go back for it. |
To return home, hotel, etc. |
We had better go back; it’s going to rain. |
|
To break one’s promise. |
She has gone back on her word to marry him. |
|
go back to |
To do something again. |
She decided not to go back to work after her delivery. |
go by |
To act in accordance with a rule, decision, etc. |
Go by the rules or I am not playing. |
To follow something. |
You go by that old map and now we are lost. |
|
To pass. |
Years have gone by and there’s still no news about the escaped prisoner. |
|
go down |
To move below the horizon. |
While having a meal at a seaside resort, we watched the sun go down. |
To be accepted. |
Your proposal didn’t go down well with the others at the meeting. |
|
go for |
To like a particular type of person or thing. |
Jenny is known to go for tall and handsome men with considerable wealth. |
To attack physically or with words. |
The untruth of what he said about her made her go for him. |
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To make great efforts to get something. |
James is determined to go for the gold medal this time. |
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To like someone or something better than another or others; to choose. |
Unlike her friends, she always goes for fast food. |
|
go in |
To enter a place. |
No one knows why he goes in the cemetery after dark. |
To start a business with someone. |
He is not going in with his inexperienced friends to start a catering business. |
|
go in for |
To hunt and kill for food. |
The rodent was injured, and the hawk went in for the kill. |
go into |
To join a profession. |
He hasn’t decided to go into teaching or journalism. |
To do or produce something. |
Considerable effort, time and money went into organizing the event. |
|
To discuss or explain in detail. |
I don’t want to go into any more detail than absolutely necessary. |
|
go off |
To explode. |
The bomb went off prematurely and killed the bomber. |
To make a loud noise. |
His alarm clock went off at 6.30 and woke me up as well. |
|
To stop working. |
The whole stadium was plunged into complete darkness when the lights went off. |
|
go off with |
To leave a loved one for someone else. |
She has gone off with her brother-in-law. |
To use something without permission. |
This is the third time he’s gone off with my motorbike. |
|
go on |
To pass. |
As time went on, I became more attracted to her. |
To do something next. |
Can you go on to the next topic? This one is very boring. |
|
To take place. |
I just woke up and I didn’t know what was going on. |
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To go on to do something or become somebody. |
He went on to become the first mayor of the city. |
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To continue. |
We are waiting for her to go on with the ghost story. |
|
go out |
To go to any place outside one’s home. |
I don’t usually go out unless I have to. |
To stop burning. |
The fire in the fireplace had gone out while we were sleeping. |
|
To have a relationship. |
He has been going out with somebody’s wife. |
|
To lose in a sports competition. |
It’s the first time they went out at the quarter-final stage. |
|
go over |
To look at closely. |
Let’s go over the figures again and see why they don’t tally. |
go through |
To experience. |
She went through the terrible five-hour ordeal while being held as a hostage. |
To examine carefully. |
The officers went through our luggage very carefully. |
|
To be discussed and voted on to become law. |
A bill has to go through Parliament before it can become law. |
|
go through with |
To do something that has been agreed or promised. |
Jane feels she isn’t ready yet to go through with the wedding. |
go together |
To be well-suited. |
Purple trousers and an orange shirt don’t go together. |
To be found together. |
If you know her, you will know brain and beauty do go together. |
|
go under |
To fail. |
Many small businesses go under in the first year of operation. |
To sink. |
The ship went under shortly after colliding with a giant iceberg. |
|
go up |
To be built. |
Many tall buildings have gone up since my last visit here. |
To explode. |
The accident caused one of the cars to go up in flame. |
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To increase. |
The price of petrol has gone up again. |
|
go with |
To suit. |
Does Ivan’s baldness go with his bushy beard? |
To have a romantic relationship. |
His wife was the only woman he ever went with. |
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To combine something with something else. |
A chauffeur-driven car goes with the job. |
|
To accept an idea. |
Bob has come up with the best plan, let’s go with it. |
|
go without |
To not have something. |
A new car is something we have to go without as we cannot afford it. |
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