Common Phrasal Verbs
These phrasal verbs are commonly used in professional, academic, and advanced conversational English.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentences |
|---|---|---|
| Bank on | depend on or rely on | We’re banking on you to lead the project successfully. |
| Boil down to | be the main reason | The argument boils down to a misunderstanding. |
| Bottle up | suppress emotions | He tends to bottle up his feelings. |
| Bow out | withdraw from responsibility | He decided to bow out of the competition. |
| Bring to light | reveal something | The investigation brought to light serious issues. |
| Cash in on | take advantage of | The company cashed in on rising demand. |
| Chalk up to | attribute to a cause | She chalked up her success to hard work. |
| Clamp down on | take strict action | The government clamped down on illegal acts. |
| Come down to | be the key factor | It comes down to preparation. |
| Double down on | increase commitment | He doubled down on his training. |
| Drag out | make something too long | The meeting was dragged out. |
| Draw the line | set a clear limit | She drew the line at overtime. |
| Drive home | emphasize strongly | The speech drove home the point. |
| Ease off | reduce pressure | The boss eased off deadlines. |
| Fizzle out | fade gradually | The excitement fizzled out. |
| Get bogged down | become overwhelmed | He got bogged down in paperwork. |
| Hammer out | negotiate an agreement | They hammered out a deal. |
| Hold out for | wait for something better | She held out for higher pay. |
| Kick in | start to take effect | The medicine kicked in. |
| Let off the hook | release from blame | He was let off the hook. |
| Play down | make seem less important | She played down the issue. |
| Read into | interpret deeply | Don’t read too much into it. |
| Root out | eliminate completely | They rooted out corruption. |
| Step up | increase effort | She stepped up during the crisis. |
| Wind down | relax gradually | I like to wind down at night. |
| Zero in on | focus closely | She zeroed in on the problem. |
| Weigh in on | give an opinion | Experts weighed in on the issue. |
| Toy with | consider lightly | He toyed with the idea. |
| Trade off | exchange one thing for another | There’s a trade-off involved. |
| Strike out | fail or go independent | She struck out on her own. |
| Sink in | be fully understood | The news finally sank in. |
| Scrape by | barely succeed | He scraped by on low income. |
| Ride out | endure difficulty | They rode out the crisis. |
| Phase out | gradually remove | The company phased out old systems. |
| Opt out of | choose not to join | She opted out of the program. |
| Mull over | think carefully | She mulled over the offer. |
| Map out | plan in detail | They mapped out the strategy. |
| Level with | be honest | He leveled with his boss. |
| Lay into | criticize harshly | The coach laid into the team. |
| Iron out | fix small problems | They ironed out the issues. |
| Hold over | extend something | The meeting was held over. |
| Gloss over | ignore important details | The report glossed over problems. |
| Fall back on | use as backup | She fell back on experience. |
| Drum up | generate support | They drummed up interest. |
| Dawn on | suddenly realize | It dawned on him too late. |
| Come up short | fail to reach a goal | The project came up short. |
| Catch on to | begin to understand | She caught on quickly. |
| Branch out | expand activities | The company branched out. |
| Blow over | pass without harm | The issue blew over. |
| Bail out | rescue from trouble | The bank was bailed out. |