Common Phrasal Verbs)
These phrasal verbs are commonly used in advanced academic, professional, and formal contexts. They often appear in reports, debates, and high-level discussions.
| Word | Meaning | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Act upon | take action based on information or advice | She acted upon the lawyer’s advice immediately. |
| Bear down on | exert pressure or authority | The boss bore down on the employees to meet the deadline. |
| Bow out | withdraw from a commitment | He bowed out of the competition due to an injury. |
| Call forth | bring something into action | The speech called forth a strong emotional reaction. |
| Claw back | gradually regain something lost | The company is trying to claw back lost revenue. |
| Close in on | approach aggressively | The soldiers closed in on the enemy base. |
| Do away with | eliminate or abolish | The law did away with outdated regulations. |
| Draw upon | use skills or resources | She drew upon her experience to solve the issue. |
| Fend off | defend against something | He fended off the attackers. |
| Hammer out | work out a solution | They hammered out a deal after long talks. |
| Hold forth | speak at length | The professor held forth for hours. |
| Keep abreast of | stay updated | It’s vital to keep abreast of new trends. |
| Lay out | explain clearly | She laid out the strategy in detail. |
| Let on | reveal a secret | She didn’t let on that she knew. |
| Measure up to | meet expectations | He struggled to measure up to expectations. |
| Paper over | conceal a problem | They tried to paper over financial issues. |
| Play down | minimize importance | The company played down the breach. |
| Put forth | propose an idea | She put forth a new plan. |
| Rack up | accumulate | He racked up huge debts. |
| See through | recognize deception | She saw through his lies. |
| Set forth | explain clearly | The book sets forth a strong argument. |
| Stand in for | temporarily replace | He stood in for the professor. |
| Take issue with | strongly disagree | She took issue with his remarks. |
| Wade through | struggle with information | She waded through hundreds of emails. |
| Write off | accept as a loss | The bank wrote off the debt. |
| Abide by | follow rules | You must abide by the contract. |
| Bank on | rely on | I wouldn’t bank on him arriving early. |
| Bargain for | expect (often negative) | We hadn’t bargained for delays. |
| Be riddled with | be full of something bad | The report was riddled with errors. |
| Bring about | cause something | The reform brought about change. |
| Cast aside | reject or discard | She cast aside her doubts. |
| Cave in | surrender | They caved in to pressure. |
| Clamp down on | take strict action | The state clamped down on evasion. |
| Drum up | generate interest | They drummed up support. |
| Eat away at | gradually damage | Corruption ate away at trust. |
| Factor in | consider | You must factor in extra costs. |
| Fall back on | use as backup | She fell back on savings. |
| Gloss over | avoid details | He glossed over the issue. |
| Iron out | resolve small problems | They ironed out the issues. |
| Knuckle down | work seriously | It’s time to knuckle down. |
| Lash out at | attack verbally | He lashed out at critics. |
| Map out | plan carefully | They mapped out expansion plans. |
| Phase out | gradually stop | The firm phased out old systems. |
| Pin down | define clearly | It’s hard to pin down the cause. |
| Plow through | push through difficulty | She plowed through the workload. |
| Reel in | attract or persuade | The campaign reeled in customers. |
| Shore up | strengthen | The plan aims to shore up stability. |
| Stave off | delay something bad | They staved off bankruptcy. |
| Talk down to | speak condescendingly | The manager talked down to staff. |
| Zero in on | focus closely | The team zeroed in on the cause. |