This document provides definitions and examples for common English phrasal verbs. It lists over 50 phrasal verbs organized alphabetically, along with their meaning and an example sentence using the phrasal verb. Some of the phrasal verbs included are ask someone out, add up to something, back someone up, blow up, break down, break in, break up, bring someone down, call someone back, calm down, catch up, check in, check out, come across, come up with, count on, cut back on, dress up, drop off, end up, fall for, and figure something out.

1. Phrasal Verb Significado Ejemplo
ask someone out invitar a salir Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a
movie.
add up to something igualar Your purchases add up to $205.32.
back someone up apoyar My wife backed me up over my decision to
quit my job
blow up explotar The racing car blew up after it crashed into
the fence.
break down parar de funcionar
(máquina, vehículo)
Our car broke down at the side of the
highway in the snowstorm.
break down disgustarse, romperse
(emocionalmente)
The woman broke down when the police
told her that her son had died.
break in entrar en un edificio a la
fuerza
My wife backed me up over my decision to
quit my job
break into something entrar forzosamente My wife backed me up over my decision to
quit my job
break up romper una relación My boyfriend and I broke up before I
moved to America.
break out escapar The prisoners broke out of jail when the
guards weren’t looking.
bring someone down hacer infeliz This sad music is bringing me down.
bring someone up criar a un niño My grandparents brought me up after my
parents died.
bring something up empezar a hablar sobre un
tema
My mother walks out of the room when my
father brings up sports.
call someone back devolver una llamada I called the company back but the offices
were closed for the weekend
call something off cancelar Jason called the wedding off because of
the weather.
call on someone contestar una pregunta The professor called on me for question 1.
call on someone visitar a alguien We called on you last night

2. call someone up llamar Give me your phone number and I will call
you up when we are in town.
calm down calmarse
(después de haber estado
enfadado)
You are still mad. You need to calm down
before you drive the car.
carry on continuar He stopped for a minute and then
he carried on doing the dishes
carry something out hacer, llevar a cabo They’re carrying out a new experiment
catch up llegar al mismo punto que
alguien, encontrarse
You’ll have to run faster than that if you
want to catch up with Marty.
check in registrarte al llegar al hotel o
aeropuerto
We will get the hotel keys when we check
in.
check out dejar un hotel You have to check out of the hotel before
11:00 AM.
Check
someone/something
out
Investigar, mirar
cuidadosamente
The company checks out all new
employees.
Check
someone/something
out
mirar (informal) Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up alegrarse She cheered up when she heard the good
news.
cheer someone up hacer feliz/alegrar a alguien I brought you some flowers
to cheer you up.
clean something up limpiar Please clean up your bedroom before you
go outside.
come across
something
encontrar inesperadamente I came across these old photos when I
was tidying the closet.
come apart separarse de algo The top and bottom come apart if you pull
hard enough.
come down with enfermar My nephew came down with chicken
come from somewhere originarse en The art of origami comes from Asia.
come up surgir (un problema) Something came up and they couldn’t
attend the meeting

3. come up with
something
producir una idea My son comes up with the funniest ideas.
count on
someone/something
confiar I am counting on you to make dinner
while I am out.
cross something out tachar Please cross out your old address and
write your new one.
cut back on something consumir menos My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets
and fatty foods.
cut something down hacer caer algo al suelo We had to cut down the old tree in our
yard after the storm.
cut in interrumpir Your father cut in while I was dancing with
your uncle.
cut something off cortar algo con forma The doctors cut off his leg because it was
severely injured.
cut something off dejar de proporcionar The phone company cut off our phone
because we didn’t pay the bill.
cut someone off sacar de un testamento My grandparents cut my father off when
he remarried.
cut something out eliminar la parte de alguna
cosa (normalmente con
tijeras y papel)
I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
do something over rehacer My teacher wants me to do my essay over
because she doesn’t like my topic.
do away with
something
descartar It’s time to do away with all of these old
tax records.
do something up abrocharse, abrigarse Do your coat up before you go outside. It’s
snowing!
dress up Ir muy bien vestido It’s a fancy restaurant so we have to dress
up
drop in/by/over llegar sin cita previa I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime
this week
Drop
someone/something
off
Tomar a alguien y dejarlo en
otro lugar
I have to drop my sister off at work before
I come over.

4. drop out Saltarse una clase (colegio,
universidad)
I dropped out of Science because it was
too difficult.
end up hacer/decidir algo (después
de haber discutido sobre el
lugar en donde ir)
We ended up renting a movie instead of
going to the theatre.
fall apart romperse a pedazos My new dress fell apart in the washing
machine.
fall for someone enamorarse de alguien I fell for her the minute I saw her
fall for something ser engañado He fell for their plan. He’s so naive
fall out separarse de dentro de algún
objeto
The money must have fallen out of my
pocket.
fall out perder, caer His hair started to fall out when he was
only 35.
figure something out entender, encontrar la
respuesta
I need to figure out how to fit the piano
and the bookshelf in this room.