Phrasal verb – part 2

Phrasal verb                             meaning                              example sentence

call around: phone many different places/people: We called around but we weren’t able to find the car part we needed.

call someone back: return a phone call: I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.

call something off: cancel: Jason called the wedding off because he wasn’t in love with his fiancé.

call on someone: ask for an answer or opinion: The professor called on me for question 1.

call on someone: visit someone: We called on you last night but you weren’t home.

call someone up: phone: Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.

calm down: relax after being angry: You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.

not care for someone/something: not like (formal): I don’t care for his behavior.

catch up: get to the same point as someone else: You’ll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.

check in: arrive and register at a hotel or airport: We will get the hotel keys when we check in.

check out: leave a hotel: You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.

check someone/something out: look at carefully, investigate: The company checks out all new employees.

check out someone/something: look at (informal): Check out the crazy hair on that guy!

cheer up: become happier: She cheered up when she heard the good news.

cheer someone up: make happier: I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.

chip in: help: If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.

clean something up: tidy, clean: Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.

come across something: find unexpectedly: I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.

come apart: separate: The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.

come down with something: become sick: My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.

come forward: volunteer for a task or to give evidence: The woman came forward with her husband’s finger prints.

come from somewhere: originate in: The art of origami comes from Asia.

count on someone/something: rely on: I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.

cross something out: draw a line through: Please cross out your old address and write your new one.

cut back on something: consume less: My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.

cut something down: make something fall to the ground: We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.

cut in: interrupt: Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.

cut in: pull in too closely in front of another vehicle: The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.

cut in: start operating (of an engine or electrical device): The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.

cut something off: remove with something sharp: The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.

cut something off: stop providing: The phone company cut off our phone because we didn’t pay the bill.

cut someone off: take out of a will: My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.

cut something out: remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper): I cut this ad out of the newspaper.