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.