Meaning & Uses of Phrasal Verbs

Meaning & Uses of Phrasal Verbs

Verbs when groups in such a manner with adverbial particle and acquired an idiomatic sense, those are called as Group Verbs or Phrasal verbs. Examples of the Phrasal verbs are given below.
Act-

• Act upon (affect) – Over-exercise acts upon one’s health.
• Act for (on behalf of) – He acted for me while I was ill.
• Act on (follow) – I acted on my brother’s advice. 

Ask-

• Ask after (inquire after) – He asked after you on that event.
• Ask for (request) – She asked for a favour from me.

Bear –

• Bear away (win) – Rama bore away the first prize.
• Bear down (overcome) – Raghu bore down all resistance.
• Bear on (Relevance) – Your point has no bearing on the present case.
• Bear out (Confirms) – Your report bears out his story.
• Bear up (sustained) – Pride bore him up in adversity.
• Bear with (tolerate) – She cannot bear with the truth.

Blow-

• Blow Away (Remove) – The wind blew away dry leaves.
• Blow in/ into (arrived noisily, cheerfully) – The door opened and the boys blew in (into) the room.
• Blow off (emit) –The chimnies blow off thick smoke.
• Blow out (put out) – The child blew out the candle.
• Blow over (stop blowing) – The storm will blow over soon.
• Blow up (Exploded) – The engine blew up.

Break-

• Break away (freed himself) – The thief broke away from the jail.
• Break down (not in a good condition) – His health broke down through over work.
• Break in (forced their way in) – The robbers broke in at night.
• Break into (entered by breaking) – The thief broke into my house last night.
• Break off (stop) – He broke up in the middle of his speech.
• Break out (spread) – Dengue has broken out in Kolkata.
• Break through (forced a passage) – The broke through the main gate.
• Break up (end) – The meeting broke up at 5 p.m.

Bring-

• Bring about (cause) – His ruin was brought about his own folly.
• Bring back (return) – I shall bring back the book tomorrow.
• Bring down (reduce) – This will bring down the prices of thing.
• Break forth (produce) – This tree brings forth good fruit.
• Break Forward (produce) – Can you bring forward any proof of what you say?
• Break in (yield) – My business brings in good income.
• Break on (cause) – Overeating brings on dyspepsia.
• Break out (Publish) – He has brought out a new edition of his book.
• Bring round (win over) – We managed to bring him around after much persuasion.
• Bring through (restored to health) – Good nursing brought him through.
• Bring to (Came to stop) – The ship was brought to by open shelling.
• Bring up (rear) – He was brought up by his aunt.
• Bring under (subdued) – The rebels have been brought under.

Burst-

• Burst into (indulged in crying) – She burst into tears after hearing the incident.
• Burst upon (came suddenly) – The rebels burst upon the king.

Call-

• Call at (visit a place) – I shall call at your house tomorrow.
• Call by (pay a short visit) – Mr. Roy will call by me tomorrow.
• Call for (demand) – I called for his explanation.
• Call in (invite) – Please call in a doctor.
• Call off (cancel) – The strike was called off.
• Call to (address loudly) – I called to him from the roof.
• Call upon (order) – He was called upon to explain his conduct.
• Call up (remember) – I cannot call up his name.

Carry-

• Carry about (keep) - He carries about a pistol wherever he goes.
• Carry on (continue) – I shall carry on the work in your absence.
• Carry out (execute) – I shall carry out your orders.

Cast-

• Cast about for (looking for) – He is casting about for an opportunity to escape.
• Cast away/ off (reject) – He has cast aside or away /off his old coat.
• Cast down (depress) – He was cast down by his failure.
• Cast out (reject) – He never cast out me.

Clear-

• Clear off (get out) – Clear off from here.
• Clear out (leave) – Please clear out from the room.

Come-

• Come about (happen) - How did it come about?
• Come across (met) – I came across him on the way.
• Come along (hurry) – Come along, it is getting late.
• Come down (collapse) - The roof came down suddenly.
• Come in for (receive) – He came in for punishment for his misconduct.
• Come of (is descended from) – He comes of a good family.
• Come off (takes place) – The ceremony comes off tomorrow.
• Come out (become exposed) – The incident came out at last.
• Come round/ to (recover) - He came round very soon.
• Come round (visit) – You must come round and see me some time.
• Come through (arrive) – The message has just come through.
• Come upon (meet by chance) – I came upon my childhood friend yesterday.

Cry-

• Cry off (abandoned) – I cried off the plan to visit Bhangarh Fort at last.
• Cry to (beg) – The beggar cried to the king for money.

Cut-

• Cut in (to take part suddenly) – He cut in the middle of our talk.
• Cut off (separate/ die) - He was cut off at an early age.
• Cut out (stop functioning/ defeat) – The engine of the aircraft cut out.
• Cut up (grieve) - He was cut up by your criticism.

Do-

• Do away with (abolish) – They have done away with that rule.
• Do for (serve as) – This plank will do for a table.
• Do up (fatigue) – I am quite done up with the journey.

Draw-

• Draw away (Divert) – My attention was drawn away by the noise.
• Draw back (recede) – I cannot draw back from my promise.
• Draw out (prolonged) - He drew out his points at great length.
• Draw to (fell attached to) – I drew to the boy from the first day.
• Draw up ( draft) – I drew up a petition.

Drop-

• Drop away (became fewer) – His friends dropped away one by one.
• Drop in (make a casual visit) – I shall drop in for a cup of tea.
• Drop out (ceased to complete) – Five of the runners dropped out.

Fall-

• Fall away (become lean) – He has much fallen away since I saw him last.
• Fall back (retreat) – They fell back under charge.
• Fell in (Gave away) – The roof fell in.
• Fell for (yields to charms) – He fells for beautiful faces.
• Fell off (Drop off) - False friends fall off in misfortune.
• Fell out (quarreled) – The brothers fell out over their father’s property.
• Fell on (attacked) – He fell on me without any reason.
• Fell to (began early) – They fell to eating.
• Fell Through (fail) – The scheme fell through for want of funds.

Read: Defination of Phral Verbs - In above Articles