Phrasal verbs are the secret sauce that makes English sound natural—native speakers drop them into almost every sentence, from casual chats to work emails. This list gathers around 280 of the most common phrasal verbs you’ll actually hear and need, not the dusty ones from a textbook appendix. Whether you’re a beginner hungry for real-world expressions or an intermediate learner trying to stop translating word by word, this collection helps you understand and use these two‑part wonders with confidence.
Every entry in the interactive table comes with a plain‑English meaning, a realistic example sentence, and easy‑to‑read US IPA so you pronounce each phrasal verb clearly. Tap the play button next to any word to hear it spoken aloud—your ears need practice just as much as your eyes.
Ready to level up your English with a friendly pile of useful verb combos? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable most common phrasal verbs in English vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable most common phrasal verbs in English flashcards.
Words are great, but real English happens in chunks. Our free chunk‑based lessons turn vocabulary into speakable phrases—start with the lessons intro or jump right into Lesson 1—First Greetings to get your mouth moving.
Quick Quiz
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Browse the Full List
| Word | Meaning | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| fill in | to complete blanks, or to temporarily replace someone | Can you fill in for me while I'm on vacation? | |
| fill out | to complete a form with information | Please fill out this application before the interview. | |
| fill up | Make completely full. | Please fill up the tank before returning the car. | |
| find out | to discover or learn new information | She found out the truth about the accident. | |
| finish off | To end or consume the remainder. | Let's finish off this project by Friday. | |
| fit in | Be accepted by a group or match. | It took him a while to fit in at the new school. | |
| fix up | To repair or make a place nicer. | They fixed up the old house and sold it. | |
| fizzle out | End or fail weakly. | Their enthusiasm for the project fizzled out after a month. | |
| flare up | Suddenly become angry or violent. | Tensions flared up between the two countries. | |
| follow through | To do what you said you would do. | If you make a promise, follow through. | |
| freak out | Become very anxious, upset, or excited. | She freaked out when she saw the huge spider. | |
| get across | communicate successfully | I couldn't get my point across. | |
| get ahead | make progress in life or career | She's determined to get ahead in her career. | |
| get along | To have a good relationship with someone. | Do you get along with your coworkers? | |
| get around | Travel to many places or avoid a problem. | We got around town using the new metro. | |
| get away | Escape or go on a vacation. | We need to get away for a weekend trip. | |
| get back | to return to a place or regain something | I'll get back to you with an answer later. | |
| get back at | Take revenge on someone. | He wants to get back at his brother for pranking him. | |
| get by | manage with difficulty | We barely get by on my salary. | |
| get down | make sad or descend | The rainy weather really gets me down. | |
| get off | To leave a vehicle or avoid punishment. | We need to get off the bus at the next stop. | |
| get on | To enter a bus or train, or make progress. | Hurry up and get on the bus! | |
| get out | to leave a place, vehicle, or situation | I need to get out of this boring meeting. | |
| get over | to recover from an illness or upset | It took her weeks to get over the flu. | |
| get rid of | discard or eliminate | Let's get rid of all these old newspapers. |
Free Most Common Phrasal Verbs in English PDF and Flashcards
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