📋10 Phrasal Verbs You'll Hear Every Day in English

Phrasal verbs — a verb plus a small word like up, out, or on — are everywhere in spoken English. The meaning is often nothing like the individual words, which is exactly why they trip learners up. Here are ten you'll hear constantly, with the meaning that actually matters.

1. Give up

Meaning: to stop trying, or to quit a habit.

He tried to learn guitar but gave up after a month.

2. Look forward to

Meaning: to feel excited about something coming up. Always followed by a noun or -ing form.

I'm really looking forward to the weekend.

3. Run into

Meaning: to meet someone unexpectedly.

I ran into my old teacher at the supermarket yesterday.

4. Put off

Meaning: to delay or postpone something.

Stop putting off your homework — start now.

5. Figure out

Meaning: to understand or solve something after thinking about it.

It took me a while to figure out how the coffee machine works.

6. Come across

Meaning: to find something by chance, without looking for it.

I came across an old photo while cleaning my room.

7. Turn down

Meaning: to refuse an offer or invitation.

She turned down the job offer because the salary was too low.

8. Bring up

Meaning: to mention a topic in conversation.

I didn't want to bring up the accident, so I changed the subject.

9. Get along with

Meaning: to have a friendly relationship with someone.

I get along with all of my coworkers.

10. Get over

Meaning: to recover from something difficult — an illness, bad news, or a breakup.

It took her a few weeks to get over the flu.

Why these are worth learning first

Notice that none of these are rare or academic — every one of them shows up constantly in everyday conversation, casual emails, and TV shows. Learning ten common phrasal verbs well beats memorizing a hundred you'll never use.

Try it yourself

The quiz below gives you a real sentence for each phrasal verb above — pick the one that fits.