When it comes to achieving a high score in the IELTS Speaking and Writing sections, vocabulary plays a crucial role. But beyond knowing individual words, examiners expect you to use natural and advanced English expressions—and that’s where phrasal verbs come in.

Phrasal verbs make your English sound more fluent, less robotic, and closer to how native speakers actually communicate. By mastering them, you not only expand your vocabulary but also demonstrate flexibility and depth in your language skills—two things the IELTS examiners look for when assessing your lexical resource.

What is a Phrasal Verb?

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb + one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that, when put together, create a meaning different from the original verb.

  • Verb + Preposition = Phrasal verb (Look after)
  • Verb + Adverb = Phrasal verb (Turn off)
  • Verb + Preposition + Adverb = Phrasal verb (Put up with)

For example:

  • Give up = stop doing something (“I decided to give up smoking.”)

  • Look after = take care of someone (“She looks after her younger brother.”)

  • Bring up = mention a topic (“He brought up an interesting point during the discussion.”)

Notice how the meaning changes entirely when the verb is combined with a small word like up, after, or in. This is why they’re tricky for learners but extremely useful in sounding natural and fluent.

Why Are Phrasal Verbs Important for IELTS?

  • Boosts Fluency: Using phrasal verbs shows you can speak naturally and confidently.

  • Improves Writing Quality: They allow you to avoid repetition of simple words and instead use more advanced expressions.

  • Demonstrates Range: IELTS scoring heavily depends on how varied and accurate your vocabulary is.

  • Makes Answers More Engaging: Examiners prefer answers that sound natural, not memorized.

For example, instead of saying “I cancelled my trip”, you could say “I called off my trip.” This slight change shows maturity in language use.

List of Phrasal Verbs for IELTS (A-Z) with Meaning and Examples

Phrasal VerbMeaningExample
A
Account forExplain the reasonCan you account for the delay in submission?
Act onTake action based on adviceThe company acted on the feedback quickly.
Add up toEqual, result inThe expenses add up to a huge amount.
Aim atDirect toward a goalThe policy aims at reducing pollution.
Allow forConsider, take into accountWe must allow for traffic when planning the trip.
Appeal toAttract or interestThis option appeals to young professionals.
Ask afterInquire about someone’s healthHe asked after your parents yesterday.
Ask aroundAsk many people for informationI asked around, but nobody knew the answer.
Attend toDeal with somethingPlease attend to this issue immediately.
Average outResult in a balanced figureThe costs average out at $500 per month.
B
Back downWithdraw from a positionHe finally backed down after strong opposition.
Bail outHelp in a difficult situationThe government bailed out the failing bank.
Bank onRely onYou can bank on her support.
Bear outConfirmThe evidence bears out his claim.
Block outStop from enteringShe blocked out the noise with headphones.
Blow overPass without causing harmThe scandal soon blew over.
Boil down toSimplify to the main pointIt all boils down to money.
Branch outExpand into new areasThe company branched out into new markets.
Break offEnd suddenlyThey broke off negotiations.
Bring aboutCause to happenThe reforms brought about major change.
C
Call forDemand or requireThis job calls for patience.
Call offCancelThe match was called off due to rain.
Carry offSucceed in doing something difficultShe carried off the performance brilliantly.
Carry onContinueHe carried on despite difficulties.
Carry outPerform or completeThey carried out an investigation.
Catch onBecome popularThe song quickly caught on.
Check inRegister at a hotel or airportWe checked in two hours early.
Check outInvestigateI’ll check out the new restaurant.
Clear upResolve or become betterThe misunderstanding cleared up.
Come aboutHappenHow did this situation come about?
D
Deal withHandle, manageShe dealt with the issue professionally.
Decide onChooseWe decided on the blue design.
Die downBecome weakerThe storm died down by evening.
Dig intoExplore deeplyHe dug into the research material.
Do away withAbolishThey did away with old policies.
Do withoutManage withoutWe can do without luxury items.
Double upShare or use togetherThey doubled up to save costs.
Drag onContinue unnecessarily longThe meeting dragged on for hours.
Draw upPrepare a documentThey drew up a contract.
Dress upWear formal clothesWe dressed up for the party.
E
Eat outDine at a restaurantWe ate out last night.
Embark onStart a new projectShe embarked on a new career.
End upEventually reach a situationHe ended up working abroad.
Engage inParticipateThey engaged in heated debate.
Enter intoBegin (a discussion/contract)They entered into negotiations.
Excel atBe very good atShe excels at problem-solving.
Expand onProvide more detailCan you expand on that point?
Explain awayJustify wronglyHe explained away his mistakes.
Eye upLook at with interestHe eyed up the painting carefully.
Ease offReduce pressureThe pain eased off after medicine.
F
Face up toAccept bravelyHe faced up to his mistakes.
Fall apartBreak into piecesThe plan fell apart quickly.
Fall back onDepend in emergenciesI fell back on my savings.
Fall behindFail to keep upHe fell behind in payments.
Figure outUnderstandI figured out the problem.
Fill inCompletePlease fill in the form.
Fit inBelong or be acceptedHe fits in well with the team.
Focus onPay attentionFocus on your strengths.
Follow throughComplete as promisedShe followed through with her plan.
Freeze upBecome unable to actHe froze up during the speech.
G
Gear upPrepare“They geared up for the exam.”
Get acrossCommunicate clearly“She got her ideas across well.”
Get aheadSucceed“Hard work helped him get ahead.”
Get alongHave good relations“They get along very well.”
Get aroundTravel/move easily“He gets around by bike.”
Get atSuggest indirectly“What are you getting at?”
Get away withEscape punishment“He got away with cheating.”
Get down toStart focusing seriously“Let’s get down to business.”
Get overRecover from“She got over the illness.”
Give inSurrender“He gave in to temptation.”
H
Hand downPass on to next generation“The ring was handed down.”
Hand inSubmit“Please hand in your homework.”
Hand outDistribute“They handed out leaflets.”
Hang aroundSpend time idly“He hangs around the park.”
Hang onWait“Hang on a second.”
Head offPrevent“They headed off a crisis.”
Hear outListen fully“Hear me out before deciding.”
Help outAssist“She helped out with chores.”
Hit onDiscover unexpectedly“He hit on a great idea.”
Hold backControl or restrain“She held back her tears.”
I
Iron outResolve differences“They ironed out the issues.”
Identify withRelate closely“She identifies with the character.”
Insist onDemand firmly“He insisted on paying the bill.”
Interfere withHinder“Noise interferes with sleep.”
Invest inPut effort/money into“She invested in her education.”
Invite overAsk someone to your home“We invited them over for dinner.”
Issue outDistribute“The manager issued out new ID cards.”
Improve onMake better“He improved on his previous score.”
Inform againstGive evidence“The thief was informed against.”
Inch alongMove slowly“The traffic inched along the road.”
J
Jack upRaise prices suddenly“They jacked up the rent.”
Jot downWrite quickly“I jotted down the address.”
Join inParticipate“She joined in the discussion.”
Jump atAccept eagerly“He jumped at the opportunity.”
Jump inIntervene suddenly“She jumped in with a question.”
Jump onCriticize quickly“The boss jumped on the mistake.”
Joke aroundPlayfully misbehave“They joked around in class.”
Jumble upMix confusingly“The notes were jumbled up.”
Jazz upMake more exciting“He jazzed up the presentation.”
Judge againstEvaluate based on“He was judged against strict standards.”
K
Keep atContinue doing“Keep at your studies.”
Keep backWithhold“He kept back important details.”
Keep downControl, limit“They tried to keep costs down.”
Keep offAvoid“Keep off the grass.”
Keep onContinue“She kept on talking.”
Keep outPrevent entry“Keep out of the restricted area.”
Keep toFollow rules“He kept to the deadline.”
Keep upMaintain progress“Keep up the good work.”
Kick offStart something“The event kicked off at noon.”
Knock outEliminate“They knocked out the opponents.”
L
Lay offDismiss employees“The firm laid off workers.”
Lead toResult in“Stress can lead to illness.”
Leave outOmit“He left out important details.”
Let downDisappoint“She let me down badly.”
Let in onShare a secret“He let me in on the plan.”
Light upIlluminate / become happy“Her face lit up with joy.”
Live downOvercome shame“He lived down his mistake.”
Live up toMeet expectations“She lived up to her reputation.”
Look afterTake care of“She looks after her siblings.”
Look back onRemember fondly“He looked back on his childhood.”
M
Make forResult in“Honesty makes for trust.”
Make outUnderstand“I can’t make out his handwriting.”
Make upReconcile / invent“They made up after the fight.”
Measure upMeet standards“He measured up to expectations.”
Mix upConfuse“I mixed up the dates.”
Move onProgress“It’s time to move on.”
Mull overThink deeply“She mulled over the offer.”
Map outPlan carefully“They mapped out a strategy.”
Miss out onFail to take advantage“He missed out on the trip.”
Mark downReduce price“They marked down the items.”
N
Nail downConfirm details“They nailed down the agreement.”
Name afterCall after someone“He was named after his grandfather.”
Narrow downReduce choices“We narrowed down the options.”
Note downWrite quickly“Note down the key points.”
Nod offFall asleep“He nodded off in class.”
Nose aroundSearch secretly“He nosed around the office.”
Notch upAchieve“She notched up a victory.”
Notify ofInform“They notified us of the changes.”
Nullify outCancel“The contract was nullified out.”
Number amongInclude as part“He numbers among the best lawyers.”
O
Occur toCome into someone’s mind“It never occurred to me to ask.”
Open upShare feelings / become accessible“She opened up about her problems.”
Opt forChoose“We opted for a smaller car.”
Opt outChoose not to participate“He opted out of the competition.”
Order aroundGive commands bossily“He hates being ordered around.”
Own upAdmit guilt“She owned up to the mistake.”
Offer upPresent for use“He offered up his skills for free.”
Offset againstBalance with“The loss was offset against profits.”
Operate onPerform surgery“The doctor operated on the patient.”
Open ontoLead directly to“The room opens onto a garden.”
P
Pack upStop work / put things away“We packed up early today.”
Pair upForm a pair“The students paired up for the task.”
Pass awayDie“His grandmother passed away last year.”
Pass offPretend / happen“He passed himself off as a doctor.”
Pass outFaint“She passed out in the heat.”
Pay backRepay“I’ll pay back the loan soon.”
Pick onBully / single out“He was picked on at school.”
Point outIndicate“She pointed out the mistake.”
Pull offSucceed against odds“They pulled off a surprise victory.”
Put up withTolerate“I can’t put up with this noise.”
Q
Quieten downBecome calmer“The class quietened down quickly.”
Queue upLine up“They queued up for tickets.”
Quench outExtinguish“They quenched out the fire.”
Quick offStart quickly“The team was quick off the mark.”
Quibble overArgue about small issues“They quibbled over details.”
Quit onAbandon“The machine quit on me suddenly.”
Qualify forBe eligible“He qualified for the finals.”
Quash downSuppress“The protest was quashed down.”
Quote backRepeat someone’s words“She quoted back his own arguments.”
Queue intoEnter in order“Fans queued into the stadium.”
R
Rely onDepend on“You can rely on her honesty.”
Rule outEliminate“They ruled out the first option.”
Run intoMeet unexpectedly“I ran into an old friend.”
Run out ofExhaust supply“We ran out of time.”
Run overHit with a vehicle“The dog was run over by a car.”
Run throughPractice quickly“Let’s run through the speech once.”
Root outEliminate completely“The policy aims to root out corruption.”
Rope inPersuade to help“He roped me in for the project.”
Round upGather together“The police rounded up the suspects.”
Rub off onPass qualities“Her enthusiasm rubbed off on us.”
S
Set aboutBegin doing“They set about cleaning the house.”
Set asideSave or reserve“She set aside money for travel.”
Set outBegin a journey“They set out early in the morning.”
Show offBoast“He always shows off his car.”
Show upArrive“He showed up late for class.”
Speak outExpress openly“She spoke out against injustice.”
Speak upTalk louder“Please speak up, I can’t hear.”
Spell outExplain clearly“The rules were spelled out.”
Stand outBe noticeable“Her dress stood out in the crowd.”
Stick toFollow consistently“He stuck to his promises.”
T
Take afterResemble“She takes after her mother.”
Take apartDismantle“He took apart the old machine.”
Take backRetract“I take back what I said.”
Take inUnderstand / deceive“I couldn’t take in the lecture.”
Take offBecome successful“Her career took off quickly.”
Take onAccept responsibility“He took on extra work.”
Take overGain control“A new manager took over.”
Take upStart a hobby“She took up painting.”
Talk intoPersuade“He talked me into going.”
Think overConsider carefully“Think over the proposal.”
U
Use upConsume fully“We used up all the milk.”
Urge onEncourage“The crowd urged on the runners.”
Utter againstSpeak against“He uttered against the plan.”
Uphold bySupport“The judgment was upheld by the court.”
Undertake toPromise to do“He undertook to complete it.”
Uncover upReveal“The truth was uncovered up.”
Unleash onRelease forcefully“They unleashed criticism on him.”
Unwind fromRelax“She unwound from stress by reading.”
Use againstEmploy negatively“They used his words against him.”
Usher inIntroduce formally“The reforms ushered in a new era.”
V
Vote inElect“They voted in a new mayor.”
Vote outRemove by voting“The party was voted out.”
Venture intoTry something new“He ventured into business.”
Vouch forGuarantee“I vouch for his honesty.”
Volunteer forOffer freely“She volunteered for the task.”
Vie forCompete strongly“They vied for first place.”
Voice outExpress“He voiced out his opinion.”
Veer offChange direction“The car veered off the road.”
Visit withSpend time socially“We visited with our relatives.”
Vacate forLeave for someone“He vacated the seat for her.”
W
Wait onServe“The waiter waited on us politely.”
Wait upStay awake for“She waited up for her son.”
Walk outLeave suddenly“He walked out of the meeting.”
Ward offPrevent“This medicine wards off colds.”
Warm upPrepare physically“They warmed up before the game.”
Wash awayErase completely“The rain washed away the dirt.”
Watch outBe careful“Watch out for cars!”
Wear offFade away“The pain wore off.”
Work outExercise / solve“He works out daily at the gym.”
Wrap upFinish“Let’s wrap up the meeting.”
X
X outDelete“He X’d out the wrong word.”
Xerox offCopy“She xeroxed off the documents.”
X-ray forExamine“He was X-rayed for injuries.”
X inInclude in writing“They X’d in corrections.”
X out ofExclude“He was X’d out of the plan.”
X overCheck again“They X’d over the report.”
X markCancel“She X-marked the errors.”
X acrossCross through“He X’d across the page.”
X signApprove“They gave an X sign to proceed.”
Xerox upDuplicate“She xeroxed up multiple copies.”
Y
Yawn awayWaste time yawning“He yawned away the lecture.”
Yearn forStrongly desire“She yearned for freedom.”
Yell atShout angrily“The coach yelled at the players.”
Yield toGive way“He yielded to pressure.”
Yoke togetherJoin forcibly“They were yoked together in business.”
Yawn throughBe bored“He yawned through the movie.”
Yell outShout loudly“She yelled out in pain.”
Yoke inInvolve forcibly“He was yoked in the conspiracy.”
Young upAppear youthful“The actor younged up for the role.”
Yank outPull suddenly“He yanked out the plug.”
Z
Zero in onFocus closely“The camera zeroed in on her face.”
Zone outLose concentration“He zoned out during the lecture.”
Zoom inFocus closely with lens“The camera zoomed in on the bird.”
Zoom outShow wider view“The lens zoomed out slowly.”
Zip upFasten zipper“She zipped up her jacket.”
Zap throughDo quickly“He zapped through his homework.”
Zone intoFocus deeply“She zoned into her studies.”
Zero outCancel / remove“The debt was zeroed out.”
Zone offDivide into parts“The city was zoned off.”
Zip throughFinish quickly“He zipped through the exam.”

Tips to Learn Phrasal Verbs

Learning phrasal verbs can feel overwhelming because there are hundreds of them. Here are some strategies to make the process effective and less stressful:

  1. Learn in Context, Not Isolation
    Instead of memorizing random lists, study phrasal verbs within sentences or real-life situations. For example: “She broke down in tears after the exam.”

  2. Group by Theme
    Categorize phrasal verbs under topics like “Travel,” “Work,” “Emotions,” or “Technology.” This helps you recall them faster in IELTS Speaking when relevant topics appear.

  3. Use Them in Daily Conversations
    The best way to remember phrasal verbs is by using them regularly. Try incorporating at least 2–3 new ones each day when speaking with friends or practicing IELTS mock tests.

  4. Practice Through Writing
    Write short paragraphs or essays using newly learned phrasal verbs. For example, in a “Work from Home” essay, you could write: “Many companies have cut down on office expenses by allowing remote work.”

  5. Make Flashcards or Use Apps
    Digital flashcards or vocabulary apps can help you revise consistently. Add the phrasal verb, meaning, and an example sentence for best results.

  6. Focus on Commonly Used Ones in IELTS
    Some phrasal verbs appear frequently in IELTS speaking tests, like “look into,” “carry out,” “bring up,” “come across.” Prioritize these before moving on to less common ones.

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are not just extra vocabulary—they are a powerful tool to showcase fluency and confidence in your IELTS exam. By mastering them, you’ll stand out from other test-takers, improve both your speaking and writing scores, and sound much closer to a native speaker.

Ready to Boost Your IELTS Score?

At Abroad Gateway, we provide expert IELTS coaching with personalized strategies to help you master phrasal verbs, speaking skills, and overall exam techniques. Join Abroad Gateway’s IELTS Coaching Classes today and take the first step toward your study abroad dream!