Separable Phrasal Verbs

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

add up add	back up cause to move backwards; support	blow up cause to explode; destroy by explosives	break down analyze; list the parts of separately
bring about cause to happen	bring off accomplish	bring on cause
bring out publish; emphasize	bring over bring	bring to revive
bring up raise; care for from childhood	brush out brush the inside of	burn down destroy by burning
burn up consume by fire	buy out by the other person's share of a business	buy up buy the whole supply of
call off cancel; order away	call up telephone; summon for military service	calm down become calm
carry on continue	carry out fulfill; complete; accomplish; perform	carry over carry; continue at another time or place
cheer up cause to become cheerful	chew up chew thoroughly	chop up chop into small pieces
clean off clear the surface of	clean out clean the inside of	clean up tidy
clear out clear the inside of	clear up clarify; clear the inside of	close down close permanently
close up close temporarily	count in include	count out exclude
count up calculate; count; add to a total	cross out eliminate	cut off interrupt; sever; amputate
cut out eliminate; delete	cut down reduce in quantity	draw up write; compose (a document)
dress up put clothes on; adorn	dust out dust the inside of	eat up eat completely
figure out interpret; understand	figure up compute	fill in complete (a printed form)
fill out complete (a printed form)	fill up fill completely (a container)	find out discover
fix up repair; arrange in a suitable manner	get across cause to be understood	give back return
give out distribute; announce	give up surrender something	hand down deliver; pronounce formally; leave as an inheritance
hand over yield control of	hang up suspend	have on be dressed in
have over entertain someone informally at one's home	hold off delay; restrain	hold up delay; rob; threaten with a weapon
keep up continue; keep the same pace	leave out omit	let down disappoint
let out release from confinement; make larger (in sewing)	light up light; illuminate thoroughly	live down live in such a way as to cause something to be forgotten
make over remake	move over move to the side	pass out distribute
pass up not take advantage of (as an opportunity)	pass on transmit	pay back repay
pay off discharge a debt completely; give someone his final pay	pick up come to meet an escort; lift with hands or fingers; learn casually;initiate an association publicly	play down minimize
play up emphasize	point out indicate	pull down pull in a downward direction; raze
push across cause to be understood or accepted	put off postpone	put on dress in; deceive or fool
put up preserve (food); receive as an overnight guest	quiet down be quiet	ring up the telephone
rinse off rinse the surface of	rinse out rinse the inside of	rule out eliminate
run down trace; disparage; hit with a vehicle	run off cause to depart; reproduce mechanically	save up accumulate
see through complete; in spite of difficulties	see off accompany someone to the beginning of a trip	send back send to a place where formerly located
send over send to where someone is	set up arrange	show off exhibit ostentatiously
shut off cause to cease functioning	slow up cause to move more slowly	spell out enumerate; state in detail
stand up fail to keep an appointment with	sweep out sweep the inside of	take back return; retract a statement
take down remove from a high position; write from dictation	take in understood; fool; deceive; make smaller (in sewing)	take over take; assume command of
tear down destroy	tear up tear into small pieces	tell off scold; reprimand
think over consider	think through consider from beginning to end	think up create; invent
throw away discard	throw over reject	tie up tie securely or tight
tire out cause to be exhausted	touch up repair	try on put on a garment to verify the fit
try out test	turn down refuse; lower the volume	turn out produce; force into exile, extinguish (a light)
wash off wash the surface of	wash out wash the inside of	wear out use until no longer usable; tire greatly
wind up finish, tighten the spring of a watch or machine	wipe off wipe the surface of	wipe out wipe the inside of; decimate
work out solve	write down record	write out write down every detail; spell out
write up compose; prepare (a document)