Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs List letter A
Complete Phrasal Verbs List
Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
| Abide by | Accept or follow a decision or rule. | We have to ABIDE BY what the court |
| Account for | To explain. | They had to ACCOUNT FOR all the money that had gone missing. |
| Ache for | Want something or someone a lot. | My partner’s been away for a fortnight- I am ACHING FOR her. |
Act on | To take action because of something like information received. | The police were ACTING ON a tip from an informer and caught the gang red- handed. |
| Act on | Affect. | The medicine only ACTS ON infected tissue. |
| Act out | Perform something with actions and gestures.. | They ACTED OUT the story on stage. |
| Act out | Express an emotion in your behaviour. | Their anger is ACTED OUT in their antisocial behaviour. |
| Act up | Behave badly or strangely | My computer’s ACTING UP; I think I might have a virus |
| Act upon | To take action because of something like information received | The police were ACTING UPON a tip- off |
| Act upon | Affect | The enzyme ACTS UPON certain proteins |
| Add on | Include in a calculation | You have to ADD the VAT ON to the price they give |
| Add up | To make a mathematical total | We ADDED UP the bill to check it was correct |
| Add up | Be a satisfactory explanantion for something | She explained why the work wasn’t ready, but her story doesn’t ADD UP |
| Add up to | Have a certain result | Trains delays are getting worse and with the high fares, it all ADDS UP TO misery for the commuters |
| Add up to | Come to a certain amount or figure | The total costs ADD UP TO several million euros |
| Agree with | Affect- usually used in the negative to show that something has had a negative effect, especially is it makes you feel bad | I feel terrible- that food didn’t AGREE WITH my stomach |
| Aim at | To target | The magazine is AIMED AT teenagers |
| Aim at | Intend to achieve | They’re AIMING AT reducing costs by ten percent |
| Allow for | Include something in a plan or calculation | You should ALLOW FOR delays when planning a journey |
| Allow of | Make possible, permit | The rules don’t ALLOW OF any exceptions |
| Angle for | Try to get something indirectly, by hinting or suggesting | He’s been ANGLING FOR an invitation, but I don’t want him to come |
| Answer | To reply rudely to someone in authority | Her mother was shocked when she started back |
| Answer for | Be held responsible for a problem | The government should be made to ANSWER FOR their failure to sort out the problem |
| Answer for | Speak on behalf of someone or from knowing them | I can ANSWER FOR my partner because I know her position on this issue |
| Argue down | Beat someone in a debate, discussion or argument | The teacher tried to ARGUE the girl DOWN, but she couldn’t |
| Argue down | Persuade someone to drop the price of something they’re selling | She ARGUED him DOWN ten percent |
| Argue down | Try to persuade people not to accept a proposition, motion, etc | They tried to ARGUE DOWN the proposal |
| Argue out | Argue about a problem to find a solution | If we can’t ARGUE our differences OUT, we’ll have to take them to court |
| Ask about | Ask how someone is doing, especially professionally and in terms of health | He ASKED ABOUT my father |
| Ask after | Enquire about someone’s health, how life is going | Jenny rang earlier and ASKED AFTER you, so I told her you were fine |
| Ask around | Ask a number of people for information of help | I have no idea, but I’ll ASK AROUND at work and see if anyone can help |
| Ask around | Invite someone | We ASKED them AROUND for dinner |
| Ask for | To provoke a negative reaction | You’re ASKING FOR trouble |
| Ask for | Request to have or be given | I ASKED FOR the menu |
| Ask in | To invite somebody into your house | ‘Jon’s at the door.’ ‘ASK him IN.’ |
| Ask out | To invite someone for a date | He wanted to ASK her OUT but was too shy |
| Ask over | Invite. | They have ASKED us OVER for drinks on Friday |
| Ask round | Invite someone. | We ASKED John ROUND for diner. |
| Auction off | Sell something in an auction | They AUCTIONED OFF their property as they were heavily in debt |
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