Phrasal verbs are a common English verb form that consist of a verb followed by a p-word that functions as a particle. To learn more about some of the most common phrasal verbs in the English language, click on a letter in the following menu to browse the Phrasal Verb Dictionary in alphabetical order.
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Note: When a word entry includes a p-word enclosed in parentheses, the phrasal verb is a phrasal-prepositional verb.
| Phrasal Verb | Definition | Category | Example |
| saddle up | put a saddle on, get ready | separable transitive | He saddled the horse up. |
| sail through | succeed easily | inseparable transitive | The little boy sailed through the exam. |
| sand down | rub with sandpaper, make smooth | separable transitive | He sanded the board down. |
| save on | reduce, spend less on | inseparable transitive | She saves on groceries with coupons. |
| save up | accumulate | separable transitive | She saved her tickets up for a big prize. |
| scale back | reduce | separable transitive | Please scale your excitement back. |
| scale down | minimize | separable transitive | Can you scale the party down? |
| scare away | frighten off | separable transitive | He scared the wolverine away. |
| scare off | frighten away | separable transitive | The witch scared the children off. |
| scare up | manage to get enough | separable transitive | I think I can scare some supplies up. |
| scarf down | consume a lot | separable transitive | She scarfed the burgers down. |
| scoop out | remove the insides | separable transitive | He scooped the pumpkin innards out. |
| scoop up | lift, collect | separable transitive | I scooped my daughter up from the pool. |
| scoot over | move | separable transitive | Just scoot my purse over. |
| scope out | inspect carefully | separable transitive | The spy scoped the apartment out. |
| score out | draw a line through | separable transitive | The editor scored the typo out. |
| scout out | search for, investigate | separable transitive | The bride scouted a local for the reception out. |
| scout up | search for | separable transitive | I scouted some snacks up for the kids. |
| scrape by | manage despite difficulties | intransitive | The family barely scrapes by. |
| scrape through | manage despite difficulties | inseparable transitive | The student scraped through the difficult novel. |
| scrape together | manage or accomplish despite difficulties | separable transitive | I barely scraped the welcome party together. |
| scream out | shout | separable transitive | The crossing guard scream the warning out. |
| screen out | stop from entering | separable transitive | She screens the bad apples out. |
| screw around | treat badly | separable transitive | I wish my boss would stop screwing me around. |
| screw around | have sex with many partners | intransitive | He screws around. |
| screw down | confirm, affix | separable transitive | She finally screwed the dates for the party down. |
| screw over | deceive, trick, con | separable transitive | The bank screwed me over. |
| screw up | spoil, mess up, make a mistake | separable transitive | The loud noises screwed my concentration up. |
| scribble down | write quickly | separable transitive | She scribbled some notes down. |
| scrounge around | look in multiple places | intransitive | Let me scrounge around a bit. |
| scrounge up | seek or find despite difficulties | separable transitive | He scrounge some snacks up. |
| scrub out | clean the inside thoroughly | separable transitive | She scrubbed the oven out. |
| scrub up | wash, clean | intransitive | The doctor scrubbed up before the surgery. |
| scrunch up | crush, make smaller | separable transitive | He scrunched the blanket up. |
| seal off | enclose | separable transitive | The police sealed the crime scene off. |
| seal up | close | separable transitive | The cook sealed the jar up. |
| search out | seek, look for | separable transitive | The man searched me out. |
| see about | arrange, consider | inseparable transitive | We will see about taking a vacation next year. |
| see off | say goodbye to | separable transitive | My aunt saw me off at the bus depot. |
| see to | ensure happens, arrange | inseparable transitive | He see to the hiring of new employees. |
| see through | finish | separable transitive | I always see my projects through. |
| see through | know about a deception | inseparable transitive | He saw through my disguise. |
| sell off | sell all | separable transitive | She sold all her belongings off. |
| sell out | surrender, give up | separable transitive | My partner in crime sold me out. |
| send back | return | separable transitive | I sent the incorrect order back. |
| separate off | divide, separate | separable transitive | The teacher separated the finished students off. |
| set about | start | inseparable transitive | She set about her assigned tasks. |
| set aside | save for later | separable transitive | He set some money aside. |
| set back | hinder, slow down | separable transitive | The storm set our plans back. |
| set forth | start a journey | intransitive | The group set forth in the morning. |
| set off | start a journey | intransitive | The hikers set off last night. |
| set out | start a journey | intransitive | Some hunters set off yesterday evening. |
| set to | start, begin | inseparable transitive | She set to her studies. |
| set up | arrange a relationship | separable transitive | My friend set him up with her sister. |
| set up | falsely incriminate | separable transitive | His neighbor set him up. |
| set up | arrange | separable transitive | We set an appointment up to see the fertility doctor. |
| settle down | calm, relax, stabilize | separable transitive | The mother settled the crying baby down. |
| settle for | accept (often begrudgingly) | inseparable transitive | He settled for the smaller wage. |
| settle in | acclimatize, get comfortable | intransitive | The new puppy has already settled in. |
| settle on | make a decision (usually after a long time) | inseparable transitive | She settled on the blue tulips for her bouquet. |
| settle up | pay debt | separable transitive | The gambler never settled up his bets. |
| sew up | close, repair, sew | separable transitive | The doctors sewed the incision up. |
| shack up | live together | intransitive | The two students shacked up. |
| shake down | threaten | separable transitive | The criminals shook the man down for money. |
| shake off | get rid off, ignore, leave behind | separable transitive | She shook the criticism off. |
| shake out | clean by shaking | separable transitive | He shook the blanket out. |
| shake up | mix up, make big changes | separable transitive | The new singer shook the music business up. |
| shape up | improve | intransitive | He needs to shape up or leave. |
| sharpen up | improve | separable transitive | She sharpened her hunting skills up. |
| shave off | reduce minimally | separable transitive | He shaved a few pounds off. |
| shell out | give, pay | separable transitive | I can shell a few bucks out. |
| ship off | get rid of, send | separable transitive | He shipped the package off yesterday. |
| ship out | get rid of, send | separable transitive | She shipped the books out in the mail. |
| shoot down | deny, refuse to consider | separable transitive | My boss shot my proposal down. |
| shoot down | kill, destroy, or injure by shooting | separable transitive | The enemy shot the helicopter down. |
| shoot for | try to achieve | inseparable transitive | You should shoot for a loftier goal. |
| shoot off | leave quickly | intransitive | She shot off after lunch. |
| shoot up | increase | separable transitive | The storm shot food prices up. |
| shoot up | use intravenous drugs | separable transitive | He shoots up heroin. |
| shop around (for) | compare prizes, look and compare | intransitive | She shopped around for a new apartment. |
| shore up | strengthen | separable transitive | I shored the house up before the hurricane. |
| show off | boast, flaunt | separable transitive | I showed my new haircut off. |
| show up | make seem inferior | separable transitive | He showed me up during the contest. |
| show up | arrive | intransitive | Our lost package finally showed up. |
| shrivel up | become dried out and smaller | intransitive | The fruit shriveled up in the heat. |
| shrug off | not worry about | separable transitive | She shrugged the bad advice off. |
| shut off | stop | separable transitive | The gas company shut our heat off. |
| shut up | quiet | separable transitive | A snack shut the whining boy up. |
| sidle up (to) | approach slowly and nervously | intransitive | The shy man sidled up to the pretty lady. |
| sift out | separate, sieve | separable transitive | The librarian sifted the popular titles out. |
| sift through | examine, look through | inseparable transitive | She sifted through the recipes. |
| sign in | log in (usually to a computer program), announce an arrival | intransitive | He signed in at the start of his shift. |
| sign off | log out (usually from a computer program) | separable transitive | She signed off the computer. |
| sign off on | agree, assent, give approval | inseparable transitive | Her boss signed off on her new project. |
| sign on | log in (usually to a computer program) | intransitive | She signed on when she arrived at the desk. |
| sign out | log off (usually from a computer program), announce a departure | intransitive | He signed out after his shift. |
| sign up | arrange to take part | separable transitive | My mom signed me up for dance classes. |
| simmer down | become less angry or excited, calm | intransitive | The child needs to simmer down. |
| single out | choose one from a large group (usually to praise or criticize) | separable transitive | The teacher always singles me out during class. |
| sink in | enter, penetrate, permeate | intransitive | The calamity finally sunk in. |
| siphon off | draw off, empty | separable transitive | Her charm siphoned votes off her opponent. |
| sit by | fail to act, be idle | intransitive | You will not sit by while chaos ensues. |
| size up | consider carefully | separable transitive | The puppy sized up the situation. |
| skate around | avoid discussing | inseparable transitive | He skated around the subject. |
| sketch out | give a general description | separable transitive | She sketched the directions out for me. |
| skim off | remove a small amount | separable transitive | He skimmed some icing off. |
| skim over | read quickly | inseparable transitive | The students skimmed over the instructions. |
| skim through | read quickly | inseparable transitive | She skimmed through the essays. |
| skimp on | not buy or have enough | inseparable transitive | Grandma always skimps on napkins. |
| skip out | leave suddenly | intransitive | The couple skipped out before dessert. |
| skip out on | leave suddenly and without warning | inseparable transitive | The man skipped out on his wife and kids. |
| skirt around | avoid discussing | inseparable transitive | We skirted around the issue. |
| skive off | avoid working | intransitive | He skives off in the afternoon. |
| slack off | do less, go slower | intransitive | She slacked off after midterms. |
| slave away | work hard and for a long time | intransitive | Some students slave away all semester. |
| sleep around | have sex with many partners | intransitive | She sleeps around. |
| sleep in | sleep later than usual | intransitive | I sleep in on the weekends. |
| sleep on | consider at a later time | inseparable transitive | Let me sleep on the idea. |
| sleep together | have sex | intransitive | The friends slept together last weekend. |
| sleep with | have sex with | inseparable transitive | He slept with her best friend. |
| slice off | remove a piece | separable transitive | The doctor sliced the wart off. |
| slice up | cut into pieces | separable transitive | She sliced the cucumber up. |
| slick up | make more appealing or attractive | separable transitive | He slicked his apartment up before his date. |
| slim down | lose weight, become thinner, become smaller, minimize | separable transitive | She slimmed her hips down by eating healthier. |
| slip away | slowly disappear | intransitive | She saw her dreams slip away. |
| slip by | pass quickly, move or progress easily | intransitive | Time just slipped by today. |
| slip in | insert | separable transitive | He slipped the proposal in. |
| slip into | put on | inseparable transitive | Let me slip into something more comfortable. |
| slip off | remove, take off, leave | separable transitive | She slipped her shoes off. |
| slip on | put on, get dressed | separable transitive | He slipped his shoes on. |
| slip out | leave quickly | intransitive | We slipped out after dinner. |
| slobber over | show a lot of interest in | inseparable transitive | He slobbered over the hot woman. |
| slough off | remove, get rid of, shed | separable transitive | The magazine is trying to slough its old image off. |
| slow down | make go a slower speed | separable transitive | The speed bumps slow traffic down considerably. |
| slow up | make go a slower speed | separable transitive | My injured teammate slowed me up in the race. |
| smack of | evoke, hint at, conjure up | inseparable transitive | Your essay smacks of plagiarism. |
| smarten up | revamp, improve, make smarter | separable transitive | The company smartened their ad campaign up. |
| smash up | damage badly | separable transitive | The baseball played smashed his knee up. |
| smell out | search for and find | separable transitive | The teacher smelled the cheater out. |
| smell up | make smelly or stinky | separable transitive | Your cooking smelled the house up. |
| smoke out | force out, succeed in finding a problem | separable transitive | She smoked the culprit out of her shed. |
| smooth away | remove, eliminate | separable transitive | Mom always smoothed my problems away. |
| smooth down | flatten | separable transitive | She smoothed her frizzy hair down. |
| smooth out | flatten, reduce changes or difficulties | separable transitive | He smoothed the bad situation out. |
| smooth over | make less serious | separable transitive | She smoothed the argument over. |
| snack on | eat a small quantity | inseparable transitive | He snacked on raisins and nuts. |
| snap out of | force to stop a feeling | inseparable transitive | She cannot snap out of her bad mood. |
| snap up | grab | separable transitive | He snapped the new phone up. |
| sniff out | look for, discover, find | separable transitive | She sniffs the best deals out. |
| snow in | get trapped due to snow | separable transitive | The blizzard snowed us in. |
| snow under (with) | overcome with work | intransitive | I was snowed under with grading essays. |
| snuff out | stop, kill | separable transitive | She snuffed the candle out. |
| snuggle up | move into a warm and comfortable position | intransitive | The kittens snuggled up for the night. |
| soak up | absorb | separable transitive | A paper towel soaked the spilled grease up. |
| sober up | become sober | separable transitive | Boot camp sobered her up for good. |
| soften up | make more malleable | separable transitive | She softened her boss up with cookies. |
| soldier on | continue despite difficulties or unpleasantness | intransitive | He soldiered on despite his illness. |
| sort out | resolve, deal with | separable transitive | She sorted her problems out. |
| speed up | increase speed | separable transitive | Can you speed your husband up? |
| spell out | explain in detail | separable transitive | Can you spell your plan out again? |
| spice up | make more interesting | separable transitive | She spiced the party up with some music. |
| spiel off | say or list quickly | separable transitive | He spieled his accomplishments off. |
| spiff up | make fancier | separable transitive | He spiffed his wardrobe up for his date. |
| spill over | transfer | intransitive | Her stress at home spilled over to her job. |
| spirit away | remove quickly | separable transitive | The morgue spirited the victim away. |
| spit out | get rid of, say quickly | separable transitive | Spit the gum out and spit out the truth! |
| spit up | vomit a small amount | separable transitive | The baby spit the milk up. |
| split off (from) | divide | intransitive | A few members split off from the rest of the group. |
| spoon out | serve | separable transitive | She spooned out some insults of her own. |
| spout off (about) | talk without knowing or understanding | intransitive | She spouted off about sports again. |
| spring back | recoil, rebound, recover | intransitive | She sprang back after the accident. |
| spring for | treat | inseparable transitive | I sprang for a new pair of shoes. |
| spring from | be caused by, originate from, arise from | inseparable transitive | The conflict sprang from a minor disagreement. |
| spring up | arise | intransitive | A major disaster just sprung up. |
| sprout up | appear, happen | intransitive | A great opportunity has sprouted up. |
| spruce up | make cleaner or more attractive | separable transitive | She spruced her living room up. |
| spur on | encourage | separable transitive | He spurred me on. |
| spurt out | gush | intransitive | Blood spurted out of the wound. |
| square away | finish | separable transitive | She squared her finances away. |
| square off | prepare to fight | intransitive | The two chickens squared off. |
| square up | work out, settle up, arrange | separable transitive | He squared the deal up. |
| square with | settle a disagreement, apologize | inseparable transitive | Let me square with you. |
| squeak by | manage just barely | intransitive | She squeaked by in class. |
| squeak through | manage just barely | inseparable transitive | He squeaked through the exam. |
| squeal on | tell, tattle | inseparable transitive | My sister squealed on me again. |
| squirrel away | save for later | separable transitive | I squirreled some money away. |
| stack up | compare | intransitive | How do the new employees stack up? |
| stamp out | stop | separable transitive | The teacher stamped all creativity in the classroom out. |
| stand by | wait | intransitive | Please stand by while the internet reboots. |
| stand for | represent | inseparable transitive | IRMA stands for Infrequently Requested Materials Area. |
| stand for | tolerate | inseparable transitive | I will not stand for your rudeness. |
| stand for | support | inseparable transitive | I stand for equal rights for all. |
| stand out | be very noticeable | intransitive | She really stands out in a crowd. |
| stand up | not arrive (usually for a date) | separable transitive | She stood him up again. |
| stand up for | defend | inseparable transitive | He stands up for the little guy. |
| stand up to | defend against | inseparable transitive | He stood up to the bully. |
| stare down | glare at menacingly | separable transitive | The dog stared the cat down. |
| start over | repeat, restart | separable transitive | The musician started the song over. |
| start up | begin | separable transitive | I just started a new business up. |
| stash away | save for later | separable transitive | I stashed some candy away after Halloween. |
| stave off | prevent from happening | separable transitive | She staved the flu off with clean living. |
| stay on | remain for longer than planned | intransitive | He stayed on at this job for an extra three weeks. |
| stay over | spend the night | intransitive | Can you stay over tomorrow? |
| stay up | not go to sleep | intransitive | He stayed up all night. |
| steady on | continue | intransitive | She steadied on with her plans. |
| steal away | leave by sneaking away quietly | separable transitive | He stole me away during the night. |
| stem from | arise from, originate from | inseparable transitive | Your problems stem from your lack of trying. |
| stick by | support | inseparable transitive | He sticks by my decision. |
| stick to | preserver, continue | inseparable transitive | She stuck to her studies. |
| stick up for | defend | inseparable transitive | She sticks up for her friends. |
| stir up | kindle, awaken, incite | separable transitive | Seeing her again stirred old feelings up. |
| stoke up | make more exciting | separable transitive | Thinking about the concert stoked me up. |
| store away | save for later | separable transitive | I stored some extra food away in the pantry. |
| straighten out | set right, settle, rectify, correct | separable transitive | She straightened our plans out. |
| straighten up | clean and organize | separable transitive | I straightened my bedroom up. |
| stretch out | prolong, lengthen | separable transitive | He can really stretch a dollar out. |
| string along | deceive for a longer period of time | separable transitive | She strung him along. |
| string up | hang | separable transitive | She strung the Christmas lights up. |
| strip off | remove | separable transitive | He stripped the old paint off. |
| stumble upon | find accidentally | inseparable transitive | I stumbled upon a new recipe. |
| suit up | put on special clothes | intransitive | Barney suited up. |
| sum up | total, conclude, summarize | separable transitive | You summed the evening up nicely. |
| swear off | decide to stop using | separable transitive | She swore carbs off. |
| sweep out | remove (usually by sweeping) | separable transitive | I swept my closets out. |
| swell up | increase in size | intransitive | His head swelled up from the compliments. |
| swing by | visit briefly | inseparable transitive | I can swing by your house later. |
