Table of Contents

Phrasal Verbs That Start With “G”

Phrasal Verbs That start with’G’
Phrasal Verbs That start with’G’
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Gad about Travel to various places for leisure or pleasure. I spent the afternoon wandering around the West End for enjoyment.
Gad around Visit different locations casually or aimlessly. I spent the afternoon roaming around, searching for some books.
Gag for Strongly desire or crave something. I’m really craving a refreshing drink right now.
Gang up Form a group to oppose something or someone. They banded together to resist the implementation of the new system.
Gang up against Unite in a group to harass or intimidate someone. They colluded to intimidate me because I refused to accept their ideas.
Gang up on Collaborate to bully or intimidate someone. They joined forces to bully him because of his manner of speaking.
Gear to Tailor or prepare something for a specific purpose or group. The presentation is not tailored to appeal to non-specialists.
Gear towards Customize or arrange something for a particular audience. The project is designed with the needs and preferences of older people in mind.
Gear up Prepare or organize for an upcoming busy period or event. The stores are preparing for the New Year sales rush.
Geek out Engage in lengthy discussions, typically about a specific topic. Henry always dives into detailed discussions about computers at parties, alienating those less knowledgeable.
Get about Travel extensively, visiting many different places. Due to my job, I travel to numerous countries throughout the year.
Get about Become known or spread widely. It didn’t take long for the news to circulate; everyone’s talking about it.
Get about Move around or travel, especially with difficulty. She doesn’t move around much, especially considering her age.
Get about Engage in multiple personal or sexual relationships. She’s quite promiscuous, frequently seen with different partners.
Get above Act arrogantly or superiorly towards others. She’s been acting superior ever since she got promoted.
Get across Successfully convey or communicate a message or idea. I struggled to effectively communicate my point during the meeting.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get across To go from one side to the other. It’s like crossing the road to get to the other side.
Get across To move something from one side to another. We need to move these bags from this side of the river to the other side.
Get across To make someone understand or believe. Imagine you’re telling a story, you want to make sure your friends get it, that’s getting across.
Get after To remind or encourage someone to do something. It’s like when your mom reminds you to finish your homework.
Get after To chase or follow someone. Like when you chase your friend to give them a message before they leave.
Get ahead To make progress or move forward. It’s like being really good at something and moving faster than others.
Get ahead To move in front of someone or something. It’s like being the first person in line for ice cream.
Get along To have a good relationship with someone. It’s like being best friends and never arguing.
Get along To leave or go somewhere. It’s like saying goodbye and leaving a party.
Get along To make progress or move forward with something. It’s like doing your homework and getting closer to finishing.
Get along in To make progress or move forward in a place or situation. It’s like learning and getting better at school.
Get along with To have a good relationship with someone. It’s like being nice and friendly to your classmates.
Get along with To manage or deal with something. It’s like handling a tricky puzzle and figuring it out.
Get around To become known or spread. It’s like when a rumor goes around the school quickly.
Get around To visit many different places. It’s like going on a big adventure and seeing lots of new places.
Get around To move from one place to another. It’s like walking around the house to find your favorite toy.
Get around To find a way to avoid a problem or obstacle. It’s like finding a secret path to get past a big rock in your way.
Get around To convince or persuade someone. It’s like convincing your friend to share their toys with you.
Get around To have many friends or relationships. It’s like having lots of friends and always hanging out with different people.
Get around to To finally do something you’ve been putting off. It’s like finally getting around to cleaning your messy room after a long time.
Get at To criticize or nag someone. It’s like when your teacher tells you to stop talking in class.
Get at To suggest or imply something. It’s like when you ask your friend what they mean by a tricky question.
Get at To reach or access something. It’s like trying to grab your favorite toy from the top shelf.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get at Influence someone’s testimony or decision. The gangsters got at the jury, who acquitted them despite the evidence presented.
Get away Escape. The robbers got away in a stolen car, which was later found abandoned by the police.
Get away Go on holiday or for a short break. We love to get away from everything and relax in the countryside.
Get away Leave or move from somewhere. He couldn’t get away from work and missed the party.
Get away from Go somewhere different or do something different. Work’s overwhelming me; I need to get away from it all.
Get away from Distract from the main point of discussion. I think we’re getting away from the main issue here; let’s focus.
Get away with Not get caught or punished for wrongdoing. The thieves got away with stealing two Picassos, which were never recovered.
Get away with Achieve something without doing it properly. Do you think we could get away with using the cheaper material?
Get away! Express disbelief. “I passed.” “Get away! You couldn’t have passed.”
Get back Return. The train delay meant we didn’t get back home until midnight.
Get back Retrieve something. Don’t lend him money; you’ll never get it back.
Get back Seek revenge. He embarrassed me, but I’ll get him back for it.
Get back Move away. The police instructed the crowd to get back to allow the ambulance through.
Get back at Take revenge. I’ll get back at her for getting me in trouble.
Get back into Resume something after a break. I’m getting back into my Khmer lessons after the summer hiatus.
Get back into Rediscover enthusiasm for something. After losing interest, I’m getting back into it again.
Get back to Respond to a contact. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have any updates.
Get back to Respond when you have an answer. I’ll get back to you once I’ve found the information you need.
Get back to Resume an interrupted activity. It took me a while to get back to sleep after the phone rang.
Get back together Reconcile or restart a relationship. Despite breaking up, they got back together last week.
Get behind Support. All the students got behind the teacher during the protest.
Get behind with Fall behind in paying installments. If you get behind with mortgage payments, you risk losing your home.
Get by Manage with limited resources. Since their daughter was born, they’re finding it hard to get by financially.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get by Go unnoticed (problems, errors, etc.). Despite my efforts, a few mistakes didn’t get by the editor.
Get by on Manage with a certain amount of money. It’s challenging to get by on my salary alone.
Get by with Have enough of something to suffice. We should be able to get by with three PCs, but having four would be better.
Get down Make someone feel depressed, unhappy, etc. The gloomy weather in winter really gets me down.
Get down Record or write something. I couldn’t get down everything he said during the lecture.
Get down Swallow something, typically unpleasant. The medicine tasted horrible, and it was tough to get it down.
Get down Descend or leave a vehicle. When the train pulled in, we got down onto the platform.
Get down Leave the table after eating. After finishing dinner, the children asked if they could get down.
Get down Reduce something, such as cholesterol levels. The doctor advises me to get my cholesterol levels down.
Get down Engage in an affair or sexual relations. They got down at the party last week.
Get down on Criticize someone. My mother used to get down on us for not doing enough homework.
Get down to Begin working seriously. I find it difficult to get down to studying for exams.
Get down to Enjoy something immensely. People were really getting down to the concert.
Get in Arrange for someone to do a job. The air conditioning is broken; we need to get a technician in to fix it.
Get in Arrive at a destination. Her plane gets in at 2 am our time.
Get in Arrive home. She didn’t get in until well after midnight because she was out with friends.
Get in Enter a car or taxi. The taxi pulled up, and we got in.
Get in Purchase or obtain supplies. We need to get some groceries in; we’re completely out.
Get in Arrive at work, school, or home. I got in late today because the train broke down.
Get in Enter a building or place. I borrowed her pass to get in.
Get in Be elected. The government got in with a small majority.
Get in Manage to interject or participate. I couldn’t get a word in throughout the meeting.
Get in Gain admission to a university, club, etc. He performed poorly on the entrance exam and didn’t get in.
Get in Bring something inside a place. It’s raining; I should get the laundry in.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get in Submit or apply. We have to get the forms in by the end of this week.
Get in Pay for drinks. He got the drinks in.
Get in on Become involved in something. The company tried to get in on our market.
Get in with Become friendly with, ingratiate with. I tried to get in with them as I thought it would help me at work.
Get into Become involved or interested in something. She’s been getting into dance music recently.
Get into Become involved in something bad or criminal. He got into drugs when he was at university.
Get into Be accepted or admitted into something. She did well and got into Cambridge University.
Get into Become or be accepted as a member of something. He got into the first team for football.
Get into Start a habit or way of acting or behaving. It took me ages to get into driving on the left.
Get into Be small enough to wear something. I couldn’t get into the boots; they were too tight.
Get into Criticize. He got into me for doing it badly.
Get it Be punished or scolded. If you don’t stop that right now, you’ll really get it!
Get it off Have sex. They got it off at the party.
Get it off Have sex with someone. She got it off with her friend’s husband.
Get it on Become interested or excited. The talk was dull and nobody got it on.
Get it on Have sex. Did you two get it on?
Get it on Have sex with someone. Did you get it on with him?
Get it together Control things in your life to achieve your aims. If I don’t get it together, I will never reach my targets.
Get it together Begin a relationship. They only got it together at the very end of the film.
Get it up Become aroused (of a man). He couldn’t get it up and felt very embarrassed.
Get off Escape punishment. He got off on a technicality and left the court a free man.
Get off Leave a bus, train, etc. We got off the bus and walked to my house.
Get off Finish or leave work. I like to get off early on Fridays.
Get off Start a journey. We need to get off early to avoid the rush hour traffic.
Get off Help a baby or child sleep. I can’t get the kids off because of the noise from next door.
Get off Orgasm or have sex. We got off last night.
Get off Manage to fire a gun. She got off a few shots before she was arrested.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get off Stop doing something or leave a place. When it’s time to eat, you need to get off the playground.
Get off To take something from someone. Can I get off a piece of your cookie?
Get off To escape or avoid a punishment or trouble. He was lucky to get off with just a warning.
Get off it To stop bothering someone or leave them alone. Please get off it and let me concentrate on my homework.
Get off on To really enjoy something. She gets off on playing with her favorite toys.
Get off on To feel happy or excited about something. He gets off on riding his bike in the park.
Get off with To not get punished for doing something wrong. He got off with a warning for being late to class.
Get off! To tell someone to stop doing something. Get off! Stop teasing your little brother.
Get on To start or continue doing something. Let’s get on with our math lesson now.
Get on To step onto a vehicle or a mode of transportation. We need to get on the bus to go to the zoo.
Get on To do well or make progress in something. She’s getting on in her piano lessons; soon she’ll play beautifully.
Get on To have a good relationship with someone. I get on with my classmates because we’re all friends.
Get on To grow older or age. My puppy is getting on; soon he’ll be a big dog.
Get on To be almost time for something. It’s getting on, and soon it will be time for lunch.
Get on To be able to wear something. I’m so excited; I can finally get on my new shoes!
Get on To leave or depart from a place. It’s getting late; we should get on and go home.
Get on at To criticize or scold someone unfairly. The teacher always gets on at me for forgetting my homework.
Get on for To be close to a certain time or age. It’s getting on for bedtime; you should start getting ready.
Get on to To realize or figure out something. It took me a while to get on to the solution of the math problem.
Get on with To have a good relationship with someone or continue an activity. I get on with my brother because we always share our toys.
Get on with To continue or resume doing something. Let’s stop talking and get on with our science experiment.
Get onto To begin discussing or talking about something. We need to get onto the topic of our next class project.
Get onto To be elected or appointed to a position. She got onto the student council for being a responsible student.
Get onto To appear or be featured on a TV show or radio program. My friend got onto the news for winning the spelling bee.
Get onto To contact someone for help or assistance. We need to get onto the teacher about rescheduling our class trip.
Get onto To board or enter a vehicle or mode of transportation. We need to get onto the train before it leaves the station.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get out Leave home to socialize or visit a place. She doesn’t get out much now that she has her baby.
Get out Become known despite efforts to keep it secret. The truth got out despite the injunction on reporting the case.
Get out Escape or leave a place. The dog got out because I left the door open.
Get out Retrieve something from storage for use. I got the car out so that we could load up the suitcases.
Get out Remove dirt or unwanted material. I spilled red wine on my carpet and can’t get the stains out.
Get out Publish or make available for the public. We have to get the report out by the end of the month.
Get out Struggle to articulate or express oneself. He was so upset he couldn’t get the words out.
Get out of Avoid doing something unpleasant. I said I wasn’t feeling well and got out of the extra work.
Get out of Leave a vehicle. We got out of the taxi and paid the driver.
Get out of Stop a habitual activity. If you get out of a routine, it can be hard to start again.
Get out of Extract information or a confession from someone. The police couldn’t get any information out of him.
Get out of Obtain something from someone. Did you get a refund out of the travel agency?
Get out of Benefit from something. She’s getting a lot out of her university course.
Get out of Help someone avoid something. I got him out of having to work at the weekend.
Get out! Express disbelief. “I got 100% on the test.” “Get out!”
Get over Recover from an illness or emotional distress. It took me ages to get over the bout of flu.
Get over Solve a problem or overcome an obstacle. It took us a long time to get over the problems with the computer system.
Get over Communicate or convey a message. He makes jokes to help get his message over.
Get over Be surprised or shocked by something. I couldn’t get over how much weight he had put on.
Get over Move to the other side of something. We couldn’t get over the river because of the floods.
Get over Arrive at a place. He said he needed help and asked me to get over as soon as I could.
Get over with Complete something unpleasant rather than prolonging it. I got the test over with rather than worry about it any longer.
Get round Become known to others. I don’t want this to get round, so please keep it to yourself.
Get round Find a solution to a problem or obstacle. We’re nearly ready, but there are a few little problems we have to get round before we finish.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Get round Finally manage to do something. It takes me a long time, but eventually, I finish writing my letters.
Get round Persuade someone. Even though she didn’t want to, I convinced her to let me do it.
Get through Make contact with someone. I tried calling my friend, but I couldn’t reach her on the phone.
Get through Consume. He drinks two bottles of water every day.
Get through Finish something. I have a lot of homework, but I’ll finish it all by the end of the day.
Get through Succeed in an exam or test. I studied hard, and I passed my math test with a good grade.
Get through Help someone succeed or pass a test. My teacher helped me understand the difficult questions, so I passed the exam.
Get through Endure or deal with a difficult experience. Even though it’s hard, we will manage to get through the tough times together.
Get through Be accepted or passed (laws, proposals, etc). If the city council approves the proposal, the new playground will be built.
Get through Manage to pass through or penetrate. The water from the rain got through the roof and made the floor wet.
Get through Make someone understand. I explained the game rules to my friend, but she still didn’t understand.
Get through Make contact, especially by phone. I called my grandma, but I couldn’t talk to her because she didn’t answer the phone.
Get through Reach a stage in a competition. If our soccer team wins the match, we will advance to the finals.
Get to Annoy or irritate. Don’t let your little brother bother you; he’s just being silly.
Get to Arrive at a location or stage in a process. When I arrive at the park, I will play on the swings.
Get to Start discussing a topic. Let’s talk about our favorite animals now, okay?
Get to Have the opportunity to do something. Last summer, I had the chance to go to the zoo and see the animals up close.
Get together Meet socially. Let’s all meet at the playground after school for a game of tag.
Get up Get out of bed. I wake up in the morning and get out of bed to start my day.
Get up Organize or arrange something. The teacher organized all the books neatly on the shelves.
Get up to Do something wrong or naughty. The kids always find a way to cause trouble when they play together.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Ghost away To secretly take someone away. They quietly took him away to a secret place before he could be caught.
Gin up To make something seem more important. The candidates tried to make people think their support was bigger than it really was.
Ginger up To make something more exciting. They tried to make the party more fun so people wouldn’t want to leave.
Give away To give something to someone for free. They’re giving away a free DVD with this magazine.
Give away To accidentally tell a secret. She accidentally told everyone about the surprise party, so it wasn’t a surprise anymore.
Give away To let someone have something for free. He decided to give away his music for free in a magazine.
Give away To lose a point in a game by accident. They gave away two goals in the first half of the game.
Give away To give a baby to someone else to raise. She had to give her baby away because she couldn’t take care of it.
Give away To tell someone’s secret to others. The gang told the police about him, so they gave him away.
Give away To stop fighting or competing. They gave in when they realized they couldn’t win.
Give away To tell someone’s secret to others. She gave away the surprise by accident.
Give away To praise or scold someone strongly. They really praised me for doing well on my test.
Give it up for To show appreciation or clap for someone. Let’s clap for the next performer.
Give it up to To show appreciation or clap for someone. Let’s give a big round of applause for the next performer.
Give of To share or give something without expecting anything back. He gives his time to help others without wanting anything in return.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Give off Let out something bad or smelly. The police stopped the van because it was giving off lots of dirty smoke.
Give off Act in a way that shows a particular feeling. She gives off a feeling of being very important.
Give off Spread out all around. The company is spreading out to different places in the country.
Give off Follow one of many paths in a computer program. A computer program can follow different instructions to do its job.
Give onto Open into a place, like a door opening to a garden. The big windows in our house open onto our backyard.
Give out Share or hand out something. Someone was giving out papers at the train station.
Give out Stop working or stop trying because it’s tired. My old toy finally gave out because it was so old and tired.
Give out Run out of something because you used it all. We couldn’t find water because it gave out after a week in the desert.
Give out Tell everyone about something. They gave out the names of the winners at the end of the game.
Give out Send out something, like smoke from a chimney. The factory gives out a lot of smoke, which isn’t good for the air.
Give out Come to an end, like a path stopping suddenly. The path through the woods gives out halfway around the lake.
Give out Make a noise or sound. She gave out a loud yell when she got scared.
Give out Read something aloud for everyone to hear. He gave out the story for the class to listen to.
Give over Stop doing something that’s annoying or bad. I told my friends to give over making so much noise during class.
Give over Let someone else take charge or responsibility. We gave over the game to someone else because we were tired.
Give over Stop doing something, like a game or activity. The teacher told the class to give over playing with toys and pay attention.
Give over to Spend all your time or effort on something. He gave over all his time to finding his lost pet.
Give over to Let someone else be in charge of something. After the principal left, they gave over control of the school to a new teacher.
Give over! An expression of surprise or disbelief. “You got a puppy for your birthday? Give over! That’s amazing!”
Give up Stop doing something you’re used to doing. I gave up eating candy to keep my teeth healthy.
Give up Stop being friends with someone. She gave up playing with her old friends when she moved to a new school.
Give up Stop trying to do something because it’s too hard. I gave up trying to solve the puzzle because it was too tricky.
Give up Spend time or effort on something special. I gave up my whole weekend to help my friend with their project.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Give up Allow someone to take your place or position. I gave up my seat to a pregnant woman.
Give up Allow or concede a run in baseball pitching. He has given up 14 earned runs in 14 innings.
Give up on Lose faith in or stop believing in something/someone. I gave up on them when I heard what they were saying about me behind my back.
Give up on Stop feeling hope. I have given up on them; they never do what they promise.
Give up to Denounce or report to authorities. He gave his accomplices up to the police.
Give way Stop to allow vehicles to pass. You must give way at this junction.
Give way Collapse or break. The dam gave way when the floods rose.
Give way to Yield, surrender, or retreat. Don’t give way to your worst fears about this.
Give way to Relinquish position or ascendancy. Night gives way to day.
Give way to Be replaced by something better, cheaper, more modern, etc. Cottage industries gave way to the big companies.
Give way to Allow a vehicle to pass in front. You must give way to oncoming traffic.
Give way to Surrender to strong emotions. He gave way to his anger and started screaming at them.
Give yourself up Surrender to the police or authorities. The gang gave themselves up last night.
Give yourself up to Dedicate time, energy, etc., to something. He gave himself up to his job.
Gloss over Try to minimize the importance of something. The Minister tried to gloss over the critical report of her department.
Gnaw at Trouble, worry, or annoy someone. Guilt has gnawed at me ever since I did it.
Gnaw at Harm gradually. The government’s dishonesty has gnawed at people’s trust in politicians.
Gnaw away at Harm gradually. Their behavior has gnawed away at our trust in them.
Go about Deal with something. How should I go about telling her the bad news?
Go about Circulate. A rumor is going about involving the Attorney General.
Go across Move to another side or place. He went across to the opposition.
Go after Chase or try to get. The cat went after the pigeon, but it flew away.
Go against Lose a decision or a verdict of a court. If the decision goes against me, I’ll go bankrupt.
Go ahead Proceed. The construction of the bypass went ahead despite protests from environmentalists.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go ahead Proceed; continue with a plan or action. We now intend to go ahead with the final stage of the project.
Go along with Accept a decision or suggestion. I didn’t really agree, but I went along with the decision because I was in the minority.
Go along with Accompany someone or something. I plan to go along with them as far as Los Angeles.
Go around Circulate; spread or be circulated. A rumor is going around about the Attorney General.
Go around Be or have enough of something. There aren’t enough jobs to go around for all the graduates nowadays.
Go around Visit various places. I went around for dinner at their house.
Go at Attack or approach something vigorously. She went at her dinner like she hadn’t eaten for days.
Go away Leave a place or disappear. This drug should make the pain go away.
Go back Have a long history or relationship. He and I go back a long way; we were at school together.
Go back Return to doing something after a break. We went back to work after the break.
Go back on Break a promise or commitment. The government has gone back on their promise not to raise taxes.
Go before Precede; happen or exist earlier. We can’t ignore what has gone before and pretend that everything has been okay.
Go below Leave the top deck of a ship. The captain told the passengers to go below when the storm started.
Go by The passing of time; elapse. Ten years went by before we saw each other again.
Go by Trust or rely on for correct information. Don’t go by my watch; it’s usually a bit slow.
Go by Pay a short visit or call on someone. Nobody was at home when I went by yesterday.
Go down Decrease or become smaller. The price of scanners has gone down recently.
Go down Sink or submerge, especially a ship. The Titanic went down after it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage.
Go down Sunset; the sun setting. The sun went down at seven o’clock.
Go down Be sent to prison. He went down for ten years for armed robbery.
Go down Become recorded or known as. It went down as the worst day in the history of the company.
Go down Be eaten or swallowed. The medicine went down easily.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go down To fall to the ground. The tree branch went down during the storm.
Go down To occur or happen. They expected something exciting to go down at the party.
Go down To stop working, especially referring to technology. The internet connection went down for several hours.
Go down To become dimmer or decrease in brightness. As the sun set, the light in the room went down gradually.
Go down To be received, usually in terms of reactions. His speech went down well with the audience, receiving applause.
Go down on To perform oral sex. She went down on him to please him.
Go down to To be defeated, often in a competition or match. The underdog team went down to the reigning champions.
Go down with To fall ill or become sick. She went down with a severe case of the flu.
Go down with To find acceptance or approval. The new policy didn’t go down well with the employees.
Go for To attack or lunge towards someone or something. The cat went for the mouse as soon as it saw it.
Go for To be attracted to or interested in something. He tends to go for adventurous activities on weekends.
Go for To choose or select something. I think I’ll go for the pasta dish for dinner tonight.
Go for To try to obtain or achieve something. She decided to go for the promotion despite the competition.
Go for To have positive attributes or qualities. The new car model doesn’t have much going for it in terms of fuel efficiency.
Go for To serve as or be used as something. The versatile jacket can go for both casual and formal occasions.
Go for it To be assertive and take action. Despite the risks, she decided to go for it and start her own business.
Go forth To leave a place, typically for a specific purpose. He went forth into the wilderness to find peace and solitude.
Go forth To travel abroad or venture out. They went forth on a journey to explore new cultures.
Go forward To advance or progress. The project is expected to go forward despite the setbacks.
Go forward To move clocks ahead, typically referring to daylight saving time. Don’t forget to go forward the clocks this weekend.
Go in To enter a place or space. The cat went in through the open window.
Go in To fit or be inserted into something. The key goes in the lock to open the door.
Go in To disappear or become obscured. The moon went in behind the clouds, darkening the night sky.
Go in To attack or assault. The soldiers went in and captured the enemy stronghold.
Go in for To participate in or pursue a particular activity. He decided to go in for the marathon to challenge himself.
Go in for To support or advocate for something. She doesn’t go in for the new diet trend; she prefers traditional methods.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go in for Have an interest in or pursue. He goes in for classical music; it’s his favorite genre.
Go in for Make a career choice or pursue a profession. Have you thought about going in for teaching?
Go in with Form a union or alliance with someone or a group. They’re going in with the Social Democrats for the upcoming election.
Go in with Join or enter into something with another person. Ask the other to go in with them on the plan; it’s better with a partner.
Go into Discuss or delve into something in detail. They refused to go into exactly what was wrong with the project.
Go into Enter or begin a profession, trade, or market. She went into banking after finishing university.
Go into Begin a speech or description with depth. He went into a long attack on the media’s handling of the issue during his speech.
Go into Be dedicated or devoted to something. A lot of time and effort went into writing this book.
Go into Be contained or divisible within a larger number. Five goes into sixty twelve times; it’s a simple division.
Go it Behave recklessly or boldly. Shouting at the boss like that is really going it; it’s not wise.
Go it Move or drive very fast. After the traffic jam, he really went it to make up time on the highway.
Go it alone Do something without assistance or support. He prefers to go it alone rather than collaborate with the team.
Go off Explode (bomb) or start ringing (alarm). The fire alarm went off because someone was smoking in the toilets.
Go off Spoil or become rotten (food). The milk went off because I forgot to put it in the fridge.
Go off Start to dislike someone or something. I went off her when she lied to me about her whereabouts.
Go off Leave a place or depart suddenly. Please don’t go off until we’ve sorted out this misunderstanding.
Go off Take place or occur according to plan. The party went off well despite the initial rain.
Go off Cease to function (electric/electronic equipment). The lights go off automatically when the office is empty to save energy.
Go off with Elope or run away with someone secretly. She went off with her friend’s husband, causing a scandal in the neighborhood.
Go off with Steal something. He went off with my credit cards when I left my wallet unattended.
Go on Continue doing something. He went on and on talking about his vacation, but I was too bored to listen.
Go on Happen or occur. What’s going on? There are loads of people out in the street.
Go on Start using or taking something. She went on the pill when she met her boyfriend to prevent pregnancy.
Go on Be guided or rely on something for information. The investigators have no clues to go on in the murder case.
Go on Be nearly a certain period of time. It’s going on ten years since we first met; time flies.
Go on Make progress or advance. They asked me how the project was going on, and I told them it was progressing smoothly.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go on Use up money. Most of my salary gets used up for my mortgage repayments.
Go on Start functioning (for electronic devices). The alarm starts functioning when you close the front door.
Go on about Talk excessively. He’s always rambling on about his kids.
Go on at Nag persistently. He kept nagging at his parents until they bought him the game.
Go on to Move forward to the next step. After dinner, we moved forward to visit a few bars.
Go on with Continue with an activity. Please continue with your work.
Go one Offer encouragement. Come on, apply for the job!
Go out Stop burning or shining. The candle stopped burning and left us in darkness.
Go out Leave a place. He left the house last night.
Go out Participate in a strike. The workers participated in a strike for better pay.
Go out Become unfashionable or obsolete. That style of tie became unfashionable last year.
Go out Recede, as water in a tide. The tide recedes in the evening.
Go out Be eliminated from a competition. England was eliminated in the second round of the tournament.
Go out Be broadcasted or transmitted. The news story was broadcasted yesterday.
Go out Be sent or distributed. The newsletter was sent out last night.
Go out Have an intention or purpose. I didn’t mean to offend them.
Go out for Apply for a position or role. She applied for a position on the team.
Go out to Express sympathy or condolences. Our sympathies go out to all the families affected by the tragedy.
Go out with Date or be in a relationship with. He’s been dating his girlfriend for around six months now.
Go over Review or examine something. Let’s review our notes before the exam.
Go over Visit someone or something. I visited her on Friday night since I hadn’t seen her for a while.
Go over Be successful or approved. My plans were successful.
Go over Explain or review something. Can you explain that point again, please?
Go over Clean or inspect something thoroughly. I thoroughly cleaned the living room before they arrived.
Go over to Travel to a different place. I’m traveling to Hong Kong next month.
Go over to Convert or switch to something different. She converted to Islam when she lived in the Middle East.
Go over to Change allegiance or preference. I used to prefer beer, but now I’ve switched to wine.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go past Move beyond without stopping. She walked past me without saying hello.
Go round Be sufficient or available. There aren’t enough jobs to go round for everyone graduating nowadays.
Go round Spread or circulate. There’s a rumor going round about them.
Go round Visit someone’s place. I went round to their house last night.
Go through Undergo or experience. You wouldn’t believe what I went through when I was sick!
Go through Review or examine again. I went through my notes before the exam.
Go through Search thoroughly. I went through my desk looking for the letter.
Go through Follow established procedures. You need to go through the proper channels to get approval.
Go through Explain thoroughly or in detail. He went through his ideas twice, but I still didn’t understand them.
Go through Be officially approved. My divorce went through last week.
Go through Pass or enter a place or process. They said I could go through the exam room.
Go through Consume or use up. We went through a lot of money on our holiday.
Go through Perform or complete a task. I went through my work in a daze after hearing the news.
Go through with Follow through on a plan or promise. He did promise, but I doubt he’ll go through with it.
Go to Allocated or directed towards something. About half of my income goes to paying the mortgage.
Go together Match or be compatible. Drinking and driving don’t go together.
Go towards Contribute or be used for something. The money went towards my university fees.
Go under Become bankrupt. Many small shops are going under because they can’t compete with supermarkets.
Go under Lose consciousness. She went under after they gave her the anesthesia.
Go under Sink below the surface. The ship went under during the storm.
Go up Increase or rise. The price of petrol has gone up due to higher government taxes.
Go up Approach or ascend. We went up and asked them for directions.
Go up Be built or constructed. Skyscrapers are going up rapidly in the city center.

 

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go up Rise or ascend. A huge cheer went up when the president arrived.
Go up Be promoted or advance. The top three teams go up at the end of the season.
Go up to Approach or move towards. She went up to him and asked if he wanted a drink.
Go up to Attend or enroll at. She went up to Cambridge after finishing secondary school.
Go up to Reach a certain point or level. The book only goes up to the start of the Second World War.
Go with Match or complement. Does this tie go with my shirt?
Go with Accompany or come along with. A lot of benefits go with the job.
Go with Agree or conform to. We’re going with our original plan in the end.
Go with Date or be in a relationship with. She’s been going with him since university.
Go without Lack or be deprived of something. I had to go without lunch today because I didn’t have time.
Go without Manage or cope without something. They’re not coming, so we’ll have to go without their help.
Goof around Play or act silly. We spent the weekend goofing around.
Goof off Waste time or avoid work. We goofed off for the afternoon to watch the match.
Goof up Make a mistake or mess up. They goofed up our plans.
Grasp at Attempt to seize or grasp something quickly. He grasped at the rail when he fell.
Grasp at Seize or take advantage of an opportunity eagerly. They grasped at the chance to speak to her.
Grass on Inform on or report someone to authorities. He grassed on us and got us into a lot of trouble.
Grass up Inform on or report someone to authorities. She didn’t want to grass them up, even though they’d been bullying her badly.
Grey out Disable or make unavailable (in computing context). They greyed out the print button to prevent people from using it.
Grind away Work persistently or laboriously. Although I hated it, I ground away until I finished.
Grind down Wear down or diminish someone’s morale. Their negativity grinds me down.
Grind into Crush or press something firmly into another surface. She ground her cigarette into the ashtray.
Grind on Continue or persist, often tediously. The war ground on for years.
Grind on Talk or complain incessantly about something. He was still grinding on about football when we left.
Grind out Produce or create something laboriously. I find it hard to grind out an original essay every week.
Grind up Crush or break something into small pieces. She ground the beans up and made some coffee.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Grow apart Become distant and stop having a close relationship. We used to be close friends in school, but over time, we’ve grown apart.
Grow away from Become less friendly with someone. I’ve grown away from many of the people I grew up with.
Grow back Regrow or grow again. Nails grow back quickly after you cut them.
Grow from Result from a process or situation. A lot of progress grew from the peace talks.
Grow into Mature or change into something over time. She’s grown into a lovely person.
Grow into Develop or change over time to fit something. You will grow into the job eventually, even if it seems difficult at first.
Grow on Begin to like something that you didn’t like at first. The painting has grown on me; I used to dislike it.
Grow on Have a greater influence or degree of acceptance over time. The plans sounded strange initially, but they’ve grown on me.
Grow on Become gradually more evident or noticeable. A feeling of distrust of them grew on me.
Grow out Let hair, etc., with dyes or perms grow to remove the style. I’m letting the perm grow out.
Grow out of Grow too large for clothes or lose interest as you mature. He grew out of those shoes quickly, and he also grew out of computer games.
Grow out of Result or develop from a particular situation or experience. The idea for the film grew out of an accident that happened to the director.
Grow to Eventually come to like or appreciate something. We grew to like the neighborhood after spending some time there.
Grow together Gradually become attached, united, or close to each other. We grew together while working on the same project.
Grow up Mature or become an adult. He grew up in the West Country.
Grow up Arise or emerge, especially quickly. The industry grew up very quickly.
Grow up Develop in a place or for a particular reason. The town grew up as a trading post.
Grow up on Experience or have something regularly during childhood. We grew up on cartoons.
Grow upon Begin to like something more over time. The book started slowly, but it has grown upon me.
Grow upon Have a greater influence or acceptance as time goes on. As we got closer to the meeting date, their idea grew upon me.
Gun for Try to destroy or defeat an opponent. He’s gunning for his rivals at work.
Gussy up Dress smartly or improve the appearance of something. They spent a fortune gussying up the house before the party.

Dictionary Of Phrasal Verbs

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