SOME IMPORTANT PHRASAL VERBS

Bank on	base your hopes on someone/something	Don't forget the date. I'm banking on your help.
Beef up	improve, make more substantial	He beefed up his presentation with diagrams and statistics.
Black out	faint, lose consciousness	When he fell off the horse he blacked out.
Block off	Separate using a barrier.	The area was blocked off during the demonstration.
Blow up	1) explode;	1) The terrorists said the bomb would blow up at 9 o'clock.
	2) be destroyed by an explosion	2) The car blew up but luckily there was nobody in it.
Boil down to	be summarized as	The problem boils down to a lack of money.
Boot up	start a computer by loading an operating system or program.	Just give my a few minutes to boot up the computer.
Break away	escape from captivity	A few horses broke away from the paddock.
Break down	1) go out of order, cease to function	1) Nitish's car broke down so he had to take the bus.
	2) lose control of one's emotions	2) The parents broke down when they heard the bad news.
Break into	enter by force	Burglars broke into the house around midnight.
Break out	start suddenly	Rioting broke out as a result of the strike.
Break out of	escape from a place by force	Three prisoners broke out of jail.
Break up	come to an end (marriage, relationship)	After her marriage broke up, Seema went to live in London.
Bring up	raise (a child)	She stopped working in order to bring up her children.
Brush up on	improve, refresh one's knowledge of something	Meena had to brush up on her English before going to America.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
Abide by	respect or obey. (the law, a decision, a rule)	If you want to stay at this school, you must abide by the rules.
Account for	explain, give a reason	I hope you can account for the money you spent!
Add up	make sense, seem reasonable	Her story just doesn't add up.
Advise against	recommend not doing something	The doctor advised him against carrying heavy loads.
Agree with	have the same opinion as somebody else.	I agree with you. I think she deserves the award too.
Aim at	point something in the direction of a target	The policeman aimed his gun at the hijacker.
Allow for	take into consideration, include in a calculation	You'd better leave early to allow for traffic jams.
Appeal to	1) plead or make an earnest request	1) The organizers appealed to the crowd to stay calm.
	2) be attractive or interesting	2) A trekking holiday doesn't appeal to me.
Apply for	make a formal request for something, (job, permit, loan etc.)	He applied for the job he saw advertised in the newspaper.
Avail (oneself) of	take advantage of something (an opportunity)	When the company is privatized, you should avail yourself of the opportunity and buy some shares.
Back away	move backwards, in fear or dislike	When he saw the dog, he backed away.
Back down	withdraw, concede defeat	Local authorities backed down on their plans to demolish the building.
Back up	1) give support or encouragement	1) If I tell the boss we've got too much work, will you back me up?
	2) make a copy of (file, program, etc.)	2) It is recommended to back up all files in a secure location.
Bail out	1) pay money to secure someone's release	1) When he was arrested, his family refused to bail him out.
	2) rescue from financial difficulties	2) The government bailed out the bank.