50 Common Phrasal Verbs for Work (with Examples)

Introduction to Common Phrasal Verbs for Work

Phrasal verbs for work are everywhere in professional English, like emails, meetings, performance reviews, sales calls, you name it. Mastering them helps you sound natural, efficient, and confident at work.

We're going to talk about 50 common business phrasal verbs with precise meanings and workplace phrasal verbs examples you can reuse in real life. Use the lists, copy the patterns, and test yourself at the end for practice.

How to use this guide

• Skim the sections most relevant to your job role (like meetings, deadlines, teamwork).
• Notice the verb + particle pattern and where the object goes.
• Recycle the example sentences in your emails and meetings.

Communication & Emailing

1. follow up (on) — check progress or request an update after a previous action, ensuring that something is completed or addressed.
   I’ll follow up on the invoice tomorrow.
   She promised to follow up with the client after the meeting.
   Make sure to follow up on the email so they don’t forget.
2. get back (to someone) — reply to someone’s message, question, or request after some time, usually once you have the needed information.
   Thanks for your message. I’ll get back to you this afternoon.
   I’ll get back to you once I’ve confirmed the details.
   Can you get back to me before the end of the day?
3. bring up — introduce a topic or issue for discussion, often during a meeting or conversation.
   Shall we bring up the budget issue in AOB?
   He brought up an interesting point about sustainability.
   Let’s not bring up the past; it’s not helpful right now.
4. spell out — explain something clearly and in detail so that everyone understands it fully.
   Could you spell out the new travel policy for the team?
   The teacher spelled out the assignment instructions carefully.
   I’ll spell out exactly what you need to do step by step.
5. point out — highlight or draw attention to something important, often to correct or clarify.
   I need to point out a risk in the contract.
   She pointed out that the report contained several errors.
   It’s worth pointing out that our competitors already use this method.
6. run through — review or practise something quickly, often to check or prepare.
   Let me run through the action items before we finish.
   We’ll run through the presentation one more time before the client meeting.
   Can you run through the main points again for me?
7. fill in — provide missing information or temporarily take someone’s place.
   Please fill in the form by Friday. / Jaya will fill in while I’m away.
   Could you fill in your contact details here, please?
   Sam is filling in for the manager this week while she’s on leave.
8. tone down — make something less strong, direct, or offensive, especially in writing or speech.
   We should tone down the language in the client email.
   He toned down his speech after receiving feedback from the team.
   Let’s tone down the colours in the design, they’re too bright.

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Meetings & Collaboration

9. set up — arrange or organise something such as a meeting, event, or system in preparation for action.
   Can you set up a call with procurement?
   I’ll set up a shared folder for all the project files.
   They’re setting up a new office in Manchester next month.
10. kick off — start or launch something, especially a meeting, event, or project, often in an energetic or formal way.
    We’ll kick off at 09:30—please join five minutes early.
    The campaign will kick off with a press release next week.
    Let’s kick off the session with some quick introductions.
11. chip in — contribute to a discussion, task, or shared cost, usually informally.
    Feel free to chip in if you’ve got ideas.
    Everyone chipped in a few pounds for the leaving gift.
    She rarely speaks, but when she does chip in, it’s always valuable.
12. shut down — stop or close something completely, whether it’s a discussion, event, or system.
    Let’s shut down that thread and move on.
    The IT team will shut down the servers for maintenance tonight.
    He shut down the debate before anyone could respond.
13. speak up — express an opinion clearly and confidently, especially when others are silent or unsure.
    Please speak up if something isn’t clear.
    She finally spoke up about the issue during the meeting.
    Don’t be afraid to speak up when you disagree.
14. build on — use existing work, ideas, or success as a foundation to develop or expand further.
    We can build on last quarter’s campaign.
    The new strategy builds on the lessons learned from last year.
    Let’s build on this momentum and push for even better results.
15. sum up — summarise or review the key points or conclusions of a discussion or event.
    To sum up, we’ll test, measure, and iterate.
    He summed up the presentation in three main points.
    I’ll sum up the key takeaways before we finish today.

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Planning, Projects & Deadlines

16. draw up — create or prepare an official document, plan, or agreement in a formal way.
    Legal will draw up the NDA by Thursday.
    They’re drawing up a new contract for the supplier.
    Let’s draw up a detailed plan before we begin the project.
17. map out — plan something carefully and in detail, often over a period of time.
    Let’s map out the Q4 content calendar.
    We spent the afternoon mapping out our marketing strategy.
    She mapped out her career goals for the next five years.
18. line up — arrange, schedule, or secure people, resources, or activities in preparation for something.
    We’ve lined up three beta testers already.
    The organiser lined up several guest speakers for the event.
    They’re lining up investors for the next funding round.
19. lay out — present or organise information, ideas, or objects clearly and logically.
    Could you lay out the milestones by week?
    The designer laid out the brochure beautifully.
    He laid out his argument in a clear and structured way.
20. hold up — cause a delay or stop progress temporarily.
    The supplier’s approval held up the shipment.
    Heavy traffic held us up on the way to the airport.
    The project was held up due to a missing signature.
21. slip by — pass or go by unnoticed or quickly, often referring to time.
    Two weeks slipped by and we still hadn’t launched.
    The summer holidays slipped by faster than expected.
    I didn’t realise how quickly the deadline had slipped by.
22. catch up — reach the same standard, level, or progress as someone or something else.
    We need to catch up with the competitor’s features.
    I’ll catch up on my emails later tonight.
    She missed a few classes but quickly caught up with the rest of the group.

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Teamwork, Management & People

23. back up — support someone or something, or make a copy of important data or files to prevent loss.
    I’ll back you up in the steering meeting.
    Please back up your files before updating the system.
    The report backs up our recommendation with solid data.
24. hand over — transfer control, responsibility, or ownership of something to another person or team.
    Let’s hand over the account to Customer Success.
    She handed over her duties before leaving for holiday.
    The outgoing manager officially handed over to her replacement yesterday.
25. step in — intervene or take action to help, manage, or resolve a problem or situation.
    The COO stepped in to resolve the dispute.
    I had to step in when the discussion got too heated.
    The teacher stepped in to prevent the argument from escalating.
26. roll out — introduce or launch a product, service, or system to users or staff in stages.
    We’ll roll out the new onboarding next week.
    The company rolled out its updated app across all regions.
    They’re planning to roll out the new training programme next month.
27. look after — take care of someone or something; be responsible for maintaining or managing it.
    I’ll look after onboarding for new hires.
    Can you look after the clients while I’m away?
    She looks after all the company’s social media accounts.
28. bring in — hire, include, or involve someone or something for a specific purpose or expertise.
    We’re bringing in a consultant for the audit.
    The campaign brought in thousands of new customers.
    They brought in new policies to improve workplace safety.
29. turn down — reject or refuse an offer, request, or suggestion politely or formally.
    They turned down our proposal on pricing.
    She turned down the job offer because it was too far away.
    The board turned down the idea after reviewing the costs.

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Performance, Targets & Finance

30. scale up — increase the size, capacity, or scope of an operation, project, or activity to handle greater demand or achieve growth.
    We’re ready to scale up production.
    The company plans to scale up its operations across Asia next year.
    Once we prove the model works, we can scale up quickly.
31. cut back (on) — reduce the amount, size, or cost of something, especially to save money or resources.
    We must cut back on non-essential expenses.
    They’ve cut back on travel to lower carbon emissions.
    The school had to cut back on staff due to budget cuts.
32. break down — separate or divide something into smaller, more manageable parts; or stop functioning properly.
    Let’s break down costs by region.
    The server broke down at 3 a.m.
    She broke down the data to identify key trends.
33. pay off — bring successful results after effort; or finish repaying a debt completely.
    The rebrand paid off with higher conversions.
    All their hard work finally paid off when they won the contract.
    He paid off his student loan after ten years.
34. zero in (on) — focus attention or effort closely on a specific target, detail, or goal.
    Let’s zero in on the top three KPIs.
    The team zeroed in on the main cause of the problem.
    We need to zero in on our most profitable customer segments.
35. iron out — smooth over or resolve minor issues, difficulties, or disagreements before completion.
    We’ll iron out the remaining bugs before launch.
    They met to iron out the final details of the partnership.
    Let’s iron out any confusion before presenting to the client.
36. cash in on — take advantage of or profit from a situation, opportunity, or trend.
    We can cash in on the seasonal demand.
    Several brands are cashing in on the fitness craze.
    He cashed in on his popularity by launching a new product line.

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Operations, Sales & Customer Work

37. reach out (to) — contact or communicate with someone, usually to offer help, request information, or build a connection.
    I’ll reach out to the supplier for samples.
    She reached out to former clients to share the new pricing plans.
    If you need assistance, feel free to reach out to our support team.
38. follow through (on) — continue an action or plan until it is completed successfully.
    Please follow through on the onboarding checklist.
    He rarely follows through on his ideas, which causes delays.
    Make sure we follow through on the commitments made in the meeting.
39. close down — stop operations temporarily or permanently, especially for businesses, websites, or systems.
    That site will close down during maintenance.
    The restaurant closed down after 20 years of service.
    They had to close down production due to a shortage of materials.
40. look into — examine, research, or investigate something carefully to understand or solve a problem.
    We’ll look into the duplicate charges.
    The HR team is looking into the complaints received last week.
    Can you look into new suppliers for office equipment?
41. carry out — perform, execute, or complete a task, plan, or procedure.
    QA will carry out the security tests.
    The researchers carried out a survey across 10 cities.
    We need to carry out a full risk assessment before proceeding.
42. put off — delay or postpone something to a later time; or discourage or make someone lose interest.
    Let’s put off the demo until Friday.
    Extra steps put customers off from completing the purchase.
    Don’t put off your goals because of temporary setbacks.
43. set aside — reserve or save something, such as time, money, or resources, for a specific purpose.
    We’ve set aside time for training.
    She set aside some funds for future investments.
    Set aside half an hour tomorrow to review the project plan.

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Hiring, HR & Training

44. bring on — recruit or hire someone to join a company or team, often to add new skills or capacity.
    We want to bring on two SDRs this quarter.
    They brought on a new marketing manager to lead the campaign.
    We’re planning to bring on extra support during the busy season.
45. screen out — eliminate or reject someone or something that does not meet specific criteria.
    The ATS will screen out incomplete applications.
    The filters screen out spam emails before they reach your inbox.
    During interviews, we screen out candidates who lack communication skills.
46. take on — accept responsibility, a challenge, or new work; or hire someone for a role.
    We can’t take on another project yet.
    We’ll take on two interns for the summer programme.
    She’s taking on more leadership duties this quarter.
47. try out — test or experiment with something to see how well it works or performs.
    Let’s try out a shorter interview task.
    We’re trying out a new onboarding tool this month.
    He tried out several approaches before finding the right solution.
48. brush up (on) — review or refresh existing knowledge or skills, often before an event or test.
    I’m brushing up on Excel before training.
    She brushed up on her French before the business trip.
    You should brush up on the company policies before your first day.
49. work on — spend time improving, developing, or progressing with a skill, task, or project.
    She’s working on her presentation skills.
    We’re working on a proposal for the new client.
    He needs to work on his time management to meet deadlines.
50. stand in (for) — temporarily replace or act on behalf of someone else.
    I’ll stand in for the Head of Marketing next week.
    She stood in for her manager during the conference.
    Can you stand in for me at tomorrow’s meeting?

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Glossary

• phrasal verb (n.) — a verb + particle (e.g., look into) with a specific meaning.
• particle (n.) — a short word (preposition/adverb) used with a verb in a phrasal verb (e.g., up, out, off).
• register (n.) — the level of formality in language use.
• collocation (n.) — words that commonly go together (e.g., set up a meeting).
• object (n.) — the person/thing affected by the verb (e.g., spell it out).
• AOB (abbr.) — “Any Other Business” in meeting agendas.
• KPI (abbr.) — Key Performance Indicator; a measurable target.

Workplace Phrasal Verbs Practice Worksheet

Focus: Business English: Common Phrasal Verbs in the Workplace
Level: Intermediate–Upper Intermediate
Goal: Improve your ability to recognise and use phrasal verbs naturally in professional contexts.

Answers are at the end. Good luck :)

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. We should ______ the launch until the new assets are ready.
A) carry out  B) put off  C) cash in on  D) sum up

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2. The HR team will ______ a new training system next month.
A) roll out  B) turn down  C) brush up  D) shut down

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3. Let’s ______ the marketing plan before presenting it to management.
A) go over  B) hand over  C) point out  D) zero in on

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4. Which phrasal verb means “plan in detail”?
A) map out  B) break down  C) follow up  D) shut down

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5. The company wants to ______ two new designers this quarter.
A) bring in  B) sum up  C) set aside  D) look after

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Part 2: True or False

6. “Bring in” can mean to involve an expert or hire someone.
→ True / False

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7. “Shut down” means to open something new.
→ True / False

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8. “Look into” means to investigate a problem or issue.
→ True / False

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Part 3: Sentence Completion

9. The finance team will ______ the data before publishing the report.
(Answer: go through / check over)

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10. Let’s ______ the client’s feedback to see what changes are needed.
(Answer: look into / follow up on)

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Part 4: Choose the Most Natural Sentence

11.
A) I will get to back you by 5.
B) I will get back to you by 5.
C) I will back to get you by 5.
D) I will get you back by 5.

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12.
A) We’ll follow through the report tomorrow.
B) We’ll follow the report through tomorrow.
C) We’ll follow through on the report tomorrow.
D) We’ll follow on through the report tomorrow.

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Part 5: Short Answer / Production

13. Write your own sentence using iron out in a work context.
Example: We need to iron out the final issues before the product release.

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14. Use catch up in a sentence about communication.
Example: Let’s catch up next week to review the new campaign.

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15. Use tone down in a sentence about workplace communication.
Example: We should tone down the email—it sounds too aggressive.

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Part 6: Challenge Section

16. Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verb:

a) The CEO asked us to ______ the proposal by Monday. (complete / execute)

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b) We can ______ this opportunity to grow our brand. (take advantage of)

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c) It’s time to ______ production to meet increasing demand. (expand / increase capacity)

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d) Please ______ the old data before uploading the new version. (remove / delete)

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e) The manager will ______ the issue personally if it continues. (intervene)

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Answer Key

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. B — put off
2. A — roll out
3. A — go over
4. A — map out
5. A — bring in

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Part 2: True / False
6. True
7. False
8. True

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Part 3: Sentence Completion
9. go through (or check over) — The finance team will go through the data before publishing the report.
10. look into (or follow up on) — Let’s look into the client’s feedback to see what changes are needed.

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Part 4: Choose the Most Natural Sentence
11. B — I will get back to you by 5.
12. C — We’ll follow through on the report tomorrow.

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Part 5: Short Answer / Production (model answers)
13. iron out — We need to iron out the final issues before the product release.
14. catch up — Let’s catch up next week to review the new campaign.
15. tone down — We should tone down the email; it sounds too strong for the client.

(Accept natural, grammatically correct variations with the same phrasal verbs.)

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Part 6: Challenge Section (fill-in)
16a. carry out — The CEO asked us to carry out the proposal by Monday.
16b. cash in on — We can cash in on this opportunity to grow our brand.
16c. scale up — It’s time to scale up production to meet demand.
16d. clear out — Please clear out the old data before uploading the new version.
16e. step in — The manager will step in personally if it continues.