47 phrasal verbs and their one-word

substitutions
Date published April 23, 2015 by Shane Bryson. Date updated: March 27, 2017

The following is a list of commonly deployed phrasal verbs that find one use or another in
academic texts. These (and others) can be acceptably used in academic texts. Along with these
examples, however, are a number of one-word substitutions to illustrate that in each case the
phrasal verb can be easily replaced.

As you look through the substitutions, be aware that phrasal verbs (like other verbs) often have
more than one definition and more than one context of proper use.

This flexibility means that although these substitutions work for the examples given, and
although the examples are common uses of phrasal verbs, a suggested replacement will not cover
every possible use of its phrasal verb.

Separable
Note: If it uses a pronoun, the separable phrasal verb must be separated (e.g. “He added up the
number” but “He added it up”).

Phrasal verbs Example uses Definitions and

Replacements

Add up James added up the number of affirmative calculate

responses.

Buy out The large company bought out the smaller. purchase (someone’s assets)

Buy up The business’s assets were bought up in the purchase (all of something)
auction.

Call off The order was to call off the strike immediately. cancel

Carry on The meeting will carry on in your absence. continue

Carry out Sam carried out the research because Jimmy execute
couldn’t find the time.
 Phrasal verbs Example uses Definitions and
Replacements

Cut out Because the subsection was not directly relevant excise
to the rest of the paper, Randal had to cut it out.

Find out The purpose of the literature review is find discover

out what has been said on the topic.

Get (it) over with (must be split) Isa and the other participants were happy complete
to get the laborious questionnaire over with.

Get across Lars’s paper has too many grammatical mistakes, communicate
meaning he couldn’t get his message across.

Give up The outnumbered forces would not give up. surrender

Hold up When deadlines approach, a student cannot let delay

anything hold up the completion of an
assignment.

Leave out The witness left out a number of important omit

details.

Make up We asked participants to make up a scenario in fabricate

which they would be content.

Make out In the darkness he could not make out the size see
of the camp.

Pass up We could not pass up this opportunity to forgo

collaborate.

Pass on The common flu can be passed on through transmit

saliva.

Pass out Our research assistants passed out four-hundred distribute

surveys to a random sample of shoppers.
 Phrasal verbs Example uses Definitions and
Replacements

Pick up This study picks Dekker’s research up where he resume

left it.

Point out Hendriks (2010) points out that such a study explain
might be useful.

Set up The equipment’s sensitivity meant we had arrange

to set it up with utmost care.

Turn down Regretfully, the board must turn down a number reject
of applicants every year.

Use up The campers were thirsty after they used up the exhaust
last of the water.

Inseparable
Phrasal verbs Example uses Definitions and
Replacements

Back out of Several subjects backed out of their treatment. abandon

Bear on Foucault’s writings still bear on contemporary thought about prison. influence

Catch up with It will take some time for our newer coal mines to catch up with our older equal
ones.

Call on I call on the work of other contemporary thinkers. utilize

Call for The act of aggression called for immediate response. necessitate

Count on The question is, should a citizen be able to count on its government to rely on
preserve free access to clean water?
Phrasal verbs Example uses Definitions and
Replacements

Cut down on Practiced writers cut down on unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. reduce

Come up with Hannah had to come up with a way to isolate the variable. invent

Fall apart The board of directors fell apart. disintegrate

Get away Several of them sought to get away from the cold winter night. escape

Get along with They commonly exaggerated the degree to which the indigenous tribes would be friendly with
not get along with one another.

Give in After a long pause for thought, he gave in to the demands. yield

Go on Bakker went on to win a prestigious award. continue

Hold on to Sven tried everything, but could not hold on to his youth. keep

Hold out Bram would hold out until morning when the supplies arrived. wait

Hold out on Napoleon would not tolerate his generals holding out on him. hide (something)

Look into We have a hypothesis, but we must look into other possible explanations for research
the phenomenon.

Look out for Among 50 respondents who regularly walk home from work in the middle of safeguard against
the night, 45 indicated looking out for criminals.

Make sure of To print the name of interviewee, an author must make sure of the ensure
interviewee’s consent.

Pick up on The data show various relationships that we had not picked up on. notice

Put up with The country will put up with a certain number of economic sanctions. tolerate
Phrasal verbs Example uses Definitions and
Replacements

See to The custodian would see to the security of the building. arrange

Take after This new state takes after its regional neighbours. resemble

Touch on At the beginning of his speech, Finn found it necessary to touch on the mention
circumstances of the event.