The phrasal verbs that come up constantly in meetings, emails and everyday workplace English, with professional example sentences.
Formal business English isn't only about avoiding phrasal verbs, it's about knowing which ones are standard professional usage. "Follow up," "carry out" and "set up" are used constantly in real workplace communication, at every level of seniority. This list focuses specifically on the phrasal verbs you'll actually hear in meetings, emails and reports.
For the full grammar behind phrasal verbs, see our complete Phrasal Verbs grammar guide, and for structured workplace English training, see our Business English courses.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| follow up | to take further action after an initial step | I'll follow up with the client next week. |
| carry out | to perform or complete (a task, plan) | We carried out a full review of the process. |
| set up | to establish or arrange | Let's set up a call for Thursday. |
| take over | to assume control or responsibility | She's taking over the project next month. |
| bring forward | to move to an earlier time | Can we bring the deadline forward a week? |
| look into | to investigate | I'll look into the budget discrepancy. |
| work out | to calculate, resolve, or succeed | We worked out a new pricing structure. |
| roll out | to launch or introduce broadly | The company is rolling out a new system next quarter. |
| scale up / down | to increase / decrease in size or scope | We plan to scale up production next year. |
| sign off (on) | to give final approval | The director signed off on the budget. |
| draw up | to prepare (a document, plan) | Our lawyer will draw up the contract. |
| iron out | to resolve minor problems or details | We need to iron out a few details before signing. |
| touch base | to make brief contact to update each other | Let's touch base again on Friday. |
| step down | to resign from a position | The CEO stepped down after ten years. |
| step up | to increase effort or take more responsibility | The team stepped up to meet the deadline. |
| wrap up | to finish or conclude | Let's wrap up the meeting by 3pm. |
| go ahead (with) | to proceed | We've decided to go ahead with the proposal. |
| cut back (on) | to reduce spending or usage | The company cut back on travel expenses. |
| lay off | to dismiss employees, usually due to reduced need | The firm laid off 200 staff last year. |
| fill in (for) | to temporarily replace someone | Can you fill in for me while I'm on leave? |
| hand over | to transfer responsibility or control | She handed over the account to her successor. |
| put forward | to propose or suggest | He put forward an interesting proposal. |
| break even | to reach a point of neither profit nor loss | We expect to break even by the third quarter. |
| branch out | to expand into new areas | The company is branching out into new markets. |
| chase up | to follow up in order to get a response | Could you chase up the invoice with accounts? |
| account for | to explain or represent a proportion | Marketing costs account for 20% of the budget. |
| build on | to develop further using something as a base | Let's build on last quarter's success. |
| bring in | to introduce or generate (revenue, expertise) | The new client brought in significant revenue. |
| close down | to shut permanently | The factory closed down last year. |
| come up with | to think of an idea or plan | The team came up with a creative solution. |
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