16 Common Business Phrasal Verbs

First Business English know that in business English, phrasal verbs are very common. A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb (or both) that creates a meaning different from the original verb. Using phrasal verbs in the right context helps you sound more natural and fluent in business situations. In this First Business English article we present 16 useful business phrasal verbs, with definitions and example phrases to help you get started.

Phrasal Verbs and Examples

1. Set Up – to start a business
    “We set up the company in 2018.”

2. Take Over – to assume control of something
   “A larger company took over our department last year.”

3. Look Into – to investigate
   “The manager will look into the issue tomorrow.”

4. Go Over – to review or check
   “Let’s go over the figures before the meeting.”

5. Call Off – to cancel
   “They called off the project due to lack of funding.”

6. Put Off – to postpone
   “Can we put off the meeting until next week?”

7. Carry Out – to complete a task
   “The team carried out a customer survey.”

8. Come Up With – to invent or think of
   “She came up with a great idea for the campaign.”

9. Turn Down – to reject
   “He turned down the job offer.”

10. Back Up – to support
    “The director backed up the decision to invest.”

11. Bring Up – to mention or raise a topic
    “He brought up an important issue during the meeting.”

12. Run Out Of – to have no more of something
    “We ran out of stock last week.”

13. Follow Up – to continue after initial contact
    “I’ll follow up with the client tomorrow.”

14. Work Out – to find a solution
    “We need to work out how to reduce costs.”

15. Fill In – to complete (a form)
    “Please fill in the expense report.”

16. Drop By – to visit informally
    “He dropped by the office unexpectedly.”

Example Paragraph Using Phrasal Verbs

Last week, we had to call off our product launch due to technical problems. The IT team is currently looking into the cause. Meanwhile, I had to come up with a backup plan. We will carry out a full review and go over all technical details. I also followed up with our key clients to fill them in on the situation. One client brought up a concern about delays, but I was able to work it out. The marketing manager backed up my decision to put off the new campaign. We’re confident things will be set up properly next month. Hopefully, we won’t run out of time again!

Conclusion

Using phrasal verbs in business communication helps express ideas clearly and naturally. Learn how to use them with confidence in meetings, emails, and everyday conversations. Practice by writing your own paragraph or story using at least five of the phrasal verbs above. This will help you get familiar with phrasal verb to help you confidently converse in everyday conversation. To learn more or to practice your business English language skills simply book a lesson with us at First Business English.