Phrasal verbs in English start with the letter A

Phrasal Verbs in English Starting with the Letter A

Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English vocabulary, especially for learners aiming to sound more natural in conversation. A phrasal verb consists of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs), which together create a meaning different from the original verb. Below is a comprehensive list of phrasal verbs starting with the letter A, along with their meanings, examples, and exercises for practice.

1. Act Up

Meaning: To behave badly or malfunction.

• The children started to act up when the teacher left the room.
• My computer has been acting up lately; I need to get it fixed.
• The car’s engine acted up during the long drive.

2. Add Up

Meaning: To make sense or to calculate the total.

• Her explanation just doesn’t add up; there must be more to the story.
• Can you add up these numbers for me?
• If you add up all the expenses, the trip was quite expensive.

3. Ask Around

Meaning: To inquire or seek information from multiple people.

• I’ll ask around to see if anyone knows a good mechanic.
• She asked around the office to find out who was organizing the party.
• We should ask around before choosing a restaurant.

4. Answer Back

Meaning: To reply rudely or defiantly.

• Don’t answer back to your parents; it’s disrespectful.
• The student was punished for answering back to the teacher.
• She has a habit of answering back when she’s upset.

5. Account For

Meaning: To explain or justify something.

• Can you account for your absence yesterday?
• The manager had to account for the missing funds.
• How do you account for the sudden drop in sales?

6. Agree With

Meaning: To have the same opinion or to suit someone (often used for food/drink).

• I agree with your proposal; it makes perfect sense.
• Spicy food doesn’t agree with me; it upsets my stomach.
• His ideas don’t always agree with mine, but we respect each other.

7. Aim At

Meaning: To target or direct efforts toward something.

• The new policy is aimed at reducing pollution.
• She aimed at the bullseye and hit it perfectly.
• The campaign is aimed at young professionals.

8. Allow For

Meaning: To consider or include something in planning.

• We need to allow for delays when traveling during rush hour.
• The budget should allow for unexpected expenses.
• Make sure to allow for breaks during the long meeting.

9. Answer For

Meaning: To take responsibility for something.

• He will have to answer for his mistakes in court.
• The CEO must answer for the company’s poor performance.
• You’ll have to answer for your actions sooner or later.

10. Argue Out

Meaning: To discuss or debate something thoroughly.

• They spent hours arguing out the details of the contract.
• Let’s not argue out this issue now; we can revisit it later.
• The committee argued out the proposal before making a decision.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Choose the correct phrasal verb from the list above to complete the sentences.

1. The kids always __________ when they’re tired.
2. Can you __________ these receipts to see how much we spent?
3. I’ll __________ to find out who knows a good plumber.
4. She had to __________ her absence to the manager.
5. This spicy food doesn’t __________ me.

Exercise 2: Match the Phrasal Verb with Its Meaning

Phrasal Verb	Meaning
Act Up	To behave badly or malfunction
Add Up	To make sense or calculate the total
Ask Around	To inquire from multiple people
Account For	To explain or justify something
Agree With	To have the same opinion or suit someone

Answer Key

Exercise 1 Answers:

1. act up
2. add up
3. ask around
4. account for
5. agree with

Exercise 2 Answers:

The table already correctly matches the phrasal verbs with their meanings.