Phrasal Verbs with ‘Up’ – The Three Big Ideas

In the last blog, we saw how phrasal verbs with "on" revolve around contact. Now, let’s tackle "up", which is one of the biggest groups of phrasal verbs. Instead of thinking of "up" as just meaning ↑ (upwards), we can break it down into three core ideas:

1. Movement ↑ (Going Up)
2. Creation or Ending (Start or Stop)
3. The Road to Perfection (Improvement & Completion)

1. Movement ↑ (Going Up)

When the verb involves physical movement, "up" often has a literal meaning—going higher.

✅ I walked up the stairs.
✅ She climbed up the mountain.
✅ He swam up to the surface.

If the action involves moving somewhere, "up" just means ascending or approaching a higher place. These however are not phrasal verbs but verbs and adverbs.

2. Creation or Ending (Start or Stop)

Phrasal verbs with "up" often mark the beginning or end of something. Some verbs can mean both—it all depends on perspective!

Starting Something (Creation)

Coca-Cola was set up in 1886. → Created, founded
I took up tennis in school. → Started playing
He lit up a cigarette. → Began smoking
I’ll draw up a contract for you. → Create a contract

Ending Something (Stopping, Finishing)

I gave up smoking last year. → Quit, stopped
We broke up last week. → Relationship ended
She hung up the phone. → Ended the call

Some verbs are a matter of perspective:
 threw up in the car. → You "created" something (gross!) OR the pain ended (thankfully).

3. The Road to Perfection (Improvement & Completion)

Some phrasal verbs with "up" mean improving, completing, or making something better.

I cooked up a quick dinner. → Prepared something fast
I rustled up a meal. → Improvised a meal
She made up an excuse. → Invented (created) a reason
He’s always making up stories. → Creating tales

Conversation & Surprises

Your name came up in the meeting. → It was mentioned (came into conversation).
I can’t come to the party, something’s come up. → An unexpected event has happened.

That’s It – Time’s Up!

Now that you understand "up", you’ll start seeing these patterns everywhere! Next time, we’ll tackle "up" as the road to perfection—where "up" means improving and refining. Stay tuned!