A three-word phrasal verb is a multi-word expression that typically combines a main verb, an adverb particle, and a preposition.
The usual structure is:
Verb + particle + preposition
For example:
- Come up with: think of an idea or solution
- Look forward to: anticipate something with pleasure
- Run out of: use or consume the last of a supply
- Get away with: avoid punishment or negative consequences
- Stand up for: defend or support someone or something
The design team came up with a practical way to reduce packaging waste.
Here, came up with means developed. The three words form an established expression with a meaning that may not be obvious from its individual parts.
In grammar, these constructions are more precisely called phrasal-prepositional verbs. The term three-word phrasal verbs is widely used in English teaching.
They belong to the broader family of multi-word verbs, which also includes ordinary phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs.
Where Do Objects and Other Complements Go?
Most three-word phrasal verbs follow a pattern in which the noun phrase or pronoun comes after the final preposition.
Verb + particle + preposition + noun phrase/pronoun
The residents put up with the construction noise for several months.
The expression put up with means tolerate. The noun phrase the construction noise follows the preposition with.
The same arrangement works with a pronoun:
The residents put up with it.
Incorrect: The residents put it up with.
This differs from separable two-word phrasal verbs, where personal-pronoun objects normally appear between the verb and particle.
What Can Follow a Three-Word Expression?
Not every expression is followed by the same kind of grammatical element.
Consider:
The candidate came across as confident during the interview.
Confident is an adjective describing the impression the candidate gave. It is not a direct object.
Now compare:
We look forward to meeting the new director.
Here, meeting the new director is an -ing clause following the preposition to.
Some expressions take a noun phrase, others allow an adjective phrase, and some are followed by an -ing clause. The particular expression determines which forms are appropriate.
An object can also appear earlier in a question:
What are you looking forward to?
The preposition remains part of look forward to, even though what appears at the beginning.
For more on object positions in two-word and three-word constructions, see separable and inseparable phrasal verbs.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs With an Object in the Middle
Not all three-word expressions place their objects after the final preposition.
Some have a direct object immediately after the main verb, followed by a particle and preposition.
Compare:
Amelia came up with an alternative.
Amelia talked her colleague out of resigning.
In the first sentence, the alternative follows the complete expression came up with.
In the second, her colleague appears after talked. The action that the colleague was persuaded not to take follows out of.
The construction is talk somebody out of doing something, meaning persuade someone not to do something.
Other expressions have similar internal-object patterns.
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Do somebody out of something | Unfairly prevent someone from receiving something |
| Let somebody in on something | Share private information with someone |
| Put somebody up to something | Encourage someone to do something, often wrong |
| Put something down to something | Attribute a result to a particular cause |
| Take something out on somebody | Direct negative feelings unfairly towards someone |
| Talk somebody out of doing something | Persuade someone not to do something |
The order of the objects matters because they play different roles.
The organiser let the volunteers in on the surprise before the ceremony.
The volunteers are the people receiving the information. The surprise is what they learn about.
Now consider:
The supervisor took his frustration out on a junior employee.
His frustration is what the supervisor directed at someone else. A junior employee identifies the person affected.
These expressions have established grammatical patterns. Moving the objects to different positions can make the sentence incorrect or change its intended meaning.
Why Some Three-Word Phrasal Verbs Use -ing After a Preposition
Several common expressions end in to, including look forward to, get around to, face up to, and own up to.
Here, to is a preposition rather than the infinitive marker used before a base verb.
Compare:
We hope to meet the new director next week.
We look forward to meeting the new director next week.
After hope, the infinitive to meet is appropriate.
After look forward to, we use meeting because it follows the preposition to.
The same pattern appears in:
Nathan finally got around to repairing the garden fence.
The accountant owned up to making an error in the figures.
This principle also applies to other prepositions when they are followed by a verb in this type of construction.
The contractor got away with ignoring the safety instructions.
Claire talked her brother out of accepting the risky offer.
In these sentences, ignoring follows with, while accepting follows of.
Prepositions can also be followed by nouns or pronouns:
We look forward to the exhibition.
We look forward to it.
The correct form depends on the expression and what you want to say.
30 Common Three-Word Phrasal Verbs With Meanings
The following 30 expressions are arranged alphabetically for quick reference. Each meaning describes one common use, although some expressions have additional meanings.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs 1–10
| Three-word phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Catch up with | Reach someone who is ahead |
| 2. Check up on | Check someone’s condition or progress |
| 3. Come across as | Give a particular impression |
| 4. Come down with | Become ill with something |
| 5. Come up against | Face difficulty or opposition |
| 6. Come up with | Think of an idea or solution |
| 7. Cut down on | Reduce how much is used or consumed |
| 8. Do away with | Abolish or eliminate something |
| 9. Face up to | Accept and deal with a difficult reality |
| 10. Get around to | Finally find time to do something |
A few examples show how these expressions fit into different situations.
The nurse called to check up on the patient after the procedure.
The new supervisor came across as confident without sounding arrogant.
Sophie finally got around to replacing the broken kitchen shelves.
Come across as describes an impression, while get around to is commonly followed by a noun or an -ing form.
In British English, get round to is also common and has the same meaning as get around to.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs 11–20
| Three-word phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 11. Get away with | Avoid punishment or negative consequences |
| 12. Get back to | Reply or respond later |
| 13. Get on with | Continue doing something |
| 14. Get out of | Avoid an obligation |
| 15. Get through to | Make someone understand or listen |
| 16. Go through with | Carry out a difficult plan or decision |
| 17. Grow out of | Stop a habit as you mature |
| 18. Keep up with | Maintain the same pace or level |
| 19. Live up to | Meet expectations or standards |
| 20. Look down on | Consider someone inferior |
These expressions can describe responsibilities, relationships, or difficult decisions.
Despite her doubts, Elena went through with the interview.
The renovated theatre lived up to the expectations of local residents.
The teacher struggled to get through to the students about the safety risks.
Get through to can also mean successfully contacting someone, particularly by telephone.
I finally got through to the customer-service department after several attempts.
Get on with has another common meaning in British English: having a good relationship with someone.
Grace gets on with her new colleagues.
Get along with is a common alternative in American English.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs 21–30
| Three-word phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 21. Look forward to | Anticipate something with pleasure |
| 22. Look in on | Visit briefly to check someone’s well-being |
| 23. Look out for | Watch carefully for someone or something |
| 24. Look up to | Admire or respect someone |
| 25. Make up for | Compensate for a loss or disadvantage |
| 26. Own up to | Admit responsibility for something |
| 27. Put up with | Tolerate something unpleasant |
| 28. Run out of | Have none of something left |
| 29. Stand up for | Defend or support someone or something |
| 30. Walk out on | Abandon someone or a responsibility |
These expressions are useful in situations involving relationships, responsibilities, and everyday problems.
Matthew looked in on his elderly neighbour after the storm.
The hotel offered a complimentary meal to make up for the inconvenience.
The business partner walked out on the project shortly before its launch.
Look in on suggests a brief visit to check that someone is well, while walk out on usually implies abandoning a person, commitment, or responsibility.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs That Are Easy to Confuse
Some expressions share a main verb or describe similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.
Catch Up On vs. Catch Up With vs. Keep Up With
These expressions can all involve progress, but each describes a different situation.
Catch up on something means complete work you have missed or get up to date with information.
After returning from holiday, David spent the morning catching up on unanswered emails.
Catch up with somebody can mean reach someone who is ahead.
Maya increased her pace to catch up with the other runners.
Keep up with somebody or something means maintain the same pace, level, or standard.
The new assistant worked hard to keep up with the experienced team.
The distinction is between dealing with something missed, closing an existing gap, and maintaining progress.
Catch up with also has a conversational meaning. It can describe meeting or talking to someone to exchange news.
I caught up with an old friend over lunch.
Come Across vs. Come Across As
Adding as changes both the meaning and the construction.
Come across somebody/something commonly means find or encounter someone or something by chance.
During the renovation, the workers came across a sealed doorway behind the kitchen wall.
Come across as + adjective/noun phrase means give a particular impression.
During the interview, the candidate came across as well prepared and thoughtful.
The first expression describes an unexpected discovery. The second describes how someone is perceived.
The distinction also affects what follows the expression. Come across takes a noun phrase or pronoun in the meaning shown, while come across as introduces a description or impression.
How to Read Three-Word Verb Patterns in a Dictionary
A learner’s dictionary usually provides more than a definition. It may also show how an expression fits into a sentence.
For example, consider:
get somebody through something
This means help someone survive or manage a difficult experience.
Her friends helped get her through a particularly difficult winter.
The person receiving help appears after get. The difficult experience follows through.
Compare that with:
get through to somebody
The counsellor struggled to get through to the young athlete.
Here, the expression means succeed in communicating with someone or making them understand.
The two constructions share some words but have different meanings and object positions.
Dictionaries often use sb for somebody and sth for something. They may also show doing something when an expression requires or permits an -ing form.
For example, talk somebody out of doing something identifies both the person being persuaded and the action involved.
When an expression has several meanings, check the pattern given for the particular meaning you want to use. One combination may have more than one grammatical construction.
Three-Word Phrasal Verb Practice
Try these six questions before checking the explanations.
1. Choose the correct sentence.
A. The architect came a better solution up with.
B. The architect came up with a better solution.
2. Rewrite the sentence using talk … out of.
The supervisor persuaded Emma not to resign.
3. Choose the correct form.
A. We are looking forward to meet the visiting researchers.
B. We are looking forward to meeting the visiting researchers.
4. Complete the sentence.
After missing three lectures, Oliver spent the weekend catching ___ the course material he had missed.
A. up with
B. up on
C. on with
5. Rewrite the sentence using put … down to.
The director believed that poor planning caused the unexpected delay.
6. Choose the expression that fits the meaning.
The new employee worked steadily so that she would not fall behind her more experienced colleagues.
A. catch up on
B. keep up with
C. come up against
Answers and Explanations
1. B: The architect came up with a better solution.
Come up with means develop or think of an idea or solution. The solution follows the complete expression.
2. The supervisor talked Emma out of resigning.
Talk somebody out of doing something places the person being persuaded after the main verb. The action follows out of in the -ing form.
3. B: We are looking forward to meeting the visiting researchers.
The to in look forward to is a preposition. A following verb takes the -ing form, not the infinitive.
4. B: up on
Catch up on something means complete something missed or get up to date. Oliver needs to catch up on the course material from the lectures he missed.
5. The director put the unexpected delay down to poor planning.
Put something down to something means attribute an event or result to a particular cause. The delay comes after put, and the proposed cause follows to.
6. B: keep up with
Keep up with means maintain the same pace or standard. The employee is trying not to fall behind her colleagues, rather than recover work already missed.
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