Car Phrasal Verbs

  • Back up
    • Meaning: To reverse a vehicle.
      • Sentence: “I had to back up to get into the parking space.”
  • Break down
    • Meaning: To stop working (for a vehicle).
      • Sentence: “My car broke down on the highway, and I had to call for assistance.”
  • Check out
    • Meaning: To inspect or examine a vehicle.
      • Sentence: “Before buying a used car, make sure to check out its maintenance history.”
  • Cut off
    • Meaning: To suddenly drive in front of another vehicle, causing it to slow down or stop.
      • Sentence: “The aggressive driver cut me off without signalling.”
  • Fill up
    • Meaning: To add fuel to a vehicle’s tank.
      • Sentence: “Let’s stop at the gas station to fill up before the long drive.”
  • Gear up
    • Meaning: To prepare a vehicle or oneself for a specific activity.
      • Sentence: “We need to gear up for the winter by putting snow tires on the car.”
  • Hold up
    • Meaning: To delay or obstruct traffic.
      • Sentence: “The construction work held up traffic for hours.”
  • Jump-start
    • Meaning: To start a vehicle using jumper cables connected to another vehicle’s battery.
      • Sentence: “My car wouldn’t start, so a kind stranger helped me jump-start it.”
  • Kick in
    • Meaning: To activate or start functioning (often referring to a turbocharger or extra power).
      • Sentence: “The turbocharger really kicks in when you hit the gas.”
  • Look out for
    • Meaning: To be vigilant and watch for something, such as potential hazards on the road.
      • Sentence: “Look out for pedestrians when driving through the city.”
  • Pull over
    • Meaning: To move to the side of the road and stop.
      • Sentence: “The police officer signaled for me to pull over.”
  • Rev up
    • Meaning: To increase the speed or power of a vehicle’s engine.
    • Sentence: “He revved up the engine before speeding away.”
  • Slow down
    • Meaning: To reduce speed.
    • Sentence: “It’s a school zone; you need to slow down.”
  • Turn around
    • Meaning: To reverse the direction of a vehicle.
    • Sentence: “Realizing I was going the wrong way, I had to turn around and find the correct route.”
  • Unload
    • Meaning: To remove items from a vehicle.
    • Sentence: “We need to unload the groceries from the trunk.”
  • Veer off
    • Meaning: To suddenly change direction, often unintentionally.
    • Sentence: “I had to veer off the road to avoid a collision with the deer.”
  • Wait up
    • Meaning: To slow down or stop to allow someone to catch up.
    • Sentence: “Wait up! I need a moment to tie my shoelaces.”
  • X-out
    • Meaning: To eliminate or exclude something.
    • Sentence: “We decided to x-out the detour and take the main highway instead.”
  • Zoom by
    • Meaning: To pass by quickly at high speed.
    • Sentence: “The sports car zoomed by, leaving everyone in awe.”
  • Zero in on
    • Meaning: To focus on or aim at something specific.
    • Sentence: “The radar system helps drivers zero in on potential obstacles.”