Phrasal verbs beginning with letter C

Here is a list of idiomatic expressions beginning with the letter C.

Call back (separable)

To call or ring someone back is to return a telephone call.

• I am a little busy at the moment. I will call you back later.
• Could you ask her to call me back?

Call in (inseparable)

To call in is to pay a short visit.

• Grandma said that she would call in next week.
• I was quite happy when Tom called in yesterday. I hadn’t met him in several months.

Call in (separable)

To call a doctor or a professional in is to ask them to come and help you.

• We had to call in a doctor when grandmother started complaining of chest pain.
• If you can’t fix that heating system on your own, you will need to call in an expert.

Call off (separable)

To call off a party, meeting or engagement is to cancel it.

• We had to call off the party because dad fell ill.

Call out (separable)

To call out is to shout.

Call up

To call someone up is to telephone them.

• You should call him up before you leave.
• Feel free to call me up if you face any problem.

Carry away

To get carried away is to behave in a silly manner. People get carried away when they are upset, angry or excited.

• Cool down. Don’t get carried away.
• I can’t take my son to the toy store. He gets carried away pretty easily.

Carry on

To carry on is to continue working.

• She was upset when he told her that he was leaving her, but she carried on as if she didn’t care.

Carry out (separable)

To carry out is to perform a task.

• The agency is planning to carry out a survey about the problems faced by working women.
• The candidate said that he would carry out his promises if he got elected to the parliament.

Carve out

To carve out a reputation is to create it by working hard.

• She has carved out a reputation for herself as an accomplished pianist.

Catch on

This is an inseparable phrasal verb. When an idea catches on, it becomes popular.

• The bob haircut eventually caught on and became all the rage.

Chase away / chase off

To chase someone away is to force them to leave a place.

• The dog chased the cat away.