20 Phrasal verbs for talking about money.
When discussing money, phrasal verbs can add a natural and conversational tone to your English. Below, you’ll find 20 common English phrasal verbs related to money, complete with meanings and examples to help you use them confidently in everyday conversations.
1. Save up
Meaning: To accumulate money over time, usually for a specific purpose.
Example:
I’m saving up for a new car.
We need to save up if we want to go on holiday next year.
2. Pay off
Meaning: To finish paying back money that is owed.
Example:
She finally paid off her student loans.
It will take years to pay off the mortgage.
3. Run out of
Meaning: To use all of something and have none left.
Example:
We ran out of money before the end of the trip.
I can’t buy the tickets because I’ve run out of cash.
4. Fork out
Meaning: To spend money on something, especially reluctantly.
Example:
I had to fork out £200 to fix my car.
They forked out a lot of money on their wedding.
5. Cut back on
Meaning: To reduce spending on something.
Example:
We’ve decided to cut back on eating out to save money.
You need to cut back on unnecessary expenses.
6. Give away
Meaning: To donate or give money or items without expecting anything in return.
Example:
The company gave away free samples to attract new customers.
He gave away half of his lottery winnings to charity.
7. Take out
Meaning: To borrow money from a bank, often in the form of a loan.
Example:
We took out a loan to renovate the house.
She’s thinking of taking out a mortgage.
8. Put aside
Meaning: To save money for a specific purpose.
Example:
I’m putting aside a bit of money each month for emergencies.
You should put aside some savings for your retirement.
9. Get by
Meaning: To manage financially with the resources you have.
Example:
It’s not easy to get by on a student budget.
They’re getting by with just one income at the moment.
10. Chip in
Meaning: To contribute money towards something as part of a group.
Example:
We all chipped in to buy a gift for our boss.
If everyone chips in, we can cover the cost of the meal.
11. Dip into
Meaning: To use some of your savings or reserved money.
Example:
I had to dip into my savings to pay for the repairs.
They dipped into their emergency fund to cover the bills.
12. Pay back
Meaning: To return money that you borrowed.
Example:
Can you pay me back the money I lent you last week?
He’ll pay back the loan in small installments.
13. Splash out on
Meaning: To spend a lot of money on something enjoyable but not necessary.
Example:
They splashed out on a fancy dinner for their anniversary.
I decided to splash out on a new laptop.
14. Cough up
Meaning: To provide money, often reluctantly.
Example:
I had to cough up an extra £50 for the late registration fee.
He finally coughed up the money he owed me.
15. Shell out
Meaning: To spend a significant amount of money, often unexpectedly or reluctantly.
Example:
We had to shell out a fortune for the repairs.
They shelled out for front-row concert tickets.
16. Bring in
Meaning: To earn money or generate income.
Example:
Her freelance work brings in a decent income.
The concert brought in thousands of pounds for charity.
17. Break even
Meaning: To neither make a profit nor a loss.
Example:
The business finally broke even after three years.
We’ll need to sell 50 tickets just to break even.
18. Settle up
Meaning: To pay someone the money you owe them.
Example:
Let’s settle up the bill before we leave.
I’ll settle up with you after the meal.
19. Bail out
Meaning: To help someone by providing money to get them out of a difficult situation.
Example:
The government bailed out the struggling bank.
He had to bail out his brother after he lost his job.
20. Throw money at
Meaning: To spend a lot of money on something in an attempt to solve a problem, often ineffectively.
Example:
The company keeps throwing money at their advertising campaign, but it’s not working.
You can’t just throw money at a problem and expect it to go away.
Using these phrasal verbs will not only improve your vocabulary but also make your English sound more natural. Try practicing them in sentences and incorporating them into your everyday conversations.
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