phrasal verb

noun

: a phrase (such as take off or look down on) that combines a verb with a preposition or adverb or both and that functions as a verb whose meaning is different from the combined meanings of the individual words

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of phrasal verb was in 1925

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Phrasal verb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phrasal%20verb. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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