Part 3 of 3 · Same verb · different particle

“come” phrasal verbs

Same verb, different particle, different meaning. “come” has 18 of them, so they come in 3 parts. Learn these 6 one at a time, then test yourself.

18 phrasal verbslisten & quiz

come

off it out through

up up against up with

come + off it · 1 of 6

come off it

stop being silly or unbelievable

Come off it!
informal

Used to tell someone to stop saying something that is hard to believe, silly, or not true.

How oftenNow and then

LevelB2

Used inMostly spoken

Examples

Come off it, there's no way you finished all that work in one hour.

A: I once ran a marathon without any training.
B: Oh, come off it! No one can do that.

Common mistake

Not: ~~Come~~ off it ~~this story, it's~~ not true.

Say: Oh, come off it — that's not true.

It's a fixed exclamation; you can't attach an object to it.

More on “come off it”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

If my friend said he could speak five languages fluently after just a year, I’d probably say, 'Come off it!' because that sounds impossible.

Tell it apart

Come off it — there's no way you ran it in four minutes!

I don't believe you

The wheel came off.

became detached

Goes with

come off it (+ challenge)

Practice saying this

Next: come out

come + out · 2 of 6

come out

be released (for books, movies, products, etc.)

come out sth

To become available to the public, such as a new book, movie, or product.

How oftenCommon

LevelB1

Used inSpeech & writing

Examples

The new smartphone will come out next month.

A: Have you seen the latest Marvel movie?
B: Not yet, I think it comes out this Friday.

Common mistake

Not: The book came out ~~to the public~~ last week.

Say: The book came out last week.

'Come out' already means 'be released to the public' — the extra phrase is redundant.

More on “come out”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

I’m really looking forward to the new book by my favorite author. It’s supposed to come out in September.

Tell it apart

Her album comes out on Friday.

is released

The truth came out on Friday.

became known

Goes with

come out + release timing

Practice saying this

Next: come through

come + through · 3 of 6

come through

survive a difficult situation

come through sth

to manage to survive or recover after a tough or dangerous experience.

How oftenCommon

LevelB1

Used inSpeech & writing

Examples

After a long battle with the disease, she finally came through and is feeling much better now.

A: I heard your brother was in a car accident. Is he okay?
B: Yeah, it was serious, but he came through and he's recovering at home.

Common mistake

Not: He came through ~~from~~ the operation well.

Say: He came through the operation well.

'Come through' takes the ordeal directly — no 'from'.

More on “come through”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

When my grandmother was very sick last year, we were all worried, but she came through and is now back to her normal routine.

Tell it apart

She came through the surgery fine.

survived it

The message came through clearly.

was received

Goes with

come through + ordeal

Practice saying this

Next: come up

come + up · 4 of 6

come up

arise (of a problem, opportunity, or situation)

come up sth

A scene showing “come up” meaning “happen unexpectedly”.

to happen or appear unexpectedly, especially when talking about problems, opportunities, or situations.

How oftenCommon

LevelB1

Used inSpeech & writing

Examples

Sorry I’m late—something urgent came up at work.

A: Are you still coming to dinner tonight?
B: I hope so, unless something comes up at the last minute.

Common mistake

Not: Sorry, something came ~~up to me.~~

Say: Sorry, something came up.

'Come up' is intransitive here — no 'to me'.

More on “come up”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

In my opinion, it’s important to have a backup plan in case any unexpected problems come up during your travels.

Tell it apart

A problem came up at work.

arose unexpectedly

We came up with a solution.

thought of one

Goes with

come up + arise

Practice saying this

Next: come up against

come + up against · 5 of 6

come up against

face a difficult situation or problem

come up against sth

to suddenly have to deal with a difficult situation, problem, or obstacle.

How oftenCommon

LevelB2

Used inSpeech & writing

Examples

We came up against a lot of problems when we tried to renovate the old house.

A: How's your project going?
B: It's tough—we've come up against some unexpected issues with the software.

Common mistake

Not: We came up against ~~with~~ some problems.

Say: We came up against some problems.

No 'with' — 'come up against' takes the obstacle directly.

More on “come up against”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

During my studies, I often came up against tight deadlines, which taught me how to manage my time better.

Tell it apart

We came up against fierce competition.

faced an obstacle

Your name came up in the meeting.

was mentioned

Goes with

come up against + obstacle

Practice saying this

Next: come up with

come + up with · 6 of 6

come up with

think of an idea

come up with sth sth

to think of or create a new idea, plan, or solution, often when it is needed.

How oftenCommon

LevelB1

Used inSpeech & writing

Examples

She came up with a great idea for the school project.

A: We need a new slogan for the event. Any thoughts?
B: Let me think... Maybe I can come up with something catchy.

Common mistake

Not: She came up a great idea.

Say: She came up with a great idea.

'Come up WITH' an idea — don't drop 'with'. ('Come up' alone means arise/approach.)

More on “come up with”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

In my last group assignment, I came up with a solution that helped us finish the work on time.

Tell it apart

He came up with a brilliant idea.

thought of it

A problem came up at work.

arose unexpectedly

Goes with

come up with + idea

Practice saying this

Test yourself: which “come” fits?

Fill the gap

Which “come” fits?

Read the sentence, then pick the phrasal verb that belongs in the gap.

All of “come”

18 phrasal verbs in 3 parts.

Turn this into speaking practice

Pick one and say it out loud. Save the ones you mix up.

come off it come out come through come up come up against come up with