Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs and prepositions or adverbs that create expressions with meanings different from the original verb.
This article explores 100 phrasal verbs using “around” or “round” – two particles that are often interchangeable in many expressions, though sometimes with subtle differences in usage.
1-10: Movement and location
Walk around
To move on foot in a place with no specific direction.
“We walked around the city center for hours.”
Drive around
To travel by car with no particular destination.
“We drove around the countryside enjoying the scenery.”
Look around
To examine a place by turning your head in different directions.
“She looked around the room to see who else had arrived.”
Move around
To change position or location.
“The children moved around excitedly during the party.”
Gather around
To come together in a circle.
“The family gathered around the table for dinner.”
Hang around
To spend time somewhere with no specific purpose.
“The teenagers were hanging around the mall all afternoon.”
Sit around
To be seated without doing anything productive.
“We sat around talking until midnight.”
Stand around
To remain in one place without doing anything.
“People were standing around waiting for the bus.”
Mill around
To move around in a confused or aimless way in a crowd.
“The tourists were milling around the entrance to the museum.”
Shuffle around
To move with small, dragging steps.
“The elderly man shuffled around his apartment.”
11-20: Circulation and rotation
Turn around
To rotate to face the opposite direction.
“She turned around when she heard her name being called.”
Spin around
To rotate quickly.
“The children spun around until they got dizzy.”
Swing around
To move in a curving motion.
“He swung around to see who was behind him.”
Whirl around
To turn rapidly.
“She whirled around in her new dress.”
Go around
To circulate or move in a circle.
“The Ferris wheel goes around every five minutes.”
Come around
To regain consciousness; or to visit.
“It took her a few minutes to come around after fainting.”
“Why don’t you come around for dinner tomorrow?”
Roll around
To move by turning over and over.
“The ball rolled around on the floor.”
Revolve around
To move in a circular orbit; or to focus on.
“The planets revolve around the sun.”
“His life revolves around his work.”
Rotate around
To move in a circle around an axis.
“The Earth rotates around its axis once every 24 hours.”
Circle around
To move in a circular path around something.
“The sharks circled around their prey.”
21-30: Distribution and sharing
Pass around
To give something to several people in turn.
“She passed around the photographs for everyone to see.”
Hand around
To distribute to various people.
“The host handed around refreshments to the guests.”
Share around
To divide among several people.
“There were only a few cookies, so we had to share them around.”
Spread around
To distribute or scatter over an area.
“The news spread around the office quickly.”
Go around
To be sufficient for everyone.
“There isn’t enough food to go around.”
Send around
To circulate or distribute.
“The memo was sent around to all departments.”
Give around
(This phrase is not commonly used in English. You may want to use “hand out” or “distribute” instead.)
“The teacher handed out assignment sheets to the class.”
Show around
To display to multiple people or places.
“She showed around her engagement ring to all her friends.”
Put around
To distribute information or rumors.
“Someone had been putting around false information about the company.”
Get around
To circulate (information).
“Word got around that the company was going to downsize.”
31-40: Avoidance and evasion
Get around
To circumvent or find a way to avoid.
“He got around the rules by finding a loophole.”
Work around
To find a solution that bypasses a problem.
“We’ll have to work around the budget constraints.”
Maneuver around
To skillfully move past obstacles.
“The driver maneuvered around the potholes in the road.”
Navigate around
To find a path around obstacles.
“The ship navigated around the rocky shoreline.”
Dance around
To avoid addressing a topic directly.
“The politician danced around the controversial question.”
Skirt around
To avoid dealing with something.
“The report skirted around the main issues.”
Beat around the bush
To avoid coming to the point.
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”
Dodge around
To avoid by sudden movement.
“He dodged around the question with vague answers.”
Side-step around
To avoid dealing with something.
“The CEO side-stepped around questions about the company’s financial problems.”
Tiptoe around
To be extremely careful when dealing with something.
“Everyone tiptoes around the boss when he’s in a bad mood.”
41-50: Exploration and investigation
Look around
To explore a place.
“We looked around the museum for a couple of hours.”
Poke around
To search or investigate casually.
“He was poking around in the attic looking for old photographs.”
Nose around
To investigate in a prying way.
“The journalist was nosing around for a story.”
Snoop around
To investigate secretly or intrusively.
“Someone has been snooping around my desk.”
Scout around
To search for something.
“We’ll scout around for a better deal.”
Browse around
To look at things casually.
“We browsed around the shops without buying anything.”
Shop around
To compare prices or options before making a purchase.
“It’s worth shopping around to get the best insurance rate.”
Hunt around
To search carefully.
“She hunted around for her missing keys.”
Dig around
To search thoroughly.
“I dug around in my closet looking for my winter boots.”
Rummage around
To search by moving things around.
“He was rummaging around in the drawer for a pen.”
51-60: Time and organization
Plan around
To organize something taking into account a particular factor.
“We’ll have to plan around the weather for the outdoor event.”
Schedule around
To arrange timing in consideration of something.
“I can schedule my appointments around your availability.”
Work around
To arrange one’s work schedule to accommodate something.
“I can work around your busy schedule.”
Build around
To create something with a particular factor as the central element.
“The marketing campaign was built around environmental sustainability.”
Organize around
To arrange according to a central theme or principle.
“The conference was organized around the theme of innovation.”
Structure around
To arrange with a particular element as the foundation.
“The course is structured around practical exercises.”
Center around
To focus on a particular topic or issue.
“The discussion centered around climate change solutions.”
Revolve around
To have something as a central focus.
“Their family life revolves around their children’s activities.”
Come around
For a regular event to occur again.
“Christmas comes around so quickly each year.”
Roll around
For a time or event to arrive again.
“When Monday rolled around, she still hadn’t finished her assignment.”
61-70: Persuasion and change
Win around
To persuade someone to change their opinion.
“After much discussion, she managed to win him around to her point of view.”
Talk around
To persuade by talking.
“He talked her around to accepting the job offer.”
Bring around
To cause someone to regain consciousness; or to persuade.
“They brought her around with smelling salts.”
“I finally brought him around to my way of thinking.”
Come around
To change one’s opinion.
“He was opposed to the idea at first, but eventually came around.”
Turn around
To change something completely.
“The new manager turned the failing business around.”
Get around to
To finally do something after delaying.
“I never got around to finishing that book.”
Come around to
To eventually accept or adopt an idea.
“She’s slowly coming around to the idea of moving abroad.”
Swing around
To change one’s opinion dramatically.
“Public opinion swung around after the scandal broke.”
Think around
To consider all aspects of a problem.
“We need to think around this issue more thoroughly.”
Work around to
To gradually reach a point of discussing or doing something.
“He slowly worked around to asking for a pay raise.”
71-80: Visibility and appearance
See around
To visit or explore a place.
“We spent the day seeing around the historic sites.”
Show around
To guide someone on a tour.
“The realtor showed us around the house.”
Take around
To guide on a tour.
“She took her parents around her new university.”
Guide around
To lead someone through a place.
“The museum docent guided us around the exhibition.”
Look around
To observe surroundings.
“Take a moment to look around and appreciate the view.”
Glance around
To look quickly in various directions.
“She glanced around nervously before sharing the secret.”
Peer around
To look carefully or with difficulty.
“The child peered around the corner to see if Santa had come.”
Wave around
To move something in the air.
“Don’t wave that knife around, it’s dangerous!”
Flash around
To display ostentatiously.
“He was flashing around his new smartphone.”
Flaunt around
To display something boastfully.
“She was flaunting around her engagement ring.”
81-90: Assistance and support
Help around
To assist with tasks in a place.
“The children help around the house on weekends.”
Be around
To be available or present.
“I’ll be around if you need any help.”
Stick around
To stay or remain in a place.
“Stick around after the meeting, I need to talk to you.”
Hang around
To wait or stay somewhere.
“I’ll hang around until you’re ready to leave.”
Stay around
To remain in a location.
“Why don’t you stay around for dinner?”
Mess around
To behave in a silly or playful way; or to waste time.
“The kids were messing around in the backyard.”
“Stop messing around and get to work.”
Fool around
To act in a playful or silly manner.
“The students were fooling around instead of studying.”
Play around
To experiment with something.
“I’ve been playing around with different recipe ideas.”
Get around
To manage or deal with a problem.
“We’ll find a way to get around this obstacle.”
Rally around
To gather in support.
“The community rallied around the family after their house fire.”
91-100: Miscellaneous uses
Wrap around
To fold or wind something around an object.
“She wrapped the scarf around her neck.”
Wind around
To follow a twisting path.
“The river winds around the mountains.”
Coil around
To form circles or spirals.
“The snake coiled around the branch.”
Twist around
To turn in a winding manner.
“The path twisted around the lake.”
Ask around
To question several people.
“I’ll ask around to see if anyone knows a good plumber.”
Knock around
To travel or move from place to place.
“He’s been knocking around Europe for the past year.”
Bum around
To spend time idly.
“We bummed around the beach all day.”
Throw around
To mention casually or carelessly.
“Don’t throw around accusations without evidence.”
Push around
To bully or dominate.
“He doesn’t let anyone push him around at work.”
Order around
To give commands in a bossy way.
“She doesn’t like being ordered around by her younger brother.”
Mastering phrasal verbs with “around” or “round” will significantly enhance your English fluency and help you sound more natural. These versatile particles add richness to expressions related to movement, location, time, and many other concepts. Remember that in many cases, “around” and “round” can be used interchangeably, though “around” is more common in American English while “round” is more prevalent in British English. Practice using these phrasal verbs in context to strengthen your command of idiomatic English.
