Phrasal verbs with up: completion, increase, and visibility
Learn why up appears in phrasal verbs like finish up, speed up, bring up, clean up, and show up.
Up is one of the most productive particles in English phrasal verbs. It does not have one meaning, but several recurring patterns.
When you learn those patterns, verbs such as give up, clean up, bring up, speed up, and show up stop feeling random.
Completion
Up often marks that an action is finished, closed, or brought to a complete state.
Examples include clean up, use up, drink up, wrap up, and finish up. The action reaches a limit.
Increase
Up can point to more quantity, speed, volume, strength, or intensity.
Examples include speed up, turn up, heat up, build up, and grow up. Something moves higher on a scale.
Appear or become visible
Up can also mean something becomes visible, available, or present.
Examples include show up, come up, bring up, pop up, and look up. The idea comes into view.
Examples
Please clean up the files before you share the folder.
Complete the organizing action.
The team sped up after the first release.
Their pace increased.
A new question came up during the meeting.
The question appeared in discussion.
Quick practice
1. Which up pattern is in use up all the paper?
Completion.
2. Which up pattern is in turn up the volume?
Increase.