Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

If you really want to raise your English to a higher level, there is no better way to do it than to learn phrasal verbs. Once you get to know enough phrasal verbs, you’ll understand the movies in English much better because native speakers use them all the time. Although they are not suitable for formal context, phrasal verbs make an irreplaceable and essential part of spoken English.
Here are some phrasal verbs related to “thinking” you should try to learn in context and then use them in order to remember them.

1. Think about/of
2. Think ahead (to)
3. Think for yourself
4. Think something out
5. Think something through
6. Think over
7. Think back (to)
8. Think up
9. Figure out
10. Work out something 1
11. Work out something 2
12. Put heads together
13. Mull over
14. Muster up
15. Sleep on something

THINK ABOUT/OF

The phrasal verb “think of/about” means to consider something carefully.

• I can’t make a decision now. I need more time to think about it.
• Debora is thinking about moving to Australia.

Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

It also means to remember.

• Just think of our holiday last summer, wasn’t it great?
• Laura often thinks about her ex-boyfriend.

THINK AHEAD (TO)

When you make plans and arrangements for the future, you think ahead to it.

• It’s time to think ahead to our trip to Spain.
• Mr Clune is about to retire soon, he’s thinking ahead to it. He’s planning to buy a motorcar and travel around the country.

Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

THINK FOR YOURSELF

If you think for yourself, then you have an opinion of your own regardless of what other people might say or think about it.

• It is essential to teach your children to think for themselves and be independent.
• You shouldn’t care about what other people think, you should think for yourself.

THINK SOMETHING OUT

To think something out means to consider something carefully and thoroughly.

• You need to think things out if you want to go to college.
• I’ve got a big problem, and I can’t think my way out of it.

Here is a similar phrasal verb:

THINK SOMETHING THROUGH

To think carefully about the outcome of your doings.

• After his illness, Harry took some time off to think things through.
• Sally felt that she should think the job offer through before making up her mind.

And another similar phrasal verb:

THINK OVER

Its meaning is similar to “think through” and “think out”. It refers to careful planning and considering before making any decisions.

• Paul had to think over the proposal before signing the contract.
• I need some peace and quiet to think things over.

THINK BACK (TO)

If you think back to something, then you remember or think about something from the past.

• I enjoy thinking back to my childhood when I was worriless and happy.
• Sara’s email made him think back to the past events.

THINK UP

This phrasal verb means to invent something in your head, especially excuses.

• You have to think up a good excuse for not attending the meeting.
• Our plan has failed, so I’m afraid we’ll have to think up a better one.

Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

FIGURE OUT

To figure out something means to be able to understand the problem and/or solve it.

• We have to figure out the cause of why the system is crashing in order to fix it.
• I don’t know how to turn on the dishwasher. I read the instruction but I still haven’t figured it out.

WORK OUT SOMETHING 1

To work out something means to think about a problem and develop a strategy to solve it.

• Scientists and experts have been trying to work out the solution to global warming for decades.
• Before we launch this product, we need to work out the strategy for its placement on the market.

Don’t mix this phrasal verb with: 

WORK OUT SOMETHING 2

Here is another meaning of this phrasal verb. It means to calculate something.

• Before we start planning for the party, you should work out how much money we’re going to need for food and drinks.
• Brian was trying to work out how long it was going to take him to get to Italy by bus.

PUT HEADS TOGETHER

If you put your heads together, you are brainstorming a problem.

• We should put our heads together and try to find a way out of this situation.
• We’ll never reach an agreement unless we put our heads together and think things through.

MULL OVER

Mull over means to spend some time thinking about something.

• The government is mulling over a new law on discrimination.
• Sandra mulled over different solutions for her problem.

MUSTER UP

If you muster up, you try to produce courage or energy to accomplish something.

• John mustered up the courage to ask his boss for a promotion.

Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

SLEEP ON SOMETHING

Sleep on something means to wait and think about things before making a decision.

• I can’t make a decision now so I’ll sleep on it and let you know tomorrow.

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