14 Phrasal verbs with DO

14 Phrasal Verbs with DO (Meanings & Examples)

Hello, English learners 👋 Welcome to a new lesson! Phrasal verbs are essential in English because native speakers use them constantly — in conversations, emails, news articles, and exams. Learning them will instantly make your English sound more fluent, natural, and confident. In this lesson, you’ll learn 14 common phrasal verbs with do, explained clearly and illustrated with natural example sentences.

1. Do away with

Meaning: to abolish or get rid of something.

The company decided to do away with outdated procedures.
Many people believe we should do away with unnecessary bureaucracy.
She wants to do away with her old habits.

2. Do up (fasten / repair)

Meaning: to fasten, close, or repair something.

Could you help me do up my dress?
Don’t forget to do up your seatbelt.
They plan to do up the old bike.

3. Do over

Meaning: to repeat or redo something.

You’ll need to do the assignment over.
If I could do my teenage years over, I’d make different choices.
They decided to do over the presentation.

4. Do in

Meaning: to exhaust someone or (informally) to kill.

That long hike really did me in.
The heat nearly did the runners in.
In the film, the villain plans to do in the hero.

5. Do for

Meaning: to harm, ruin, or cause the end of something.

One mistake could do for the entire project.
His lifestyle may eventually do for his health.
The storm did for the outdoor event.

6. Do out of

Meaning: to unfairly deprive someone of something.

He was done out of a promotion.
The scammer did her out of her savings.
Workers felt done out of fair pay.

7. Do without

Meaning: to manage in the absence of something.

We had to do without electricity all day.
She learned to do without luxuries.
You’ll have to do without your notebook for now.

8. Do over (a place)

Meaning: to redecorate or renovate a room or building.

They’re planning to do over the living room.
She did over her bedroom last summer.
The kitchen was completely done over.

9. Do well

Meaning: to succeed or perform successfully.

She always does well in exams.
The business is doing well this year.
He worked hard to do well in his career.

10. Do up (wrap / package)

Meaning: to wrap or package something neatly.

Please do up the gift nicely.
He did up the parcel with colourful paper.
She spent the evening doing up presents.

11. Do with

Meaning: to need or benefit from something.

I could really do with a cup of tea.
The garden could do with more attention.
He could do with some advice.

12. Do for oneself

Meaning: to take care of your own needs independently.

After moving out, he had to do for himself.
She prefers to do for herself.
Children should learn to do for themselves.

13. Do by

Meaning: to treat someone in a particular way.

How you do by others matters.
He always tries to do right by his team.
She felt badly done by during negotiations.

14. Do out

Meaning: to clean or tidy something thoroughly.

We spent the weekend doing out the garage.
She did out her wardrobe and donated clothes.
They decided to do out the kitchen.

Final tip for learners

Phrasal verbs with do are extremely common in spoken English, so don’t just memorise them — use them. Even one or two in conversation can make your English sound far more natural.

Published by My Lingua Academy on 22 Mar 202522 Mar 2025