14 Phrasal Verbs Related to Problems with Examples and Quiz

Phrasal verbs related to problems are useful in everyday conversation, at work and in more advanced English. They are also worth learning if you are preparing for B2 First or C1 Advanced, particularly for Reading, Listening and Use of English.

Problems are part of everyday life, so English has plenty of useful expressions for talking about them.

We can run into difficulties, come up against obstacles, deal with problems, sort out misunderstandings or simply put up with an unpleasant situation until things improve.

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1. Deal with

Meaning: to take action to manage or solve a problem or difficult situation.

• We need to deal with this problem before it gets worse.
• Managers often have to deal with complaints from customers.

Deal with does not always mean that the problem has been completely solved. It means that you take action to manage it.

2. Run into

Meaning: to experience a problem or difficulty unexpectedly.

• The company ran into serious financial difficulties.
• We ran into a few technical problems during the presentation.

This is a very common expression in both everyday and business English.

3. Come up against

Meaning: to encounter a difficulty, obstacle or opposition.

• We came up against several unexpected problems during the project.
• Small businesses often come up against financial difficulties.

This expression is particularly useful when something prevents you from making progress.

4. Run up against

Meaning: to encounter an unexpected problem, difficulty or restriction.

• The project ran up against several legal problems.
• We ran up against difficulties when we tried to obtain permission.

Run up against is very similar to come up against.

Compare:

• We came up against several obstacles.
• We ran up against several obstacles.

Both are natural, although come up against is probably more useful for learners to remember first.

5. Face up to

Meaning: to accept that a difficult situation exists and deal with it rather than avoiding it.

• We need to face up to the fact that the plan isn’t working.
• Sooner or later, she will have to face up to the consequences of her decision.

Important pattern

face up to + noun / -ing

• You need to face up to the problem.
• He finally faced up to having made a mistake.

Do not say:

❌ face up to solve the problem

6. Wrestle with

Meaning: to spend time trying hard to deal with a difficult problem, decision or question.

• She spent several weeks wrestling with the decision.
• Many companies are wrestling with rising costs.
• He was wrestling with a difficult maths problem.

This expression suggests that the problem requires considerable thought or effort.

7. Talk something over

Meaning: to discuss a problem, plan or decision carefully with someone.

• I need to talk it over with my family before I make a decision.
• Why don’t you talk the problem over with your manager?

Word order

Both are possible:

talk something over

• Let’s talk the problem over.

talk something over with someone

• I need to talk it over with my husband.

With a pronoun, put it in the middle:

✔️ talk it over

Not:

❌ talk over it

8. Work through

Meaning: to deal gradually with a problem, difficulty or complicated situation.

• We need to work through these problems one at a time.
• The team spent the afternoon working through the technical issues.
• They are trying to work through their differences.

9. Sort out

Meaning: to successfully deal with or solve a problem.

• Don’t worry. I’ll sort out the problem with the computer.
• We need to sort out this misunderstanding before the meeting.

Compare

deal with a problem = take action concerning it

sort out a problem = solve it successfully

For example:

• We’re dealing with the problem now.
• We’ve finally sorted out the problem.

10. Iron out

Meaning: to resolve small problems, disagreements or difficulties, especially before something is finalised.

• We still need to iron out a few problems before launching the product.
• We need to iron out the final details of the agreement.

11. Put up with

Meaning: to tolerate an unpleasant situation or person without complaining or taking action.

• She had to put up with a difficult colleague for years.
• How do you put up with such long working hours?

Important grammar

put up with + noun / -ing

• I can’t put up with the noise.
• I can’t put up with waiting for hours.

12. Break down

Meaning 1: if a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working.

• My car broke down on the way to work.

Meaning 2: if communication, negotiations or a relationship break down, they fail.

• Negotiations between the two companies broke down.

Meaning 3: if a person breaks down, they become unable to control their emotions.

• She broke down in tears after hearing the news.

The exact meaning depends heavily on context.

13. Fall apart

Meaning: to fail, collapse or stop functioning successfully.

It can describe relationships, plans, organisations and sometimes people.

• Their marriage fell apart after years of arguments.
• The plan fell apart when the main investor withdrew.

It can also describe something physically breaking into pieces:

• The old book was literally falling apart.

14. Run out of

Meaning: to use all of something so that none remains.

• We ran out of time before we could finish the test.
• The car ran out of petrol on the motorway.
• We’ve run out of ideas.

 Phrasal Verbs Related to Problems: Quiz

Learn More Phrasal Verbs in Context

If you’d like to go beyond individual lists of phrasal verbs, Unlock English 3: Phrasal Verbs (B2–C1) helps you learn advanced phrasal verbs through short stories, explanations and practical exercises.

It is especially suitable for upper-intermediate and advanced learners who want to understand how phrasal verbs are actually used in everyday English.

👉 Explore Unlock English 3: Phrasal Verbs (B2–C1)

If you use English at work, you may also enjoy English at Work 2, which focuses on business phrasal verbs through realistic workplace stories and practice.

👉 Browse the English at Work series in the My Lingua Academy Bookshop

Learning Tip

Don’t learn phrasal verbs related to problems as isolated words. Learn the combinations they naturally appear in. 

Learning these expressions as complete chunks makes them much easier to remember and much easier to use naturally in speaking and writing.

Related posts: 

• Common Phrasal Verbs for B2 First 
• Phrasal Verbs for Difficult Situations 
• Phrasal Verbs for Discussions in English 
• Talking about Problems in English 
• Common Mistakes with Phrasal Verbs 
• 100 Phrasal Verbs + Free Practice Workbook