Phrasal Verbs for Online Communication

Phrasal Verbs for Online Communication (with Meanings & Examples)

A few years ago, we wrote letters. Then we wrote emails. Now we send messages, leave comments, take part in meetings, post updates, and somehow manage to have three conversations at the same time — all without leaving our chairs. Modern life happens online, and so does modern English. Phrasal Verbs for Online Communication

But here’s the interesting part: although the technology keeps changing, the language we use to talk about it is wonderfully old-fashioned. English still relies heavily on phrasal verbs — those short, powerful verb + particle combinations that make your English sound natural, fluent, and confidently native-like.

We log in, scroll through messages, sign up for platforms, set up meetings, send out emails, and sometimes get cut off at the least favorable time. These expressions appear everywhere: in emails, social media, online meetings, and even in Cambridge exams such as B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE).

In this lesson, you will learn the most useful phrasal verbs related to online communication, with clear meanings and natural example sentences, so you can come across as more confident, more modern, and more precise every time you communicate in English online.

Log in / Log out

Meaning: to enter/leave an account or system.

• I can’t read my emails because I can’t log in.
• Don’t forget to log out of your account on public computers.

Sign up (for)

Meaning: to create an account or register for a service.

• I’ve just signed up for a new language-learning app.
• You have to sign up before you can leave comments.

Scroll through

Meaning: to move through content on a screen.

• I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw your post.
• Sandra spent an hour scrolling through old messages.

Click on

Meaning: to press a button or link on a screen.

• Josh clicked on the link to open the document.
• Simon accidentally clicked on the wrong file.

Fill in / Fill out

Meaning: to complete an online form.

• Please fill in all the required fields.
• I filled out the application form online.

Send out

Meaning: to send something to many people.

• The company sent out an email to all customers.
• Invitations were sent out last week.

Get back to (someone)

Meaning: to reply later.

• I’ll get back to you as soon as I read your message.
• She hasn’t got back to me yet.

Reply to

Meaning: to answer a message or email.

• He never replied to my last email.
• Please reply to this message by Friday.

Forward (something) to

Meaning: to send a message you received to another person.

• I’ll forward the email to
• She forwarded the link to the whole team.

Copy (someone) in

Meaning: to include someone else in an email.

• Copy me in so I can see the reply.
• She copied her manager in on the message.

Leave out

Meaning: to not incorporate something or someone.

• You left out an important attachment.
• Don’t leave me out of the group email.

Set up

Meaning: to create or arrange something (account, meeting, group).

• I set up an online meeting for tomorrow.
• She set up a new email account.

Join in

Meaning: to take part in an online discussion or activity.

• Everyone joined in the discussion.
• Feel free to join in and leave a comment.

Post up / Post

Meaning: to publish something online.

• He posted up some photos from his trip.
• I posted the announcement on Facebook.

Take down

Meaning: to remove content from a website or social media.

• The video was taken down.
• They took down the post after complaints.

Back up

Meaning: to make a copy of your files.

• Always back up your important documents.
• I always forget to back up my photos.

Run into (a problem)

Meaning: to encounter a problem unexpectedly.

• I ran into a problem while uploading the file.
• We ran into technical problems during the meeting.

Cut off

Meaning: to lose connection.

• I got cut off in the middle of the call.
• The internet cut off during the meeting.

Do the quiz to perfect your knowledge:

Online communication is now part of everyday life — whether you are writing emails, chatting with friends, attending online meetings, or posting on social media. And just like in real-life conversations, using the right phrasal verbs makes your English sound more natural, more fluent, and far more confident.

If you start using expressions like log in, set up, get back to, scroll through, or cut off in your real messages and emails, you’ll quickly notice the difference in how natural your English feels — especially in B2 and C1 writing and speaking tasks.

Don’t try to learn all these phrasal verbs at once. Pick a few, practise them in real emails or messages, and slowly build them into your active vocabulary. Little by little, your online English will become clearer, richer, and more professional — and your communication will go through much more smoothly… hopefully without getting cut off.

If you really want to learn English but don’t know how or where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us. Book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers and take a test and consultation! Tap the banner to learn more!