Phrasal Verbs for Difficult Situations (with Meanings & Natural Examples)

If you are preparing for the Cambridge B2 First or C1 Advanced exam, knowing how to talk about difficult situations naturally is essential. In this lesson, you’ll learn 25 phrasal verbs for difficult situations with clear meanings and real examples that will improve your speaking and writing immediately.

Life has a habit of testing us. We face setbacks at work, misunderstandings in relationships, pressure during exams, and moments when everything feels uncertain.

Native speakers rarely say:

❌ experience difficulty

❌ manage a problem

❌ recover from stress

Instead, they use natural phrasal verbs like:

✔ get through a tough time

✔ sort out a problem

✔ pull through a crisis

If you are preparing for B2 First or C1 Advanced, these phrasal verbs will instantly make your writing and speaking sound more fluent, natural, and emotionally expressive.

Let’s explore the most useful ones.

Surviving & Coping

Get through

Meaning: survive or successfully complete something difficult.

• She got through the interview despite feeling nervous.
• We somehow got through the worst months of the crisis.

Go through

Meaning: experience something unpleasant.

• He went through a difficult divorce.
• Many students go through periods of self-doubt.

Pull through

Meaning: recover from illness or a serious problem.

• The patient slowly pulled through after surgery.
• The company pulled through financial hardship.

Carry on

Meaning: continue despite problems.

• She carried on working even when she felt overwhelmed.
• We must carry on despite the setbacks.

Hang in there

Meaning: remain strong in a difficult situation.

• Hang in there — things will improve.
• He told himself to hang in there during the exam.

(More informal — perfect for speaking tasks.)

Solving & Managing Problems

Deal with

Meaning: handle a situation or problem.

• She doesn’t know how to deal with criticism.
• Schools must deal with rising stress levels.

Sort out

Meaning: resolve or organise something.

• We need to sort out this misunderstanding.
• She sorted out her finances carefully.

Work out

Meaning: find a solution.

• I’m sure we can work it out together.
• They worked out a compromise.

Figure out

Meaning: understand or solve something.

• He couldn’t figure out what went wrong.
• We need to figure out a better strategy.

Straighten out

Meaning: fix a confusing or difficult situation.

• They met to straighten out the disagreement.

Conflict & Confrontation

Face up to

Meaning: accept and confront something unpleasant.

• He finally faced up to his mistakes.
• We must face up to reality.

Stand up for

Meaning: defend someone or something.

• She stood up for her colleague.
• You should stand up for your beliefs.

Back down

Meaning: withdraw from a conflict.

• He refused to back down during the debate.
• The company eventually backed down.

Fall out

Meaning: have an argument.

• They fell out over money.
• She fell out with her best friend.

Patch up

Meaning: repair a relationship.

• They patched up their differences.
• The two friends finally patched things up.

Emotional Struggles

Fall apart

Meaning: lose emotional control.

• She nearly fell apart after hearing the news.
• Everything seemed to fall apart at once.

Break down

Meaning: lose control emotionally.

• He broke down in tears.
• She broke down under pressure.

Bottle up

Meaning: hide emotions.

• He bottled up his feelings for years.
• Don’t bottle up your frustration.

Calm down

Meaning: become less angry or upset.

• Try to calm down before speaking.
• She took a walk to calm down.

Cheer up

Meaning: become happier.

• I tried to cheer her up.
• He eventually cheered up after the news.

Setbacks & Recovery

Fall behind

Meaning: fail to keep up.

• She fell behind with her studies.
• The company fell behind its competitors.

Catch up

Meaning: reach the same level again.

• He worked hard to catch up.
• She caught up after missing classes.

Bounce back

Meaning: recover quickly from difficulty.

• She bounced back stronger than before.
• The team bounced back after defeat.

Give up

Meaning: stop trying.

• He refused to give up.
• Many people give up too easily.

Move on

Meaning: leave the past behind.

• She decided to move on after the breakup.
• It’s time to move on and start again.

Cambridge Exam Upgrade Tip

Instead of writing:

Many young people experience problems at university.

Write:

Many young people go through challenging periods at university but eventually bounce back.

That’s the vocabulary upgrade examiners notice immediately.

FAQ

Why are phrasal verbs important for Cambridge exams?

Phrasal verbs make your English sound natural and fluent. Examiners reward appropriate and accurate use of them.

Are phrasal verbs formal or informal?

Some are informal, but many are perfectly acceptable in essays and reports when used correctly.

How can I remember phrasal verbs more easily?

Group them by topic, use them in sentences, and practise them in writing tasks.

Related posts:

Phrasal verbs related to exams

Phrasal verbs to use in formal writing

How to learn 10 phrasal verbs a week

How to write an essay for C1 Advanced

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