When life becomes difficult, learners often depend on general verbs such as experience, manage and recover. Native speakers, however, are more likely to say that they went through a difficult period, sorted out a problem or bounced back after a setback. In this lesson, you will learn 25 phrasal verbs for difficult situations, handling problems, conflict, emotional pressure and recovery. Each expression includes a clear meaning and a natural example, together with a few important usage notes for B2 First, C1 Advanced and everyday English.
Surviving and Coping with Difficult Situations
| Get through | to survive, manage or successfully complete a difficult experience | We supported one another and somehow got through the worst months of the crisis. |
| Go through | to experience a difficult, unpleasant or important situation | Many students go through periods of self-doubt before an important exam. |
| Pull through | to recover from a serious illness, dangerous situation or major difficulty | The company managed to pull through the financial crisis. |
| Carry on | to continue doing something despite difficulties | Despite the criticism, he carried on with the project. |
| Hang in there | to remain patient and determined during a difficult situation | I know the first few weeks are difficult, but hang in there. |
Get through or go through?
Go through focuses on experiencing a situation, while get through focuses on surviving or completing it.
- She went through a difficult time, but with the support of her family, she got through it.
Grammar note: carry on
We use:
- carry on + -ing
- carry on with + noun
- She carried on studying.
She carried on with her studies.
Hang in there is informal and is particularly useful in conversation and informal emails.
Phrasal Verbs for Solving Problems
| Deal with | to take action to manage a problem, person or situation | Schools must find better ways to deal with rising stress levels. |
| Sort out | to solve a problem, organise something or make a confusing situation clear | Do not worry—we will sort everything out. |
| Work out | to find a solution or understand something after careful thought | I could not work out why she was so upset. |
| Figure out | to understand something or find the answer to a problem | We need to figure out a better way to organise the work. |
| Straighten out | to resolve a confusing, complicated or difficult situation | I need to speak to the bank and straighten out the problem with my account. |
Phrasal Verbs for Conflict and Confrontation
| Face up to | to accept and confront an unpleasant fact or difficult situation | We must face up to the fact that the plan is not working. |
| Stand up for | to defend or support someone or something | You should not be afraid to stand up for your beliefs. |
| Back down | to stop defending your position or withdraw from a disagreement | The company eventually backed down after receiving hundreds of complaints. |
| Fall out | to have an argument and stop being friendly with someone | She fell out with her best friend after a misunderstanding. |
| Patch up | to repair a relationship or settle a disagreement | The two friends eventually patched things up. |
Phrasal Verbs for Emotional Struggles
| Fall apart | to lose emotional control or stop functioning successfully | Everything seemed to fall apart at once. |
| Break down | to lose emotional control, often by beginning to cry | She finally broke down under the pressure. |
| Bottle up | to hide or suppress your feelings instead of expressing them | Do not bottle up your frustration—talk to someone you trust. |
| Calm down | to become, or help someone become, less angry, nervous or upset | It took several minutes to calm the child down. |
| Cheer up | to become happier or make someone feel happier | He cheered up when he heard the good news. |
Phrasal Verbs for Setbacks and Recovery
| Fall behind | to fail to make enough progress or keep up with others | The company has fallen behind its competitors. |
| Catch up | to reach the same level as someone else after falling behind | I need to catch up on all the work I missed. |
| Bounce back | to recover successfully after a disappointment, failure or difficult period | The team bounced back after a disappointing defeat. |
| Give up | to stop trying to do something | Many learners give up because they expect progress to happen immediately. |
| Move on | to leave a difficult experience in the past and begin thinking about the future | It is time to move on and make a fresh start. |
How to Use These Phrasal Verbs in Cambridge Exams
Instead of writing: Many young people experience problems when they start university.
You could write: Many young people go through a challenging period when they start university, particularly if they struggle to deal with academic pressure or fall behind with their work.
Instead of saying: The team recovered after the defeat.
You could say: The team managed to bounce back after the defeat and performed much better in the following match.
Instead of saying: We solved the disagreement.
You could say: We talked calmly and eventually sorted out the disagreement.
The phrasal verb should always suit the situation and level of formality. A natural, accurate phrase is far better than an unusual expression added merely to impress the examiner.
Continue Learning Phrasal Verbs
- 100 Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Use with Examples and PDF
- Better Ways to Say Difficult
- 13 Phrasal Verbs for Relationships
- Phrasal Verbs that Express Emotions
- B2 First Vocabulary
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Expressions with SAY - My Lingua Academy · 6 Mar 2026 at 1:29 pm
[…] Phrasal Verbs for Difficult Situations […]