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Understanding phrasal verbs is key to mastering English, especially those related to everyday topics like clothing. This article will guide you through various clothing phrasal verbs such as put on, take off, and dress up.
You’ll find definitions and examples to help you integrate these expressions into your daily conversations and writing. Whether you want to dress up for an event or kick off your shoes after a long day, these phrasal verbs will expand your vocabulary and improve your fluency.
List of Common Phrasal Verbs with Clothes
- Do up
- Dress down
- Dress up
- Hang out
- Hang up
- Have on
- Kick off
- Let down
- Let out
- Put on
- Slip on
- Take in
- Take off
- Take up
- Throw on
- Try on
- Turn up
- Wrap up
- Zip up
Clothing Phrasal Verbs with Meaning and Examples
To make these clothing phrasal verbs easier to learn, the meanings below include short grammar notes and clear examples. Pay special attention to confusing pairs like take up vs. turn up, and similar actions like do up vs. zip up.
Do up
🔊 Pronunciation: /duː ʌp/
📖 Meaning: To fasten an item of clothing (buttons, snaps, or other fasteners).
📝 Example: You don’t need to do up the top button.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Do up your coat / Do your coat up
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Do it up (NOT Do up it)
🔄 Synonyms: Fasten, button up
Dress up
🔊 Pronunciation: /dres ʌp/
📖 Meaning:
- To wear special or formal clothes for an event.
- To put on a costume (for fun, parties, Halloween).
📝 Example: We used to dress up to go to church when we were children.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Intransitive · Structure: Inseparable
🔄 Synonyms: Wear formal clothes, get dressed up
Dress down
🔊 Pronunciation: /dres daʊn/
📖 Meaning: To wear casual or informal clothes.
📝 Example: I usually dress down on weekends.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Intransitive · Structure: Inseparable
🔄 Synonyms: Wear casual clothes
Hang out
🔊 Pronunciation: /hæŋ aʊt/
📖 Meaning: To dry clothes outside after washing them, usually on a clothesline or drying rack.
📝 Example: Have you hung the washing out?
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
🧠 Note: In daily English, hang out can also mean “spend time with friends.” In this lesson, it means hang out the washing/clothes.
✅ Usage: Hang out the clothes / Hang the clothes out
🔄 Synonyms: Hang to dry
Hang up
🔊 Pronunciation: /hæŋ ʌp/
📖 Meaning: To put clothes on a hanger or hook.
📝 Example: Hang up your coat in the closet.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Hang up your jacket / Hang your jacket up
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Hang it up (NOT Hang up it)
🔄 Synonyms: Put on a hanger
Have on
🔊 Pronunciation: /hæv ɑːn/
📖 Meaning: To be wearing clothes or accessories (a state, not the action).
📝 Example: She has on a beautiful necklace.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Inseparable
🧠 Tip: Put on = the action. Have on = the state of wearing.
🔄 Synonyms: Be wearing
Kick off
🔊 Pronunciation: /kɪk ɔːf/
📖 Meaning: To remove shoes or other footwear (often quickly or casually).
📝 Example: I always kick off my shoes when I get home.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Kick off your shoes / Kick your shoes off
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Kick them off (NOT Kick off them)
🔄 Synonyms: Take off
Put on
🔊 Pronunciation: /pʊt ɑːn/
📖 Meaning: To start wearing an article of clothing.
📝 Example: Put on your jacket before you go outside.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Put on your coat / Put your coat on
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Put it on (NOT Put on it)
🔄 Synonyms: Wear, get dressed in
Slip on
🔊 Pronunciation: /slɪp ɑːn/
📖 Meaning: To put on clothes or shoes quickly and easily (often without laces or buttons).
📝 Example: I slipped on my flip-flops to go to the beach.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Slip on your sandals / Slip your sandals on
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Slip them on (NOT Slip on them)
🔄 Synonyms: Put on quickly
Take off
🔊 Pronunciation: /teɪk ɔːf/
📖 Meaning: To remove an item of clothing.
📝 Example: Take off your hat when you enter the building.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Take off your shoes / Take your shoes off
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Take them off (NOT Take off them)
🔄 Synonyms: Remove
Take in
🔊 Pronunciation: /teɪk ɪn/
📖 Meaning: To make clothes smaller by sewing them tighter.
📝 Example: The tailor will take in the dress to fit you better.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Take in the waist / Take the waist in
🔄 Synonyms: Alter, make smaller
Take up
🔊 Pronunciation: /teɪk ʌp/
📖 Meaning: To shorten clothing permanently by cutting/folding fabric and sewing the hem.
📝 Example: I want to take this pair of pants up. It’s too long.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Take up these trousers / Take these trousers up
🧠 Nuance Tip: Take up is usually a tailor’s permanent alteration. If you just fold the hem up, that’s often turn up.
🔄 Synonyms: Hem, shorten
Try on
🔊 Pronunciation: /traɪ ɑːn/
📖 Meaning: To put on clothing to check the size, fit, or whether it suits your style.
📝 Example: I need to try on these jeans before buying them.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Try on this jacket / Try this jacket on
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Try it on (NOT Try on it)
🔄 Synonyms: Test the fit
Throw on
🔊 Pronunciation: /θroʊ ɑːn/
📖 Meaning: To put on clothes quickly and without much thought.
📝 Example: I just threw on some clothes and ran out the door.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Throw on a hoodie / Throw a hoodie on
🔄 Synonyms: Put on quickly
Turn up
🔊 Pronunciation: /tɜːrn ʌp/
📖 Meaning: To fold the bottom of trousers, a skirt, or sleeves upward to make them shorter (often temporary).
📝 Example: Her jeans were too long, so she turned them up for the day.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Turn up the cuffs / Turn the cuffs up
🧠 Nuance Tip: Turn up is often a fold you can undo. Take up is a more permanent alteration.
🔄 Synonyms: Roll up, cuff
Wrap up
🔊 Pronunciation: /ræp ʌp/
📖 Meaning: To wear warm clothes, especially in cold weather.
📝 Example: Make sure to wrap up warm if you’re going outside in the snow.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Intransitive · Structure: Inseparable
🔄 Synonyms: Bundle up
Zip up
🔊 Pronunciation: /zɪp ʌp/
📖 Meaning: To fasten a zipper on an item of clothing.
📝 Example: Zip up your jacket before going outside.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Zip up your coat / Zip your coat up
⚠️ Pronoun rule: Zip it up (NOT Zip up it)
🔄 Synonyms: Fasten, zip closed
Let out
🔊 Pronunciation: /let aʊt/
📖 Meaning: To make clothes larger by loosening the seams or using extra fabric.
📝 Example: The tailor will let out the waistband of your pants.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Let out the waist / Let the waist out
🔄 Synonyms: Loosen, make bigger
Let down
🔊 Pronunciation: /let daʊn/
📖 Meaning: To lengthen clothing by lowering the hem and using extra fabric (the opposite of take up).
📝 Example: This skirt needs letting down because it’s too short.
💡 Grammar Note: Type: Transitive · Structure: Separable
✅ Usage: Let down the hem / Let the hem down
🔄 Synonyms: Lengthen, lower the hem
Dialogue Examples with Phrasal Verbs with Clothes
Dialogue 1: Getting Ready
A: Are you ready to go?
B: Almost. I’m going to throw on a jacket, then zip it up because it’s windy.
A: Good idea. You should also wrap up—it’s colder than yesterday.
B: True. And don’t forget to do up your coat. The buttons keep coming undone.
A: I will. I’ll just slip on my sandals and we can leave.
Dialogue 2: Shopping and Alterations
A: These jeans look nice, but I’m not sure about the fit.
B: Try them on. If they’re too tight, the tailor can let them out. If they’re too loose, they can take them in.
A: The legs are a bit long.
B: For today, you could turn them up. If you want a permanent fix, you can take them up later.
A: Great! When I get home, I’m going to hang up my coat and hang out the washing.
Exercises with Answers
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct clothing phrasal verb.
- It’s freezing outside—make sure you ________ before you go out.
- Can you ________ your coat? The wind is really strong.
- I need to ________ these jeans to check the size and fit.
- My pants are too long, so I’m going to ________ the hem for today.
- After washing the clothes, I always ________ them in the sun.
Exercise 2: Choose the correct option
Choose the best phrasal verb for each sentence.
- When I get home, I usually ________ my shoes. (kick off / put on)
- She ________ a scarf because it started to rain. (threw on / took off)
- This dress is too tight—can the tailor ________ it? (let out / take up)
- He didn’t ________ his jacket, so the zipper was open. (zip up / hang up)
- I ________ a sweater at the store, but I didn’t buy it. (tried on / had on)
Answer Key
Exercise 1
- wrap up
- do up
- try on
- turn up
- hang out
Exercise 2
- kick off
- threw on
- let out
- zip up
- tried on
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1) What’s the difference between “put on” and “have on”?
Put on describes the action of getting dressed: Put on your jacket.
Have on describes the state of wearing something: She has on a jacket.
2) What’s the difference between “take up” and “turn up”?
Take up usually means shortening clothing permanently by sewing the hem (often done by a tailor).
Turn up usually means folding the hem or cuffs upward, often as a temporary fix.
3) What’s the difference between “do up” and “zip up”?
Do up is a general verb meaning “fasten” (buttons, snaps, hooks).
Zip up is specific to a zipper.
Conclusion
These clothing phrasal verbs help you describe what you wear, how you change clothes, and even how you care for them. Remember the key differences: put on (action) vs. have on (state), take up (permanent shortening) vs. turn up (often temporary folding), and fill in meanings like hang out the washing so you don’t confuse it with social “hang out.”
To review later, you can download the PDF version of clothing phrasal verbs and practice the dialogues and exercises again.
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