Have you ever come across a phrasal verb and found yourself scratching your head, wondering what it means? In this lesson, you’ll explore the many meanings and uses of phrasal verbs with come. From come up with to come across, you’ll learn how to use these common expressions naturally and sound more fluent in everyday English.
List of Common Phrasal Verbs with COME
- Come about
- Come across
- Come after
- Come along
- Come apart
- Come around
- Come away
- Come at
- Come back
- Come before
- Come between
- Come by
- Come down
- Come down on
- Come down upon
- Come down to
- Come down with
- Come for
- Come forth
- Come from
- Come in
- Come in for
- Come into
- Come off
- Come on
- Come out
- Come out in
- Come out of
- Come out with
- Come over
- Come round
- Come through
- Come through with
- Come to
- Come together
- Come under
- Come up
- Come up to
- Come up with
- Come upon
- Come with
Phrasal Verbs with COME: Meaning and Examples
How did this misunderstanding come about? I came across an old photo album while cleaning out my closet. She comes across as calm, even under pressure. The dog started barking and came after the runner. Mr. Lee will retire, and Ms. Tran will come after him as team leader. Do you want to come along to the workshop? Your pronunciation is really coming along! The old book came apart in my hands.Come about
Come across
Come after
Come along
Come apart
The phrasal verbs above illustrate different patterns of usage and meaning. The following entries continue with additional expressions that are commonly used in everyday English conversations and formal writing.
My parents finally came around to the idea of me studying abroad. I came away from the talk feeling motivated. The dog came at me when I got too close to its food. Let’s come at this problem from a different angle. We came back from our trip late Sunday night. She hopes her confidence will come back soon. Your health should always come before your job. In the alphabet, “B” comes before “C”.Come around
Come away
Come at
Come back
Come before
The first five phrasal verbs with come establish core meanings of occurrence and discovery. “Come about” describes how things happen, “come across” means to find or seem, and “come after” involves pursuit or succession. “Come along” expresses joining or progress, while “come apart” shows physical disintegration. These foundational verbs set the stage for more complex come expressions.
Don’t let a small misunderstanding come between you and your best friend. Come by my office after lunch if you have time. Good jobs are hard to come by these days. Snow is expected to come down heavily tonight. My fever finally came down after I took the medicine. This story has come down through generations. The principal came down on the students for cheating. The manager came down upon him for missing the deadline.Come between
Come by
Come down
Come down on
Come down upon
The phrasal verbs above illustrate different patterns of usage and meaning. The following entries continue with additional expressions that are commonly used in everyday English conversations and formal writing.
It all comes down to communication. The price came down to $900 during the sale. I think I’m coming down with a cold. They came for him early in the morning to ask questions. After the news report, new witnesses came forth.Come down to
Come down with
Come for
Come forth
The next group spans “come around” through “come forth,” covering opinion change, movement, appearance, and creation. “Come around” and “come away” express emotional movement, while “come at,” “come back,” and “come before” involve direction and priority. “Come between,” “come by,” “come down,” and “come forth” expand the range to include relationships, obtaining, and emergence. These verbs collectively show physical and figurative movement patterns in English.
My grandparents come from Italy. This idea came from a conversation with learners. Please come in and have a seat. What time did you come in this morning? Your voice is breaking up—you’re not coming in clearly. These tips will come in handy for your speaking test. The company came in for criticism after the announcement. She came into a small fortune after her aunt passed away. Timing comes into play when you launch a product. My ring came off while I was washing my hands. The event came off better than we expected. Ten dollars came off the price at checkout.Come from
Come in
Come in for
Come into
Come off
The phrasal verbs above illustrate different patterns of usage and meaning. The following entries continue with additional expressions that are commonly used in everyday English conversations and formal writing.
Come on, you can do it—just one more try! The movie comes on at 8 p.m. He came on too strong, so she ended the conversation. Her new book comes out next month. The truth came out during the meeting. He decided to come out to his family when he felt ready. She came out in a rash after trying a new lotion. Nothing good will come out of this argument. He always comes out with the funniest comments at the worst time. The company came out with a new version of the app.Come on
Come out
Come out in
Come out of
Come out with
The phrasal verbs above illustrate different patterns of usage and meaning. The following entries continue with additional expressions that are commonly used in everyday English conversations and formal writing.
Do you want to come over this evening? A strange calmness came over her. She’ll come round once she hears the full story. He fainted but came round after a few minutes. My neighbors often come round on weekends.Come over
Come round
The verbs “come over,” “come round,” and earlier expressions like “come out with” and “come on” cover both physical visits and emotional states. These transitions demonstrate how “come” describes both literal arrival and figurative emergence. The final set progresses to completion, success, and inclusion—essential for expressing results and final outcomes in English conversation.
She came through the surgery successfully. Your email finally came through. He said he’d help—and he really came through. Can you come through with the files before noon? She came to slowly after the anesthesia wore off. The bill came to $150 in total. The team came together to solve the crisis. This topic comes under the Science department.Come through
Come through with
Come to
Come together
Come under
The phrasal verbs above illustrate different patterns of usage and meaning. The following entries continue with additional expressions that are commonly used in everyday English conversations and formal writing.
Something came up at work, so I couldn’t attend the meeting. Your name came up during the interview. The runner came up to the finish line. The product didn’t come up to our quality standards. She came up with an innovative solution to the problem. We came upon a beautiful lake during our hike. The new phone comes with a two-year warranty.Come up
Come up to
Come up with
Come upon
Come with
Common Mistakes with Phrasal Verbs with COME
1. Confusing “come across” meanings
❌ Wrong I came across as nervous during the presentation, so I found a book about it.
✅ Correct I came across a useful book about presentations. I came across as nervous during the presentation.
“Come across” meaning 1 = find by chance. “Come across” meaning 2 = make an impression. These are completely different uses.
2. Using “come down” instead of “come down with” for illness
❌ Wrong I think I’m coming down a cold.
✅ Correct I think I’m coming down with a cold.
Always use “with” when talking about catching an illness. “Come down on” means to punish, which is very different!
3. Word order confusion with separable vs inseparable
❌ Wrong Let me come up an idea with you.
✅ Correct Let me come up with an idea with you.
“Come up with” is inseparable—the object must come after the entire phrasal verb, not in the middle.
Key Grammar Notes
Dialogue: COME Phrasal Verbs in Everyday Situations
- A
- Something unexpected came up at work—I might not make dinner tonight.
- B
- Oh no, what happened? Come on, tell me!
- A
- The boss asked me to come up with a report by 5 p.m.
- B
- Can you come through on time?
- A
- I think so. Have you come across this project before?
- B
- Actually, yes! I came across similar issues last year.
- A
- Great! Maybe I can come over to your place after work to brainstorm?
- B
- Absolutely. Just come by around 7 p.m. if you can make it.
- A
- One thing is bothering me though—I’m starting to feel sick.
- B
- Oh no, you’re not coming down with something, are you?
- A
- I don’t think so. It’s probably just stress. Once the report comes out, I’ll feel better.
- B
- Hopefully you’ll come out of this week feeling proud of your work!
- A
- You always come through for me when I need encouragement. Thanks!
- B
- That’s what friends are for. See you tonight!
👉 Learn more: Phrasal Verbs with CHECK | Phrasal Verbs with CALL