Phrasal verbs with forward

When you add "forward" to verbs, you're often talking about movement towards the future or taking positive action. This little word creates some really useful phrasal verbs that you'll hear every day.

The most obvious example is look forward to, where "forward" points your mind towards something exciting that's coming. You might say "I'm looking forward to the weekend" because your thoughts are moving ahead in time to something good.

Many phrasal verbs with "forward" involve offering or presenting something. When you come forward or step forward, you're moving yourself into action to help or share information. These work very similarly – you might step forward to volunteer for a project, or witnesses might come forward after a crime. Both suggest brave, positive movement.

The idea of bringing things into the open appears again with put something forward. Here you're moving an idea or suggestion towards other people for them to consider. You could put forward a proposal at work or put forward someone's name for an award.

Bring something forward is slightly different – it moves events earlier in time rather than presenting ideas. If you bring forward a meeting, you're pulling it towards the present moment.

Understanding this pattern of positive, helpful movement will help you remember these phrasal verbs and guess the meanings of new ones you encounter.