Phrasal verbs with send

When you send something, you make it go from one place to another. This basic idea of moving or directing something away from you runs through all these phrasal verb combinations, but each particle adds its own special meaning.

The particle *out* creates two different patterns. You can send someone out to go somewhere with a purpose, like sending a colleague out to buy lunch. But you can also send something out to multiple people at once, like sending out invitations to a party. Similarly, send something off means posting or dispatching it to reach someone else, whilst send something in goes the opposite direction – you submit it to an organisation or authority.

Some combinations focus on people's movements and relationships. When you send someone away, you're telling them to leave, often because you don't want them around. Send for someone works differently – you're asking them to come to you because you need them. At airports or train stations, you might send someone off by going to say goodbye as they depart.

The particle *back* creates a return movement – when you send something back to a shop or restaurant, you're reversing the original journey because you're not satisfied. In football, referees send players off when they show them a red card, forcing them to leave the pitch immediately.