25+ Common Action Verbs in English (With Examples)

Action verbs are words that describe what a person, animal, or thing does. This lesson focuses on common action verbs in English for beginner to intermediate learners, helping you recognize, remember, and use them correctly in everyday situations.

Action Verbs in English

The action verbs below are grouped by type of action. Each verb includes its past form (V2) and a clear example sentence.

Movement & Physical Actions

Verb	V2	Example
Walk	Walked	Don’t try to run before you can walk.
Run	Ran	I saw a few prisoners run away.
Jump	Jumped	Can you jump over the river?
Leap	Leapt / Leaped	Look before you leap.
Skip	Skipped	She likes to skip with her rope.
Crawl	Crawled	A child learns to crawl before walking.
Climb	Climbed	He tried to climb the tree.
Dive	Dived / Dove	Many dolphins can dive very deep.
Kick	Kicked	The kids love to kick a ball.
Slip	Slipped	Be careful not to slip on the wet floor.
Bend	Bent	The branch bent under his weight.

Body Positions & Postures

Verb	V2	Example
Stand	Stood	We had to stand in the snow.
Sit	Sat	The students sit in a circle.
Squat	Squatted	Can you squat here?
Kneel	Kneeled / Knelt	She asked her son to kneel down.
Crouch	Crouched	The man crouched behind the wall.
Tiptoe	Tiptoed	I tiptoed into the room.
Do a handstand	Did a handstand	He did a handstand in the gym.

Physical Contact Actions

Verb	V2	Example
Hit	Hit	She hit him with a rolled-up magazine.
Punch	Punched	He punched the punching bag.
Throw	Threw	Throw your clothes in the washing machine.
Catch	Caught	I had to run to catch the bus.
Push	Pushed	You push and I’ll pull.
Pull	Pulled	You can pull a rope.
Hold	Held	Hold the ladder for me.