a cold war
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idiom

a cold war

Meaning
a state of political hostility without open warfare
Example
The two nations seem to be entering **a cold war** again.
phrasal-verb

slow your pace

Meaning
to move or work more slowly to reduce stress
Example
When I feel tense, I remind myself to **slow my pace** and take it easy.
idiom

throw a wrench in the works

Meaning
to cause a problem that stops progress
Example
The last-minute design change **threw a wrench in the works**.
phrasal-verb

drain away pressure

Meaning
to slowly release mental or emotional pressure
Example
Talking to a friend helps me **drain away pressure** after a long day.
idiom

by trial and error

Meaning
learning by experimenting and correcting mistakes
Example
We developed the best method **by trial and error**.
phrasal-verb

carry on bravely

Meaning
to continue with courage despite emotional hardship
Example
He chose to **carry on bravely** after losing his loved one.
idiom

let it go

Meaning
to stop worrying about something; to forgive or forget
Example
She finally decided to **let it go** and move on.
idiom

talk someone into something

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** going to the gym with him.
idiom

black box

Meaning
a system or process whose workings are not understood or transparent
Example
The neural network is often described as a **black box** because its decision-making process is not fully transparent.
phrasal-verb

hold out on

Meaning
to refuse to give information or something to someone
Example
He’s **holding out on** me about the project details.
phrasal-verb

look into problems

Meaning
to investigate or examine a situation or issue
Example
The HR manager is looking into the complaints from employees.
phrasal-verb

file on deadline

Meaning
to submit a story right at the required time
Example
Reporters **file on deadline** even when storms slow travel.
idiom

raise the stakes

Meaning
to increase the level of risk or difficulty
Example
We need to **raise the stakes** if we want to make a bigger impact.
idiom

true colors

Meaning
someone’s real character or intentions
Example
He showed his **true colors** when he lied to me.
idiom

a blank canvas

Meaning
a person or situation that can be developed freely
Example
Starting a new project is like working with **a blank canvas**.
idiom

buy into

Meaning
to accept or support an idea or plan
Example
The team quickly **bought into** the new workflow.
phrasal-verb

come together for

Meaning
to unite for a common purpose; to join efforts toward a shared goal
Example
Communities from all over the world **come together for** humanitarian causes.
phrasal-verb

lie in wait

Meaning
to hide and wait for someone or something
Example
The police **lay in wait** for the suspect all night.
phrasal-verb

throw together

Meaning
to assemble or prepare something quickly and without care
Example
They **threw together** a quick dinner before the guests arrived.
idiom

Bide one’s time

Meaning
To wait patiently for the right opportunity.
Example
She decided to **bide her time** before making a move.
idiom

crystal ball

Meaning
the ability to predict the future
Example
I don’t have a **crystal ball**, so I can’t tell what will happen.
phrasal-verb

stumble over

Meaning
to make an error while speaking or reading
Example
He **stumbled over** several words in the script.
idiom

seat of power

Meaning
a place where authority or control is exercised
Example
The prime minister returned to the **seat of power** after a long illness.
phrasal-verb

go against

Meaning
to oppose or disagree with someone or something
Example
It takes courage to **go against** popular opinion.
idiom

the wisdom of age

Meaning
knowledge and understanding gained through life experience
Example
He gave me advice that showed **the wisdom of age**.
idiom

to be ahead of the curve

Meaning
to be more advanced than others
Example
Her research was **ahead of the curve** in the field of artificial intelligence.
phrasal-verb

comfort with words

Meaning
to make someone feel better by speaking kindly
Example
He tried to **comfort her with words** after the loss.
idiom

the political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to handle
Example
Corruption has become **a political hot potato** in the country.
idiom

gears in motion

Meaning
the process has started and is progressing
Example
Once the plan was approved, the **gears were in motion**.
idiom

get cold feet

Meaning
to suddenly become afraid to do something
Example
He **got cold feet** before proposing to her.
idiom

check in on

Meaning
to monitor or see how someone or something is doing
Example
Could you **check in on** the kids while I'm out?
idiom

On the drawing board

Meaning
In the planning or design stage
Example
The new product is still **on the drawing board**, but it will be launched next year.
idiom

carry a torch for someone

Meaning
to continue loving someone who doesn’t love you back
Example
He’s still **carrying a torch for** his ex-girlfriend.
idiom

show someone the ropes

Meaning
to teach someone how to do a task
Example
She took the time to **show me the ropes** on my first day at work.
idiom

butterflies in your stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or anxious
Example
I always get **butterflies in my stomach** before a big presentation.
phrasal-verb

stimulate demand

Meaning
to encourage people to buy more goods or services
Example
The government reduced taxes to **stimulate demand** in the economy.
idiom

Fashion victim

Meaning
Someone who follows fashion trends blindly
Example
He's such a **fashion victim**—he buys every new style that comes out.
idiom

backroom deal

Meaning
a secret agreement made by powerful people
Example
The media exposed the **backroom deal** between the two parties.
idiom

a couch potato

Meaning
a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
Example
He’s become **a couch potato** since he lost his job.
idiom

bootstrap a startup

Meaning
to build a business using limited resources without external funding
Example
Many successful founders **bootstrapped their startups** in the early days.
idiom

give thanks

Meaning
to express gratitude
Example
We should always **give thanks** for what we have.
idiom

boot up

Meaning
to start a computer or system
Example
My laptop takes forever to **boot up**.
idiom

raise a toast

Meaning
to honor someone or something with a drink
Example
We **raised a toast** to the newlyweds.
phrasal-verb

fill with gratitude

Meaning
to feel deeply thankful or appreciative
Example
My heart **filled with gratitude** when I received their help.
phrasal-verb

flow with

Meaning
to move along naturally with emotions or situations instead of resisting them
Example
She learned to **flow with** her emotions rather than fight them.
idiom

Get off the ground

Meaning
To start successfully; to begin operating.
Example
Our startup finally **got off the ground** after months of planning.
phrasal-verb

get wound up

Meaning
to become very tense or angry
Example
He gets **wound up** easily when people interrupt him.
phrasal-verb

draw into

Meaning
to get someone involved in something unwillingly
Example
He was **drawn into** an argument he didn’t want to join.
idiom

work toward

Meaning
to make progress in order to achieve something
Example
We’re **working toward** a more flexible schedule for everyone.
idiom

bite your tongue

Meaning
to stop yourself from saying something you want to say
Example
I had to **bite my tongue** when my boss took credit for my work.
phrasal-verb

go away

Meaning
to leave or disappear
Example
The pain will **go away** after a few hours.
idiom

robotic response

Meaning
an emotionless or mechanical reaction
Example
She gave a **robotic response** during the interview.
phrasal-verb

come clean with

Meaning
to be completely honest with someone about something
Example
You should **come clean with** the team about the project delay.
idiom

where there’s a will, there’s a way

Meaning
if you are determined, you can find a solution
Example
**Where there’s a will, there’s a way**—you can do it!
phrasal-verb

build resilience

Meaning
to develop the ability to recover from challenges or stress
Example
Facing hardships helps you **build resilience** for the future.
phrasal-verb

blend together

Meaning
to combine or mix different elements harmoniously
Example
The festival helps different cultures **blend together** beautifully.
idiom

win the battle but lose the war

Meaning
to achieve a small success but fail in the larger goal
Example
By focusing on minor issues, they **won the battle but lost the war**.
phrasal-verb

slow within

Meaning
to calm down internally and observe your emotions without judgment
Example
Taking a breath helped her **slow within** and regain control over her thoughts.
phrasal-verb

stay hydrated

Meaning
to drink enough water to keep your body healthy
Example
It’s important to **stay hydrated** during summer workouts.
phrasal-verb

show admiration for

Meaning
to express approval and respect
Example
He openly **showed admiration for** her courage.
idiom

take the cake

Meaning
to be the best or most outstanding
Example
Among all the entries, your design really **takes the cake**.
idiom

be at your wits' end

Meaning
to be so worried or upset that you don't know what to do
Example
I'm **at my wits' end** trying to calm the kids down.
idiom

stretch the truth

Meaning
to exaggerate or make something seem more important than it is
Example
He sometimes **stretches the truth** to impress people.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks into strength

Meaning
to learn and grow from difficulties or failures
Example
He managed to **turn setbacks into strength** through positive thinking.
phrasal-verb

bring together the team

Meaning
to unite people to work collaboratively
Example
The new manager managed to bring together the whole team after a conflict.
phrasal-verb

shift focus toward growth

Meaning
to redirect attention and efforts toward improvement
Example
The manager encouraged everyone to **shift focus toward growth** after the changes.
idiom

quiet down

Meaning
to become calmer or make less noise
Example
The kids finally **quieted down** after story time.
idiom

judge a book by its cover

Meaning
to form an opinion based on appearance only
Example
Don’t **judge a book by its cover**; she’s actually very kind.
phrasal-verb

bottle down

Meaning
to suppress or hide emotions deeply inside
Example
He tends to **bottle down** his anger instead of talking about it.
idiom

key in on

Meaning
to give focused attention to something specific
Example
The coach asked the team to **key in on** their defensive mistakes.
idiom

make a vow

Meaning
to make a serious promise or pledge
Example
They **made a vow** to stay together forever.
idiom

to feel like a million bucks

Meaning
to feel very good or confident
Example
After the spa treatment, I **felt like a million bucks**.
idiom

branch out

Meaning
to expand into new activities or areas
Example
The bakery plans to **branch out** into catering services next year.
phrasal-verb

eat in

Meaning
to have a meal at home or at the hotel instead of going out
Example
We were too tired to go out, so we decided to **eat in**.
idiom

to the letter

Meaning
exactly as instructed
Example
She followed her teacher’s advice **to the letter**.
idiom

a game changer

Meaning
something that completely changes the way things are done
Example
The new technology is a **game changer** for the healthcare industry.
idiom

note down

Meaning
to write something so you remember it
Example
Please **note down** the action items before we leave.
phrasal-verb

bounce into the next chance

Meaning
to dive enthusiastically into a new opportunity
Example
She **bounces into the next chance** as soon as a new project appears.
phrasal-verb

break away for a moment

Meaning
to step aside from work or tension for a short time
Example
I like to **break away for a moment** to clear my head.
phrasal-verb

soak in

Meaning
to fully enjoy or appreciate a positive feeling or moment
Example
She closed her eyes to **soak in** the beauty of the sunset.
phrasal-verb

code around

Meaning
to find a software workaround for a problem
Example
Engineers **code around** the bug until an official patch ships.
idiom

Bootstrap the business

Meaning
To build a company using only personal finances.
Example
They decided to **bootstrap the business** instead of seeking investors.
idiom

Family is everything

Meaning
The family holds the most important place in one's life and provides support and love.
Example
After all that happened, **family is everything**, and they helped him get through the tough time.
phrasal-verb

team together for

Meaning
to unite or collaborate with others for a common purpose
Example
Countries decided to **team together for** regional growth.
phrasal-verb

sit with emotions

Meaning
to allow yourself to feel emotions without trying to change them
Example
She learned to **sit with her emotions** instead of avoiding them.
phrasal-verb

step forward with confidence

Meaning
to take action or speak up boldly without fear
Example
He decided to **step forward with confidence** and share his idea.
phrasal-verb

sink in

Meaning
to be fully understood or accepted emotionally
Example
It took a while for the news to **sink in**.
idiom

come to the rescue

Meaning
to help someone in trouble
Example
A firefighter **came to the rescue** of the trapped cat.
phrasal-verb

pace meetings well

Meaning
to manage the speed of a meeting appropriately
Example
Hosts **pace meetings well** by sticking to the agenda timing.
phrasal-verb

rise to the challenge

Meaning
to deal successfully with something difficult
Example
He always **rises to the challenge** when things get tough.
idiom

write one’s own story

Meaning
to shape one’s own destiny or path in life
Example
She chose to **write her own story** instead of following tradition.
phrasal-verb

listen within

Meaning
to pay attention to your inner voice or emotions
Example
When confused, take a moment to **listen within**.
phrasal-verb

dance to

Meaning
to move your body in rhythm with the music
Example
We couldn’t resist **dancing to** that catchy song.
idiom

slip up

Meaning
to make a small mistake
Example
Everyone **slips up** sometimes — don’t worry about it.
phrasal-verb

doll up

Meaning
to make oneself look more attractive by wearing nice clothes or makeup
Example
She **dolled up** for the evening party.
phrasal-verb

head for

Meaning
to go in the direction of a place
Example
After breakfast, we **headed for** the mountains.
phrasal-verb

touch up photo

Meaning
to make small edits or improvements to a photo
Example
You can **touch up the photo** using any editing app.
idiom

hit the ceiling

Meaning
to reach the highest possible level or price
Example
The stock prices **hit the ceiling** after the merger news.
idiom

dream on

Meaning
used to say that something is unlikely to happen
Example
You think you’ll win the lottery? **Dream on!**
phrasal-verb

trickle down

Meaning
to spread gradually from the wealthy to the less wealthy; to benefit lower classes indirectly
Example
Many economists argue that wealth doesn’t always **trickle down** to the poor.
phrasal-verb

drive on

Meaning
to continue working hard to achieve success
Example
Even after failures, he kept **driving on** to reach his dreams.
phrasal-verb

flare with joy

Meaning
to suddenly feel or show great happiness
Example
His face **flared with joy** when he saw his family again.
idiom

write off

Meaning
to dismiss something as unimportant or not worth considering
Example
Don’t **write off** his idea; it might actually work.
idiom

a sound bite

Meaning
a short, memorable part of a speech or interview often used in the media
Example
The politician's **sound bite** was replayed on every major news channel.
idiom

full of beans

Meaning
very energetic and lively
Example
The kids are **full of beans** this morning.
idiom

Don’t lose heart

Meaning
Don’t become discouraged.
Example
Even if you fail once, **don’t lose heart**.
idiom

take a step back

Meaning
to pause and reassess a situation
Example
Sometimes you need to **take a step back** to see the bigger picture.
phrasal-verb

steady yourself with breathing

Meaning
to calm your body by focusing on slow breaths
Example
I **steady myself with breathing** before I speak to the whole team.
idiom

algorithmic bias

Meaning
the systematic favoritism towards certain data or outcomes by an algorithm, often unintentionally.
Example
The development team worked to eliminate **algorithmic bias** in the AI model.
idiom

hold off

Meaning
to delay doing something
Example
Let’s **hold off** on finalizing the order until we confirm the budget.
idiom

fall on one's sword

Meaning
to take responsibility for a failure, often at great personal cost
Example
He decided to **fall on his sword** and resign after the scandal.
phrasal-verb

call for backup

Meaning
to request extra help in a challenging situation
Example
Editors **call for backup** when breaking news floods in overnight.
idiom

a trip down memory lane

Meaning
to remember pleasant events from the past
Example
Looking through old photos was **a trip down memory lane**.
idiom

Keep your head above water

Meaning
Manage to survive or cope with difficulties.
Example
It’s hard, but I’m trying to **keep my head above water**.
idiom

a global village

Meaning
the world considered as a single community due to technology and communication
Example
The internet has turned the world into **a global village**.
idiom

wise beyond one's years

Meaning
showing wisdom or maturity greater than expected for one's age
Example
Her advice is always thoughtful—she’s **wise beyond her years**.
idiom

digital footprint

Meaning
the trace of information left by a user's online activities
Example
Be cautious about what you post online; your **digital footprint** lasts forever.
idiom

get a clean bill of health

Meaning
to be declared completely healthy by a doctor
Example
After his check-up, he **got a clean bill of health**.
idiom

warm up

Meaning
to prepare the body or mind for activity
Example
Let’s **warm up** before we dive into the rehearsal.
phrasal-verb

fight toward success

Meaning
to struggle and keep working hard to achieve success
Example
They **fought toward success** despite all the challenges.
idiom

in the line of fire

Meaning
to be in a situation where one is likely to be blamed or criticized
Example
The manager found himself **in the line of fire** after the project failed.