a silver lining
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
Content locale
EN English BN Bengali HI Hindi ES Spanish FR French DE German RU Russian ZH Chinese JA Japanese
All Expression Cards All Expressions
idiom

a silver lining

Meaning
a positive aspect in a difficult situation
Example
Losing my job was tough, but the **silver lining** was that I found a better one.
phrasal-verb

work toward peace

Meaning
to make efforts to achieve harmony and stability among nations
Example
International leaders continue to **work toward peace** in conflict zones.
phrasal-verb

run into

Meaning
to meet someone unexpectedly
Example
I **ran into** my cousin at the shopping mall yesterday.
idiom

train the brain

Meaning
to improve one’s thinking or problem-solving ability through practice
Example
Developers constantly **train their brains** to create smarter algorithms.
idiom

touch and go

Meaning
a risky or uncertain situation where the outcome is doubtful
Example
It was **touch and go** whether he would survive the surgery.
idiom

under the pump

Meaning
to be under a lot of pressure or stress
Example
The team has been **under the pump** to meet the project deadline.
idiom

black box thinking

Meaning
analyzing unknown processes by studying their inputs and outputs
Example
In AI research, **black box thinking** helps improve transparency.
phrasal-verb

open channels with

Meaning
to start communication with an individual or group
Example
The company **opened channels with** its overseas partners to share updates.
idiom

jury is still out

Meaning
a decision or opinion has not yet been reached
Example
The **jury is still out** on whether the new law will be effective.
phrasal-verb

look deeper into

Meaning
to examine something more carefully or in detail
Example
The scientist decided to **look deeper into** the mysterious phenomenon.
idiom

get the creative juices flowing

Meaning
to start being creative or imaginative
Example
A walk in nature helps me **get the creative juices flowing**.
idiom

A clear conscience is a soft pillow

Meaning
When you live honestly, you sleep peacefully without guilt.
Example
After telling the truth, he had a peaceful night’s sleep because **a clear conscience is a soft pillow**.
idiom

in a bad mood

Meaning
feeling unhappy or irritable
Example
She’s **in a bad mood** because she didn’t sleep well.
idiom

stand by someone

Meaning
to remain loyal or supportive
Example
True friends **stand by** each other in hard times.
phrasal-verb

turn back

Meaning
to go back in the direction you came from
Example
We had to **turn back** because of the heavy rain.
idiom

table the discussion

Meaning
to postpone discussing something until later
Example
They decided to **table the discussion** until next week.
idiom

Cook up a story

Meaning
To invent a false story.
Example
He **cooked up a story** to explain why he was late.
phrasal-verb

lay aside savings

Meaning
to save money for future use
Example
Families are advised to **lay aside savings** during good times.
phrasal-verb

stand up after failure

Meaning
to recover and try again after failing
Example
Winners are those who **stand up after failure** and keep trying.
phrasal-verb

link up for

Meaning
to connect with others for a specific shared purpose
Example
Several banks **linked up for** cross-border payment solutions.
idiom

sitting on a gold mine

Meaning
to have something very valuable that is not yet realized
Example
That old property is worth millions — you're **sitting on a gold mine**.
phrasal-verb

see through

Meaning
to realize the truth about someone or something
Example
She quickly **saw through** his lies.
idiom

run in the family

Meaning
a characteristic that many members of a family share
Example
Good looks **run in the family** — all of them are beautiful!
idiom

move the goalposts

Meaning
to change the rules or conditions to make success harder
Example
They **moved the goalposts** after we had agreed on the terms.
idiom

Plead the fifth

Meaning
To refuse to answer a question, often in legal contexts, to avoid self-incrimination.
Example
When asked about the financial discrepancies, he chose to **plead the fifth**.
phrasal-verb

turn away from

Meaning
to stop doing or being involved in something
Example
He decided to **turn away from** politics.
phrasal-verb

fill someone in

Meaning
to give someone the details or latest information about something
Example
Can you **fill me in** on what happened at the client meeting?
phrasal-verb

turn in

Meaning
to submit something like an assignment or report
Example
Don’t forget to **turn in** your project by Friday.
phrasal-verb

greet with a smile

Meaning
to welcome someone warmly with a smile
Example
Always **greet with a smile** when meeting new people.
phrasal-verb

pour out your heart

Meaning
to express all your emotions and thoughts freely to someone
Example
She **poured out her heart** to her best friend after the breakup.
idiom

think on your feet

Meaning
to make quick decisions or ideas under pressure
Example
Good leaders can **think on their feet**.
idiom

feel on top of things

Meaning
feeling positive and in control of your life
Example
After organizing her tasks, she felt **on top of things**.
idiom

a ticking time bomb

Meaning
A situation or person that could become dangerous at any moment.
Example
His anger issues make him **a ticking time bomb**.
phrasal-verb

fall into recession

Meaning
to enter a period of economic decline
Example
The global economy may **fall into recession** if inflation continues to rise.
phrasal-verb

let in on

Meaning
to share a secret or private feeling with someone
Example
She finally **let me in on** what was bothering her.
phrasal-verb

warm up for

Meaning
to prepare your body or mind before an activity
Example
Players **warm up for** ten minutes before drills.
phrasal-verb

slide back

Meaning
to return to a worse or earlier condition
Example
The country risks **sliding back** into recession.
idiom

In a peaceful state of mind

Meaning
feeling relaxed and at ease without stress or worry
Example
After yoga, she felt **in a peaceful state of mind** all day.
phrasal-verb

help along

Meaning
to make progress easier for someone
Example
The mentor **helped along** the new employees during training.
phrasal-verb

reach out for support

Meaning
to ask for help or comfort from others
Example
Don't be afraid to **reach out for support** when you feel alone.
idiom

eat someone alive

Meaning
to be extremely jealous or angry with someone
Example
She’s so jealous, she could **eat him alive**.
phrasal-verb

open out of yourself

Meaning
to express your true feelings freely; to become emotionally available
Example
It's healthy to **open out of yourself** when you're feeling overwhelmed.
idiom

keep your head up

Meaning
to remain confident and strong during hardships
Example
**Keep your head up**, better days are coming.
phrasal-verb

speak with assurance

Meaning
to talk confidently and convincingly
Example
He **spoke with assurance** during his presentation.
idiom

run for office

Meaning
to campaign for a political position
Example
She decided to **run for office** next year.
phrasal-verb

tag in

Meaning
to include someone’s username in a post or photo
Example
Don’t forget to **tag in** your friends when you upload the group photo.
idiom

breach of trust

Meaning
a failure to keep information or promises secure
Example
Leaking user data is a major **breach of trust**.
idiom

bold as brass

Meaning
to be very confident and not shy at all
Example
She walked into the meeting **bold as brass**.
idiom

take the initiative

Meaning
to act first and show leadership
Example
Effective leaders often **take the initiative** to improve things.
phrasal-verb

join up for

Meaning
to enroll or participate in a collective action
Example
Thousands **join up for** the beach cleanup drive.
idiom

by the way

Meaning
used to introduce a new topic or add extra information
Example
**By the way**, did you finish your project?
idiom

cross one's heart

Meaning
to make a sincere promise, often used by children
Example
I’ll never lie to you again, **cross my heart**.
idiom

team up with

Meaning
to collaborate with someone for a common goal
Example
The nonprofits **teamed up with** local schools for the project.
idiom

have a smile on your face

Meaning
to appear happy and cheerful
Example
She always has a smile on her face, no matter the situation.
phrasal-verb

catch up to

Meaning
to reach the same level or position as someone ahead
Example
He ran faster to **catch up to** the leading runner.
phrasal-verb

set up trade ties with

Meaning
to establish trading relationships with another country
Example
The nation plans to **set up trade ties with** African economies.
phrasal-verb

butt in

Meaning
to interrupt or give an opinion when not invited
Example
I wish you wouldn’t **butt in** when we are discussing something serious.
phrasal-verb

push through

Meaning
to continue doing something despite difficulties
Example
He managed to **push through** the hard times and achieve his dream.
phrasal-verb

write in

Meaning
to send a written complaint or opinion
Example
Many viewers **wrote in** to complain about the poor sound quality.
phrasal-verb

lead with

Meaning
to begin with a polite or positive statement before criticism
Example
It’s always better to **lead with** appreciation before giving feedback.
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.
idiom

Faith can move mountains

Meaning
Strong belief can achieve the impossible.
Example
He believes that **faith can move mountains** when you truly believe.
idiom

speaking for myself

Meaning
stating one’s personal opinion only, not others’
Example
**Speaking for myself**, I think we should wait.
phrasal-verb

find oneself

Meaning
to realize one’s identity, purpose, or situation
Example
After years of traveling, he finally **found himself**.
phrasal-verb

take care of

Meaning
to be responsible for someone or something
Example
My sister **takes care of** our younger brother when our parents are away.
phrasal-verb

build alliances

Meaning
to form cooperative relationships between groups or nations
Example
Countries must **build alliances** to face economic crises together.
idiom

sing someone’s praises

Meaning
to speak highly of someone
Example
Everyone **sang her praises** after the performance.
phrasal-verb

stock up on

Meaning
to buy or collect a large amount of food for future use
Example
We **stocked up on** vegetables for the week.
phrasal-verb

find along

Meaning
to discover or encounter something while moving or traveling
Example
We **found along** a beautiful lake on our way to the hills.
phrasal-verb

link up

Meaning
to connect or join with another group or organization
Example
We plan to **link up** with regional chambers of commerce.
phrasal-verb

push yourself forward

Meaning
to take initiative or move ahead despite obstacles
Example
You have to **push yourself forward** if you want to succeed.
phrasal-verb

keep in

Meaning
to not allow someone to go out; to hold inside
Example
The teacher **kept in** the students after class for talking too much.
idiom

have steam coming out of your ears

Meaning
to be visibly very angry
Example
He had **steam coming out of his ears** when he saw the damage.
phrasal-verb

move off

Meaning
to start moving (of a vehicle)
Example
The bus **moved off** slowly after everyone got on.
idiom

sour grapes

Meaning
pretending to dislike something you can’t have
Example
His comments about the award being unfair are just **sour grapes**.
idiom

take ownership

Meaning
to take full responsibility for something
Example
Leaders should **take ownership** of both successes and failures.
phrasal-verb

go over to

Meaning
to switch to another app, tab, or platform
Example
Let’s **go over to** the discussion forum to share our ideas.
idiom

take under one’s wing

Meaning
to look after someone and help them develop
Example
The teacher **took the new student under her wing**.
idiom

user journey

Meaning
the complete experience a user has with a brand or product
Example
Mapping the **user journey** helps improve customer satisfaction.
phrasal-verb

build connections with

Meaning
to form positive relationships with people from other cultures
Example
He tried to **build connections with** his colleagues from various countries.
phrasal-verb

aim for excellence

Meaning
to try to achieve the best possible results
Example
Always **aim for excellence** instead of settling for average results.
phrasal-verb

reach out for

Meaning
to try to achieve or obtain something with effort
Example
You should always **reach out for** your dreams with confidence.
idiom

safeguard your system

Meaning
to protect your computer system or network from attacks
Example
Make sure to **safeguard your system** with the latest antivirus software.
phrasal-verb

sub in for

Meaning
to replace someone temporarily in a role
Example
Can you **sub in for** me at the networking event tonight?
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.
phrasal-verb

reach forward to

Meaning
to extend emotional support to help someone move on
Example
He **reached forward to** his brother to help him recover.
phrasal-verb

draw aside

Meaning
to move something to one side; to separate from a group
Example
He **drew aside** the curtain to see who was outside.
phrasal-verb

grow through pain

Meaning
to learn or become stronger from emotional difficulties
Example
We often **grow through pain** more than through comfort.
idiom

debug the problem

Meaning
to identify and fix issues or errors
Example
Let’s **debug the problem** before we push the update.
idiom

Dressed to kill

Meaning
Wearing very fashionable or attractive clothes
Example
She was **dressed to kill** at the party last night.
phrasal-verb

roll over to

Meaning
to extend or continue a policy or plan into a new period
Example
The budget plan was **rolled over to** the next fiscal year.
phrasal-verb

stand around

Meaning
to spend time standing and doing nothing
Example
We were just **standing around** waiting for the bus.
idiom

silver surfer

Meaning
an older person who uses the internet regularly
Example
My grandmother is a **silver surfer** who loves social media.
idiom

work toward

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

cut in on

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
He rudely **cut in on** his opponent during the discussion.
idiom

swear an oath

Meaning
to promise solemnly, often in a formal way
Example
He **swore an oath** to serve his country faithfully.
idiom

pat yourself on the back

Meaning
to praise yourself for doing something well
Example
You should **pat yourself on the back** for finishing that project.
idiom

jump to conclusions

Meaning
to make a decision without enough information
Example
Don’t **jump to conclusions** before hearing the whole story.
phrasal-verb

open out emotionally

Meaning
to start expressing feelings freely
Example
It took her months to **open out emotionally** after the breakup.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks around

Meaning
to transform failures into opportunities or success
Example
She managed to **turn setbacks around** by learning from her mistakes.
idiom

human in the loop

Meaning
a person actively involved in monitoring or controlling an automated process
Example
Even in AI systems, a **human in the loop** ensures ethical decisions.
idiom

take aback

Meaning
to surprise or shock someone suddenly
Example
I was **taken aback** by his rude behavior.
idiom

to break the ice

Meaning
to start a friendly conversation in an awkward situation
Example
To **break the ice**, I told a joke.
idiom

music to my ears

Meaning
something that makes you feel happy or pleased
Example
Hearing that the concert was extended was **music to my ears**.
idiom

daydream about

Meaning
to imagine pleasant things while awake
Example
He often **daydreams about** living on a tropical island.
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**.
phrasal-verb

flatten out

Meaning
to stop increasing or decreasing and stay at the same level
Example
After years of fluctuation, growth has **flattened out**.
phrasal-verb

smooth over conflicts

Meaning
to reduce tension after a disagreement
Example
Leads **smooth over conflicts** by reminding everyone of the goal.
idiom

truth will out

Meaning
the truth will eventually be revealed
Example
You can’t hide it forever; **truth will out**.
phrasal-verb

link together

Meaning
to connect or unite people or organizations
Example
The new initiative aims to **link together** researchers from across the globe.
phrasal-verb

spread through

Meaning
to extend or move through an area or group
Example
Global culture has **spread through** digital media and communication networks.
phrasal-verb

make amends with

Meaning
to do something to show you are sorry and to fix a problem
Example
She tried to **make amends with** her colleague after the heated argument.
idiom

give it a rest

Meaning
to stop talking or thinking about something stressful
Example
You’ve been worrying too much—**give it a rest**.
phrasal-verb

stick to your word

Meaning
to keep your promises and do what you say
Example
A disciplined person always **sticks to their word**.
idiom

cross the ethical line

Meaning
to do something that is considered morally wrong in ethics
Example
Selling user data without permission **crosses the ethical line**.
idiom

your guess is as good as mine

Meaning
I do not know the answer to a question
Example
I don't know what time the movie starts. **Your guess is as good as mine**.
phrasal-verb

plough back

Meaning
to reinvest profits into the same business
Example
The firm **ploughed back** its profits into expanding operations.
phrasal-verb

tie up in

Meaning
to have money invested in something and not easily available
Example
Most of their capital is **tied up in** real estate.
idiom

pass along

Meaning
to share information or items with someone else
Example
Could you **pass along** the agenda to the interns?
phrasal-verb

chime in

Meaning
to join a conversation by adding your opinion or comment
Example
Feel free to **chime in** if you have anything to add.
idiom

helping hand

Meaning
assistance or support
Example
He offered a **helping hand** when I was struggling.