actions speak louder than words
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idiom

actions speak louder than words

Meaning
what people do is more important than what they say
Example
**Actions speak louder than words**, so prove it with effort.
idiom

A Jekyll and Hyde

Meaning
A person with two very different sides to their personality.
Example
He’s like **a Jekyll and Hyde**—nice one moment and cruel the next.
phrasal-verb

build toward

Meaning
to make progress in a way that helps achieve a goal
Example
Every small project helped her **build toward** becoming a team leader.
idiom

draw on

Meaning
to use something as a resource
Example
We’ll **draw on** last year’s data for the report.
phrasal-verb

roll out reforms

Meaning
to officially launch or implement new changes or improvements
Example
The government plans to **roll out reforms** in the tax system next month.
idiom

a burning desire

Meaning
a strong and intense wish to achieve something
Example
She has **a burning desire** to become the best in her field.
idiom

on all fours

Meaning
crawling on hands and knees
Example
The baby moved **on all fours** across the floor.
phrasal-verb

zero out

Meaning
to reduce an amount to nothing
Example
We **zero out** the balance every month to avoid interest.
idiom

down on one’s luck

Meaning
to be experiencing a period of bad luck
Example
He’s **down on his luck** and can’t find a job.
idiom

predictive modeling

Meaning
a technique used in AI to predict future trends based on historical data
Example
The use of **predictive modeling** helps companies plan better for the future.
idiom

keep smiling

Meaning
to stay cheerful even when facing difficulties
Example
Whatever happens, just **keep smiling**.
phrasal-verb

let in

Meaning
to allow someone to know your true thoughts or feelings
Example
She rarely **lets anyone in** because she fears getting hurt.
idiom

a little bird told me

Meaning
someone told me something secretly
Example
A **little bird told me** that you got a new job.
idiom

get your ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things properly before taking action
Example
Before launching the business, we need to **get our ducks in a row**.
phrasal-verb

pitch ideas in

Meaning
to contribute ideas or suggestions in teamwork
Example
Everyone was encouraged to **pitch ideas in** during the meeting.
idiom

take one for the team

Meaning
to sacrifice for the benefit of others
Example
He **took one for the team** and stayed late to finish the report.
idiom

a game plan

Meaning
a strategy or plan of action
Example
We need a clear **game plan** before we start the meeting.
idiom

have a stake in

Meaning
to have an interest or investment in something
Example
She has a **stake in** the company's success.
phrasal-verb

come out with

Meaning
to produce or publish something new
Example
The company has **come out with** an innovative smartphone design.
idiom

Flying high

Meaning
To be very successful or happy.
Example
After getting promoted, she's **flying high**.
idiom

spring for

Meaning
to pay for something, especially as a treat for others
Example
I'll **spring for** dessert since it's your birthday.
idiom

a go-getter

Meaning
someone who is very energetic and determined to succeed
Example
He’s **a go-getter** who never gives up on his goals.
idiom

go into orbit

Meaning
to become very excited or angry
Example
Mom **went into orbit** when she saw the mess in my room.
idiom

go viral

Meaning
to become extremely popular online
Example
Her funny video **went viral** overnight.
phrasal-verb

add in

Meaning
to include a small polite comment or detail
Example
If I may, I’d like to **add in** one more observation.
idiom

the nuts and bolts

Meaning
the basic practical details of something
Example
We discussed **the nuts and bolts** of the new software project.
idiom

take the blame

Meaning
to accept responsibility for something wrong
Example
He decided to **take the blame** for the team's failure.
idiom

brush up on

Meaning
to improve one’s skill or knowledge
Example
She decided to **brush up on** her painting techniques.
idiom

the bottom has fallen out

Meaning
a situation in which something has suddenly failed or collapsed
Example
The market for tech stocks has crashed; the **bottom has fallen out**.
phrasal-verb

draft blueprints for

Meaning
to create a detailed outline for something new
Example
Architects **draft blueprints for** civic centers with community input.
idiom

dress up

Meaning
to wear formal or special clothes
Example
We don’t have to **dress up** for tonight’s dinner—it’s casual.
phrasal-verb

go through customs

Meaning
to complete security and document checks when entering a country
Example
Budget extra time to **go through customs** at busy airports.
idiom

lovey-dovey

Meaning
showing a lot of affection publicly
Example
The couple was being **lovey-dovey** at the restaurant.
idiom

Follow your nose

Meaning
Trust your instincts and go in the direction that feels right.
Example
If you're lost, just **follow your nose** and you'll find the way.
phrasal-verb

rise through emotions

Meaning
to grow stronger by learning from emotional experiences
Example
We can **rise through emotions** and become wiser each time.
idiom

bring down

Meaning
to make someone feel sad or to reduce something
Example
Don’t let one rude comment **bring down** your confidence.
phrasal-verb

carry yourself with

Meaning
to present yourself in a confident and dignified way
Example
He always **carries himself with** confidence and calmness.
phrasal-verb

restore balance

Meaning
to bring back mental or emotional stability
Example
Taking a break can help you **restore balance** in life.
phrasal-verb

make after

Meaning
to chase or pursue someone
Example
The police **made after** the suspect immediately.
phrasal-verb

follow through on plans

Meaning
to complete actions that were promised or scheduled
Example
She **follows through on plans** even when the workload spikes.
idiom

kick back

Meaning
to relax and do nothing for a while
Example
After finishing the project, we just **kicked back** and watched a movie.
phrasal-verb

boom out

Meaning
to grow or expand rapidly
Example
The tech sector has **boomed out** in the last few years.
idiom

at war with oneself

Meaning
to be conflicted or struggling internally
Example
She is **at war with herself** about the decision to move abroad.
phrasal-verb

check back through

Meaning
to review something again for confirmation
Example
Journalists **check back through** notes to avoid quoting errors.
phrasal-verb

build self-discipline

Meaning
to develop control over one’s actions and emotions
Example
He started to **build self-discipline** by waking up early every day.
idiom

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning
Don’t risk everything on a single plan.
Example
You should invest in different areas; **don’t put all your eggs in one basket**.
phrasal-verb

take on new responsibilities

Meaning
to accept additional tasks or duties in one’s role
Example
He was eager to **take on new responsibilities** after the promotion.
idiom

It never rains but it pours

Meaning
When bad things happen, they happen all at once.
Example
First I lost my phone, then my wallet — **it never rains but it pours**.
phrasal-verb

open up to challenges

Meaning
to be willing to face or accept difficult situations with confidence
Example
If you want to grow, you must **open up to challenges** instead of avoiding them.
phrasal-verb

grow emotionally

Meaning
to become more mature in handling emotions and relationships
Example
You can **grow emotionally** by being honest about your feelings.
phrasal-verb

log out of

Meaning
to exit a website or online account safely
Example
Don’t forget to **log out of** your account when you finish your class.
phrasal-verb

take out

Meaning
to borrow or get money from a bank or institution
Example
They decided to **take out** a loan to buy a new house.
idiom

a brainwave

Meaning
a sudden clever idea or solution
Example
I had **a brainwave** and realized how to fix the issue.
idiom

at the end of your rope

Meaning
to be extremely frustrated and have no patience left
Example
After dealing with delays all day, she was **at the end of her rope**.
phrasal-verb

work on weaknesses

Meaning
to make efforts to improve the areas where you are lacking
Example
He is trying to **work on his weaknesses** to become more confident.
phrasal-verb

rise above challenges

Meaning
to overcome difficulties and remain positive
Example
He learned to **rise above challenges** and stay optimistic.
idiom

bookworm

Meaning
a person who loves reading
Example
He’s such a **bookworm**; he spends all his free time in the library.
idiom

drop someone a line

Meaning
to contact someone by writing or message
Example
Please **drop me a line** when you arrive.
phrasal-verb

give credit for

Meaning
to acknowledge someone’s effort or contribution positively
Example
He always **gives credit for** others’ good ideas.
idiom

be accountable for

Meaning
to be responsible for something and able to explain it
Example
As the team leader, he is **accountable for the project's outcome**.
phrasal-verb

level up professionally

Meaning
to improve your professional skills or position
Example
He took online courses to **level up professionally**.
phrasal-verb

get back at

Meaning
to take revenge on someone for something they did
Example
He tried to **get back at** his brother for teasing him.
phrasal-verb

call for unity

Meaning
to publicly ask people to come together for a common cause
Example
The leader **called for unity** among the divided political groups.
idiom

under a cloud

Meaning
being suspected or in trouble
Example
He left the company **under a cloud** after the scandal.
phrasal-verb

melt away

Meaning
when snow or ice disappears as it gets warmer
Example
The snow quickly **melted away** in the morning sun.
idiom

beyond the scope

Meaning
outside the planned or expected area of focus
Example
The new feature was beyond the scope of the original project but added great value.
idiom

line up

Meaning
to arrange people or things in order or to schedule something
Example
We’ve **lined up** three guest speakers for the conference.
idiom

day in court

Meaning
a fair opportunity to defend oneself or be heard
Example
Everyone deserves their **day in court**.
idiom

clean conscience

Meaning
feeling that you have done nothing wrong
Example
He can sleep well because he has a **clean conscience**.
phrasal-verb

press on

Meaning
to continue doing something in a determined way despite difficulties
Example
Although he was tired, he decided to **press on** until he finished the task.
idiom

heart-to-heart

Meaning
an honest and open conversation between friends
Example
We had a **heart-to-heart** last night about everything.
phrasal-verb

deal against

Meaning
to act or compete against someone in a transaction
Example
He **dealt against** his rival in the stock market.
phrasal-verb

dwell upon

Meaning
to think or talk too much about something unpleasant that happened in the past
Example
She tends to **dwell upon** her past mistakes instead of moving on.
idiom

in one piece

Meaning
safe and unharmed after a difficult situation
Example
Luckily, everyone came out **in one piece** after the accident.
idiom

take a chill pill

Meaning
to calm down or relax; to not overreact
Example
Hey, **take a chill pill**! It’s not that serious.
phrasal-verb

break news to

Meaning
to share important or upsetting information with someone
Example
He had to **break news to** his editor about the source backing out.
idiom

not lose heart

Meaning
to not lose confidence or courage
Example
**Don’t lose heart**; success takes time.
phrasal-verb

cut down tariffs

Meaning
to reduce import or export taxes
Example
Many countries agreed to **cut down tariffs** to encourage free trade.
idiom

let on

Meaning
to reveal something secret unintentionally
Example
Don’t **let on** that you know about the plan.
idiom

Break bread with someone

Meaning
To share a meal; to bond over food
Example
They decided to **break bread** to celebrate their new partnership.
phrasal-verb

push back on

Meaning
to resist or challenge a proposal or action
Example
Citizens **push back on** the policy until leaders revise it.
phrasal-verb

rise to challenges

Meaning
to face difficulties with courage and determination
Example
True growth happens when you **rise to challenges** instead of avoiding them.
idiom

art for art’s sake

Meaning
art should be valued for its beauty and not for any moral or political purpose
Example
He believes in **art for art’s sake**, not propaganda.
phrasal-verb

acknowledge with

Meaning
to show recognition or appreciation through something
Example
They **acknowledged with** a small gift for all his hard work.
phrasal-verb

bring across

Meaning
to communicate an idea effectively
Example
He used visuals to **bring across** his main idea clearly.
idiom

stand by your principles

Meaning
to remain loyal to your values, even in difficult situations
Example
She always **stands by her principles** in tough times.
idiom

swing vote

Meaning
a vote that is not yet decided and could go either way
Example
The **swing vote** will determine the outcome of the election.
idiom

bend the law

Meaning
to use the law in a dishonest way to achieve something
Example
Some lawyers know how to **bend the law** to help their clients.
idiom

Handle with kid gloves

Meaning
To treat someone very gently or carefully.
Example
They **handled** the new client **with kid gloves**.
idiom

get ahead of the game

Meaning
to be more successful or advanced than others
Example
He’s always looking for new ideas to **get ahead of the game**.
phrasal-verb

plug into system

Meaning
to connect a device to a power source or system
Example
Just **plug the printer into the system** to start using it.
idiom

take a rain check

Meaning
to decline an offer but suggest doing it another time
Example
Can I **take a rain check** on dinner? I am busy tonight.
idiom

take a leaf out of someone’s book

Meaning
to imitate or follow someone’s good example
Example
Other cities should **take a leaf out of Copenhagen’s book** on eco-friendly transport.
idiom

chatterbox

Meaning
a person who talks a lot
Example
My little sister is a real **chatterbox**.
phrasal-verb

track against goals

Meaning
to measure performance by comparing it to targets
Example
We **track against goals** every Monday so the team stays focused.
idiom

nice to meet you

Meaning
a polite expression used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
It's **nice to meet you**, I've heard a lot about you.
phrasal-verb

go past

Meaning
to move beyond a particular place or object
Example
**Go past** the supermarket and you’ll find the library on the left.
idiom

make the same mistake twice

Meaning
to repeat a mistake despite knowing it’s wrong
Example
She promised never to **make the same mistake twice**.
phrasal-verb

set in

Meaning
when something unpleasant like rain or cold begins and seems likely to continue
Example
The cold season has **set in**, and we need to wear warm clothes.
phrasal-verb

take a break

Meaning
to stop working for a short time to rest
Example
I usually **take a break** around noon.
idiom

get a new lease on life

Meaning
to gain new energy or enthusiasm for something
Example
After the surgery, she felt like she had **got a new lease on life**.
idiom

quiet down

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

hold your horses

Meaning
to be patient; to wait
Example
**Hold your horses**! The show hasn’t started yet.
idiom

call a truce

Meaning
to agree to stop fighting or arguing for a while
Example
They decided to **call a truce** until the boss arrived.
phrasal-verb

bounce back after

Meaning
to recover from failure or setback quickly
Example
He managed to **bounce back after** losing his job.
phrasal-verb

kick oneself for

Meaning
to feel angry or regretful for doing or not doing something
Example
I could **kick myself for** not taking that job opportunity.
phrasal-verb

point away from

Meaning
to direct attention away from something
Example
He tried to **point away from** the real issue.
phrasal-verb

deal over

Meaning
to repeat the distribution of cards or tasks
Example
Let’s **deal over**; someone missed a card.
idiom

head off

Meaning
to prevent something from happening
Example
Early communication can **head off** most misunderstandings.
idiom

food for thought

Meaning
something that makes you think seriously
Example
His comment gave me **food for thought**.
phrasal-verb

speak kindly to

Meaning
to use gentle and respectful words when talking to someone
Example
Always **speak kindly to** others even when you disagree.
B1 idiom

all ears

Listening very attentively
Meaning
Listening very attentively
Example
When the teacher started explaining the concept, the students were all ears.
When the teacher started explaining the concept, the students were all ears.
idiom

on the same page

Meaning
to agree or have the same understanding about something
Example
Before we continue, let’s make sure we’re **on the same page**.
idiom

play your part

Meaning
to do your share of the work or responsibility
Example
Everyone needs to **play their part** to make the event successful.
idiom

a foot in the door

Meaning
to have a small opportunity to start working in a company or industry
Example
An internship is a great way to get **a foot in the door**.
idiom

clue in

Meaning
to give someone the necessary information
Example
Can you **clue me in** on the schedule changes?
idiom

strike a bargain

Meaning
to reach an agreement or deal
Example
After some discussion, they **struck a bargain** that suited both parties.
idiom

grateful as can be

Meaning
extremely thankful
Example
I’m **grateful as can be** for your guidance.
phrasal-verb

wrap the day up

Meaning
to finish tasks and close out the workday
Example
I **wrap the day up** by reviewing tomorrow's top three priorities.
phrasal-verb

check with

Meaning
to confirm information or ask for approval from someone
Example
Please **check with** your supervisor before making any changes.
phrasal-verb

fit into

Meaning
to become part of a group or situation easily; to adjust to a new environment
Example
It took me a few weeks to **fit into** the new office culture.