as luck would have it
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idiom

as luck would have it

Meaning
by chance; fortunately or unfortunately
Example
**As luck would have it**, I met my old friend at the airport.
phrasal-verb

network with

Meaning
to make professional or social connections with others
Example
She actively **networks with** leaders from different countries.
idiom

bring up a family

Meaning
to raise and take care of children
Example
They worked hard to **bring up a family**.
phrasal-verb

bring in tariffs

Meaning
to introduce taxes on imported goods
Example
The government plans to **bring in tariffs** to protect domestic manufacturers.
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

cloud computing

Meaning
the practice of using remote servers to store, manage, and process data over the internet
Example
Many businesses rely on **cloud computing** for data storage and security.
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

keep on

Meaning
to continue doing something repeatedly
Example
She **kept on** talking even though nobody was listening.
phrasal-verb

pull back up

Meaning
to improve or recover after falling or dropping
Example
The national currency has started to **pull back up** against the dollar.
phrasal-verb

let go of

Meaning
to release negative emotions or painful memories; to stop holding onto something emotionally
Example
She’s learning to **let go of** her past mistakes and move forward.
phrasal-verb

stand up

Meaning
to rise to a standing position
Example
Everyone **stood up** when the teacher entered the room.
idiom

hang by a thread

Meaning
to be in a very dangerous or uncertain situation
Example
After the accident, his life was **hanging by a thread**.
idiom

roll with laughter

Meaning
to laugh uncontrollably
Example
The comedian made the whole audience **roll with laughter**.
phrasal-verb

shake off pressure

Meaning
to get rid of tension or stress and regain focus
Example
He took a deep breath to **shake off pressure** before starting his speech.
phrasal-verb

get feelings across

Meaning
to make someone understand your emotions clearly
Example
It's hard to **get your feelings across** in an email.
idiom

battle-tested

Meaning
proven effective through experience or hardship
Example
She’s a **battle-tested** leader who knows how to stay calm under pressure.
idiom

to screw up

Meaning
to make a serious mistake or spoil something
Example
I really **screwed up** the presentation.
idiom

to reach for the moon

Meaning
to aim for something that is difficult or seemingly impossible to achieve
Example
He decided to **reach for the moon** and apply for the most competitive university.
phrasal-verb

speed up

Meaning
to go faster; to increase speed
Example
You need to **speed up** if you want to overtake that car.
idiom

copycat

Meaning
someone who imitates another person
Example
She’s such a **copycat**, always doing what I do.
phrasal-verb

sign in to

Meaning
to enter a username and password to access an account
Example
Please **sign in to** your account before starting the quiz.
phrasal-verb

portion out snacks

Meaning
to divide snacks into measured servings
Example
We **portion out snacks** on Sundays so weekday meals stay balanced.
idiom

gray matter

Meaning
intelligence or brainpower
Example
It takes a lot of **gray matter** to solve such a complex problem.
phrasal-verb

stand tall with courage

Meaning
to stay brave and optimistic in difficult situations
Example
He always **stands tall with courage** when facing failures.
idiom

head off for

Meaning
to depart for a destination
Example
We’ll **head off for** the airport at 5 a.m.
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.
phrasal-verb

apologize sincerely

Meaning
to say sorry in a heartfelt and honest manner
Example
If you make a mistake, **apologize sincerely** to the person.
idiom

bite someone’s head off

Meaning
to speak angrily to someone without reason
Example
I just asked a question, no need to **bite my head off**!
idiom

beat oneself up

Meaning
to blame yourself too much for something
Example
Don’t **beat yourself up** over one mistake.
idiom

pass the torch

Meaning
to hand over a duty or responsibility to someone else
Example
After many years of teaching, the professor decided to **pass the torch** to a younger teacher.
phrasal-verb

branch out internationally

Meaning
to expand your business activities into new countries
Example
Many local firms are trying to **branch out internationally** to increase their profits.
phrasal-verb

speak truth to power

Meaning
to tell honest truths to those in authority
Example
Journalists **speak truth to power** when they expose corruption.
idiom

keep one's cards close to the chest

Meaning
to keep one's plans or intentions secret
Example
During the negotiations, she **kept her cards close to the chest**.
phrasal-verb

run low on

Meaning
to have very little of something left
Example
They are **running low on** popular shoe sizes.
idiom

think ahead

Meaning
to plan for the future; to anticipate future needs or events
Example
Good managers always **think ahead** before making big decisions.
phrasal-verb

work through challenges

Meaning
to deal with and overcome problems while continuing progress
Example
The creative team managed to **work through challenges** and meet the deadline.
idiom

off the top of one's head

Meaning
to say something without thinking carefully or checking
Example
**Off the top of my head**, I think there are five options.
phrasal-verb

keep calm

Meaning
to stay relaxed and not get angry or upset
Example
He tried to **keep calm** when everyone else was panicking.
phrasal-verb

work around obstacles

Meaning
to find alternative ways to complete a task despite difficulties
Example
The team managed to **work around obstacles** to meet the deadline.
phrasal-verb

zone back

Meaning
to return mental focus after distraction or stress
Example
After a short break, I managed to **zone back** into my work.
idiom

to come out on top

Meaning
to succeed in a difficult situation or competition
Example
After a fierce competition, they **came out on top** and won the contract.
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

cracks in the wall

Meaning
signs of problems or weaknesses in a system or relationship
Example
There are **cracks in the wall** of their friendship lately.
idiom

cost an arm and a leg

Meaning
to be very expensive
Example
That designer bag **cost an arm and a leg**.
idiom

cross your heart

Meaning
to make a sincere promise
Example
I’ll never tell anyone, **cross my heart**.
idiom

give someone the third degree

Meaning
to question someone intensely
Example
The police **gave him the third degree** after the incident.
phrasal-verb

snap out

Meaning
to suddenly stop being sad or depressed
Example
He needs to **snap out** of that bad mood.
idiom

hammer out a deal

Meaning
to reach an agreement after long discussion
Example
They spent hours to **hammer out a deal** that satisfied both sides.
phrasal-verb

single out

Meaning
to choose one person or thing from a group for special attention
Example
The teacher **singled out** one student for praise.
idiom

dog days

Meaning
the hottest days of summer
Example
During the **dog days** of summer, everyone stays indoors.
idiom

heart-to-heart

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

have guts

Meaning
to have courage or confidence to do something difficult
Example
It takes someone with real courage to **have guts** to speak the truth.
phrasal-verb

freak over

Meaning
to become very anxious or upset about something
Example
He **freaked over** the missed deadline and couldn’t focus on anything else.
phrasal-verb

cut back on imports

Meaning
to reduce the amount of goods bought from abroad
Example
The country decided to **cut back on imports** to improve its trade balance.
phrasal-verb

turn out to be

Meaning
to prove to be something in the end
Example
The rumor **turned out to be** false.
phrasal-verb

say thanks to

Meaning
to verbally express gratitude to someone
Example
Don’t forget to **say thanks to** your teacher before leaving.
phrasal-verb

turn out

Meaning
to attend or participate in an event
Example
Thousands of people **turned out** for the annual cultural parade.
idiom

stressed out

Meaning
feeling very worried or tense because of problems
Example
I'm completely **stressed out** about my exams.
phrasal-verb

sell out

Meaning
to have no more of something to sell
Example
The new iPhones **sold out** in just two hours.
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**.
idiom

fly by the seat of your pants

Meaning
to do something without planning, using only instinct and experience
Example
We didn't have a map, so we **flew by the seat of our pants**.
idiom

teach someone a lesson

Meaning
to make someone learn from their mistake
Example
The teacher’s punishment really **taught him a lesson**.
phrasal-verb

seek out

Meaning
to look for and find something or someone with effort
Example
She loves to **seek out** new experiences when she travels.
idiom

In someone’s corner

Meaning
To support or stand by someone in times of need
Example
I always know my family will be **in my corner** when things go wrong.
idiom

hash it out

Meaning
to discuss a problem thoroughly to find a solution
Example
Let’s sit down and **hash it out** instead of fighting.
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

flare out

Meaning
to suddenly become angry or lose temper
Example
She **flared out** when her plans were canceled.
phrasal-verb

get ahead in

Meaning
to make progress or succeed in a particular area
Example
She worked hard to **get ahead in** her studies.
phrasal-verb

weigh against

Meaning
to compare different opinions before expressing your own
Example
Before responding, I’d like to **weigh against** all the arguments made.
phrasal-verb

break through bias

Meaning
to overcome prejudices and unfair judgments
Example
Training programs help employees **break through bias** in hiring decisions.
idiom

on the fence

Meaning
undecided or unsure about something
Example
She’s still **on the fence** about moving abroad.
phrasal-verb

set goals

Meaning
to decide what you or your team want to achieve
Example
Our team should **set goals** for the next quarter to stay focused.
phrasal-verb

stand resilient

Meaning
to remain strong and recover quickly from difficulties
Example
Communities must **stand resilient** in the face of tragedy.
phrasal-verb

refer back to

Meaning
to mention or direct attention to something mentioned earlier
Example
In this section, we **refer back to** the previous findings.
idiom

The shot heard around the world

Meaning
An event with worldwide significance or impact.
Example
The invention of the internet was **the shot heard around the world** in communication.
idiom

fan through

Meaning
to flip through pages quickly
Example
She **fanned through** the report to find the chart.
phrasal-verb

sync up on

Meaning
to coordinate with someone about details or plans
Example
Let's **sync up on** the project timeline this afternoon.
idiom

nose around

Meaning
to search for information in a curious way
Example
Reporters began to **nose around** after the leak.
idiom

the conversion funnel

Meaning
the process customers go through from awareness to purchase
Example
We need to analyze where people drop off in **the conversion funnel**.
phrasal-verb

center on

Meaning
to focus attention or thoughts on something; to make something the main point
Example
Try to **center on** the positive aspects of your life instead of the negatives.
idiom

in a world of your own

Meaning
to be lost in thought or imagination
Example
He didn’t hear me because he was **in a world of his own**.
idiom

fish for

Meaning
to try to get something such as information or praise
Example
He keeps **fishing for** compliments about his report.
phrasal-verb

slide back

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

ring up

Meaning
to calculate and record a sale
Example
The cashier will **ring up** your items at the counter.
phrasal-verb

find peace with

Meaning
to accept something painful and stop being upset about it
Example
In time, she **found peace with** her past mistakes.
phrasal-verb

push back against

Meaning
to resist pressure or negativity with determination
Example
He decided to **push back against** the unfair criticism.
phrasal-verb

shut oneself off

Meaning
to isolate yourself emotionally from others
Example
After the breakup, he completely **shut himself off** from his friends.
phrasal-verb

break through pain

Meaning
to overcome emotional suffering or struggle
Example
She managed to **break through pain** and start a new chapter in life.
idiom

by and large

Meaning
generally speaking; on the whole
Example
**By and large**, we agree with your proposal.
idiom

behind the firewall

Meaning
protected or isolated from external threats
Example
Sensitive company data should always stay **behind the firewall**.
phrasal-verb

work towards improvement

Meaning
to make efforts to achieve progress or better results
Example
We must continuously **work towards improvement** in our processes.
phrasal-verb

refer to

Meaning
to mention or speak about something
Example
As I **referred to** earlier, this data comes from our annual survey.
phrasal-verb

allow for

Meaning
to consider possible factors when planning something
Example
When assessing risk, always **allow for** human error.
phrasal-verb

flare up

Meaning
to suddenly become angry or violent
Example
Their argument **flared up** again during dinner.
idiom

yellow-bellied

Meaning
very cowardly
Example
He’s too **yellow-bellied** to stand up for himself.
idiom

Dress to kill

Meaning
To wear clothes that attract a lot of attention and admiration.
Example
She always **dresses to kill** when she goes to parties.
idiom

take the lead

Meaning
to go ahead or be in front in a competition
Example
Our team **took the lead** in the final round.
idiom

make up for

Meaning
to compensate for something
Example
We’ll **make up for** the delay with extra support.
phrasal-verb

stand firm

Meaning
to remain strong and not give up under pressure or doubt
Example
He decided to **stand firm** in his beliefs despite opposition.
idiom

climb the corporate ladder

Meaning
to advance in one’s career or position in a company
Example
He worked hard to **climb the corporate ladder**.
idiom

jump to conclusions

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

Sail through something

Meaning
To do something easily or successfully.
Example
She **sailed through** her exams with top marks.
idiom

glass half full

Meaning
to see things positively rather than negatively
Example
He always sees the **glass half full**, no matter what happens.
phrasal-verb

set things straight with

Meaning
to clarify or resolve a misunderstanding
Example
He met her to **set things straight with** her after the confusion.
phrasal-verb

hand out

Meaning
to distribute items to people
Example
Volunteers **handed out** flyers to promote the cultural exhibition.
phrasal-verb

set yourself apart

Meaning
to make yourself different or outstanding from others
Example
Hard work and creativity will **set you apart** from the rest.
idiom

the real McCoy

Meaning
the genuine or original thing
Example
This painting is **the real McCoy**, not a copy.
phrasal-verb

fall into routine

Meaning
to become accustomed to a regular way of working
Example
After a few weeks, the new hires **fell into routine** easily.
phrasal-verb

capitalize on opportunities

Meaning
to take advantage of favorable situations to gain profit
Example
Smart investors always **capitalize on** opportunities in the market.
phrasal-verb

cut off negativity

Meaning
to remove negative influences or thoughts
Example
He learned to **cut off negativity** to stay mentally strong.
idiom

have a heart of gold

Meaning
to be very kind and generous
Example
Everyone loves her because she **has a heart of gold**.
idiom

At a snail’s pace

Meaning
Very slowly.
Example
The traffic was moving **at a snail’s pace**.
phrasal-verb

pull back

Meaning
to retreat or withdraw; to move backward
Example
The army had to **pull back** after facing heavy resistance.
idiom

the luck of the draw

Meaning
something decided by chance
Example
You can’t choose your team; it’s **the luck of the draw**.
phrasal-verb

move up in

Meaning
to advance or get promoted within an organization
Example
She worked hard to **move up in** her company.
idiom

on the cutting block

Meaning
being considered for elimination or discontinuation
Example
Due to budget cuts, several research projects are now **on the cutting block**.
idiom

toss out

Meaning
to throw something away
Example
We had to **toss out** the expired snacks.
idiom

a weight off one's shoulders

Meaning
a feeling of relief after a problem or burden is resolved
Example
When she finished the project, it felt like a **weight off her shoulders**.
idiom

It's always darkest before the dawn

Meaning
Things are usually worst just before they improve.
Example
Keep going, **it's always darkest before the dawn**.
idiom

love is blind

Meaning
people in love do not see each other's faults
Example
They say **love is blind**, and he proves it every day.
idiom

make up with someone

Meaning
to become friends again after a disagreement
Example
After their argument, they decided to **make up with each other**.