back off emotionally
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phrasal-verb

back off emotionally

Meaning
to stop being overly aggressive or involved in an argument
Example
He decided to **back off emotionally** to avoid further conflict.
idiom

blood is thicker than water

Meaning
family relationships are stronger than others
Example
He helped his brother because **blood is thicker than water**.
phrasal-verb

stand up for

Meaning
to defend or support someone’s rights or opinions
Example
Parents should **stand up for** their children when they are treated unfairly.
idiom

shoot for the stars

Meaning
to aim for something very ambitious
Example
Don’t be afraid to **shoot for the stars**.
phrasal-verb

print out

Meaning
to produce a paper copy from a computer or printer
Example
I need to **print out** the report for tomorrow’s meeting.
phrasal-verb

regret over

Meaning
to feel sad or disappointed about something that happened
Example
She **regrets over** not spending enough time with her parents.
phrasal-verb

get across to

Meaning
to make someone understand something clearly
Example
It’s hard to **get across to** customer service that the product is faulty.
idiom

filter bubble

Meaning
a situation where a person only sees online content that reinforces their beliefs
Example
Many people live inside a **filter bubble** on social media.
idiom

in the money

Meaning
to suddenly have a lot of money
Example
After winning the lottery, they were **in the money**.
idiom

take the long view

Meaning
to plan or think about the future rather than short-term gains
Example
Successful leaders always **take the long view** when making decisions.
phrasal-verb

zone yourself out

Meaning
to deliberately disconnect from stressful surroundings
Example
Sometimes you just need to **zone yourself out** and take a break.
phrasal-verb

nerd out over

Meaning
to get excited discussing a favorite specialized topic
Example
We **nerd out over** robotics every Tuesday club meeting.
phrasal-verb

set out to

Meaning
to begin working with the intention of achieving something
Example
She **set out to** improve her public speaking skills this year.
idiom

a rising tide of opportunity

Meaning
an increase in opportunities for growth or success that benefits many people
Example
The new technology sector is creating **a rising tide of opportunity** for young entrepreneurs.
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.
idiom

chase rainbows

Meaning
to try to achieve something impossible
Example
Stop **chasing rainbows** and focus on reality.
idiom

teamwork makes the dream work

Meaning
working together leads to success
Example
We can accomplish so much if we cooperate, because **teamwork makes the dream work**.
idiom

blow someone's mind

Meaning
to amaze or astonish someone
Example
The magic show really **blew my mind**.
idiom

political circus

Meaning
a situation where politics becomes chaotic and theatrical
Example
The election debates turned into a **political circus**.
phrasal-verb

adapt under pressure

Meaning
to adjust effectively when facing stressful situations
Example
Professionals must learn to **adapt under pressure**.
phrasal-verb

log in to

Meaning
to enter your username and password to access an account
Example
I can’t **log in to** my Instagram account right now.
idiom

on the right side of the law

Meaning
acting legally; not breaking any laws
Example
He wants to stay **on the right side of the law**.
phrasal-verb

bubble over

Meaning
to show excitement or happiness in an obvious way
Example
The children were **bubbling over** with joy on the last day of school.
phrasal-verb

open emotionally to

Meaning
to allow emotional vulnerability and express real feelings to someone
Example
It’s hard for him to **open emotionally to** others after being hurt.
idiom

cut through the noise

Meaning
to stand out from the competition; to be noticed despite distractions
Example
Our campaign needs to **cut through the noise** and grab people’s attention.
phrasal-verb

slip by

Meaning
to miss or overlook something accidentally
Example
A few errors **slipped by** during the proofreading.
idiom

crack the books

Meaning
to open your books and begin studying
Example
It's time to **crack the books** and prepare for finals.
phrasal-verb

break in on

Meaning
to interrupt a conversation or online discussion
Example
Sorry to **break in on** your chat, but I have an update.
idiom

play a part

Meaning
to have a role or influence in something
Example
She **played a part** in making the project successful.
phrasal-verb

follow through on promises

Meaning
to do what one has committed to do
Example
A reliable leader always **follows through on promises** made to the team.
phrasal-verb

rise to

Meaning
to deal successfully with a difficult situation or challenge
Example
She always **rises to** the occasion when facing tough challenges.
phrasal-verb

break out in

Meaning
to suddenly develop something on the skin (like a rash)
Example
He **broke out in** a rash after eating seafood.
phrasal-verb

build up resilience

Meaning
to develop the ability to recover from challenges or stress
Example
Therapy can help you **build up resilience** against anxiety.
idiom

keep your fingers crossed

Meaning
to hope for good luck
Example
I am **keeping my fingers crossed** for the exam results.
idiom

Gordian knot

Meaning
A very complex or unsolvable problem.
Example
The issue of climate change is like a **Gordian knot** that needs bold action.
phrasal-verb

mentor others in

Meaning
to guide and support less experienced people
Example
Senior employees are encouraged to **mentor others in** their department.
phrasal-verb

keep perspective

Meaning
to stay calm and rational during emotional situations
Example
During conflicts, it’s important to **keep perspective** instead of overreacting.
phrasal-verb

check over yourself

Meaning
to review your own actions and attitudes carefully
Example
Before judging others, **check over yourself** first.
phrasal-verb

grow up in

Meaning
to spend your childhood in a particular place or culture
Example
I **grew up in** a small village where traditions are still strong.
idiom

Break with tradition

Meaning
To do something in a different way from what is usually done
Example
The couple decided to **break with tradition** and have a small wedding on the beach.
phrasal-verb

turn off lights

Meaning
to switch off lights when not needed to save energy
Example
Employees are encouraged to **turn off lights** when leaving the office.
phrasal-verb

speak out for justice

Meaning
to publicly support fairness or equality
Example
The ambassador **spoke out for justice** in his UN speech.
idiom

in the works

Meaning
something that is being developed or planned
Example
A new product is **in the works** and should be released soon.
phrasal-verb

rise above failure

Meaning
to overcome failure and continue striving towards goals
Example
True leaders **rise above failure** and inspire others to do the same.
phrasal-verb

keep dreaming

Meaning
to continue having hopes and ambitions even when things are difficult
Example
No matter what happens, **keep dreaming** big.
idiom

back away from

Meaning
to retreat or withdraw from a situation
Example
He chose to **back away from** the argument before it escalated.
idiom

love at first sight

Meaning
to fall in love immediately after meeting someone for the first time
Example
It was **love at first sight** when they met in college.
phrasal-verb

lock out

Meaning
to be unable to access a system due to password or error
Example
I got **locked out** of my account after entering the wrong password.
idiom

track down

Meaning
to find something or someone after a search
Example
We finally **tracked down** the missing invoice.
phrasal-verb

bridge through education

Meaning
to connect cultures by learning and teaching from each other
Example
Schools help **bridge through education** by hosting cultural exchange programs.
idiom

political football

Meaning
an issue that is constantly debated and used for political gain
Example
The issue of immigration has become a **political football**, with both parties using it to score points.
phrasal-verb

spur on innovation

Meaning
to encourage or stimulate creativity and new ideas
Example
Government incentives have **spurred on innovation** in the tech sector.
phrasal-verb

back up ideas

Meaning
to support or defend someone’s ideas or opinions
Example
During the discussion, teammates **backed up** each other's ideas confidently.
phrasal-verb

depend upon exports

Meaning
to rely on exports for income or growth
Example
Many developing countries **depend upon exports** to boost their economy.
phrasal-verb

cut down costs

Meaning
to reduce expenses
Example
The manager suggested ways to **cut down** costs without affecting quality.
idiom

even out

Meaning
to make something level or balanced
Example
Stir the batter to **even out** the lumps.
phrasal-verb

pop up

Meaning
to appear suddenly on the screen
Example
A message just **popped up** on my screen.
phrasal-verb

stretch out

Meaning
to extend your body or limbs to relax or prepare for exercise
Example
Don’t forget to **stretch out** before starting your workout.
phrasal-verb

sign up

Meaning
to register or create an account on a website
Example
You should **sign up** to receive our newsletter.
idiom

bring down

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

In the know

Meaning
Having information that most people do not have.
Example
She’s always **in the know** about company secrets.
idiom

forever grateful

Meaning
thankful for something for a long time
Example
I’ll be **forever grateful** for what you’ve done.
phrasal-verb

come back

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
When will you **come back** from London?
phrasal-verb

hone in on

Meaning
to focus attention or effort on something specific
Example
You need to **hone in on** your weaknesses to improve faster.
phrasal-verb

chime in with

Meaning
to add a comment or opinion in an online discussion
Example
Several users **chimed in with** their thoughts on the topic.
idiom

lean on

Meaning
to depend on someone for support
Example
You can always **lean on** me when things get tough.
idiom

smart cookie

Meaning
a clever and intelligent person
Example
Don’t underestimate her—she’s a **smart cookie**.
idiom

Take it easy

Meaning
To relax and not worry too much.
Example
**Take it easy**, everything will be fine.
phrasal-verb

agree with

Meaning
to have the same opinion as someone else
Example
I completely **agree with** you on this matter.
idiom

add insult to injury

Meaning
to make a bad situation even worse
Example
First, they lost the game, and then, to **add insult to injury**, their bus broke down.
phrasal-verb

pitch innovations to

Meaning
to present new ideas to a specific audience
Example
Startups **pitch innovations to** potential partners during expos.
idiom

in my opinion

Meaning
used to express what one thinks or believes
Example
**In my opinion**, this movie is too long.
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

copy out

Meaning
to write something again exactly as it is
Example
The students were asked to **copy out** the paragraph neatly.
idiom

a rock in a hard place

Meaning
to be in a very difficult or challenging situation
Example
He found himself **a rock in a hard place** when he had to choose between two difficult options.
phrasal-verb

die out

Meaning
to become extinct or disappear completely
Example
Many ancient traditions have **died out** over the centuries.
idiom

a level playing field

Meaning
a fair situation where everyone has equal chances
Example
We want to create **a level playing field** for all competitors.
idiom

learn your lesson

Meaning
to learn from an unpleasant experience so as not to repeat it
Example
After being late several times, he finally **learned his lesson**.
idiom

cross that bridge when we come to it

Meaning
to deal with a problem only when it arises
Example
Don't worry about the challenges now, we will **cross that bridge when we come to it**.
phrasal-verb

go off on

Meaning
to suddenly criticize or yell at someone angrily
Example
My boss **went off on** me for missing the deadline.
phrasal-verb

make things right with

Meaning
to restore harmony or fix a mistake with someone
Example
He wanted to **make things right with** his parents after disappointing them.
idiom

to play fair

Meaning
To act honestly and follow the rules.
Example
In every competition, we must **play fair**.
idiom

the light dawned on someone

Meaning
someone suddenly understands something
Example
The **light dawned on her** that she had made a mistake.
phrasal-verb

work through hardship

Meaning
to continue working even during difficult times
Example
She managed to **work through hardship** without losing hope.
idiom

Game of thrones

Meaning
A struggle for power or control, often involving manipulation and rivalry
Example
The election turned into a **game of thrones** with leaders fighting for dominance.
idiom

Time heals all wounds

Meaning
Emotional pain will lessen with time.
Example
Don’t worry, time heals all wounds.
idiom

to be of one mind

Meaning
to have the same opinion
Example
We are **of one mind** about this decision.
idiom

on the house

Meaning
free of charge; paid for by the establishment
Example
The drinks were **on the house** tonight.
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**.
phrasal-verb

show out

Meaning
to accompany someone to the door when they are leaving
Example
The manager **showed out** the clients after the meeting.
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

shake up

Meaning
to make major changes in an organization to improve it
Example
The new CEO plans to **shake up** the company’s culture to encourage innovation.
idiom

hit the same wavelength

Meaning
to share similar thoughts and feelings
Example
We **hit the same wavelength** from the first conversation.
phrasal-verb

grow out

Meaning
to allow hair or nails to become longer naturally
Example
She's **growing out** her hair for a new style.
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

my bad

Meaning
a casual way to admit a small mistake
Example
Oh, I forgot to bring your book — **my bad**!
idiom

phishing

Meaning
A method of trying to gather personal information using deceptive emails, websites, or other communications.
Example
He received an email that looked legitimate, but it was actually a **phishing** attempt.
phrasal-verb

open the heart to

Meaning
to express your honest emotions to someone
Example
He finally **opened his heart to** his parents.
idiom

jack up on

Meaning
to increase something sharply on a specific item
Example
Vendors **jacked up on** bottled water during the festival.
idiom

grey matter

Meaning
intelligence; the ability to think
Example
Use your **grey matter** to solve the puzzle.
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

hook the audience

Meaning
to capture and maintain the interest of the audience
Example
You need a strong headline to **hook the audience** immediately.
phrasal-verb

look beyond culture

Meaning
to see people as individuals rather than defining them by their culture
Example
To build global unity, we must **look beyond culture** and see shared humanity.
idiom

keep something under wraps

Meaning
to keep something secret
Example
They managed to **keep the project under wraps** until the launch day.
phrasal-verb

tick off

Meaning
to mark completed items on a list
Example
I **ticked off** each task as I finished to track the progress before the deadline.
phrasal-verb

wipe off

Meaning
to remove something from a surface by rubbing
Example
Please **wipe off** the dust from the table.
phrasal-verb

cut back on costs

Meaning
to reduce spending or expenses
Example
We need to **cut back on costs** to improve our profit margins.
phrasal-verb

strengthen alliances with

Meaning
to make partnerships or coalitions with other nations stronger
Example
The president vowed to **strengthen alliances with** global partners.
idiom

Money talks

Meaning
Money has great influence and power.
Example
He got the deal because **money talks**.
idiom

Failure is the mother of success

Meaning
Success often comes after learning from failures.
Example
Don’t worry about failing; **failure is the mother of success**.
phrasal-verb

march on

Meaning
to continue advancing toward a goal despite difficulties
Example
The demonstrators **marched on** the capital demanding justice.
phrasal-verb

shift toward innovation

Meaning
to focus more on creating new ideas or technologies
Example
Many industries are trying to **shift toward innovation** to stay competitive.
idiom

backdoor

Meaning
An undocumented way of accessing a system or software, usually used by hackers to bypass security.
Example
The attacker installed a **backdoor** to access the system at any time without being detected.
idiom

get a handle on something

Meaning
to understand or gain control of something
Example
I'm trying to **get a handle on** the new software.
idiom

roads less traveled

Meaning
choices or paths in life that are unusual or adventurous
Example
He prefers to take the **roads less traveled** and discover new cultures.
idiom

the dawn of a new day

Meaning
a new beginning filled with hope
Example
Her graduation marked **the dawn of a new day** in her life.
idiom

wear down

Meaning
to gradually weaken someone or something
Example
Constant delays can **wear down** even the calmest client.
phrasal-verb

connect with

Meaning
to understand or share similar feelings with someone
Example
I immediately **connected with** her because we had similar life experiences.
phrasal-verb

join in

Meaning
to participate in an activity or celebration
Example
Everyone was invited to **join in** the traditional dance at the festival.
idiom

play one's cards close to one's chest

Meaning
to keep one's plans or ideas secret
Example
He always **plays his cards close to his chest** in business.
idiom

jot down quickly

Meaning
to write something fast so you don’t forget
Example
**Jot down quickly** the ideas that come up in the meeting.