bat around
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

bat around

Meaning
to discuss ideas casually
Example
We spent the afternoon **batting around** marketing themes.
idiom

bail on

Meaning
to abandon someone or something suddenly
Example
He wouldn’t **bail on** his friends at the last minute.
idiom

blue sky thinking

Meaning
creative and visionary thinking that ignores practical limitations
Example
Let's engage in some **blue sky thinking** to come up with innovative solutions.
idiom

Be as good as your word

Meaning
To do what you promised to do.
Example
He said he’d help and he’s **as good as his word**.
idiom

book smart

Meaning
knowledgeable from studying rather than experience
Example
He’s **book smart** but lacks practical experience.
idiom

beyond one’s comprehension

Meaning
too difficult to understand
Example
Quantum physics is **beyond my comprehension**.
idiom

black sheep of the family

Meaning
a family member who is considered a disgrace
Example
He became the **black sheep of the family** after his bad decisions.
idiom

bide your time

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

build from scratch

Meaning
to start something from the very beginning
Example
They **built the company from scratch** with no outside funding.
idiom

better late than never

Meaning
it’s better to do something late than not do it at all
Example
**Better late than never** – he finally apologized.
idiom

bull market

Meaning
a period when prices of stocks are rising
Example
Investors are optimistic during a **bull market**.
idiom

bloom where you are planted

Meaning
to make the best of the situation you are in
Example
Even in a small town, she managed to **bloom where she was planted**.
idiom

bring home the bacon

Meaning
to earn money to support the family
Example
He works hard every day to **bring home the bacon**.
idiom

be all smiles

Meaning
to look very happy and cheerful
Example
She was **all smiles** after hearing the good news.
idiom

brush aside

Meaning
to dismiss something as unimportant
Example
Management **brushed aside** the rumors during the briefing.
idiom

blow out of the water

Meaning
to surprise or defeat completely
Example
Their performance **blew us out of the water**.
idiom

bury the differences

Meaning
to forget disagreements and be friendly again
Example
They decided to **bury their differences** and work together.
idiom

break away

Meaning
to separate from a group or routine
Example
She plans to **break away** from the commute by working remotely twice a week.
idiom

break someone’s heart

Meaning
to make someone very sad
Example
It really **broke his heart** when she left him.
idiom

beyond a shadow of a doubt

Meaning
without any doubt; completely certain
Example
He is **beyond a shadow of a doubt** the best candidate for the job.
idiom

break one's word

Meaning
to fail to keep a promise
Example
Don’t **break your word**; people rely on you.
idiom

byte the bullet

Meaning
to face a difficult situation bravely
Example
We have to **byte the bullet** and fix the system bugs now.
idiom

bury your head in the sand

Meaning
to ignore a problem hoping it will go away
Example
We can’t **bury our heads in the sand** about climate change any longer.
idiom

Be all ears

Meaning
To listen very attentively.
Example
I’m **all ears**, tell me what happened!
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.
idiom

blow your mind

Meaning
to impress or amaze someone greatly
Example
The new AI technology will **blow your mind**.
idiom

blow away

Meaning
to impress or surprise someone very much
Example
Her singing **blew me away**.
idiom

be a good sport

Meaning
to be fair and positive in difficult situations
Example
Even when she lost the game, she was **a good sport** and congratulated the winner.
idiom

bond of friendship

Meaning
A strong connection of trust and affection between friends.
Example
Their **bond of friendship** grew stronger over the years.
idiom

bust someone

Meaning
to arrest or catch someone doing something illegal
Example
The officer was able to **bust someone** for selling drugs.
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**.
idiom

bring to life

Meaning
to make something more interesting or realistic
Example
The artist’s use of color really **brought the painting to life**.
idiom

beyond the rainbow

Meaning
to hope for something wonderful or dreamlike
Example
She believes her dreams lie **beyond the rainbow**.
idiom

bring the curtain down

Meaning
to end something; to finish a performance or event
Example
The concert **brought the curtain down** on the music festival.
idiom

be comfortable in your own skin

Meaning
to be confident and happy with who you are
Example
It took years for her to **be comfortable in her own skin**.
idiom

bear with

Meaning
to be patient with someone or something
Example
Please **bear with** us while we resolve the issue.
idiom

breach of security

Meaning
a violation or failure to adhere to security protocols
Example
The company faced a significant **breach of security** last year.
idiom

blow out of proportion

Meaning
to exaggerate or overstate something
Example
The media **blew the story out of proportion**.
idiom

bolt from the blue

Meaning
a sudden and unexpected event
Example
The project cancellation came as a **bolt from the blue**.
idiom

burn one’s fingers

Meaning
to suffer because of one’s own mistake
Example
He **burned his fingers** by investing in a risky business.
idiom

be a person of your word

Meaning
to be someone who keeps their promises
Example
She is truly **a person of her word**, always doing what she says.
idiom

brick by brick

Meaning
to achieve something gradually and steadily
Example
He built his business **brick by brick**.
idiom

Bursting at the seams

Meaning
To be very full or crowded.
Example
The store was **bursting at the seams** during the sale.
idiom

ballpark figure

Meaning
an approximate estimate or number
Example
Can you give me a **ballpark figure** for the project cost?
idiom

Born and bred

Meaning
Having lived all one’s life in a particular place and influenced by its culture
Example
She’s a Dhaka **born and bred** woman.
idiom

Blue ocean strategy

Meaning
Creating a new market space with little or no competition.
Example
Their **blue ocean strategy** helped them dominate a new market.
idiom

bite the byte

Meaning
to deal with a difficult technological challenge
Example
Developers had to **bite the byte** to fix the software issue.
idiom

burning with envy

Meaning
feeling intense jealousy
Example
She was **burning with envy** when she heard about his promotion.
idiom

branch off

Meaning
to separate from a main route or line of development
Example
The hiking path will **branch off** near the lake.
idiom

break the ice

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

back to square one

Meaning
to start over again
Example
After the computer crashed, I had to go **back to square one** with my report.
idiom

blow one’s top

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
He **blew his top** when he saw the mistake.
idiom

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
idiom

brainstorm an idea

Meaning
to discuss and think creatively to generate new ideas
Example
The teacher asked the class to **brainstorm ideas** for the project.
idiom

balance of power

Meaning
the distribution of power between nations to prevent any one nation from becoming too powerful
Example
The United Nations aims to maintain the **balance of power** among its member states.
idiom

blow up in your face

Meaning
a plan or situation that suddenly goes wrong and causes trouble
Example
His plan to impress the boss **blew up in his face**.
idiom

born in the purple

Meaning
born into a wealthy or royal family
Example
He was **born in the purple**, so wealth was never an issue.
idiom

Bet your bottom dollar

Meaning
To be very sure or confident about something.
Example
You can **bet your bottom dollar** that he’ll show up late again.
idiom

brand awareness

Meaning
the extent to which consumers are familiar with a brand
Example
Our main goal is to increase **brand awareness** through social media.
idiom

breaking the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation where no progress is being made
Example
The negotiation team succeeded in **breaking the deadlock**.
idiom

brain like a computer

Meaning
to have an extremely analytical and efficient mind
Example
She remembers every detail; she has a **brain like a computer**.
idiom

by the skin of your teeth

Meaning
to just barely manage to do something
Example
He passed the exam **by the skin of his teeth**.
idiom

bear the responsibility

Meaning
to take on the duty of something
Example
She was willing to **bear the responsibility** for the new project.
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

butterflies in my stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or anxious
Example
I had **butterflies in my stomach** before the interview.
idiom

brand ambassador

Meaning
a person who promotes a brand through personal influence
Example
They hired a celebrity as their **brand ambassador**.
idiom

bad luck

Meaning
unfortunate or unlucky situation
Example
It’s just **bad luck** that it rained on our picnic day.
idiom

Break like the wind

Meaning
To move or pass quickly; sometimes used humorously.
Example
He ran **like the wind** to catch the bus.
idiom

by the skin of one’s teeth

Meaning
To narrowly escape or achieve something by a very small margin.
Example
I passed the exam **by the skin of my teeth**.
idiom

break the law

Meaning
to commit an illegal act
Example
Anyone who **breaks the law** should be punished.
idiom

big picture

Meaning
the overall perspective or situation
Example
Producers always try to see the **big picture** before making changes.
idiom

bottle up your feelings

Meaning
to hide or suppress your emotions
Example
Don't **bottle up your feelings**; talk about them.
idiom

Bet the farm

Meaning
To risk everything on one big decision.
Example
He **bet the farm** on that business deal.
idiom

brain like a sieve

Meaning
having a very bad memory
Example
I keep forgetting things—I’ve got a **brain like a sieve**!
idiom

beta test

Meaning
to test a product before official release
Example
We are going to **beta test** our app next week.
idiom

break the mold

Meaning
to do something differently from tradition
Example
She **broke the mold** by becoming the first female CEO.
idiom

bounce rate

Meaning
the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page
Example
We need to lower our **bounce rate** to keep visitors engaged.
idiom

bottle up emotions

Meaning
to keep feelings inside and not express them
Example
He tends to **bottle up his emotions**, which isn't healthy in the long run.
idiom

break into a market

Meaning
to successfully enter a new market or industry
Example
The company is trying to **break into the Asian market**.
idiom

burning desire

Meaning
a strong motivation to achieve something
Example
He has a **burning desire** to succeed in life.
idiom

burn one's bridges

Meaning
to destroy relationships or opportunities that cannot be restored
Example
He **burned his bridges** when he insulted his boss.
idiom

Balance the scales

Meaning
to make sure everything is fair or equal
Example
We need to **balance the scales** before making a final decision.
idiom

botnet

Meaning
a network of computers infected with malware that are controlled remotely by a hacker
Example
The hacker used the **botnet** to launch a massive DDoS attack on the server.
idiom

blast off

Meaning
to take off or start with great energy or enthusiasm
Example
The project is ready to **blast off** next week.
idiom

break out in a cold sweat

Meaning
to suddenly start sweating due to fear or anxiety
Example
He **broke out in a cold sweat** before his job interview.
idiom

bite the dust

Meaning
to fail or be defeated
Example
Several small startups **bit the dust** last year.
idiom

brighten up

Meaning
to become happier or more cheerful
Example
Her face **brightened up** when she saw her friends.
idiom

build up your confidence

Meaning
to gradually become more confident
Example
Public speaking can help you **build up your confidence**.
idiom

break down

Meaning
to start crying due to strong emotions
Example
She **broke down** when she heard the sad news.
idiom

big-hearted

Meaning
very kind and generous
Example
He is known as a **big-hearted** man.
idiom

backpropagation

Meaning
a learning algorithm used in neural networks to minimize error by adjusting weights through the network
Example
The **backpropagation** algorithm helps in optimizing the neural network's performance.
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

breathe easy

Meaning
to relax after a stressful or dangerous situation
Example
After the pollution control laws were enforced, people could finally **breathe easy**.
idiom

burst into tears

Meaning
to suddenly start crying
Example
She **burst into tears** after hearing the bad news.
idiom

bang for your buck

Meaning
value for the money spent; a good deal
Example
This insurance plan gives you the best **bang for your buck**.
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

Batten down the hatches

Meaning
To prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation.
Example
We’d better **batten down the hatches**; a storm is coming.
idiom

break the chains

Meaning
to free oneself from restrictions or limitations
Example
She wanted to **break the chains** of social expectations.
idiom

beyond words

Meaning
too great or extreme to be described in words
Example
Her kindness was **beyond words**.
idiom

brand loyalty

Meaning
the tendency of consumers to keep buying the same brand
Example
**Brand loyalty** often depends on consistent quality.
idiom

backdoor entry

Meaning
a secret or unofficial way to access something
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor entry** into the company’s database.
idiom

break the fourth wall

Meaning
to address the audience directly in a play or film
Example
The actor **broke the fourth wall** to make the scene funnier.
idiom

breeze through

Meaning
to do something easily and with little effort
Example
She managed to **breeze through** the exam without any problems.
idiom

break down the problem

Meaning
to analyze a problem step by step
Example
Let’s **break down the problem** to understand it better.
idiom

behind bars

Meaning
in prison
Example
The murderer will spend the rest of his life **behind bars**.
idiom

by the book

Meaning
to follow the rules exactly
Example
Our manager does everything **by the book**.
idiom

brighten up your day

Meaning
to make someone feel happier
Example
Her smile can **brighten up your day** instantly.
idiom

believe you can

Meaning
to have the mindset that you are capable of doing something
Example
If you **believe you can**, you’re halfway there.
idiom

black and blue

Meaning
bruised; having marks from injury
Example
He was **black and blue** after falling off his bike.
idiom

burst out laughing

Meaning
to suddenly start laughing loudly
Example
Everyone **burst out laughing** at his joke.
idiom

be lost for words

Meaning
to be so surprised that you cannot speak
Example
I was **lost for words** when I won the prize.
idiom

break into a cold sweat

Meaning
to start sweating due to fear or anxiety
Example
He **broke into a cold sweat** before giving his speech.
idiom

Bailout package

Meaning
Financial support given to prevent a company or economy from collapsing.
Example
The government announced a **bailout package** for struggling airlines.
idiom

bail out

Meaning
to release someone from jail after paying bail money
Example
His family managed to **bail him out** after two days.
idiom

bounce back from

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback
Example
The team needs to **bounce back from** last week's loss.
idiom

beat a dead horse

Meaning
to waste time on a topic that has already been resolved
Example
Stop **beating a dead horse**; the decision is final.
idiom

break a leg

Meaning
to wish someone good luck in a performance
Example
Before the play started, everyone told her to **break a leg**.
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

black box problem

Meaning
a situation where the internal workings of an AI system are not transparent or understood
Example
The biggest challenge in deep learning is the **black box problem**.
idiom

Behind the curve

Meaning
To be less advanced or slow compared to competitors.
Example
Our company is **behind the curve** in adopting AI technologies.
idiom

bookend something

Meaning
to mark the beginning and end of something
Example
Her career was **bookended** by two great performances.