be in the limelight
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

be in the limelight

Meaning
to be the center of attention
Example
The actor was **in the limelight** after his award win.
idiom

burning desire

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

bring up to date

Meaning
to give someone the latest information about something
Example
Can you **bring me up to date** on the latest news?
idiom

between a rock and a hard place

Meaning
facing two difficult choices
Example
She’s **between a rock and a hard place** — neither option is good.
idiom

break your back

Meaning
to work very hard to achieve something
Example
He’s been **breaking his back** to support his family.
idiom

bolt from the blue

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

be indebted to

Meaning
to feel deeply thankful or obliged to someone
Example
I’ll always **be indebted to** my mentor for his guidance.
phrasal-verb

break through to

Meaning
to make someone understand your emotions or point of view
Example
It took hours to finally **break through to** him and make him understand how I felt.
phrasal-verb

bring together

Meaning
to unite people for a purpose
Example
Family events **bring together** everyone and strengthen bonds.
phrasal-verb

bridge cultural gaps

Meaning
to reduce misunderstanding or distance between cultures
Example
Education can **bridge cultural gaps** and promote mutual respect.
phrasal-verb

bring home

Meaning
to win or achieve something valuable or important
Example
The team worked hard and finally **brought home** the championship trophy.
phrasal-verb

break through bias

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

bookworm

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

base on

Meaning
to use something as a foundation or starting point
Example
The conclusion is **based on** reliable evidence.
phrasal-verb

blend across

Meaning
to mix or merge cultures or systems from different areas
Example
Global cuisines often **blend across** traditions and tastes.
phrasal-verb

boost confidence

Meaning
to increase optimism or trust in the economy
Example
Positive trade data helped **boost confidence** among entrepreneurs.
phrasal-verb

book into

Meaning
to reserve accommodation at a hotel or place
Example
We **booked into** a nice resort by the beach for our holiday.
phrasal-verb

book up

Meaning
to reserve all available places or tickets
Example
All the hotels were **booked up** weeks before the holiday.
phrasal-verb

back something up to

Meaning
to make a copy of data and store it in another place
Example
You should **back your files up to** an external hard drive regularly.
idiom

burst with ideas

Meaning
to have many creative ideas at once
Example
After watching the film, he was **bursting with ideas** for his next project.
idiom

bide your time

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

blend with

Meaning
to mix harmoniously with something; to integrate smoothly
Example
Immigrants often try to **blend with** the local culture while keeping their traditions alive.
phrasal-verb

bridge across languages

Meaning
to overcome language differences while communicating
Example
Technology helps us **bridge across languages** through translation tools.
idiom

bite the byte

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

bring over

Meaning
to persuade someone to your point of view
Example
I finally **brought her over** to my side of the argument.
idiom

big brother

Meaning
an older brother or someone who behaves protectively
Example
Mark acts like a **big brother** to everyone in the neighborhood.
idiom

Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

Meaning
To be born into a wealthy family.
Example
He never had to struggle; he was **born with a silver spoon in his mouth**.
phrasal-verb

bring attention to

Meaning
to make people notice or be aware of something important
Example
The campaign **brought attention to** climate inequality.
idiom

bring to the table

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

balance out trade deficits

Meaning
to equalize imports and exports to avoid economic imbalance
Example
The country is working to **balance out trade deficits** by boosting exports.
phrasal-verb

break down for

Meaning
to explain something in simpler parts for someone
Example
Could you **break this down for** the new volunteers?
phrasal-verb

bridge across

Meaning
to overcome divisions between groups or nations
Example
Diplomats **bridge across** cultural and political gaps.
phrasal-verb

blow out

Meaning
to extinguish flames, especially candles
Example
She **blew out** the candles and made a wish on her birthday.
idiom

burst with pride

Meaning
to be very proud of someone or something
Example
His parents **burst with pride** when he won the award.
phrasal-verb

build up wealth

Meaning
to gradually increase the amount of money or assets you own
Example
It takes years of discipline to **build up wealth** and achieve financial freedom.
phrasal-verb

bring stability to

Meaning
to make a situation or system more stable
Example
The reforms helped to **bring stability to** the banking sector.
phrasal-verb

breathe through

Meaning
to manage stress or pain by breathing calmly
Example
When anxious, try to **breathe through** the feeling slowly.
idiom

bottle up your feelings

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

break the chains

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

be thrilled about

Meaning
to feel very excited or pleased about something
Example
She was **thrilled about** her upcoming vacation.
idiom

Bet the farm

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

brick by brick

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

break the clutter

Meaning
to stand out in a crowded or competitive market
Example
A good tagline can help a brand **break the clutter**.
phrasal-verb

break into innovation

Meaning
to start innovating in a new field or market
Example
The company is trying to **break into innovation** by investing in AI research.
idiom

blank mind

Meaning
unable to think clearly or remember something
Example
During the exam, my **mind went blank**.
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

buckle up

Meaning
to fasten your seatbelt for safety
Example
Don’t forget to **buckle up** before the car moves.
idiom

buy into

Meaning
to accept or support an idea or plan
Example
The team quickly **bought into** the new workflow.
phrasal-verb

back out of agreement

Meaning
to withdraw from an agreement or promise
Example
The government suddenly **backed out of agreement** with its allies.
idiom

blood, sweat, and tears

Meaning
great effort and hard work
Example
Building this company took a lot of **blood, sweat, and tears**.
phrasal-verb

build confidence

Meaning
to strengthen belief in your own abilities
Example
Every small success helps you **build confidence** for bigger goals.
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.
phrasal-verb

bounce back after

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

black box thinking

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

break the bank

Meaning
to cost too much; to use up all your money
Example
Buying that car will **break the bank**.
phrasal-verb

break down over

Meaning
to become very emotional because of regret or sadness
Example
He **broke down over** losing his best friend.
phrasal-verb

build upon success

Meaning
to use existing success as a foundation for future growth
Example
The bank aims to **build upon success** from last year’s performance.
idiom

back on one’s feet

Meaning
to recover and be healthy again
Example
After a few days of rest, he’s finally **back on his feet**.
idiom

beyond the rainbow

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

break off diplomatic ties

Meaning
to end official relations between countries
Example
The two nations decided to **break off diplomatic ties** after the border conflict.
idiom

burning the midnight oil

Meaning
working late into the night
Example
She’s been **burning the midnight oil** to finish the report.
idiom

breeze through

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

bring forward

Meaning
to move something to an earlier time
Example
We had to **bring forward** the meeting due to travel.
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.
phrasal-verb

breathe out worries

Meaning
to exhale and mentally release your stress and fears
Example
I take a deep breath and **breathe out worries** before bedtime.
idiom

be in the driver’s seat

Meaning
to be in control of a situation
Example
After the merger, our company is **in the driver’s seat**.
idiom

blueprint for success

Meaning
a detailed plan for achieving success
Example
Strong teamwork is the **blueprint for success** in this project.
idiom

big data

Meaning
Extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations.
Example
The company uses **big data** to improve customer experience.
phrasal-verb

block off time

Meaning
to reserve a period in your schedule for something important
Example
I **block off time** every Friday to review the next week's deadlines.
idiom

blow a fuse

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry or lose control
Example
He **blew a fuse** when he saw the mess.
phrasal-verb

break away from

Meaning
to stop being part of something or someone’s influence
Example
He wants to **break away from** his parents’ control.
phrasal-verb

build inner peace

Meaning
to create a state of calm and balance inside yourself
Example
Meditation helps you **build inner peace** and clarity.
idiom

break someone’s heart

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

blunder into

Meaning
to enter or do something by mistake
Example
He **blundered into** the wrong meeting room.
idiom

blow off steam

Meaning
to express anger or frustration so that you feel better
Example
He went for a run to **blow off steam** after the argument.
phrasal-verb

bungle up

Meaning
to spoil or ruin something through clumsiness
Example
The workers **bungled up** the whole paint job.
phrasal-verb

build yourself up

Meaning
to increase your confidence or strength gradually
Example
She **built herself up** by practicing every day.
idiom

backroom deal

Meaning
a secret agreement made by powerful people
Example
The media exposed the **backroom deal** between the two parties.
phrasal-verb

bulk up

Meaning
to gain muscle and become stronger
Example
He started lifting heavier weights to **bulk up**.
phrasal-verb

brief the crew on

Meaning
to give a group the essential information about something
Example
Leads **brief the crew on** new safety rules before shifts start.
phrasal-verb

burst apart

Meaning
to explode with emotion such as laughter or tears
Example
The whole group **burst apart** laughing at his joke.
phrasal-verb

bring yourself to

Meaning
to force yourself to do something that is emotionally difficult
Example
He couldn't **bring himself to** tell her the truth.
idiom

Break a sweat

Meaning
To exert effort or work hard at something.
Example
She didn't even **break a sweat** while finishing the entire project in one day.
phrasal-verb

boom out

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

beat the clock

Meaning
to finish something before the deadline
Example
We managed to **beat the clock** and submit the report early.
phrasal-verb

break out of comfort zone

Meaning
to do something that is new or challenging for personal growth
Example
To grow as a person, you must **break out of your comfort zone**.
phrasal-verb

blow through

Meaning
when wind or storm moves quickly across an area
Example
A strong wind **blew through** the town last night.
idiom

break the silence

Meaning
to start talking after a period of silence
Example
He was the one to **break the silence** after the awkward pause.
phrasal-verb

burn up

Meaning
to destroy something completely by fire
Example
Burning trash **burns up** oxygen and releases harmful gases.
phrasal-verb

build upon agreements

Meaning
to develop or improve international agreements that already exist
Example
The summit aimed to **build upon agreements** made in previous meetings.
idiom

bargain chip

Meaning
something of value used in negotiations to get a better deal
Example
His offer of a longer contract was a strong **bargain chip**.
idiom

believe you’re good enough

Meaning
to accept that you are capable and worthy
Example
To overcome fear, you must **believe you’re good enough**.
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

break the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation in which progress is not possible
Example
They finally managed to **break the deadlock** through discussion.
phrasal-verb

bounce back stronger

Meaning
to recover from setbacks with renewed energy
Example
Teams **bounce back stronger** after honest feedback sessions.
phrasal-verb

build towards

Meaning
to develop something gradually to reach a goal
Example
He is slowly **building towards** his dream project.
phrasal-verb

brainstorm around impact

Meaning
to discuss ideas that focus on potential outcomes
Example
We **brainstorm around impact** to see how policies help the planet.
idiom

bottle up feelings

Meaning
to keep emotions inside without expressing them
Example
It's not healthy to **bottle up your feelings** for too long.
idiom

buy a lemon

Meaning
to buy something that is defective or worthless
Example
He **bought a lemon** when he got that used car.
idiom

brainchild of

Meaning
an idea or invention created by someone
Example
ChatGPT is the **brainchild of** OpenAI researchers.
idiom

Baptism of fire

Meaning
A person’s first difficult experience in a new job or role.
Example
Her first week as manager was a real **baptism of fire**.
phrasal-verb

branch into opportunities

Meaning
to expand into new areas or chances for growth
Example
He decided to **branch into opportunities** beyond his comfort zone.
idiom

blow one’s top

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

build out

Meaning
to expand or develop infrastructure or capacity
Example
They are working hard to **build out** their cloud platform.
phrasal-verb

buckle down on

Meaning
to start working seriously on something important
Example
I have to **buckle down on** my thesis this weekend.
idiom

be thick as thieves

Meaning
to be very close friends
Example
Those two have been **thick as thieves** since childhood.
idiom

blind faith

Meaning
trusting without questioning
Example
Having **blind faith** can sometimes lead to disappointment.
phrasal-verb

bring people along

Meaning
to inspire others to share and follow your vision; to include others in your progress
Example
A good leader knows how to **bring people along** when introducing new ideas.
phrasal-verb

bottle emotions

Meaning
to keep emotions hidden instead of expressing them
Example
She tends to **bottle emotions** instead of talking about them.
phrasal-verb

break off from

Meaning
to pause or stop doing something temporarily
Example
She had to **break off from** studying to answer a call.
phrasal-verb

bring into

Meaning
to include someone or something in an activity or situation
Example
We should **bring into** the discussion more experts on the subject.
idiom

bargain for

Meaning
to expect or plan for something
Example
The workload was more than we **bargained for**.
idiom

bring up

Meaning
to raise or care for a child until adulthood
Example
She was **brought up** by her grandparents.
idiom

blind justice

Meaning
justice that is impartial and not influenced by external factors
Example
**Blind justice** treats everyone the same, regardless of wealth or status.
idiom

Burning question

Meaning
An important or urgent question that people are eager to know.
Example
The **burning question** is whether the plan will actually work.
phrasal-verb

build upon innovation

Meaning
to use existing innovations as a foundation for further progress
Example
Nations must **build upon innovation** to drive sustainable development.
idiom

backdoor access

Meaning
a secret or unauthorized way to access a system or information
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor access** to the company’s database.
phrasal-verb

boot loop

Meaning
to restart continuously due to a system error
Example
After the update, my phone got stuck in a **boot loop**.