better safe than sorry
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idiom

better safe than sorry

Meaning
It’s wiser to be cautious than to take risks and regret later.
Example
I always double-check the locks — **better safe than sorry**.
idiom

black box thinking

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

buckle up

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

bail on

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

bring out potential

Meaning
to help others show their best abilities
Example
A true leader **brings out potential** in every team member.
idiom

burning with envy

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

breathe through stress

Meaning
to manage tension or anxiety using breathing techniques
Example
When you feel pressure, **breathe through stress** slowly and deeply.
idiom

build trust

Meaning
to create or develop trust in a relationship
Example
It takes time to **build trust** with new people.
idiom

bird’s eye view

Meaning
a view from a high position; an overview
Example
We got a **bird’s eye view** of the city from the tower.
phrasal-verb

break out of

Meaning
to free yourself from a negative emotional state
Example
He finally **broke out of** his depression after therapy.
idiom

bosom friend

Meaning
a very close and trusted friend
Example
We’ve been **bosom friends** since childhood.
idiom

burn your fingers

Meaning
to suffer because of a bad decision or mistake
Example
He **burned his fingers** by trusting the wrong person.
idiom

Blue skies thinking

Meaning
Creative or open-minded thinking without limits.
Example
Our brainstorming session encouraged **blue skies thinking**.
idiom

blast off

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

brush up

Meaning
to clean or improve something; to review or practice
Example
He **brushed up** his teeth quickly before leaving for work.
phrasal-verb

boil down

Meaning
to simplify something to its essential points
Example
The report **boils down** to one key recommendation: cut costs.
phrasal-verb

be patient with

Meaning
to stay calm and understanding toward someone who is struggling
Example
You need to **be patient with** people who are healing emotionally.
idiom

back on your feet

Meaning
recovered and healthy again
Example
It’s good to see you **back on your feet** after the flu.
idiom

by and large

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

blind faith

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

break into tears

Meaning
to start crying suddenly
Example
He **broke into tears** when he saw his old friend after many years.
idiom

bubbling with joy

Meaning
very happy and excited
Example
The children were **bubbling with joy** after receiving their gifts.
phrasal-verb

bridge over

Meaning
to reduce differences or connect people from different cultures
Example
Cultural exchange programs help **bridge over** misunderstandings between nations.
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

battle of wills

Meaning
a conflict where both sides refuse to give up
Example
It became a **battle of wills** between the manager and the team leader.
idiom

bring down the house

Meaning
to get an enthusiastic applause from the audience
Example
Her solo performance **brought down the house**.
idiom

behind the scenes

Meaning
secretly or without public knowledge
Example
A lot of work happens **behind the scenes** to make a movie.
phrasal-verb

blend in

Meaning
to become part of a group or culture naturally
Example
He tried to **blend in** by learning the local customs and traditions.
phrasal-verb

blow up into violence

Meaning
to suddenly become violent or intense
Example
The argument **blew up into violence** before police arrived.
phrasal-verb

break down emotionally

Meaning
to lose control over your emotions and start crying
Example
She **broke down emotionally** after hearing the bad news.
idiom

blow away

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

boil up

Meaning
to start feeling very angry
Example
Anger began to **boil up** inside him during the argument.
phrasal-verb

branch up into management

Meaning
to progress into a higher level of management or leadership
Example
After years of experience, he finally **branched up into management**.
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

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.
phrasal-verb

build up strength

Meaning
to increase physical power through exercise
Example
She started lifting weights to **build up strength**.
phrasal-verb

build wealth

Meaning
to accumulate money and assets over time
Example
She plans to **build wealth** through smart investments and saving strategies.
phrasal-verb

bring down costs

Meaning
to reduce the expenses involved in trading or production
Example
New technologies help companies **bring down costs** of international logistics.
idiom

bargain for

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

block off

Meaning
to close an area so people cannot enter
Example
Police **blocked off** the street after the accident.
phrasal-verb

bring attention to

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

be in two minds about

Meaning
to be uncertain or indecisive about something
Example
I’m **in two minds about** going to the party tonight.
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**.
phrasal-verb

back away

Meaning
to move backward from something frightening
Example
They **backed away** from the angry dog.
idiom

beyond words

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

butterflies in the stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or excited
Example
I always get **butterflies in my stomach** before a date.
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.
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

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

Born in the barn

Meaning
To have bad manners or lack social etiquette.
Example
Close the door! Were you **born in the barn**?
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.
phrasal-verb

bounce around ideas

Meaning
to discuss and share different ideas informally with others
Example
We **bounced around ideas** during the brainstorming session.
phrasal-verb

back down on

Meaning
to withdraw or concede a position after opposition
Example
The government refused to **back down on** its stance regarding foreign aid.
idiom

Break the news

Meaning
To tell someone important or bad news.
Example
He didn’t know how to **break the news** to his parents.
idiom

break one's word

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

bounce off

Meaning
to discuss an idea with someone to get their opinion
Example
I’d like to **bounce off** a few ideas with you before the presentation.
phrasal-verb

buzz about

Meaning
to talk excitedly about something; to be filled with excitement
Example
The office was **buzzing about** the upcoming project.
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.
idiom

book someone

Meaning
to officially charge someone with a crime
Example
The police **booked** him for theft.
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.
phrasal-verb

brainstorm for

Meaning
to generate ideas or solutions through discussion; to think creatively about something
Example
Our team will **brainstorm for** new product ideas this afternoon.
phrasal-verb

build inner strength

Meaning
to develop mental and emotional toughness
Example
Meditation helps you **build inner strength** and calmness.
idiom

brighten up your day

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

blow out of proportion

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

born poor, die rich

Meaning
to start life poor but become rich through hard work
Example
He’s the kind of man who wants to **born poor, die rich**.
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**.
phrasal-verb

build insight from

Meaning
to develop understanding by analyzing past experiences
Example
We can **build insight from** our past projects to improve future ones.
idiom

burst of inspiration

Meaning
a sudden feeling of creativity or motivation
Example
He wrote the poem in a **burst of inspiration**.
phrasal-verb

break free from

Meaning
to escape from something that controls or limits you
Example
She wanted to **break free from** negative thoughts and focus on her goals.
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**.
phrasal-verb

build up reserves

Meaning
to increase saved or stored resources for future use
Example
The central bank is working to **build up reserves** of foreign currency.
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.
phrasal-verb

build up

Meaning
to gradually increase emotional strength or confidence
Example
She’s been trying to **build up** her self-esteem after the breakup.
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.
phrasal-verb

buddy up with

Meaning
to become partners or friends with someone
Example
New hires **buddy up with** mentors during orientation week.
idiom

bounce back from

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

breathe in calmness

Meaning
to take deep breaths to feel relaxed and peaceful
Example
Take a moment to **breathe in calmness** and release your worries.
idiom

burn out

Meaning
to become very tired and lose motivation due to overwork
Example
If you don’t rest, you’ll **burn out** soon.
phrasal-verb

bottle emotions up

Meaning
to keep your emotions hidden inside instead of expressing them
Example
He tends to **bottle his emotions up** instead of talking about them.
phrasal-verb

bring across

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

Burn the bridges

Meaning
to destroy the possibility of returning to a previous situation
Example
Once he left the company, he decided to **burn the bridges** and not look back.
idiom

break up

Meaning
to end a romantic relationship
Example
They decided to **break up** after five years together.
idiom

break into

Meaning
to enter a new field or profession successfully
Example
She managed to **break into** the film industry last year.
phrasal-verb

build upon knowledge

Meaning
to use previously learned information as a foundation for new learning
Example
Students should **build upon knowledge** from earlier lessons to understand complex topics.
idiom

breaking the deadlock

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

back away from blame

Meaning
to avoid putting blame on others or oneself during a disagreement
Example
It’s wise to **back away from blame** and focus on solutions.
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

bring forward

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

bend someone’s ear

Meaning
to talk to someone for a long time, usually to complain
Example
He **bent my ear** about his terrible day at work.
phrasal-verb

bridge over differences

Meaning
to overcome disagreements and create unity
Example
The summit aimed to **bridge over differences** among member states.
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.
idiom

Bootstrap the business

Meaning
To build a company using only personal finances.
Example
They decided to **bootstrap the business** instead of seeking investors.
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

brag about

Meaning
to talk proudly about one’s or someone’s achievements
Example
He loves to **brag about** his team’s success.
idiom

bottle up your feelings

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

be moved by

Meaning
to be emotionally affected by someone’s good act
Example
She was deeply **moved by** the support she received.
phrasal-verb

build upon ideas

Meaning
to develop or improve existing ideas
Example
Our goal is to **build upon** each other’s ideas to create a stronger plan.
idiom

be there for someone

Meaning
to support or help someone when they need it
Example
True friends **are there for you** when you need them.
phrasal-verb

boil with anger

Meaning
to be extremely angry
Example
She was **boiling with anger** when she found out about the unfair decision.
phrasal-verb

beam with joy

Meaning
to smile very happily because of joy
Example
She **beamed with joy** when she heard the good news.
idiom

back each other up

Meaning
to support and help one another
Example
In a good team, members always **back each other up**.
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

by leaps and bounds

Meaning
to progress or improve very quickly
Example
Her English has improved **by leaps and bounds**.
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.
phrasal-verb

blow off

Meaning
to release stress or anger by doing something
Example
He went jogging to **blow off** some steam after the argument.
phrasal-verb

buckle under

Meaning
to give in or collapse under pressure
Example
He refused to **buckle under** the stress of his new responsibilities.
phrasal-verb

bottle in

Meaning
to keep emotions inside instead of expressing them
Example
He tends to **bottle in** his sadness rather than share it.
idiom

blind date

Meaning
a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before
Example
She met her boyfriend on a **blind date**.
phrasal-verb

break through fear

Meaning
to overcome strong emotional barriers like fear or anxiety
Example
He finally **broke through his fear** and spoke in public.
idiom

Bursting at the seams

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

bring off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something difficult
Example
He **brought off** a surprise victory in the competition.
phrasal-verb

break out crying

Meaning
to suddenly start crying
Example
She **broke out crying** when she heard the sad news.
idiom

boil down to

Meaning
to have something as the main point or reason
Example
The argument **boiled down to** a simple misunderstanding.
idiom

bright future ahead

Meaning
having positive prospects or possibilities
Example
With your hard work, you have a **bright future ahead**.
phrasal-verb

burst into

Meaning
to suddenly begin to express a strong emotion such as laughter or crying
Example
The children **burst into** laughter at the funny story.
phrasal-verb

blend in with

Meaning
to mix naturally with people or surroundings
Example
Tourists often try to **blend in with** the locals to experience the culture better.
phrasal-verb

build upon yourself

Meaning
to improve or develop your skills, knowledge, or character based on what you already have
Example
You should always try to **build upon yourself** and become a better version of who you were yesterday.
phrasal-verb

bring in investors

Meaning
to attract people who will invest money
Example
The startup managed to **bring in** several new investors this year.
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.