blow away the cobwebs
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idiom

blow away the cobwebs

Meaning
to refresh one’s mind or body after inactivity
Example
A short walk helped me **blow away the cobwebs**.
idiom

well-oiled machine

Meaning
something that operates smoothly and efficiently
Example
Our engineering team runs like a **well-oiled machine**.
idiom

driving innovation

Meaning
leading or inspiring new and creative ideas.
Example
The startup is **driving innovation** in renewable energy solutions.
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

fall to

Meaning
to begin doing something eagerly; to become responsible for something
Example
Everyone **fell to** cleaning after the party ended.
idiom

in cold blood

Meaning
without emotion or pity; deliberately cruelly
Example
The victim was murdered **in cold blood**.
idiom

work up

Meaning
to gradually build courage, energy, or an appetite
Example
It took me a while to **work up** the courage to ask.
idiom

steer clear of

Meaning
to avoid someone or something
Example
You should **steer clear of** that street after dark.
idiom

jump for joy

Meaning
to be extremely happy and excited
Example
The kids **jumped for joy** when they saw the gifts.
phrasal-verb

bring out ideas

Meaning
to encourage others to share creative thoughts
Example
Good leaders know how to **bring out ideas** from their team.
phrasal-verb

keep on

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

a pipe dream

Meaning
an unrealistic or impossible dream
Example
Owning a private island is just **a pipe dream** for most people.
idiom

gain ground

Meaning
to make progress or advance
Example
The company has been **gaining ground** in the tech industry.
idiom

cry a river

Meaning
to cry a lot or show extreme sadness
Example
He **cried a river** after hearing the news.
phrasal-verb

work towards

Meaning
to make efforts to achieve a particular goal
Example
He is **working towards** his dream of becoming a pilot.
idiom

beat around the bush

Meaning
to avoid talking about the main topic
Example
Stop **beating around the bush** and tell me what happened.
idiom

In the blink of an eye

Meaning
Very quickly, almost instantaneously.
Example
The discovery of the new planet happened **in the blink of an eye**.
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.
idiom

cross your mind

Meaning
to think of something briefly
Example
It never **crossed my mind** that he could lie.
idiom

scale back

Meaning
to reduce the size or amount of something
Example
They had to **scale back** the festival because of the budget.
phrasal-verb

look someone in the eye

Meaning
to make direct eye contact as a sign of honesty or respect
Example
When greeting someone, try to **look them in the eye** to show respect.
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

keep at

Meaning
to continue doing something with determination
Example
If you **keep at** your practice, you’ll master it soon.
idiom

on your last legs

Meaning
completely exhausted or near collapse
Example
After working 18 hours straight, I was **on my last legs**.
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

Bet the farm

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

get it right

Meaning
to do something correctly after making a mistake
Example
It took a few tries, but she finally **got it right**.
idiom

feeling on top of the world

Meaning
feeling extremely happy or successful
Example
After getting the job, I was **on top of the world**.
phrasal-verb

let feelings out

Meaning
to express emotions instead of keeping them inside
Example
It's important to **let your feelings out** instead of hiding them.
idiom

stick to your guns

Meaning
to remain firm in your beliefs or decisions even under pressure
Example
He **stuck to his guns** even when others doubted him.
idiom

keep something to yourself

Meaning
not tell anyone about something
Example
Please **keep it to yourself** until we’re ready to announce.
phrasal-verb

wear off

Meaning
to gradually disappear or lose effect
Example
The excitement of the trip soon **wore off** after returning home.
idiom

burn a hole in one's pocket

Meaning
to spend money quickly or irresponsibly
Example
After receiving his bonus, he couldn't resist and **burned a hole in his pocket** by buying a new car.
idiom

trust your gut

Meaning
to follow your intuition or instincts
Example
When making big decisions, it’s often best to **trust your gut**.
phrasal-verb

align with

Meaning
to agree with or support the goals or principles of others
Example
Many countries **align with** global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
idiom

spin-off

Meaning
a product or show that results from another existing one
Example
The successful TV show led to a **spin-off** featuring the same characters.
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.
idiom

to backfire

Meaning
to have the opposite result of what was intended
Example
His plan **backfired** and made things worse.
idiom

lay down the law

Meaning
to state rules firmly and clearly
Example
The manager **laid down the law** about punctuality.
idiom

To question everything

Meaning
To critically examine and not blindly accept the status quo or accepted beliefs.
Example
In philosophy, one is encouraged **to question everything** in order to arrive at the truth.
phrasal-verb

scale out

Meaning
to expand or grow the size or capacity of something
Example
The company plans to **scale out** its operations to new markets.
idiom

call it a night

Meaning
to stop what you are doing and go home, especially after a party
Example
It’s getting late, let’s **call it a night**.
phrasal-verb

set up for

Meaning
to prepare or arrange something for an event
Example
They started to **set up for** the cultural fair early in the morning.
idiom

parcel out

Meaning
to divide and distribute something
Example
Let’s **parcel out** the tasks for the festival.
phrasal-verb

round on

Meaning
to suddenly attack or criticize someone angrily
Example
He suddenly **rounded on** his friend for lying to him.
phrasal-verb

take on

Meaning
to accept or start dealing with a challenge or responsibility
Example
Developed nations should **take on** more responsibility for climate aid.
phrasal-verb

work from

Meaning
to base your creation on a source or reference
Example
She **worked from** a photograph to paint the portrait.
idiom

on the horizon

Meaning
likely to happen soon
Example
A new product launch is **on the horizon**.
idiom

tough luck

Meaning
expression of sympathy for someone’s misfortune
Example
Didn’t get the job? **Tough luck**!
idiom

learn from mistakes

Meaning
to improve oneself by understanding and correcting errors
Example
I always try to **learn from mistakes** to avoid repeating them.
idiom

get one's ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things in a proper and efficient way
Example
Before we begin, we need to **get our ducks in a row** and finalize the plan.
idiom

carry the burden

Meaning
to take on responsibility or a difficult task
Example
She had to **carry the burden** of the entire project alone.
phrasal-verb

learn from others

Meaning
to gain knowledge or understanding from people of different cultures
Example
We can **learn from others** by observing their traditions and values.
phrasal-verb

shout at

Meaning
to raise your voice in anger at someone
Example
Don’t **shout at** me, I didn’t do anything wrong!
phrasal-verb

bring across

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

I owe you one

Meaning
used to express that you are thankful and plan to return the favor
Example
Thanks for helping me move, **I owe you one**!
phrasal-verb

bring along

Meaning
to take someone or something with you when you go somewhere
Example
You can **bring along** your sister to the party if you like.
phrasal-verb

get by

Meaning
to manage to live or survive with what you have
Example
Even with little money, our family managed to **get by** happily.
phrasal-verb

lash back

Meaning
to respond angrily to criticism or attack
Example
When criticized unfairly, she immediately **lashed back** with strong words.
idiom

add on

Meaning
to include something extra
Example
You can **add on** dessert for a small fee.
phrasal-verb

wind yourself up

Meaning
to make yourself nervous or upset; to become tense or worried
Example
Try not to **wind yourself up** before the meeting; everything will be fine.
phrasal-verb

wrap the day up

Meaning
to finish tasks and close out the workday
Example
I **wrap the day up** by reviewing tomorrow's top three priorities.
idiom

To offer the olive branch

Meaning
To make peace with someone after a conflict
Example
After their argument, he decided to **offer the olive branch** and apologize.
idiom

iron out the wrinkles

Meaning
to solve small problems or differences
Example
We need to **iron out the wrinkles** before launching the project.
idiom

a bone of contention

Meaning
a subject of disagreement or dispute
Example
Money has always been **a bone of contention** between them.
idiom

down and out

Meaning
feeling hopeless and defeated
Example
After losing everything, he was completely **down and out**.
idiom

manna from heaven

Meaning
an unexpected gift or blessing
Example
The bonus was **manna from heaven** during the tough month.
idiom

hold forth

Meaning
to speak at length about a topic
Example
He loved to **hold forth** on travel stories.
idiom

to have a ray of hope

Meaning
to see a small sign of improvement in a bad situation
Example
After hearing the good news, I felt I had a **ray of hope** for my future.
idiom

in the pink of health

Meaning
in very good health
Example
After months of rest, he’s now **in the pink of health**.
idiom

a burning desire

Meaning
a strong and intense wish to achieve something
Example
She has **a burning desire** to become the best in her field.
idiom

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning
It’s better to hold onto something you have than risk losing it by trying to get something better.
Example
I decided to keep the job offer I already have because **a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush**.
phrasal-verb

come up short

Meaning
to fail to meet a goal or expectation
Example
The team **came up short** in the final minutes of the game.
phrasal-verb

raise consciousness about

Meaning
to make people more aware of an issue or cause
Example
The campaign aims to **raise consciousness about** climate change.
phrasal-verb

work off emotions

Meaning
to get rid of negative emotions by doing physical activity
Example
He goes jogging to **work off** his frustration.
idiom

cut someone down to size

Meaning
to criticize someone to make them feel less important
Example
The manager **cut him down to size** after he bragged too much.
idiom

filter through

Meaning
to spread gradually among people
Example
News of the promotion quickly **filtered through** the office.
phrasal-verb

dip below

Meaning
to fall under a particular level or value
Example
The unemployment rate **dipped below** 5% for the first time in years.
phrasal-verb

take time off

Meaning
to stop working temporarily for rest or recovery
Example
I'm going to **take time off** next week to recharge.
idiom

leave your mark

Meaning
to have a lasting impact or influence on something
Example
Her dedication to the cause will surely **leave her mark** in the history books.
idiom

new kid on the block

Meaning
someone new to a place or situation
Example
He’s the **new kid on the block** in the company.
phrasal-verb

live off

Meaning
to depend on a particular kind of food for living
Example
During college, I mostly **lived off** instant noodles.
phrasal-verb

average out at

Meaning
to have a particular average amount or rate over a period of time
Example
Inflation **averaged out at** around 4% over the year.
phrasal-verb

channel emotions

Meaning
to direct emotions into positive actions
Example
She learned to **channel her emotions** into creative work.
phrasal-verb

mitigate against

Meaning
to make something less severe or harmful
Example
Effective controls can **mitigate against** financial losses.
idiom

Exactly!

Meaning
Used to strongly show agreement
Example
‘It’s time to move on.’ ‘**Exactly!**’
idiom

skeleton in the closet

Meaning
a family secret that one wants to keep hidden
Example
Every family has a **skeleton in the closet** they don't talk about.
phrasal-verb

move past failure

Meaning
to stop dwelling on mistakes and continue forward
Example
Successful people learn to **move past failure** quickly.
phrasal-verb

splash out on

Meaning
to spend a lot of money on something special
Example
She **splashed out on** a designer handbag for her birthday.
idiom

blow out of proportion

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

bring forward

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

calm within

Meaning
to find inner peace or stability
Example
Even in chaos, she managed to **calm within** herself.
idiom

to be in the same boat

Meaning
to be in the same difficult situation
Example
We are all **in the same boat** when it comes to the upcoming project deadline.
phrasal-verb

blow in

Meaning
to arrive unexpectedly, usually with wind
Example
A cold wind suddenly **blew in** from the north.
idiom

blow the whistle

Meaning
to expose wrongdoing or reveal secret information
Example
He **blew the whistle** on the company’s illegal activities.
phrasal-verb

rise early

Meaning
to get up early in the morning regularly
Example
He tries to **rise early** to make the most of his day.
phrasal-verb

crack up at

Meaning
to laugh uncontrollably at something
Example
Everyone **cracked up at** his funny joke.
phrasal-verb

scroll down to

Meaning
to move the screen view downward to see more content
Example
**Scroll down to** see the latest comments on the post.
idiom

ink in

Meaning
to schedule or confirm something in writing
Example
I’ll **ink in** the interview for Tuesday morning.
phrasal-verb

bask in

Meaning
to enjoy something greatly, especially praise or attention
Example
She **basked in** the applause after her performance.
idiom

march to the beat of your own drum

Meaning
to act independently and follow your own ideas
Example
She doesn’t care about trends; she **marches to the beat of her own drum**.
idiom

cross the floor

Meaning
to change political allegiance or party
Example
The MP shocked everyone when he decided to **cross the floor** and join the opposition.
idiom

internet troll

Meaning
a person who deliberately posts offensive or provocative comments online
Example
Don’t feed the **internet trolls** by replying to their comments.
phrasal-verb

acknowledge with

Meaning
to show recognition or appreciation through something
Example
They **acknowledged with** a small gift for all his hard work.
idiom

run the show

Meaning
to be in charge of an activity or organization
Example
Ever since the director left, Emma has been **running the show**.
idiom

A truth universally acknowledged

Meaning
A widely accepted truth or belief.
Example
**A truth universally acknowledged** is that honesty is important.
phrasal-verb

take interest in

Meaning
to show curiosity or enthusiasm about something
Example
He started to **take interest in** local traditions after moving abroad.
phrasal-verb

move beyond anger

Meaning
to let go of resentment and focus on reconciliation
Example
She learned to **move beyond anger** and rebuild trust.
idiom

hit the road again

Meaning
to resume a journey after a stop
Example
After lunch, we **hit the road again**.
idiom

the lesser of two evils

Meaning
the less harmful of two bad options
Example
Voters often choose **the lesser of two evils** during elections.
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

drop away

Meaning
to decrease gradually; to fade or disappear
Example
Attendance at the club meetings has **dropped away** recently.
idiom

throw a wrench into the works

Meaning
to disrupt or complicate something
Example
The sudden resignation of the minister threw a **wrench into the works** of the peace negotiations.
phrasal-verb

find out

Meaning
to discover information
Example
I need to **find out** what time the meeting starts.
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.
idiom

wield power

Meaning
to have and use power or influence effectively
Example
He’s not the president, but he still **wields a lot of power**.
idiom

read someone like a book

Meaning
to easily understand someone's thoughts and intentions
Example
She can **read him like a book** and always knows when he's lying.
phrasal-verb

be there for

Meaning
to be available to help or comfort someone in need
Example
She promised to always **be there for** her sister no matter what.
phrasal-verb

appeal against

Meaning
to formally ask for a change in a court decision
Example
The defendant plans to **appeal against** the verdict.
idiom

have a falling out

Meaning
to have a disagreement or fight with someone
Example
They **had a falling out** over money issues.
idiom

have the gift of the gab

Meaning
to be good at talking or persuading people
Example
He’s a great salesman because he **has the gift of the gab**.