blow out of proportion
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idiom

blow out of proportion

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

sitting on a gold mine

Meaning
to have something very valuable that is not yet realized
Example
That old property is worth millions — you're **sitting on a gold mine**.
idiom

wired to learn

Meaning
naturally designed to acquire knowledge or skills
Example
Humans are **wired to learn**, just like AI systems.
idiom

take someone at their word

Meaning
to trust that someone is telling the truth
Example
You can **take her at her word**; she never lies.
idiom

the teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone knows he’s **the teacher’s pet** in our class.
idiom

from the bottom of my heart

Meaning
with sincere gratitude
Example
I thank you **from the bottom of my heart** for everything.
idiom

above board

Meaning
honest and legal; without deceit
Example
Their business deal was completely **above board**.
idiom

At the end of one’s rope

Meaning
To be so tired or frustrated that you can’t deal with anything more.
Example
After working nonstop for weeks, I was **at the end of my rope**.
idiom

the best is yet to come

Meaning
better things are coming in the future
Example
Don’t worry about the past; **the best is yet to come**.
idiom

a sound bite

Meaning
a short, memorable part of a speech or interview often used in the media
Example
The politician's **sound bite** was replayed on every major news channel.
idiom

win by a landslide

Meaning
to win by a very large margin
Example
The candidate **won by a landslide** with 80% of the votes.
idiom

debug the mind

Meaning
to clear one’s thoughts or fix mental confusion
Example
Before making big design decisions, it’s good to **debug your mind**.
idiom

take a nosedive

Meaning
to decline suddenly and dramatically
Example
The company's stock **took a nosedive** after the scandal.
idiom

slip through the cracks

Meaning
to be overlooked or missed in a system or process
Example
Unfortunately, your application **slipped through the cracks** and wasn't reviewed.
idiom

tear-jerker

Meaning
something that makes you cry, especially a movie or story
Example
That movie was such a **tear-jerker**.
idiom

off the top of one's head

Meaning
to say something without thinking carefully or checking
Example
**Off the top of my head**, I think there are five options.
idiom

mama’s boy

Meaning
a man who is excessively attached to his mother
Example
He’s such a **mama’s boy**, always listening to her advice.
idiom

bounce back from

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

word gets around

Meaning
news or gossip spreads among people
Example
Be careful—**word gets around** quickly in this office.
idiom

get a taste of your own medicine

Meaning
to be treated in the same unpleasant way that you have treated others
Example
He's always rude to people, so I'm glad he finally **got a taste of his own medicine**.
idiom

roll the credits

Meaning
to finish something officially
Example
After the final announcement, they **rolled the credits** on the project.
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

Don’t lose heart

Meaning
Don’t become discouraged.
Example
Even if you fail once, **don’t lose heart**.
idiom

to pull strings

Meaning
to use one's influence or connections to get things done
Example
She managed to **pull strings** to get the bill passed in Congress.
idiom

drop someone a line

Meaning
to contact someone by writing or message
Example
Please **drop me a line** when you arrive.
idiom

a blank canvas

Meaning
a person or situation that can be developed freely
Example
Starting a new project is like working with **a blank canvas**.
idiom

swing vote

Meaning
a vote that is not yet decided and could go either way
Example
The **swing vote** will determine the outcome of the election.
idiom

serve time

Meaning
to spend time in prison as punishment
Example
He had to **serve time** for his involvement in the fraud case.
idiom

walk a fine line

Meaning
to balance between two difficult choices or opposing sides
Example
The diplomat had to **walk a fine line** between honesty and tact.
idiom

sleep it off

Meaning
to sleep in order to recover from tiredness or sickness
Example
He drank too much and needed to **sleep it off**.
idiom

hair stands on end

Meaning
to feel intense fear or horror
Example
The ghost story made my **hair stand on end**.
idiom

Crossing the Rubicon

Meaning
Taking an irreversible step with serious consequences.
Example
By going public with the information, he was **crossing the Rubicon**.
idiom

fail to deliver

Meaning
to not meet expectations or complete a task successfully
Example
The company promised improvements but failed to **deliver** on its promises.
idiom

go in one ear and out the other

Meaning
to hear something but quickly forget it
Example
Whatever I tell him **goes in one ear and out the other**.
idiom

the upper hand

Meaning
to have control or an advantage over someone
Example
The ruling party has **the upper hand** in this situation.
idiom

nod off

Meaning
to fall asleep suddenly, especially when sitting
Example
He **nodded off** during the boring lecture.
idiom

put in a good word for someone

Meaning
to say something positive about someone in order to help them
Example
I will **put in a good word for you** with the manager.
idiom

follow your heart

Meaning
to make a decision based on your feelings
Example
When choosing a career, it’s best to **follow your heart**.
idiom

to get the ball rolling

Meaning
to start something, especially a project or task
Example
Let's **get the ball rolling** and start the meeting.
idiom

sit in the driver’s seat

Meaning
to be in a position of control or leadership
Example
After the promotion, she now **sits in the driver’s seat**.
idiom

ease up on

Meaning
to reduce how much you use or pressure someone
Example
Let’s **ease up on** the reminders now that the report is done.
idiom

chapter and verse

Meaning
to provide full and exact details about something
Example
She can quote **chapter and verse** to support her argument.
idiom

encrypted

Meaning
data that is converted into a secure format to prevent unauthorized access
Example
All sensitive communications are **encrypted** to ensure privacy.
idiom

Climb the ranks

Meaning
To move up to higher positions through hard work and experience.
Example
He **climbed the ranks** from an intern to a manager in five years.
idiom

poetic justice

Meaning
a situation in which virtue is rewarded and vice is punished, often ironically
Example
It was **poetic justice** when the dishonest lawyer lost his case due to his own lies.
idiom

how’s it going

Meaning
a casual way of asking how someone is doing
Example
**How’s it going?** You look great today!
idiom

make a fresh start

Meaning
to start something again in a new way
Example
After the failure, she decided to **make a fresh start**.
idiom

make sense of

Meaning
to understand something that is complicated or unclear
Example
I finally **made sense of** the instructions after reading them twice.
idiom

answer for something

Meaning
to be responsible for something bad that happens
Example
You’ll have to **answer for your actions** if things go wrong.
idiom

surf the net

Meaning
to browse or explore websites on the internet
Example
I usually **surf the net** before going to bed.
idiom

a run on the bank

Meaning
a situation where many people withdraw their money from a bank due to fear of collapse
Example
Rumors of insolvency caused **a run on the bank**.
idiom

data lake

Meaning
a large storage repository that holds raw, unprocessed data
Example
All raw data is stored in the **data lake** for further analysis.
idiom

cross off

Meaning
to remove an item from a list
Example
You can **cross off** the tasks we’ve finished.
idiom

cash in on

Meaning
to profit from a situation, often quickly
Example
Several startups tried to **cash in on** the sudden trend.
idiom

hit the dirt

Meaning
to go to ground; to take cover or hide
Example
Wild animals often **hit the dirt** when humans approach.
idiom

have a short fuse

Meaning
to get angry easily
Example
Be careful what you say; he **has a short fuse**.
idiom

hang someone out to dry

Meaning
to abandon someone to face blame or trouble alone.
Example
His friends **hung him out to dry** when the teacher asked who cheated.
idiom

the internet of things (IoT)

Meaning
the connection of everyday objects to the internet to send and receive data
Example
Smart homes are part of the **internet of things (IoT)**, where devices are interconnected.
idiom

give someone the third degree

Meaning
to question someone intensely
Example
The police **gave him the third degree** after the incident.
idiom

a man of faith

Meaning
a person who strongly believes in a particular religion or principle
Example
He is known as **a man of faith** in his community.
idiom

rise and fall

Meaning
the success and failure of someone or something over time
Example
The documentary shows the **rise and fall** of the Roman Empire.
idiom

a law unto oneself

Meaning
someone who acts independently and ignores rules
Example
He’s **a law unto himself**, never following company policies.
idiom

A peaceful mind is a happy mind

Meaning
Mental calmness leads to happiness and contentment.
Example
She believes that **a peaceful mind is a happy mind**.
idiom

throw one’s weight around

Meaning
to use one’s power or influence aggressively
Example
He likes to **throw his weight around** at work to get things done.
idiom

Take your chances

Meaning
To try something despite uncertainty.
Example
He decided to **take his chances** and apply for the international scholarship.
idiom

stand by your principles

Meaning
to remain loyal to your values, even in difficult situations
Example
She always **stands by her principles** in tough times.
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

cry a river

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

a front-page story

Meaning
a news story that is important enough to be placed on the front page of a newspaper
Example
The fire in the city center was **a front-page story** for the national newspapers.
idiom

malware

Meaning
software designed to damage or disrupt computers or networks
Example
The antivirus software successfully removed the **malware** from the system.
idiom

make a killing

Meaning
to earn a large profit quickly
Example
They **made a killing** with their new tech product.
idiom

butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth

Meaning
someone who looks innocent but might not be
Example
She looks so sweet—**butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth**.
idiom

stick together

Meaning
to stay close and support each other
Example
In tough times, good friends **stick together**.
idiom

make it happen

Meaning
take action to achieve something
Example
Stop dreaming and **make it happen**.
idiom

turn dreams into reality

Meaning
to achieve something one has long desired
Example
With hard work and dedication, you can **turn your dreams into reality**.
idiom

have your jaw drop

Meaning
to be extremely surprised or shocked
Example
My **jaw dropped** when I saw the price.
idiom

level up

Meaning
to improve or advance to a higher level
Example
With his hard work, he has been able to **level up** in his career.
idiom

catch lightning in a bottle

Meaning
to achieve something amazing and rare through creativity or luck
Example
Their new design **caught lightning in a bottle**.
idiom

green with jealousy

Meaning
extremely jealous
Example
He was **green with jealousy** when he saw her with someone else.
idiom

ahead of the game

Meaning
to have an advantage or be well prepared
Example
She’s always **ahead of the game** with her planning.
idiom

cut someone some slack

Meaning
to be less critical or give someone a break
Example
You should **cut him some slack**—he’s having a tough day.
idiom

narrow in

Meaning
to focus on a smaller area or set of options
Example
Let’s **narrow in** on the two strongest proposals.
idiom

add on

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

get a foot in the door

Meaning
to take the first step towards achieving something, especially a job
Example
He took an internship to **get a foot in the door** of the company.
idiom

copycat

Meaning
someone who imitates another person
Example
She’s such a **copycat**, always doing what I do.
idiom

Throw money at the problem

Meaning
To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of finding the real solution.
Example
You can’t just **throw money at the problem**; we need a proper plan.
idiom

to be on the up and up

Meaning
to be honest and trustworthy
Example
I trust her completely because I know she’s always **on the up and up**.
idiom

Put one's nose to the grindstone

Meaning
To focus on hard work and continuous effort.
Example
She really had to **put her nose to the grindstone** to get the promotion.
idiom

broken-hearted

Meaning
extremely sad about something or someone
Example
He was **broken-hearted** after the breakup.
idiom

play on someone's emotions

Meaning
to influence someone by appealing to their feelings
Example
The ad tries to **play on people's emotions** to sell products.
idiom

to have a thirst for knowledge

Meaning
to have a strong desire to learn or gain more knowledge
Example
She always **has a thirst for knowledge** and keeps reading books.
idiom

reboot your mindset

Meaning
to change your way of thinking completely
Example
To adapt to AI, we need to **reboot our mindset**.
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.
idiom

fan out

Meaning
to spread out over an area
Example
Volunteers will **fan out** across the park.
idiom

to break the ice

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

the tide has turned

Meaning
a situation has started to change in your favor
Example
After months of bad luck, **the tide has turned** for our team.
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

to kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to achieve two things at once
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

think for yourself

Meaning
to form your own opinions and make your own decisions
Example
You should learn to **think for yourself** instead of copying others.
idiom

stick with

Meaning
to continue doing or supporting something despite challenges
Example
If you **stick with** the routine, you’ll see results soon.
idiom

a fresh start

Meaning
a new beginning after difficulties or mistakes
Example
After the breakup, she wanted **a fresh start**.
idiom

tear down

Meaning
to demolish or dismantle something
Example
They plan to **tear down** the old shed this weekend.
idiom

hot under the collar

Meaning
feeling angry or embarrassed
Example
He got **hot under the collar** when his mistake was pointed out.
idiom

back up

Meaning
to support or to make a copy of important data
Example
Can you **back up** my explanation during the meeting?
idiom

shoot for the moon

Meaning
to aim for something very high or ambitious
Example
He decided to **shoot for the moon** and apply to Harvard.
idiom

pillar of strength

Meaning
a person who provides strong support or comfort
Example
She was a **pillar of strength** during difficult times.
idiom

data privacy

Meaning
the protection of personal information from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Example
The company implemented strong **data privacy** measures to protect customer information.
idiom

no worries

Meaning
used to say that everything is fine or there is no problem
Example
**No worries**, I’ll take care of it.
idiom

Fuel the economy

Meaning
To stimulate economic growth.
Example
Government spending can **fuel the economy** during a recession.
idiom

thank heavens

Meaning
to be very thankful about something
Example
**Thank heavens** the storm is finally over.
idiom

data encryption

Meaning
the process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access
Example
Ensure all sensitive information is protected through **data encryption**.
idiom

have words with someone

Meaning
to argue with someone verbally
Example
I **had words with** my boss about the new policy.
idiom

Dress to kill

Meaning
To wear clothes that attract a lot of attention and admiration.
Example
She always **dresses to kill** when she goes to parties.
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

Out of focus

Meaning
Not clear or not paying attention
Example
He looked tired and completely **out of focus** during the meeting.
idiom

offline mode

Meaning
a state of being disconnected from the internet or unavailable
Example
He’s been in **offline mode** all weekend, not answering any messages.
idiom

let one's hair down

Meaning
to relax and enjoy oneself freely
Example
After the project ended, we all went out to **let our hair down**.
idiom

mix in

Meaning
to combine one thing with others
Example
Now **mix in** the chopped herbs.
idiom

digital twin

Meaning
a virtual representation of a physical object or system used for simulation and analysis
Example
Using **digital twin** technology, we can simulate the performance of machinery before production.
idiom

bury the hatchet

Meaning
to stop fighting and become friends again
Example
After years of argument, they decided to **bury the hatchet**.
idiom

go by the book

Meaning
to follow rules or procedures strictly
Example
The officer always **goes by the book** during inspections.