buckle under pressure
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idiom

buckle under pressure

Meaning
to give in or fail due to too much stress or pressure
Example
Some employees **buckle under pressure**, while others thrive.
idiom

With friends like that, who needs enemies?

Meaning
A person’s actions or behavior make them worse than an enemy.
Example
He betrayed me again, **with friends like that, who needs enemies?**
idiom

a dime a dozen

Meaning
very common and not valuable
Example
Those toys are **a dime a dozen** at the market.
idiom

neural network

Meaning
A series of algorithms that attempt to recognize underlying relationships in a set of data.
Example
The AI system was built using a **neural network** to recognize patterns.
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

safeguard your system

Meaning
to protect your computer system or network from attacks
Example
Make sure to **safeguard your system** with the latest antivirus software.
idiom

left speechless

Meaning
so surprised that you cannot speak
Example
I was **left speechless** by her generosity.
idiom

to take the law into one’s own hands

Meaning
to punish someone personally instead of letting the authorities handle it
Example
The villagers **took the law into their own hands** when the thief escaped.
idiom

put one's foot in one's mouth

Meaning
to say something embarrassing or inappropriate
Example
He really **put his foot in his mouth** when he mentioned her ex-boyfriend.
idiom

Pick up the tab

Meaning
To pay the bill for something.
Example
John offered to **pick up the tab** for everyone.
idiom

the rest is history

Meaning
used to say that everyone knows what happened next
Example
They met in college, fell in love, and **the rest is history**.
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

lightning fast

Meaning
extremely fast
Example
She replied **lightning fast** to the email.
idiom

to hack into

Meaning
to gain unauthorized access to a system or network
Example
The attackers managed **to hack into** the company's internal servers.
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

go green

Meaning
to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle
Example
Many companies are trying to **go green** by using renewable energy sources.
idiom

No risk, no reward

Meaning
You can't expect to achieve something without taking risks.
Example
To get ahead in life, you have to understand that **no risk, no reward**.
idiom

a run for one’s money

Meaning
to compete strongly with someone; to challenge effectively
Example
The new company is giving the old giants **a run for their money**.
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

play a role

Meaning
to have a part in something
Example
Everyone **played a role** in making the show successful.
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

plug into

Meaning
to connect or become involved in something, usually a system or network
Example
You need to **plug into** the right social media channels to reach a wider audience.
idiom

engagement rate

Meaning
a measure of how actively people interact with online content
Example
Our **engagement rate** doubled after using video posts.
idiom

penny wise and pound foolish

Meaning
careful with small amounts of money but wasteful with large amounts
Example
He’s **penny wise and pound foolish** when it comes to investments.
idiom

go up in smoke

Meaning
to fail completely; to come to nothing
Example
All his dreams **went up in smoke** after the deal collapsed.
idiom

Slow and steady wins the race

Meaning
Consistency and patience lead to success.
Example
Remember, **slow and steady wins the race**.
idiom

download the idea

Meaning
to absorb or understand information quickly
Example
It took me a while to **download the idea**, but now I get it.
idiom

offbeat

Meaning
unusual; different from the norm
Example
His **offbeat** sense of humor makes everyone laugh.
idiom

chase your dreams

Meaning
to actively try to achieve your ambitions
Example
You should always **chase your dreams** no matter how hard it seems.
idiom

to have a fever pitch

Meaning
to reach an intense level of excitement or emotion
Example
The crowd’s excitement reached **fever pitch** during the final moments.
idiom

point the finger

Meaning
to accuse or blame someone
Example
Don’t **point the finger** until you have all the facts.
B2 idiom

up in the air

Uncertain or undecided
Meaning
Uncertain or undecided
Example
The plans for the project are still up in the air.
The plans for the project are still up in the air.
idiom

on the radar

Meaning
something that is being monitored or considered
Example
The new scientific theory is now **on the radar** of researchers across the world.
idiom

plug away

Meaning
to keep working steadily on something
Example
Keep **plugging away** at the draft and it will improve.
idiom

pair off

Meaning
to form groups of two
Example
Students will **pair off** for the lab experiment.
idiom

run someone down

Meaning
to criticize someone unfairly; to speak badly about someone
Example
He always **runs his coworkers down** behind their backs.
idiom

flesh out

Meaning
to add more detail to something
Example
We need to **flesh out** the proposal before presenting it.
idiom

paint a new picture

Meaning
to create a new vision or concept
Example
The designer managed to **paint a new picture** for the brand.
idiom

win the battle but lose the war

Meaning
to achieve a small success but fail in the larger goal
Example
By focusing on minor issues, they **won the battle but lost the war**.
idiom

rock the boat

Meaning
to cause problems or upset a stable situation
Example
Everything is going well, so let's not **rock the boat** with unnecessary changes.
idiom

a lawyer's brief

Meaning
a summary or concise statement of an argument or case
Example
The **lawyer's brief** was submitted to the judge before the trial began.
idiom

a heavy heart

Meaning
a feeling of deep sadness or sorrow
Example
She left her hometown with **a heavy heart**.
idiom

give someone the benefit of the doubt

Meaning
to trust someone even when you are not sure they are honest
Example
I will **give him the benefit of the doubt** this time.
idiom

Early adopter

Meaning
Someone who starts using a new product before others.
Example
**Early adopters** often help startups refine their products.
idiom

Best foot forward

Meaning
To try to make the best possible impression
Example
She always puts her **best foot forward** on important occasions.
idiom

call on

Meaning
to request someone to speak or do something
Example
The teacher will **call on** you if you raise your hand.
idiom

play hardball

Meaning
to be firm and tough in negotiation
Example
He decided to **play hardball** during the contract talks.
idiom

a bug in the system

Meaning
a problem or error in a program or system
Example
There seems to be **a bug in the system** causing slow performance.
idiom

trailblaze

Meaning
to be the first to do something or lead the way
Example
She is a **trailblazer** in the tech industry.
idiom

bite someone’s head off

Meaning
to speak angrily to someone without reason
Example
I just asked a question, no need to **bite my head off**!
idiom

model evaluation

Meaning
the process of assessing the accuracy and performance of a trained model
Example
Before deploying the system, we need to perform **model evaluation** to ensure accuracy.
idiom

play it straight

Meaning
to be honest and direct
Example
Just **play it straight** and tell them what happened.
idiom

That’s for sure

Meaning
Used to strongly confirm agreement
Example
He’s a great leader — **that’s for sure**.
idiom

to weigh the pros and cons

Meaning
to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of something
Example
Before making a final decision, it's important to **weigh the pros and cons**.
idiom

gain the upper hand

Meaning
to get control or advantage over someone
Example
Through smart negotiation, the ambassador **gained the upper hand**.
idiom

spam someone

Meaning
to send too many messages or unnecessary information
Example
Don’t **spam me** with notifications every minute!
idiom

talk at cross purposes

Meaning
to misunderstand each other when talking about different things
Example
I think we’re **talking at cross purposes**—I meant next week, not this one.
idiom

a chip off the old block

Meaning
someone who is very similar to their parent
Example
Your daughter is so smart — she’s **a chip off the old block**.
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

the next big thing

Meaning
something that will become extremely popular or successful soon
Example
Everyone thinks blockchain is **the next big thing**.
idiom

nose around

Meaning
to search for information in a curious way
Example
Reporters began to **nose around** after the leak.
idiom

back to the drawing board

Meaning
to start over again after a failure
Example
Our proposal was rejected, so it's **back to the drawing board**.
idiom

friends in high places

Meaning
people with power or influence who can help you
Example
He got the job because he has **friends in high places**.
idiom

draw in

Meaning
to attract someone’s interest
Example
The bold headline **drew in** readers right away.
idiom

strike a bargain

Meaning
to reach an agreement or deal
Example
After some discussion, they **struck a bargain** that suited both parties.
idiom

Political bargaining chip

Meaning
An issue or point used to negotiate or exchange in politics.
Example
The trade agreement became a **political bargaining chip** during the negotiations.
idiom

thanks a million

Meaning
a very strong expression of gratitude
Example
You really helped me out, **thanks a million**!
idiom

ghost in the machine

Meaning
a mysterious or unexplained force in a system or person
Example
There must be a **ghost in the machine** causing these AI errors.
idiom

pay off

Meaning
to yield good results after effort
Example
All those late nights finally **paid off** during the launch.
idiom

fight your demons

Meaning
to deal with your fears or bad memories courageously
Example
He’s learning to **fight his demons** from the past.
idiom

snowed under

Meaning
to have too much work to do
Example
I'm **snowed under** with assignments this week.
idiom

to pass with flying colors

Meaning
to succeed with a very high score
Example
He studied hard and passed the exam with **flying colors**.
idiom

catch someone red-handed

Meaning
to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
Example
The police **caught him red-handed** as he was stealing from the store.
idiom

Take one’s breath away

Meaning
To amaze or impress someone greatly.
Example
Her beauty **takes my breath away**.
idiom

big-hearted

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

brave the storm

Meaning
to face great difficulties with courage
Example
They **braved the storm** to rescue the stranded people.
idiom

feel like a million bucks

Meaning
to feel extremely good or happy
Example
After a great workout, I always **feel like a million bucks**.
idiom

black hole

Meaning
a situation where things disappear or are lost without explanation
Example
All the research data went into a **black hole** after the server crash.
idiom

make your mark

Meaning
to achieve distinction or recognition
Example
He worked hard to **make his mark** in the tech industry.
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

blow someone's cover

Meaning
to reveal someone's secret identity or hidden purpose
Example
The journalist accidentally **blew the cover** of the undercover agent.
idiom

bust someone

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

cut and paste solution

Meaning
an easy or unoriginal fix; a copied approach
Example
That’s just a **cut and paste solution**, not a real fix.
idiom

pat on the back

Meaning
to praise or congratulate someone for doing something well
Example
You deserve a **pat on the back** for your effort.
idiom

a penny saved is a penny earned

Meaning
saving money is just as valuable as earning it
Example
My grandfather always said, '**a penny saved is a penny earned**.'
idiom

full of the joys of spring

Meaning
very happy and energetic
Example
She’s **full of the joys of spring** after her vacation.
idiom

phishing expedition

Meaning
an attempt to obtain sensitive information by deceit
Example
The suspicious email was part of a **phishing expedition**.
idiom

Exactly!

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

run out of time

Meaning
to have no more time available to complete something
Example
We **ran out of time** before finishing the project.
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

drop a comment

Meaning
to leave a message or opinion on a social media post
Example
Don’t forget to **drop a comment** below if you liked the video.
idiom

the powers that be

Meaning
people or organizations who hold authority or control
Example
The decision depends on **the powers that be**.
idiom

in so many words

Meaning
to say something clearly and directly
Example
He didn’t say it **in so many words**, but I knew what he meant.
idiom

go back to the drawing board

Meaning
to start over again because the previous plan failed
Example
Our experiment failed, so we have to **go back to the drawing board**.
idiom

bring forward

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

raise the bar

Meaning
to set a higher standard or level of quality
Example
The new product really **raised the bar** for the industry.
idiom

Hold your head high

Meaning
To be proud and confident even after failure or hardship.
Example
Even after losing, she **held her head high**.
idiom

on the big screen

Meaning
appearing in a cinema film
Example
Her novel was adapted **on the big screen** last year.
idiom

own up to your mistakes

Meaning
to admit that you have done something wrong
Example
It takes courage to **own up to your mistakes**.
idiom

Out of one’s depth

Meaning
To be in a situation that is too difficult to understand or deal with.
Example
I felt **out of my depth** in that technical discussion.
idiom

home sweet home

Meaning
used to express happiness upon returning home
Example
After a long trip, it feels so good to be **home sweet home**.
idiom

in the nick of time

Meaning
at the last possible moment; just before it’s too late
Example
He arrived **in the nick of time** to catch the train.
idiom

a blessing in disguise

Meaning
something that seems bad but results in something good
Example
Losing that job was **a blessing in disguise**.
idiom

code of ethics

Meaning
a set of moral principles guiding AI development or usage
Example
Developers must follow a strict **code of ethics** in AI research.
idiom

fall through

Meaning
to fail to happen
Example
Our travel plans might **fall through** if the storm hits.
idiom

bear the brunt

Meaning
to take the main responsibility or suffering of something unpleasant
Example
The junior staff had to **bear the brunt** of the manager’s anger.
idiom

full of beans

Meaning
very energetic and lively
Example
The kids are **full of beans** this morning.
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

get the show on the road

Meaning
to begin an activity or journey
Example
Let’s **get the show on the road** and start our trip.
idiom

hit the reset button

Meaning
to start fresh or make a new beginning
Example
After the failure, the team decided to **hit the reset button**.
idiom

call a truce

Meaning
to agree to stop fighting or arguing for a while
Example
They decided to **call a truce** until the boss arrived.
idiom

in the line of fire

Meaning
to be in a situation where one is likely to be blamed or criticized
Example
The manager found himself **in the line of fire** after the project failed.
idiom

wash your hands of something

Meaning
to stop being involved in or responsible for something
Example
After the scandal, the manager **washed his hands of** the project.
idiom

pair up

Meaning
to form groups of two
Example
Students should **pair up** before starting the lab activity.
idiom

faint-hearted

Meaning
lacking courage or determination
Example
Climbing this mountain is not for the **faint-hearted**.
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

spin up

Meaning
to start something quickly, especially a system
Example
The IT team can **spin up** a test server in minutes.
idiom

simmer down

Meaning
to become calmer after being angry or excited
Example
Give him a few minutes to **simmer down** before you talk to him.
idiom

a dead-end job

Meaning
a job with no opportunity for advancement or improvement
Example
He quit his **dead-end job** to start his own business.
idiom

a cold fish

Meaning
someone who is unemotional or not friendly
Example
He seemed **a cold fish** when I first met him.
idiom

you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning
it’s hard for older people to learn new things or change habits
Example
My dad refuses to use a smartphone — **you can’t teach an old dog new tricks**.