build from
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phrasal-verb

build from

Meaning
to use failure or mistakes as a foundation for future improvement
Example
Even though the project failed, we can still **build from** the experience.
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.
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

blow your top

Meaning
to become very angry
Example
He **blew his top** when he found out about the mistake.
phrasal-verb

build up stamina

Meaning
to increase strength or endurance gradually
Example
Running regularly helps to **build up stamina**.
idiom

break even

Meaning
to have equal income and expenses, neither profit nor loss
Example
The company finally **broke even** after three years.
phrasal-verb

back out of an agreement

Meaning
to withdraw from a deal or commitment that was previously made
Example
The country decided to **back out of an agreement** citing national interest.
idiom

butterflies in the stomach

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

blow a fuse

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

blue chip company

Meaning
a large, reliable, and financially stable company
Example
Investors prefer to put their money into **blue chip companies**.
idiom

be thick as thieves

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

bring down barriers

Meaning
to remove obstacles between people or groups
Example
Education can **bring down barriers** between communities.
idiom

black sheep

Meaning
a person who is considered a disgrace to a group or family
Example
He is the **black sheep** of the family.
idiom

big brother

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

break into laughter

Meaning
to suddenly start laughing
Example
They **broke into laughter** when the teacher made a joke.
idiom

bear in mind

Meaning
to remember or consider something
Example
**Bear in mind** that traffic will be heavy at that time.
phrasal-verb

bounce within

Meaning
to manage emotions internally without expressing them outwardly
Example
He tends to **bounce within** instead of sharing his struggles.
idiom

be your own biggest fan

Meaning
to appreciate and believe in yourself
Example
You should **be your own biggest fan** to stay motivated.
idiom

bored to death

Meaning
extremely bored
Example
I was **bored to death** during the long lecture.
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

be over the moon

Meaning
to be extremely happy or delighted
Example
He was **over the moon** when he got his dream job.
phrasal-verb

bridge over traditions

Meaning
to find common ground between different traditional beliefs or practices
Example
The event aimed to **bridge over traditions** and promote harmony.
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

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

Bide one’s time

Meaning
To wait patiently for the right opportunity.
Example
She decided to **bide her time** before making a move.
idiom

back and forth

Meaning
to change opinions or decisions repeatedly
Example
We’ve been going **back and forth** about this issue for weeks.
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

bring in line with

Meaning
to make something conform to a standard or policy
Example
The company updated its IT systems to **bring them in line with** global data security standards.
phrasal-verb

bulk up

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

branch out professionally

Meaning
to start doing something new or expand into a new area professionally
Example
After years in sales, he decided to **branch out professionally** into marketing.
idiom

beat the clock

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

Breaking news

Meaning
New and important information being reported immediately
Example
We have **breaking news** about the election results.
idiom

Big fish in a small pond

Meaning
An important person in a small organization or area.
Example
He prefers being a **big fish in a small pond** rather than competing globally.
idiom

blow away

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

believe in better days

Meaning
to stay positive that life will improve
Example
He always **believes in better days**, no matter how tough life gets.
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

build peace within

Meaning
to create a sense of calm and balance in your mind
Example
Meditation helps you **build peace within** and stay centered.
phrasal-verb

botch up

Meaning
to do a job badly or carelessly
Example
He completely **botched up** the report.
phrasal-verb

bring up ideas

Meaning
to introduce or suggest new ideas for discussion
Example
He encouraged everyone to **bring up ideas** during the workshop.
phrasal-verb

blow up with anger

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
He **blew up with anger** when he heard the news.
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

boil with rage

Meaning
to feel extremely angry
Example
She **boiled with rage** after hearing the insult.
idiom

break the glass ceiling

Meaning
to overcome a barrier or limitation, particularly in career or personal advancement
Example
She was the first woman in the company to **break the glass ceiling** and become a senior manager.
phrasal-verb

break off

Meaning
to end suddenly; to stop speaking or negotiating
Example
They **broke off** the engagement last month.
phrasal-verb

beam with

Meaning
to smile widely because of happiness or pride
Example
He **beamed with** pride when his daughter won the competition.
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.
phrasal-verb

build alliances

Meaning
to form cooperative relationships between groups or nations
Example
Countries must **build alliances** to face economic crises together.
phrasal-verb

break down into

Meaning
to divide something into smaller parts
Example
Let's **break down** the project **into** smaller tasks.
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

Bet the farm

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

build confidence within

Meaning
to strengthen your belief in yourself from the inside
Example
Through practice and reflection, you can **build confidence within**.
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

bring in capital

Meaning
to attract or generate investment money
Example
The government is trying to **bring in capital** from foreign investors.
phrasal-verb

bottle under

Meaning
to collapse mentally or emotionally due to pressure
Example
He finally **bottled under** the pressure of constant deadlines.
idiom

burn your boats

Meaning
to commit yourself to a course of action without a way back
Example
He **burned his boats** when he quit his job to start a business.
idiom

build from the ground up

Meaning
to start something from the very beginning
Example
They **built their business from the ground up** with no investors.
idiom

buy into

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

bond with

Meaning
to develop a close emotional connection with someone
Example
Parents should spend time to **bond with** their children.
phrasal-verb

bubble over

Meaning
to show excitement or happiness in an obvious way
Example
The children were **bubbling over** with joy on the last day of school.
phrasal-verb

build understanding between

Meaning
to create mutual respect and knowledge among groups or nations
Example
Cultural exchange programs help **build understanding between** countries.
idiom

be in the limelight

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

bring out clarity

Meaning
to make thoughts or feelings clearer
Example
Writing in a journal can **bring out clarity** about what you truly feel.
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

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

bounce ahead

Meaning
to move forward with energy and confidence after success or recovery
Example
After the failure, he decided to **bounce ahead** and try again.
idiom

Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning
To pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action.
Example
If you think I'm guilty, you're **barking up the wrong tree**.
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.
idiom

be on duty

Meaning
to be working or responsible for something at a certain time
Example
The guard was **on duty** all night.
phrasal-verb

branch into tech

Meaning
to expand into the technology sector
Example
Traditional companies are now trying to **branch into tech** to stay relevant.
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.
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 together the team

Meaning
to unite people to work collaboratively
Example
The new manager managed to bring together the whole team after a conflict.
phrasal-verb

bond over

Meaning
to develop a close relationship through shared interests or experiences
Example
We **bonded over** our love for traveling.
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.
phrasal-verb

brace yourself for

Meaning
to mentally prepare for something challenging or frightening
Example
Take a breath and **brace yourself for** the tough conversation.
phrasal-verb

boil with anger

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

be lost for words

Meaning
to be so surprised that you cannot speak
Example
I was **lost for words** when I won the prize.
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

beat the algorithm

Meaning
to find a way to outsmart or bypass a system's logic
Example
Marketers always try to **beat the algorithm** for better reach.
idiom

build a better mousetrap

Meaning
to improve an existing product or idea
Example
Every tech company tries to **build a better mousetrap** in its field.
idiom

bravery in the face of danger

Meaning
showing courage even when facing danger
Example
The firefighter showed **bravery in the face of danger**.
phrasal-verb

break off communication

Meaning
to stop communicating suddenly or intentionally
Example
After the argument, they **broke off communication** for months.
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

back to square one

Meaning
to start over again
Example
After the computer crashed, I had to go **back to square one** with my report.
phrasal-verb

bring up with

Meaning
to mention a topic or issue to someone for discussion
Example
I decided to **bring up** the issue **with** my manager during our weekly meeting.
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

by the skin of your teeth

Meaning
to just barely manage to do something
Example
He passed the exam **by the skin of his teeth**.
idiom

beyond your wildest dreams

Meaning
better or more amazing than imagined
Example
Her success was **beyond her wildest dreams**.
idiom

bend over backwards

Meaning
to make a great effort to help or please someone
Example
She **bent over backwards** to make the event successful.
phrasal-verb

build capacity

Meaning
to develop skills or resources to handle more work or growth
Example
Small businesses are working hard to **build capacity** for future expansion.
phrasal-verb

break out of insecurity

Meaning
to free yourself from self-doubt and lack of confidence
Example
She finally **broke out of insecurity** and started speaking publicly.
phrasal-verb

boost innovation

Meaning
to encourage new ideas and technologies
Example
Investing in education can **boost innovation** and productivity.
idiom

boil over

Meaning
when anger becomes too much to control
Example
The argument finally **boiled over** into a shouting match.
idiom

break the ice

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

break a leg

Meaning
to wish someone good luck in a performance
Example
Before the play started, everyone told her to **break a leg**.
idiom

break the mold

Meaning
to do something differently from tradition
Example
She **broke the mold** by becoming the first female CEO.
idiom

breach of security

Meaning
a violation or failure to adhere to security protocols
Example
The company faced a significant **breach of security** last year.
idiom

block off

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

build trust

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

bring in tariffs

Meaning
to introduce taxes on imported goods
Example
The government plans to **bring in tariffs** to protect domestic manufacturers.
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

blow one’s top

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

boil down

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

bend the rules

Meaning
to make exceptions; to modify rules slightly
Example
The teacher **bent the rules** to help the new student.
phrasal-verb

break down barriers

Meaning
to remove misunderstandings or divisions between people or cultures
Example
Art and music can **break down barriers** between different cultures.
phrasal-verb

break into conversation

Meaning
to join an ongoing conversation
Example
He politely **broke into the conversation** to share his opinion.
phrasal-verb

build toward

Meaning
to make progress in a way that helps achieve a goal
Example
Every small project helped her **build toward** becoming a team leader.
phrasal-verb

bounce ahead of

Meaning
to recover or progress faster than others after a downturn
Example
Some tech firms managed to **bounce ahead of** their competitors after the crisis.
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.
phrasal-verb

breathe through fear

Meaning
to calm yourself by breathing slowly during fear or anxiety
Example
When panic hits, **breathe through fear** to steady your nerves.
idiom

be a role model

Meaning
to be an example that others should imitate
Example
She is always a **role model** for younger employees in the company.
idiom

burn the midnight oil

Meaning
to work late into the night
Example
She **burned the midnight oil** to finish her project.
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

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

burn through

Meaning
to use up energy or resources very quickly
Example
We’ve **burned through** our energy trying to meet the deadline.
phrasal-verb

back up with evidence

Meaning
to support a claim or statement using proof or facts
Example
You should always **back up** your accusations **with evidence**.
phrasal-verb

bridge across languages

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

build confidence through practice

Meaning
to become more self-assured by repeated practice
Example
You can **build confidence through practice** in public speaking.
phrasal-verb

brush through

Meaning
to quickly review or go through something
Example
I’ll **brush through** my notes one more time before the exam.
idiom

be like family

Meaning
to be as close as family members
Example
My best friend is **like family** to me.