build upon strengths
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phrasal-verb

build upon strengths

Meaning
to use existing advantages or abilities to achieve more success
Example
Great leaders **build upon strengths** instead of focusing on weaknesses.
idiom

phishing

Meaning
A method of trying to gather personal information using deceptive emails, websites, or other communications.
Example
He received an email that looked legitimate, but it was actually a **phishing** attempt.
idiom

lay it on thick

Meaning
to exaggerate praise or flattery
Example
She really **laid it on thick** when complimenting her boss.
phrasal-verb

reach sustainability goals

Meaning
to achieve targets related to environmental and social balance
Example
Nations are collaborating to **reach sustainability goals** by 2030.
idiom

narrow in

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

fall under

Meaning
to be included in a category; to be controlled by someone
Example
This issue **falls under** the HR department’s responsibility.
idiom

blind justice

Meaning
justice that is impartial and not influenced by external factors
Example
**Blind justice** treats everyone the same, regardless of wealth or status.
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.
phrasal-verb

speed up

Meaning
to go faster; to increase speed
Example
You need to **speed up** if you want to overtake that car.
phrasal-verb

keep offices aligned

Meaning
to ensure different branches follow the same plan
Example
We **keep offices aligned** with a daily global standup call.
phrasal-verb

get wrong

Meaning
to misunderstand or make an incorrect judgment
Example
You **got it wrong**—that wasn’t what I meant.
idiom

The darkest hour is just before the dawn

Meaning
Things often seem worst just before they improve.
Example
Things are rough right now, but remember, **the darkest hour is just before the dawn**.
idiom

sit tight

Meaning
to stay calm and wait patiently
Example
Just **sit tight** and wait for the results.
idiom

apple of one’s eye

Meaning
someone who is cherished above others
Example
Her little son is the **apple of her eye**.
phrasal-verb

put across

Meaning
to communicate an idea clearly
Example
She always manages to **put across** her ideas effectively.
idiom

faithful to the end

Meaning
staying loyal and supportive for a long time
Example
She was **faithful to the end** in her relationship.
idiom

take the lead

Meaning
to go ahead or be in front in a competition
Example
Our team **took the lead** in the final round.
idiom

an old hand

Meaning
someone very experienced at something
Example
She’s **an old hand** at managing big events.
idiom

even out

Meaning
to make something level or balanced
Example
Stir the batter to **even out** the lumps.
phrasal-verb

hum along

Meaning
to make a sound with your lips closed while listening to a tune
Example
He **hummed along** to the melody playing in the background.
phrasal-verb

step up to challenges

Meaning
to face difficult situations with courage and effort
Example
Good leaders always **step up to challenges**.
idiom

kiss and make up

Meaning
to become friends again after an argument
Example
They always **kiss and make up** after every fight.
phrasal-verb

carry across meaning

Meaning
to make someone understand your message clearly
Example
Good translators know how to **carry across meaning** accurately.
phrasal-verb

live on

Meaning
to eat mainly a particular type of food
Example
He **lives on** fast food, which is not healthy.
idiom

eat someone alive

Meaning
to be extremely jealous or angry with someone
Example
She’s so jealous, she could **eat him alive**.
idiom

break down the problem

Meaning
to analyze a problem step by step
Example
Let’s **break down the problem** to understand it better.
phrasal-verb

phase in innovation

Meaning
to introduce innovation gradually
Example
They decided to **phase in innovation** to minimize disruption.
phrasal-verb

loop stakeholders back

Meaning
to update decision makers after changes are made
Example
Please **loop stakeholders back** once the revised deck is ready.
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

get accustomed to

Meaning
to become familiar or comfortable with something
Example
It takes time to **get accustomed to** a new work environment.
phrasal-verb

speak with assurance

Meaning
to talk confidently and convincingly
Example
He **spoke with assurance** during his presentation.
idiom

right up one’s alley

Meaning
something that suits one’s interests or abilities perfectly
Example
That cooking workshop is **right up your alley**, you should join!
idiom

hold forth

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

draw up

Meaning
to prepare an official document or plan
Example
The lawyer will **draw up** the agreement this afternoon.
phrasal-verb

participate in festivals

Meaning
to join cultural celebrations and events of a community
Example
Foreigners love to **participate in festivals** that show the local culture.
phrasal-verb

open within

Meaning
to connect with your inner emotions and understand yourself better
Example
Yoga helps me to **open within** and feel peaceful.
idiom

have mixed feelings

Meaning
to be uncertain or have both positive and negative emotions
Example
I **have mixed feelings** about moving to another city.
idiom

lay into

Meaning
to criticize someone harshly
Example
Instead of **laying into** the intern, offer some guidance.
phrasal-verb

get along across cultures

Meaning
to have a friendly and positive relationship with people from other cultures
Example
To work abroad successfully, you need to **get along across cultures**.
phrasal-verb

get up

Meaning
to rise from bed after sleeping
Example
She **gets up** right after the alarm goes off.
idiom

carve up

Meaning
to divide something into parts
Example
Let’s **carve up** the timeline into manageable phases.
idiom

crash and burn

Meaning
to fail completely or suddenly
Example
The new software update **crashed and burned** after launch.
idiom

cold war

Meaning
a state of political hostility and tension between countries without actual warfare
Example
During the 20th century, the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a **cold war**.
phrasal-verb

take up a new habit

Meaning
to start doing something regularly as a habit or routine
Example
She decided to **take up a new habit** of reading before bed.
idiom

figure out

Meaning
to understand or solve something
Example
We need to **figure out** why the emails bounced.
phrasal-verb

reach over to

Meaning
to extend a gesture of comfort or support
Example
She **reached over to** hold his hand when he started crying.
idiom

get a clean bill of health

Meaning
to be declared completely healthy by a doctor
Example
After his check-up, he **got a clean bill of health**.
idiom

scene of the crime

Meaning
the place where something important happened
Example
We returned to the **scene of the crime** to find the truth.
phrasal-verb

climb up to

Meaning
to achieve a higher position or level of success
Example
He worked hard to **climb up to** the top position in the company.
idiom

Lady Luck

Meaning
personification of luck as a woman who brings good fortune
Example
**Lady Luck** was on our side when we won the match.
idiom

go live

Meaning
to start broadcasting in real time on social media
Example
She plans to **go live** tonight to talk with her followers.
phrasal-verb

look over

Meaning
to examine or review something quickly
Example
Can you **look over** this proposal before submitting it?
phrasal-verb

step back from

Meaning
to distance yourself to view a situation more clearly
Example
It helps to **step back from** the situation before making a decision.
idiom

give it time

Meaning
to wait for something to improve or happen
Example
**Give it time**, you’ll see results soon.
idiom

keep someone's secret

Meaning
to not tell others what someone has told you in confidence
Example
You can trust me—I’ll **keep your secret**.
phrasal-verb

analyze what went wrong

Meaning
to carefully examine reasons behind failure
Example
Before trying again, let’s **analyze what went wrong** last time.
idiom

clickbait

Meaning
a headline or content designed to attract attention and encourage clicks
Example
That article title is pure **clickbait**.
idiom

can of worms

Meaning
a complex problem that may cause more trouble once started
Example
AI bias is a **can of worms** that’s hard to fix.
idiom

put in a nutshell

Meaning
to summarize something briefly
Example
To **put it in a nutshell**, we need more time to finish.
idiom

show someone the ropes

Meaning
to teach someone how to do a task
Example
She took the time to **show me the ropes** on my first day at work.
phrasal-verb

pace meetings well

Meaning
to manage the speed of a meeting appropriately
Example
Hosts **pace meetings well** by sticking to the agenda timing.
phrasal-verb

work jointly with

Meaning
to perform a task together with another party
Example
Our firm will **work jointly with** the local government on the development plan.
phrasal-verb

hurry up

Meaning
to do something faster
Example
You need to **hurry up** if you want to catch the train.
idiom

seat at the table

Meaning
to have influence or participation in important decision-making
Example
Developing nations are demanding a **seat at the table** in climate talks.
phrasal-verb

sort things out with

Meaning
to resolve an issue directly with someone
Example
I need to **sort things out with** Jenna before the meeting.
phrasal-verb

open your heart

Meaning
to become more emotionally available or loving
Example
She decided to **open her heart** to love again.
phrasal-verb

pay back

Meaning
to return money that you borrowed
Example
I will **pay back** the money I borrowed from you next week.
idiom

carry forward

Meaning
to move something to a later period
Example
We’ll **carry forward** the unused budget to next quarter.
idiom

bargain for

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

stay logged in

Meaning
to remain connected to an online account or platform
Example
You can **stay logged in** to avoid entering your password every time.
phrasal-verb

let pressure off

Meaning
to release built-up stress or tension
Example
He plays football on weekends to **let pressure off**.
phrasal-verb

log personal bests

Meaning
to record your top achievements
Example
Athletes **log personal bests** to track how training pays off.
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

cheer someone on

Meaning
to encourage someone by showing support or enthusiasm
Example
My friends **cheered me on** during the presentation.
idiom

training data

Meaning
data used to train machine learning models to recognize patterns or make predictions
Example
The AI model's performance depends on the quality of its **training data**.
phrasal-verb

aim toward excellence

Meaning
to focus effort on achieving the highest quality or standard
Example
Our company always **aims toward excellence** in every project.
idiom

united we stand, divided we fall

Meaning
people are stronger when they work together
Example
Remember, **united we stand, divided we fall**.
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

phishing attack

Meaning
a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity
Example
Never click on suspicious links to avoid a **phishing attack**.
idiom

beat the clock

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

focus on strengths

Meaning
to concentrate on your positive qualities and abilities
Example
Try to **focus on strengths** instead of weaknesses.
idiom

lock in

Meaning
to secure something so it cannot change
Example
Let's **lock in** the reservation before the price goes up.
idiom

Calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful time before trouble or chaos starts.
Example
The office is quiet now, but it’s just **the calm before the storm**.
idiom

beyond the pale

Meaning
outside acceptable rules or standards
Example
His behavior was **beyond the pale**.
idiom

power play

Meaning
a strategic move to gain or maintain control
Example
The alliance between the two countries is seen as a **power play**.
phrasal-verb

put down to

Meaning
to attribute something to a cause
Example
She **put** her success **down to** hard work and determination.
idiom

feeling low

Meaning
feeling depressed or unhappy
Example
I’ve been **feeling low** lately due to stress.
idiom

let your hair down

Meaning
to relax and enjoy yourself freely
Example
At the party, everyone **let their hair down**.
idiom

speak out

Meaning
to express an opinion openly and boldly
Example
Employees are encouraged to **speak out** about improvements.
idiom

call a spade a spade

Meaning
to speak honestly and directly, even if it’s unpleasant
Example
She always **calls a spade a spade**, no matter who gets offended.
idiom

a debt of gratitude

Meaning
a feeling of being grateful to someone who has helped you
Example
We owe **a debt of gratitude** to our mentors.
phrasal-verb

bring up to date

Meaning
to give someone the latest information about something
Example
Can you **bring me up to date** on the latest news?
idiom

Batten down the hatches

Meaning
To prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation.
Example
We’d better **batten down the hatches**; a storm is coming.
phrasal-verb

root for

Meaning
to support someone in a competition or difficult situation
Example
We’re all **rooting for** you to succeed in your exam.
idiom

fly high

Meaning
to be very successful or happy
Example
After winning the award, she’s been **flying high**.
idiom

hope for the best

Meaning
expect a positive outcome even in uncertainty
Example
We did everything we could, now let’s **hope for the best**.
phrasal-verb

shine through

Meaning
to show your confidence or talent clearly despite challenges
Example
Her true confidence **shone through** during the interview.
phrasal-verb

work through emotions

Meaning
to process and deal with emotions over time
Example
It took her months to **work through** her grief.
idiom

on top of the world

Meaning
to feel extremely happy and successful
Example
After winning the award, he felt **on top of the world**.
phrasal-verb

freak out with joy

Meaning
to react very excitedly and happily
Example
They **freaked out with joy** when they won the contest.
idiom

give someone a warm welcome

Meaning
to greet someone very kindly and enthusiastically
Example
They **gave us a warm welcome** when we arrived.
phrasal-verb

run away

Meaning
to escape from danger or a threatening situation
Example
The children **ran away** when they saw the wild dog.
idiom

speak your mind

Meaning
to say exactly what you think
Example
Don't be afraid to **speak your mind**.
idiom

fine-tune

Meaning
to make small adjustments to improve performance
Example
The team **fine-tuned** the design before the final launch.
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

race against time

Meaning
to rush to complete something before a deadline
Example
We’re in a **race against time** to meet the client’s demand.
idiom

to be in someone’s good books

Meaning
to be in favor with someone
Example
If you want to get promoted, you need to be **in the boss’s good books**.
idiom

There’s always hope

Meaning
No matter how bad things look, you can still hope.
Example
Don’t lose heart — **there’s always hope**.
phrasal-verb

cut someone off emotionally

Meaning
to stop communicating or showing feelings to someone
Example
After their argument, she **cut him off emotionally**.
phrasal-verb

fall over

Meaning
to lose balance and drop to the ground
Example
The baby **fell over** while trying to walk.
idiom

mix together

Meaning
to combine different things into one
Example
**Mix together** the spices before adding them to the stew.
idiom

behind schedule

Meaning
later than planned or expected
Example
The flight is **behind schedule** because of the storm.
idiom

virus of doubt

Meaning
a feeling of uncertainty that spreads quickly
Example
A **virus of doubt** spread after the project delay.
phrasal-verb

speak out on

Meaning
to publicly express an opinion about something important
Example
The candidate decided to **speak out on** corruption during the debate.
phrasal-verb

be there through

Meaning
to stay with someone and support them through difficulties
Example
He **was there through** her hardest times.
idiom

go off on a tangent

Meaning
to suddenly start talking about something unrelated
Example
He tends to **go off on a tangent** when discussing politics.
phrasal-verb

expand into

Meaning
to grow a business into new territories or sectors
Example
They are planning to **expand into** renewable energy markets.
phrasal-verb

dream of

Meaning
to imagine or hope for something you want very much
Example
Many children **dream of** becoming astronauts.
idiom

to machine learn

Meaning
to learn automatically from data without human intervention
Example
The system continues **to machine learn** as more data is fed into it.
phrasal-verb

run out of cash

Meaning
to have no money left to continue operations or activities
Example
Many small businesses **run out of cash** during prolonged recessions.
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.