buy a lemon
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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 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

Be as good as your word

Meaning
To do what you promised to do.
Example
He said he’d help and he’s **as good as his word**.
idiom

bursting with joy

Meaning
full of happiness and excitement
Example
The children were **bursting with joy** on Christmas morning.
idiom

back each other up

Meaning
to support and help one another
Example
In a good team, members always **back each other up**.
idiom

broken-hearted

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

break into a market

Meaning
to successfully enter a new market or industry
Example
The company is trying to **break into the Asian market**.
idiom

be on edge

Meaning
to be nervous, tense, or easily upset
Example
She’s been **on edge** all day waiting for the results.
idiom

build from scratch

Meaning
to start something from the very beginning
Example
They **built the company from scratch** with no outside funding.
idiom

Bring peace to

Meaning
To restore calm or tranquility in a situation.
Example
Her kind words helped **bring peace to** the argument.
idiom

bounce back from

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

backdoor access

Meaning
a secret or unauthorized way to access a system or information
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor access** to the company’s database.
idiom

burn out

Meaning
to become very tired and lose motivation due to overwork
Example
If you don’t rest, you’ll **burn out** soon.
idiom

bend the truth

Meaning
to slightly change the truth to make something sound better
Example
He tends to **bend the truth** when telling stories.
idiom

branch out

Meaning
to expand into new activities or areas
Example
The bakery plans to **branch out** into catering services next year.
idiom

bide your time

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

be above board

Meaning
to act in an honest and open manner
Example
She is always **above board** in all her dealings.
idiom

bring up a family

Meaning
to raise and take care of children
Example
They worked hard to **bring up a family**.
idiom

back and forth

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

be on the same page

Meaning
to agree with someone or have the same understanding
Example
Before getting married, they made sure they were **on the same page** about their future.
idiom

button up

Meaning
to finish preparations or close something securely
Example
Let’s **button up** the proposal by Friday.
idiom

be a good sport

Meaning
to be fair and positive in difficult situations
Example
Even when she lost the game, she was **a good sport** and congratulated the winner.
idiom

buckle under the strain

Meaning
to give in to stress or pressure
Example
She refused to **buckle under the strain** and kept going.
idiom

beyond reasonable doubt

Meaning
without any logical uncertainty
Example
The jury found him guilty **beyond reasonable doubt**.
idiom

bird’s eye view

Meaning
a view from a high position; an overview
Example
We got a **bird’s eye view** of the city from the tower.
idiom

blind date

Meaning
a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before
Example
She met her boyfriend on a **blind date**.
idiom

break the silence

Meaning
to start talking after a period of silence
Example
He was the one to **break the silence** after the awkward pause.
idiom

breeze through

Meaning
to do something easily and with little effort
Example
She managed to **breeze through** the exam without any problems.
idiom

believe you can

Meaning
to have the mindset that you are capable of doing something
Example
If you **believe you can**, you’re halfway there.
idiom

be in the driver’s seat

Meaning
to be in control of a situation
Example
After the merger, our company is **in the driver’s seat**.
idiom

backroom deal

Meaning
a secret agreement made by powerful people
Example
The media exposed the **backroom deal** between the two parties.
idiom

Bet the farm

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

bottom out

Meaning
to reach the lowest point before improving
Example
Experts believe the market has **bottomed out**.
idiom

brush up on

Meaning
to improve one’s skill or knowledge
Example
She decided to **brush up on** her painting techniques.
idiom

burst with happiness

Meaning
to be full of great joy or excitement
Example
The parents **burst with happiness** when they saw their newborn baby.
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

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.
idiom

ballpark figure

Meaning
an approximate estimate or number
Example
Can you give me a **ballpark figure** for the project cost?
idiom

bare your soul

Meaning
to share your deepest feelings or secrets honestly
Example
She **bared her soul** to her best friend.
idiom

bite the dust

Meaning
to fail or be defeated
Example
Several small startups **bit the dust** last year.
idiom

bottle up feelings

Meaning
to keep emotions inside without expressing them
Example
It's not healthy to **bottle up your feelings** for too long.
idiom

break up

Meaning
to end a romantic relationship
Example
They decided to **break up** after five years together.
idiom

bring forward

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

by the skin of one’s teeth

Meaning
To narrowly escape or achieve something by a very small margin.
Example
I passed the exam **by the skin of my teeth**.
idiom

back on your feet

Meaning
recovered and healthy again
Example
It’s good to see you **back on your feet** after the flu.
idiom

beyond your wildest dreams

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

blow hot and cold

Meaning
to keep changing your attitude or mood
Example
He’s **blowing hot and cold** about the new project.
idiom

blank mind

Meaning
unable to think clearly or remember something
Example
During the exam, my **mind went blank**.
idiom

behind someone’s back

Meaning
to do something secretly without their knowledge
Example
She was talking about me **behind my back**.
idiom

bail someone out

Meaning
to help someone out of a difficult situation
Example
His friend **bailed him out** when he ran out of money.
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

bright spark

Meaning
a very clever or talented person
Example
The new intern is a real **bright spark** with great ideas.
idiom

bad luck

Meaning
unfortunate or unlucky situation
Example
It’s just **bad luck** that it rained on our picnic day.
idiom

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

Meaning
alert and full of energy, especially in the morning
Example
He came to work **bright-eyed and bushy-tailed** after the weekend.
idiom

burn bridges

Meaning
to destroy relationships or connections permanently
Example
Be careful not to **burn bridges** when leaving your job.
idiom

Burn the bridges

Meaning
to destroy the possibility of returning to a previous situation
Example
Once he left the company, he decided to **burn the bridges** and not look back.
idiom

balance of power

Meaning
the distribution of power between nations to prevent any one nation from becoming too powerful
Example
The United Nations aims to maintain the **balance of power** among its member states.
idiom

big brother

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

betray someone's trust

Meaning
to break someone's confidence in you
Example
She would never **betray your trust**.
idiom

Boom and bust

Meaning
A period of great prosperity followed by a sharp decline.
Example
The real estate market often experiences **boom and bust** cycles.
idiom

burning with envy

Meaning
feeling intense jealousy
Example
She was **burning with envy** when she heard about his promotion.
idiom

break the internet

Meaning
to cause an enormous amount of attention and discussion online
Example
The celebrity's new photo **broke the internet**.
idiom

build brand loyalty

Meaning
to create long-term trust and attachment to a brand
Example
Consistent quality helps **build brand loyalty** among customers.
idiom

bootstrap a startup

Meaning
to build a business using limited resources without external funding
Example
Many successful founders **bootstrapped their startups** in the early days.
idiom

burning the midnight oil

Meaning
working late into the night
Example
She’s been **burning the midnight oil** to finish the report.
idiom

brush past

Meaning
to move quickly by someone or something with slight contact
Example
He **brushed past** the reporters without stopping.
idiom

be in high spirits

Meaning
to feel very happy and positive
Example
Everyone was **in high spirits** after the successful event.
idiom

balance of trade

Meaning
the difference between a country's exports and imports
Example
A negative **balance of trade** can weaken a nation's currency.
idiom

bounce back

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback or failure
Example
She **bounced back** after losing the competition.
idiom

blow someone away

Meaning
to impress or surprise someone greatly
Example
Her performance really **blew me away**.
idiom

burning desire

Meaning
a strong motivation to achieve something
Example
He has a **burning desire** to succeed in life.
idiom

bright future ahead

Meaning
having positive prospects or possibilities
Example
With your hard work, you have a **bright future ahead**.
idiom

be accountable for

Meaning
to be responsible for something and able to explain it
Example
As the team leader, he is **accountable for the project's outcome**.
idiom

be responsible for

Meaning
to be in charge of or accountable for something
Example
She is **responsible for** managing the entire department.
idiom

build bridges

Meaning
to improve relationships between people
Example
We need to **build bridges** between our two departments.
idiom

backseat driver

Meaning
a person who gives unwanted advice or direction
Example
Don't be a **backseat driver**, let me handle it.
idiom

bite the byte

Meaning
to deal with a difficult technological challenge
Example
Developers had to **bite the byte** to fix the software issue.
idiom

by and large

Meaning
generally speaking; on the whole
Example
**By and large**, we agree with your proposal.
idiom

blind experiment

Meaning
a test conducted without participants knowing certain information to prevent bias
Example
The scientists conducted a **blind experiment** to ensure accuracy.
idiom

blow your own trumpet

Meaning
to boast or brag about your achievements
Example
He never stops **blowing his own trumpet** about his success.
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

bosom friends

Meaning
very close and intimate friends
Example
They have been **bosom friends** since childhood.
idiom

break the chains

Meaning
to free oneself from restrictions or limitations
Example
She wanted to **break the chains** of social expectations.
idiom

bring home the bacon

Meaning
to earn money to support the family
Example
He works hard every day to **bring home the bacon**.
idiom

burning ambition

Meaning
a very strong desire to achieve something
Example
He had a **burning ambition** to become a successful entrepreneur.
idiom

Burning question

Meaning
An important or urgent question that people are eager to know.
Example
The **burning question** is whether the plan will actually work.
idiom

bubbling with joy

Meaning
very happy and excited
Example
The children were **bubbling with joy** after receiving their gifts.
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

back away from

Meaning
to retreat or withdraw from a situation
Example
He chose to **back away from** the argument before it escalated.
idiom

beyond belief

Meaning
too surprising or shocking to believe
Example
His recovery was **beyond belief**.
idiom

burst into tears

Meaning
to suddenly start crying
Example
She **burst into tears** after hearing the bad news.
idiom

birds of a feather flock together

Meaning
People who have similar interests or personalities tend to be friends.
Example
John and Mike are always together; well, **birds of a feather flock together**.
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.
idiom

break even

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

book someone

Meaning
to officially charge someone with a crime
Example
The police **booked** him for theft.
idiom

Breaking new ground

Meaning
To make an important new discovery or innovation; to do something that has never been done before.
Example
The new trade agreement is **breaking new ground** in international relations.
idiom

bottle up emotions

Meaning
to keep feelings inside and not express them
Example
He tends to **bottle up his emotions**, which isn't healthy in the long run.
idiom

bridge the gap

Meaning
to reduce differences or improve relations
Example
The treaty aims to **bridge the gap** between the two sides.
idiom

Balance the scales

Meaning
to make sure everything is fair or equal
Example
We need to **balance the scales** before making a final decision.
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

brighten someone's day

Meaning
to make someone feel happier
Example
Her kindness really **brightened my day**.
idiom

by leaps and bounds

Meaning
to progress or improve very quickly
Example
Her English has improved **by leaps and bounds**.
idiom

black box thinking

Meaning
analyzing unknown processes by studying their inputs and outputs
Example
In AI research, **black box thinking** helps improve transparency.
idiom

Burst with gratitude

Meaning
To feel extremely thankful.
Example
She was **bursting with gratitude** after receiving help.
idiom

bounce around

Meaning
to discuss or move between ideas casually
Example
Let’s **bounce around** concepts before we pick one.
idiom

blur the lines

Meaning
to make the difference between two things less clear or distinct
Example
AI-generated art often **blurs the lines** between human creativity and machine output.
idiom

born poor, die rich

Meaning
to start life poor but become rich through hard work
Example
He’s the kind of man who wants to **born poor, die rich**.
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.
idiom

backdoor entry

Meaning
a secret or unofficial way to access something
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor entry** into the company’s database.
idiom

blow a fuse

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

black box

Meaning
a system or process whose workings are not understood or transparent
Example
The neural network is often described as a **black box** because its decision-making process is not fully transparent.
idiom

beyond words

Meaning
too great or extreme to be described in words
Example
Her kindness was **beyond words**.
idiom

burned out

Meaning
completely exhausted or tired due to overwork
Example
After months of overtime, she felt **burned out**.
idiom

brainstorm ideas

Meaning
to think of new and creative ideas
Example
The class gathered to **brainstorm ideas** for the science project.
idiom

brainstorm

Meaning
to generate many creative ideas in a group discussion
Example
Let’s **brainstorm** some ideas for our next campaign.
idiom

Bear with me

Meaning
Be patient with me.
Example
**Bear with me** while I fix this problem.
idiom

big thanks

Meaning
an informal way to say thank you very much
Example
**Big thanks** to everyone who supported the project.
idiom

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
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

break faith

Meaning
to stop being loyal or trustworthy
Example
He **broke faith** with his team when he left suddenly.
idiom

big picture

Meaning
the overall perspective or situation
Example
Producers always try to see the **big picture** before making changes.