by the skin of your teeth
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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**.
phrasal-verb

pay someone out

Meaning
to compensate someone for loss or damage
Example
The insurer **paid her out** after the accident.
idiom

set the record straight

Meaning
to clarify the truth after a misunderstanding
Example
He wanted to **set the record straight** about what really happened.
phrasal-verb

lash out

Meaning
to suddenly express anger or criticize someone strongly
Example
He **lashed out** at his colleague during the argument.
phrasal-verb

bring up old issues

Meaning
to mention past problems during a new argument
Example
He always **brings up old issues** whenever they argue.
idiom

think ahead

Meaning
to plan for the future; to anticipate future needs or events
Example
Good managers always **think ahead** before making big decisions.
idiom

piece of cake

Meaning
something very easy to do
Example
The exam was a **piece of cake** for her.
phrasal-verb

lay down trade rules

Meaning
to establish regulations for trading activities
Example
International organizations **lay down trade rules** to ensure fair exchange.
idiom

Many hands make light work

Meaning
Work becomes easier when many people help.
Example
Let’s all join in; **many hands make light work**.
idiom

frame of mind

Meaning
a person's mood or mental state
Example
He’s not in the right **frame of mind** to make decisions.
idiom

One step at a time

Meaning
Handle tasks gradually and not all at once.
Example
Don't stress, just take **one step at a time**.
idiom

money burns a hole in your pocket

Meaning
to be eager to spend money quickly
Example
He just got paid, and already **money burns a hole in his pocket**.
phrasal-verb

crack up at

Meaning
to laugh uncontrollably at something
Example
Everyone **cracked up at** his funny joke.
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

heart in your mouth

Meaning
to feel extremely anxious or scared
Example
My **heart was in my mouth** when the plane started shaking.
idiom

salt of the earth

Meaning
a very good and honest person
Example
My grandfather was the **salt of the earth**.
idiom

lose touch

Meaning
to stop communicating with someone
Example
We **lost touch** after college.
phrasal-verb

zone in

Meaning
to focus your attention fully on something important
Example
I try to **zone in** when handling complex projects.
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

a happy camper

Meaning
a person who is content and satisfied with life
Example
After getting the job, he’s been **a happy camper**.
phrasal-verb

buckle down on

Meaning
to start working seriously on something important
Example
I have to **buckle down on** my thesis this weekend.
idiom

keep your word

Meaning
to honor a promise or commitment
Example
You must always **keep your word** if you want to gain trust.
idiom

open-hearted

Meaning
kind and honest in expressing feelings
Example
She is an **open-hearted** person who always listens.
phrasal-verb

drag into conflict

Meaning
to involve someone unwillingly in a dispute or war
Example
The smaller nation was **dragged into conflict** by its allies.
phrasal-verb

back others up

Meaning
to support or defend other people’s actions or opinions
Example
A responsible leader always **backs others up** when they take initiative.
idiom

take it upon oneself

Meaning
to decide to do something without being asked or required
Example
She decided to **take it upon herself** to organize the event.
phrasal-verb

back down

Meaning
to admit you were wrong and stop arguing
Example
She refused to **back down** even after realizing her mistake.
phrasal-verb

clear your mind

Meaning
to remove distracting thoughts and relax mentally
Example
Go for a walk to **clear your mind** after a long day.
idiom

hammer home

Meaning
to emphasize something forcefully
Example
The trainer **hammered home** the importance of rest.
idiom

fall out with

Meaning
to argue or stop being friends with someone
Example
They **fell out with** each other over money.
idiom

frozen with fear

Meaning
unable to move because of extreme fear
Example
She stood **frozen with fear** when the snake appeared.
idiom

tomorrow is another day

Meaning
you can start fresh again tomorrow
Example
Don’t worry about your mistakes, **tomorrow is another day**.
idiom

a mind like a sieve

Meaning
to have a very bad memory
Example
He forgets everything; he has **a mind like a sieve**.
phrasal-verb

pay tribute to

Meaning
to show respect and admiration for someone
Example
The team **paid tribute to** their coach after the victory.
idiom

to play fair

Meaning
To act honestly and follow the rules.
Example
In every competition, we must **play fair**.
idiom

the light dawned on someone

Meaning
someone suddenly understands something
Example
The **light dawned on her** that she had made a mistake.
phrasal-verb

bring in foreign investment

Meaning
to attract money from other countries for business or development
Example
The government is trying to **bring in foreign investment** to boost economic growth.
idiom

ring up

Meaning
to calculate and record a sale
Example
The cashier will **ring up** your items at the counter.
idiom

doubting Thomas

Meaning
a person who refuses to believe without proof
Example
He’s a **doubting Thomas**; he won’t believe it until he sees it himself.
phrasal-verb

blow up into violence

Meaning
to suddenly become violent or intense
Example
The argument **blew up into violence** before police arrived.
idiom

Fashion victim

Meaning
Someone who follows fashion trends blindly
Example
He's such a **fashion victim**—he buys every new style that comes out.
phrasal-verb

fill in gaps

Meaning
to complete missing parts of understanding or knowledge
Example
Teachers help students **fill in gaps** in their learning.
phrasal-verb

paint over

Meaning
to cover something with a new layer of paint
Example
He decided to **paint over** the old mural with a new design.
phrasal-verb

carry on with

Meaning
to continue doing something even when it is difficult
Example
He decided to **carry on with** his studies despite financial struggles.
idiom

Family is everything

Meaning
The family holds the most important place in one's life and provides support and love.
Example
After all that happened, **family is everything**, and they helped him get through the tough time.
idiom

sign off on

Meaning
to formally approve something
Example
The director needs to **sign off on** the final budget.
idiom

open up

Meaning
to become willing to share thoughts or to start operating
Example
He finally **opened up** about the challenges he’s facing.
idiom

the way I see it

Meaning
used to express how one understands or interprets something
Example
**The way I see it**, we should try again.
phrasal-verb

cut off excuses

Meaning
to stop giving reasons for not doing something
Example
It’s time to **cut off excuses** and take real action.
phrasal-verb

roll out products

Meaning
to launch or introduce new products to the market
Example
The company plans to **roll out products** that feature cutting-edge technology.
idiom

dead tired

Meaning
extremely tired or exhausted
Example
After the long trip, we were **dead tired**.
phrasal-verb

shore up reserves

Meaning
to strengthen or support financial reserves
Example
The central bank moved to **shore up reserves** by buying foreign currency.
phrasal-verb

take notes

Meaning
to write down important information during a lesson or meeting
Example
He always **takes notes** when the teacher explains a new topic.
idiom

take the reins

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
After the director retired, she **took the reins** of the company.
phrasal-verb

break through pain

Meaning
to overcome emotional suffering or struggle
Example
She managed to **break through pain** and start a new chapter in life.
phrasal-verb

build towards

Meaning
to develop something gradually to reach a goal
Example
He is slowly **building towards** his dream project.
phrasal-verb

grow stronger

Meaning
to become emotionally tougher after hardship
Example
Every challenge helps you **grow stronger** emotionally.
phrasal-verb

sort out finances

Meaning
to organize and fix your financial situation
Example
He needs to **sort out his finances** before applying for a loan.
idiom

measure twice, cut once

Meaning
to plan carefully before taking action
Example
Before starting the project, he always says **measure twice, cut once**.
phrasal-verb

work out differences

Meaning
to find a solution or compromise to disagreements between parties
Example
The two nations tried to **work out differences** through dialogue.
phrasal-verb

put out

Meaning
to extinguish a fire or light
Example
Firefighters worked hard to **put out** the forest fire.
phrasal-verb

adapt around

Meaning
to modify plans or behavior to fit changing circumstances
Example
We need to **adapt around** the new market trends quickly.
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

add fuel to the fire

Meaning
to make a bad situation worse
Example
Your comments **added fuel to the fire**.
phrasal-verb

adjust back

Meaning
to return to a previous state or routine after a change
Example
It took her a while to **adjust back** to her normal schedule after the project ended.
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

Cook up a story

Meaning
To invent a false story.
Example
He **cooked up a story** to explain why he was late.
phrasal-verb

show up at

Meaning
to arrive or appear at an event or place
Example
Many guests didn't **show up at** the party until midnight.
idiom

get a move on

Meaning
to hurry up or move faster
Example
**Get a move on**, or we’ll miss the train!
phrasal-verb

chime in

Meaning
to join a conversation by adding your opinion or comment
Example
Feel free to **chime in** if you have anything to add.
phrasal-verb

call ahead

Meaning
to phone in advance to make arrangements
Example
You should **call ahead** to reserve a seat.
idiom

move up

Meaning
to advance to a higher level or position
Example
She hopes to **move up** to a senior role next year.
phrasal-verb

transition into

Meaning
to change from one role or condition to another
Example
She successfully **transitioned into** a leadership role after years of experience.
idiom

cutting-edge marketing

Meaning
using the latest and most advanced marketing techniques
Example
Our company invests in **cutting-edge marketing** strategies.
phrasal-verb

reach across to

Meaning
to connect or cooperate with people from different groups
Example
The company aims to **reach across to** different departments for innovation.
phrasal-verb

hold fast to

Meaning
to remain firmly committed to a belief or value
Example
She **holds fast to** transparency even under pressure.
idiom

nothing to write home about

Meaning
not special or interesting
Example
The movie was **nothing to write home about**.
phrasal-verb

phase in new strategies

Meaning
to introduce new methods gradually
Example
The firm will **phase in** new financial strategies over the next year.
idiom

pioneer new ideas

Meaning
to introduce or create new concepts or methods
Example
He is always looking to **pioneer new ideas** in his field.
phrasal-verb

bring down inflation

Meaning
to reduce the rate at which prices are rising
Example
Central banks are working to **bring down inflation** through interest rate hikes.
idiom

we'll cross that bridge when we come to it

Meaning
we will not worry about a possible future problem but will deal with it if it happens
Example
I don't know how we'll pay for the repairs, but **we'll cross that bridge when we come to it**.
phrasal-verb

open out your heart

Meaning
to share your deep emotions honestly with someone
Example
He finally **opened out his heart** to his best friend.
idiom

take the heat

Meaning
to accept criticism or blame.
Example
The manager **took the heat** for the failed project.
phrasal-verb

pull out of

Meaning
to withdraw from a project, agreement, or deal
Example
The country decided to **pull out of** the trade agreement.
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.
idiom

boil over

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

take it or leave it

Meaning
showing indifference about accepting or rejecting something
Example
That’s my final offer — **take it or leave it**.
idiom

shake off

Meaning
to get rid of something unpleasant
Example
She took a walk to **shake off** the stress.
phrasal-verb

apologize for

Meaning
to say sorry for something you did
Example
She **apologized for** forgetting his birthday.
phrasal-verb

slip by

Meaning
to miss or overlook something accidentally
Example
A few errors **slipped by** during the proofreading.
phrasal-verb

stay ahead of

Meaning
to be more advanced or prepared than others
Example
Students who review regularly **stay ahead of** the class.
idiom

press ahead

Meaning
to continue with determination despite obstacles
Example
Let’s **press ahead** even if the timeline shifts.
phrasal-verb

plan around

Meaning
to make arrangements considering a specific factor or event
Example
We had to **plan around** the weather when scheduling our trip.
idiom

Fail fast

Meaning
To quickly identify and learn from failures.
Example
In startups, it’s better to **fail fast** and learn than to waste time.
idiom

throw a curveball

Meaning
to surprise someone with something unexpected
Example
The new policy really **threw us a curveball**.
phrasal-verb

count down to deadlines

Meaning
to track remaining time closely before work is due
Example
I **count down to deadlines** with reminders so nothing slips.
phrasal-verb

trust in

Meaning
to have faith or confidence in something or someone
Example
We should **trust in** ourselves and never lose hope.
idiom

bring home the bacon

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

drift apart from

Meaning
to slowly become less close to someone
Example
Over the years, we **drifted apart from** each other and lost touch.
idiom

True to your word

Meaning
To do exactly what you say you’ll do.
Example
He was **true to his word** and kept his promise.
phrasal-verb

tie up

Meaning
to complete final details of an arrangement
Example
We just need to **tie up** a few loose ends before the event.
phrasal-verb

project confidence

Meaning
to appear or make others feel that you are confident
Example
The speaker **projected confidence** throughout the session.
idiom

Blue ocean strategy

Meaning
Creating a new market space with little or no competition.
Example
Their **blue ocean strategy** helped them dominate a new market.
idiom

outstanding in one’s field

Meaning
to be exceptionally good at one’s work
Example
She’s **outstanding in her field** as a scientist.
idiom

a drop in the ocean

Meaning
a very small amount compared to what is needed
Example
The money they raised was just **a drop in the ocean** compared to the total cost.
idiom

a man of vision

Meaning
a person who has foresight and imagination
Example
He is **a man of vision** who transformed the company.
idiom

a change of heart

Meaning
a change in one’s opinion or feelings
Example
She had **a change of heart** and decided to stay.
phrasal-verb

back away from blame

Meaning
to avoid putting blame on others or oneself during a disagreement
Example
It’s wise to **back away from blame** and focus on solutions.
idiom

the balance of power

Meaning
a situation in which power is distributed among nations to prevent dominance by one
Example
The UN aims to maintain **the balance of power** among major nations.
idiom

full of the joys of spring

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

put in

Meaning
to invest time or money into something
Example
She **put in** a lot of money to start her business.
idiom

talk over someone's head

Meaning
to speak in a way that someone cannot understand
Example
The professor was **talking over our heads** during the lecture.
phrasal-verb

comment back

Meaning
to reply to someone’s comment online
Example
She always **comments back** to her followers.
idiom

yawn fest

Meaning
something extremely boring
Example
That lecture was a total **yawn fest**.
idiom

The more you know, the less you know

Meaning
The more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know.
Example
After years of study, he said, '**The more you know, the less you know**.'
phrasal-verb

filter out tension

Meaning
to remove or block stressful emotions or thoughts
Example
Yoga helps you **filter out tension** from your body and mind.
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

team together

Meaning
to form or join a group to work on something
Example
Let's **team together** to organize the upcoming workshop.
idiom

groundbreaking discovery

Meaning
a discovery that changes understanding in a field
Example
The new vaccine was a **groundbreaking discovery** in medicine.
idiom

worth one's salt

Meaning
to be competent or deserving respect in one’s field
Example
Any engineer **worth his salt** can solve this problem.
phrasal-verb

meet up

Meaning
to get together with someone for an arranged meeting
Example
Let’s **meet up** at the cafe before heading to the concert.