call the shots
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idiom

call the shots

Meaning
to be in charge and make decisions
Example
In this company, the manager **calls the shots**.
phrasal-verb

even up

Meaning
to make things equal or fair
Example
The central bank took measures to **even up** the trade imbalance.
idiom

clean up one’s act

Meaning
to improve behavior or performance; to become more responsible
Example
The factory had to **clean up its act** to avoid heavy fines.
idiom

act of kindness

Meaning
a single good deed or gesture to help others
Example
That was such a beautiful **act of kindness**.
phrasal-verb

shut off emotions

Meaning
to stop feeling or expressing emotions
Example
He learned to **shut off his emotions** to protect himself.
phrasal-verb

exchange ideas with

Meaning
to share thoughts or opinions with others from different backgrounds
Example
During the workshop, participants **exchanged ideas with** people from many countries.
phrasal-verb

go with

Meaning
to match well or be suitable; to choose something
Example
I’ll **go with** the blue shirt—it looks better on me.
idiom

cross the floor

Meaning
to change political allegiance or party
Example
The MP shocked everyone when he decided to **cross the floor** and join the opposition.
idiom

go green

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

point toward

Meaning
to indicate or suggest a future possibility
Example
Recent studies **point toward** a rise in electric mobility.
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.
phrasal-verb

lift trade barriers

Meaning
to remove restrictions on international trade
Example
Nations agreed to **lift trade barriers** to encourage investment.
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.
phrasal-verb

pass on

Meaning
to convey information to someone else
Example
Please **pass on** the message to the entire team.
idiom

break the fourth wall

Meaning
to address the audience directly in a play or film
Example
The actor **broke the fourth wall** to make the scene funnier.
idiom

steal the spotlight

Meaning
to get all the attention, often taking it away from someone else
Example
The little girl **stole the spotlight** at the wedding with her adorable dance.
phrasal-verb

step out

Meaning
to leave a place for a short time; to go outside
Example
I’m going to **step out** for a moment to get some fresh air.
phrasal-verb

opt for

Meaning
to choose one thing instead of another
Example
We decided to **opt for** the smaller but cheaper apartment.
phrasal-verb

melt into tears

Meaning
to start crying softly because of emotion
Example
She **melted into tears** after hearing the touching story.
idiom

adapt or perish

Meaning
to survive, one must adjust to the new conditions
Example
In the business world, it's all about **adapt or perish**.
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

Get down to brass tacks

Meaning
To start discussing the essential or most important aspects of a matter.
Example
Let’s **get down to brass tacks** and talk about the real issues.
idiom

grinning from ear to ear

Meaning
smiling broadly due to happiness
Example
He was **grinning from ear to ear** after receiving the gift.
phrasal-verb

reach milestones

Meaning
to achieve significant points of progress toward a goal
Example
By the end of the year, they had **reached all their milestones**.
phrasal-verb

pass away

Meaning
to die
Example
Her grandfather **passed away** peacefully last night.
phrasal-verb

work through emotions

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

cheer yourself up

Meaning
to do something to feel happier
Example
I bought some flowers to **cheer myself up** after a long week.
phrasal-verb

scroll back

Meaning
to move up to view older posts or messages
Example
I **scrolled back** to see our old conversation.
phrasal-verb

dream of

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

take charge

Meaning
to take control or responsibility for something
Example
She decided to **take charge** of the project herself.
idiom

cost an arm and a leg

Meaning
to be very expensive
Example
That designer bag **cost an arm and a leg**.
idiom

I’d say

Meaning
used to express a considered opinion
Example
**I’d say** this is the best option we have.
idiom

put one's trust in

Meaning
to place reliance or faith in someone or something
Example
He decided to **put his trust in** the new system.
idiom

dance the night away

Meaning
to dance for a long time, especially during a celebration
Example
Everyone **danced the night away** at the wedding reception.
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**.
phrasal-verb

blend in

Meaning
to become part of a group or culture naturally
Example
He tried to **blend in** by learning the local customs and traditions.
phrasal-verb

pull in revenue

Meaning
to earn or generate income, especially on a large scale
Example
The new export policy helped the country **pull in revenue** from foreign markets.
phrasal-verb

sit in for

Meaning
to substitute for someone temporarily
Example
The assistant will **sit in for** the teacher today.
phrasal-verb

dig beneath

Meaning
to search for the real emotions or motivations hidden under the surface
Example
He tried to **dig beneath** his frustration to understand his true fears.
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

have faith in

Meaning
to believe or trust in someone or something
Example
You should **have faith in** your abilities.
phrasal-verb

work around challenges

Meaning
to find a way to deal with or bypass difficulties during change
Example
We had to **work around challenges** to complete the migration.
idiom

change with the times

Meaning
to adapt to the changes in society or technology
Example
In order to stay relevant in the business, it's important to **change with the times**.
phrasal-verb

blend across cultures

Meaning
to combine or mix aspects from different cultural backgrounds
Example
Modern cuisine often **blends across cultures** to create new flavors.
phrasal-verb

speak out for nature

Meaning
to publicly express concern or support for environmental protection
Example
Celebrities are using their platforms to **speak out for nature**.
phrasal-verb

blend in with

Meaning
to mix naturally with people or surroundings
Example
Tourists often try to **blend in with** the locals to experience the culture better.
phrasal-verb

write out

Meaning
to write something in full form
Example
Please **write out** your answers clearly in the exam sheet.
idiom

bite the byte

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

thank politely

Meaning
to express gratitude in a respectful way
Example
You should always **thank politely** when someone helps you.
idiom

Go all out

Meaning
To use all your energy and resources to achieve something.
Example
They **went all out** to make the event a success.
phrasal-verb

hear about

Meaning
to receive information and respond with appreciation or gratitude
Example
I was happy to **hear about** your help with the project—thank you!
idiom

phishing attempt

Meaning
an attempt to deceive someone into revealing personal or confidential information by pretending to be a trustworthy entity
Example
The email you received looks like a **phishing attempt**, so don't click any links.
idiom

take a gamble

Meaning
to take a risk in the hope of success
Example
She **took a gamble** by quitting her job to travel the world.
phrasal-verb

come over to

Meaning
to visit someone at their place
Example
Why don’t you **come over to** my house this weekend?
phrasal-verb

pull back up

Meaning
to improve or recover after falling or dropping
Example
The national currency has started to **pull back up** against the dollar.
idiom

pick a fight

Meaning
to start an argument intentionally
Example
Don’t **pick a fight** with him; he’s already angry.
phrasal-verb

lock up

Meaning
to become completely unresponsive or stuck
Example
The app **locked up** and I had to restart my phone.
idiom

like a dog with two tails

Meaning
extremely happy and excited
Example
He was **like a dog with two tails** after getting the promotion.
idiom

jack up on

Meaning
to increase something sharply on a specific item
Example
Vendors **jacked up on** bottled water during the festival.
phrasal-verb

set out for success

Meaning
to begin a journey or plan with the goal of achieving success
Example
She **set out for success** by creating a clear vision and staying disciplined.
phrasal-verb

speak up against

Meaning
to voice opposition to something openly
Example
Many young people **speak up against** injustice in their communities.
idiom

tough it out

Meaning
to endure a difficult situation with strength and determination
Example
Even though it was a tough day, she managed to **tough it out** and finish the project.
idiom

spread kindness like wildfire

Meaning
to spread kindness rapidly and uncontrollably
Example
Her acts of kindness **spread like wildfire** in the community.
idiom

slippery slope

Meaning
a situation that can lead to serious problems if not controlled
Example
Allowing AI to make moral decisions is a **slippery slope**.
phrasal-verb

act up

Meaning
to behave badly or cause trouble
Example
The kids started to **act up** during the long car ride.
idiom

spin-off

Meaning
a product or show that results from another existing one
Example
The successful TV show led to a **spin-off** featuring the same characters.
phrasal-verb

pull together for

Meaning
to work jointly to achieve something
Example
Nations must **pull together for** a stable global economy.
idiom

in full swing

Meaning
at the peak of activity or progress
Example
The dance rehearsal is **in full swing** before the big day.
idiom

the lion’s share

Meaning
the largest part of something
Example
He took **the lion’s share** of the profits.
idiom

a bumper crop

Meaning
an unusually large harvest
Example
Farmers are happy this year because of **a bumper crop** of rice.
idiom

bounce rate

Meaning
the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page
Example
We need to lower our **bounce rate** to keep visitors engaged.
idiom

crunch the data

Meaning
to process and analyze large amounts of data
Example
The AI can **crunch the data** in seconds and give insights.
phrasal-verb

depend upon

Meaning
to rely on someone for support or help
Example
Children **depend upon** their parents for love and care.
phrasal-verb

trade down for

Meaning
to swap for a simpler or cheaper alternative
Example
Some shoppers **trade down for** savings during slow months.
idiom

data lake

Meaning
a large storage repository that holds raw, unprocessed data
Example
All raw data is stored in the **data lake** for further analysis.
idiom

keep faith

Meaning
to continue believing in something or someone
Example
Even in tough times, you must **keep faith**.
idiom

stick to your guns

Meaning
to remain firm in your beliefs or decisions even under pressure
Example
He **stuck to his guns** even when others doubted him.
phrasal-verb

apologize for

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

to have a thirst for knowledge

Meaning
to have a strong desire to learn or gain more knowledge
Example
She always **has a thirst for knowledge** and keeps reading books.
phrasal-verb

set up a meeting

Meaning
to arrange a meeting or appointment
Example
Can you **set up a meeting** with the marketing team tomorrow?
phrasal-verb

rip off

Meaning
to charge someone too much money
Example
Tourists often get **ripped off** in that market.
idiom

beyond one's control

Meaning
not under one’s power or influence
Example
The situation is **beyond our control** now.
idiom

pulling strings

Meaning
using influence to get something done
Example
He got the engineering contract by **pulling strings**.
idiom

robotic process automation

Meaning
the use of AI to automate business processes
Example
Companies are embracing **robotic process automation** to reduce costs.
phrasal-verb

beam with joy

Meaning
to smile very happily because of joy
Example
She **beamed with joy** when she heard the good news.
idiom

a slippery slope

Meaning
a course of action that seems to lead to undesirable or dangerous consequences
Example
Starting to ignore small violations can lead to **a slippery slope** of bigger legal issues.
phrasal-verb

break into tears

Meaning
to start crying suddenly
Example
He **broke into tears** when he saw his old friend after many years.
idiom

In a new light

Meaning
To see something from a different perspective
Example
After the discussion, I saw the issue **in a new light**.
phrasal-verb

move around

Meaning
to go from place to place; to change locations often
Example
He loves to **move around** and explore new cities every year.
phrasal-verb

draw courage from experience

Meaning
to gain strength and confidence through past experiences
Example
She learned to **draw courage from experience** instead of fearing failure.
phrasal-verb

build upon trust

Meaning
to strengthen relationships by relying on mutual trust
Example
A successful team must **build upon trust** to work efficiently.
idiom

true to one's word

Meaning
To do what one has promised.
Example
She was **true to her word** and helped me finish the project.
idiom

gather up

Meaning
to collect things together
Example
Let’s **gather up** the supplies before the workshop.
idiom

have a brainwave

Meaning
to suddenly have a clever idea
Example
I **had a brainwave** and solved the puzzle.
phrasal-verb

keep ahead

Meaning
to remain in a leading or advantageous position
Example
The company invests in innovation to **keep ahead** of competitors.
idiom

steer the ship

Meaning
to be in charge or control of a situation or organization
Example
The manager was able to **steer the ship** through the difficult times.
idiom

ease up

Meaning
to become less intense or to relax
Example
The rain should **ease up** by the evening commute.
phrasal-verb

hand in through

Meaning
to submit work using an online platform
Example
All assignments must be **handed in through** the company portal.
idiom

talk out

Meaning
to discuss something until a decision is reached
Example
Let’s **talk out** the disagreement today.
idiom

salt of the earth

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

on the same page

Meaning
to agree or have the same understanding about something
Example
Before we continue, let’s make sure we’re **on the same page**.
phrasal-verb

stand up against injustice

Meaning
to resist unfair treatment or oppression
Example
Citizens gathered to **stand up against injustice** in their country.
idiom

to be in the doghouse

Meaning
to be in trouble, especially with someone you care about
Example
After forgetting her birthday, he was definitely **in the doghouse**.
idiom

keep the momentum

Meaning
to continue progressing without slowing down
Example
We need to **keep the momentum** to reach our target.
idiom

do time

Meaning
to spend time in prison
Example
He had to **do time** for his crimes.
idiom

carry forward

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

call up on

Meaning
to ask someone formally to do something
Example
The chairman **called up on** all members to vote.
phrasal-verb

drop a line to

Meaning
to send a short message to someone
Example
Don’t forget to **drop a line to** me when you arrive.
idiom

brush off

Meaning
to dismiss something or someone as unimportant
Example
He tried to **brush off** the criticism during the meeting.
idiom

talk through

Meaning
to discuss something in detail
Example
Let’s **talk through** the plan before the client call.
idiom

serve time

Meaning
to spend time in prison as punishment
Example
He had to **serve time** for his involvement in the fraud case.
phrasal-verb

pour into

Meaning
to invest large amounts of money into something
Example
Investors are **pouring into** renewable energy projects.
phrasal-verb

finish up

Meaning
to complete or end something
Example
Let’s **finish up** this report before the meeting starts.
idiom

to make the grade

Meaning
to meet the required standard
Example
He didn’t **make the grade** in the final exam.
idiom

fill in on

Meaning
to provide someone with the latest information
Example
Could you **fill me in on** the policy updates?
phrasal-verb

burst with excitement

Meaning
to be very excited or happy
Example
The children **burst with excitement** before the trip.
idiom

lay it on thick

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

wrap up the project

Meaning
to finish or complete something
Example
We need to **wrap up the project** by the end of this week.
idiom

political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to deal with
Example
Immigration reform has become a **political hot potato** for the government.
phrasal-verb

look in on

Meaning
to visit briefly to see if someone is fine
Example
I’ll **look in on** Grandma after work to make sure she’s okay.