carry on luggage
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

carry on luggage

Meaning
small bags taken with you on a plane or trip
Example
She packed all her essentials in her **carry on luggage**.
idiom

take by surprise

Meaning
to catch someone off guard; to surprise unexpectedly
Example
The sudden rain **took us by surprise**.
idiom

hit a home run

Meaning
to achieve great success
Example
The new marketing campaign really **hit a home run** with its audience.
idiom

Economic backbone

Meaning
The most important part of the economy.
Example
Small businesses are the **economic backbone** of the nation.
idiom

carry the burden

Meaning
to take on responsibility or a difficult task
Example
She had to **carry the burden** of the entire project alone.
idiom

cutting edge

Meaning
the most advanced or innovative
Example
Our company is working on **cutting edge** AI technology.
idiom

Grounded

Meaning
Unable to go out or fly; restricted for a reason.
Example
All flights were **grounded** due to heavy fog.
idiom

chatterbox

Meaning
a person who talks a lot
Example
My little sister is a real **chatterbox**.
idiom

own up to your mistakes

Meaning
to admit that you have done something wrong
Example
It takes courage to **own up to your mistakes**.
idiom

a cold war

Meaning
a state of political hostility without open warfare
Example
The two nations seem to be entering **a cold war** again.
idiom

fail to plan is plan to fail

Meaning
without proper planning, failure is inevitable
Example
**Failing to plan is planning to fail**, so prepare early.
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

Exactly!

Meaning
Used to strongly show agreement
Example
‘It’s time to move on.’ ‘**Exactly!**’
idiom

burning ambition

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

A Jekyll and Hyde

Meaning
A person with two very different sides to their personality.
Example
He’s like **a Jekyll and Hyde**—nice one moment and cruel the next.
idiom

That’s for sure

Meaning
Used to strongly confirm agreement
Example
He’s a great leader — **that’s for sure**.
idiom

cut and dry

Meaning
clear and straightforward; no room for confusion
Example
The decision wasn’t as **cut and dry** as they expected.
idiom

wave the white flag

Meaning
to surrender or give up
Example
After a long debate, he finally **waved the white flag**.
idiom

blow someone's mind

Meaning
to amaze or astonish someone
Example
The magic show really **blew my mind**.
idiom

chase rainbows

Meaning
to try to achieve something impossible
Example
Stop **chasing rainbows** and focus on reality.
idiom

wait in the wings

Meaning
to be ready to take over or step in when needed
Example
The assistant manager was **waiting in the wings** for a promotion.
idiom

the whole truth

Meaning
the complete truth without leaving anything out
Example
She promised to tell **the whole truth** in court.
idiom

stick together

Meaning
to stay close and support each other
Example
In tough times, good friends **stick together**.
idiom

stand tall

Meaning
to act in a proud and confident way
Example
She **stood tall** despite all the criticism.
idiom

lost in translation

Meaning
when the meaning is lost or changed in translation or communication
Example
The humor was **lost in translation** when the movie was dubbed.
idiom

Living beyond one’s means

Meaning
Spending more money than one can afford.
Example
Many people get into debt by **living beyond their means**.
idiom

shoot for the stars

Meaning
to aim for something very ambitious
Example
Don’t be afraid to **shoot for the stars**.
idiom

share the love

Meaning
to show support or appreciation by liking or sharing someone’s post
Example
**Share the love** by liking and commenting on this post!
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

a storybook ending

Meaning
a perfect or happy ending, like in a fairy tale
Example
Their wedding was a true **storybook ending**.
idiom

make the grade

Meaning
to reach the desired standard or level
Example
Only a few students **made the grade** in the final test.
idiom

pass with flying colors

Meaning
to succeed brilliantly or achieve something with excellence
Example
She **passed the exam with flying colors**.
idiom

a heart of gold

Meaning
someone who is very kind and caring
Example
She has **a heart of gold**, always helping anyone in need.
idiom

burst of inspiration

Meaning
a sudden feeling of creativity or motivation
Example
He wrote the poem in a **burst of inspiration**.
idiom

a quantum leap

Meaning
a big and sudden improvement
Example
This discovery is **a quantum leap** in medical research.
idiom

Airhead

Meaning
A silly or foolish person.
Example
Don't be such an **airhead**, pay attention!
idiom

sustainable development

Meaning
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Example
The company is committed to **sustainable development** by investing in green technologies.
idiom

give me a hand

Meaning
to help someone
Example
Can you **give me a hand** with this bag?
idiom

reach common ground

Meaning
to find shared interests or agreement between parties
Example
After a long discussion, they **reached common ground**.
idiom

in the hot seat

Meaning
to be in a difficult or uncomfortable position, often with public scrutiny
Example
After the controversy, the mayor was **in the hot seat** for several days.
idiom

think big

Meaning
to set ambitious and visionary goals
Example
Entrepreneurs must **think big** to make a real impact.
idiom

tiger mom

Meaning
a strict mother who pushes her children to achieve high standards
Example
Her friends call her a **tiger mom** because she’s very demanding.
idiom

keep the dream alive

Meaning
to continue to hope or work toward a goal even after setbacks
Example
Even after the failure, they **kept the dream alive**.
idiom

behind the times

Meaning
old-fashioned or not keeping up with modern ideas
Example
My uncle still uses a typewriter—he’s **behind the times**.
idiom

have a good character

Meaning
to be honest, moral, and respectable
Example
He has always **had a good character**, and that’s why people trust him.
idiom

growth hacking

Meaning
using creative and low-cost strategies to rapidly grow a business or product
Example
Startups rely heavily on **growth hacking** to gain users quickly.
idiom

to kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to achieve two things at once
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

play both sides

Meaning
to support opposing parties to gain advantage
Example
Some lobbyists are known to **play both sides** of the issue.
idiom

No doubt about it

Meaning
Used to express complete agreement
Example
**No doubt about it**, she deserves the award.
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.
idiom

bootstrapping

Meaning
building a business without external funding
Example
He started his company through **bootstrapping**, using only his savings.
idiom

Risk it for the biscuit

Meaning
To take a risk to achieve something worthwhile.
Example
He knew it was risky, but he decided to **risk it for the biscuit**.
idiom

get a pat on the back

Meaning
to receive praise or recognition for something good
Example
He **got a pat on the back** for completing the project early.
idiom

simmer down

Meaning
to become calmer after being angry or excited
Example
Give him a few minutes to **simmer down** before you talk to him.
idiom

feel the strain

Meaning
to feel stress or pressure from a difficult situation
Example
Many employees are starting to **feel the strain** of the workload.
idiom

A Romeo

Meaning
A passionate lover or a romantic man.
Example
He acts like **a Romeo** around her.
idiom

to hit the books

Meaning
to study intensely
Example
I need to **hit the books** if I want to pass the exam.
idiom

pull over

Meaning
to stop a vehicle at the side of the road
Example
Please **pull over** so we can check the map.
idiom

circle back

Meaning
to return to a topic or task later
Example
Let's **circle back** to this issue after lunch.
idiom

smear campaign

Meaning
an attempt to damage someone's reputation through false accusations or gossip
Example
The opposition launched a **smear campaign** against the minister.
idiom

easy money

Meaning
money earned with little effort
Example
He thought gambling was **easy money**, but he lost everything.
idiom

hold off

Meaning
to delay doing something
Example
Let’s **hold off** on finalizing the order until we confirm the budget.
idiom

set a precedent

Meaning
to establish a standard or example for future actions
Example
Banning unethical AI systems will **set a precedent** for accountability.
idiom

act your age

Meaning
behave in a manner appropriate to your age
Example
Stop being so childish and **act your age**!
idiom

the letter of the law

Meaning
following the exact wording of the law
Example
He follows **the letter of the law**, not its spirit.
idiom

wired differently

Meaning
to think or behave in a unique or unconventional way
Example
Great innovators are often **wired differently**.
idiom

give over to

Meaning
to devote time or space to something
Example
They **gave the evening over to** brainstorming.
idiom

come out clean

Meaning
To be proven innocent or free from blame.
Example
After investigation, he **came out clean**.
idiom

No guts, no glory

Meaning
Without courage, you can’t achieve success.
Example
He took the challenge—**no guts, no glory**.
idiom

overfitting

Meaning
when a model performs well on training data but poorly on unseen data
Example
The model seems to be **overfitting** because it performs well on the training data but poorly on the test set.
idiom

Bear with me

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

get down to the wire

Meaning
to approach the last possible moment before a deadline
Example
The project went **down to the wire**, but we finished on time.
idiom

own your mistakes

Meaning
to take responsibility for what you did wrong.
Example
It’s important to **own your mistakes** and learn from them.
idiom

not the sharpest tool in the shed

Meaning
not very intelligent
Example
He’s kind but **not the sharpest tool in the shed**.
idiom

piece of cake

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

sworn enemies turned friends

Meaning
two people who used to dislike each other but became friends
Example
They were **sworn enemies turned friends** after college.
idiom

to bite off more than you can chew

Meaning
to take on a task that is too difficult
Example
He **bit off more than he could chew** by promising to finish the work alone.
idiom

bear in mind

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

connect the dots

Meaning
to make connections between ideas or information
Example
Once you **connect the dots**, the whole picture will make sense.
idiom

heart sinks

Meaning
to feel disappointed or sad suddenly
Example
My **heart sank** when I saw the exam result.
idiom

leave a carbon footprint

Meaning
to cause pollution or environmental impact through daily activities
Example
Flying frequently can **leave a large carbon footprint**.
idiom

wired to learn

Meaning
naturally designed to acquire knowledge or skills
Example
Humans are **wired to learn**, just like AI systems.
idiom

the right thing to do

Meaning
the most ethical or moral action to take
Example
Apologizing was **the right thing to do**.
idiom

track down

Meaning
to find something or someone after a search
Example
We finally **tracked down** the missing invoice.
idiom

hit a snag

Meaning
to face an unexpected problem or obstacle
Example
The project **hit a snag** when the server went down.
idiom

don't sweat the small stuff

Meaning
don’t worry about minor or unimportant things
Example
It’s just a little mistake, **don’t sweat the small stuff**.
idiom

in black and white

Meaning
in written form; clearly stated
Example
The rules are clearly written **in black and white**.
idiom

hit the panic button

Meaning
to react too quickly or nervously to a problem
Example
Don’t **hit the panic button** just because the server is down.
idiom

so far so good

Meaning
used to say that an activity has been successful up to this point
Example
We've finished the first part of the project, and **so far so good**.
idiom

market forces

Meaning
the economic factors affecting the supply and demand of goods and services in a market
Example
The price increase is driven by **market forces**, as demand for the product rises.
idiom

on trial

Meaning
being tested or judged
Example
The company is **on trial** for violating privacy laws.
idiom

scared stiff

Meaning
to be extremely frightened
Example
I was **scared stiff** when I heard strange noises at night.
idiom

hang by a thread

Meaning
to be in a very dangerous or uncertain situation
Example
After the accident, his life was **hanging by a thread**.
idiom

my way or the highway

Meaning
used to say that someone must accept your rules or leave
Example
The boss said it's **my way or the highway**.
idiom

a few bricks short of a load

Meaning
a little stupid or crazy
Example
He tries hard, but he’s **a few bricks short of a load**.
idiom

a clean slate

Meaning
a fresh start; an opportunity to begin again without past mistakes
Example
He moved to a new city for **a clean slate**.
idiom

get acquainted

Meaning
to become familiar or friendly with someone
Example
We had a short chat to **get acquainted**.
idiom

pass the torch

Meaning
to hand over a duty or responsibility to someone else
Example
After many years of teaching, the professor decided to **pass the torch** to a younger teacher.
idiom

party line

Meaning
the official policy or position of a political party
Example
Members were warned not to speak against the **party line**.
idiom

trust issues

Meaning
difficulty trusting others due to past experiences
Example
He has **trust issues** after being betrayed once.
idiom

keep your dreams alive

Meaning
to continue believing in your goals even when it's hard
Example
No matter how tough life gets, **keep your dreams alive**.
idiom

live and let live

Meaning
to allow others to live as they choose without interference
Example
I believe in the principle of **live and let live**.
idiom

take someone under your wing

Meaning
to take responsibility for someone and help them learn
Example
He decided to **take me under his wing** and show me how to succeed.
idiom

Know something inside out

Meaning
To know something very well
Example
She **knows the syllabus inside out**.
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

key in

Meaning
to enter data using a keyboard or keypad
Example
Please **key in** your code before the door locks.
idiom

draw down

Meaning
to reduce the level or amount of something
Example
We plan to **draw down** inventory over the summer.
idiom

reach out to

Meaning
to contact someone to offer or request help
Example
Feel free to **reach out to** me if you need support.
idiom

grasp at straws

Meaning
to try any method to succeed, even if unlikely
Example
He was **grasping at straws** when he suggested that idea.
idiom

cold case

Meaning
a criminal case that has not been solved for a long time
Example
The detective reopened a **cold case** from 1999.
idiom

beyond reasonable doubt

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

Curiosity killed the cat

Meaning
Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble.
Example
Don't ask too many questions about his past — **curiosity killed the cat**.
idiom

A negative outlook

Meaning
A pessimistic attitude or perspective
Example
He always has **a negative outlook** on life.
idiom

Pay dividends

Meaning
To bring benefits or rewards later.
Example
Investing in education always **pays dividends** in the long run.
idiom

blow one’s own trumpet

Meaning
to praise oneself; to boast about one's achievements
Example
He loves to **blow his own trumpet** whenever he achieves something.
idiom

hit the reset button

Meaning
to start fresh or make a new beginning
Example
After the failure, the team decided to **hit the reset button**.
idiom

vote with one’s feet

Meaning
to show disapproval by leaving or not participating
Example
Many citizens **voted with their feet** by not attending the rally.
idiom

win-win situation

Meaning
a situation where all parties benefit
Example
The new deal was a **win-win situation** for both companies.
idiom

trailblaze

Meaning
to be the first to do something or lead the way
Example
She is a **trailblazer** in the tech industry.
idiom

A picture paints a thousand words

Meaning
A visual image can express complex ideas better than words
Example
Cultural symbols remind us that **a picture paints a thousand words**.
idiom

make up your mind

Meaning
to decide something
Example
You need to **make up your mind** about which job to take.