clear the decks
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idiom

clear the decks

Meaning
Prepare for action by removing unnecessary things.
Example
We need to **clear the decks** before the new project begins.
idiom

own up to

Meaning
to admit or confess to something you did wrong
Example
She finally **owned up to** breaking the vase.
phrasal-verb

ease your nerves

Meaning
to make yourself feel less anxious or nervous
Example
Drinking herbal tea helps me **ease my nerves** before a big presentation.
idiom

tear down

Meaning
to demolish or dismantle something
Example
They plan to **tear down** the old shed this weekend.
phrasal-verb

fall behind schedule

Meaning
to not be progressing as quickly as planned
Example
Construction has **fallen behind schedule** due to bad weather.
phrasal-verb

face up to the truth

Meaning
to accept or confront the reality of a situation
Example
It’s time to **face up to the truth** about your mistakes.
idiom

the singularity

Meaning
a hypothetical future point when AI surpasses human intelligence
Example
Some experts believe **the singularity** could change humanity forever.
phrasal-verb

get down to

Meaning
to start doing something seriously
Example
It's time to **get down to** work and finish this report.
phrasal-verb

float above chaos

Meaning
to stay mentally detached from stressful surroundings
Example
Even in chaos, she manages to **float above chaos** and stay calm.
phrasal-verb

pick up on traditions

Meaning
to notice and learn about customs and habits of other cultures
Example
During his stay in Japan, he quickly **picked up on** local traditions.
idiom

take by surprise

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

bend over backwards

Meaning
to make a great effort to help or please someone
Example
She **bent over backwards** to make the event successful.
phrasal-verb

hold in emotions

Meaning
to stop yourself from showing what you feel
Example
He tried to **hold in his emotions** during the meeting.
phrasal-verb

call together

Meaning
to bring people together for a meeting
Example
The director **called together** the team for an urgent discussion.
idiom

get to the bottom of

Meaning
to find the real cause of a problem
Example
The manager promised to **get to the bottom of** the issue.
idiom

architectural eye candy

Meaning
something that is visually appealing but may lack substance or functionality
Example
The new skyscraper in the city is just **architectural eye candy**.
phrasal-verb

bring in together

Meaning
to unite people from different backgrounds
Example
The HR department worked hard to **bring in together** employees from various cultures.
idiom

make your blood run cold

Meaning
to cause extreme fear or horror
Example
The ghost story **made my blood run cold**.
idiom

swing vote

Meaning
a vote that is not yet decided and could go either way
Example
The **swing vote** will determine the outcome of the election.
idiom

sleep on

Meaning
to delay making a decision until the next day
Example
I'll **sleep on** it and let you know my answer tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

go out with

Meaning
to date someone; to spend time with someone romantically
Example
Sarah is **going out with** a guy she met at the concert.
idiom

Speaking personally

Meaning
Expressing one’s personal view or opinion
Example
Speaking personally, I wouldn’t take that risk.
idiom

take it with a grain of salt

Meaning
to not completely believe something
Example
He tends to exaggerate, so **take his stories with a grain of salt**.
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

lift people out of poverty

Meaning
to help people escape from poverty through economic growth or support
Example
The new policy is designed to **lift people out of poverty** sustainably.
phrasal-verb

let someone in

Meaning
to allow someone to know personal or emotional details about you
Example
It’s not easy for me to **let someone in** after being betrayed.
idiom

black box problem

Meaning
a situation where the internal workings of an AI system are not transparent or understood
Example
The biggest challenge in deep learning is the **black box problem**.
phrasal-verb

climb toward success

Meaning
to make steady progress toward achieving success
Example
Through hard work and persistence, she continues to **climb toward success**.
idiom

make a scene

Meaning
to create a noisy or dramatic disturbance
Example
Please don’t **make a scene** in public.
phrasal-verb

lift oneself up

Meaning
to regain strength or confidence after being low or discouraged
Example
She managed to **lift herself up** after facing several disappointments.
idiom

Pop quiz

Meaning
a surprise test given without warning
Example
Our teacher gave us a **pop quiz** today.
idiom

head to head

Meaning
to be in direct competition or disagreement
Example
The two leaders went **head to head** in the debate.
phrasal-verb

step up against

Meaning
to take action to oppose something unfair
Example
Neighbors **step up against** bullying when they see it online.
phrasal-verb

drive toward

Meaning
to focus your energy and effort on reaching a goal
Example
They are **driving toward** a more sustainable business model.
phrasal-verb

save on

Meaning
to reduce the amount of money you spend on something
Example
You can **save on** electricity by turning off lights.
idiom

heart skips a beat

Meaning
to feel excited or nervous because of love
Example
Every time he smiles, her **heart skips a beat**.
phrasal-verb

tie together

Meaning
to connect or combine different ideas or organizations into a single effort
Example
Their vision helps to **tie together** efforts from multiple NGOs.
idiom

Bet your bottom dollar

Meaning
To be very sure or confident about something.
Example
You can **bet your bottom dollar** that he’ll show up late again.
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.
idiom

on thin ice

Meaning
in a risky or dangerous situation
Example
You are **on thin ice** with that behavior.
phrasal-verb

lay out expectations

Meaning
to clearly explain what you expect from others
Example
At the beginning of the project, the manager **laid out expectations** for the entire team.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks around

Meaning
to transform failures into opportunities or success
Example
She managed to **turn setbacks around** by learning from her mistakes.
phrasal-verb

keep emotions in check

Meaning
to control your emotions and not let them take over
Example
During negotiations, she managed to **keep her emotions in check**.
idiom

talk over

Meaning
to discuss something thoroughly
Example
Let’s **talk over** the proposal before we send it.
phrasal-verb

clamp down on

Meaning
to take strict action to stop or control something
Example
Authorities are **clamping down on** tax evasion this year.
phrasal-verb

smooth out differences

Meaning
to resolve disagreements or make things run more easily
Example
We need to **smooth out differences** between the teams to improve collaboration.
idiom

talk around

Meaning
to persuade someone by discussion
Example
We finally **talked her around** to joining the team.
idiom

gray area

Meaning
a situation that is not clearly defined or falls between two categories
Example
AI surveillance laws still fall into a **gray area**.
phrasal-verb

go up

Meaning
to increase; to rise
Example
The price of oil has **gone up** recently.
idiom

Pay the piper

Meaning
To face the consequences of one’s actions or decisions.
Example
After years of overspending, the country had to **pay the piper**.
idiom

put your faith in the hands of

Meaning
to trust someone with something important
Example
She decided to **put her faith in the hands of** her lawyer for the case.
idiom

burn a hole in one's pocket

Meaning
to spend money quickly or irresponsibly
Example
After receiving his bonus, he couldn't resist and **burned a hole in his pocket** by buying a new car.
idiom

wipe out

Meaning
to eliminate something completely
Example
One bug can **wipe out** hours of unsaved work.
phrasal-verb

look for

Meaning
to search for something you need
Example
I’m **looking for** a new job because I need more stability.
idiom

shake off

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

set apart

Meaning
to make something or someone distinctive or unique
Example
Innovative design can **set apart** a brand from its competitors.
phrasal-verb

spin off into

Meaning
to develop from something and become a separate project
Example
Our AI pilot might **spin off into** a full analytics product.
idiom

a slow learner

Meaning
someone who takes time to understand or learn things
Example
Don’t worry if you need more time—you’re just **a slow learner**.
idiom

Keep going strong

Meaning
to keep persevering and not give up
Example
Even when times are tough, remember to **keep going strong**.
idiom

lost for words

Meaning
unable to speak because of surprise or shock
Example
I was **lost for words** when I saw the results.
phrasal-verb

connect on a deeper level

Meaning
to relate to someone emotionally and understand them well
Example
They **connected on a deeper level** after sharing their personal stories.
phrasal-verb

wake up

Meaning
to stop sleeping and become awake
Example
I usually **wake up** at 6 a.m. to start my day.
idiom

be in high spirits

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

play up

Meaning
to exaggerate or emphasize something
Example
Some news outlets **played up** the drama to attract viewers.
idiom

come to terms with

Meaning
to reach an agreement or accept a situation after some negotiation
Example
It took some time, but eventually we **came to terms with** the new policy.
phrasal-verb

brush off doubt

Meaning
to ignore self-doubt and continue with confidence
Example
He **brushed off doubt** and delivered a great speech.
idiom

eye on the prize

Meaning
to stay focused on achieving your goal
Example
She always keeps her **eye on the prize** no matter what.
phrasal-verb

pave the way for

Meaning
to create conditions that make something possible
Example
Her strong performance **paved the way for** her promotion.
idiom

rise to the occasion

Meaning
to perform well in a difficult situation
Example
He really **rose to the occasion** during the crisis.
phrasal-verb

find common ground with

Meaning
to identify shared interests so cooperation is easier
Example
Negotiators **find common ground with** each side before drafting terms.
phrasal-verb

turn toward

Meaning
to direct attention or effort to something
Example
More youth are **turning toward** cultural initiatives to make a difference.
phrasal-verb

pass gratitude on

Meaning
to share or extend appreciation to others
Example
She always **passes gratitude on** to everyone who helps her.
idiom

win hands down

Meaning
to win easily or convincingly
Example
Our team **won hands down** in the final match.
idiom

sour grapes

Meaning
pretending to dislike something you can’t have
Example
His comments about the award being unfair are just **sour grapes**.
idiom

pick holes in something

Meaning
to find faults in something, especially when it’s not necessary
Example
He loves **picking holes** in everyone else’s ideas.
idiom

a loose cannon

Meaning
A person who behaves unpredictably and may cause problems.
Example
Be careful with him — he’s **a loose cannon**.
phrasal-verb

come together on

Meaning
to unite in agreement on a common issue
Example
World leaders **came together on** climate change goals.
phrasal-verb

sit with yourself

Meaning
to spend quiet time alone reflecting on your feelings and thoughts
Example
It’s important to **sit with yourself** to understand your emotions.
idiom

fall flat on your face

Meaning
to fail completely in an embarrassing way
Example
He **fell flat on his face** during his first business attempt.
phrasal-verb

come down

Meaning
when rain or snow falls heavily
Example
The rain is really **coming down** now.
phrasal-verb

put off someone

Meaning
to discourage or dissuade someone
Example
His negative comments really **put off** the new employees.
idiom

fail to deliver

Meaning
to not meet expectations or complete a task successfully
Example
The company promised improvements but failed to **deliver** on its promises.
idiom

can't believe your eyes

Meaning
to be so surprised that you doubt what you are seeing
Example
I **couldn’t believe my eyes** when I saw the snowfall.
idiom

Spread joy

Meaning
to make others happy by being kind or cheerful
Example
It's important to **spread joy** wherever you go.
phrasal-verb

hold onto values

Meaning
to keep and protect one’s principles despite pressure
Example
A leader should **hold onto values** even when it's not easy.
phrasal-verb

draw back from

Meaning
to hesitate or decide not to do something due to fear or doubt
Example
He **drew back from** investing after the market showed instability.
phrasal-verb

capitalize on opportunities

Meaning
to take advantage of favorable situations to gain profit
Example
Smart investors always **capitalize on** opportunities in the market.
phrasal-verb

feed on

Meaning
to gain support or energy from something, often negative; to be sustained by
Example
The tabloids **feed on** celebrity scandals to boost their sales.
idiom

give it a shot

Meaning
to try something, even if you are not sure of success
Example
You should **give it a shot**; you might surprise yourself.
idiom

play on someone's emotions

Meaning
to influence someone by appealing to their feelings
Example
The ad tries to **play on people's emotions** to sell products.
idiom

give someone the benefit of the doubt

Meaning
to trust someone even when you are not sure they are honest
Example
I will **give him the benefit of the doubt** this time.
phrasal-verb

fight through

Meaning
to continue despite pain or struggle until success or relief
Example
He managed to **fight through** the hardest days of his life.
phrasal-verb

fit around

Meaning
to organize work or tasks to accommodate other activities or people
Example
She managed to **fit her schedule around** her team’s needs to ensure smooth collaboration.
phrasal-verb

come out in favor of

Meaning
to publicly support or agree with something
Example
The committee **came out in favor of** the new proposal.
idiom

bargain for

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

open up space for joy

Meaning
to make emotional room for happiness after pain
Example
After forgiving herself, she began to **open up space for joy**.
phrasal-verb

grow closer

Meaning
to gradually become more emotionally connected
Example
Over the years, we’ve **grown closer** as a family.
idiom

feel for

Meaning
to have sympathy for someone
Example
We really **feel for** anyone stuck in that traffic.
idiom

dial into

Meaning
to connect to a call or meeting
Example
We’ll **dial into** the client briefing at noon.
phrasal-verb

delegate tasks

Meaning
to assign responsibilities to others
Example
An effective leader knows how to **delegate tasks** efficiently.
idiom

out of your league

Meaning
too good or powerful to compete with
Example
That company is **out of our league** in terms of resources.
idiom

sit back

Meaning
to relax and do nothing
Example
Just **sit back** and enjoy the show.
phrasal-verb

stem from

Meaning
to originate or come from something
Example
The misunderstanding **stems from** a lack of clear communication.
idiom

Trickle-down effect

Meaning
Economic benefits of the wealthy gradually reaching the lower-income groups.
Example
Critics argue that the **trickle-down effect** rarely helps the poor.
phrasal-verb

relate across

Meaning
to connect with people from other backgrounds through shared understanding
Example
Learning languages helps you **relate across** cultures more easily.
idiom

Clean hands

Meaning
To be innocent or free from guilt.
Example
He claims to have **clean hands** in the scandal.
phrasal-verb

build up patience

Meaning
to gradually increase emotional endurance
Example
Meditation helps you **build up patience** in stressful times.
idiom

keep someone’s word

Meaning
to do what you promise to do
Example
You can trust him; he always **keeps his word**.
phrasal-verb

look deeper into

Meaning
to examine something more carefully or in detail
Example
The scientist decided to **look deeper into** the mysterious phenomenon.
idiom

take a hit

Meaning
to suffer a financial loss
Example
The company **took a hit** after the stock market crash.
phrasal-verb

wind meetings down

Meaning
to wrap up discussions and close a meeting
Example
Chairs **wind meetings down** by recapping wins and next steps.
phrasal-verb

talk things through

Meaning
to discuss a problem thoroughly to reach understanding
Example
They decided to **talk things through** before making any decision.
phrasal-verb

point around

Meaning
to show multiple directions or places
Example
The guide **pointed around** the historical landmarks.
idiom

lucky break

Meaning
a sudden opportunity or good fortune
Example
Getting that job was a **lucky break** for her.
phrasal-verb

toast to

Meaning
to raise a glass to honor or celebrate someone or something
Example
Let's **toast to** our hard work and success!
idiom

carry over

Meaning
to transfer something to a later time or place
Example
We’ll **carry over** the unused vacation days to next year.
phrasal-verb

bring in capital

Meaning
to attract or generate investment money
Example
The government is trying to **bring in capital** from foreign investors.
idiom

wise up

Meaning
to become aware or informed about something
Example
It’s time to **wise up** and start saving money.
phrasal-verb

brush through

Meaning
to quickly review or go through something
Example
I’ll **brush through** my notes one more time before the exam.
phrasal-verb

cut someone off

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
She kept **cutting me off** whenever I tried to explain.
idiom

hashtag activism

Meaning
using hashtags to support social or political causes online
Example
**Hashtag activism** can raise awareness but may not lead to real change.