crack down on
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idiom

crack down on

Meaning
to take strict action to stop something
Example
The city plans to **crack down on** illegal parking downtown.
phrasal-verb

calm down after

Meaning
to relax or become less angry after being upset
Example
It took him a while to **calm down after** the argument.
phrasal-verb

shout at

Meaning
to raise your voice in anger at someone
Example
Don’t **shout at** me, I didn’t do anything wrong!
idiom

Running on empty

Meaning
To continue working or functioning when you have no energy left.
Example
After pulling an all-nighter, he’s **running on empty** today.
idiom

two-faced

Meaning
deceitful; pretending to be friendly while being dishonest
Example
She seems nice, but she’s actually **two-faced**.
phrasal-verb

trip up

Meaning
to make someone make a mistake; to make an error
Example
The interviewer tried to **trip up** the candidate with tricky questions.
idiom

the spark of an idea

Meaning
the beginning of a new idea or thought
Example
That comment gave me **the spark of an idea**.
idiom

glance over

Meaning
to read something quickly
Example
Can you **glance over** the memo before we send it?
idiom

use up

Meaning
to consume something completely
Example
We’ve **used up** all the printer paper already.
phrasal-verb

stick with good habits

Meaning
to continue following positive routines or behaviors
Example
It’s important to **stick with good habits** even when you’re busy.
idiom

in the pipeline

Meaning
being planned or developed
Example
Several new projects are **in the pipeline**.
idiom

teach by example

Meaning
to show others how to do something by demonstrating it yourself
Example
Good mentors always **teach by example**, showing the way with their actions.
phrasal-verb

choke down

Meaning
to suppress or hide emotions like anger or sadness
Example
He tried to **choke down** his tears during the farewell speech.
idiom

In uncharted waters

Meaning
In a situation that is unknown or unfamiliar.
Example
The astronauts are heading into **uncharted waters** as they explore the unknown galaxy.
phrasal-verb

stand over

Meaning
to watch someone closely to ensure they do something correctly
Example
The teacher **stood over** the students during the exam.
idiom

wrap someone around your finger

Meaning
to have complete control or influence over someone
Example
She has her boss **wrapped around her finger**.
phrasal-verb

move beyond boundaries

Meaning
to work or cooperate across national or traditional limits
Example
Global collaboration helps us **move beyond boundaries** to solve shared challenges.
idiom

take the high road

Meaning
to act morally or kindly even when others don't
Example
She decided to **take the high road** and forgive him.
phrasal-verb

shuffle ideas around

Meaning
to rearrange different thoughts to find a new approach
Example
Designers **shuffle ideas around** until a better concept appears.
idiom

reinforcement learning

Meaning
a type of machine learning where an agent learns to make decisions by performing actions and receiving feedback
Example
In **reinforcement learning**, the model improves over time as it learns from trial and error.
phrasal-verb

boil with anger

Meaning
to be extremely angry
Example
She was **boiling with anger** when she found out about the unfair decision.
phrasal-verb

warm to

Meaning
to start feeling affection or liking toward someone
Example
She slowly **warmed to** the idea of sharing her story publicly.
idiom

have it made

Meaning
to be in a very good position for success
Example
With a stable job and a happy family, he really **has it made**.
idiom

wield power

Meaning
to have and use power or influence effectively
Example
He’s not the president, but he still **wields a lot of power**.
phrasal-verb

get into

Meaning
to start enjoying or developing an interest in something
Example
He recently **got into** yoga to improve his flexibility.
idiom

take charge

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

go places

Meaning
to be likely to become successful in the future
Example
Everyone says he’s going to **go places** with his skills.
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.
idiom

swear an oath

Meaning
to promise solemnly, often in a formal way
Example
He **swore an oath** to serve his country faithfully.
phrasal-verb

motivate toward

Meaning
to inspire someone to move or act toward a goal
Example
Effective leaders **motivate toward** shared goals.
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

flag down

Meaning
to signal someone to stop, especially a vehicle
Example
We finally **flagged down** a taxi after ten minutes.
idiom

work like a dog

Meaning
to work very hard without rest
Example
She **works like a dog** to provide for her kids.
idiom

the doctor ordered

Meaning
exactly what is needed or wanted
Example
After a long day, a cup of coffee was just **what the doctor ordered**.
phrasal-verb

settle on

Meaning
to choose something after considering other options
Example
After hours of discussion, they **settled on** a final plan.
idiom

get under someone's skin

Meaning
to annoy or bother someone deeply
Example
She really knows how to **get under my skin**.
phrasal-verb

draw up a plan

Meaning
to prepare a detailed plan or document
Example
The management team drew up a plan for the next quarter.
phrasal-verb

own up to mistakes

Meaning
to admit errors openly so they can be fixed
Example
Good leaders **own up to mistakes** before they snowball.
phrasal-verb

build on trust

Meaning
to strengthen relationships by developing mutual confidence
Example
Successful partnerships **build on trust** and transparency.
idiom

under the knife

Meaning
to have surgery
Example
She has to go **under the knife** for her knee problem.
idiom

snowed under

Meaning
to have too much work to do
Example
I'm **snowed under** with assignments this week.
phrasal-verb

work toward peace

Meaning
to make efforts to achieve harmony and stability among nations
Example
International leaders continue to **work toward peace** in conflict zones.
idiom

a fork in the road

Meaning
a point where a decision must be made; a choice between two or more options
Example
When you come to **a fork in the road**, you have to choose which way to go.
idiom

sleep it off

Meaning
to sleep in order to recover from tiredness or sickness
Example
He drank too much and needed to **sleep it off**.
idiom

hit the pause button

Meaning
to take a break or stop what you are doing temporarily
Example
After weeks of hard work, I decided to **hit the pause button** and relax for a while.
idiom

make sense of

Meaning
to understand something that is complicated or unclear
Example
I finally **made sense of** the instructions after reading them twice.
idiom

honor one's promise

Meaning
to keep a promise or commitment
Example
She **honored her promise** to visit the orphanage.
idiom

make a name for oneself

Meaning
to become well-known or famous for something
Example
He **made a name for himself** as a creative designer.
idiom

square peg in a round hole

Meaning
someone or something that doesn't fit or belong in a particular place or situation
Example
Putting a modern building in a historical district is like trying to fit a **square peg in a round hole**.
idiom

turn up the heat

Meaning
to increase pressure or intensity
Example
The scientists decided to **turn up the heat** on the experiment.
phrasal-verb

set in

Meaning
when something unpleasant like rain or cold begins and seems likely to continue
Example
The cold season has **set in**, and we need to wear warm clothes.
phrasal-verb

build up wealth

Meaning
to gradually increase the amount of money or assets you own
Example
It takes years of discipline to **build up wealth** and achieve financial freedom.
phrasal-verb

focus on growth

Meaning
to pay attention to improving yourself
Example
Instead of worrying, **focus on growth** and self-improvement.
idiom

build from the ground up

Meaning
to start something from the very beginning
Example
They **built their business from the ground up** with no investors.
phrasal-verb

live for

Meaning
to find hope or meaning in something or someone
Example
She **lives for** her children and their happiness.
idiom

Catch on

Meaning
To begin to understand something.
Example
It took him a while to **catch on** to the new rules.
idiom

travel light

Meaning
to travel with very little luggage
Example
When I travel for business, I like to **travel light**.
idiom

pull your weight

Meaning
to do your fair share of work
Example
Everyone needs to **pull their weight** if we want to finish this project on time.
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

show around

Meaning
to give someone a guided tour of a place
Example
I will **show around** our office to the new interns.
phrasal-verb

pull ahead emotionally

Meaning
to progress emotionally faster than before
Example
After therapy, she began to **pull ahead emotionally**.
idiom

make an example of someone

Meaning
to punish someone to warn others
Example
The boss **made an example of** the dishonest employee.
idiom

An arm and a leg

Meaning
Something that is very expensive.
Example
That new phone costs **an arm and a leg**, but it’s worth it.
phrasal-verb

hold with

Meaning
to agree with or approve of something
Example
I don’t **hold with** lying under any circumstances.
idiom

note down

Meaning
to write something so you remember it
Example
Please **note down** the action items before we leave.
idiom

behind the firewall

Meaning
protected or isolated from external threats
Example
Sensitive company data should always stay **behind the firewall**.
idiom

get wired

Meaning
to get connected to the internet
Example
Everyone in the office is **getting wired** to the new network.
idiom

Put your heart into it

Meaning
To do something with full effort and enthusiasm.
Example
If you **put your heart into it**, you’ll achieve great results.
phrasal-verb

drop through

Meaning
to fail or not happen as planned
Example
Our plan to travel abroad this year has **dropped through** due to budget issues.
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

break off with

Meaning
to end a relationship or stop communicating with someone
Example
After the big fight, she decided to **break off with** him for good.
phrasal-verb

melt into tears

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

find on

Meaning
to discover something physically on someone or something
Example
The police **found on** him a stolen phone.
idiom

in the dumps

Meaning
feeling sad or depressed
Example
After the argument, he was really **in the dumps**.
phrasal-verb

team up with partners

Meaning
to collaborate with other companies for mutual benefit
Example
Our firm decided to **team up with partners** in Japan for a joint venture.
idiom

Take my word for it

Meaning
Trust what I am saying; believe me.
Example
**Take my word for it**, this method really works.
phrasal-verb

keep up the momentum

Meaning
to continue working with the same energy and enthusiasm
Example
After achieving success, the team must **keep up the momentum**.
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

behind someone’s back

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

fit as a fiddle

Meaning
in very good health
Example
My grandfather is 80 but he’s **fit as a fiddle**.
phrasal-verb

win over voters

Meaning
to persuade people to support you or your ideas
Example
The candidate tried to **win over voters** with promises of reform.
phrasal-verb

stick to the point

Meaning
to stay focused on the main topic during a discussion
Example
The moderator asked everyone to **stick to the point** during the debate.
idiom

brute force attack

Meaning
a method of hacking that tries all possible combinations of passwords until the correct one is found
Example
The attacker launched a **brute force attack** on the system’s login page.
phrasal-verb

beam with joy

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

burn down

Meaning
to be destroyed by fire
Example
The forest **burned down** after the wildfire.
phrasal-verb

account for

Meaning
to explain the reason for something; to represent a portion of something
Example
These factors **account for** most of the differences in results.
idiom

win-win situation

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

data is the new oil

Meaning
information has become a valuable resource in the modern world
Example
Every company knows that **data is the new oil**.
idiom

set aside

Meaning
to reserve something for a particular purpose
Example
We should **set aside** some money for unexpected expenses.
idiom

Baptism of fire

Meaning
A person’s first difficult experience in a new job or role.
Example
Her first week as manager was a real **baptism of fire**.
idiom

deep learning dive

Meaning
to study or explore something in great depth
Example
He took a **deep learning dive** into neural networks last month.
idiom

Help each other out

Meaning
To assist one another, especially in difficult situations.
Example
During the project, we all had to **help each other out** to finish on time.
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.
phrasal-verb

dig in

Meaning
to begin doing something with determination and effort
Example
He decided to **dig in** and work through the challenges.
phrasal-verb

live on

Meaning
to eat mainly a particular type of food
Example
He **lives on** fast food, which is not healthy.
phrasal-verb

heal from

Meaning
to emotionally recover from pain, trauma, or loss
Example
It takes time to **heal from** emotional wounds.
idiom

keep track of

Meaning
to monitor or record information consistently
Example
Use the shared sheet to **keep track of** expenses.
idiom

give over to

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

open yourself to experiences

Meaning
to be willing to try new cultural activities or perspectives
Example
When you **open yourself to experiences**, you grow beyond your comfort zone.
idiom

A negative outlook

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

throw one's hat in the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s intention to compete for a position or office
Example
Several candidates have **thrown their hats in the ring** for the presidency.
phrasal-verb

work under

Meaning
to operate or perform duties while facing stress or conditions
Example
She can **work under** extreme pressure and still deliver quality results.
phrasal-verb

wait your turn

Meaning
to be patient and not interrupt others
Example
Children should learn to **wait their turn** while playing.
phrasal-verb

get behind

Meaning
to fall late in doing something
Example
I’ve **got behind** on my assignments this week.
phrasal-verb

boil with rage

Meaning
to feel extremely angry
Example
She **boiled with rage** after hearing the insult.
phrasal-verb

fire back

Meaning
to respond quickly and angrily to criticism
Example
When accused of lying, the minister **fired back** with a sharp remark.
idiom

feel on top of the world

Meaning
to feel very happy and healthy
Example
After recovering from the flu, I **felt on top of the world**.
phrasal-verb

find for

Meaning
to support or rule in favor of someone (usually in a legal case)
Example
The court **found for** the defendant after reviewing the evidence.
phrasal-verb

slow up

Meaning
to move or act more slowly to reduce pressure or stress
Example
You should **slow up** before you burn out.
phrasal-verb

sign in to

Meaning
to enter a username and password to access an account
Example
Please **sign in to** your account before starting the quiz.
idiom

hold someone accountable

Meaning
to make someone take responsibility for their actions
Example
It’s important to **hold people accountable** for their mistakes.
phrasal-verb

fess up

Meaning
to confess or admit something embarrassing or wrong
Example
It’s time to **fess up** and tell the truth about what happened.
idiom

paint oneself into a corner

Meaning
to create a situation where one has limited options
Example
He **painted himself into a corner** by promising too much.
idiom

Give it your best shot

Meaning
Try as hard as you can.
Example
Even if you fail, **give it your best shot**.
phrasal-verb

question over

Meaning
to express doubt or uncertainty about something
Example
There’s been a lot of **questions over** the accuracy of that report.
phrasal-verb

exchange views with

Meaning
to share opinions or ideas with someone from another culture
Example
Students **exchange views with** their international peers to broaden their perspectives.
phrasal-verb

press on with

Meaning
to continue doing something in a determined way despite difficulties
Example
She decided to **press on with** her studies even after failing once.
phrasal-verb

cherish forever

Meaning
to hold memories or kindness in your heart with gratitude
Example
I’ll **cherish forever** the help you gave me during tough times.
phrasal-verb

stand around

Meaning
to spend time standing and doing nothing
Example
We were just **standing around** waiting for the bus.
phrasal-verb

keep under

Meaning
to control or suppress something or someone
Example
The manager tried to **keep under** control the rising tension.
idiom

break up

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