cross the bridge when you come to it
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idiom

cross the bridge when you come to it

Meaning
to not worry about something until it happens
Example
We’ll **cross the bridge when we come to it**.
phrasal-verb

set time aside for

Meaning
to reserve part of your schedule for something
Example
I **set time aside for** journaling before bed.
idiom

get along with

Meaning
to have a good relationship with someone
Example
I really **get along with** my coworkers.
idiom

drop someone a line

Meaning
to contact someone by writing or message
Example
Please **drop me a line** when you arrive.
idiom

Economic downturn

Meaning
A period when the economy declines or slows down.
Example
Many people lost their jobs during the **economic downturn**.
idiom

drop your guard

Meaning
to relax your vigilance or become less careful
Example
Never **drop your guard** when dealing with competitors.
phrasal-verb

draw away

Meaning
to move ahead or away from someone or something
Example
The car **drew away** from the traffic lights quickly.
idiom

sell like hotcakes

Meaning
to sell very quickly and in large quantities
Example
After the ad went viral, the product began to **sell like hotcakes**.
phrasal-verb

call by

Meaning
to visit briefly
Example
I’ll **call by** your office tomorrow morning.
phrasal-verb

draw aside

Meaning
to move something to one side; to separate from a group
Example
He **drew aside** the curtain to see who was outside.
idiom

knock someone for six

Meaning
to shock or upset someone greatly
Example
The sudden loss **knocked him for six**.
phrasal-verb

spread over

Meaning
to distribute across a certain time or area
Example
The costs will be **spread over** the next three months.
phrasal-verb

stand together for inclusion

Meaning
to unite in support of equality and inclusion
Example
Employees decided to **stand together for inclusion** during the diversity week.
idiom

carve up

Meaning
to divide something into parts
Example
Let’s **carve up** the timeline into manageable phases.
idiom

look forward to

Meaning
to feel excited about something that is going to happen
Example
I **look forward to** meeting you soon.
idiom

in all honesty

Meaning
To be completely truthful or sincere.
Example
**In all honesty**, I think he deserves the job.
idiom

Band together

Meaning
To unite for a common purpose.
Example
The workers **banded together** to demand better wages.
phrasal-verb

scale up to

Meaning
to increase in size, amount, or production level to meet higher demand or needs
Example
The company plans to **scale up to** full production once the economy stabilizes.
idiom

gear up for

Meaning
to prepare for something
Example
The engineers are **gearing up for** the final test run.
phrasal-verb

rise above negativity

Meaning
to not let negative emotions or situations affect you
Example
She tried to **rise above negativity** and stay positive.
phrasal-verb

flare out

Meaning
to suddenly become angry or lose temper
Example
She **flared out** when her plans were canceled.
phrasal-verb

sync expectations up

Meaning
to make sure everyone understands the same plan
Example
Let's **sync expectations up** before we send the proposal.
phrasal-verb

look ahead to

Meaning
to think about or plan for what is going to happen in the future
Example
We should **look ahead to** the challenges we might face in the next decade.
idiom

A stitch in time saves nine

Meaning
Solving a small problem early prevents a bigger problem later.
Example
Fix that leak now — a stitch in time saves nine.
phrasal-verb

push boundaries

Meaning
to go beyond limits or expectations
Example
Innovators constantly **push boundaries** to discover new possibilities.
phrasal-verb

choke up

Meaning
to become emotional and unable to speak
Example
He **choked up** while giving his farewell speech.
idiom

the whole truth

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

feel for

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

keep from

Meaning
to prevent oneself or someone from doing something
Example
I couldn’t **keep from** laughing when he told the joke.
phrasal-verb

benefit from

Meaning
to gain an advantage or profit through something
Example
Many developing nations **benefit from** global trade agreements.
phrasal-verb

fall behind on

Meaning
to fail to do something on time or as planned
Example
He **fell behind on** his rent payments last month.
idiom

take the law into your own hands

Meaning
to punish someone without legal authority
Example
Citizens should not **take the law into their own hands**.
phrasal-verb

find oneself

Meaning
to realize one’s identity, purpose, or situation
Example
After years of traveling, he finally **found himself**.
phrasal-verb

hang around

Meaning
to stay in a place without a clear purpose; to wait aimlessly
Example
There’s no point **hanging around** here, let’s go inside.
idiom

bootstrap a startup

Meaning
to build a business using limited resources without external funding
Example
Many successful founders **bootstrapped their startups** in the early days.
phrasal-verb

go after your dreams

Meaning
to pursue your goals or ambitions actively
Example
He decided to **go after his dreams** no matter what.
phrasal-verb

follow along in chat

Meaning
to keep up with messages during an online meeting
Example
Participants **follow along in chat** while the speaker demos the tool.
phrasal-verb

set reminders for

Meaning
to schedule alerts so tasks are not forgotten
Example
I **set reminders for** every invoice deadline in my calendar.
phrasal-verb

fill with

Meaning
to make someone experience a strong emotion
Example
The kind gesture **filled her with** gratitude.
phrasal-verb

delve in

Meaning
to explore or investigate deeply
Example
The scientist decided to **delve in** to the mysteries of the deep sea.
idiom

At the end of one’s rope

Meaning
To be so tired or frustrated that you can’t deal with anything more.
Example
After working nonstop for weeks, I was **at the end of my rope**.
idiom

be at someone’s beck and call

Meaning
to always be ready to help or obey someone
Example
The assistant is **at his boss’s beck and call**.
phrasal-verb

go into

Meaning
to discuss or examine something in detail
Example
The lecturer didn’t **go into** much detail about the topic.
idiom

break the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation in which progress is not possible
Example
They finally managed to **break the deadlock** through discussion.
phrasal-verb

reach across borders

Meaning
to cooperate internationally; to form connections beyond national boundaries
Example
Organizations are striving to **reach across borders** to solve global problems.
idiom

a drama queen

Meaning
someone who exaggerates or overreacts to situations
Example
Stop acting like **a drama queen**; it’s not that serious.
idiom

beyond reasonable doubt

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

ring in the new year

Meaning
to celebrate the start of a new year
Example
We gathered downtown to **ring in the new year** together.
idiom

step up

Meaning
to take responsibility or action when needed
Example
When the manager was away, she **stepped up** to lead the team.
phrasal-verb

smooth over conflicts

Meaning
to reduce tension after a disagreement
Example
Leads **smooth over conflicts** by reminding everyone of the goal.
idiom

bad blood

Meaning
anger or resentment between family members
Example
There’s still **bad blood** between the cousins after the inheritance issue.
phrasal-verb

speak kindly of

Meaning
to say positive things about someone as a form of appreciation
Example
Everyone **speaks kindly of** her because she’s always generous.
idiom

pick up on

Meaning
to notice or become aware of something
Example
He didn't **pick up on** the subtle hints I was giving.
phrasal-verb

call together

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

Plow the field

Meaning
To prepare for future work or success.
Example
Before launching the product, we need to **plow the field** with proper research.
idiom

a bookworm

Meaning
a person who loves reading books
Example
She’s **a bookworm**; she spends hours in the library.
phrasal-verb

go ahead

Meaning
to start or continue doing something
Example
If you’re ready, you can **go ahead** with your presentation.
idiom

firewall

Meaning
A security system designed to protect a network from unauthorized access.
Example
The company installed a **firewall** to protect sensitive data from cyber attacks.
idiom

It rings a bell

Meaning
something sounds familiar
Example
That name **rings a bell**, but I can’t remember where I heard it.
idiom

step on it

Meaning
to go faster; to hurry up
Example
We’re late — **step on it**!
idiom

keep someone at arm’s length

Meaning
to avoid getting too close to someone
Example
After the argument, I **kept him at arm’s length**.
idiom

On the drawing board

Meaning
In the planning or design stage
Example
The new product is still **on the drawing board**, but it will be launched next year.
idiom

a chapter of one’s life

Meaning
a period or stage in someone’s life
Example
Leaving college was the end of an important **chapter of her life**.
phrasal-verb

forward to

Meaning
to send a received message to another person
Example
Can you **forward** this message **to** the manager?
idiom

raring to go

Meaning
very eager or excited to start something
Example
Everyone was **raring to go** when the event started.
phrasal-verb

push past

Meaning
to move beyond obstacles or limitations
Example
You have to **push past** your fears to achieve success.
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.
idiom

hit the road

Meaning
to start a journey; to leave a place
Example
We should **hit the road** before sunset to avoid traffic.
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.
idiom

data encryption

Meaning
the process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access
Example
Ensure all sensitive information is protected through **data encryption**.
idiom

red-eye flight

Meaning
a flight that leaves late at night and arrives early in the morning
Example
I took a **red-eye flight** to save a day on my trip.
phrasal-verb

keep after

Meaning
to remind or encourage someone to do something continuously
Example
Parents often **keep after** their children to do homework.
phrasal-verb

grow through change

Meaning
to develop personally or professionally during a transition
Example
We can **grow through change** if we remain open-minded and adaptable.
phrasal-verb

throw over

Meaning
to end a relationship with someone; to abandon
Example
She **threw him over** for another guy.
phrasal-verb

cut off from reality

Meaning
to be disconnected from what is real or practical
Example
He lives in his own world, completely **cut off from reality**.
phrasal-verb

back up data to

Meaning
to copy information onto a safe location
Example
Reporters **back up data to** the cloud after each story.
phrasal-verb

run by

Meaning
to tell someone about an idea to get their reaction or approval
Example
Can I **run this idea by** you before I send it to the client?
idiom

point the finger

Meaning
to accuse or blame someone
Example
Don’t **point the finger** until you have all the facts.
phrasal-verb

work through pain

Meaning
to deal with emotional pain step by step until you heal
Example
He is still trying to **work through pain** after the breakup.
idiom

the cream of the crop

Meaning
the best among a group of people or things
Example
Only **the cream of the crop** get into that university.
phrasal-verb

campaign for

Meaning
to work in an organized way for a political or social goal
Example
They are **campaigning for** better education policies.
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

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
idiom

stick your neck out

Meaning
to take a risk by doing or saying something that others may disagree with
Example
He **stuck his neck out** to defend his colleague.
idiom

a million-dollar smile

Meaning
a beautiful and charming smile
Example
She greeted everyone with **a million-dollar smile**.
idiom

spill your guts

Meaning
to tell someone all your private feelings or secrets
Example
After a few drinks, he started to **spill his guts** about his failed marriage.
phrasal-verb

hold down costs

Meaning
to keep expenses under control
Example
The company managed to **hold down costs** despite rising raw material prices.
idiom

have nerves of steel

Meaning
to be very brave and calm under pressure
Example
A firefighter must **have nerves of steel** to face danger every day.
idiom

pledge one's word

Meaning
to make a serious or formal promise
Example
He **pledged his word** to support the cause.
phrasal-verb

plug out

Meaning
to disconnect a device from a power source
Example
Remember to **plug out** your charger when it’s full.
idiom

engagement rate

Meaning
a measure of how actively people interact with online content
Example
Our **engagement rate** doubled after using video posts.
idiom

pull someone's leg

Meaning
to tease or joke with someone in a playful way
Example
Don't worry, I was just **pulling your leg** about the test results.
idiom

the art of war

Meaning
strategies or tactics for achieving success in difficult situations
Example
The general studied **the art of war** to prepare for the upcoming battle.
idiom

pair off

Meaning
to form groups of two
Example
Students will **pair off** for the lab experiment.
idiom

cut loose

Meaning
to behave freely and enjoy oneself
Example
It’s the weekend—time to **cut loose**!
phrasal-verb

make it

Meaning
to become successful; to achieve something desired
Example
After years of struggle, he finally **made it** as a professional artist.
idiom

sick and tired of

Meaning
completely bored or annoyed by something
Example
I'm **sick and tired of** listening to his excuses.
idiom

cutting-edge marketing

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

keep your emotions in check

Meaning
to control your emotions
Example
It's important to **keep your emotions in check** during a meeting.
idiom

see stars

Meaning
to feel dizzy or stunned, often after being hit
Example
He bumped his head and started to **see stars**.
idiom

answer the call of duty

Meaning
to fulfill one's obligation, especially in a difficult situation
Example
Firefighters **answered the call of duty** during the massive fire.
idiom

Bury yourself in books

Meaning
To spend all your time studying
Example
He **buried himself in books** before the finals.
phrasal-verb

phase over to

Meaning
to switch operations gradually to another system
Example
They plan to **phase over to** a paperless office within six months.
idiom

have cold feet

Meaning
to suddenly become nervous before doing something important
Example
He was ready to get married but **got cold feet** at the last minute.
idiom

digital footprint

Meaning
the trace of information left by a user's online activities
Example
Be cautious about what you post online; your **digital footprint** lasts forever.
idiom

feel the pinch

Meaning
to have financial difficulties; to feel short of money
Example
With rising prices, many families are starting to **feel the pinch**.
idiom

behind enemy lines

Meaning
in a hostile or dangerous situation
Example
Journalists were working **behind enemy lines** to report the truth.
idiom

talk around something

Meaning
to discuss something without addressing it directly
Example
She kept **talking around** the topic instead of answering the question directly.
idiom

Bide one’s time

Meaning
To wait patiently for the right opportunity.
Example
She decided to **bide her time** before making a move.
phrasal-verb

cut out excuses

Meaning
to stop making excuses and take responsibility
Example
If you want to improve, you need to **cut out excuses**.
phrasal-verb

dream beyond

Meaning
to imagine or aim for something greater than what seems possible
Example
To make a difference, you must **dream beyond** limits.
idiom

as wise as an owl

Meaning
very wise or knowledgeable
Example
My grandfather is **as wise as an owl**.
phrasal-verb

work on

Meaning
to spend time improving or developing something
Example
Our team is **working on** an advanced AI model.
idiom

take a toll

Meaning
to cause harm or damage over time due to stress or overwork
Example
Long working hours can **take a toll** on your health.
idiom

reach common ground

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

work your fingers to the bone

Meaning
to work extremely hard
Example
She **worked her fingers to the bone** to support her family.
idiom

the old school

Meaning
having traditional beliefs or methods
Example
My professor is from **the old school**; he prefers chalkboards to slides.
idiom

cry one’s heart out

Meaning
to cry very hard due to sadness
Example
She **cried her heart out** after the breakup.
idiom

take the wind out of someone’s sails

Meaning
To make someone lose confidence or enthusiasm.
Example
Her harsh criticism **took the wind out of his sails**.
idiom

gear up

Meaning
to prepare energetically for something
Example
The team is **gearing up** for the product launch next week.
phrasal-verb

set back

Meaning
to delay progress or cause a problem
Example
The heavy rain **set back** the construction work by two weeks.