curl up
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phrasal-verb

curl up

Meaning
to bend your body and bring your knees close because of fear
Example
She **curled up** on the sofa when the horror movie got intense.
idiom

come through

Meaning
to do what is expected or promised, especially in difficult situations
Example
She always **comes through** when we need her most.
phrasal-verb

climb back

Meaning
to recover a previous position after losing it
Example
Stock prices have started to **climb back** after the market crash.
idiom

cry one’s heart out

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

carry around

Meaning
to have something with you all the time
Example
He always **carries around** a notebook to jot down ideas.
idiom

come out of one's shell

Meaning
to become more outgoing or confident
Example
She used to be shy, but now she has finally **come out of her shell**.
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**.
phrasal-verb

catch a cold

Meaning
to become ill with a cold
Example
You’ll **catch a cold** if you go out in this rain.
phrasal-verb

count down

Meaning
to count backward to mark the start of an event
Example
Everyone **counted down** to midnight on New Year’s Eve.
phrasal-verb

cool down emotions

Meaning
to let intense feelings settle before responding
Example
We **cool down emotions** before tackling tough feedback.
idiom

come of age

Meaning
to reach maturity; to become fully developed
Example
The company has **come of age** in the last few years.
idiom

come to the rescue

Meaning
to help someone in trouble
Example
A firefighter **came to the rescue** of the trapped cat.
idiom

cop a plea

Meaning
to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid a more severe penalty
Example
He decided to **cop a plea** and serve a shorter sentence.
phrasal-verb

carry yourself

Meaning
to behave in a confident and graceful way
Example
He knows how to **carry himself** with confidence in any situation.
phrasal-verb

cut in

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
Please don’t **cut in** when others are making their points.
idiom

carve up

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

call a spade a spade

Meaning
to speak honestly and directly, even if it’s unpleasant
Example
She always **calls a spade a spade**, no matter who gets offended.
phrasal-verb

carry on with

Meaning
to continue doing something even when it is difficult
Example
He decided to **carry on with** his studies despite financial struggles.
phrasal-verb

chat up

Meaning
to talk to someone in a friendly or romantic way
Example
He tried to **chat up** the girl at the party.
phrasal-verb

come down to

Meaning
to be influenced or decided by a particular factor
Example
The decision will **come down to** how much money we have left.
idiom

carry the load

Meaning
to take responsibility for something difficult
Example
She had to **carry the load** after her manager resigned.
idiom

cutthroat competition

Meaning
extremely intense and ruthless competition
Example
The smartphone market is a **cutthroat competition**.
idiom

come down hard on

Meaning
to punish or criticize someone severely
Example
The company **came down hard on** employees who broke the rules.
phrasal-verb

cross out

Meaning
to draw a line through something written to show it is wrong
Example
He **crossed out** the wrong answer and wrote the correct one.
phrasal-verb

cope with

Meaning
to manage or deal effectively with something difficult
Example
She found it hard to **cope with** the sudden loss of her job.
idiom

chatterbox

Meaning
a person who talks a lot
Example
My little sister is a real **chatterbox**.
phrasal-verb

come clean about

Meaning
to tell the truth about something you’ve been hiding
Example
She finally **came clean about** her past.
idiom

change your tune

Meaning
to change your opinion or attitude
Example
He criticized the plan at first but later **changed his tune**.
idiom

carry the weight

Meaning
to take on a large responsibility or burden
Example
As the team leader, it's his job to **carry the weight** of the project's success.
idiom

check in with

Meaning
to contact someone to exchange updates
Example
I’ll **check in with** the vendor later today.
idiom

carry the weight of the world

Meaning
to take on a lot of responsibility
Example
John felt like he had to **carry the weight of the world** on his shoulders at work.
phrasal-verb

cut through

Meaning
to move quickly through something; to make something easier to understand
Example
The boat **cut through** the calm water easily.
idiom

change of scene

Meaning
a new environment or situation
Example
After months of work, I needed a **change of scene**.
idiom

cast in stone

Meaning
fixed and unchangeable
Example
The script isn’t **cast in stone**; we can make changes.
phrasal-verb

channel energy into

Meaning
to direct your effort toward a specific goal
Example
He **channels energy into** creative hobbies to relieve stress.
phrasal-verb

comment back

Meaning
to reply to someone’s comment online
Example
She always **comments back** to her followers.
idiom

cast the first stone

Meaning
to be the first to criticize or condemn someone
Example
Before you **cast the first stone**, remember that nobody is perfect.
idiom

cross your heart and hope to die

Meaning
to swear that something is true, often said with sincerity
Example
I **cross my heart and hope to die** that I will never lie to you.
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

clam up

Meaning
to suddenly stop talking, especially when nervous or unwilling
Example
She **clammed up** as soon as I asked about her mistake.
idiom

carry through

Meaning
to complete something despite difficulties
Example
She promised to **carry through** with the training program.
phrasal-verb

cut off caffeine

Meaning
to stop consuming coffee or caffeinated drinks
Example
She has **cut off caffeine** to sleep better at night.
idiom

cross off

Meaning
to remove an item from a list
Example
You can **cross off** the tasks we’ve finished.
idiom

conversion rate

Meaning
The percentage of visitors to a website who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up.
Example
Our **conversion rate** has significantly improved after the redesign of the website.
idiom

climb the ladder of success

Meaning
to achieve higher positions in career or life
Example
She’s been **climbing the ladder of success** through hard work.
phrasal-verb

choke back tears

Meaning
to try hard not to cry
Example
She **choked back tears** during her farewell speech.
idiom

cut your teeth

Meaning
to gain initial experience in a particular area or job
Example
He **cut his teeth** in the banking industry before starting his own firm.
idiom

come crashing down

Meaning
to suddenly fail or collapse
Example
Their plans **came crashing down** after the crisis.
idiom

content is king

Meaning
high-quality content is the most important factor for success online
Example
Never forget that **content is king** in digital marketing.
idiom

Cover a lot of ground

Meaning
to deal with a lot of information or material
Example
The lecture **covered a lot of ground** in just one hour.
phrasal-verb

come across as polite

Meaning
to appear polite when expressing an opinion
Example
Even when disagreeing, she always **comes across as polite**.
idiom

cold call

Meaning
to contact a potential customer without prior introduction
Example
He spent all morning making **cold calls** to new clients.
phrasal-verb

cut over

Meaning
to switch from an old system to a new one
Example
We plan to **cut over** to the new cloud platform this weekend.
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

cut down on costs

Meaning
to reduce expenses or spending
Example
The government is trying to **cut down on costs** to stabilize the economy.
phrasal-verb

chalk up to

Meaning
to attribute something to a particular reason
Example
We **chalked it up to** experience and moved forward.
idiom

come out with it

Meaning
to say something openly or honestly that you’ve been hiding
Example
Stop hesitating and just **come out with it**!
idiom

cut both ways

Meaning
to have both positive and negative effects
Example
Working from home **cuts both ways** – you save time but lose social interaction.
phrasal-verb

choke up with emotion

Meaning
to become unable to speak because of strong feelings
Example
He **choked up with emotion** while giving his speech.
phrasal-verb

coach through

Meaning
to guide someone step by step through a task
Example
I **coach through** tough trade-offs by sharing past cases.
phrasal-verb

cut down emissions

Meaning
to reduce harmful gases released into the air
Example
Businesses are investing to **cut down emissions** from transport.
phrasal-verb

catch on with

Meaning
to become popular or well-accepted among people
Example
The innovative idea quickly **caught on with** young consumers.
idiom

Cut from the same cloth

Meaning
To be very similar in character or behavior.
Example
Those two brothers are **cut from the same cloth**.
phrasal-verb

cling to power

Meaning
to try to keep control or authority
Example
Some leaders **cling to power** even after losing public support.
phrasal-verb

come forward to help

Meaning
to volunteer or offer assistance when needed
Example
Many citizens **came forward to help** the victims of the earthquake.
phrasal-verb

calm within

Meaning
to find inner peace or stability
Example
Even in chaos, she managed to **calm within** herself.
phrasal-verb

clean out

Meaning
to completely remove unwanted things from a place
Example
Volunteers worked to **clean out** the polluted river.
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

cold war

Meaning
a state of political hostility and tension between countries without actual warfare
Example
During the 20th century, the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a **cold war**.
phrasal-verb

call someone out on

Meaning
to point out a person’s mistake or bad behavior
Example
Coworkers **call someone out on** gossip that hurts the team.
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

carry over to

Meaning
to apply something learned or used in one situation to another
Example
You can **carry over** those skills **to** your new job.
phrasal-verb

chat over

Meaning
to discuss or talk casually with a friend
Example
We love to **chat over** coffee every weekend.
idiom

clamp down

Meaning
to take strong action to stop something
Example
The manager decided to **clamp down** on late arrivals.
phrasal-verb

check over yourself

Meaning
to review your own actions and attitudes carefully
Example
Before judging others, **check over yourself** first.
idiom

Cut your losses

Meaning
To stop doing something that is no longer profitable.
Example
It’s better to **cut your losses** and move on.
idiom

confide in someone

Meaning
to trust someone enough to tell them secrets
Example
She only **confides in** her best friend.
phrasal-verb

cut someone off emotionally

Meaning
to stop communicating or showing feelings to someone
Example
After their argument, she **cut him off emotionally**.
phrasal-verb

cut off pollution

Meaning
to stop or reduce pollution sources
Example
Factories must **cut off pollution** to meet environmental standards.
phrasal-verb

climb up the ladder

Meaning
to move to a higher position in a company or organization
Example
She worked hard for years to **climb up the ladder** in her company.
idiom

castles in the air

Meaning
dreams or plans that are impossible or unrealistic
Example
He’s always building **castles in the air** about his future.
phrasal-verb

call upon

Meaning
to formally ask someone to do something
Example
The president **called upon** all citizens to work for peace.
idiom

Cross one’s mind

Meaning
To suddenly think of something.
Example
It never **crossed my mind** that he could be lying.
phrasal-verb

call out for

Meaning
to ask loudly for something or someone
Example
He **called out for** his mother when he got hurt.
phrasal-verb

carry off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something difficult
Example
She managed to **carry off** the project despite all the challenges.
phrasal-verb

call for backup

Meaning
to request extra help in a challenging situation
Example
Editors **call for backup** when breaking news floods in overnight.
phrasal-verb

come together for

Meaning
to unite for a common purpose; to join efforts toward a shared goal
Example
Communities from all over the world **come together for** humanitarian causes.
phrasal-verb

come into

Meaning
to receive money or property, usually by inheritance
Example
He **came into** a large sum of money after his uncle passed away.
phrasal-verb

come apart

Meaning
to break into pieces; to fall apart emotionally
Example
The old book **came apart** in my hands.
phrasal-verb

cut away from

Meaning
to remove or avoid unhealthy parts or habits
Example
Try to **cut away from** processed foods for a healthier diet.
phrasal-verb

calm oneself down

Meaning
to relax and regain emotional control after being upset or angry
Example
He took a deep breath to **calm himself down** before speaking.
idiom

Chart a course

Meaning
To plan a way to achieve something.
Example
The company has **charted a course** for global expansion.
idiom

clear the decks

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

cut back

Meaning
to reduce the amount of time or effort spent on work
Example
She decided to **cut back** her working hours to spend more time with family.
idiom

cross your fingers

Meaning
to hope that things will happen the way you want
Example
I'm **crossing my fingers** that I get the job.
idiom

Cross the Rubicon

Meaning
To make an irreversible decision or take a step from which there is no turning back.
Example
By quitting his job, he **crossed the Rubicon** and committed to his startup dream.
phrasal-verb

coordinate efforts toward

Meaning
to organize actions to reach a common goal
Example
The organizations **coordinate efforts toward** sustainable economic growth.
phrasal-verb

catch at a chance

Meaning
to take an opportunity eagerly
Example
She **caught at the chance** to study abroad.
phrasal-verb

call by

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

chip off the old block

Meaning
a child who closely resembles their parent in looks or behavior
Example
He’s a **chip off the old block**—just as kind and funny as his father.
phrasal-verb

cut off from network

Meaning
to lose connection to a network or internet
Example
The device got **cut off from the network** during the update.
phrasal-verb

catch up in

Meaning
to become involved in something, often unwillingly
Example
He got **caught up in** a legal issue he didn’t understand.
phrasal-verb

carry forward surplus

Meaning
to move remaining funds or profit into the next financial period
Example
The company decided to **carry forward surplus** to strengthen future operations.
phrasal-verb

cut out luxury items

Meaning
to stop buying unnecessary expensive things
Example
They decided to **cut out luxury items** to save for a new house.
idiom

change one's tune

Meaning
to change one's opinion or attitude
Example
After hearing the good news, he decided to **change his tune**.
idiom

chase your dreams

Meaning
to actively try to achieve your ambitions
Example
You should always **chase your dreams** no matter how hard it seems.
phrasal-verb

cut down on sugar

Meaning
to reduce the amount of sugar you consume
Example
I decided to **cut down on sugar** to improve my health.
phrasal-verb

cut back on laziness

Meaning
to reduce your tendency to avoid effort or work
Example
To be disciplined, you need to **cut back on laziness**.
phrasal-verb

cut out

Meaning
to stop using or doing something completely; to eliminate
Example
We need to **cut out** fossil fuels to slow down global warming.
phrasal-verb

calm the mind

Meaning
to relax and bring mental peace
Example
Meditation helps her **calm the mind** after a stressful day.
idiom

count on

Meaning
to rely on or trust someone to do something
Example
You can always **count on** me.
phrasal-verb

cut away

Meaning
to remove part of something with a tool or knife
Example
The doctor **cut away** the damaged tissue.
phrasal-verb

comfort with words

Meaning
to make someone feel better by speaking kindly
Example
He tried to **comfort her with words** after the loss.
phrasal-verb

check back with

Meaning
to contact someone again to confirm or review something
Example
Could you **check back with** me tomorrow for an update on your case?
phrasal-verb

cut down travel emissions

Meaning
to reduce pollution caused by transportation
Example
We can **cut down travel emissions** by holding virtual meetings.
idiom

Calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful time before trouble or chaos starts.
Example
The office is quiet now, but it’s just **the calm before the storm**.
phrasal-verb

cut in on

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
He rudely **cut in on** his opponent during the discussion.
phrasal-verb

cut down on tariffs

Meaning
to reduce import or export taxes
Example
The WTO encourages members to **cut down on tariffs** to enhance global trade.
idiom

check up on

Meaning
to verify that someone or something is doing well
Example
I’ll **check up on** the interns after the training session.
phrasal-verb

cool down from

Meaning
to relax and recover from emotional or physical stress
Example
She needed time to **cool down from** the heated discussion.