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phrasal-verb

drop back

Meaning
to move to a position further behind
Example
The runner **dropped back** after the first lap due to exhaustion.
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.
phrasal-verb

phase out debts

Meaning
to gradually reduce or eliminate debts
Example
The government plans to **phase out debts** over the next decade.
phrasal-verb

take breaks

Meaning
to pause from work for rest; to stop temporarily for relaxation
Example
You should **take breaks** regularly to stay focused throughout the day.
phrasal-verb

point up to

Meaning
to highlight or bring attention to a higher idea or reason
Example
The teacher **pointed up to** the main reason for the conflict.
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

brush up

Meaning
to clean or improve something; to review or practice
Example
He **brushed up** his teeth quickly before leaving for work.
phrasal-verb

vote through

Meaning
to officially approve a law or proposal by voting
Example
Parliament **voted through** the education reform bill yesterday.
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

take the heat

Meaning
to accept criticism or blame.
Example
The manager **took the heat** for the failed project.
phrasal-verb

bring together the team

Meaning
to unite people to work collaboratively
Example
The new manager managed to bring together the whole team after a conflict.
idiom

full of the joys of spring

Meaning
very happy and energetic
Example
She’s **full of the joys of spring** after her vacation.
phrasal-verb

move on from

Meaning
to recover emotionally and continue life after a painful experience
Example
It took him a while to **move on from** the heartbreak.
idiom

A true friend is one who stands by you

Meaning
A true friend will be there for you during difficult times
Example
Even in the worst of times, she proved to be a true friend. **A true friend is one who stands by you**.
phrasal-verb

recover from recession

Meaning
to return to growth after an economic decline
Example
The country is slowly **recovering from recession**.
phrasal-verb

tune into emotions

Meaning
to pay attention to and understand your feelings
Example
Meditation helps you **tune into emotions** without judgment.
idiom

byte the bullet

Meaning
to face a difficult situation bravely
Example
We have to **byte the bullet** and fix the system bugs now.
phrasal-verb

reach back to

Meaning
to reconnect with someone from the past
Example
She decided to **reach back to** her old mentor for advice.
idiom

to get bent out of shape

Meaning
to become angry or upset
Example
Don't **get bent out of shape** over a small mistake.
phrasal-verb

get rid of

Meaning
to remove or eliminate something unwanted
Example
I need to **get rid of** these old clothes.
idiom

by leaps and bounds

Meaning
to progress or improve very quickly
Example
Her English has improved **by leaps and bounds**.
phrasal-verb

guard against

Meaning
to take precautions to prevent something bad from happening
Example
We must **guard against** potential fraud in online transactions.
idiom

show your true colors

Meaning
to reveal your real character or intentions
Example
He finally **showed his true colors** when he refused to help his friend in need.
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.
idiom

blow up in your face

Meaning
a plan or situation that suddenly goes wrong and causes trouble
Example
His plan to impress the boss **blew up in his face**.
phrasal-verb

honor with

Meaning
to give respect or recognition to someone for their contribution
Example
The company **honored him with** an award for his years of service.
idiom

better safe than sorry

Meaning
It’s wiser to be cautious than to take risks and regret later.
Example
I always double-check the locks — **better safe than sorry**.
phrasal-verb

let pressure off

Meaning
to release built-up stress or tension
Example
He plays football on weekends to **let pressure off**.
idiom

a glimpse into the future

Meaning
a small indication of what the future might be like
Example
This technology gives us **a glimpse into the future**.
phrasal-verb

open up to differences

Meaning
to accept and appreciate diversity
Example
Children should learn to **open up to differences** from an early age.
phrasal-verb

apologize to

Meaning
to say sorry to someone for something you did
Example
He **apologized to** his teacher for being rude.
phrasal-verb

hold up

Meaning
to cause delay or slow down progress
Example
The server issue **held up** the entire team's work for hours.
idiom

stand tall

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

veer off

Meaning
to suddenly change direction
Example
The conversation **veered off** into weekend plans.
phrasal-verb

boost foreign reserves

Meaning
to increase a country's holdings of foreign currencies
Example
The rise in exports helped **boost foreign reserves** significantly.
phrasal-verb

advocate for

Meaning
to publicly support a cause or person
Example
Students **advocate for** safer campuses at the town hall.
phrasal-verb

let off your emotions

Meaning
to release stress or anger by expressing feelings
Example
It’s better to **let off your emotions** than to keep them inside.
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**.
idiom

tough as nails

Meaning
very strong and resilient
Example
She is **tough as nails**, nothing can break her spirit.
phrasal-verb

settle in for

Meaning
to get comfortable because something will take a while
Example
We **settled in for** a long night of studying at the library.
phrasal-verb

use less of

Meaning
to decrease the amount of something you use
Example
Try to **use less of** water while washing dishes.
idiom

a clean bill of health

Meaning
a report confirming good health
Example
The doctor gave me **a clean bill of health** after the check-up.
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.
idiom

bounce back

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback or failure
Example
She **bounced back** after losing the competition.
idiom

forbidden fruit

Meaning
something attractive but not allowed or morally wrong
Example
For teenagers, breaking rules often feels like **forbidden fruit**.
phrasal-verb

space yourself out

Meaning
to take mental breaks to avoid stress
Example
You should **space yourself out** during long study sessions.
phrasal-verb

check out

Meaning
to stop being involved or attentive; to mentally disengage
Example
Many employees **check out** mentally before the weekend starts.
phrasal-verb

take over as

Meaning
to assume a new position or responsibility previously held by someone else
Example
She will **take over as** the new HR manager next month.
phrasal-verb

keep your head high

Meaning
to stay confident and proud even after facing criticism or failure
Example
No matter what happens, always **keep your head high**.
idiom

hit the streets

Meaning
to go out on patrol or begin a search for a suspect
Example
The officers decided to **hit the streets** after the robbery was reported.
phrasal-verb

lead to

Meaning
to cause a particular result or outcome
Example
Improved visuals can **lead to** better audience engagement.
phrasal-verb

code around

Meaning
to find a software workaround for a problem
Example
Engineers **code around** the bug until an official patch ships.
phrasal-verb

look someone in the eye

Meaning
to make direct eye contact as a sign of honesty or respect
Example
When greeting someone, try to **look them in the eye** to show respect.
idiom

sweeten the deal

Meaning
to make an offer more attractive
Example
They decided to **sweeten the deal** by offering free shipping.
phrasal-verb

look inward

Meaning
to reflect on your own thoughts, feelings, and motivations
Example
During hard times, it helps to **look inward** and understand your emotions.
phrasal-verb

cheer someone up

Meaning
to make someone feel happier or less sad
Example
I bought flowers to **cheer her up** after the bad news.
idiom

go behind someone’s back

Meaning
to do something secretly or deceitfully against someone
Example
She **went behind my back** and told the manager everything.
idiom

Make up for lost time

Meaning
To do something faster to compensate for wasted time.
Example
We worked overtime to make up for lost time.
idiom

filter through

Meaning
to spread gradually among people
Example
News of the promotion quickly **filtered through** the office.
phrasal-verb

learn from

Meaning
to gain knowledge or understanding through experience or observation
Example
We can **learn from** other cultures to make our society more inclusive.
phrasal-verb

get to

Meaning
to arrive at a place
Example
I **get to** the office by 9 a.m. every day.
idiom

Bailout package

Meaning
Financial support given to prevent a company or economy from collapsing.
Example
The government announced a **bailout package** for struggling airlines.
idiom

spin up

Meaning
to start something quickly, especially a system
Example
The IT team can **spin up** a test server in minutes.
idiom

mind your own business

Meaning
to focus on your own matters and not interfere in others’ affairs
Example
You should **mind your own business** instead of gossiping.
phrasal-verb

go over with

Meaning
to review or explain something to someone carefully
Example
The teacher **went over** the essay with the students.
idiom

hold over

Meaning
to postpone something to a later time
Example
They had to **hold over** the vote until next week.
idiom

botnet

Meaning
a network of computers infected with malware that are controlled remotely by a hacker
Example
The hacker used the **botnet** to launch a massive DDoS attack on the server.
phrasal-verb

turn in

Meaning
to submit something like an assignment or report
Example
Don’t forget to **turn in** your project by Friday.
phrasal-verb

find in

Meaning
to see or recognize a quality or feature in someone or something
Example
She **finds in** him a true friend she can trust.
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.
phrasal-verb

build out

Meaning
to expand or develop infrastructure or capacity
Example
They are working hard to **build out** their cloud platform.
idiom

have stars in one’s eyes

Meaning
to be full of excitement and dreams about the future
Example
Young artists **have stars in their eyes** when they start their careers.
idiom

Pay dividends

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

tie in with

Meaning
to connect or coordinate with something else
Example
The workshop topics **tie in with** our current curriculum.
idiom

spread kindness

Meaning
to do or say kind things to others
Example
We should all try to **spread kindness** every day.
idiom

be accountable for

Meaning
to be responsible for something and able to explain it
Example
As the team leader, he is **accountable for the project's outcome**.
phrasal-verb

reach alignment on

Meaning
to reach an agreement where all parties share the same position
Example
The leaders **reached alignment on** climate goals.
phrasal-verb

light up at

Meaning
to show sudden happiness or excitement on your face
Example
His face **lit up at** the news of his promotion.
phrasal-verb

follow up with clients

Meaning
to contact someone again after an initial meeting or communication
Example
Don’t forget to **follow up with clients** after sending the proposal.
phrasal-verb

stand out as

Meaning
to be noticeable or recognized as having a particular quality
Example
She really **stood out as** a confident and fair leader.
idiom

AI accountability

Meaning
the responsibility of developers and organizations to ensure AI systems act fairly, safely, and ethically.
Example
Ensuring **AI accountability** is essential to avoid harmful consequences in society.
phrasal-verb

phase into

Meaning
to introduce or begin something gradually over time
Example
The company plans to **phase into** a new training system for employees.
idiom

get the creative juices flowing

Meaning
to start being creative or imaginative
Example
A walk in nature helps me **get the creative juices flowing**.
phrasal-verb

do up like a dog’s dinner

Meaning
to dress or decorate in an exaggerated or showy way
Example
She was **done up like a dog’s dinner** for the party.
phrasal-verb

log back out

Meaning
to safely disconnect from a system again after using it
Example
Don’t forget to **log back out** after checking your account.
phrasal-verb

come into balance

Meaning
to regain emotional stability and harmony
Example
Meditation helps her **come into balance** after stressful days.
phrasal-verb

swot up on

Meaning
to study something intensively before an event
Example
I **swot up on** statistics before every data review.
idiom

kick off

Meaning
to start an event or activity
Example
The workshop will **kick off** at 9 a.m. sharp.
phrasal-verb

cool down

Meaning
to do light exercise after heavy activity to relax muscles
Example
You should **cool down** after your workout to avoid stiffness.
phrasal-verb

reach for excellence

Meaning
to aim to be the best at something
Example
True professionals always **reach for excellence** in their work.
phrasal-verb

vote for

Meaning
to choose someone or something in an election
Example
Everyone should **vote for** candidates who value honesty.
idiom

pile up

Meaning
to increase into a large amount
Example
Emails tend to **pile up** over the weekend.
idiom

a dream come true

Meaning
something that happens which you always wished for
Example
Getting that scholarship was **a dream come true** for her.
phrasal-verb

set upon

Meaning
to attack someone suddenly
Example
The thief was **set upon** by the angry crowd.
phrasal-verb

call upon

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

keep something under wraps

Meaning
to keep something secret
Example
They managed to **keep the project under wraps** until the launch day.
idiom

back off

Meaning
to move away or stop pressuring someone
Example
Let’s **back off** and give them space to decide.
phrasal-verb

carry about

Meaning
to move or take something from place to place
Example
Vendors **carry about** their goods in baskets.
phrasal-verb

deal upon

Meaning
to act or decide based on something
Example
They **dealt upon** the information they received.
idiom

jot down

Meaning
to write something quickly for later use
Example
I always **jot down** ideas as soon as they pop into my head.
idiom

on the mend

Meaning
recovering from an illness or injury
Example
I was sick last week, but I’m **on the mend** now.
phrasal-verb

tune back in

Meaning
to reconnect with your emotions or awareness after being distracted
Example
He took a short walk to **tune back in** to his feelings.
phrasal-verb

work out tariffs with

Meaning
to negotiate and agree on trade tariffs with another party
Example
The two nations are trying to **work out tariffs with** each other.
phrasal-verb

balance out inflation

Meaning
to offset or stabilize inflationary pressure
Example
Raising interest rates can help **balance out inflation**.
phrasal-verb

shell out

Meaning
to pay money, especially when you don’t want to
Example
We had to **shell out** $200 for the concert tickets.
phrasal-verb

open up trade

Meaning
to make international trade easier by removing barriers
Example
The new agreement will **open up trade** between the two nations.
idiom

take the wheel

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
It's time for the new manager to **take the wheel**.
idiom

a blank canvas

Meaning
a person or situation that can be developed freely
Example
Starting a new project is like working with **a blank canvas**.
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

upload your brain

Meaning
to transfer or store one’s thoughts, knowledge, or consciousness digitally
Example
One day we might be able to **upload our brain** into the cloud.
phrasal-verb

adapt in

Meaning
to adjust oneself to a new cultural environment or setting
Example
It takes time to **adapt in** a new cultural setting when moving abroad.
idiom

join at the hip

Meaning
to be very close and spend a lot of time together
Example
Since childhood, they’ve been **joined at the hip**.
idiom

fend off

Meaning
to defend against something or someone
Example
They installed lights to **fend off** raccoons in the yard.
idiom

blow away

Meaning
to impress or surprise someone very much
Example
Her singing **blew me away**.
phrasal-verb

take part

Meaning
to participate or be involved in an activity
Example
Many people **take part** in the annual marathon as a hobby.
idiom

by trial and error

Meaning
learning by experimenting and correcting mistakes
Example
We developed the best method **by trial and error**.
phrasal-verb

shift perspective

Meaning
to change the way you think about failure
Example
Try to **shift perspective** and see failure as a learning step.
phrasal-verb

cut in line

Meaning
to move ahead of others waiting in a queue
Example
It’s considered rude to **cut in line** at the counter.
phrasal-verb

stand up against injustice

Meaning
to resist unfair treatment or oppression
Example
Citizens gathered to **stand up against injustice** in their country.
idiom

Burn the bridges

Meaning
to destroy the possibility of returning to a previous situation
Example
Once he left the company, he decided to **burn the bridges** and not look back.
phrasal-verb

acknowledge someone for

Meaning
to recognize and thank someone for their help or contribution
Example
The company **acknowledged her for** her dedication and teamwork.