feel torn about
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phrasal-verb

feel torn about

Meaning
to feel conflicted or regretful about a choice or decision
Example
I **feel torn about** leaving my hometown for work.
idiom

to go viral

Meaning
to spread rapidly, especially online
Example
The new research paper **went viral** on social media.
idiom

to be a sponge for knowledge

Meaning
to absorb information eagerly and enthusiastically
Example
She's **a sponge for knowledge**; she reads every book she can find.
idiom

Hold it together with duct tape

Meaning
To keep something functioning despite poor condition or limited resources.
Example
The old car is barely running—we’re **holding it together with duct tape**.
idiom

hang onto

Meaning
to keep something and not give it away
Example
I’ll **hang onto** the receipts in case we need a refund.
idiom

A picture paints a thousand words

Meaning
A visual image can express complex ideas better than words
Example
Cultural symbols remind us that **a picture paints a thousand words**.
idiom

hair stands on end

Meaning
to feel intense fear or horror
Example
The ghost story made my **hair stand on end**.
idiom

knuckle down

Meaning
to start working hard, especially after delaying
Example
It’s time to **knuckle down** and finish this report.
idiom

make someone green

Meaning
to make someone jealous
Example
Her success **made her colleagues green**.
phrasal-verb

show admiration for

Meaning
to express approval and respect
Example
He openly **showed admiration for** her courage.
phrasal-verb

lay things out for

Meaning
to explain or arrange information clearly for a purpose
Example
She **laid things out for** the team so everyone knew their tasks.
idiom

have an axe to grind

Meaning
to have a personal reason to complain or criticize
Example
She **has an axe to grind** with her former employer.
idiom

change of guard

Meaning
a change in leadership or authority
Example
There has been a **change of guard** in the ruling party.
idiom

split hairs

Meaning
to argue about small or unimportant details
Example
Stop **splitting hairs** and focus on the main issue.
phrasal-verb

run out of

Meaning
to finish or exhaust a supply of something
Example
We might **run out of** clean water if we don’t conserve it.
idiom

in full swing

Meaning
at the peak of activity or progress
Example
The dance rehearsal is **in full swing** before the big day.
idiom

take by surprise

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

adapt culturally

Meaning
to adjust behavior or mindset to fit into another culture
Example
When moving abroad, it’s important to **adapt culturally** to the new environment.
phrasal-verb

turn back

Meaning
to go back in the direction you came from
Example
We had to **turn back** because of the heavy rain.
phrasal-verb

fight your way through

Meaning
to continue with determination despite opposition or hardship
Example
He had to **fight his way through** years of struggle to achieve success.
phrasal-verb

come out

Meaning
to be released or published; to become visible
Example
The new movie **came out** last week.
phrasal-verb

open oneself to

Meaning
to allow oneself to experience or understand new ideas or cultures
Example
Living abroad helped him **open himself to** diverse ways of life.
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

have mixed feelings

Meaning
to be uncertain or have both positive and negative emotions
Example
I **have mixed feelings** about moving to another city.
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

space yourself out

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

turn against

Meaning
to stop supporting someone and start opposing them
Example
The public **turned against** the government after the scandal.
phrasal-verb

ramp up exports

Meaning
to increase the volume or rate of exports
Example
The manufacturing sector aims to **ramp up exports** in the next fiscal year.
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!
phrasal-verb

exchange ideas

Meaning
to share thoughts and opinions with others; to discuss concepts
Example
Students **exchange ideas** about traditions during the cultural fair.
idiom

wrap your head around

Meaning
to understand or comprehend something difficult
Example
It took me a while to **wrap my head around** the new software.
phrasal-verb

build up patience

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

break down barriers

Meaning
to remove misunderstandings or divisions between people or cultures
Example
Art and music can **break down barriers** between different cultures.
phrasal-verb

zone within

Meaning
to turn your focus inward for calm and peace
Example
Meditation helps you **zone within** and find balance.
idiom

Best foot forward

Meaning
To try to make the best possible impression
Example
She always puts her **best foot forward** on important occasions.
idiom

to have faith in yourself

Meaning
to trust your own abilities and potential
Example
If you want to succeed, you need to **have faith in yourself**.
idiom

the luck of the draw

Meaning
something decided by chance
Example
You can’t choose your team; it’s **the luck of the draw**.
idiom

against the odds

Meaning
to succeed despite many difficulties or challenges
Example
They won the game **against all odds**, proving their hard work paid off.
idiom

There’s always hope

Meaning
No matter how bad things look, you can still hope.
Example
Don’t lose heart — **there’s always hope**.
phrasal-verb

firm up decisions

Meaning
to confirm choices after considering options
Example
Let's **firm up decisions** now so vendors can start work tomorrow.
idiom

an apple a day keeps the doctor away

Meaning
eating healthy food helps you stay well
Example
My mom always says, '**An apple a day keeps the doctor away**.'
phrasal-verb

run across

Meaning
to find or meet something or someone by chance
Example
I **ran across** an interesting article online.
idiom

cut loose

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

look kindly upon

Meaning
to regard someone or something with appreciation or favor
Example
She **looked kindly upon** the people who helped her career.
phrasal-verb

call for action

Meaning
to demand people to do something to solve a problem
Example
The protest **called for action** on climate change.
idiom

back on one’s feet

Meaning
to recover and be healthy again
Example
After a few days of rest, he’s finally **back on his feet**.
idiom

take a load off

Meaning
to sit down and relax, especially after working hard
Example
Come in and **take a load off**.
phrasal-verb

go through

Meaning
to study or read something carefully
Example
You should **go through** the textbook before the quiz.
phrasal-verb

lean on friends

Meaning
to depend on friends for emotional support
Example
When life gets tough, don’t be afraid to **lean on friends**.
idiom

Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion

Meaning
A person in a position of trust must be beyond any hint of wrongdoing.
Example
A judge should remember that **Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion**.
idiom

at the end of the rope

Meaning
to have no more patience or strength left to deal with a problem
Example
She’s **at the end of her rope** trying to manage her work and family together.
idiom

steam coming out of your ears

Meaning
to look or feel extremely angry
Example
He had **steam coming out of his ears** after the argument.
phrasal-verb

step down from power

Meaning
to resign or give up a position of authority
Example
The president agreed to **step down from power** after the election results.
phrasal-verb

call into question

Meaning
to doubt or challenge something
Example
The report **called into question** the company’s honesty.
phrasal-verb

revive through

Meaning
to bring back to life or strength by specific efforts
Example
The stimulus package helped **revive through** major industrial investment.
idiom

hold your horses

Meaning
to be patient; to wait
Example
**Hold your horses**! The show hasn’t started yet.
phrasal-verb

turn up the music

Meaning
to increase the volume of music
Example
They **turned up the music** when everyone started dancing.
phrasal-verb

smooth out

Meaning
to make emotions or problems less rough or intense
Example
Time will **smooth out** the pain you’re feeling now.
idiom

The Midas touch

Meaning
The ability to make money or succeed in everything one does.
Example
She seems to have **the Midas touch**—every project she starts becomes a success.
phrasal-verb

spread out investment

Meaning
to diversify investments to reduce risk
Example
It's wise to **spread out investment** across different sectors.
phrasal-verb

deal out

Meaning
to distribute something to several people
Example
The teacher **dealt out** the exam papers.
phrasal-verb

step back from tension

Meaning
to distance yourself from a stressful situation to regain perspective
Example
Sometimes it's best to **step back from tension** and reassess things calmly.
phrasal-verb

call for change

Meaning
to demand reforms or modifications in policy or system
Example
The activists **called for change** in the voting system.
idiom

lead generation

Meaning
the process of attracting and converting strangers into potential customers
Example
We’re focusing on **lead generation** through free webinars.
idiom

show the ropes

Meaning
to teach someone how to do a job or task
Example
It took me a while to **show the ropes** to the new employee, but now they’re doing well.
idiom

strength in numbers

Meaning
greater power comes from a larger group
Example
We can win this battle if we stick together, there's **strength in numbers**.
phrasal-verb

build inner peace

Meaning
to create a state of calm and balance inside yourself
Example
Meditation helps you **build inner peace** and clarity.
idiom

Light a fire under someone

Meaning
To motivate someone to take action or work harder.
Example
The coach’s speech really **lit a fire under** the players.
phrasal-verb

spur on innovation

Meaning
to encourage or stimulate creativity and new ideas
Example
Government incentives have **spurred on innovation** in the tech sector.
idiom

A shot in the dark

Meaning
a guess or attempt made without knowing much or anything about the result
Example
His idea about solving the problem was just **a shot in the dark**.
phrasal-verb

comfort someone through

Meaning
to help someone emotionally during a difficult time
Example
She **comforted him through** his toughest days.
phrasal-verb

cut across inequalities

Meaning
to affect or involve people of all social and economic levels
Example
Climate change issues **cut across inequalities** and impact everyone.
idiom

make strides

Meaning
to make noticeable progress
Example
The company has really **made strides** in product development.
phrasal-verb

look back at

Meaning
to think about something that happened in the past
Example
When I **look back at** my college days, I realize how much I’ve learned.
phrasal-verb

cut down costs

Meaning
to reduce expenses
Example
The manager suggested ways to **cut down** costs without affecting quality.
phrasal-verb

hold elections

Meaning
to organize and conduct voting for leadership
Example
The commission will **hold elections** in all districts next month.
idiom

Band together

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

bare your soul

Meaning
to share your deepest feelings or secrets honestly
Example
She **bared her soul** to her best friend.
phrasal-verb

turn towards

Meaning
to start focusing on a new direction or field
Example
After years in law, he decided to **turn towards** teaching.
idiom

a ticking time bomb

Meaning
A situation or person that could become dangerous at any moment.
Example
His anger issues make him **a ticking time bomb**.
phrasal-verb

look for

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

zero in on goals

Meaning
to focus all attention and effort on achieving something
Example
The team needs to **zero in on goals** to stay efficient.
idiom

step up to the plate

Meaning
to take responsibility for doing something important
Example
When the leader resigned, she **stepped up to the plate** and took charge.
idiom

give ground

Meaning
to make concessions or yield in a discussion
Example
He finally **gave ground** on the pricing issue.
idiom

head back to

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
Let’s **head back to** the office after lunch.
phrasal-verb

cut off funding

Meaning
to stop providing financial support
Example
The government **cut off funding** for several development projects.
idiom

have a one-track mind

Meaning
to think about only one thing all the time
Example
He **has a one-track mind** when it comes to his business.
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**.
phrasal-verb

boost up

Meaning
to increase or enhance something such as production or growth
Example
The new incentives will **boost up** industrial productivity.
phrasal-verb

fork out

Meaning
to spend money unwillingly
Example
We had to **fork out** a lot of money for the car repairs.
idiom

cross your heart

Meaning
to make a sincere promise
Example
I’ll never tell anyone, **cross my heart**.
phrasal-verb

stand firm for

Meaning
to remain supportive and steady for someone or something you believe in
Example
She **stood firm for** her friend even when others doubted him.
phrasal-verb

carry yourself with

Meaning
to present yourself in a confident and dignified way
Example
He always **carries himself with** confidence and calmness.
idiom

to goof up

Meaning
to make a silly or careless mistake
Example
She **goofed up** the numbers in the report.
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.
idiom

Frankenstein’s monster

Meaning
A creation that turns against its creator.
Example
Social media became a **Frankenstein’s monster** for its inventors.
idiom

brighten someone's day

Meaning
to make someone feel happier
Example
Her kindness really **brightened my day**.
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

look into

Meaning
to investigate or examine something
Example
They promised to **look into** the billing error today.
phrasal-verb

rebuild confidence

Meaning
to regain self-assurance after emotional setbacks
Example
He slowly **rebuilt confidence** after losing everything.
phrasal-verb

open your heart

Meaning
to become more emotionally available or loving
Example
She decided to **open her heart** to love again.
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

do someone a favor

Meaning
to help someone out of kindness
Example
Could you **do me a favor** and close the window?
idiom

the world is your oyster

Meaning
you can achieve anything you want in life
Example
With your talent, **the world is your oyster**.
idiom

tag along

Meaning
to join someone’s online activity or conversation uninvited
Example
He just **tagged along** in our group chat without asking.
idiom

pull the plug

Meaning
to stop something; to end support for a project or activity
Example
The company decided to **pull the plug** on the outdated app.
idiom

set the bar high

Meaning
to establish high standards or expectations
Example
Her achievements have **set the bar high** for future leaders.
idiom

steal the spotlight

Meaning
to get all the attention, often taking it away from someone else
Example
The little girl **stole the spotlight** at the wedding with her adorable dance.
idiom

to hit the books

Meaning
to study intensely
Example
I need to **hit the books** if I want to pass the exam.
idiom

sharp as a tack

Meaning
very intelligent or quick-thinking
Example
She's **sharp as a tack** and always has the best answers in class.
idiom

plan B

Meaning
an alternative plan if the first one fails
Example
We should have a **plan B** in case things go wrong.
phrasal-verb

level out

Meaning
to stop rising or falling and become stable
Example
Inflation rates are expected to **level out** by the end of the year.
phrasal-verb

think back

Meaning
to remember or reflect on something from the past
Example
When I **think back** to my first job, I realize how much I’ve grown.
phrasal-verb

get away with

Meaning
to do something wrong without being punished
Example
He thought he could **get away with** cheating on the test.
phrasal-verb

hold it in

Meaning
to stop yourself from showing emotion
Example
He tried to **hold it in**, but the tears came anyway.
idiom

beyond the pale

Meaning
outside acceptable rules or standards
Example
His behavior was **beyond the pale**.
phrasal-verb

lock in focus

Meaning
to give complete attention to the task at hand
Example
I **lock in focus** before presenting the quarterly strategy.
phrasal-verb

live with

Meaning
to accept and endure something unpleasant or regrettable
Example
He’ll have to **live with** his decision for the rest of his life.
phrasal-verb

listen with respect

Meaning
to pay attention and value other people’s perspectives during communication
Example
To understand others, we must **listen with respect** to their stories.
idiom

cold fish

Meaning
a person who is unemotional or lacks warmth
Example
He’s such a **cold fish**; he never shows his feelings.