fight back
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phrasal-verb

fight back

Meaning
to try to control or resist strong emotions
Example
He **fought back** his tears during the farewell speech.
phrasal-verb

stay up late

Meaning
to go to bed later than usual, often to study
Example
Many students **stay up late** studying before exams.
phrasal-verb

send out

Meaning
to distribute or send invitations to people
Example
We need to **send out** the invitations by tomorrow.
idiom

Sow the seeds

Meaning
To begin a process that will develop in the future.
Example
Her small donations **sowed the seeds** of a larger charity movement.
phrasal-verb

shut off emotions

Meaning
to stop feeling or expressing emotions
Example
He learned to **shut off his emotions** to protect himself.
phrasal-verb

set out

Meaning
to begin an action with a clear purpose or plan
Example
The leader **set out** to build a more collaborative culture.
phrasal-verb

sum up

Meaning
to summarize or express something briefly
Example
Let me **sum up** the key points before we finish.
idiom

Put the pedal to the metal

Meaning
To push harder and make a greater effort.
Example
We need to **put the pedal to the metal** if we want to meet the deadline.
phrasal-verb

shoot for

Meaning
to try to achieve a goal or aim for something high
Example
You should always **shoot for** the highest standards.
idiom

wise up

Meaning
to become aware or informed about something
Example
It’s time to **wise up** and start saving money.
idiom

have a heart

Meaning
to show compassion or kindness
Example
**Have a heart**, he didn’t mean to hurt you.
idiom

a taste of your own medicine

Meaning
to experience the same unpleasantness you caused to others
Example
He was rude to everyone, but now he’s getting **a taste of his own medicine**.
idiom

pull someone’s weight

Meaning
to do one's fair share of work in a group
Example
Everyone in the team **pulls their weight** to succeed.
phrasal-verb

think ahead to

Meaning
to consider what will happen in the future and make plans for it
Example
You should **think ahead to** where you want to be in five years.
idiom

A watched pot never boils

Meaning
Time feels longer when you are waiting for something.
Example
Don't keep looking at the clock; **a watched pot never boils**.
idiom

come to mind

Meaning
to suddenly remember something
Example
Her name didn’t **come to mind** at first.
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

air out

Meaning
to let fresh air into a space
Example
Open the windows to **air out** the room.
idiom

a daydreamer

Meaning
someone who spends a lot of time thinking about pleasant things rather than working
Example
She’s **a daydreamer** who often forgets what she’s doing.
idiom

Break bread with someone

Meaning
To share a meal; to bond over food
Example
They decided to **break bread** to celebrate their new partnership.
phrasal-verb

square off with

Meaning
to prepare to compete or argue directly with someone
Example
Two teams **square off with** each other in tonight's final.
phrasal-verb

set up

Meaning
to establish or create an organization, system, or structure
Example
They **set up** a new political party to challenge the ruling government.
idiom

clear away

Meaning
to remove things to tidy a space
Example
Please **clear away** the dishes after lunch.
idiom

starry-eyed

Meaning
having naive or unrealistic dreams or hopes
Example
He was **starry-eyed** about becoming a famous singer.
idiom

have your head in the clouds

Meaning
to be daydreaming or not paying attention to reality
Example
He was **having his head in the clouds** during the lecture.
phrasal-verb

build confidence in

Meaning
to create or increase trust in something
Example
The new reforms helped **build confidence in** the financial market.
idiom

take charge

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

A Trojan horse

Meaning
Something intended to secretly undermine or bring harm from within.
Example
The malware acted as **a Trojan horse**, allowing hackers access to private data.
idiom

a workaholic

Meaning
a person who works too much and finds it hard to stop
Example
He’s such **a workaholic**, even on weekends he works.
idiom

pharming

Meaning
a cyber attack that redirects a website’s traffic to a fraudulent site to steal information
Example
The victim's bank details were stolen due to a **pharming** attack.
idiom

Dressed to kill

Meaning
Wearing very fashionable or attractive clothes
Example
She was **dressed to kill** at the party last night.
idiom

Exactly!

Meaning
Used to strongly show agreement
Example
‘It’s time to move on.’ ‘**Exactly!**’
phrasal-verb

cut someone short

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
She tried to explain her point, but he **cut her short** halfway through.
phrasal-verb

phase out debts

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

riding the wave

Meaning
taking advantage of a current trend or success
Example
The company is **riding the wave** of its recent success in the international market.
idiom

new lease of life

Meaning
to give someone or something a fresh start or new energy
Example
The renovation of the old building has given it a **new lease of life**.
idiom

a bone of contention

Meaning
a subject of disagreement or dispute
Example
Money has always been **a bone of contention** between them.
idiom

stroke of genius

Meaning
a brilliant and creative idea or action
Example
That marketing campaign was a **stroke of genius**.
idiom

build character

Meaning
to develop positive qualities or strength through challenges
Example
Going through this process will **build character** in the team.
idiom

keep your head up

Meaning
to remain confident and strong during hardships
Example
**Keep your head up**, better days are coming.
idiom

mad scientist

Meaning
a person who is dangerously or foolishly creative or obsessed with experiments
Example
He looks like a **mad scientist** when he’s working in his lab all night.
idiom

under the hood

Meaning
behind the surface; the underlying mechanism or system
Example
Developers love to see what’s **under the hood** of a new app.
phrasal-verb

breathe in calmness

Meaning
to take deep breaths to feel relaxed and peaceful
Example
Take a moment to **breathe in calmness** and release your worries.
idiom

head off for

Meaning
to depart for a destination
Example
We’ll **head off for** the airport at 5 a.m.
idiom

beyond a reasonable doubt

Meaning
without any logical reason to doubt; with full certainty
Example
The evidence proved his guilt **beyond a reasonable doubt**.
phrasal-verb

speak for yourself

Meaning
to politely clarify that your opinion differs from someone else's
Example
You may think it’s boring, but please **speak for yourself**.
phrasal-verb

go on

Meaning
to happen or take place
Example
The celebration **went on** until midnight with music and dance.
phrasal-verb

reach across

Meaning
to connect or communicate with people from different backgrounds or beliefs
Example
Art has the power to **reach across** cultures and unite people.
phrasal-verb

step down costs

Meaning
to gradually reduce expenses
Example
The company will **step down costs** to increase profitability.
phrasal-verb

rally around for

Meaning
to gather support for a person or cause
Example
Volunteers **rallied around for** the community cleanup in record time.
phrasal-verb

log personal bests

Meaning
to record your top achievements
Example
Athletes **log personal bests** to track how training pays off.
idiom

a snake in the grass

Meaning
a secret enemy
Example
Be careful; there’s **a snake in the grass**.
idiom

the vision thing

Meaning
the ability to imagine and plan the future clearly
Example
Many politicians lack **the vision thing**.
idiom

a wolf in sheep's clothing

Meaning
someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous
Example
He was **a wolf in sheep's clothing**.
idiom

believe in yourself

Meaning
to have confidence in your own abilities
Example
**Believe in yourself** and you can achieve anything.
idiom

have a sense of self-worth

Meaning
to believe that you are valuable and deserve respect
Example
It's important to **have a sense of self-worth** to succeed in life.
phrasal-verb

fight on

Meaning
to continue trying to achieve something despite difficulties
Example
Even when life gets hard, true champions **fight on**.
idiom

Tear down barriers

Meaning
To remove obstacles or prejudices between people.
Example
Education helps to **tear down barriers** between communities.
idiom

get a second wind

Meaning
to have a burst of energy after feeling tired
Example
After a short break, she **got a second wind** and finished the race.
phrasal-verb

side with

Meaning
to support one person or group in an argument or conflict
Example
She always **sides with** her best friend in arguments.
idiom

double-edged sword

Meaning
something that has both positive and negative consequences
Example
AI surveillance is a **double-edged sword** for security and privacy.
phrasal-verb

log lessons from

Meaning
to record what you learned from an experience
Example
We **log lessons from** each sprint in a shared wiki page.
idiom

hold your nerve

Meaning
to remain calm and confident under pressure
Example
She **held her nerve** and finished the speech perfectly.
idiom

keep out

Meaning
to prevent someone or something from entering
Example
Close the windows to **keep out** the dust during the renovation.
idiom

Love me, love my dog

Meaning
If you love someone, you must accept their flaws too.
Example
**Love me, love my dog**—you can’t love me and hate my friends.
phrasal-verb

run into trouble

Meaning
to experience problems or difficulties
Example
We **ran into trouble** when the car suddenly stopped working.
idiom

quick on the uptake

Meaning
able to understand things quickly
Example
You don’t need to explain it twice—he’s **quick on the uptake**.
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

take interest in

Meaning
to show curiosity or enthusiasm about something
Example
He started to **take interest in** local traditions after moving abroad.
idiom

hit the target market

Meaning
to reach the intended audience effectively
Example
Our ads finally **hit the target market** this quarter.
phrasal-verb

stand up for values

Meaning
to defend important beliefs or principles even when it's hard
Example
A respected leader always **stands up for values** under pressure.
idiom

cutting-edge marketing

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

call for peace

Meaning
to publicly ask for an end to conflict
Example
The international community **called for peace** between the rival nations.
idiom

cornerstone of success

Meaning
the most important foundation or element for achieving success
Example
Hard work is the **cornerstone of success**.
phrasal-verb

grow past pain

Meaning
to develop emotionally by overcoming past suffering
Example
It’s never easy to **grow past pain**, but it’s worth it.
idiom

on background

Meaning
information given to a journalist that cannot be attributed to the source
Example
The official spoke **on background** about the new policy.
phrasal-verb

close a deal

Meaning
to successfully reach an agreement or finalize a business transaction
Example
Our company managed to **close a deal** with a top European distributor.
phrasal-verb

press on

Meaning
to continue doing something in a determined way despite difficulties
Example
Although he was tired, he decided to **press on** until he finished the task.
idiom

cast in stone

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

flip out

Meaning
to react with extreme surprise, anger, or excitement
Example
He **flipped out** when he saw the mess in his room.
phrasal-verb

find on

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

tone down for

Meaning
to soften your language or behavior for a situation
Example
She **tones down for** audiences who prefer straightforward facts.
phrasal-verb

green up

Meaning
to make something more environmentally friendly
Example
Our building **greens up** by switching to solar lighting.
idiom

backdoor

Meaning
An undocumented way of accessing a system or software, usually used by hackers to bypass security.
Example
The attacker installed a **backdoor** to access the system at any time without being detected.
idiom

build brand loyalty

Meaning
to create long-term trust and attachment to a brand
Example
Consistent quality helps **build brand loyalty** among customers.
idiom

to nurse someone back to health

Meaning
to help someone recover from illness
Example
She **nursed her mother back to health** after the accident.
idiom

bend the rules

Meaning
to make exceptions; to modify rules slightly
Example
The teacher **bent the rules** to help the new student.
phrasal-verb

check around for

Meaning
to look in different places in search of something
Example
We **check around for** scholarships before settling on a program.
phrasal-verb

break into phases

Meaning
to divide a project into smaller parts or stages
Example
We decided to **break the project into phases** to manage it more effectively.
phrasal-verb

set aside time

Meaning
to reserve a specific amount of time for something important
Example
You should **set aside time** for personal reflection every day.
phrasal-verb

dress up for

Meaning
to wear fancy or formal clothes for an occasion
Example
Everyone **dressed up for** the annual gala dinner.
phrasal-verb

bring back confidence

Meaning
to restore people's trust or optimism
Example
New trade policies are designed to **bring back confidence** in investors.
idiom

faith moves mountains

Meaning
strong belief can achieve great things
Example
Keep believing in yourself—**faith moves mountains**.
idiom

by the skin of one’s teeth

Meaning
To narrowly escape or achieve something by a very small margin.
Example
I passed the exam **by the skin of my teeth**.
idiom

out for blood

Meaning
to be extremely determined to defeat or punish someone
Example
After losing last time, the team is **out for blood** this season.
phrasal-verb

shine through challenges

Meaning
to maintain positivity and confidence during difficulties
Example
She always manages to **shine through challenges** with a smile.
phrasal-verb

lead to

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

stay off

Meaning
to avoid eating or drinking something unhealthy
Example
The doctor told me to **stay off** junk food for a month.
phrasal-verb

clean up after

Meaning
to remove waste or mess left behind by people or animals
Example
Volunteers came to **clean up after** the beach festival.
phrasal-verb

call ahead

Meaning
to phone in advance to make arrangements
Example
You should **call ahead** to reserve a seat.
phrasal-verb

open yourself up to

Meaning
to allow yourself to express feelings or be vulnerable
Example
He learned to **open himself up to** love again.
phrasal-verb

dream up with

Meaning
to invent or imagine something together with someone
Example
The design team **dreamed up with** a clever solution overnight.
idiom

reach out to

Meaning
to contact someone to offer or request help
Example
Feel free to **reach out to** me if you need support.
idiom

take someone aback

Meaning
to surprise or shock someone suddenly
Example
I was **taken aback** by his rude comment.
idiom

under someone's nose

Meaning
in an obvious place or situation where someone should have noticed
Example
The keys were **under my nose** the whole time on the kitchen table.
phrasal-verb

build confidence within

Meaning
to strengthen your belief in yourself from the inside
Example
Through practice and reflection, you can **build confidence within**.
idiom

blow out of the water

Meaning
to surprise or defeat completely
Example
Their performance **blew us out of the water**.
idiom

take with a grain of salt

Meaning
to view something with skepticism or not completely believe it
Example
He's known for exaggerating, so **take his stories with a grain of salt**.
idiom

have a bone to pick

Meaning
to have a complaint or disagreement with someone
Example
I **have a bone to pick** with you about yesterday’s meeting.
idiom

confide in someone

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

a giant leap for mankind

Meaning
a significant or groundbreaking achievement
Example
The first man landing on the moon was truly **a giant leap for mankind**.
phrasal-verb

shift mindset

Meaning
to change the way one thinks about something
Example
Leaders must **shift mindset** to embrace innovation.
idiom

work around

Meaning
to find a practical solution that avoids a problem
Example
We can **work around** the delay by using a backup supplier.
phrasal-verb

care for

Meaning
to look after someone who is sick or in need
Example
He **cares for** his elderly parents every day.
phrasal-verb

go wild

Meaning
to behave in an extremely excited or enthusiastic way
Example
The crowd **went wild** when the team scored the goal.
idiom

talk over someone's head

Meaning
to speak in a way that someone cannot understand
Example
The professor was **talking over our heads** during the lecture.
phrasal-verb

keep up with studies

Meaning
to stay at the same level as others in your academic progress
Example
It's important to **keep up with studies** to avoid falling behind in class.
phrasal-verb

pick back up

Meaning
to resume something after a break
Example
Let’s **pick back up** where we left off yesterday.
idiom

feel the heat

Meaning
to experience pressure or criticism
Example
The manager began to **feel the heat** after the sales dropped.
idiom

empty nest

Meaning
a home where the children have grown up and left
Example
After her kids moved out, she felt the **empty nest** syndrome.
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.