fight off
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phrasal-verb

fight off

Meaning
to resist or defend against illness or attack
Example
She’s trying to **fight off** a cold before her trip.
idiom

stick together

Meaning
to stay close and support each other
Example
In tough times, good friends **stick together**.
idiom

alien concept

Meaning
something unfamiliar or strange
Example
Honesty seems like an **alien concept** to him.
phrasal-verb

doze off

Meaning
to fall asleep, especially unintentionally
Example
I often **doze off** while watching TV at night.
phrasal-verb

ask for

Meaning
to request something
Example
You should **ask for** help if you can’t finish the task.
idiom

the proof is in the pudding

Meaning
the real value of something can only be judged when it's put to use
Example
He claims the app is great, but **the proof is in the pudding**.
idiom

forever grateful

Meaning
thankful for something for a long time
Example
I’ll be **forever grateful** for what you’ve done.
idiom

food for thought

Meaning
something that makes you think seriously
Example
His comment gave me **food for thought**.
phrasal-verb

tie into

Meaning
to connect or link closely with something
Example
This project **ties into** our long-term digital strategy.
phrasal-verb

use sparingly

Meaning
to use something in small or limited amounts
Example
Please **use** the office supplies **sparingly** until the next order arrives.
phrasal-verb

learn from differences

Meaning
to gain understanding or wisdom by observing cultural contrasts
Example
We can **learn from differences** instead of judging them.
idiom

Boom and bust

Meaning
A period of great prosperity followed by a sharp decline.
Example
The real estate market often experiences **boom and bust** cycles.
phrasal-verb

get into

Meaning
to start enjoying or developing an interest in something
Example
He recently **got into** yoga to improve his flexibility.
phrasal-verb

hold back criticism

Meaning
to avoid saying negative things unnecessarily
Example
In polite conversation, it’s wise to **hold back criticism**.
phrasal-verb

zone back

Meaning
to return mental focus after distraction or stress
Example
After a short break, I managed to **zone back** into my work.
idiom

Cultural melting pot

Meaning
A place where different cultures blend together
Example
New York is often described as a **cultural melting pot**.
idiom

you’ve got this

Meaning
to reassure someone that they can handle a situation
Example
Don’t worry about the presentation—**you’ve got this**!
idiom

cut someone some slack

Meaning
to be less critical or give someone a break
Example
You should **cut him some slack**—he’s having a tough day.
idiom

pull rank

Meaning
to use one's authority to gain an advantage
Example
He **pulled rank** to get the last seat on the plane.
idiom

call the tune

Meaning
to be in control; to make important decisions
Example
In this company, the investors **call the tune**.
phrasal-verb

tear up with joy

Meaning
to start crying because of happiness
Example
She **tore up with joy** when she heard the good news.
phrasal-verb

break out crying

Meaning
to suddenly start crying
Example
She **broke out crying** when she heard the sad news.
idiom

shoot from the hip

Meaning
to speak or act without thinking carefully
Example
He tends to **shoot from the hip** during meetings.
phrasal-verb

tremble with excitement

Meaning
to shake slightly because of excitement
Example
He **trembled with excitement** before the announcement.
idiom

weather the storm

Meaning
to survive a difficult situation
Example
Our company managed to **weather the storm** during the crisis.
phrasal-verb

build towards

Meaning
to develop something gradually to reach a goal
Example
He is slowly **building towards** his dream project.
phrasal-verb

hand in through

Meaning
to submit work using an online platform
Example
All assignments must be **handed in through** the company portal.
phrasal-verb

get around

Meaning
to overcome rules or obstacles
Example
Some exporters try to **get around** strict trade regulations.
phrasal-verb

adjust back

Meaning
to return to a previous state or routine after a change
Example
It took her a while to **adjust back** to her normal schedule after the project ended.
idiom

political mileage

Meaning
advantage gained from a political situation
Example
Opposition leaders tried to gain **political mileage** from the crisis.
idiom

hear something through the grapevine

Meaning
to hear news or rumors indirectly
Example
I **heard through the grapevine** that they are getting married.
phrasal-verb

stand firm on

Meaning
to remain strong in one's beliefs or decisions
Example
True leaders **stand firm on** their principles even under pressure.
idiom

the scales of justice

Meaning
the system or symbol representing fairness and equality in law
Example
The judge ensures that **the scales of justice** remain balanced.
idiom

raise the roof

Meaning
to make a lot of noise; to celebrate loudly
Example
The crowd **raised the roof** when the team won.
idiom

get the word out

Meaning
to spread information or make something widely known
Example
We need to **get the word out** about our new service.
phrasal-verb

cut back on spending

Meaning
to reduce the amount of money spent on something
Example
To control inflation, the government decided to **cut back on spending**.
idiom

flat broke

Meaning
having no money at all
Example
I was **flat broke** after paying all my bills this month.
phrasal-verb

put up with

Meaning
to tolerate or endure something unpleasant
Example
I can't **put up with** his rude behavior anymore.
phrasal-verb

break away for a moment

Meaning
to step aside from work or tension for a short time
Example
I like to **break away for a moment** to clear my head.
idiom

raise a toast

Meaning
to honor someone or something with a drink
Example
We **raised a toast** to the newlyweds.
idiom

bounce rate

Meaning
the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page
Example
We need to lower our **bounce rate** to keep visitors engaged.
idiom

strike a balance

Meaning
to find a satisfactory compromise between two things
Example
It’s hard to **strike a balance** between career and family.
idiom

keep one's cards close to the chest

Meaning
to keep one's plans or intentions secret
Example
During the negotiations, she **kept her cards close to the chest**.
idiom

like a kid in a candy store

Meaning
very excited and happy about many options or things
Example
He was **like a kid in a candy store** when he saw all the gadgets.
idiom

reboot your life

Meaning
to start over or make a fresh beginning
Example
After losing his job, he decided to **reboot his life**.
phrasal-verb

scale up operations

Meaning
to expand the size or capacity of business or production
Example
To meet global demand, the company decided to **scale up operations**.
phrasal-verb

carry out plans

Meaning
to execute or implement something as planned
Example
The team successfully carried out the new strategy.
idiom

Push yourself

Meaning
Try to do better or go beyond your limits.
Example
You won’t improve unless you **push yourself**.
idiom

black box thinking

Meaning
analyzing unknown processes by studying their inputs and outputs
Example
In AI research, **black box thinking** helps improve transparency.
phrasal-verb

set apart from

Meaning
to make something or someone different or distinctive
Example
Their unique approach **set them apart from** competitors.
phrasal-verb

look in on

Meaning
to visit briefly to see if someone is fine
Example
I’ll **look in on** Grandma after work to make sure she’s okay.
idiom

Unicorn company

Meaning
A startup valued at over one billion dollars.
Example
Becoming a **unicorn company** is every founder’s dream.
phrasal-verb

catch on with

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

summarize takeaways for

Meaning
to recap key lessons for a person or group
Example
I **summarize takeaways for** the team in a two-minute voice note.
idiom

have a heavy heart

Meaning
to feel deep sadness or sorrow
Example
He left the city **with a heavy heart**.
phrasal-verb

geek out over

Meaning
to get very excited discussing a favorite topic
Example
We **geek out over** new space missions every Friday livestream.
phrasal-verb

frame setbacks as lessons

Meaning
to describe problems as opportunities to learn
Example
We **frame setbacks as lessons** so the team stays optimistic.
phrasal-verb

close in on

Meaning
to get nearer to achieving something
Example
After several meetings, we are finally **closing in on** an agreement.
idiom

to put it bluntly

Meaning
to express an opinion in a direct and straightforward way
Example
**To put it bluntly**, you were wrong.
phrasal-verb

breathe out

Meaning
to slowly exhale to release tension
Example
Take a deep breath and **breathe out** all your worries.
phrasal-verb

connect with

Meaning
to understand or share similar feelings with someone
Example
I immediately **connected with** her because we had similar life experiences.
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

Keep fighting the good fight

Meaning
Continue your efforts even when facing challenges.
Example
You may not see results yet, but **keep fighting the good fight**.
phrasal-verb

hold with

Meaning
to agree with or approve of something
Example
I don’t **hold with** lying under any circumstances.
phrasal-verb

tie nations together through

Meaning
to link countries through shared economic activities
Example
Free trade agreements **tie nations together through** common benefits.
idiom

have a blast

Meaning
to have a really good time
Example
We **had a blast** at the concert last night!
phrasal-verb

filter out tension

Meaning
to remove or block stressful emotions or thoughts
Example
Yoga helps you **filter out tension** from your body and mind.
phrasal-verb

cut down on debts

Meaning
to reduce the amount of debt owed
Example
The company must **cut down on debts** to improve its financial stability.
idiom

cream of the crop

Meaning
the best of a group; the finest selection
Example
These students are the **cream of the crop**.
idiom

jump out of one’s skin

Meaning
to be extremely excited or surprised
Example
I almost **jumped out of my skin** when I saw my old friend after years.
idiom

cool as a cucumber

Meaning
very calm and composed
Example
He stayed **cool as a cucumber** during the meeting.
phrasal-verb

step down costs

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

come clean

Meaning
to tell the truth about something you have been hiding
Example
He finally **came clean** about what happened.
phrasal-verb

drive up prices

Meaning
to cause prices to increase
Example
High demand for oil has **driven up prices** around the world.
phrasal-verb

bring in ideas

Meaning
to introduce or contribute new ideas
Example
He encouraged the team to bring in new ideas for the project.
phrasal-verb

dig in for

Meaning
to prepare yourself for sustained effort
Example
The team **digs in for** late nights ahead of launch week.
idiom

make your blood run cold

Meaning
to cause extreme fear or horror
Example
The ghost story **made my blood run cold**.
idiom

down the road

Meaning
in the future
Example
We may expand to other countries **down the road**.
phrasal-verb

fill up

Meaning
to eat enough food so that you are full
Example
That soup really **filled me up**.
phrasal-verb

appeal against

Meaning
to formally ask for a change in a court decision
Example
The defendant plans to **appeal against** the verdict.
phrasal-verb

lean into uncertainty

Meaning
to accept and embrace the unknown aspects of change
Example
Successful leaders **lean into uncertainty** rather than fear it.
idiom

in one piece

Meaning
safe and unharmed after a difficult situation
Example
Luckily, everyone came out **in one piece** after the accident.
idiom

run out of steam

Meaning
to lose energy or enthusiasm
Example
After working all day, I completely **ran out of steam**.
idiom

actions speak louder than words

Meaning
what people do is more important than what they say
Example
**Actions speak louder than words**, so prove it with effort.
phrasal-verb

cool your temper

Meaning
to become calm after being angry
Example
He went for a walk to **cool his temper** before talking to her.
idiom

be thick as thieves

Meaning
to be very close friends
Example
Those two have been **thick as thieves** since childhood.
idiom

spread sunshine

Meaning
to make others happy with your positivity
Example
Her smile always **spreads sunshine** wherever she goes.
idiom

hear it through the grapevine

Meaning
to hear a rumor or unofficial news
Example
I **heard it through the grapevine** that they broke up.
idiom

the writing on the wall

Meaning
a sign that something bad will happen soon
Example
When sales started falling, the manager saw **the writing on the wall**.
idiom

fall through the cracks

Meaning
to be overlooked or neglected
Example
I forgot to follow up on his application and it **fell through the cracks**.
idiom

catch some z’s

Meaning
to get some sleep
Example
I need to **catch some z’s** before the meeting.
idiom

ground control

Meaning
authority or people managing a situation
Example
In this project, Sarah is **ground control**.
phrasal-verb

stir up demand

Meaning
to increase or stimulate consumer demand
Example
Lower interest rates can **stir up demand** for housing and cars.
idiom

give thanks

Meaning
to express gratitude
Example
We should always **give thanks** for what we have.
idiom

big brother

Meaning
an older brother or someone who behaves protectively
Example
Mark acts like a **big brother** to everyone in the neighborhood.
idiom

down to the wire

Meaning
until the very last moment; close to the deadline
Example
The game went **down to the wire**, but they won in the end.
phrasal-verb

chime with

Meaning
to agree or align with someone’s opinion in a group call
Example
Her suggestion really **chimed with** what the team was thinking.
idiom

born in the purple

Meaning
born into a wealthy or royal family
Example
He was **born in the purple**, so wealth was never an issue.
phrasal-verb

hand back

Meaning
to return something to its owner, especially after checking it
Example
The professor **handed back** the graded assignments on Monday.
phrasal-verb

lead the way for

Meaning
to create an example that others can follow
Example
Community leaders **lead the way for** safer streets by volunteering weekends.
idiom

a front-page story

Meaning
a news story that is important enough to be placed on the front page of a newspaper
Example
The fire in the city center was **a front-page story** for the national newspapers.
phrasal-verb

work around challenges

Meaning
to find a way to deal with or bypass difficulties during change
Example
We had to **work around challenges** to complete the migration.
phrasal-verb

glow with pride

Meaning
to look very proud or pleased
Example
He **glowed with pride** when his daughter won the award.
idiom

take flak

Meaning
to receive strong criticism
Example
The government **took flak** for its poor handling of the crisis.
idiom

get a foot in the door

Meaning
to take the first step towards achieving something, especially a job
Example
He took an internship to **get a foot in the door** of the company.
idiom

feather in one’s cap

Meaning
an achievement to be proud of
Example
Winning the national award was a real **feather in his cap**.
idiom

Golden goose

Meaning
A source of continuous profit or success.
Example
Tourism has been the country's **golden goose** for years.
idiom

speak out

Meaning
to express an opinion openly and boldly
Example
Employees are encouraged to **speak out** about improvements.
phrasal-verb

bottle out

Meaning
to decide not to express your feelings because of fear or shyness
Example
He wanted to tell her how he felt but **bottled out** at the last moment.
phrasal-verb

post up

Meaning
to upload or share something online
Example
She **posted up** her vacation photos on Facebook.
idiom

on good terms with

Meaning
having a friendly and positive relationship with someone
Example
She’s **on good terms with** her ex-husband for the kids’ sake.
idiom

filter out

Meaning
to remove unwanted parts from something
Example
Use this tool to **filter out** spam messages.
phrasal-verb

hold to

Meaning
to keep following a promise, rule, or plan
Example
She always **holds to** her daily routine, no matter what.
idiom

synergy effect

Meaning
the increased effectiveness or value that results from two or more companies working together
Example
The partnership created a **synergy effect**, benefiting both companies.
idiom

go under the knife

Meaning
to have a surgical operation
Example
He had to **go under the knife** to fix his knee injury.
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.
idiom

take the high road

Meaning
to act morally or kindly even when others don't
Example
She decided to **take the high road** and forgive him.
phrasal-verb

break news to

Meaning
to share important or upsetting information with someone
Example
He had to **break news to** his editor about the source backing out.
idiom

garbage in, garbage out

Meaning
flawed input data will produce flawed results
Example
If the training data is poor, the AI model will fail — **garbage in, garbage out**.
phrasal-verb

add up to

Meaning
to result in a total amount; to make sense financially
Example
All these small expenses **add up to** a large amount by the end of the month.
idiom

have butterflies in your stomach

Meaning
to feel very nervous about something
Example
She always **has butterflies in her stomach** before exams.