firewall
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idiom

firewall

Meaning
A security system designed to protect a network from unauthorized access.
Example
The company installed a **firewall** to protect sensitive data from cyber attacks.
idiom

corner the market

Meaning
to dominate a particular market
Example
They’ve managed to **corner the market** in organic products.
idiom

down to earth

Meaning
practical and realistic
Example
Despite her fame, she’s very **down to earth**.
idiom

True friends stab you in the front

Meaning
A true friend tells you harsh truths to your face.
Example
She’s not afraid to tell me the truth, because **true friends stab you in the front**.
idiom

when one door closes, another opens

Meaning
when one opportunity is lost, another appears
Example
Don’t be upset about the rejection—**when one door closes, another opens**.
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

yellow-bellied

Meaning
very cowardly
Example
He’s too **yellow-bellied** to stand up for himself.
idiom

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

Meaning
It's important to maintain good relationships with your friends, but it's equally important to understand your enemies.
Example
He always watches his competitors carefully because he believes in **keeping your friends close and your enemies closer**.
idiom

in the doldrums

Meaning
feeling sad or bored for a long time
Example
He’s been **in the doldrums** since his team lost.
idiom

kick up your heels

Meaning
to enjoy yourself by dancing or celebrating
Example
Everyone was ready to **kick up their heels** at the reunion.
idiom

have confidence in

Meaning
to trust or believe in someone’s ability
Example
I **have confidence in** your judgment.
idiom

face the consequences

Meaning
to accept the results of your actions, whether good or bad
Example
You will have to **face the consequences** of your actions.
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

a little bird told me

Meaning
someone told me something secretly
Example
A **little bird told me** that you got a new job.
idiom

throw one's hat in the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s intention to compete for a position or office
Example
Several candidates have **thrown their hats in the ring** for the presidency.
idiom

comic relief

Meaning
a funny moment in a serious situation
Example
The movie’s sidekick provided much-needed **comic relief**.
idiom

step up your game

Meaning
to improve your performance or effort
Example
You need to **step up your game** if you want to win.
idiom

The more you know, the more you realize you don’t

Meaning
The more you learn, the more you understand how much there is left to learn.
Example
**The more you know, the more you realize you don’t** — that’s the beauty of curiosity.
idiom

mentor from the sidelines

Meaning
to guide someone without directly getting involved in their work
Example
Sometimes, the best leaders **mentor from the sidelines** and let others take charge.
idiom

keep one's nose to the grindstone

Meaning
to work hard and continuously
Example
If you **keep your nose to the grindstone**, you'll achieve your goals.
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.
idiom

keyboard warrior

Meaning
someone who posts aggressive or angry comments online
Example
He acts tough online, but he’s just a **keyboard warrior**.
idiom

A bright future lies ahead

Meaning
there is hope for success in the future
Example
With his talent and hard work, **a bright future lies ahead** for him.
idiom

build from the ground up

Meaning
to start something from the very beginning
Example
They **built their business from the ground up** with no investors.
idiom

bounce back from

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback
Example
The team needs to **bounce back from** last week's loss.
idiom

Go bust

Meaning
To go bankrupt or out of business.
Example
Many small banks **went bust** during the financial crisis.
idiom

lay up

Meaning
to keep something in reserve for later use
Example
We should **lay up** extra supplies before winter.
idiom

phase back in

Meaning
to reintroduce something gradually
Example
We’ll **phase back in** office days next quarter.
idiom

take center stage

Meaning
to be the main focus of attention
Example
The issue of climate change **took center stage** at the conference.
idiom

smile from ear to ear

Meaning
to have a big, broad smile showing happiness
Example
He was **smiling from ear to ear** after the interview.
idiom

a fair game

Meaning
a situation where both parties have equal opportunities to succeed or compromise
Example
The terms of the contract were discussed until both sides agreed it was **a fair game**.
idiom

Fall seven times, stand up eight

Meaning
Keep trying even after multiple failures.
Example
Life is tough, but remember to **fall seven times, stand up eight**.
idiom

a picture is worth a thousand words

Meaning
a visual image can express complex ideas better than words
Example
That photo truly proves that **a picture is worth a thousand words**.
idiom

cover your bases

Meaning
to prepare for all possible outcomes; to be cautious
Example
Make sure you **cover your bases** before presenting the report.
idiom

A rising tide lifts all boats

Meaning
When the economy improves, everyone benefits to some extent.
Example
When the new policies boosted trade, people said that **a rising tide lifts all boats**.
idiom

salt of the earth

Meaning
a very good and honest person
Example
My grandfather was the **salt of the earth**.
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

diplomatic tightrope

Meaning
a delicate situation requiring careful diplomacy
Example
The president walked a **diplomatic tightrope** between the two rival nations.
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**.
idiom

down in the dumps

Meaning
feeling sad or depressed
Example
He’s been **down in the dumps** since he lost his job.
idiom

burn a hole in one's pocket

Meaning
to spend money quickly or irresponsibly
Example
After receiving his bonus, he couldn't resist and **burned a hole in his pocket** by buying a new car.
idiom

go with your gut

Meaning
to trust your instinct when making a decision
Example
Sometimes you just have to **go with your gut**.
idiom

get one's ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things in a proper and efficient way
Example
Before we begin, we need to **get our ducks in a row** and finalize the plan.
idiom

hammer out a deal

Meaning
to reach an agreement after long discussion
Example
They spent hours to **hammer out a deal** that satisfied both sides.
idiom

put in a good word for someone

Meaning
to say something positive about someone in order to help them
Example
I will **put in a good word for you** with the manager.
idiom

spread kindness like wildfire

Meaning
to spread kindness rapidly and uncontrollably
Example
Her acts of kindness **spread like wildfire** in the community.
idiom

cut through the red tape

Meaning
to remove bureaucratic obstacles or delays
Example
The new policy helps **cut through the red tape** and speed up approvals.
idiom

butterflies in my stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or anxious
Example
I had **butterflies in my stomach** before the interview.
idiom

in the wrong

Meaning
to be responsible for a mistake or bad situation.
Example
He knew he was **in the wrong** for shouting at her.
idiom

work hand in hand

Meaning
to work closely and effectively with someone
Example
The designers and developers **work hand in hand** on the project.
idiom

nip it in the bud

Meaning
to stop a problem before it gets worse
Example
We should **nip it in the bud** before it becomes serious.
idiom

make headway

Meaning
to make progress or advance
Example
We are finally **making headway** with our new project.
idiom

to be on cloud nine

Meaning
to be extremely happy
Example
She was **on cloud nine** after hearing the good news about her promotion.
idiom

let something slip

Meaning
to say something unintentionally that was meant to be secret
Example
She **let it slip** that she was moving abroad.
idiom

sit back

Meaning
to relax and do nothing
Example
Just **sit back** and enjoy the show.
idiom

rags to riches

Meaning
to go from being poor to becoming rich and successful
Example
His life story is a real **rags to riches** tale.
idiom

get worked up

Meaning
to become upset or angry about something
Example
Don’t **get worked up** over minor mistakes.
idiom

All for one and one for all

Meaning
Everyone in the group works together for the common good.
Example
In our company, we believe in the motto, **all for one and one for all**.
idiom

pull yourself together

Meaning
to regain control of your emotions or behavior
Example
Stop crying and **pull yourself together** – we need to find a solution.
idiom

gray matter

Meaning
intelligence or brainpower
Example
It takes a lot of **gray matter** to solve such a complex problem.
idiom

have a heart of gold

Meaning
to be very kind and generous
Example
Everyone loves her because she **has a heart of gold**.
idiom

the calm before the storm

Meaning
a peaceful time before trouble begins
Example
The classroom was silent, like **the calm before the storm**.
idiom

rule the roost

Meaning
to be the most powerful person in a group or family
Example
It’s clear that Mary **rules the roost** in that household.
idiom

to break out in a cold sweat

Meaning
to suddenly become very nervous or afraid
Example
I **broke out in a cold sweat** before giving my first public speech.
idiom

cry one’s eyes out

Meaning
to cry a lot; to weep uncontrollably
Example
She **cried her eyes out** after watching that sad movie.
idiom

blind justice

Meaning
justice that is impartial and not influenced by external factors
Example
**Blind justice** treats everyone the same, regardless of wealth or status.
idiom

rant and rave

Meaning
to shout and complain loudly
Example
He was **ranting and raving** about the bad service.
idiom

words can’t express

Meaning
used to show that you are very thankful beyond words
Example
**Words can’t express** how thankful I am for your support.
idiom

burst of inspiration

Meaning
a sudden feeling of creativity or motivation
Example
He wrote the poem in a **burst of inspiration**.
idiom

turing test

Meaning
a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human
Example
The AI passed the **Turing test**, convincing the judges that it was human-like.
idiom

think twice

Meaning
to reconsider something carefully before acting
Example
You should **think twice** before making that deal.
idiom

take a rain check

Meaning
to decline an offer but suggest doing it another time
Example
Can I **take a rain check** on dinner? I am busy tonight.
idiom

across the board

Meaning
affecting everyone or everything equally
Example
The new tariffs apply **across the board** to all imported goods.
idiom

a feather in one’s cap

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

Make the most of something

Meaning
To use something to its full potential.
Example
You should **make the most of this opportunity**.
idiom

the jury is still out

Meaning
a decision has not yet been made
Example
**The jury is still out** on whether the new policy will work.
idiom

sleep tight

Meaning
to have a good and peaceful sleep
Example
Good night! **Sleep tight** and sweet dreams.
idiom

back out of

Meaning
to withdraw from an agreement or commitment
Example
He **backed out of** the trip at the last minute.
idiom

breathe easy

Meaning
to relax after a stressful or dangerous situation
Example
After the pollution control laws were enforced, people could finally **breathe easy**.
idiom

beyond your wildest dreams

Meaning
better or more amazing than imagined
Example
Her success was **beyond her wildest dreams**.
idiom

swear on one’s life

Meaning
to make a very serious promise that something is true
Example
I **swear on my life**, I didn’t do it!
idiom

hang loose

Meaning
to relax and take things easy
Example
We’re on vacation, so just **hang loose** and enjoy.
B1 idiom

fish out of water

Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Meaning
Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Example
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
idiom

hash it out

Meaning
to discuss a problem thoroughly to find a solution
Example
Let’s sit down and **hash it out** instead of fighting.
idiom

put your faith in the hands of

Meaning
to trust someone with something important
Example
She decided to **put her faith in the hands of** her lawyer for the case.
idiom

to debug a program

Meaning
to identify and fix errors or problems in a computer program
Example
I spent all day **to debug a program** that was causing crashes.
idiom

a couch potato

Meaning
a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
Example
He’s become **a couch potato** since he lost his job.
idiom

model evaluation

Meaning
the process of assessing the accuracy and performance of a trained model
Example
Before deploying the system, we need to perform **model evaluation** to ensure accuracy.
idiom

give out

Meaning
to distribute something
Example
We’ll **give out** the schedules at the door.
idiom

sweep something under the rug

Meaning
to ignore or hide a problem or mistake
Example
Don't just **sweep the issue under the rug**. We need to address it.
idiom

right up one’s alley

Meaning
something that suits one’s interests or abilities perfectly
Example
That cooking workshop is **right up your alley**, you should join!
idiom

fed up with

Meaning
tired or annoyed with something
Example
I'm **fed up with** doing the same thing every day.
idiom

a brave face

Meaning
to pretend to be brave when you are actually scared or worried
Example
She put on **a brave face** despite feeling nervous inside.
idiom

at war with oneself

Meaning
to be conflicted or struggling internally
Example
She is **at war with herself** about the decision to move abroad.
idiom

hammer out

Meaning
to reach an agreement after thorough discussion
Example
They stayed late to **hammer out** the final details of the contract.
idiom

vote down

Meaning
to reject something by voting against it
Example
The board may **vote down** the new proposal.
idiom

Cheer up

Meaning
Become happier; don’t be sad.
Example
It’s not the end of the world—**cheer up**!
idiom

busy as a bee

Meaning
very active or hardworking
Example
She’s **as busy as a bee** preparing for the wedding.
idiom

on the bench

Meaning
serving as a judge in a court
Example
She spent 20 years **on the bench** before retiring.
idiom

Keep one’s eye on the ball

Meaning
To stay focused on achieving a goal.
Example
If you **keep your eye on the ball**, you’ll surely succeed.
idiom

Culture shock

Meaning
A feeling of confusion when encountering a different culture
Example
Moving to Japan gave her a bit of **culture shock** at first.
idiom

feel good about yourself

Meaning
to have positive feelings about who you are or what you do
Example
Doing something kind makes you **feel good about yourself**.
idiom

A negative outlook

Meaning
A pessimistic attitude or perspective
Example
He always has **a negative outlook** on life.
idiom

grasp at straws

Meaning
to try any method to succeed, even if unlikely
Example
He was **grasping at straws** when he suggested that idea.
idiom

ahead of the game

Meaning
to have an advantage or be well prepared
Example
She’s always **ahead of the game** with her planning.
idiom

hit the sack

Meaning
to go to bed
Example
I'm exhausted, so I'm going to **hit the sack** early tonight.
idiom

cover all bases

Meaning
to prepare for all possible situations
Example
Before the presentation, we need to **cover all bases**.
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**.
idiom

a burning desire

Meaning
a strong and intense wish to achieve something
Example
She has **a burning desire** to become the best in her field.
idiom

burn your boats

Meaning
to commit yourself to a course of action without a way back
Example
He **burned his boats** when he quit his job to start a business.
idiom

hit the road running

Meaning
to start something quickly and energetically
Example
We **hit the road running** as soon as the bus arrived.
idiom

party pooper

Meaning
someone who spoils the fun of others
Example
Don’t be a **party pooper**, join the fun!
idiom

caught red-handed

Meaning
to be caught in the act of doing something wrong
Example
The thief was **caught red-handed** stealing the wallet.
idiom

out of harm’s way

Meaning
To be safe from danger or difficulty.
Example
Make sure the children are **out of harm’s way** before lighting the fire.
idiom

let one's hair down

Meaning
to relax and enjoy oneself freely
Example
After the project ended, we all went out to **let our hair down**.
idiom

in my book

Meaning
according to one’s own opinion or standards
Example
**In my book**, honesty comes first.
idiom

make a fuss

Meaning
to complain or get angry about something small or unimportant
Example
She always **makes a fuss** about her food being cold.
idiom

robotic response

Meaning
an emotionless or mechanical reaction
Example
She gave a **robotic response** during the interview.
idiom

in the cloud

Meaning
stored or managed on remote servers via the internet
Example
All our data is now **in the cloud**.
idiom

catch some z’s

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

drama queen

Meaning
a person who exaggerates or overreacts to situations
Example
Don’t be such a **drama queen**; it’s not that serious.