frozen with fear
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idiom

frozen with fear

Meaning
unable to move because of extreme fear
Example
She stood **frozen with fear** when the snake appeared.
idiom

jury is still out

Meaning
a decision or opinion has not yet been reached
Example
The **jury is still out** on whether the new law will be effective.
idiom

the best is yet to come

Meaning
better things are coming in the future
Example
Don’t worry about the past; **the best is yet to come**.
idiom

mama’s boy

Meaning
a man who is excessively attached to his mother
Example
He’s such a **mama’s boy**, always listening to her advice.
idiom

balance the books

Meaning
to make sure income and expenses are equal
Example
The accountant worked late to **balance the books**.
idiom

spin the truth

Meaning
to present a situation in a way that benefits a particular perspective
Example
The politician tried to **spin the truth** about the scandal to protect his reputation.
idiom

dwell on

Meaning
to think or speak about something repeatedly
Example
Try not to **dwell on** the minor mistake.
idiom

hit the airwaves

Meaning
to start being broadcast on television or radio
Example
The new talk show will **hit the airwaves** next week.
idiom

get one's act together

Meaning
to organize oneself or one's actions effectively
Example
We need to **get our act together** before the deadline.
idiom

on the up and up

Meaning
honest; truthful; not involved in any wrongdoing
Example
She’s always been **on the up and up** with me.
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

hit the jackpot

Meaning
to achieve great success or win something valuable
Example
He **hit the jackpot** when his startup got acquired for millions.
idiom

ring a bell

Meaning
to sound familiar or remind someone of something
Example
That name **rings a bell**, but I can't remember where I heard it.
idiom

on air

Meaning
broadcasting live; being aired on television or radio
Example
The radio show will be **on air** from 7 to 9 PM.
idiom

Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

Meaning
To be born into a wealthy family.
Example
He never had to struggle; he was **born with a silver spoon in his mouth**.
idiom

kingmaker

Meaning
a person who has great influence in deciding who will hold power
Example
The media mogul became a **kingmaker** in national politics.
idiom

under the weather

Meaning
feeling ill or unwell
Example
I didn’t go to work because I felt **under the weather**.
idiom

Economic backbone

Meaning
The most important part of the economy.
Example
Small businesses are the **economic backbone** of the nation.
idiom

to go down in history

Meaning
to be remembered for something important or significant
Example
He **went down in history** as one of the greatest inventors of all time.
idiom

truth be told

Meaning
to admit something honestly
Example
**Truth be told**, I don’t really like this movie.
idiom

dress down

Meaning
to scold someone severely
Example
The coach **dressed down** the team for sloppy defense.
idiom

apology accepted

Meaning
used to say that you forgive someone
Example
Don’t worry, **apology accepted**.
idiom

on the run

Meaning
trying to avoid being caught by the police
Example
The suspect has been **on the run** for three days.
idiom

Chart a course

Meaning
To plan a way to achieve something.
Example
The company has **charted a course** for global expansion.
idiom

carry the load

Meaning
to take responsibility for something difficult
Example
She had to **carry the load** after her manager resigned.
idiom

justice delayed is justice denied

Meaning
if legal redress is available but not delivered in time, it is as good as having none
Example
Many believe that **justice delayed is justice denied** in this country.
idiom

drag on

Meaning
to continue for too long and become boring
Example
The meeting **dragged on** for hours.
idiom

Face the truth

Meaning
To accept the reality of a situation, even if it’s unpleasant.
Example
You have to **face the truth** about your finances.
idiom

get a degree

Meaning
to complete a formal education program
Example
She worked hard to **get a degree** in engineering.
idiom

throw a wrench into the works

Meaning
to disrupt or complicate something
Example
The sudden resignation of the minister threw a **wrench into the works** of the peace negotiations.
idiom

comic relief

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

get the hang of it

Meaning
to learn or become skilled at something new
Example
Don’t worry, you’ll **get the hang of it** soon.
idiom

get ahead of the game

Meaning
to be more successful or advanced than others
Example
He’s always looking for new ideas to **get ahead of the game**.
idiom

teach by example

Meaning
to show others how to do something by demonstrating it yourself
Example
Good mentors always **teach by example**, showing the way with their actions.
idiom

crack down on

Meaning
to take strict action to stop something
Example
The city plans to **crack down on** illegal parking downtown.
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

build character

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

In a new light

Meaning
To see something from a different perspective
Example
After the discussion, I saw the issue **in a new light**.
idiom

keep up with

Meaning
to stay informed or at the same level as something or someone
Example
It's hard to **keep up with** the latest tech trends.
idiom

Freudian slip

Meaning
An unintentional mistake that reveals one's true thoughts or feelings.
Example
He made a **Freudian slip** when he called his boss ‘mom’.
idiom

political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to deal with
Example
Immigration reform has become a **political hot potato** for the government.
idiom

play both sides

Meaning
to support opposing parties to gain advantage
Example
Some lobbyists are known to **play both sides** of the issue.
idiom

troll someone

Meaning
to deliberately provoke or upset someone online
Example
Some users love to **troll** others just for fun.
idiom

tiger mom

Meaning
a strict mother who pushes her children to achieve high standards
Example
Her friends call her a **tiger mom** because she’s very demanding.
idiom

drive a hard bargain

Meaning
to be tough in making a deal or negotiation
Example
She always **drives a hard bargain** when negotiating contracts.
idiom

talk someone into

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** joining the event.
idiom

bring luck

Meaning
to cause good fortune
Example
This bracelet is said to **bring luck** to whoever wears it.
idiom

have it out

Meaning
to talk openly about a disagreement to resolve it
Example
They decided to **have it out** instead of staying angry.
idiom

give the green light

Meaning
to give permission or approval to proceed
Example
The board finally **gave the green light** for the new project.
idiom

under construction

Meaning
in the process of being developed or built
Example
Our new website is still **under construction**.
idiom

build bridges

Meaning
to improve relationships between people
Example
We need to **build bridges** between our two departments.
idiom

lay down the law

Meaning
to state rules firmly and clearly
Example
The manager **laid down the law** about punctuality.
idiom

do one's duty

Meaning
to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations
Example
Every citizen should **do their duty** to help their country.
idiom

kill someone with kindness

Meaning
to be extra kind to someone unpleasant to neutralize their negativity
Example
The best way to deal with her is to **kill her with kindness**.
idiom

flash back to

Meaning
to suddenly remember a past event
Example
The photo made her **flash back to** her first day at work.
idiom

green with envy

Meaning
very jealous
Example
She was **green with envy** when she saw my new phone.
idiom

stand on your own two feet

Meaning
to be independent and self-supporting
Example
He worked hard to **stand on his own two feet** after college.
idiom

to be in good shape

Meaning
to be physically fit and healthy
Example
She exercises daily to stay **in good shape**.
idiom

hit it out of the park

Meaning
to do something extremely well
Example
Your presentation really **hit it out of the park**!
idiom

stroke of genius

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

take the cake

Meaning
to be the best or most outstanding
Example
Among all the entries, your design really **takes the cake**.
idiom

flag down

Meaning
to signal someone to stop, especially a vehicle
Example
We finally **flagged down** a taxi after ten minutes.
idiom

sit on the fence

Meaning
to avoid making a decision or choice
Example
You can't **sit on the fence** any longer, you need to choose a side.
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

cut loose

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

split the difference

Meaning
to agree on a compromise between two opinions or prices
Example
Let’s **split the difference** and meet halfway.
idiom

drag one’s feet

Meaning
to delay doing something; to do something slowly because you don't want to
Example
He’s **dragging his feet** about finishing the report.
idiom

Crossing the Rubicon

Meaning
Taking an irreversible step with serious consequences.
Example
By going public with the information, he was **crossing the Rubicon**.
idiom

take the long view

Meaning
to plan or think about the future rather than short-term gains
Example
Successful leaders always **take the long view** when making decisions.
idiom

the moral compass

Meaning
a person's or society’s sense of right and wrong
Example
We must ensure AI doesn’t lose its **moral compass**.
idiom

switch over

Meaning
to change from one system or option to another
Example
The team will **switch over** to the new software tonight.
idiom

smooth over

Meaning
to make a problem seem less serious
Example
We need to **smooth over** the miscommunication with a quick call.
idiom

prodigal son

Meaning
a person who leaves home and returns repentant after wasting wealth or opportunities
Example
After years abroad, he returned home like **the prodigal son**.
idiom

to play fair

Meaning
To act honestly and follow the rules.
Example
In every competition, we must **play fair**.
idiom

get on the same page

Meaning
to agree on something or understand something in the same way
Example
Before starting the project, we need to **get on the same page** about the goals.
idiom

a pain in the neck

Meaning
someone or something that is very annoying
Example
That constant noise from the construction site is **a pain in the neck**.
idiom

make a comeback

Meaning
to return to success after a period of failure
Example
After a year of struggle, the team managed to **make a comeback** and won the championship.
idiom

take a step back

Meaning
to pause and reassess a situation
Example
Sometimes you need to **take a step back** to see the bigger picture.
idiom

a storybook ending

Meaning
a perfect or happy ending, like in a fairy tale
Example
Their wedding was a true **storybook ending**.
idiom

take the pressure off

Meaning
to make a stressful situation easier
Example
Hiring an assistant really **took the pressure off** me.
idiom

Know the drill

Meaning
To be familiar with a routine or procedure.
Example
Everyone here **knows the drill** during an emergency.
idiom

scared stiff

Meaning
to be extremely frightened
Example
I was **scared stiff** when I heard strange noises at night.
idiom

beyond one’s comprehension

Meaning
too difficult to understand
Example
Quantum physics is **beyond my comprehension**.
idiom

free up

Meaning
to make time, money, or space available
Example
Clearing old files will **free up** storage on the drive.
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.
idiom

good things come to those who wait

Meaning
patience brings positive results
Example
**Good things come to those who wait**, so be patient.
idiom

glide over

Meaning
to deal with something briefly without detail
Example
He tends to **glide over** the technical issues.
idiom

chicken out

Meaning
to decide not to do something because of fear
Example
He was going to ask her out but **chickened out** at the last minute.
idiom

share the love

Meaning
to show support or appreciation by liking or sharing someone’s post
Example
**Share the love** by liking and commenting on this post!
idiom

in layman's terms

Meaning
to explain something in simple, non-technical language
Example
Can you explain the theory **in layman's terms**?
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

ring in the new year

Meaning
to celebrate the start of a new year
Example
We gathered downtown to **ring in the new year** together.
idiom

Go down the rabbit hole

Meaning
To get deeply involved in something, often unintentionally.
Example
I started reading about AI and **went down the rabbit hole** for hours.
idiom

factor in

Meaning
to include something as part of a calculation or plan
Example
Remember to **factor in** travel time when planning.
idiom

chain reaction

Meaning
a series of events triggered by one event
Example
One breakthrough can start a **chain reaction** of new innovations.
idiom

use up

Meaning
to consume something completely
Example
We’ve **used up** all the printer paper already.
idiom

full of praise

Meaning
to speak very positively about someone or something
Example
Everyone was **full of praise** for her presentation.
idiom

back off

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

let on

Meaning
to reveal something secret unintentionally
Example
Don’t **let on** that you know about the plan.
idiom

Take one’s breath away

Meaning
To amaze or impress someone greatly.
Example
Her beauty **takes my breath away**.
idiom

have cold feet

Meaning
to suddenly become nervous before doing something important
Example
He was ready to get married but **got cold feet** at the last minute.
idiom

curtain call

Meaning
when performers return to the stage to receive applause
Example
After their amazing act, the team received a standing ovation during the **curtain call**.
idiom

lazy bones

Meaning
a lazy person
Example
Come on, **lazy bones**, get out of bed!
idiom

in harmony

Meaning
living or working together in peace and agreement
Example
They work **in harmony** to create a peaceful community.
idiom

breach of security

Meaning
a violation or failure to adhere to security protocols
Example
The company faced a significant **breach of security** last year.
idiom

wrap your head around something

Meaning
to succeed in understanding something difficult or strange
Example
I'm still trying to **wrap my head around** this new software.
idiom

spend money like water

Meaning
to spend money freely or wastefully
Example
She **spends money like water** on clothes.
idiom

honor your commitments

Meaning
to fulfill promises and obligations
Example
You must always **honor your commitments**, no matter how difficult they are.
idiom

push the algorithm

Meaning
to test the limits or performance of an AI system
Example
The engineers wanted to **push the algorithm** further to improve accuracy.
idiom

get a grip on yourself

Meaning
to control your emotions and behave calmly
Example
You need to **get a grip on yourself** before talking to your boss.
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

hold the upper hand

Meaning
to have more power or advantage over others
Example
Negotiations continued, but the buyer **held the upper hand**.
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

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

get a move on

Meaning
to hurry up or move faster
Example
**Get a move on**, or we’ll miss the train!
idiom

as wise as an owl

Meaning
very wise or knowledgeable
Example
My grandfather is **as wise as an owl**.
idiom

hit the road

Meaning
to start a journey; to leave a place
Example
We should **hit the road** before sunset to avoid traffic.
idiom

black and white

Meaning
clearly defined; without confusion or ambiguity
Example
The contract terms are **black and white**.
idiom

go nuclear

Meaning
to react very strongly or angrily
Example
When the data got deleted, the manager **went nuclear**.
idiom

Cut your losses

Meaning
To stop doing something that is no longer profitable.
Example
It’s better to **cut your losses** and move on.