gain the upper hand
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
Content locale
EN English BN Bengali HI Hindi ES Spanish FR French DE German RU Russian ZH Chinese JA Japanese
All Expression Cards All Expressions
idiom

gain the upper hand

Meaning
to get control or advantage over someone
Example
Through smart negotiation, the ambassador **gained the upper hand**.
idiom

block off

Meaning
to close an area so people cannot enter
Example
Police **blocked off** the street after the accident.
idiom

cross off

Meaning
to remove an item from a list
Example
You can **cross off** the tasks we’ve finished.
idiom

byte the bullet

Meaning
to face a difficult situation bravely
Example
We have to **byte the bullet** and fix the system bugs now.
idiom

feel off-color

Meaning
to feel slightly ill
Example
I’m feeling a bit **off-color** today.
phrasal-verb

toy with

Meaning
to consider an idea casually without serious intention
Example
He’s been **toying with** the idea of developing a creative AI tool.
idiom

the bottom has fallen out

Meaning
a situation in which something has suddenly failed or collapsed
Example
The market for tech stocks has crashed; the **bottom has fallen out**.
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

a weight off your shoulders

Meaning
relief after dealing with a stressful situation
Example
Finishing the project felt like **a weight off my shoulders**.
idiom

go along with

Meaning
to agree to something or support an idea
Example
I’ll **go along with** your plan since it sounds reasonable.
phrasal-verb

talk down worries

Meaning
to reduce anxious thoughts by speaking calmly
Example
We **talk down worries** together when a decision feels risky.
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.
phrasal-verb

carry over to

Meaning
to apply something learned or used in one situation to another
Example
You can **carry over** those skills **to** your new job.
idiom

rising tide lifts all boats

Meaning
economic growth benefits everyone; a general improvement in the economy helps all participants
Example
The government's new policies are helping the economy, and as a result, **a rising tide lifts all boats**.
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

tune into yourself

Meaning
to become aware of your feelings and needs
Example
He started meditating to **tune into himself** and find clarity.
idiom

wise up

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

shop around for

Meaning
to compare prices or products before buying
Example
Many customers **shop around for** the best deals online.
idiom

feel comfortable in your own skin

Meaning
to be confident and relaxed about who you are
Example
She finally **feels comfortable in her own skin**.
phrasal-verb

talk down

Meaning
to speak in a way that shows you think someone is less intelligent
Example
Don’t **talk down** to your colleagues; it’s disrespectful.
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**.
idiom

A political animal

Meaning
A person who is very interested in politics and has a talent for it
Example
He’s known to be a real **political animal**.
phrasal-verb

cheer someone on

Meaning
to encourage someone by showing support or enthusiasm
Example
My friends **cheered me on** during the presentation.
phrasal-verb

come off as

Meaning
to seem to be a particular type of person
Example
He can **come off as** rude, but he’s actually very kind.
phrasal-verb

fire back

Meaning
to respond quickly and angrily to criticism
Example
When accused of lying, the minister **fired back** with a sharp remark.
idiom

ease into

Meaning
to enter a new activity slowly and comfortably
Example
The trainer helped us **ease into** the new routine.
phrasal-verb

work toward excellence

Meaning
to make consistent efforts to achieve high standards
Example
Our teachers motivate us to **work toward excellence** in every subject.
idiom

wipe the slate clean

Meaning
to forget past mistakes and start fresh
Example
Let’s **wipe the slate clean** and begin again.
idiom

chew someone out

Meaning
to angrily scold or criticize someone
Example
The coach **chewed out** the team for their poor performance.
idiom

To lend a helping hand

Meaning
to assist someone in a time of need
Example
She always knows when to **lend a helping hand** and never hesitates.
idiom

data lake

Meaning
a large storage repository that holds raw, unprocessed data
Example
All raw data is stored in the **data lake** for further analysis.
idiom

sliding into DMs

Meaning
to send a private message to someone on social media, often flirtatiously
Example
He started **sliding into her DMs** after seeing her post.
phrasal-verb

rise above fear

Meaning
to act bravely despite being afraid
Example
True courage means learning to **rise above fear**.
idiom

rob Peter to pay Paul

Meaning
to take money from one part of something in order to pay for something else
Example
They're always **robbing Peter to pay Paul**, moving money around without making any progress.
idiom

cold case

Meaning
a criminal case that has not been solved for a long time
Example
The detective reopened a **cold case** from 1999.
idiom

Spin the story

Meaning
To present information in a biased or manipulative way
Example
The politician tried to **spin the story** to his advantage.
phrasal-verb

stand out as a leader

Meaning
to be recognized for leadership qualities or achievements
Example
She **stood out as a leader** because of her integrity and vision.
phrasal-verb

adapt around challenges

Meaning
to change plans or behavior to deal with obstacles effectively
Example
Our team had to **adapt around challenges** when the project timeline shifted.
idiom

work-life harmony

Meaning
a balanced and peaceful relationship between work and personal life
Example
She believes in maintaining **work-life harmony**.
idiom

as thick as two short planks

Meaning
very stupid or slow-witted
Example
He’s **as thick as two short planks**, bless him.
idiom

fall head over heels for someone

Meaning
to fall deeply in love with someone
Example
He **fell head over heels for her** the moment they met.
idiom

spam someone

Meaning
to send too many messages or unnecessary information
Example
Don’t **spam me** with notifications every minute!
phrasal-verb

let positivity flow

Meaning
to freely express and share positive emotions
Example
When you smile and help others, you **let positivity flow**.
idiom

go on a spending spree

Meaning
to spend a lot of money in a short period of time
Example
She **went on a spending spree** after getting her bonus.
idiom

in the same league

Meaning
comparable in quality or ability
Example
Those two companies aren’t **in the same league**.
phrasal-verb

hold up under pressure

Meaning
to remain strong and calm when under stress or pressure
Example
She always **holds up under pressure** and performs her best.
phrasal-verb

bring together

Meaning
to unite people for a purpose
Example
Family events **bring together** everyone and strengthen bonds.
idiom

get down to business

Meaning
to start working seriously
Example
Let’s stop chatting and **get down to business**.
phrasal-verb

ease inflation

Meaning
to make inflation less severe or reduce price pressure
Example
Rising interest rates can help **ease inflation** over time.
idiom

put on a brave face

Meaning
to pretend to be confident or happy when you are not
Example
She **put on a brave face** even after hearing the bad news.
phrasal-verb

phase into

Meaning
to introduce or begin something gradually over time
Example
The company plans to **phase into** a new training system for employees.
phrasal-verb

hold appreciation for

Meaning
to keep a feeling of thankfulness towards someone
Example
I still **hold appreciation for** my teachers who guided me.
phrasal-verb

open the heart to

Meaning
to express your honest emotions to someone
Example
He finally **opened his heart to** his parents.
idiom

catch the train

Meaning
to be on time for a train or event
Example
Hurry up or you’ll not **catch the train**!
idiom

sick to death of something

Meaning
extremely tired or annoyed by something
Example
I’m **sick to death of** listening to his complaints.
phrasal-verb

pick back up

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

jump the shark

Meaning
when something begins to decline in quality or popularity
Example
The show **jumped the shark** after season five.
idiom

in no time

Meaning
very quickly; almost immediately
Example
He finished the task **in no time**.
idiom

Don't cry over spilled milk

Meaning
Don’t waste time worrying about things that have already happened.
Example
**Don't cry over spilled milk**; learn from your mistake.
phrasal-verb

lash back

Meaning
to respond angrily to criticism or attack
Example
When criticized unfairly, she immediately **lashed back** with strong words.
idiom

hit the sack

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

a sound bite

Meaning
a short, memorable part of a speech or interview often used in the media
Example
The politician's **sound bite** was replayed on every major news channel.
idiom

move past

Meaning
to overcome or stop focusing on something
Example
It’s time to **move past** the misunderstanding.
idiom

around the clock

Meaning
all day and all night; continuously
Example
Doctors worked **around the clock** to save the patients.
idiom

a chip off the old block

Meaning
someone who is very similar to their parent
Example
Your daughter is so smart — she’s **a chip off the old block**.
idiom

change of scene

Meaning
a new environment or situation
Example
After months of work, I needed a **change of scene**.
phrasal-verb

fall into

Meaning
to begin doing something; to be caught in a situation
Example
She **fell into** bad habits during the lockdown.
idiom

a quick learner

Meaning
someone who learns things fast
Example
She’s a **quick learner** and easily understands new topics.
idiom

As cool as a cucumber

Meaning
Very calm and relaxed.
Example
Even in stressful situations, she stays **as cool as a cucumber**.
phrasal-verb

catch up on

Meaning
to do something that one has missed or delayed doing before a deadline
Example
I stayed late to **catch up on** my unfinished reports.
idiom

A blueprint for success

Meaning
A detailed plan or strategy for achieving success.
Example
Hard work and consistency are **a blueprint for success**.
idiom

too big to fail

Meaning
a company or institution that is so important that it is unlikely to fail
Example
Many financial institutions were considered **too big to fail** during the 2008 financial crisis.
phrasal-verb

build endurance

Meaning
to gradually develop the ability to keep going for a long time
Example
Athletes **build endurance** through consistent training.
phrasal-verb

connect to

Meaning
to feel a sense of belonging with one’s culture or roots
Example
I **connect to** my culture through music and food.
phrasal-verb

check back on progress

Meaning
to review how far work has moved since the last update
Example
Project leads **check back on progress** every Thursday morning.
idiom

put in the hours

Meaning
to spend a lot of time working
Example
If you **put in the hours**, you’ll see progress soon.
phrasal-verb

apologize sincerely

Meaning
to say sorry in a heartfelt and honest manner
Example
If you make a mistake, **apologize sincerely** to the person.
idiom

play hardball

Meaning
to be firm and tough in negotiation
Example
He decided to **play hardball** during the contract talks.
idiom

blackout

Meaning
to lose consciousness temporarily
Example
He suddenly **blacked out** during the match.
idiom

bend someone’s ear

Meaning
to talk to someone for a long time, usually to complain
Example
He **bent my ear** about his terrible day at work.
phrasal-verb

stick around for

Meaning
to stay nearby or remain present, usually to spend more time together
Example
Why don’t you **stick around for** a while and have coffee with us?
idiom

to play fair

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

thank politely

Meaning
to express gratitude in a respectful way
Example
You should always **thank politely** when someone helps you.
phrasal-verb

come into alliance with

Meaning
to form an alliance or partnership with another group or country
Example
The two economies **came into alliance with** each other to strengthen trade ties.
idiom

under the table

Meaning
done secretly or dishonestly, often involving money
Example
He was paid **under the table** to avoid taxes.
idiom

up to speed

Meaning
to have the latest information or be fully informed
Example
I’ll get you **up to speed** on the new system tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

spark off

Meaning
to cause someone to feel excited or emotional
Example
The movie trailer **sparked off** huge excitement among fans.
phrasal-verb

swot up on

Meaning
to study something intensively before an event
Example
I **swot up on** statistics before every data review.
idiom

twist someone's ear

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something by being persistent
Example
I had to **twist someone's ear** to get him to help me move.
phrasal-verb

brace for

Meaning
to prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
Example
The company is **bracing for** possible losses after the policy change.
idiom

give it a rest

Meaning
to stop talking or thinking about something stressful
Example
You’ve been worrying too much—**give it a rest**.
idiom

lay it on the line

Meaning
to be very clear or direct about something
Example
I'll **lay it on the line**—if we don't improve, we'll lose investors.
phrasal-verb

screw up

Meaning
to do something badly or incorrectly
Example
He **screwed up** the report by adding wrong data.
phrasal-verb

go over the report

Meaning
to review or examine something carefully
Example
Let's **go over the report** before the meeting starts.
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.
phrasal-verb

start over

Meaning
to begin again after a failure
Example
If something doesn’t work, just **start over** and try a new way.
idiom

on the beat

Meaning
a police officer's regular patrol route
Example
The officer was **on the beat** when he spotted the suspect.
phrasal-verb

work for

Meaning
to be employed by someone or an organization
Example
I **work for** a multinational company in Dhaka.
idiom

a rock in a hard place

Meaning
to be in a very difficult or challenging situation
Example
He found himself **a rock in a hard place** when he had to choose between two difficult options.
phrasal-verb

transform into

Meaning
to change completely into something new
Example
Over the years, the firm has **transformed into** a fully digital enterprise.
idiom

a mind is a terrible thing to waste

Meaning
it is a waste not to use your mental abilities
Example
You should keep learning, **a mind is a terrible thing to waste**.
phrasal-verb

speak from

Meaning
to express an opinion based on personal experience
Example
She **speaks from** experience when she warns about that company.
idiom

Follow your nose

Meaning
Trust your instincts and go in the direction that feels right.
Example
If you're lost, just **follow your nose** and you'll find the way.
phrasal-verb

do away with

Meaning
to get rid of something; to abolish
Example
They plan to **do away with** the old system soon.
phrasal-verb

team together

Meaning
to form or join a group to work on something
Example
Let's **team together** to organize the upcoming workshop.
idiom

Many hands make light work

Meaning
Work becomes easier when many people help.
Example
Let’s all join in; **many hands make light work**.
idiom

plans are up in the air

Meaning
plans are uncertain or not decided yet
Example
Our travel plans are still **up in the air**.
phrasal-verb

work up to

Meaning
to gradually prepare for something difficult
Example
She’s **working up to** asking for a promotion.
phrasal-verb

cut back on exports

Meaning
to reduce the amount of goods sold to other countries
Example
Due to rising costs, the company decided to **cut back on exports** this year.
idiom

cross the aisle

Meaning
to cooperate with members of the opposing political party
Example
He often **crosses the aisle** to work on bipartisan issues.
phrasal-verb

draw confidence from experience

Meaning
to gain self-assurance by learning from past events
Example
You can **draw confidence from experience** and handle new challenges better.
phrasal-verb

wait your turn

Meaning
to be patient and not interrupt others
Example
Children should learn to **wait their turn** while playing.
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

cliffhanger

Meaning
an ending that leaves the audience in suspense
Example
The episode ended on a **cliffhanger**, so we can’t wait for the next one.
phrasal-verb

go in for

Meaning
to support or approve of something
Example
He doesn’t really **go in for** small talk.
idiom

play devil's advocate

Meaning
to argue against an idea to test how strong it is
Example
I don't necessarily disagree, but let me **play devil's advocate** for a moment.
idiom

your own flesh and blood

Meaning
A family member or close relative.
Example
How can you turn away from **your own flesh and blood**?
idiom

a drama queen

Meaning
someone who exaggerates or overreacts to situations
Example
Stop acting like **a drama queen**; it’s not that serious.
phrasal-verb

let stress fade out

Meaning
to gradually allow stress to disappear or lessen
Example
After meditation, I could feel my worries **fade out** slowly.
idiom

pioneer new ideas

Meaning
to introduce or create new concepts or methods
Example
He is always looking to **pioneer new ideas** in his field.
idiom

boot up

Meaning
to start a computer or system
Example
My laptop takes forever to **boot up**.