have steam coming out of your ears
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

have steam coming out of your ears

Meaning
to be visibly very angry
Example
He had **steam coming out of his ears** when he saw the damage.
idiom

have a soft spot for

Meaning
to have a fondness or affection for something or someone
Example
I **have a soft spot for** old classic movies.
idiom

have a stake in

Meaning
to have an interest or investment in something
Example
She has a **stake in** the company's success.
idiom

hear something straight from the horse's mouth

Meaning
to hear something directly from the original or most reliable source
Example
I heard it **straight from the horse's mouth** that the event is canceled.
idiom

hashtag activism

Meaning
using hashtags to support social or political causes online
Example
**Hashtag activism** can raise awareness but may not lead to real change.
idiom

have a heart

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

hope for the best

Meaning
expect a positive outcome even in uncertainty
Example
We did everything we could, now let’s **hope for the best**.
idiom

have the time of your life

Meaning
to have an extremely enjoyable experience
Example
We **had the time of our lives** at the amusement park.
idiom

have a high opinion of yourself

Meaning
to think you are very good or important
Example
He **has a high opinion of himself** after getting the award.
idiom

hard sell

Meaning
an aggressive or forceful sales approach
Example
Customers today dislike the **hard sell** approach.
idiom

hush-hush

Meaning
kept secret or very confidential
Example
The project is still **hush-hush**, so don’t mention it.
idiom

hold up your end

Meaning
to fulfill your part of an agreement or duty
Example
If you **hold up your end**, the project will succeed.
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

head over heels

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

hit the gas

Meaning
to accelerate; to move faster
Example
He **hit the gas** to catch the green light.
idiom

have a chip on your shoulder

Meaning
to be angry or resentful about something from the past
Example
He **has a chip on his shoulder** about being rejected.
idiom

hit the nail on the head

Meaning
to be exactly right about something
Example
You **hit the nail on the head** with that analysis.
idiom

hit the firewall

Meaning
to face a restriction or security block while trying to access something online
Example
I tried to visit the site but **hit the firewall** at work.
idiom

hang onto

Meaning
to keep something and not give it away
Example
I’ll **hang onto** the receipts in case we need a refund.
idiom

have a crush on someone

Meaning
to have romantic feelings for someone, often secretly
Example
I’ve **had a crush on** her for months.
idiom

hit the ground running

Meaning
to start something energetically and successfully
Example
She joined the team and **hit the ground running** on her first day.
idiom

Hit the wall

Meaning
to reach a point where one is physically or mentally exhausted and cannot continue
Example
I’ve been working all day, and now I’ve finally **hit the wall**.
idiom

hold the vision

Meaning
to maintain a clear sense of direction or goal
Example
Leaders who **hold the vision** can guide their teams through difficult times.
idiom

have an axe to grind

Meaning
to have a personal reason to complain or criticize
Example
She **has an axe to grind** with her former employer.
idiom

hands are tied

Meaning
to be unable to act freely because of rules or restrictions
Example
The government’s **hands are tied** due to international trade laws.
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

heart-to-heart

Meaning
an honest and open conversation between friends
Example
We had a **heart-to-heart** last night about everything.
idiom

have it made

Meaning
to be in a very good position for success
Example
With a stable job and a happy family, he really **has it made**.
idiom

hit the panic button

Meaning
to react too quickly or nervously to a problem
Example
Don’t **hit the panic button** just because the server is down.
idiom

hacktivism

Meaning
the use of hacking to promote political or social causes
Example
The group used **hacktivism** to expose corruption within the government.
idiom

have someone's back

Meaning
to support or defend someone
Example
Don’t worry—I **have your back**.
idiom

Have something up your sleeve

Meaning
To have a secret plan or idea.
Example
Don’t worry, he **has something up his sleeve** for the project.
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

hold the fort

Meaning
to be in charge while someone is away
Example
Can you **hold the fort** while I'm at the meeting?
idiom

hand in

Meaning
to submit something to someone in authority
Example
Please **hand in** your assignment by Friday morning.
idiom

have a way with words

Meaning
to be very good at persuading or charming people with speech
Example
He **has a way with words** that makes everyone listen.
idiom

hang back

Meaning
to remain behind or hesitate to act
Example
If you **hang back**, you might miss the opportunity.
idiom

have faith in yourself

Meaning
to trust your own abilities and decisions
Example
**Have faith in yourself**, you can do this!
idiom

helicopter parent

Meaning
a parent who is overly involved in their child’s life
Example
She’s a bit of a **helicopter parent**, always watching over her kids.
idiom

hit the trail

Meaning
to start traveling or begin an adventure
Example
We’ll **hit the trail** early in the morning.
idiom

Hold it together with duct tape

Meaning
To keep something functioning despite poor condition or limited resources.
Example
The old car is barely running—we’re **holding it together with duct tape**.
idiom

have words with someone

Meaning
to argue with someone verbally
Example
I **had words with** my boss about the new policy.
idiom

have a good character

Meaning
to be honest, moral, and respectable
Example
He has always **had a good character**, and that’s why people trust him.
idiom

head back to

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
Let’s **head back to** the office after lunch.
idiom

heart of stone

Meaning
to be unkind or without compassion
Example
She must have a **heart of stone** to ignore that crying child.
idiom

home is where the heart is

Meaning
your true home is with the people you love
Example
I may live far away, but **home is where the heart is**.
idiom

have second thoughts

Meaning
to start having doubts about a decision you have made
Example
I'm having **second thoughts** about buying such an expensive car.
idiom

hit the hay

Meaning
to go to bed; to sleep
Example
I'm really tired, so I'm going to **hit the hay** early tonight.
idiom

have a one-track mind

Meaning
to think about only one thing all the time
Example
He **has a one-track mind** when it comes to his business.
idiom

have words with

Meaning
to argue or disagree with someone
Example
She **had words with** her boss about the new schedule.
idiom

hand over to

Meaning
to transfer control or responsibility to someone
Example
I’ll **hand this over to** the legal team for review.
idiom

hangover cure

Meaning
a remedy for the aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol
Example
He swears by coffee as the best **hangover cure**.
idiom

hold out for

Meaning
to wait to get exactly what you want
Example
She’ll **hold out for** a better offer before signing.
idiom

hit the tourist trail

Meaning
to visit popular tourist destinations
Example
We decided to **hit the tourist trail** after exploring the local villages.
idiom

hit the target audience

Meaning
to reach the intended group of people with a message or product
Example
The new campaign failed to **hit the target audience** effectively.
idiom

hammer home

Meaning
to emphasize something forcefully
Example
The trainer **hammered home** the importance of rest.
idiom

hot under the collar

Meaning
feeling angry or embarrassed
Example
He got **hot under the collar** when his mistake was pointed out.
idiom

hit a bump in the road

Meaning
to face a temporary problem or setback
Example
Our project **hit a bump in the road**, but we'll recover soon.
idiom

hang someone out to dry

Meaning
to abandon someone to face blame or trouble alone.
Example
His friends **hung him out to dry** when the teacher asked who cheated.
idiom

have the upper hand

Meaning
to have control or advantage over someone
Example
After the merger, the larger company **had the upper hand**.
idiom

happy as a clam

Meaning
very content and comfortable
Example
She looked **happy as a clam** on her vacation.
idiom

hit like a ton of bricks

Meaning
to cause a sudden and strong shock or surprise
Example
The news of his death **hit me like a ton of bricks**.
idiom

have a green thumb

Meaning
to be good at gardening
Example
My mother **has a green thumb** and grows beautiful flowers.
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

Help each other out

Meaning
To assist one another, especially in difficult situations.
Example
During the project, we all had to **help each other out** to finish on time.
idiom

Handed down

Meaning
To give or leave something to someone younger or from a previous generation
Example
This antique watch was **handed down** to me from my grandfather.
idiom

have your hands full

Meaning
to be very busy with work or responsibilities
Example
She can’t take on another task right now—she already **has her hands full**.
idiom

have the guts

Meaning
to have courage or bravery to do something difficult
Example
She didn’t **have the guts** to tell him the truth.
idiom

hold off

Meaning
to delay doing something
Example
Let’s **hold off** on finalizing the order until we confirm the budget.
idiom

hit below the belt

Meaning
to act unfairly or say something hurtful
Example
That comment about her family was really **hitting below the belt**.
idiom

have a brainwave

Meaning
to suddenly have a clever idea
Example
I **had a brainwave** and solved the puzzle.
idiom

have a whale of a time

Meaning
to have an extremely enjoyable time
Example
We **had a whale of a time** at the beach party.
idiom

hand down to

Meaning
to pass something to someone of a later generation
Example
Grandma **handed this down to** me when I graduated.
idiom

have a lightbulb moment

Meaning
a sudden realization or idea
Example
When I saw the problem from a different angle, I had a **lightbulb moment**.
idiom

having a whale of a time

Meaning
enjoying yourself greatly
Example
We had **a whale of a time** at the beach yesterday.
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

have butterflies in your stomach

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

have faith in someone

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
You should **have faith in** your team.
idiom

hear something through the grapevine

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

head off to

Meaning
to leave for a particular place
Example
We should **head off to** the venue by noon.
idiom

hit the sack

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

hold the reins

Meaning
to be in control of something or in charge of a situation
Example
She’s the one who **holds the reins** of the team, making sure everything runs smoothly.
idiom

hold yourself accountable

Meaning
to take personal responsibility for your actions
Example
You must always **hold yourself accountable** for your actions.
idiom

hit the target market

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

hit the dirt

Meaning
to go to ground; to take cover or hide
Example
Wild animals often **hit the dirt** when humans approach.
idiom

heart in your mouth

Meaning
to feel extremely anxious or scared
Example
My **heart was in my mouth** when the plane started shaking.
idiom

hold your horses

Meaning
to be patient; to wait
Example
**Hold your horses**! The show hasn’t started yet.
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

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

hang loose

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

head out

Meaning
to leave for a destination
Example
Let’s **head out** before the traffic gets heavy.
idiom

hit the pause button

Meaning
to take a break or stop what you are doing temporarily
Example
After weeks of hard work, I decided to **hit the pause button** and relax for a while.
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

hang by a thread

Meaning
to be in a very dangerous or uncertain situation
Example
After the accident, his life was **hanging by a thread**.
idiom

hit a home run

Meaning
to achieve great success
Example
The new marketing campaign really **hit a home run** with its audience.
idiom

heart sinks

Meaning
to feel disappointed or sad suddenly
Example
My **heart sank** when I saw the exam result.
idiom

hold sway

Meaning
to have great influence or power over others
Example
The leader **held sway** over the entire organization.
idiom

hit the road again

Meaning
to resume a journey after a stop
Example
After lunch, we **hit the road again**.
idiom

hand off to

Meaning
to transfer responsibility or control to someone else
Example
I’ll **hand this off to** the design team tomorrow.
idiom

hit a snag

Meaning
to face an unexpected problem or obstacle
Example
The project **hit a snag** when the server went down.
idiom

how’s it going

Meaning
a casual way of asking how someone is doing
Example
**How’s it going?** You look great today!
idiom

hand down

Meaning
to pass something to someone of a later generation
Example
My grandmother **handed down** this recipe to me.
idiom

heart of gold

Meaning
a very kind and generous person
Example
My grandmother has a **heart of gold**.
idiom

have a spark of creativity

Meaning
to show signs of being creative or imaginative
Example
Even as a child, she **had a spark of creativity**.
idiom

human in the loop

Meaning
a person actively involved in monitoring or controlling an automated process
Example
Even in AI systems, a **human in the loop** ensures ethical decisions.
idiom

heartbroken

Meaning
very sad and emotionally hurt
Example
He was **heartbroken** when his pet died.
idiom

heart in one’s mouth

Meaning
to feel extreme fear or anxiety
Example
My **heart was in my mouth** as I waited for the results.
idiom

have a short fuse

Meaning
to get angry easily
Example
Be careful what you say; he **has a short fuse**.
idiom

have big plans

Meaning
to have important or ambitious goals for the future
Example
He **has big plans** to expand his business overseas.
idiom

hit it off

Meaning
to become friends quickly and easily
Example
They **hit it off** right after being introduced.
idiom

head up

Meaning
to lead a team or project
Example
Priya will **head up** the new outreach campaign.
idiom

have a blast

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

hard as nails

Meaning
very tough and determined
Example
She’s **hard as nails** when it comes to achieving her goals.
idiom

hold all the cards

Meaning
to be in a strong position to control or influence a situation
Example
In the negotiations, the buyer **held all the cards**.
idiom

have a lot on one’s plate

Meaning
to have many responsibilities or tasks
Example
She can’t join us tonight; she **has a lot on her plate**.
idiom

hit it out of the park

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

Hot off the press

Meaning
Newly printed; very recent news
Example
The report was **hot off the press**, released just minutes ago.
idiom

Hear something on the grapevine

Meaning
To hear gossip or unofficial news.
Example
I **heard on the grapevine** that she’s leaving the company.
idiom

hit rock bottom

Meaning
to reach the lowest point of failure or depression
Example
After losing his job, he **hit rock bottom**.
idiom

have mixed feelings

Meaning
to be uncertain or have both positive and negative emotions
Example
I **have mixed feelings** about moving to another city.