have the guts
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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.
phrasal-verb

hold steady at

Meaning
to remain stable at a certain level or value
Example
The country's inflation rate has **held steady at** 5% for the past six months.
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 big time

Meaning
to achieve great fame or success
Example
The band **hit the big time** after their first album went viral.
phrasal-verb

hint at

Meaning
to suggest or imply something indirectly about the future
Example
The CEO’s comments **hint at** a possible expansion next year.
phrasal-verb

hold on to

Meaning
to keep believing or trying despite difficulties
Example
You must **hold on to** your dreams no matter what happens.
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

hit back

Meaning
to reply to criticism or attack with force
Example
The team plans to **hit back** with a stronger strategy.
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

hang out with

Meaning
to spend time with friends
Example
We usually **hang out with** our classmates after school.
phrasal-verb

honor where you come from

Meaning
to show respect for your cultural roots
Example
Artists **honor where they come from** by weaving family stories into their work.
phrasal-verb

hype up

Meaning
to promote or exaggerate something to create excitement
Example
The media **hyped up** the movie before its release.
phrasal-verb

hold emotions in check

Meaning
to keep your emotions under control
Example
He tried to **hold his emotions in check** during the speech.
idiom

have confidence in

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

hold down

Meaning
to keep something at a low level
Example
It’s tough to **hold down** rent costs in this city.
phrasal-verb

hand off

Meaning
to transfer a task or responsibility to another person
Example
I’ll **hand off** this report to the marketing team for review.
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

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

honor your commitments

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

heart skips a beat

Meaning
to feel excited or nervous because of love
Example
Every time he smiles, her **heart skips a beat**.
phrasal-verb

head back

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
It’s getting late, we should **head back** to the hotel.
phrasal-verb

hold onto hope

Meaning
to keep believing that good things will happen
Example
No matter how hard life gets, always **hold onto hope**.
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

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 big plans

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

have faith in someone

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
You should **have faith in** your team.
phrasal-verb

hold with

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

happy as a clam

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

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 heavy heart

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

hit out at

Meaning
to criticize someone or something angrily
Example
The politician **hit out at** the media for spreading lies.
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

high-risk, high-reward

Meaning
situations or decisions that involve a lot of risks but also offer the potential for great rewards
Example
Investing in emerging markets can be **high-risk, high-reward**, but the returns are worth it.
phrasal-verb

hand out recognition

Meaning
to give praise or rewards for good work
Example
The manager regularly **hands out recognition** to motivate the staff.
idiom

have itchy feet

Meaning
to feel a strong desire to travel or move
Example
After a few months at home, I started to **have itchy feet** again.
phrasal-verb

hold back criticism

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

hold your fire

Meaning
to delay taking action or making a response
Example
He told his team to **hold their fire** until he gave the signal.
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

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

heart sinks

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

hit upon an idea

Meaning
to suddenly think of a good idea
Example
I **hit upon an idea** for improving the app.
idiom

hit the same wavelength

Meaning
to share similar thoughts and feelings
Example
We **hit the same wavelength** from the first conversation.
phrasal-verb

hold in check

Meaning
to control strong emotions before reacting
Example
He tried to **hold in check** his frustration during the meeting.
phrasal-verb

hold it together

Meaning
to stay calm and not show your emotions when under stress
Example
Even under pressure, she managed to **hold it together**.
phrasal-verb

hang in

Meaning
to stay strong and not give up despite difficulties
Example
When life gets hard, you just have to **hang in** and stay positive.
idiom

hold sway

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

hope springs eternal

Meaning
people will always have hope, no matter the situation
Example
Even in the darkest times, he believed things would get better because **hope springs eternal**.
phrasal-verb

hold the door

Meaning
to keep the door open for someone as a polite gesture
Example
He always **holds the door** for others when entering a building.
phrasal-verb

hold over feelings

Meaning
to keep emotions or resentment from the past and let them affect the present
Example
She tends to **hold over feelings** from old arguments.
phrasal-verb

hook up to

Meaning
to connect a device to another system or network
Example
The printer is **hooked up to** the office Wi-Fi network.
idiom

High stakes

Meaning
Involving serious risk or significant consequences.
Example
Negotiating with investors is a **high-stakes** game.
idiom

hand over

Meaning
to give control or possession to someone else
Example
She will **hand over** the keys when the lease is signed.
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

hacktivism

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

head over heels

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

honor one's promise

Meaning
to keep a promise or commitment
Example
She **honored her promise** to visit the orphanage.
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

Hot off the press

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

hand back praise

Meaning
to redirect compliments to the people who earned them
Example
Great mentors **hand back praise** to the colleagues who did the work.
idiom

Heart full of gratitude

Meaning
Deeply thankful and appreciative.
Example
She spoke with a **heart full of gratitude** for her teachers.
idiom

how do you do

Meaning
a formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
**How do you do?** It’s a pleasure to meet you.
phrasal-verb

hone in on

Meaning
to focus attention or effort on something specific
Example
You need to **hone in on** your weaknesses to improve faster.
idiom

hand in

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

hold back

Meaning
to stop yourself from expressing something
Example
He wanted to tell her everything but **held back** his words.
idiom

have a smile on your face

Meaning
to appear happy and cheerful
Example
She always has a smile on her face, no matter the situation.
idiom

Handle with kid gloves

Meaning
To treat someone very gently or carefully.
Example
They **handled** the new client **with kid gloves**.
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**.
phrasal-verb

help along

Meaning
to make progress easier for someone
Example
The mentor **helped along** the new employees during training.
phrasal-verb

hang around

Meaning
to stay in a place without a clear purpose; to wait aimlessly
Example
There’s no point **hanging around** here, let’s go inside.
phrasal-verb

hand over responsibilities

Meaning
to transfer duties or control to someone else
Example
He will **hand over responsibilities** to his deputy next month.
idiom

hit it out of the park

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

hang about

Meaning
to wait or spend time somewhere without doing much
Example
We **hung about** outside the hall until the doors opened.
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

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

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

head to head

Meaning
to be in direct competition or disagreement
Example
The two leaders went **head to head** in the debate.
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.
phrasal-verb

hold against

Meaning
to blame someone for something
Example
Don’t **hold it against** her; she made an honest mistake.
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.
phrasal-verb

hold out an apology

Meaning
to offer or extend an apology to someone
Example
He **held out an apology** for his earlier comments.
idiom

have a splitting headache

Meaning
to have a very bad headache
Example
I can’t focus right now; I **have a splitting headache**.
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.
phrasal-verb

hang on to

Meaning
to keep something; not to lose hope or belief
Example
You must **hang on to** your vision even in hard times.
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

hold up

Meaning
to cause delay or slow down progress
Example
The server issue **held up** the entire team's work for hours.
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 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

heartbroken

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

hear about

Meaning
to receive information and respond with appreciation or gratitude
Example
I was happy to **hear about** your help with the project—thank you!
idiom

have a heart of gold

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

head for

Meaning
to go in the direction of a place
Example
After breakfast, we **headed for** the mountains.
idiom

head back to

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

hit rock bottom

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

hit the reset button

Meaning
to start fresh or make a new beginning
Example
After the failure, the team decided to **hit the reset button**.
idiom

hit the roof

Meaning
to become very angry
Example
Dad will **hit the roof** when he sees the broken window.
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.
phrasal-verb

hand over responsibility

Meaning
to give control or authority to another person
Example
The CEO **handed over responsibility** to the next generation of leaders.
phrasal-verb

hold accountable for

Meaning
to make someone responsible for their actions
Example
The CEO promised to **hold accountable for** those who broke company rules.
idiom

have a crush on

Meaning
to be attracted to someone
Example
I **had a crush on** my classmate in college.
idiom

head up

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

hand updates over

Meaning
to give the latest information to the next person responsible
Example
Shift leads **hand updates over** at the end of every afternoon.
idiom

have a Eureka moment

Meaning
to suddenly realize the solution to a problem
Example
I had a **Eureka moment** while fixing the code last night.
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 your head in the clouds

Meaning
to be daydreaming or not paying attention to reality
Example
He was **having his head in the clouds** during the lecture.
idiom

hand down

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

hand off context

Meaning
to give background information with a task
Example
Please **hand off context** when you reassign the ticket.
idiom

having a whale of a time

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

hope against hope

Meaning
to continue hoping even when it seems impossible
Example
They **hoped against hope** that their team would win.
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

hold your ground

Meaning
to refuse to change your position or opinion
Example
She **held her ground** even when others disagreed.
phrasal-verb

hold on to hope

Meaning
to not give up believing that things will get better
Example
No matter how dark it seems, **hold on to hope**.
idiom

Hold your head high

Meaning
To be proud and confident even after failure or hardship.
Example
Even after losing, she **held her head high**.
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.