hit below the belt
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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

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

hang out with

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

hold yourself accountable

Meaning
to take personal responsibility for your actions
Example
You must always **hold yourself accountable** for your actions.
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 a lump in your throat

Meaning
to feel like you are about to cry because of strong emotions
Example
I had **a lump in my throat** when I said goodbye.
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

have big plans

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

hand over

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

have a vision

Meaning
to have a clear idea or dream for the future
Example
A good leader must **have a vision** for their team.
idiom

have the floor

Meaning
to have the right to speak in a discussion
Example
You **have the floor** now; please share your thoughts.
idiom

have a soft spot for someone

Meaning
to feel affection or fondness for someone
Example
He has always **had a soft spot for** his childhood friend.
idiom

hook the audience

Meaning
to capture and maintain the interest of the audience
Example
You need a strong headline to **hook the audience** immediately.
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

house of cards

Meaning
a plan or structure that is weak and likely to fail
Example
Their business model turned out to be a **house of cards**.
idiom

have someone's back

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

Handle with kid gloves

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

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 off for

Meaning
to depart for a destination
Example
We’ll **head off for** the airport at 5 a.m.
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.
idiom

have a sense of self-worth

Meaning
to believe that you are valuable and deserve respect
Example
It's important to **have a sense of self-worth** to succeed in life.
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.
idiom

have the gift of the gab

Meaning
to be good at talking or persuading people
Example
He’s a great salesman because he **has the gift of the gab**.
idiom

hit rock bottom

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

hear someone out

Meaning
to listen to someone until they have finished speaking
Example
Please **hear me out** before you make a decision.
idiom

hold your ground

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

have confidence in

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

hold back on

Meaning
to delay or reduce doing something
Example
Let’s **hold back on** hiring until sales improve.
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 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 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 down

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

head out

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

head off

Meaning
to prevent something from happening
Example
Early communication can **head off** most misunderstandings.
idiom

have a brainwave

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

hit the headlines

Meaning
to be reported widely in the news
Example
The company's scandal **hit the headlines** immediately.
idiom

hook the customer

Meaning
to attract and keep a customer’s interest
Example
A good slogan can easily **hook the customer**.
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

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

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**.
idiom

honor one's promise

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

hold off

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

hit the road again

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

hit the town

Meaning
to go out and enjoy with friends
Example
Let’s **hit the town** tonight and celebrate!
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

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

Meaning
Always stay optimistic, but be ready for any outcome.
Example
She was nervous about the exam but decided to **hope for the best, prepare for the worst**.
idiom

hit the brakes

Meaning
to slow down or stop something
Example
The company had to **hit the brakes** on its expansion plans.
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

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

hangover cure

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

hit the trail

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

hit the road

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

hit home

Meaning
to be fully understood or have a strong impact
Example
The reality of the housing crisis really **hit home** for them.
idiom

head over heels

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

hit the tourist trail

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

heart-to-heart

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

hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to deal with
Example
The refugee crisis has become a **hot potato** in the government.
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

hit the road running

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

hard act to follow

Meaning
someone or something so good that it’s difficult to replace
Example
The previous manager was a **hard act to follow**.
idiom

hack the system

Meaning
to break into a system or network to gain unauthorized access
Example
He was caught trying to **hack the system** for personal gain.
idiom

hair-raising experience

Meaning
something very frightening or terrifying
Example
Driving through that storm was a **hair-raising experience**.
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

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

have words with someone

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

have faith in someone

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

honor your commitments

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

hair stands on end

Meaning
to feel intense fear or horror
Example
The ghost story made my **hair stand on end**.
idiom

hard as nails

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

have faith in

Meaning
to believe or trust in someone or something
Example
You should **have faith in** your abilities.
idiom

have a crush on

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

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

Hold out

Meaning
Continue to survive or resist for a long time.
Example
They managed to **hold out** until help arrived.
idiom

Hot off the press

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

hot under the collar

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

have guts

Meaning
to have courage or confidence to do something difficult
Example
It takes someone with real courage to **have guts** to speak the truth.
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

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

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 right note

Meaning
to do or say something perfectly suitable
Example
Her performance really **hit the right note** with the audience.
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

have nerves of steel

Meaning
to be very brave and calm under pressure
Example
A firefighter must **have nerves of steel** to face danger every day.
idiom

hand in

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

hit the dance floor

Meaning
to start dancing, especially at a party
Example
Let’s **hit the dance floor** and show our moves!
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

happy as a clam

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

help someone out

Meaning
to assist someone in a difficult situation
Example
Whenever I am in trouble, she always **helps me out**.
idiom

hit the target market

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

hand off to

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

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

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 it out of the park

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

hold accountable

Meaning
to make someone responsible for their actions
Example
Managers should be **held accountable** for their team's results.
idiom

have a good head on one's shoulders

Meaning
to be sensible and intelligent
Example
She’s only 20, but she **has a good head on her shoulders**.
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

home sweet home

Meaning
used to express happiness upon returning home
Example
After a long trip, it feels so good to be **home sweet home**.
idiom

hit the sack

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

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

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 heart of gold

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

hold forth

Meaning
to speak at length about a topic
Example
He loved to **hold forth** on travel stories.
idiom

have a falling out

Meaning
to have a disagreement or fight with someone
Example
They **had a falling out** over money issues.
idiom

hang back

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

hush-hush

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

heart in your mouth

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