hit the ceiling
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idiom

hit the ceiling

Meaning
to reach the highest possible level or price
Example
The stock prices **hit the ceiling** after the merger news.
phrasal-verb

hang out

Meaning
to spend time with someone socially
Example
Let’s **hang out** after work and grab some coffee.
idiom

have butterflies in your stomach

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

hand in glove

Meaning
working closely and harmoniously together
Example
The two partners work **hand in glove** to achieve their goals.
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

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**.
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

Hear something on the grapevine

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

hold on for

Meaning
to wait briefly, usually during a call or service
Example
Please **hold on for** a moment while I transfer your call to the billing department.
idiom

hit the town

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

heal over

Meaning
to gradually recover from emotional wounds
Example
Time helps old wounds to **heal over** naturally.
idiom

have your jaw drop

Meaning
to be extremely surprised or shocked
Example
My **jaw dropped** when I saw the price.
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

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

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

heart sinks

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

hedge against

Meaning
to protect oneself against potential loss or risk
Example
Many investors **hedge against** market volatility by diversifying their portfolios.
idiom

hard sell

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

hand in

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

heal from

Meaning
to emotionally recover from pain, trauma, or loss
Example
It takes time to **heal from** emotional wounds.
phrasal-verb

head for

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

hold appreciation for

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

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.
phrasal-verb

hold fast to

Meaning
to remain firmly committed to a belief or value
Example
She **holds fast to** transparency even under pressure.
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

head up

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

hair stands on end

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

head off to

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

hit the same wavelength

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

hold talks with

Meaning
to have formal discussions or negotiations with someone
Example
The foreign ministers agreed to **hold talks with** neighboring countries.
phrasal-verb

head towards

Meaning
to move in the direction of something
Example
**Head towards** the city center and look for the tall clock tower.
idiom

hold back on

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

have a blast

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

hold steady

Meaning
to remain stable; to avoid fluctuation
Example
The national currency managed to **hold steady** despite market pressure.
phrasal-verb

hold to

Meaning
to keep following a promise, rule, or plan
Example
She always **holds to** her daily routine, no matter what.
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.
idiom

honesty is the best policy

Meaning
being honest is always the best way to behave
Example
My parents always taught me that **honesty is the best policy**.
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.
phrasal-verb

hold together

Meaning
to stay emotionally strong during difficulties
Example
She managed to **hold together** even when everything was falling apart.
idiom

hold accountable

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

hang loose

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

have someone's back

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

hold yourself accountable

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

honor with

Meaning
to give respect or recognition to someone for their contribution
Example
The company **honored him with** an award for his years of service.
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

hit it off

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

hold up under

Meaning
to remain strong despite pressure or stress
Example
She managed to **hold up under** all the pressure at work.
idiom

hold oneself accountable

Meaning
to take responsibility for one's actions or decisions
Example
A true leader **holds himself accountable** for the team’s failures.
phrasal-verb

hand off context

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

hand in through

Meaning
to submit work using an online platform
Example
All assignments must be **handed in through** the company portal.
idiom

hang in there

Meaning
to remain persistent and determined in difficult circumstances
Example
I know you're tired, but **hang in there** because you're almost finished.
idiom

have a heart

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

hit back

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

hang on

Meaning
to wait for a short time
Example
**Hang on** a minute, I’ll be right back.
idiom

hockey stick growth

Meaning
a sharp increase in growth after a period of slow progress
Example
The startup saw **hockey stick growth** after launching their new feature.
phrasal-verb

hold in check

Meaning
to control strong emotions before reacting
Example
He tried to **hold in check** his frustration during the meeting.
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 heart of gold

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

hold on

Meaning
to wait for a short time on the phone
Example
Please **hold on** while I transfer your call.
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

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 sway

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

hush-hush

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

hit the headlines

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

have a vivid imagination

Meaning
to be able to think of interesting and unusual ideas
Example
Children often **have a vivid imagination**.
idiom

hit a home run

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

hold off on

Meaning
to delay doing something, especially spending or launching new projects
Example
Investors decided to **hold off on** new ventures until the market improved.
idiom

hit the gas

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

have faith in

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

hash out

Meaning
to work through the details of something by discussion
Example
They stayed late to **hash out** the final budget cuts.
phrasal-verb

hang around with

Meaning
to spend time relaxing or socializing with someone
Example
I usually **hang around with** my old school friends at reunions.
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

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 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

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

hold forth

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

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 books

Meaning
to study very hard
Example
I can’t go out tonight; I need to **hit the books** for my exam.
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 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

heart of stone

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

heap praise on

Meaning
to give a lot of praise to someone
Example
Critics **heaped praise on** the actor for his performance.
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 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 confidence in

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

hand off responsibility

Meaning
to transfer duties to another person
Example
Supervisors **hand off responsibility** when they rotate night shifts.
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**.
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

help along

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

have words with

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

hit the road again

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

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

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.
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.
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

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.
idiom

hard as nails

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

hang out with

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

have faith in someone

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

hang back

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

hold back

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

hold someone accountable

Meaning
to make someone take responsibility for their actions
Example
It’s important to **hold people accountable** for their mistakes.