hit upon an idea
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idiom

hit upon an idea

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

agree with

Meaning
to have the same opinion as someone else
Example
I completely **agree with** you on this matter.
idiom

A true friend is the greatest of all blessings

Meaning
A true friend is the most valuable gift one can have
Example
I consider myself lucky to have you as my friend. **A true friend is the greatest of all blessings**.
phrasal-verb

offer help

Meaning
to volunteer to assist someone kindly
Example
It’s thoughtful to **offer help** when someone is struggling.
phrasal-verb

live for

Meaning
to find hope or meaning in something or someone
Example
She **lives for** her children and their happiness.
phrasal-verb

lie in wait

Meaning
to hide and wait for someone or something
Example
The police **lay in wait** for the suspect all night.
phrasal-verb

follow one’s passion

Meaning
to pursue what you truly love or are interested in
Example
He chose to **follow his passion** for music instead of money.
phrasal-verb

look beyond

Meaning
to think about the future or consider wider possibilities
Example
Good leaders **look beyond** short-term results to long-term growth.
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

lock down

Meaning
to secure or restrict access to something completely
Example
After detecting the breach, the company **locked down** all servers.
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

easy come, easy go

Meaning
money that is easily earned is easily lost
Example
He lost all his winnings in a day—**easy come, easy go**.
idiom

the spark of an idea

Meaning
the beginning of a new idea or thought
Example
That comment gave me **the spark of an idea**.
idiom

trust your gut

Meaning
to follow your intuition or instincts
Example
When making big decisions, it’s often best to **trust your gut**.
idiom

crossing the aisle

Meaning
when a politician supports or votes for the opposite party
Example
She surprised everyone by **crossing the aisle** to support the bill.
phrasal-verb

bounce ideas off

Meaning
to share and discuss ideas with someone to get feedback
Example
I love to **bounce ideas off** my teammates before finalizing a plan.
idiom

add on

Meaning
to include something extra
Example
You can **add on** dessert for a small fee.
phrasal-verb

pay someone back

Meaning
to take revenge; to return money owed
Example
I’ll **pay you back** for what you did to me.
idiom

No man is an island

Meaning
People need others for support and connection.
Example
We all need help sometimes because **no man is an island**.
phrasal-verb

make up after

Meaning
to become friends again after an argument
Example
They finally **made up after** not speaking for weeks.
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

a thorn in the flesh

Meaning
something or someone that causes continuous trouble or annoyance
Example
The new regulations have been **a thorn in the flesh** for small business owners.
idiom

break the bank

Meaning
to cost too much; to use up all your money
Example
Buying that car will **break the bank**.
phrasal-verb

calm down after

Meaning
to relax or become less angry after being upset
Example
It took him a while to **calm down after** the argument.
idiom

in seventh heaven

Meaning
in a state of great happiness
Example
They were **in seventh heaven** during their honeymoon.
phrasal-verb

bubble with

Meaning
to be full of excitement, happiness, or energy
Example
The kids were **bubbling with** excitement at the party.
B1 idiom

fish out of water

Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Meaning
Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Example
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
idiom

weigh in on

Meaning
to share an opinion about a topic
Example
The moderator asked experts to **weigh in on** the policy changes.
phrasal-verb

crack down on protests

Meaning
to use force or strict measures to control protests
Example
Authorities began to **crack down on protests** after violence erupted.
phrasal-verb

stay ahead of

Meaning
to be more advanced or prepared than others
Example
Students who review regularly **stay ahead of** the class.
phrasal-verb

set up

Meaning
to establish or create an organization, system, or structure
Example
They **set up** a new political party to challenge the ruling government.
idiom

Talk through your hat

Meaning
To speak nonsense or about something one knows little about.
Example
He was **talking through his hat** about quantum physics.
phrasal-verb

follow up

Meaning
to check progress or take further action on something previously discussed
Example
I’ll **follow up** with the client about the new proposal.
idiom

a brainwave

Meaning
a sudden clever idea or solution
Example
I had **a brainwave** and realized how to fix the issue.
idiom

deep learning

Meaning
A class of machine learning algorithms that uses multiple layers to progressively extract higher-level features from raw input.
Example
The AI system improved through **deep learning**, making it smarter over time.
phrasal-verb

branch globally

Meaning
to expand or operate in multiple countries or regions
Example
The company hopes to **branch globally** within the next five years.
phrasal-verb

ramp up production

Meaning
to increase the amount or level of production
Example
Factories are trying to **ramp up production** to meet growing demand.
phrasal-verb

fall through on

Meaning
to fail to happen or be completed, especially a deal or plan
Example
Several merger talks **fell through on** due to the unstable economy.
phrasal-verb

roll out

Meaning
to launch or introduce a new product or service
Example
The government plans to **roll out** new incentives for exporters.
idiom

a game plan

Meaning
a strategy or plan of action
Example
We need a clear **game plan** before we start the meeting.
idiom

off the air

Meaning
no longer being broadcasted
Example
The show went **off the air** after ten years.
phrasal-verb

smooth out fluctuations

Meaning
to reduce ups and downs and make something more stable
Example
Fiscal policies aim to **smooth out fluctuations** in the economy.
idiom

Out of curiosity

Meaning
Because of a desire to know or learn something.
Example
I asked him **out of curiosity**, not to interfere.
phrasal-verb

fade out

Meaning
to gradually disappear from view or sound
Example
The music **faded out** as the credits rolled.
phrasal-verb

step into

Meaning
to begin a new role or position
Example
He confidently **stepped into** his position as project leader.
idiom

set a precedent

Meaning
to establish a standard or example for future actions
Example
Banning unethical AI systems will **set a precedent** for accountability.
phrasal-verb

take out

Meaning
to borrow or get money from a bank or institution
Example
They decided to **take out** a loan to buy a new house.
phrasal-verb

look beyond bias

Meaning
to see past personal prejudices and focus on fairness
Example
We must **look beyond bias** to make objective hiring decisions.
idiom

to cloud-sync

Meaning
to synchronize data or files between devices via cloud services
Example
I always **to cloud-sync** my documents so that I can access them anywhere.
idiom

die of envy

Meaning
to be extremely jealous
Example
He’ll **die of envy** when he sees your new car.
idiom

breaking the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation where no progress is being made
Example
The negotiation team succeeded in **breaking the deadlock**.
phrasal-verb

dress for

Meaning
to wear clothes suitable for a particular situation
Example
You should **dress for** success when going to a job interview.
phrasal-verb

follow back

Meaning
to follow someone who has followed you
Example
She didn’t **follow back** even though I followed her first.
phrasal-verb

lift yourself up

Meaning
to encourage yourself emotionally or mentally after a setback
Example
He tried to **lift himself up** after the rejection.
phrasal-verb

come down with

Meaning
to become ill with a disease
Example
I think I'm **coming down with** a cold.
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.
phrasal-verb

let emotions in

Meaning
to allow yourself to feel and process emotions
Example
Don’t block your feelings—**let emotions in** and deal with them.
idiom

to blow it

Meaning
to ruin a chance or opportunity by mistake
Example
He **blew it** by arriving late to the interview.
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

find on

Meaning
to discover something physically on someone or something
Example
The police **found on** him a stolen phone.
phrasal-verb

paint over

Meaning
to cover something with a new layer of paint
Example
He decided to **paint over** the old mural with a new design.
phrasal-verb

toughen up

Meaning
to become stronger and more resilient, especially emotionally
Example
You need to **toughen up** if you want to handle criticism at work.
phrasal-verb

move on

Meaning
to progress to the next stage; to leave something behind
Example
After the breakup, she decided to **move on** with her life.
phrasal-verb

get off

Meaning
to leave a bus, train, or plane
Example
We **got off** the train at the wrong station.
idiom

clean conscience

Meaning
feeling that you have done nothing wrong
Example
He can sleep well because he has a **clean conscience**.
phrasal-verb

buzz about

Meaning
to talk excitedly about something; to be filled with excitement
Example
The office was **buzzing about** the upcoming project.
idiom

Wear many hats

Meaning
To have many roles or responsibilities.
Example
As a small business owner, she **wears many hats**.
phrasal-verb

talk over calmly

Meaning
to discuss an issue in a relaxed way without anger
Example
They sat down to **talk over calmly** what had gone wrong.
idiom

keep something to yourself

Meaning
not tell anyone about something
Example
Please **keep it to yourself** until we’re ready to announce.
phrasal-verb

carry off with

Meaning
to remove or take away forcefully
Example
The thief **carried off** the jewels **with** surprising speed.
idiom

tide over

Meaning
to help someone through a difficult period
Example
A short-term loan will **tide us over** until the invoices are paid.
phrasal-verb

call out energy waste

Meaning
to point out when energy is being used carelessly
Example
Teammates **call out energy waste** whenever lights stay on overnight.
idiom

burn out

Meaning
to become very tired and lose motivation due to overwork
Example
If you don’t rest, you’ll **burn out** soon.
phrasal-verb

weigh against

Meaning
to compare different opinions before expressing your own
Example
Before responding, I’d like to **weigh against** all the arguments made.
phrasal-verb

show through on

Meaning
to be visible or noticeable on something
Example
The stain **shows through on** the white fabric.
phrasal-verb

talk it out

Meaning
to discuss problems to relieve stress
Example
If you’re feeling tense, it helps to **talk it out** with a friend.
idiom

Keep someone posted

Meaning
To keep someone informed about something.
Example
Please **keep me posted** about any updates.
idiom

new lease on life

Meaning
a chance to live or start something again after a period of difficulty
Example
Winning the award gave her a **new lease on life**.
phrasal-verb

code around

Meaning
to find a software workaround for a problem
Example
Engineers **code around** the bug until an official patch ships.
phrasal-verb

follow up on

Meaning
to check or continue working on something previously started
Example
He promised to **follow up on** his health goals regularly.
idiom

grasp at straws

Meaning
to try any method to succeed, even if unlikely
Example
He was **grasping at straws** when he suggested that idea.
phrasal-verb

tear apart alliances

Meaning
to destroy relationships between allied groups or nations
Example
The ongoing dispute **tore apart alliances** that lasted for decades.
phrasal-verb

push up

Meaning
to make something increase in value or price
Example
Rising fuel costs have **pushed up** transportation expenses.
phrasal-verb

open up communication

Meaning
to start or improve honest and clear communication
Example
They tried to **open up communication** to solve their issues.
phrasal-verb

cut out of

Meaning
to remove something unwanted from a situation or process
Example
We need to **cut carbon out of** our energy systems.
phrasal-verb

cut down expenses

Meaning
to reduce the amount of money spent
Example
To stay profitable, companies must **cut down expenses**.
idiom

at the top of one’s game

Meaning
to be performing at one’s best level
Example
The athlete is **at the top of his game** this season.
idiom

bring down

Meaning
to make someone feel sad or to reduce something
Example
Don’t let one rude comment **bring down** your confidence.
idiom

carry forward

Meaning
to move something to a later period
Example
We’ll **carry forward** the unused budget to next quarter.
phrasal-verb

bring back confidence

Meaning
to restore people's trust or optimism
Example
New trade policies are designed to **bring back confidence** in investors.
phrasal-verb

sit in on

Meaning
to attend a meeting or class without participating actively
Example
He was allowed to **sit in on** the meeting as an observer.
phrasal-verb

round on

Meaning
to suddenly attack or criticize someone angrily
Example
He suddenly **rounded on** his friend for lying to him.
idiom

to hit it off

Meaning
to quickly become good friends
Example
We **hit it off** the moment we met.
phrasal-verb

phase over into

Meaning
to transition gradually from one state into another
Example
We'll **phase over into** hybrid work across the spring.
idiom

if you ask me

Meaning
used when giving a personal opinion, often without being asked
Example
**If you ask me**, they made a bad decision.
phrasal-verb

slow within

Meaning
to calm down internally and observe your emotions without judgment
Example
Taking a breath helped her **slow within** and regain control over her thoughts.
phrasal-verb

touch up photo

Meaning
to make small edits or improvements to a photo
Example
You can **touch up the photo** using any editing app.
phrasal-verb

pitch innovations to

Meaning
to present new ideas to a specific audience
Example
Startups **pitch innovations to** potential partners during expos.
phrasal-verb

plug into system

Meaning
to connect a device to a power source or system
Example
Just **plug the printer into the system** to start using it.
phrasal-verb

open up to ideas

Meaning
to be receptive to new and different ideas
Example
We should **open up to ideas** from junior staff as well.
idiom

spur of the moment

Meaning
an unplanned or spontaneous decision or action
Example
The idea came **on the spur of the moment** during lunch.
idiom

new blood

Meaning
new people who bring fresh ideas
Example
The company needs **new blood** to stay competitive.
idiom

step in

Meaning
to become involved in order to help or stop something
Example
The manager will **step in** if the discussion gets heated.
idiom

As old as the hills

Meaning
Very old or ancient
Example
That legend is **as old as the hills**.
idiom

wise up

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

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Meaning
Important things take time to accomplish.
Example
**Rome wasn’t built in a day**, be patient with your progress.
idiom

fun and games

Meaning
enjoyable activities; playful behavior
Example
It’s not all **fun and games** when organizing a big event.
idiom

confide in someone

Meaning
to trust someone enough to tell them secrets
Example
She only **confides in** her best friend.
idiom

come a long way

Meaning
to make a lot of progress or improvement
Example
She has **come a long way** since she started her career.
phrasal-verb

keep inflation in check

Meaning
to control inflation and prevent it from rising too much
Example
The government is trying to **keep inflation in check** through monetary policies.
phrasal-verb

chase after

Meaning
to try hard to achieve something you want
Example
Many people **chase after** success without enjoying the process.
idiom

bounce around

Meaning
to discuss or move between ideas casually
Example
Let’s **bounce around** concepts before we pick one.
idiom

fly by the seat of your pants

Meaning
to do something without planning, using only instinct and experience
Example
We didn't have a map, so we **flew by the seat of our pants**.
idiom

There's strength in numbers

Meaning
A larger group is stronger than an individual.
Example
Together we can achieve more because **there's strength in numbers**.
phrasal-verb

space yourself out

Meaning
to take mental breaks to avoid stress
Example
You should **space yourself out** during long study sessions.
phrasal-verb

call upon

Meaning
to formally ask someone to do something
Example
The president **called upon** all citizens to work for peace.
idiom

a weight on your shoulders

Meaning
a heavy burden or responsibility causing stress
Example
Running the company alone is **a weight on his shoulders**.
idiom

target audience

Meaning
a specific group of people a campaign is aimed at
Example
You need to know your **target audience** before launching a campaign.
phrasal-verb

stay connected with

Meaning
to maintain an emotional or communicative link with someone
Example
Even after moving abroad, she **stays connected with** her old friends.
idiom

a snowball's chance in hell

Meaning
no chance at all
Example
He has **a snowball's chance in hell** of winning the lottery.
phrasal-verb

rise above pressure

Meaning
to stay calm and focused in stressful situations
Example
He managed to **rise above pressure** during the busy quarter.