hold back criticism
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phrasal-verb

hold back criticism

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

Don Quixote

Meaning
A person who is overly idealistic, unrealistic, or impractical.
Example
He’s being **a Don Quixote**, chasing impossible dreams.
idiom

get under someone's skin

Meaning
to annoy or bother someone deeply
Example
She really knows how to **get under my skin**.
phrasal-verb

shut down

Meaning
to turn off a computer or system
Example
Make sure to **shut down** your computer before leaving.
idiom

put your faith in

Meaning
to trust or believe in someone or something
Example
She decided to **put her faith in** her friends to help her.
phrasal-verb

break open

Meaning
to release repressed emotions or feelings
Example
The movie made me **break open** and finally cry.
idiom

to learn the hard way

Meaning
to learn by making mistakes or through difficult experiences
Example
He **learned the hard way** that honesty is the best policy.
phrasal-verb

drop back

Meaning
to move to a position further behind
Example
The runner **dropped back** after the first lap due to exhaustion.
idiom

Go all out

Meaning
To use all your energy and resources to achieve something.
Example
They **went all out** to make the event a success.
phrasal-verb

band up for

Meaning
to unite as a group to achieve a common economic goal
Example
Several small countries **banded up for** regional cooperation.
idiom

break into a cold sweat

Meaning
to start sweating due to fear or anxiety
Example
He **broke into a cold sweat** before giving his speech.
idiom

keep up with the times

Meaning
to stay updated or adapt to modern trends
Example
In the fast-moving tech industry, companies must **keep up with the times**.
phrasal-verb

bridge gaps between

Meaning
to reduce differences and improve understanding among people or groups
Example
Global forums aim to **bridge gaps between** developed and developing nations.
phrasal-verb

lean in to

Meaning
to embrace or face emotional challenges with courage
Example
Instead of avoiding conflict, she decided to **lean in to** the discussion.
idiom

pluck up the courage

Meaning
to make yourself feel brave enough to do something
Example
He finally **plucked up the courage** to speak in public.
phrasal-verb

get at

Meaning
to imply or suggest something indirectly
Example
What exactly are you **getting at** with that question?
phrasal-verb

cut someone off emotionally

Meaning
to stop communicating or showing feelings to someone
Example
After their argument, she **cut him off emotionally**.
phrasal-verb

analyze what went wrong

Meaning
to carefully examine reasons behind failure
Example
Before trying again, let’s **analyze what went wrong** last time.
idiom

pumped up

Meaning
full of energy and excitement
Example
He was **pumped up** before the big presentation.
phrasal-verb

quote from

Meaning
to repeat words from a person or source in speech or writing
Example
The news anchor **quoted from** the Prime Minister’s statement.
idiom

a run for one’s money

Meaning
to compete strongly with someone; to challenge effectively
Example
The new company is giving the old giants **a run for their money**.
idiom

grow by leaps and bounds

Meaning
to grow or improve very quickly
Example
The company has **grown by leaps and bounds** in the last year.
idiom

forty winks

Meaning
a short nap or brief sleep
Example
He likes to take **forty winks** after work.
phrasal-verb

strike up

Meaning
to start a conversation or friendship
Example
He easily **strikes up** conversations with strangers.
idiom

own it

Meaning
to take pride in who you are or what you do
Example
Don’t be shy about your success—**own it**!
idiom

dodged a bullet

Meaning
To narrowly escape a dangerous or unlucky situation.
Example
We really **dodged a bullet** when that deal fell through.
phrasal-verb

wait out

Meaning
to wait until something unpleasant ends
Example
We decided to **wait out** the storm at the café.
phrasal-verb

look out over

Meaning
to have a view of something from above or a distance
Example
Our room **looks out over** the beautiful lake.
phrasal-verb

brush off doubt

Meaning
to ignore self-doubt and continue with confidence
Example
He **brushed off doubt** and delivered a great speech.
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.
phrasal-verb

stretch out

Meaning
to extend your body or limbs to relax or prepare for exercise
Example
Don’t forget to **stretch out** before starting your workout.
phrasal-verb

boot loop

Meaning
to restart continuously due to a system error
Example
After the update, my phone got stuck in a **boot loop**.
phrasal-verb

rise through

Meaning
to progress or succeed in something through effort and determination
Example
She managed to **rise through** hard work and self-belief.
idiom

Shoulder to shoulder

Meaning
Working together closely and equally.
Example
The soldiers stood **shoulder to shoulder** in battle.
phrasal-verb

adapt within communities

Meaning
to adjust behavior and habits to fit in with a local community
Example
Immigrants often need to **adapt within communities** to feel at home.
idiom

whatever floats your boat

Meaning
do whatever makes you happy or interested
Example
If you enjoy watching paint dry, **whatever floats your boat**.
idiom

Nest feathering

Meaning
Using one’s position or power for personal financial gain.
Example
The politician was accused of **nest feathering**.
idiom

draw on

Meaning
to use something as a resource
Example
We’ll **draw on** last year’s data for the report.
idiom

on the mend

Meaning
recovering from an illness or injury
Example
I was sick last week, but I’m **on the mend** now.
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

A Faustian bargain

Meaning
A deal where one sacrifices moral integrity for power or success.
Example
Signing that contract was **a Faustian bargain** for him.
phrasal-verb

put through

Meaning
to connect someone on the phone
Example
Could you **put me through** to the manager, please?
phrasal-verb

open up about kindness

Meaning
to speak honestly about acts of kindness or gratitude
Example
He finally **opened up about kindness** he received from strangers.
phrasal-verb

cool down

Meaning
to do light exercise after heavy activity to relax muscles
Example
You should **cool down** after your workout to avoid stiffness.
phrasal-verb

rise above emotions

Meaning
to not let emotions control your actions
Example
True wisdom is the ability to **rise above emotions** in tough situations.
idiom

pledge one's word

Meaning
to make a serious or formal promise
Example
He **pledged his word** to support the cause.
phrasal-verb

fill in gaps

Meaning
to complete missing parts of understanding or knowledge
Example
Teachers help students **fill in gaps** in their learning.
idiom

bury the hatchet

Meaning
to stop fighting and become friends again
Example
After years of argument, they decided to **bury the hatchet**.
phrasal-verb

carry off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something difficult
Example
She managed to **carry off** the project despite all the challenges.
idiom

rocket science

Meaning
something very complicated or difficult to understand
Example
Coding isn’t **rocket science** if you practice regularly.
phrasal-verb

stick out

Meaning
to be noticeable or different; to continue doing something difficult
Example
You have to **stick out** the first few weeks of training.
idiom

pull it off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something difficult
Example
No one thought she could do it, but she **pulled it off**.
idiom

factor in

Meaning
to include something as part of a calculation or plan
Example
Remember to **factor in** travel time when planning.
idiom

to get bent out of shape

Meaning
to become angry or upset
Example
Don't **get bent out of shape** over a small mistake.
idiom

spin doctor

Meaning
a person who gives a favorable interpretation of events to the media
Example
The politician hired a **spin doctor** to handle the press.
idiom

the tide has turned

Meaning
a situation has started to change in your favor
Example
After months of bad luck, **the tide has turned** for our team.
phrasal-verb

depend upon exports

Meaning
to rely on exports for income or growth
Example
Many developing countries **depend upon exports** to boost their economy.
phrasal-verb

take notes

Meaning
to write down important information during a lesson or meeting
Example
He always **takes notes** when the teacher explains a new topic.
phrasal-verb

sprout up

Meaning
to appear or grow quickly like plants
Example
New trees have **sprouted up** after the monsoon rain.
idiom

give someone a piece of one’s mind

Meaning
to tell someone angrily what you think
Example
She **gave him a piece of her mind** for being rude.
idiom

under oath

Meaning
having sworn to tell the truth in court
Example
He lied **under oath** and was charged with perjury.
idiom

keep one's nose to the grindstone

Meaning
to work hard and continuously
Example
If you **keep your nose to the grindstone**, you'll achieve your goals.
idiom

to make a splash

Meaning
to attract a lot of attention or make a big impact
Example
Her new book **made a splash** in the literary world.
idiom

chatterbox

Meaning
a person who talks a lot
Example
My little sister is a real **chatterbox**.
phrasal-verb

clean up

Meaning
to remove dirt or pollution from a place; to make something cleaner
Example
Volunteers came together to **clean up** the beach after the storm.
idiom

know someone inside out

Meaning
to know someone very well
Example
I **know her inside out**; we’ve been friends for years.
phrasal-verb

do away with

Meaning
to get rid of something; to abolish
Example
They plan to **do away with** the old system soon.
phrasal-verb

clear out

Meaning
to get rid of unnecessary things to feel mentally refreshed
Example
I like to **clear out** my desk when I'm feeling stressed.
idiom

go off on a tangent

Meaning
to suddenly start talking about something unrelated
Example
He tends to **go off on a tangent** when discussing politics.
phrasal-verb

zone yourself in

Meaning
to focus deeply on something to forget stress
Example
I **zone myself in** on painting to relax my mind.
phrasal-verb

ease down

Meaning
to become less intense or emotional; to relax gradually
Example
After the stressful week, things started to **ease down**.
phrasal-verb

move closer to

Meaning
to make progress toward achieving a goal
Example
Every small win moves you **closer to** success.
phrasal-verb

work for

Meaning
to be employed by someone or an organization
Example
I **work for** a multinational company in Dhaka.
phrasal-verb

shift focus toward growth

Meaning
to redirect attention and efforts toward improvement
Example
The manager encouraged everyone to **shift focus toward growth** after the changes.
idiom

to have a lot on one's plate

Meaning
to have a lot of tasks or responsibilities to deal with
Example
She can't take on any more projects; she already has **a lot on her plate**.
phrasal-verb

hype up

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

crack the whip

Meaning
to use authority to make people work harder or obey rules
Example
The new manager is **cracking the whip** to improve productivity.
idiom

long time no see

Meaning
used when you meet someone after a long time
Example
**Long time no see!** How have you been?
phrasal-verb

find against

Meaning
to decide that someone is wrong or guilty
Example
The judge **found against** the company for breaking the contract.
phrasal-verb

screw up

Meaning
to do something badly or incorrectly
Example
He **screwed up** the report by adding wrong data.
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

lightbulb moment

Meaning
a sudden moment of realization or inspiration
Example
He had a **lightbulb moment** when he figured out how to fix the code.
phrasal-verb

build upon yourself

Meaning
to improve or develop your skills, knowledge, or character based on what you already have
Example
You should always try to **build upon yourself** and become a better version of who you were yesterday.
phrasal-verb

break news to

Meaning
to share important or upsetting information with someone
Example
He had to **break news to** his editor about the source backing out.
idiom

puppy love

Meaning
a young or innocent kind of love
Example
Their relationship in school was just **puppy love**.
idiom

on trial

Meaning
being tested or judged
Example
The company is **on trial** for violating privacy laws.
phrasal-verb

pick off

Meaning
to shoot or remove one by one
Example
The sniper **picked off** the enemies from a distance.
phrasal-verb

push through on

Meaning
to keep working on something until it is completed
Example
We **push through on** the prototype even when the tests fail.
phrasal-verb

follow through

Meaning
to complete a task that was started or promised
Example
We need to **follow through** with our commitments to build trust.
idiom

A politician's promise is like a bubble

Meaning
a politician's promises are often unrealistic or unattainable
Example
You can't trust his plans; **a politician's promise is like a bubble**.
phrasal-verb

move forward confidently

Meaning
to progress with self-assurance and determination
Example
He chose to **move forward confidently** despite past setbacks.
phrasal-verb

get in touch with

Meaning
to reconnect or become aware of your emotions again
Example
Meditation helps you **get in touch with** your true feelings.
phrasal-verb

learn through

Meaning
to gain knowledge or wisdom as a result of experience or difficulty
Example
We often **learn through** our failures more than our successes.
phrasal-verb

find through

Meaning
to understand or see something clearly after effort
Example
It took me some time to **find through** his lies.
idiom

get a foot in the door

Meaning
to take the first step towards achieving something, especially a job
Example
He took an internship to **get a foot in the door** of the company.
idiom

black box thinking

Meaning
analyzing unknown processes by studying their inputs and outputs
Example
In AI research, **black box thinking** helps improve transparency.
idiom

Cross one’s mind

Meaning
To suddenly think of something.
Example
It never **crossed my mind** that he could be lying.
idiom

go bananas over something

Meaning
to become extremely excited or enthusiastic about something
Example
Kids **go bananas over** the new video game console.
idiom

out of sorts

Meaning
feeling slightly unwell or upset
Example
He’s been **out of sorts** since he caught that cold.
idiom

reach out to

Meaning
to contact someone to offer or request help
Example
Feel free to **reach out to** me if you need support.
idiom

plug and play

Meaning
easy to use without complex setup
Example
The new printer is **plug and play** – no installation needed.
idiom

pull an all-nighter

Meaning
to stay awake all night to study or work
Example
I had to **pull an all-nighter** to finish my assignment.
idiom

build a better mousetrap

Meaning
to improve an existing product or idea
Example
Every tech company tries to **build a better mousetrap** in its field.
idiom

algorithmic bias

Meaning
the systematic favoritism towards certain data or outcomes by an algorithm, often unintentionally.
Example
The development team worked to eliminate **algorithmic bias** in the AI model.
phrasal-verb

work out of

Meaning
to be based or operate from a specific place
Example
He **works out of** our Singapore office.
phrasal-verb

look within

Meaning
to examine your own feelings and motives
Example
To grow emotionally, you must **look within** yourself.
phrasal-verb

sync expectations up

Meaning
to make sure everyone understands the same plan
Example
Let's **sync expectations up** before we send the proposal.
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

bend the truth

Meaning
to slightly change the truth to make something sound better
Example
He tends to **bend the truth** when telling stories.
idiom

take the reins

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
After the director retired, she **took the reins** of the company.
idiom

come through

Meaning
to do what is expected or promised, especially in difficult situations
Example
She always **comes through** when we need her most.
idiom

touch and go

Meaning
a risky or uncertain situation where the outcome is doubtful
Example
It was **touch and go** whether he would survive the surgery.
idiom

Plain sailing

Meaning
Something that is easy and without difficulty.
Example
Once we solved the main issue, the rest was **plain sailing**.
idiom

asleep on your feet

Meaning
extremely tired and almost falling asleep
Example
You look **asleep on your feet** after working all day.
phrasal-verb

lighten your mood

Meaning
to make yourself feel happier and less stressed
Example
Watching a funny movie can really **lighten your mood**.
idiom

turn a blind eye

Meaning
to deliberately ignore something wrong or unpleasant
Example
The manager **turned a blind eye** to employees leaving early on Fridays.
phrasal-verb

beam with joy

Meaning
to smile very happily because of joy
Example
She **beamed with joy** when she heard the good news.
phrasal-verb

boost up

Meaning
to increase or enhance something such as production or growth
Example
The new incentives will **boost up** industrial productivity.
idiom

ease onto

Meaning
to move gently onto something
Example
Please **ease onto** the ramp to avoid jolts.
idiom

the cream of the crop

Meaning
the best among a group of people or things
Example
Only **the cream of the crop** get into that university.
phrasal-verb

get along

Meaning
to have a good relationship with someone
Example
I really **get along** well with my colleagues.