hold on for
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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.
phrasal-verb

cut out middlemen

Meaning
to trade directly without using intermediaries
Example
The exporters decided to **cut out middlemen** and sell directly to buyers.
phrasal-verb

storm in

Meaning
to enter suddenly and angrily, like a storm
Example
The teacher **stormed in** as the students were shouting loudly.
idiom

to be a sponge for knowledge

Meaning
to absorb information eagerly and enthusiastically
Example
She's **a sponge for knowledge**; she reads every book she can find.
idiom

wear the crown

Meaning
to be in a position of leadership or power
Example
It's not easy to **wear the crown** and handle all responsibilities.
phrasal-verb

go over the report

Meaning
to review or examine something carefully
Example
Let's **go over the report** before the meeting starts.
idiom

scare the life out of someone

Meaning
to frighten someone very badly
Example
That horror movie **scared the life out of me**.
idiom

make a fortune

Meaning
to earn a lot of money
Example
She **made a fortune** selling handmade jewelry online.
idiom

in the loop

Meaning
to be informed about something
Example
Please keep me **in the loop** about the project updates.
phrasal-verb

fall for

Meaning
to fall in love with someone; to be strongly attracted to something
Example
He **fell for** her the moment they met.
phrasal-verb

shake hands on

Meaning
to agree on something formally or finalize a deal
Example
They finally **shook hands on** the joint investment plan.
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

aim high

Meaning
to set challenging and ambitious goals
Example
Always **aim high** if you want to achieve greatness.
phrasal-verb

aim higher

Meaning
to set more ambitious goals
Example
If you want to succeed, you must **aim higher**.
phrasal-verb

aim for excellence

Meaning
to try to achieve the best possible results
Example
Always **aim for excellence** instead of settling for average results.
phrasal-verb

factor in for

Meaning
to include a consideration when planning for something
Example
Analysts **factor in for** currency swings when forecasting prices.
idiom

Dress to kill

Meaning
To wear clothes that attract a lot of attention and admiration.
Example
She always **dresses to kill** when she goes to parties.
phrasal-verb

connect to

Meaning
to feel a sense of belonging with one’s culture or roots
Example
I **connect to** my culture through music and food.
idiom

backdoor entry

Meaning
a secret or unofficial way to access something
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor entry** into the company’s database.
idiom

to bring someone to justice

Meaning
to capture and punish someone for a crime
Example
The police vowed to **bring the killers to justice**.
phrasal-verb

phase out restrictions

Meaning
to gradually remove limitations on trade
Example
The country plans to **phase out restrictions** on foreign imports over five years.
idiom

golden opportunity

Meaning
a very good chance; rare opportunity
Example
This is a **golden opportunity** to show your talent.
phrasal-verb

knuckle under

Meaning
to accept someone’s authority or give in to pressure
Example
He refused to **knuckle under** to his boss’s unfair demands.
idiom

One step at a time

Meaning
Handle tasks gradually and not all at once.
Example
Don't stress, just take **one step at a time**.
idiom

have butterflies in your stomach

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

garbage in, garbage out

Meaning
flawed input data will produce flawed results
Example
If the training data is poor, the AI model will fail — **garbage in, garbage out**.
phrasal-verb

lash with anger

Meaning
to express anger strongly
Example
The coach **lashed with anger** after the team lost again.
phrasal-verb

let in peace

Meaning
to allow yourself a quiet moment away from distractions
Example
Give yourself time to **let in peace** after a stressful day.
phrasal-verb

aim toward

Meaning
to direct efforts or plans toward achieving something
Example
Her education is **aimed toward** a career in medicine.
idiom

all smiles

Meaning
very happy and cheerful
Example
He was **all smiles** after hearing the compliment.
idiom

cool off

Meaning
to become less hot or less angry
Example
Let the soup **cool off** before serving.
phrasal-verb

keep from

Meaning
to prevent oneself or someone from doing something
Example
I couldn’t **keep from** laughing when he told the joke.
phrasal-verb

take office

Meaning
to begin an official position or duty
Example
The new prime minister will **take office** next week.
phrasal-verb

coordinate across borders

Meaning
to organize efforts with people in different countries
Example
We **coordinate across borders** to keep the partnership moving smoothly.
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

in so many words

Meaning
to say something clearly and directly
Example
He didn’t say it **in so many words**, but I knew what he meant.
phrasal-verb

listen openly

Meaning
to pay attention without judgment or interruption
Example
A good friend will **listen openly** when you share your emotions.
idiom

table the discussion

Meaning
to postpone discussing something until later
Example
They decided to **table the discussion** until next week.
idiom

put your heart and soul into something

Meaning
to do something with great effort and passion
Example
She **put her heart and soul into** her new business.
phrasal-verb

learn from others

Meaning
to gain knowledge or understanding from people of different cultures
Example
We can **learn from others** by observing their traditions and values.
idiom

word of mouth

Meaning
information spread by people talking to each other
Example
The news spread quickly by **word of mouth**.
phrasal-verb

lift off

Meaning
to start with great energy or enthusiasm
Example
Her confidence helped the project **lift off** successfully.
phrasal-verb

clam down from

Meaning
to gradually relax after being very stressed or angry
Example
It took him an hour to **clam down from** the argument.
phrasal-verb

find over to

Meaning
to move or transfer attention or focus to something new
Example
She quickly **found over to** another topic when things got awkward.
phrasal-verb

motivate toward

Meaning
to inspire someone to move or act toward a goal
Example
Effective leaders **motivate toward** shared goals.
idiom

to mend fences

Meaning
to repair a relationship
Example
After their argument, they decided to **mend fences**.
idiom

trial and error

Meaning
learning through experimenting and correcting mistakes
Example
We developed the product through **trial and error**.
idiom

move up the ladder

Meaning
to be promoted or advance in one’s job
Example
She hopes to **move up the ladder** by the end of the year.
phrasal-verb

get lost

Meaning
to lose one's way
Example
We **got lost** in the small streets of Venice.
phrasal-verb

strive toward goals

Meaning
to put in great effort to achieve objectives
Example
They constantly **strive toward** their goals with persistence.
idiom

jump out of your skin

Meaning
to be extremely surprised or frightened
Example
I nearly **jumped out of my skin** when I saw the snake.
idiom

sift through

Meaning
to examine a large amount of information or items carefully
Example
I spent the afternoon **sifting through** old emails for the missing file.
idiom

pioneer a new path

Meaning
to lead the way in a new venture or innovation
Example
He was the first to **pioneer a new path** in renewable energy solutions.
idiom

a political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial or sensitive political issue
Example
Immigration has become **a political hot potato** in the country.
idiom

down and out

Meaning
feeling hopeless and defeated
Example
After losing everything, he was completely **down and out**.
phrasal-verb

stick to the point

Meaning
to stay focused on the main topic during a discussion
Example
The moderator asked everyone to **stick to the point** during the debate.
idiom

cover all the angles

Meaning
to examine a story or issue from every perspective
Example
The journalist tried to **cover all the angles** before publishing the article.
idiom

go through the motions

Meaning
to do something without enthusiasm
Example
He’s just **going through the motions** at work.
phrasal-verb

hesitate over

Meaning
to pause before doing or saying something because of uncertainty
Example
She **hesitated over** whether to tell him the truth.
phrasal-verb

open dialogue with

Meaning
to start conversations or discussions with another culture or group
Example
The organization aims to **open dialogue with** minority communities.
idiom

eye on the prize

Meaning
to stay focused on achieving your goal
Example
She always keeps her **eye on the prize** no matter what.
idiom

roads less traveled

Meaning
choices or paths in life that are unusual or adventurous
Example
He prefers to take the **roads less traveled** and discover new cultures.
phrasal-verb

turn against

Meaning
to stop supporting someone and start opposing them
Example
The public **turned against** the government after the scandal.
phrasal-verb

look deeper into

Meaning
to examine something more carefully or in detail
Example
The scientist decided to **look deeper into** the mysterious phenomenon.
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

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

speak around

Meaning
to discuss a topic without addressing it directly
Example
He tends to **speak around** the real issue instead of confronting it.
phrasal-verb

shop around for

Meaning
to compare prices or products before buying
Example
Many customers **shop around for** the best deals online.
idiom

Put the pedal to the metal

Meaning
To push harder and make a greater effort.
Example
We need to **put the pedal to the metal** if we want to meet the deadline.
idiom

drag one’s feet

Meaning
to delay doing something; to do something slowly because you don't want to
Example
He’s **dragging his feet** about finishing the report.
idiom

branch out

Meaning
to expand into new activities or areas
Example
The bakery plans to **branch out** into catering services next year.
phrasal-verb

take on new challenges

Meaning
to accept new or difficult tasks
Example
To grow professionally, you should **take on new challenges** regularly.
idiom

lose touch

Meaning
to stop communicating with someone
Example
We **lost touch** after college.
idiom

get your money’s worth

Meaning
to get value or satisfaction from what you paid for
Example
That smartphone is so durable—you really **got your money’s worth**.
idiom

take pride in yourself

Meaning
to feel proud of who you are or what you do
Example
Always **take pride in yourself** and your achievements.
idiom

open the floodgates

Meaning
to allow something to happen on a large scale; to trigger a chain reaction
Example
When the security flaw was leaked, it **opened the floodgates** for hackers worldwide.
idiom

in the public eye

Meaning
being well known or highly visible in public
Example
The journalist has been **in the public eye** for over a decade.
idiom

fall through the cracks

Meaning
to be overlooked or neglected
Example
I forgot to follow up on his application and it **fell through the cracks**.
idiom

to sweep someone off their feet

Meaning
to make someone fall in love with you quickly
Example
He **swept her off her feet** with his charm.
phrasal-verb

clear things up with

Meaning
to resolve confusion or disagreement with someone
Example
I need to **clear things up with** my manager about the schedule.
phrasal-verb

work against

Meaning
to act in opposition to someone or something
Example
The new policy may **work against** small businesses.
phrasal-verb

bring out

Meaning
to reveal or emphasize a quality or idea
Example
Her words **brought out** the importance of teamwork.
phrasal-verb

time out

Meaning
to stop a connection after taking too long to respond
Example
The website **timed out** because the server was too slow.
idiom

fall through

Meaning
to fail to happen
Example
Our travel plans might **fall through** if the storm hits.
phrasal-verb

put in for

Meaning
to make a formal request for something
Example
I decided to **put in for** a few days of leave.
phrasal-verb

set upon

Meaning
to attack someone suddenly
Example
The thief was **set upon** by the angry crowd.
idiom

a breath of fresh air

Meaning
something new and refreshing
Example
Her positive attitude is **a breath of fresh air** in the office.
phrasal-verb

go in for

Meaning
to support or approve of something
Example
He doesn’t really **go in for** small talk.
idiom

break free

Meaning
to escape from control or restriction
Example
She wanted to **break free** from her routine life.
idiom

carry on luggage

Meaning
small bags taken with you on a plane or trip
Example
She packed all her essentials in her **carry on luggage**.
idiom

chapter and verse

Meaning
to provide full and exact details about something
Example
She can quote **chapter and verse** to support her argument.
idiom

call to action

Meaning
a prompt that encourages an immediate response from an audience
Example
Your ad must include a strong **call to action**.
idiom

beat a dead horse

Meaning
to waste time on a topic that has already been resolved
Example
Stop **beating a dead horse**; the decision is final.
idiom

dream big

Meaning
to have ambitious goals and aspirations
Example
If you want to achieve greatness, you must **dream big**.
phrasal-verb

get carried away

Meaning
to become so excited that you lose control of your feelings or actions
Example
I **got carried away** and bought more than I planned.
idiom

by and large

Meaning
generally speaking; on the whole
Example
**By and large**, we agree with your proposal.
idiom

artificial intelligence

Meaning
The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn.
Example
The company has invested heavily in **artificial intelligence** to enhance automation.
phrasal-verb

keep inside

Meaning
to not show or tell others about your emotions
Example
He tends to **keep** his feelings **inside** instead of talking about them.
idiom

a couch potato

Meaning
a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
Example
He’s become **a couch potato** since he lost his job.
idiom

break down in tears

Meaning
to start crying suddenly
Example
She **broke down in tears** after hearing the sad story.
phrasal-verb

carry through on

Meaning
to complete or fulfill a promise, plan, or commitment
Example
A person with strong ethics will always **carry through on** their promises.
phrasal-verb

open out

Meaning
to become more confident, relaxed, and expressive emotionally
Example
He started to **open out** after making new friends at work.
phrasal-verb

drive innovation

Meaning
to lead or motivate creative progress
Example
The CEO’s vision helps **drive innovation** across all departments.
idiom

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today

Meaning
Do not procrastinate; take advantage of the present moment.
Example
Finish your work now, **don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today**.
idiom

make waves

Meaning
to cause trouble or create a significant impact
Example
The new policy **made waves** throughout the organization.
phrasal-verb

trickle down

Meaning
to spread gradually from the wealthy to the less wealthy; to benefit lower classes indirectly
Example
Many economists argue that wealth doesn’t always **trickle down** to the poor.
phrasal-verb

split profits with

Meaning
to share earnings or gains equally or based on agreement
Example
They decided to **split profits with** their local partners.
phrasal-verb

aim toward excellence

Meaning
to focus effort on achieving the highest quality or standard
Example
Our company always **aims toward excellence** in every project.
phrasal-verb

let in

Meaning
to allow someone to know your true thoughts or feelings
Example
She rarely **lets anyone in** because she fears getting hurt.
idiom

beat someone to the punch

Meaning
to do something before someone else does
Example
He **beat me to the punch** by applying for the job first.
idiom

air out

Meaning
to let fresh air into a space
Example
Open the windows to **air out** the room.
phrasal-verb

shoot for

Meaning
to try to achieve a goal or aim for something high
Example
You should always **shoot for** the highest standards.
idiom

split the atom

Meaning
to do something revolutionary or extremely difficult
Example
Creating a universal AI is like trying to **split the atom** of intelligence.
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

open your heart to

Meaning
to express love, trust, or care freely
Example
It’s important to **open your heart to** those who care about you.
idiom

keep the home fires burning

Meaning
to maintain a happy home while others are away
Example
While her husband was abroad, she **kept the home fires burning**.
phrasal-verb

go back over

Meaning
to review or check something again carefully
Example
Before submitting your work, **go back over** it once more.
idiom

own up to your mistakes

Meaning
to admit that you have done something wrong
Example
It takes courage to **own up to your mistakes**.
idiom

in black and white

Meaning
in written form; clearly stated
Example
The rules are clearly written **in black and white**.
idiom

corner office

Meaning
a symbol of success or high position in a company
Example
Everyone dreams of getting the **corner office** one day.
idiom

hit a home run

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