hold yourself back
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phrasal-verb

hold yourself back

Meaning
to restrain oneself from reacting emotionally
Example
He had to **hold himself back** from yelling at the meeting.
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

having a whale of a time

Meaning
enjoying yourself greatly
Example
We had **a whale of a time** at the beach yesterday.
idiom

hair stands on end

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

hit it off

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

hear it through the grapevine

Meaning
to hear a rumor or unofficial news
Example
I **heard it through the grapevine** that they broke up.
phrasal-verb

hand over money

Meaning
to give money, usually unwillingly
Example
He had to **hand over** a large sum in taxes last month.
idiom

have a stake in

Meaning
to have an interest or investment in something
Example
She has a **stake in** the company's success.
phrasal-verb

hum along

Meaning
to make a sound with your lips closed while listening to a tune
Example
He **hummed along** to the melody playing in the background.
idiom

hold accountable

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

hand in glove

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

have a soft spot for

Meaning
to have a fondness or affection for something or someone
Example
I **have a soft spot for** old classic movies.
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**.
phrasal-verb

hold the door

Meaning
to keep the door open for someone as a polite gesture
Example
He always **holds the door** for others when entering a building.
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.
phrasal-verb

hedge against

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

heart sinks

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

honor one's promise

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

help someone out

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

hype up

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

Meaning
to have romantic feelings for someone, often secretly
Example
I’ve **had a crush on** her for months.
idiom

head off for

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

hit it off with

Meaning
to immediately have a good relationship with someone
Example
We **hit it off with** each other from the very first meeting.
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

hold the upper hand

Meaning
to have more power or advantage over others
Example
Negotiations continued, but the buyer **held the upper hand**.
idiom

hold the vision

Meaning
to maintain a clear sense of direction or goal
Example
Leaders who **hold the vision** can guide their teams through difficult times.
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**.
phrasal-verb

hold on through struggle

Meaning
to stay strong and persistent during hard times
Example
You just have to **hold on through struggle** until things get better.
phrasal-verb

head for

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

hold your nerve

Meaning
to remain calm and confident under pressure
Example
She **held her nerve** and finished the speech perfectly.
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

hit the roof

Meaning
to become very angry
Example
Dad will **hit the roof** when he sees the broken window.
phrasal-verb

hand in assignments

Meaning
to submit school or college work to the teacher
Example
You must **hand in assignments** before the deadline.
phrasal-verb

hold back

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

hold out hope

Meaning
to continue to believe that something good will happen
Example
We still **hold out hope** that she’ll recover soon.
phrasal-verb

hop on

Meaning
to get on a vehicle quickly or easily
Example
You can **hop on** the next bus if you miss this one.
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

head over heels

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

hear something through the grapevine

Meaning
to hear news or rumors indirectly
Example
I **heard through the grapevine** that they are getting married.
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

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

have a change of heart

Meaning
to change your opinion or the way you feel about something
Example
She was going to move abroad, but she had **a change of heart**.
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

hand action items out

Meaning
to assign follow-up tasks to specific people
Example
Facilitators **hand action items out** before closing the meeting.
phrasal-verb

hold office

Meaning
to have an official position of authority or power
Example
He has **held office** as the foreign minister for more than five years.
phrasal-verb

hold with

Meaning
to agree with or approve of something
Example
I don’t **hold with** lying under any circumstances.
idiom

hit a snag

Meaning
to face an unexpected problem or obstacle
Example
The project **hit a snag** when the server went down.
phrasal-verb

hold back from

Meaning
to resist forgetting or losing traditional values
Example
The villagers **held back from** abandoning their rituals.
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

hand in

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

have mixed feelings

Meaning
to be uncertain or have both positive and negative emotions
Example
I **have mixed feelings** about moving to another city.
phrasal-verb

hold it in

Meaning
to stop yourself from showing emotion
Example
He tried to **hold it in**, but the tears came anyway.
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.
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.
idiom

hold forth

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

hit back

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

Hold out

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

hand over control

Meaning
to transfer authority or management to another party
Example
The firm will **hand over control** of its Asian operations to a local partner.
idiom

have it made

Meaning
to be in a very good position for success
Example
With a stable job and a happy family, he really **has it made**.
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

hold to

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

head back to

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
Let’s **head back to** the office after lunch.
idiom

Handle with kid gloves

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

have a crush on

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

have words with

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

Heart full of gratitude

Meaning
Deeply thankful and appreciative.
Example
She spoke with a **heart full of gratitude** for her teachers.
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.
phrasal-verb

hire on

Meaning
to employ or bring someone into a company
Example
They **hired on** two new developers to expand their product team.
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.
phrasal-verb

hold space for

Meaning
to be emotionally present for someone without judgment
Example
Sometimes the best support is just to **hold space for** a friend in pain.
idiom

happy as a clam

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

hit the reset button

Meaning
to start fresh or make a new beginning
Example
After the failure, the team decided to **hit the reset button**.
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 headlines

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

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

hard luck story

Meaning
a story about someone's misfortune
Example
He’s always telling a **hard luck story** to get sympathy.
phrasal-verb

hold out on

Meaning
to refuse to give information or something to someone
Example
He’s **holding out on** me about the project details.
idiom

hand down to

Meaning
to pass something to someone of a later generation
Example
Grandma **handed this down to** me when I graduated.
phrasal-verb

heal from

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

hang about

Meaning
to wait or spend time somewhere without doing much
Example
We **hung about** outside the hall until the doors opened.
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

heartbroken

Meaning
very sad and emotionally hurt
Example
He was **heartbroken** when his pet died.
idiom

have words with someone

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

hold grudges against

Meaning
to continue feeling angry or resentful toward someone
Example
It’s not healthy to **hold grudges against** your friends.
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

honor your commitments

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

hang onto

Meaning
to keep something and not give it away
Example
I’ll **hang onto** the receipts in case we need a refund.
phrasal-verb

hack into

Meaning
to secretly enter a computer system or account
Example
Someone tried to **hack into** my account last night.
idiom

hold sway

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

heal over

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

hammer out

Meaning
to reach an agreement after thorough discussion
Example
They stayed late to **hammer out** the final details of the contract.
phrasal-verb

hold down costs

Meaning
to keep expenses under control
Example
The company managed to **hold down costs** despite rising raw material prices.
phrasal-verb

hand it to

Meaning
to admit that someone deserves praise
Example
You have to **hand it to** him; he did an amazing job.
idiom

have a blast

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

hold in emotions

Meaning
to stop yourself from showing what you feel
Example
He tried to **hold in his emotions** during the meeting.
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

hit the gas

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

have someone's back

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

have a heavy heart

Meaning
to feel deep sadness or sorrow
Example
He left the city **with a heavy heart**.
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

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

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 books

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

hand around

Meaning
to give something to each person in a group
Example
She **handed around** snacks to all the guests.
idiom

have a way with words

Meaning
to be very good at persuading or charming people with speech
Example
He **has a way with words** that makes everyone listen.
idiom

have a splitting headache

Meaning
to have a very bad headache
Example
I can’t focus right now; I **have a splitting headache**.
phrasal-verb

hash through

Meaning
to discuss something thoroughly to reach clarity
Example
Let's **hash through** the ethics policy before we publish.
phrasal-verb

hold up under pressure

Meaning
to remain strong and calm when under stress or pressure
Example
She always **holds up under pressure** and performs her best.