keep your eye on the ball
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idiom

keep your eye on the ball

Meaning
to stay focused on your goal
Example
If you **keep your eye on the ball**, you’ll succeed.
idiom

easy does it

Meaning
used to tell someone to be careful and patient
Example
**Easy does it**, don’t rush the process.
idiom

book someone

Meaning
to officially charge someone with a crime
Example
The police **booked** him for theft.
phrasal-verb

move on from

Meaning
to recover emotionally and continue life after a painful experience
Example
It took him a while to **move on from** the heartbreak.
phrasal-verb

ask about

Meaning
to request information or clarification about something
Example
He **asked about** the results of the experiment.
phrasal-verb

ease inflation

Meaning
to make inflation less severe or reduce price pressure
Example
Rising interest rates can help **ease inflation** over time.
phrasal-verb

wonder about

Meaning
to be curious or question something
Example
I often **wonder about** what life will be like in ten years.
idiom

Change is the only constant

Meaning
Everything in life keeps changing; nothing stays the same.
Example
Don’t resist — change is the only constant.
phrasal-verb

shut someone down

Meaning
to stop someone from speaking or expressing themselves
Example
He tried to **shut her down** whenever she disagreed.
phrasal-verb

look within for strength

Meaning
to find inner courage and motivation
Example
When times are tough, **look within for strength**.
phrasal-verb

open up to joy

Meaning
to allow yourself to feel happiness and positivity
Example
When you **open up to joy**, life becomes brighter.
idiom

save the day

Meaning
to prevent failure or disaster by taking timely action
Example
His quick thinking **saved the day**.
idiom

how do you do

Meaning
a formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
**How do you do?** It’s a pleasure to meet you.
idiom

hold sway

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

ask for forgiveness

Meaning
to request someone to forgive you
Example
I will **ask for forgiveness** for what I did.
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

tinker around with

Meaning
to make small adjustments in an experimental way
Example
We **tinker around with** the app design after each user interview.
idiom

to mend fences

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

get the credit

Meaning
to receive praise or recognition for something
Example
The whole team worked hard, but only he **got the credit**.
idiom

sign off on

Meaning
to formally approve something
Example
The director needs to **sign off on** the final budget.
idiom

to cross that bridge when you come to it

Meaning
to deal with a problem when it arises, rather than worrying about it beforehand
Example
Don't worry about the meeting next week, we'll **cross that bridge when we come to it**.
phrasal-verb

keep on

Meaning
to continue doing something repeatedly
Example
She **kept on** talking even though nobody was listening.
idiom

Burst with gratitude

Meaning
To feel extremely thankful.
Example
She was **bursting with gratitude** after receiving help.
idiom

bend over backwards

Meaning
to make a great effort to help or please someone
Example
She **bent over backwards** to make the event successful.
phrasal-verb

open channels with

Meaning
to start communication with an individual or group
Example
The company **opened channels with** its overseas partners to share updates.
phrasal-verb

draw up a treaty

Meaning
to prepare an official document or agreement
Example
Diplomats worked late into the night to **draw up a treaty** between the two nations.
idiom

hit the dance floor

Meaning
to start dancing, especially at a party
Example
Let’s **hit the dance floor** and show our moves!
idiom

break one's word

Meaning
to fail to keep a promise
Example
Don’t **break your word**; people rely on you.
idiom

move up the ranks

Meaning
to be promoted to higher positions over time
Example
He started as an assistant but quickly **moved up the ranks**.
idiom

Economic backbone

Meaning
The most important part of the economy.
Example
Small businesses are the **economic backbone** of the nation.
phrasal-verb

transition through

Meaning
to pass through different phases of change smoothly
Example
The company managed to **transition through** restructuring with minimal disruption.
phrasal-verb

grow back

Meaning
to regrow after being cut or destroyed
Example
The forest will take years to **grow back** after the fire.
idiom

a gift from the heavens

Meaning
a blessing or something very special
Example
Her support during the tough times was **a gift from the heavens**.
phrasal-verb

come forward to help

Meaning
to volunteer or offer assistance when needed
Example
Many citizens **came forward to help** the victims of the earthquake.
phrasal-verb

blow up over

Meaning
to suddenly become angry because of something
Example
They **blew up over** a silly comment on social media.
idiom

a brush with fame

Meaning
a brief encounter or experience with a famous person
Example
During the exhibition, I had **a brush with fame** when I met a renowned painter.
phrasal-verb

rack up

Meaning
to accumulate or achieve something, such as points or awards
Example
She has **racked up** several awards for her outstanding work.
phrasal-verb

radiate happiness

Meaning
to clearly show happiness or joy through your appearance or behavior
Example
The bride **radiated happiness** throughout the ceremony.
idiom

break the fourth wall

Meaning
to address the audience directly in a play or film
Example
The actor **broke the fourth wall** to make the scene funnier.
phrasal-verb

break into conversation

Meaning
to join an ongoing conversation
Example
He politely **broke into the conversation** to share his opinion.
phrasal-verb

find on

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

hold on

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

open Pandora’s box

Meaning
to start something that causes many unforeseen problems
Example
Creating sentient AI could **open Pandora’s box** of ethical challenges.
idiom

Keep the team on track

Meaning
to make sure the team remains focused and organized
Example
As the project manager, it's important to **keep the team on track**.
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.
phrasal-verb

cut back on exports

Meaning
to reduce the amount of goods sold to other countries
Example
Due to rising costs, the company decided to **cut back on exports** this year.
idiom

behind the eight ball

Meaning
to be in a difficult position or disadvantage
Example
Without proper funding, the project is **behind the eight ball**.
phrasal-verb

stand back

Meaning
to move away from something; to distance yourself from involvement
Example
Please **stand back** from the edge of the platform.
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.
idiom

juggle work and life

Meaning
to manage both work and personal life at the same time
Example
It's not easy to **juggle work and life**, but I try to do my best.
idiom

go the extra mile

Meaning
to make a special effort to achieve something
Example
She always **goes the extra mile** to help her team succeed.
idiom

once in a while

Meaning
sometimes, but not very often
Example
I enjoy eating out **once in a while**, but I prefer home-cooked meals.
phrasal-verb

vote down a proposal

Meaning
to reject a suggestion or proposal by voting against it
Example
The parliament **voted down a proposal** to increase military spending.
phrasal-verb

link economies through

Meaning
to connect different economies via trade or investment
Example
The new corridor will **link economies through** improved infrastructure.
phrasal-verb

lay aside savings

Meaning
to save money for future use
Example
Families are advised to **lay aside savings** during good times.
phrasal-verb

tone down for

Meaning
to soften your language or behavior for a situation
Example
She **tones down for** audiences who prefer straightforward facts.
phrasal-verb

follow on from

Meaning
to happen or result from something that was done earlier
Example
This report **follows on from** our last quarter’s findings.
idiom

mind the gap

Meaning
to be aware of potential problems or discrepancies
Example
The developer needs to **mind the gap** between AI expectations and real-world capabilities.
phrasal-verb

cut someone off

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
She kept **cutting me off** whenever I tried to explain.
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.
idiom

Gordian knot

Meaning
A very complex or unsolvable problem.
Example
The issue of climate change is like a **Gordian knot** that needs bold action.
phrasal-verb

kick start

Meaning
to start something quickly and effectively
Example
The new project aims to **kick start** rural economic growth.
phrasal-verb

ground oneself

Meaning
to stay emotionally stable and present in reality
Example
He took a walk outside to **ground himself** after the bad news.
idiom

Jump in at the deep end

Meaning
to take on a difficult task without preparation
Example
I had to **jump in at the deep end** when I started my new job.
phrasal-verb

step in for

Meaning
to take someone’s place to handle a situation
Example
The manager had to **step in for** the team leader during the crisis.
phrasal-verb

call for

Meaning
to demand or request something publicly
Example
The citizens **called for** fair elections and transparency.
phrasal-verb

come across as

Meaning
to appear or seem to be something
Example
He **came across as** a very confident person.
idiom

to take the bull by the horns

Meaning
to confront a problem or challenge directly and with determination
Example
We need to **take the bull by the horns** and start making decisions now.
phrasal-verb

stick to your goals

Meaning
to remain committed to your plans and objectives
Example
If you **stick to your goals**, you’ll eventually succeed.
idiom

blow one’s top

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
He **blew his top** when he saw the mistake.
phrasal-verb

drive inclusive growth

Meaning
to promote economic growth that benefits all segments of society
Example
Governments are working to **drive inclusive growth** for all citizens.
idiom

out of this world

Meaning
extremely good or impressive
Example
The food at that restaurant is **out of this world**.
phrasal-verb

dream up projects

Meaning
to invent or imagine new creative projects
Example
They **dreamed up projects** that could change the company’s image.
phrasal-verb

fill up on

Meaning
to eat a lot of one type of food so you are not hungry for other food
Example
Don’t **fill up on** snacks before dinner.
idiom

think twice

Meaning
to reconsider something carefully before acting
Example
You should **think twice** before making that deal.
idiom

the big picture

Meaning
the overall view or perspective of a situation
Example
It’s important to look at **the big picture** before making decisions.
idiom

a feather in one’s cap

Meaning
an achievement to be proud of
Example
Winning the national award was **a feather in his cap**.
idiom

wait and see

Meaning
to be patient until something becomes clear
Example
Let’s **wait and see** what happens next.
idiom

offstage

Meaning
outside of public attention or in private life
Example
He is very different **offstage** than he appears in his shows.
idiom

worth one's salt

Meaning
to be competent or deserving respect in one’s field
Example
Any engineer **worth his salt** can solve this problem.
phrasal-verb

click with

Meaning
to immediately feel a connection or understanding with someone
Example
We instantly **clicked with** each other at the party.
idiom

a slippery slope

Meaning
a course of action that seems to lead to undesirable or dangerous consequences
Example
Starting to ignore small violations can lead to **a slippery slope** of bigger legal issues.
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 pressure

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

The longest journey begins with a single step

Meaning
Any big task starts with a small action.
Example
Don't worry about the entire project, **the longest journey begins with a single step**.
phrasal-verb

dip down

Meaning
to fall slightly before rising again
Example
Stock prices **dipped down** briefly before rebounding.
idiom

smoke-filled room

Meaning
a place where powerful people make decisions secretly
Example
The new policy was decided in a **smoke-filled room** by senior officials.
idiom

beyond belief

Meaning
too surprising or shocking to believe
Example
His recovery was **beyond belief**.
phrasal-verb

head toward victory

Meaning
to move or progress in the direction of winning or success
Example
Our team is **heading toward victory** after months of training.
idiom

pull your socks up

Meaning
to make an effort to improve your performance
Example
You need to **pull your socks up** if you want that promotion.
idiom

be at the helm

Meaning
to be in charge of or control something
Example
He was **at the helm** of the company when it became successful.
idiom

take one for the team

Meaning
to sacrifice for the benefit of others
Example
He **took one for the team** and stayed late to finish the report.
phrasal-verb

step up efforts

Meaning
to increase the level of effort or activity
Example
The ministry has **stepped up efforts** to create more jobs.
idiom

smart cookie

Meaning
a clever and intelligent person
Example
Don’t underestimate her—she’s a **smart cookie**.
idiom

free as a bird

Meaning
completely free; without restrictions
Example
After leaving his job, he felt **free as a bird**.
phrasal-verb

gear up for adventure

Meaning
to prepare equipment and mindset for something exciting
Example
We **gear up for adventure** by checking safety kits before the hike.
idiom

let your hair down

Meaning
to relax and enjoy yourself freely
Example
At the party, everyone **let their hair down**.
phrasal-verb

bring up with

Meaning
to mention a topic or issue to someone for discussion
Example
I decided to **bring up** the issue **with** my manager during our weekly meeting.
idiom

market share

Meaning
the portion of a market controlled by a particular company or product
Example
The company increased its **market share** after launching the new product.
idiom

lay the foundation

Meaning
to create the base or starting point for something
Example
They worked hard to **lay the foundation** for future growth.
phrasal-verb

stand for equality

Meaning
to represent or support the idea of equal rights for all
Example
We must **stand for equality** in every part of the world.
phrasal-verb

tie up with

Meaning
to form a partnership or collaboration
Example
The fintech company will **tie up with** a global payment network.
idiom

on the grapevine

Meaning
to hear gossip or rumor indirectly
Example
I heard **on the grapevine** that they’re getting divorced.
idiom

on background

Meaning
information given to a journalist that cannot be attributed to the source
Example
The official spoke **on background** about the new policy.
idiom

on one's shoulders

Meaning
having the responsibility or burden of something
Example
The success of the project is **on his shoulders**.
phrasal-verb

look beneath

Meaning
to explore the deeper meaning or reason behind your thoughts or actions
Example
You need to **look beneath** your anger to find what’s really hurting you.
idiom

scare the life out of someone

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

move out

Meaning
to stop living in a place and leave it
Example
She decided to **move out** of her parents’ house after getting a job.
phrasal-verb

tune into emotions

Meaning
to pay attention to and understand your feelings
Example
Meditation helps you **tune into emotions** without judgment.
idiom

raise a toast

Meaning
to honor someone or something with a drink
Example
We **raised a toast** to the newlyweds.
phrasal-verb

pull in

Meaning
to attract or earn money, profit, or investment
Example
The new app quickly **pulled in** thousands of subscribers and investors.
phrasal-verb

snow in

Meaning
to be trapped somewhere because of heavy snow
Example
We were **snowed in** for two days after the blizzard.
phrasal-verb

reach across

Meaning
to connect or communicate with people from different backgrounds or beliefs
Example
Art has the power to **reach across** cultures and unite people.
phrasal-verb

bring in revenue

Meaning
to generate income or money for a company or government
Example
The new industrial zone is expected to **bring in revenue** for the region.
idiom

pile up

Meaning
to increase into a large amount
Example
Emails tend to **pile up** over the weekend.
phrasal-verb

push through fear

Meaning
to take action despite being afraid
Example
He learned to **push through fear** and speak with confidence.
idiom

come back to earth

Meaning
to return to reality after being excited or daydreaming
Example
After the vacation, it’s time to **come back to earth**.
idiom

A friend to all is a friend to none

Meaning
Someone who tries to please everyone may end up pleasing no one
Example
He is friendly to everyone, but he has no real close friends because **a friend to all is a friend to none**.
phrasal-verb

back something up to

Meaning
to make a copy of data and store it in another place
Example
You should **back your files up to** an external hard drive regularly.
idiom

tie up loose ends

Meaning
to complete the remaining small tasks of a project
Example
Before the deadline, we need to **tie up loose ends**.
phrasal-verb

contribute to

Meaning
to help bring about or support the achievement of something
Example
Global cooperation can **contribute to** sustainable development.