keep your spirits up
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phrasal-verb

keep your spirits up

Meaning
to stay cheerful and hopeful in tough times
Example
Even during stress, try to **keep your spirits up**.
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

light up with joy

Meaning
to look suddenly happy or excited
Example
Her face **lit up with joy** when she saw her parents.
idiom

tear-jerker

Meaning
something that makes you cry, especially a movie or story
Example
That movie was such a **tear-jerker**.
idiom

malware

Meaning
software designed to damage or disrupt computers or networks
Example
The antivirus software successfully removed the **malware** from the system.
idiom

a blank canvas

Meaning
a person or situation that can be developed freely
Example
Starting a new project is like working with **a blank canvas**.
idiom

picture perfect

Meaning
completely flawless or ideal
Example
Their wedding day was **picture perfect**.
idiom

beat around the bush

Meaning
to avoid talking about the main topic
Example
Stop **beating around the bush** and tell me what happened.
phrasal-verb

run after

Meaning
to chase someone or something
Example
The kids **ran after** their dog in the backyard.
phrasal-verb

fog up

Meaning
when glass or lenses become covered with mist or condensation
Example
My glasses always **fog up** when it rains.
phrasal-verb

look within for strength

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

cut and dry

Meaning
clear and straightforward; no room for confusion
Example
The decision wasn’t as **cut and dry** as they expected.
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

level out

Meaning
to stop rising or falling and become stable
Example
Inflation rates are expected to **level out** by the end of the year.
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

in the black

Meaning
making a profit; financially stable
Example
Our company is finally **in the black** after two years.
phrasal-verb

fill up

Meaning
to eat enough food so that you are full
Example
That soup really **filled me up**.
idiom

out of the box

Meaning
creative and different from usual ideas
Example
Her **out of the box** marketing strategy increased sales rapidly.
idiom

a gray area

Meaning
a situation or topic that is not clear or that can be understood in more than one way
Example
The question of intellectual property rights in the digital age is still **a gray area**.
phrasal-verb

return kindness with

Meaning
to respond to kindness by doing something nice in return
Example
He **returned kindness with** a thoughtful gift.
idiom

reboot your mindset

Meaning
to change your way of thinking completely
Example
To adapt to AI, we need to **reboot our mindset**.
idiom

play second fiddle

Meaning
to take a subordinate role to someone else
Example
He was tired of **playing second fiddle** to his colleague.
idiom

work like a dog

Meaning
to work very hard without rest
Example
She **works like a dog** to provide for her kids.
phrasal-verb

believe in better days

Meaning
to stay positive that life will improve
Example
He always **believes in better days**, no matter how tough life gets.
idiom

twist someone's ear

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something by being persistent
Example
I had to **twist someone's ear** to get him to help me move.
idiom

get a grip

Meaning
to control your emotions and behave sensibly
Example
Stop panicking and **get a grip** on yourself!
idiom

your own flesh and blood

Meaning
A family member or close relative.
Example
How can you turn away from **your own flesh and blood**?
phrasal-verb

keep off

Meaning
to avoid touching or stepping on something; to avoid talking about something
Example
Please **keep off** the grass.
idiom

pumped up

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

watch over

Meaning
to protect or guard someone carefully
Example
Grandparents lovingly **watch over** their grandchildren.
idiom

alien invasion

Meaning
a sudden arrival or overwhelming presence of something unfamiliar
Example
The mall felt like an **alien invasion** during the sale.
idiom

the powers that be

Meaning
people or organizations who hold authority or control
Example
The decision depends on **the powers that be**.
phrasal-verb

draw up plans

Meaning
to prepare detailed strategies or documents
Example
Experts **drew up plans** for cross-border trade cooperation.
idiom

brave the storm

Meaning
to face great difficulties with courage
Example
They **braved the storm** to rescue the stranded people.
idiom

soft spot for someone

Meaning
to feel affection or kindness towards someone
Example
He has a **soft spot for** stray animals.
phrasal-verb

glow with pride

Meaning
to look very proud or pleased
Example
He **glowed with pride** when his daughter won the award.
phrasal-verb

take off financially

Meaning
to start growing or succeeding quickly in terms of money
Example
Their online business really **took off financially** after the pandemic.
phrasal-verb

keep alive

Meaning
to make sure cultural traditions continue to exist
Example
Artists work hard to **keep alive** the spirit of folk art.
phrasal-verb

breathe away tension

Meaning
to use breathing techniques to release stress
Example
Take a few deep breaths to **breathe away tension**.
idiom

win hands down

Meaning
to win easily or convincingly
Example
Our team **won hands down** in the final match.
idiom

patch up

Meaning
to repair something or improve a damaged relationship
Example
They managed to **patch up** their friendship after the argument.
idiom

A bright future awaits

Meaning
good things are coming ahead
Example
Despite the challenges, a **bright future awaits** you.
phrasal-verb

agree on

Meaning
to reach a shared decision or understanding
Example
We finally **agreed on** the marketing strategy after a long discussion.
phrasal-verb

move forward with confidence

Meaning
to progress in life without fear or doubt
Example
After learning from mistakes, **move forward with confidence**.
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

a debt of gratitude

Meaning
a feeling of being grateful to someone who has helped you
Example
We owe **a debt of gratitude** to our mentors.
idiom

let off some steam

Meaning
to relieve stress or anger by expressing feelings or doing something physical
Example
After that argument, he needed to **let off some steam** by hitting the gym.
phrasal-verb

roll out products

Meaning
to launch or introduce new products to the market
Example
The company plans to **roll out products** that feature cutting-edge technology.
idiom

light at the end of the tunnel

Meaning
sign of hope after a difficult period
Example
After months of struggle, she finally saw the **light at the end of the tunnel**.
idiom

hang on

Meaning
to wait for a short time
Example
**Hang on** a minute, I’ll be right back.
idiom

table the issue

Meaning
to postpone discussion of a topic for later
Example
They decided to **table the issue** until next week.
idiom

refresh one's memory

Meaning
to help someone remember something
Example
Let me **refresh your memory** about what happened last week.
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.
phrasal-verb

apologize sincerely

Meaning
to say sorry in a heartfelt and honest manner
Example
If you make a mistake, **apologize sincerely** to the person.
idiom

the buck stops here

Meaning
I am the one responsible; I will take responsibility.
Example
**The buck stops here**, and I will handle the mistake personally.
phrasal-verb

coordinate between

Meaning
to organize activities or efforts between groups for smooth collaboration
Example
We need to **coordinate between** departments in different countries.
phrasal-verb

stand up under

Meaning
to endure stress or criticism without breaking down
Example
She **stood up under** the criticism and stayed confident.
idiom

double down on

Meaning
to increase effort or commitment toward something
Example
After the setback, they **doubled down on** their training routine.
idiom

in a pickle

Meaning
in a difficult or tricky situation
Example
I'm **in a pickle** because I double-booked my meetings.
idiom

A hard row to hoe

Meaning
A difficult task or challenge.
Example
Getting this project done on time is going to be **a hard row to hoe**.
phrasal-verb

brace yourself for

Meaning
to mentally prepare for something challenging or frightening
Example
Take a breath and **brace yourself for** the tough conversation.
idiom

be above board

Meaning
to act in an honest and open manner
Example
She is always **above board** in all her dealings.
idiom

queue up

Meaning
to line up and wait for your turn
Example
Fans began to **queue up** hours before the show.
idiom

out of your league

Meaning
too good or powerful to compete with
Example
That company is **out of our league** in terms of resources.
phrasal-verb

open up to change

Meaning
to become willing to accept new ideas or practices
Example
Societies progress when people **open up to change**.
idiom

the best of both worlds

Meaning
a situation in which you can enjoy the advantages of two very different things at the same time
Example
She works in the city and lives in the country, so she gets **the best of both worlds**.
phrasal-verb

build ties with

Meaning
to establish or strengthen relationships with another country or group
Example
The new government aims to **build ties with** neighboring countries.
phrasal-verb

build up energy

Meaning
to increase your strength or motivation over time
Example
Regular rest helps you **build up energy** for the next day.
idiom

sworn enemies turned friends

Meaning
two people who used to dislike each other but became friends
Example
They were **sworn enemies turned friends** after college.
idiom

call on

Meaning
to request someone to speak or do something
Example
The teacher will **call on** you if you raise your hand.
idiom

logged in

Meaning
to gain access to a computer or system
Example
She **logged in** to check her emails.
idiom

take under one’s wing

Meaning
to look after someone and help them develop
Example
The teacher **took the new student under her wing**.
phrasal-verb

turn away

Meaning
to refuse entry or acceptance; to move away from something
Example
The guard **turned away** people without tickets.
phrasal-verb

come off as

Meaning
to seem to be a particular type of person
Example
He can **come off as** rude, but he’s actually very kind.
idiom

Culture shock

Meaning
A feeling of confusion when encountering a different culture
Example
Moving to Japan gave her a bit of **culture shock** at first.
idiom

put in the hours

Meaning
to spend a lot of time working
Example
If you **put in the hours**, you’ll see progress soon.
phrasal-verb

work toward understanding

Meaning
to make an effort to empathize and see another person’s perspective
Example
Both sides should **work toward understanding** rather than arguing.
idiom

reinvent the wheel

Meaning
to waste time creating something that already exists
Example
Don’t **reinvent the wheel**; use the existing design.
idiom

call someone out

Meaning
to criticize someone publicly for their behavior or actions
Example
She **called him out** for being rude to the waiter.
idiom

Put your thinking cap on

Meaning
To start thinking carefully about something
Example
It’s time to **put your thinking cap on** for the quiz.
idiom

learn from your mistakes

Meaning
to use the experience of past errors to improve future behavior
Example
Everyone makes errors, but wise people **learn from their mistakes**.
phrasal-verb

crack up at

Meaning
to laugh uncontrollably at something
Example
Everyone **cracked up at** his funny joke.
idiom

in black and white

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

rise for

Meaning
to take a stand in favor of a cause or right
Example
People across the nation **rose for** equality.
idiom

full of oneself

Meaning
to be overly proud or self-confident
Example
He’s so **full of himself** after getting that promotion.
idiom

make it to the top

Meaning
to reach the highest point of success
Example
After years of hard work, he finally **made it to the top** of his career.
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

beyond a shadow of a doubt

Meaning
without any doubt; completely certain
Example
He is **beyond a shadow of a doubt** the best candidate for the job.
phrasal-verb

cool yourself off

Meaning
to calm down after being angry or excited
Example
He went for a walk to **cool himself off** after the argument.
idiom

lend a listening ear

Meaning
to listen attentively and sympathetically
Example
Whenever I feel down, she always knows how to **lend a listening ear**.
phrasal-verb

look into allegations

Meaning
to investigate claims or accusations
Example
An independent body was formed to **look into allegations** of election fraud.
idiom

learn your lesson

Meaning
to learn from an unpleasant experience so as not to repeat it
Example
After being late several times, he finally **learned his lesson**.
idiom

to make a name for oneself

Meaning
to become famous or well known for something
Example
He worked hard to **make a name for himself** in the tech industry.
phrasal-verb

move out of

Meaning
to leave a specific place or situation
Example
They decided to **move out of** the city and live in the countryside.
phrasal-verb

turn over

Meaning
to flip something; to change jobs or positions
Example
She **turned over** the page to continue reading.
phrasal-verb

build confidence within

Meaning
to strengthen your belief in yourself from the inside
Example
Through practice and reflection, you can **build confidence within**.
phrasal-verb

lock horns with

Meaning
to get into a serious conflict with someone
Example
Two parties **lock horns with** each other over reform details.
idiom

the lion’s share

Meaning
the largest part of something
Example
He took **the lion’s share** of the profits.
idiom

A seat at the table

Meaning
To have an opportunity to be part of decision-making or important discussions.
Example
She fought for years to earn **a seat at the table** in the boardroom.
phrasal-verb

point ahead

Meaning
to indicate a direction in front; to suggest future possibilities
Example
The results **point ahead** to major improvements.
phrasal-verb

sit down with

Meaning
to meet and discuss something seriously or formally
Example
Government officials will **sit down with** community leaders to resolve the conflict.
phrasal-verb

reflect on mistakes

Meaning
to think carefully about what went wrong and learn from it
Example
It’s healthy to **reflect on mistakes** and grow from them.
idiom

The waiting game

Meaning
A situation in which you must wait for something to happen.
Example
It’s all about **the waiting game** when you’re looking for a job.
idiom

in the wrong hands

Meaning
controlled or used by people who could cause harm
Example
AI technology **in the wrong hands** could be disastrous.
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.
idiom

swing vote

Meaning
a vote that is not yet decided and could go either way
Example
The **swing vote** will determine the outcome of the election.
idiom

dress up

Meaning
to wear formal or special clothes
Example
We don’t have to **dress up** for tonight’s dinner—it’s casual.
phrasal-verb

open out emotionally

Meaning
to start expressing feelings freely
Example
It took her months to **open out emotionally** after the breakup.
phrasal-verb

stack small wins

Meaning
to build momentum by completing quick successes
Example
We **stack small wins** early in the day to feel accomplished.
phrasal-verb

snow under

Meaning
to be overwhelmed by too much work or snow
Example
We were completely **snowed under** during the winter storm.
idiom

speak out

Meaning
to express an opinion openly and boldly
Example
Employees are encouraged to **speak out** about improvements.
phrasal-verb

bungle up

Meaning
to spoil or ruin something through clumsiness
Example
The workers **bungled up** the whole paint job.
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.
idiom

count your blessings

Meaning
be grateful for the good things in your life
Example
Instead of complaining, **count your blessings**.
idiom

on good terms

Meaning
to have a friendly and peaceful relationship
Example
They are still **on good terms** even after the breakup.
idiom

Pay the piper

Meaning
To face the consequences of one’s actions or decisions.
Example
After years of overspending, the country had to **pay the piper**.
phrasal-verb

decide on

Meaning
to choose something after thinking carefully
Example
We finally **decided on** the blue design.
idiom

push your luck

Meaning
take a risk hoping for more success
Example
You already got a discount, don’t **push your luck**.
idiom

draw inspiration from

Meaning
to be motivated or influenced by something
Example
He **drew inspiration from** nature for his latest painting.
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.