lie in wait
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phrasal-verb

lie in wait

Meaning
to hide and wait for someone or something
Example
The police **lay in wait** for the suspect all night.
phrasal-verb

build back up

Meaning
to regain emotional or mental strength after a setback
Example
He slowly began to **build back up** after his depression.
phrasal-verb

rake in profits

Meaning
to earn a large amount of money easily or quickly
Example
The company **raked in** huge profits after its new product launch.
phrasal-verb

stand up for democracy

Meaning
to defend or support the principles of democracy
Example
Citizens gathered to **stand up for democracy** during the national protest.
phrasal-verb

step forward with confidence

Meaning
to take action or speak up boldly without fear
Example
He decided to **step forward with confidence** and share his idea.
phrasal-verb

bridge over differences

Meaning
to overcome disagreements and create unity
Example
The summit aimed to **bridge over differences** among member states.
phrasal-verb

zero in on goals

Meaning
to focus all attention and effort on achieving something
Example
The team needs to **zero in on goals** to stay efficient.
phrasal-verb

depend upon

Meaning
to rely on someone for support or help
Example
Children **depend upon** their parents for love and care.
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

bring in line

Meaning
to make someone or something follow rules or standards
Example
The new CEO worked hard to **bring in line** all departments with the company’s vision.
phrasal-verb

rise toward excellence

Meaning
to keep improving continuously toward a higher standard
Example
With dedication, anyone can **rise toward excellence**.
phrasal-verb

set time aside for

Meaning
to reserve part of your schedule for something
Example
I **set time aside for** journaling before bed.
phrasal-verb

crash down

Meaning
to suddenly stop working or fail completely
Example
The software **crashed down** in the middle of my presentation.
phrasal-verb

grow out of

Meaning
to stop repeating mistakes as you gain experience
Example
Most people **grow out of** their early mistakes with time.
phrasal-verb

think back

Meaning
to remember or reflect on something from the past
Example
When I **think back** to my first job, I realize how much I’ve grown.
phrasal-verb

transition into

Meaning
to change from one role or condition to another
Example
She successfully **transitioned into** a leadership role after years of experience.
phrasal-verb

grow from

Meaning
to develop as a result of something
Example
We **grow from** every mistake we make.
phrasal-verb

cut out for

Meaning
to be naturally suited for something
Example
She isn’t really **cut out for** long-distance running.
phrasal-verb

step outside

Meaning
to move beyond one’s comfort zone or familiar environment
Example
You grow as a person when you **step outside** your cultural comfort zone.
phrasal-verb

cut back on laziness

Meaning
to reduce your tendency to avoid effort or work
Example
To be disciplined, you need to **cut back on laziness**.
phrasal-verb

catch hold of

Meaning
to grab something or someone firmly
Example
She **caught hold of** his hand to stop him from leaving.
phrasal-verb

flare with anger

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
She **flared with anger** when she heard the unfair decision.
phrasal-verb

look beyond stereotypes

Meaning
to avoid judging others based on general assumptions
Example
To understand people better, we must **look beyond stereotypes**.
phrasal-verb

link up with

Meaning
to connect or cooperate with another group or country
Example
Our company plans to **link up with** partners in Asia for expansion.
phrasal-verb

bring in reforms

Meaning
to introduce changes to improve a system or policy
Example
The new government promised to **bring in reforms** to strengthen the economy.
phrasal-verb

build confidence through practice

Meaning
to become more self-assured by repeated practice
Example
You can **build confidence through practice** in public speaking.
phrasal-verb

turn down

Meaning
to reject or refuse something
Example
The minister **turned down** the proposal for increasing taxes.
phrasal-verb

let someone off

Meaning
to forgive someone and not punish them
Example
The teacher **let him off** with a warning.
phrasal-verb

fall into recession

Meaning
to enter a period of economic decline
Example
The global economy may **fall into recession** if inflation continues to rise.
phrasal-verb

take off with

Meaning
to become successful quickly
Example
Their new app **took off with** millions of downloads in the first week.
phrasal-verb

slow yourself down

Meaning
to reduce your pace to avoid stress or exhaustion
Example
If you feel tired, try to **slow yourself down** and rest a little.
phrasal-verb

step through

Meaning
to pass through something carefully or one stage at a time
Example
Let’s **step through** the process so everyone understands it clearly.
phrasal-verb

grow beyond mistakes

Meaning
to develop personally by learning from one’s errors
Example
He chose to **grow beyond mistakes** instead of regretting them.
phrasal-verb

focus inward

Meaning
to concentrate on your inner thoughts and emotions
Example
When I feel overwhelmed, I try to **focus inward**.
phrasal-verb

clock in

Meaning
to record the time when you start work
Example
Employees must **clock in** when they begin their remote shifts.
phrasal-verb

wake up politically

Meaning
to become aware of political issues and start caring about them
Example
Many young people are beginning to **wake up politically**.
phrasal-verb

sign off

Meaning
to end a message, email, or broadcast
Example
I’ll **sign off** here. Talk to you later!
phrasal-verb

work together

Meaning
to cooperate with others to achieve a goal
Example
If we **work together**, we can finish this project faster.
phrasal-verb

bottle under

Meaning
to collapse mentally or emotionally due to pressure
Example
He finally **bottled under** the pressure of constant deadlines.
phrasal-verb

reach out for peace

Meaning
to try to restore friendship or harmony
Example
After the argument, she **reached out for peace** with her friend.
phrasal-verb

take care of

Meaning
to be responsible for someone or something
Example
My sister **takes care of** our younger brother when our parents are away.
phrasal-verb

adapt under pressure

Meaning
to adjust effectively when facing stressful situations
Example
Professionals must learn to **adapt under pressure**.
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.
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

bring out confidence

Meaning
to help someone feel or show confidence
Example
A mentor’s guidance can **bring out confidence** in young professionals.
phrasal-verb

bounce ahead of

Meaning
to recover or progress faster than others after a downturn
Example
Some tech firms managed to **bounce ahead of** their competitors after the crisis.
phrasal-verb

reach alignment on

Meaning
to reach an agreement where all parties share the same position
Example
The leaders **reached alignment on** climate goals.
phrasal-verb

run down on

Meaning
to criticize someone or something harshly
Example
She often **runs down on** her coworkers.
phrasal-verb

goof off

Meaning
to waste time instead of working or studying
Example
If you **goof off** all semester, you’ll regret it during finals.
phrasal-verb

speak out on

Meaning
to publicly express an opinion about something important
Example
The candidate decided to **speak out on** corruption during the debate.
phrasal-verb

belong to

Meaning
to be a member of or connected to a group or place
Example
I feel I **belong to** both my home country and the culture I live in now.
phrasal-verb

hear from

Meaning
to receive communication from someone
Example
I haven’t **heard from** Sarah in weeks.
phrasal-verb

cry out for

Meaning
to need something urgently
Example
This area **cries out for** better healthcare facilities.
phrasal-verb

ease your mind

Meaning
to make yourself feel less worried or anxious
Example
Talking to a friend can really **ease your mind**.
phrasal-verb

phase into

Meaning
to introduce or begin something gradually over time
Example
The company plans to **phase into** a new training system for employees.
phrasal-verb

pump into

Meaning
to invest a large amount of money in something
Example
They **pumped into** the real estate sector during the boom years.
phrasal-verb

bring back confidence

Meaning
to restore people's trust or optimism
Example
New trade policies are designed to **bring back confidence** in investors.
phrasal-verb

scroll back

Meaning
to move up to view older posts or messages
Example
I **scrolled back** to see our old conversation.
phrasal-verb

agree upon

Meaning
to reach a shared understanding or decision on something
Example
Both nations **agreed upon** a trade policy that benefits their people.
phrasal-verb

fight back

Meaning
to try to control or resist strong emotions
Example
He **fought back** his tears during the farewell speech.
phrasal-verb

sub in for

Meaning
to replace someone temporarily in a role
Example
Can you **sub in for** me at the networking event tonight?
phrasal-verb

cut through

Meaning
to move quickly through something; to make something easier to understand
Example
The boat **cut through** the calm water easily.
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

transition through

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

stock up on

Meaning
to buy or collect a large amount of food for future use
Example
We **stocked up on** vegetables for the week.
phrasal-verb

reach understanding with

Meaning
to achieve a friendly or cooperative agreement with another party
Example
The two countries finally **reached understanding with** each other after months of talks.
phrasal-verb

bump into

Meaning
to meet someone unexpectedly
Example
I **bumped into** an old friend at the mall.
phrasal-verb

build on trust

Meaning
to strengthen relationships by developing mutual confidence
Example
Successful partnerships **build on trust** and transparency.
phrasal-verb

log in to

Meaning
to enter your username and password to access an account
Example
I can’t **log in to** my Instagram account right now.
phrasal-verb

wash away

Meaning
to remove or carry something away with water
Example
The flood **washed away** several houses near the river.
phrasal-verb

point around

Meaning
to show multiple directions or places
Example
The guide **pointed around** the historical landmarks.
phrasal-verb

throw on

Meaning
to put on clothes quickly and carelessly
Example
She just **threw on** a sweater and ran out the door.
phrasal-verb

meet up

Meaning
to get together with someone for an arranged meeting
Example
Let’s **meet up** at the cafe before heading to the concert.
phrasal-verb

zone yourself out

Meaning
to deliberately disconnect from stressful surroundings
Example
Sometimes you just need to **zone yourself out** and take a break.
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

fly into a rage

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
The manager **flew into a rage** when the report was submitted late.
phrasal-verb

shut oneself off

Meaning
to isolate yourself emotionally from others
Example
After the breakup, he completely **shut himself off** from his friends.
phrasal-verb

map forward

Meaning
to plan the direction or steps for future progress
Example
The manager helped the team **map forward** their long-term strategy.
phrasal-verb

rise through emotions

Meaning
to grow stronger by learning from emotional experiences
Example
We can **rise through emotions** and become wiser each time.
phrasal-verb

set your heart on

Meaning
to be very determined to get or achieve something
Example
She has **set her heart on** becoming a famous singer.
phrasal-verb

phase out late nights

Meaning
to gradually stop staying up very late
Example
I'm **phasing out late nights** so morning workouts feel better.
phrasal-verb

power through with

Meaning
to continue strongly by relying on a tool or support
Example
He **powers through with** upbeat playlists on long runs.
phrasal-verb

lag behind

Meaning
to respond slowly compared to expected speed
Example
The game **lags behind** because my device is old.
phrasal-verb

patch up bugs

Meaning
to fix small errors or issues in software
Example
Developers are working to **patch up bugs** found in the latest release.
phrasal-verb

work out regularly

Meaning
to exercise frequently to stay fit and healthy
Example
She **works out regularly** to keep her body strong and mind fresh.
phrasal-verb

stand strong with

Meaning
to remain supportive and united with someone in difficulty
Example
Families should **stand strong with** each other during hard times.
phrasal-verb

own the mistake quickly

Meaning
to admit an error right away
Example
I **own the mistake quickly** and explain the fix to my team.
phrasal-verb

let down your guard

Meaning
to stop being defensive and allow yourself to feel or connect
Example
When you **let down your guard**, you allow others to truly know you.
phrasal-verb

stop over

Meaning
to stay somewhere for a short time during a long journey
Example
We’ll **stop over** in Dubai for one night before heading to Paris.
phrasal-verb

bring over

Meaning
to persuade someone to your point of view
Example
I finally **brought her over** to my side of the argument.
phrasal-verb

show through on

Meaning
to be visible or noticeable on something
Example
The stain **shows through on** the white fabric.
phrasal-verb

figure through

Meaning
to understand something by thinking about it carefully
Example
It took me a while to **figure through** what went wrong in the project.
phrasal-verb

get across

Meaning
to communicate an idea successfully so that others understand it
Example
He struggled to **get across** his main message to the audience.
phrasal-verb

map out a growth plan

Meaning
to design steps that will help you develop professionally
Example
I **map out a growth plan** each quarter with my mentor.
phrasal-verb

vote for

Meaning
to choose someone or something in an election
Example
Everyone should **vote for** candidates who value honesty.
phrasal-verb

hand updates over

Meaning
to give the latest information to the next person responsible
Example
Shift leads **hand updates over** at the end of every afternoon.
phrasal-verb

shout at

Meaning
to raise your voice in anger at someone
Example
Don’t **shout at** me, I didn’t do anything wrong!
phrasal-verb

foster in

Meaning
to promote the development of a quality or idea within someone or a group
Example
The program aims to **foster in** participants a sense of responsibility.
phrasal-verb

show off to

Meaning
to boast in front of someone to impress them
Example
He was **showing off to** his classmates about his new phone.
phrasal-verb

come down on

Meaning
to criticize or punish someone strongly for a decision or action
Example
The board will **come down on** any department that exceeds the budget.
phrasal-verb

show up late

Meaning
to arrive later than expected
Example
He always **shows up late** for work.
phrasal-verb

wrap the day up

Meaning
to finish tasks and close out the workday
Example
I **wrap the day up** by reviewing tomorrow's top three priorities.
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.
phrasal-verb

upgrade to

Meaning
to change to a newer or better version of something
Example
Users are encouraged to **upgrade to** the latest version of the software.
phrasal-verb

pay someone back

Meaning
to take revenge; to return money owed
Example
I’ll **pay you back** for what you did to me.
phrasal-verb

integrate with

Meaning
to combine or work together with another system
Example
Our app can **integrate with** multiple payment gateways.
phrasal-verb

stay logged in

Meaning
to remain connected to an online account or platform
Example
You can **stay logged in** to avoid entering your password every time.
phrasal-verb

bungle up

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

spark off ideas

Meaning
to trigger or inspire new creative thoughts
Example
The workshop helped **spark off ideas** for future projects.
phrasal-verb

think back on

Meaning
to remember or recall something from the past
Example
When I **think back on** that day, I realize how careless I was.
phrasal-verb

phase in recovery

Meaning
to introduce recovery measures gradually over time
Example
The government decided to **phase in recovery** policies to avoid economic shocks.
phrasal-verb

work off

Meaning
to get rid of something by working or exercising
Example
He goes jogging every morning to **work off** stress.
phrasal-verb

cut down public spending

Meaning
to reduce government expenses to stabilize the economy
Example
The finance minister decided to **cut down public spending** to reduce debt.
phrasal-verb

work out agreements

Meaning
to reach a negotiated settlement or deal
Example
The trade ministers managed to **work out agreements** after long discussions.
phrasal-verb

lean within

Meaning
to rely on your inner strength or wisdom
Example
During tough times, she chose to **lean within** for guidance.
phrasal-verb

hand in through

Meaning
to submit work using an online platform
Example
All assignments must be **handed in through** the company portal.
phrasal-verb

open up to ideas

Meaning
to be receptive to new and different ideas
Example
We should **open up to ideas** from junior staff as well.
phrasal-verb

reach agreement on

Meaning
to come to a mutual understanding or consensus about something
Example
After long discussions, both sides **reached agreement on** the trade terms.
phrasal-verb

track down errors

Meaning
to find the source of mistakes or problems
Example
Our developers worked late to **track down errors** in the system.
phrasal-verb

cut off excuses

Meaning
to stop giving reasons for not doing something
Example
It’s time to **cut off excuses** and take real action.
phrasal-verb

step up with

Meaning
to provide leadership or resources when needed
Example
She **steps up with** clear goals whenever the team feels stuck.