make your mark
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

make your mark

Meaning
to achieve distinction or recognition
Example
He worked hard to **make his mark** in the tech industry.
idiom

overnight success

Meaning
a person or thing that becomes successful very quickly
Example
Her first song made her an **overnight success**.
phrasal-verb

break apart

Meaning
to separate something into smaller parts for examination
Example
Let's **break apart** the argument to understand its main components.
idiom

take five

Meaning
to take a short break
Example
Let's **take five** before continuing the meeting.
phrasal-verb

tear up over

Meaning
to start crying because of strong emotions or memories
Example
He **tears up over** the things he didn’t say to his parents.
idiom

free as a bird

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

batten down

Meaning
to secure something tightly in preparation for trouble
Example
Residents will **batten down** their windows before the storm.
idiom

house of cards

Meaning
a plan or structure that is weak and likely to fail
Example
Their business model turned out to be a **house of cards**.
idiom

spin-off

Meaning
a product or show that results from another existing one
Example
The successful TV show led to a **spin-off** featuring the same characters.
idiom

cover all bases

Meaning
to prepare for all possible situations
Example
Before the presentation, we need to **cover all bases**.
phrasal-verb

stand in for

Meaning
to take someone’s place temporarily
Example
Lisa will **stand in for** me during the client meeting tomorrow.
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.
phrasal-verb

drop off at

Meaning
to leave someone or something at a specific place
Example
The taxi **dropped us off at** the airport gate.
idiom

break the internet

Meaning
to cause an enormous amount of attention and discussion online
Example
The celebrity's new photo **broke the internet**.
phrasal-verb

come across as honest

Meaning
to seem or appear to be sincere and truthful
Example
He always **comes across as honest** in conversations.
phrasal-verb

charge up with

Meaning
to power a device or yourself using something available
Example
I **charge up with** a portable battery before long trips.
phrasal-verb

trim down

Meaning
to make something smaller or more efficient by removing unnecessary parts or expenses
Example
Companies **trim down** their budgets to survive during recessions.
phrasal-verb

make amends for

Meaning
to do something to show you are sorry for hurting someone
Example
She tried to **make amends for** her mistake.
idiom

a wolf in sheep's clothing

Meaning
someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous
Example
He was **a wolf in sheep's clothing**.
idiom

the dream team

Meaning
a group of people who work extremely well together
Example
With these members, we’ve built **the dream team**.
idiom

down on one’s luck

Meaning
to be experiencing a period of bad luck
Example
He’s **down on his luck** and can’t find a job.
idiom

by the way

Meaning
used to introduce a new topic or add extra information
Example
**By the way**, did you finish your project?
phrasal-verb

chase after

Meaning
to try hard to achieve something you want
Example
Many people **chase after** success without enjoying the process.
idiom

Two heads are better than one

Meaning
Working together gives better results.
Example
**Two heads are better than one**, let’s solve it together.
idiom

To lend a helping hand

Meaning
to assist someone in a time of need
Example
She always knows when to **lend a helping hand** and never hesitates.
phrasal-verb

fade in

Meaning
to gradually become visible at the beginning of a scene
Example
The movie **fades in** with a beautiful sunrise.
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.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks into opportunities

Meaning
to use failure as a chance for growth
Example
True leaders **turn setbacks into opportunities** to learn and improve.
idiom

take someone's breath away

Meaning
to impress or amaze someone with beauty or charm
Example
Her beauty **took his breath away**.
phrasal-verb

build upon achievements

Meaning
to use previous successes as a foundation for further progress
Example
He decided to **build upon achievements** from last year to reach new goals.
phrasal-verb

exchange ideas with

Meaning
to share thoughts or opinions with others from different backgrounds
Example
During the workshop, participants **exchanged ideas with** people from many countries.
phrasal-verb

bottle under

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

Tell the truth

Meaning
To say what is true instead of lying.
Example
Please **tell the truth**, even if it hurts.
phrasal-verb

start over

Meaning
to begin again after a failure
Example
If something doesn’t work, just **start over** and try a new way.
idiom

fight fire with fire

Meaning
to use the same tactics as one’s opponent
Example
When negotiations failed, they decided to **fight fire with fire**.
idiom

burn the midnight oil

Meaning
to work late into the night
Example
She **burned the midnight oil** to finish her project.
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.
phrasal-verb

step up investment

Meaning
to increase the amount of money put into projects or businesses
Example
Foreign companies are expected to **step up investment** in renewable energy.
phrasal-verb

drop below

Meaning
to decrease to less than a specific amount or level
Example
Investment growth **dropped below** expectations this quarter.
phrasal-verb

rinse off after

Meaning
to quickly wash yourself following an activity
Example
I always **rinse off after** my evening workout.
idiom

a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor

Meaning
Challenges and difficulties make people stronger and more experienced.
Example
Remember, **a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor**—you’ll learn from tough times.
phrasal-verb

get back into

Meaning
to return to doing something after a break
Example
I’m trying to **get back into** running after the holidays.
phrasal-verb

stick to a plan

Meaning
to follow a plan strictly without giving up
Example
If you **stick to a plan**, you’ll achieve your goals faster.
phrasal-verb

build upon agreements

Meaning
to develop or improve international agreements that already exist
Example
The summit aimed to **build upon agreements** made in previous meetings.
phrasal-verb

send out

Meaning
to distribute or send invitations to people
Example
We need to **send out** the invitations by tomorrow.
idiom

the long arm of the law

Meaning
the power and reach of the law to catch criminals
Example
**The long arm of the law** finally caught the escaped prisoner.
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.
idiom

carry over

Meaning
to transfer something to a later time or place
Example
We’ll **carry over** the unused vacation days to next year.
idiom

feel like a new person

Meaning
to feel refreshed and healthy again
Example
After a good night’s sleep, I **feel like a new person**.
idiom

carve out

Meaning
to create or obtain something with effort
Example
She managed to **carve out** time for daily reading.
idiom

a silver lining

Meaning
a positive aspect in a difficult situation
Example
Losing my job was tough, but the **silver lining** was that I found a better one.
phrasal-verb

phase in greener tech

Meaning
to introduce environmentally friendly technology gradually
Example
Factories **phase in greener tech** so upgrades don’t disrupt output.
idiom

balance the books

Meaning
to make sure income and expenses are equal
Example
The accountant worked late to **balance the books**.
idiom

drop your jaw

Meaning
to be extremely surprised or shocked
Example
Everyone’s jaws **dropped** when they saw the price.
phrasal-verb

build on success

Meaning
to use past achievements as a foundation for more success
Example
We should **build on success** and keep improving our results.
phrasal-verb

keep to oneself

Meaning
to not share thoughts or feelings with others
Example
He usually **keeps to himself** and doesn’t talk much.
idiom

stressed out

Meaning
feeling very worried or tense because of problems
Example
I'm completely **stressed out** about my exams.
idiom

battle-tested

Meaning
proven effective through experience or hardship
Example
She’s a **battle-tested** leader who knows how to stay calm under pressure.
idiom

mend a broken heart

Meaning
to heal from emotional pain after a breakup
Example
It takes time to **mend a broken heart**.
idiom

a few bricks short of a load

Meaning
a little stupid or crazy
Example
He tries hard, but he’s **a few bricks short of a load**.
idiom

win by a landslide

Meaning
to win by a very large margin
Example
The candidate **won by a landslide** with 80% of the votes.
idiom

carry the weight of the world

Meaning
to take on a lot of responsibility
Example
John felt like he had to **carry the weight of the world** on his shoulders at work.
idiom

on the market

Meaning
available for sale
Example
Their house has been **on the market** for over six months.
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.
idiom

turn things around

Meaning
to reverse a negative situation and make it positive
Example
With some effort, we can **turn things around**.
phrasal-verb

stir up

Meaning
to cause activity or energy to increase
Example
New infrastructure projects have **stirred up** economic growth in rural areas.
phrasal-verb

keep back

Meaning
to withhold something; to stay at a distance
Example
The police told the crowd to **keep back** from the scene.
idiom

the big bang

Meaning
a sudden and powerful beginning; often used metaphorically
Example
The startup launched with **a big bang** in the tech world.
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

the ball is rolling

Meaning
a process has started and is making progress
Example
Now that **the ball is rolling**, we need to keep working.
phrasal-verb

mix in with

Meaning
to participate socially and integrate with others in a group
Example
He tried to **mix in with** the team by joining their weekend activities.
phrasal-verb

open up to trade

Meaning
to start allowing international trade or economic exchange
Example
Many developing nations are trying to **open up to trade** to attract foreign investment.
idiom

hope for the best

Meaning
expect a positive outcome even in uncertainty
Example
We did everything we could, now let’s **hope for the best**.
phrasal-verb

come on board with

Meaning
to agree to join a team or project
Example
We’re glad you decided to **come on board with** our team.
phrasal-verb

see off guests

Meaning
to say goodbye to people as they leave
Example
The host **saw off the guests** at the gate after midnight.
phrasal-verb

give in to

Meaning
to yield or surrender to pressure or temptation
Example
The country refused to **give in to** international pressure.
idiom

join the dots

Meaning
to connect pieces of information to understand the full picture
Example
AI systems can **join the dots** faster than humans when analyzing data.
idiom

the powers that be

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

neural network

Meaning
A series of algorithms that attempt to recognize underlying relationships in a set of data.
Example
The AI system was built using a **neural network** to recognize patterns.
idiom

cut above the rest

Meaning
to be better than others
Example
His presentation was **a cut above the rest**.
phrasal-verb

pour into

Meaning
to invest large amounts of money into something
Example
Investors are **pouring into** renewable energy projects.
idiom

kick in

Meaning
to begin to take effect
Example
The backup generator should **kick in** within seconds.
idiom

in good faith

Meaning
with honest intentions; sincerely
Example
They acted **in good faith** when signing the agreement.
idiom

a giant leap for mankind

Meaning
a significant or groundbreaking achievement
Example
The first man landing on the moon was truly **a giant leap for mankind**.
phrasal-verb

ease back into

Meaning
to return to a task or routine gradually after stress or break
Example
After the holidays, I’m trying to **ease back into** my work routine.
phrasal-verb

build discipline

Meaning
to develop good habits and control over one’s actions
Example
Meditation helps you **build discipline** over your thoughts.
idiom

old friends are gold

Meaning
old friends are precious and valuable
Example
I always say, **old friends are gold**.
idiom

feel it in one's bones

Meaning
to have a strong feeling or intuition about something
Example
I **feel it in my bones** that something bad is going to happen.
phrasal-verb

shadow a teammate

Meaning
to observe a colleague closely to learn
Example
Interns **shadow a teammate** during client demos for practice.
idiom

behind enemy lines

Meaning
in a hostile or dangerous situation
Example
Journalists were working **behind enemy lines** to report the truth.
phrasal-verb

adapt from experience

Meaning
to change behavior or methods based on what one has learned
Example
Good leaders **adapt from experience** to face new challenges.
phrasal-verb

budget out for

Meaning
to allocate money for a future need
Example
Finance **budgets out for** new laptops in the annual plan.
idiom

Speak the truth

Meaning
To tell the truth without lying.
Example
She decided to **speak the truth** no matter what the consequences were.
phrasal-verb

back away

Meaning
to move backward from something frightening
Example
They **backed away** from the angry dog.
phrasal-verb

read into behavior

Meaning
to interpret meaning from how someone acts
Example
Managers **read into behavior** to spot burnout early.
phrasal-verb

snap under

Meaning
to lose control or become angry under stress
Example
She finally **snapped under** the constant criticism from her boss.
phrasal-verb

break into exports

Meaning
to start selling goods or services to foreign markets
Example
Many local companies are trying to **break into exports** to expand growth.
phrasal-verb

fork out

Meaning
to spend money unwillingly
Example
We had to **fork out** a lot of money for the car repairs.
idiom

Dress to impress

Meaning
Wear clothes that will make others admire you
Example
You should **dress to impress** for your job interview.
idiom

come to the rescue

Meaning
to help someone in trouble
Example
A firefighter **came to the rescue** of the trapped cat.
idiom

run your own show

Meaning
to be in control of your own activities or business
Example
After years of working for others, he wanted to **run his own show**.
idiom

a labor of love

Meaning
something done out of passion, not for money
Example
Building that model train was **a labor of love** for him.
idiom

cover all the bases

Meaning
to prepare for every possible situation
Example
We need to **cover all the bases** before the meeting.
phrasal-verb

geek out over

Meaning
to get very excited discussing a favorite topic
Example
We **geek out over** new space missions every Friday livestream.
idiom

a helping hand

Meaning
someone who helps or assists others
Example
She offered **a helping hand** to the new student in class.
phrasal-verb

come through for

Meaning
to do what is needed or expected, especially in difficult times
Example
Our teammates always **come through for** each other when deadlines are tight.
idiom

work like a charm

Meaning
to function perfectly or very effectively
Example
The new solution **worked like a charm**.
phrasal-verb

carry on with

Meaning
to continue doing something even when it is difficult
Example
He decided to **carry on with** his studies despite financial struggles.
phrasal-verb

keep learning forward

Meaning
to continue gaining lessons even after failing
Example
No matter how many times you fail, just **keep learning forward**.
phrasal-verb

shift to

Meaning
to move or change focus, method, or responsibility
Example
Our company plans to **shift to** a hybrid work model.
phrasal-verb

strike up

Meaning
to start a conversation or friendship
Example
He easily **strikes up** conversations with strangers.
idiom

a man of faith

Meaning
a person who strongly believes in a particular religion or principle
Example
He is known as **a man of faith** in his community.
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.
idiom

fend off

Meaning
to defend against something or someone
Example
They installed lights to **fend off** raccoons in the yard.
idiom

go belly up

Meaning
to fail completely; to go bankrupt
Example
Many small businesses **went belly up** during the pandemic.
phrasal-verb

mop up

Meaning
to clean liquid or dirt from a surface using a mop or cloth
Example
Use a towel to **mop up** the water you spilled.
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

a change of heart

Meaning
a change in one’s opinion or feelings
Example
She had **a change of heart** and decided to stay.
phrasal-verb

set about

Meaning
to begin doing something with determination
Example
He **set about** cleaning the entire house after breakfast.
phrasal-verb

keep up with changes

Meaning
to stay informed or updated about new developments
Example
Employees must **keep up with changes** in company policies.
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.