map against
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
Content locale
EN English BN Bengali HI Hindi ES Spanish FR French DE German RU Russian ZH Chinese JA Japanese
All Expression Cards All Expressions
phrasal-verb

map against

Meaning
to compare something with a standard or benchmark
Example
Finance **maps against** last year's numbers before approving raises.
idiom

burning ambition

Meaning
a very strong desire to achieve something
Example
He had a **burning ambition** to become a successful entrepreneur.
idiom

to have hope in one's heart

Meaning
to remain hopeful and optimistic about the future
Example
Despite all the challenges, he always **has hope in his heart**.
phrasal-verb

brainstorm around impact

Meaning
to discuss ideas that focus on potential outcomes
Example
We **brainstorm around impact** to see how policies help the planet.
phrasal-verb

throw to

Meaning
to pass something to someone by throwing; to hand over responsibility
Example
The host **threw to** the reporter at the scene.
phrasal-verb

trip up on

Meaning
to make a mistake when dealing with something difficult
Example
She **tripped up on** the hardest part of the puzzle.
phrasal-verb

light up with emotion

Meaning
to show a strong positive emotion on your face suddenly
Example
Her face **lit up with emotion** when she saw her mother.
phrasal-verb

push for promotion

Meaning
to actively try to get a higher position at work
Example
She decided to **push for promotion** after completing the leadership training.
phrasal-verb

think ahead to

Meaning
to consider what will happen in the future and make plans for it
Example
You should **think ahead to** where you want to be in five years.
phrasal-verb

feel sorry for

Meaning
to pity or sympathize with someone or yourself
Example
I **feel sorry for** what I did to you.
phrasal-verb

move closer to

Meaning
to make progress toward achieving a goal
Example
Every small win moves you **closer to** success.
idiom

shoulder the responsibility

Meaning
to accept or take on a responsibility
Example
He was ready to **shoulder the responsibility** of leading the project.
idiom

logged in

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

a golden goose

Meaning
a source of continuous wealth or profit
Example
Their subscription service has become **a golden goose** for the company.
phrasal-verb

reach out with thanks

Meaning
to contact someone to express appreciation
Example
She always **reaches out with thanks** after receiving any help.
phrasal-verb

break away from

Meaning
to stop being part of something or someone’s influence
Example
He wants to **break away from** his parents’ control.
phrasal-verb

hold accountable for

Meaning
to make someone responsible for their actions
Example
The CEO promised to **hold accountable for** those who broke company rules.
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

make strides

Meaning
to make noticeable progress
Example
The company has really **made strides** in product development.
idiom

put the finishing touches

Meaning
to complete something perfectly by adding the final details
Example
She’s **putting the finishing touches** on her painting.
idiom

take the spotlight

Meaning
to be the center of attention or admiration
Example
The young actress **took the spotlight** at the award ceremony.
idiom

make a mark

Meaning
to have a noticeable impact or influence
Example
Her speech at the conference really **made a mark** on the audience.
phrasal-verb

bottle up

Meaning
to hide or control your emotions instead of expressing them
Example
He tends to **bottle up** his anger instead of talking about it.
phrasal-verb

go on about

Meaning
to talk repeatedly about someone’s good qualities
Example
He always **goes on about** how talented his daughter is.
idiom

luck of the Irish

Meaning
good fortune associated with Irish people
Example
He found gold! Must be the **luck of the Irish**.
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

Spin the story

Meaning
To present information in a biased or manipulative way
Example
The politician tried to **spin the story** to his advantage.
phrasal-verb

cut down debts

Meaning
to reduce the amount of money you owe
Example
He’s been trying hard to **cut down his debts** this year.
phrasal-verb

shake out

Meaning
to relieve stress or tension by moving or stretching
Example
Before continuing your work, take a moment to **shake out** your hands and shoulders.
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

get ahead

Meaning
to be successful in life or career
Example
She worked hard to **get ahead** in her company.
idiom

in for a shock

Meaning
about to be very surprised or shocked
Example
You’re **in for a shock** when you see the bill.
phrasal-verb

snap at

Meaning
to speak angrily and quickly to someone
Example
He **snapped at** me when I asked him a simple question.
phrasal-verb

pull ahead of

Meaning
to move in front of someone or something in a race or competition
Example
Our car finally **pulled ahead of** the others on the highway.
phrasal-verb

crack under

Meaning
to fail or give up because of too much pressure or stress
Example
He **cracked under** the pressure of constant deadlines.
phrasal-verb

bring up for debate

Meaning
to introduce a topic or proposal for official discussion
Example
The minister decided to **bring up for debate** a new tax reform policy.
idiom

take the edge off

Meaning
to make a bad situation or feeling less intense or unpleasant
Example
A hot cup of tea always helps to **take the edge off**.
idiom

in the clear

Meaning
not guilty or free from suspicion
Example
After the investigation, he was found to be **in the clear**.
idiom

take a leaf out of someone’s book

Meaning
to imitate or follow someone’s good example
Example
Other cities should **take a leaf out of Copenhagen’s book** on eco-friendly transport.
idiom

drum up

Meaning
to increase interest or support for something
Example
The volunteers are visiting schools to **drum up** excitement for the festival.
phrasal-verb

deal off

Meaning
to finish or complete a business transaction
Example
They finally **dealt off** the property last week.
phrasal-verb

break off communication

Meaning
to stop communicating suddenly or intentionally
Example
After the argument, they **broke off communication** for months.
phrasal-verb

be indebted to

Meaning
to feel deeply thankful or obliged to someone
Example
I’ll always **be indebted to** my mentor for his guidance.
idiom

economic sanctions

Meaning
penalties imposed by one country on another to influence behavior
Example
The EU imposed **economic sanctions** to pressure the regime to reform.
idiom

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
idiom

jump out of your skin

Meaning
to be extremely surprised or frightened
Example
I nearly **jumped out of my skin** when I saw the snake.
idiom

no worries

Meaning
used to say that everything is fine or there is no problem
Example
**No worries**, I’ll take care of it.
idiom

build from the ground up

Meaning
to start something from the very beginning
Example
They **built their business from the ground up** with no investors.
idiom

live and learn

Meaning
to accept a mistake as a lesson for the future
Example
I lost my wallet again — well, **live and learn**.
phrasal-verb

bring home

Meaning
to win or achieve something valuable or important
Example
The team worked hard and finally **brought home** the championship trophy.
idiom

Move heaven and earth

Meaning
To do everything possible to achieve something.
Example
They **moved heaven and earth** to save the project.
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

ease off pressure

Meaning
to reduce stress or workload to feel relaxed
Example
Take short breaks to **ease off pressure** during work.
idiom

on the rise

Meaning
increasing or growing in value or number
Example
Tech stocks are **on the rise** this quarter.
phrasal-verb

look after yourself

Meaning
to take care of your own health or well-being
Example
Take some rest and **look after yourself** properly.
idiom

Running on empty

Meaning
To continue working or functioning when you have no energy left.
Example
After pulling an all-nighter, he’s **running on empty** today.
phrasal-verb

step up to challenges

Meaning
to face difficult situations with courage and effort
Example
Good leaders always **step up to challenges**.
phrasal-verb

fall under

Meaning
to be included in a category; to be controlled by someone
Example
This issue **falls under** the HR department’s responsibility.
phrasal-verb

kick tricky issues up

Meaning
to escalate complicated problems to a higher level
Example
Service reps **kick tricky issues up** when policy decisions are needed.
phrasal-verb

speak for

Meaning
to represent someone’s opinion or view
Example
I can’t **speak for** everyone, but I think this idea is worth trying.
idiom

put your shoulder to the wheel

Meaning
to start working hard on something
Example
Everyone needs to **put their shoulder to the wheel** to finish the project.
idiom

go up in smoke

Meaning
to fail completely; to come to nothing
Example
All his dreams **went up in smoke** after the deal collapsed.
phrasal-verb

let go of

Meaning
to release negative emotions or painful memories; to stop holding onto something emotionally
Example
She’s learning to **let go of** her past mistakes and move forward.
phrasal-verb

back out of agreement

Meaning
to withdraw from an agreement or promise
Example
The government suddenly **backed out of agreement** with its allies.
phrasal-verb

keep up

Meaning
to maintain or continue a custom or tradition
Example
Our family still **keeps up** the tradition of making homemade sweets on Eid.
idiom

move forward

Meaning
to continue with progress after a delay or challenge
Example
After reviewing the feedback, we can **move forward** with the design.
phrasal-verb

take part in

Meaning
to join or participate actively in something
Example
Students should **take part in** group discussions to learn better.
idiom

team effort

Meaning
work done by a group of people to achieve a common goal
Example
The success of the project was due to a great **team effort**.
idiom

to teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning
to try to teach someone something they are set in their ways about
Example
It’s hard to **teach an old dog new tricks** when it comes to new technology.
idiom

the right thing to do

Meaning
the most ethical or moral action to take
Example
Apologizing was **the right thing to do**.
idiom

Break a sweat

Meaning
To exert effort or work hard at something.
Example
She didn't even **break a sweat** while finishing the entire project in one day.
phrasal-verb

bring in together

Meaning
to unite people from different backgrounds
Example
The HR department worked hard to **bring in together** employees from various cultures.
idiom

see both sides

Meaning
to understand both perspectives in an argument
Example
I can **see both sides** of the issue, so it’s hard to choose.
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.
idiom

ask around

Meaning
to inquire with several people
Example
I’ll **ask around** to see who can cover the shift.
phrasal-verb

take away from

Meaning
to learn or gain something valuable from an experience
Example
What did you **take away from** that experience?
idiom

answer the call

Meaning
to respond to a responsibility or opportunity
Example
He was ready to **answer the call** and take charge of the project.
phrasal-verb

check in on morale

Meaning
to ask people how they are feeling about work
Example
Leads **check in on morale** during stressful weeks.
idiom

the scales of justice

Meaning
the system or symbol representing fairness and equality in law
Example
The judge ensures that **the scales of justice** remain balanced.
phrasal-verb

catch fire

Meaning
to start burning; to become very exciting or popular
Example
The dry leaves quickly **caught fire** in the heat.
phrasal-verb

stay put

Meaning
to remain in the same place and wait
Example
**Stay put** until I get back.
phrasal-verb

beam with pride

Meaning
to smile happily because of feeling proud
Example
His mother **beamed with pride** at his graduation ceremony.
idiom

drop in the ocean

Meaning
a very small or insignificant amount compared to what is needed
Example
Our recycling efforts are just a **drop in the ocean** compared to the global pollution problem.
idiom

Cover a lot of ground

Meaning
to deal with a lot of information or material
Example
The lecture **covered a lot of ground** in just one hour.
idiom

hot under the collar

Meaning
feeling angry or embarrassed
Example
He got **hot under the collar** when his mistake was pointed out.
phrasal-verb

beam with joy

Meaning
to smile very happily because of joy
Example
She **beamed with joy** when she heard the good news.
idiom

keep one's nose to the grindstone

Meaning
to work hard and continuously
Example
If you **keep your nose to the grindstone**, you'll achieve your goals.
phrasal-verb

rise with confidence

Meaning
to regain self-assurance after a setback
Example
After every failure, try to **rise with confidence**.
idiom

In the know

Meaning
Having information that most people do not have.
Example
She’s always **in the know** about company secrets.
idiom

Know your stuff

Meaning
to be knowledgeable or skilled about something
Example
You can tell she really **knows her stuff** about physics.
phrasal-verb

sell out

Meaning
to have no more of something to sell
Example
The new iPhones **sold out** in just two hours.
phrasal-verb

make after

Meaning
to chase or pursue someone
Example
The police **made after** the suspect immediately.
idiom

lean over

Meaning
to bend your body forward or downward
Example
Please don’t **lean over** the railing during the show.
idiom

the rest is history

Meaning
used to say that everyone knows what happened next
Example
They met in college, fell in love, and **the rest is history**.
idiom

faint-hearted

Meaning
lacking courage or determination
Example
Climbing this mountain is not for the **faint-hearted**.
phrasal-verb

switch off mentally

Meaning
to stop thinking about work or problems for a while
Example
On weekends, I try to **switch off mentally** and enjoy time with my family.
idiom

have a heavy heart

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

link up

Meaning
to connect or join with another group or organization
Example
We plan to **link up** with regional chambers of commerce.
idiom

smell a rat

Meaning
to suspect something wrong or dishonest
Example
I **smelled a rat** when he offered me free tickets.
idiom

work one’s fingers to the bone

Meaning
to work extremely hard
Example
He **worked his fingers to the bone** to build his business.
idiom

take flak

Meaning
to receive strong criticism
Example
The government **took flak** for its poor handling of the crisis.
phrasal-verb

show admiration for

Meaning
to express approval and respect
Example
He openly **showed admiration for** her courage.
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.
idiom

AI-powered

Meaning
referring to systems or applications that use artificial intelligence to function
Example
The company launched an **AI-powered** assistant to help customers find products more easily.
idiom

byte the bullet

Meaning
to face a difficult situation bravely
Example
We have to **byte the bullet** and fix the system bugs now.
phrasal-verb

bring down tariffs

Meaning
to reduce taxes on imports or exports
Example
The new agreement aims to **bring down tariffs** between the two nations.
phrasal-verb

drop a message

Meaning
to send someone a short message online
Example
Just **drop me a message** if you need any help.
idiom

A flash of inspiration

Meaning
A sudden creative idea
Example
He had **a flash of inspiration** while working late at night.
phrasal-verb

close in on

Meaning
to get nearer to achieving something
Example
After several meetings, we are finally **closing in on** an agreement.
phrasal-verb

fall off

Meaning
to drop from a higher place; to decrease
Example
Sales have **fallen off** since last month.
idiom

rule out

Meaning
to decide that something is not possible
Example
We can’t **rule out** another delay yet.
phrasal-verb

fact check against

Meaning
to verify information by comparing it with reliable sources
Example
Journalists **fact check against** official records to avoid errors.
idiom

A picture paints a thousand words

Meaning
A visual image can express complex ideas better than words
Example
Cultural symbols remind us that **a picture paints a thousand words**.
idiom

black hat

Meaning
a hacker with malicious intent
Example
**Black hats** often exploit vulnerabilities for personal gain.
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.
idiom

a brave face

Meaning
to pretend to be brave when you are actually scared or worried
Example
She put on **a brave face** despite feeling nervous inside.
idiom

button up

Meaning
to finish preparations or close something securely
Example
Let’s **button up** the proposal by Friday.
phrasal-verb

bring off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something difficult
Example
He **brought off** a surprise victory in the competition.
phrasal-verb

push into

Meaning
to drive adoption or expansion of something
Example
They are trying to **push into** the digital payment market quickly.
idiom

follow through on

Meaning
to complete a task or promise as planned
Example
She always **follows through on** what she says she will do.
idiom

keep faith

Meaning
to continue believing in something or someone
Example
Even in tough times, you must **keep faith**.