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idiom

narrow down to

Meaning
to reduce choices to a smaller number
Example
We’ve **narrowed it down to** three finalists.
idiom

reboot your perspective

Meaning
to start fresh with a new mindset
Example
After project failure, the team decided to **reboot their perspective**.
idiom

thank your lucky stars

Meaning
to feel grateful for good fortune
Example
You should **thank your lucky stars** for having such good friends.
idiom

back on your feet

Meaning
recovered and healthy again
Example
It’s good to see you **back on your feet** after the flu.
idiom

a happy camper

Meaning
a person who is content and satisfied with life
Example
After getting the job, he’s been **a happy camper**.
idiom

keep your emotions in check

Meaning
to control your emotions
Example
It's important to **keep your emotions in check** during a meeting.
idiom

blow the whistle

Meaning
to expose wrongdoing or reveal secret information
Example
He **blew the whistle** on the company’s illegal activities.
idiom

paint a picture

Meaning
to describe something vividly or clearly
Example
The journalist tried to **paint a picture** of life in the refugee camp.
idiom

give someone a piece of your mind

Meaning
to express your opinion strongly, especially when criticizing someone
Example
She **gave him a piece of her mind** after the argument.
idiom

break the mold

Meaning
to do something differently from tradition
Example
She **broke the mold** by becoming the first female CEO.
idiom

a dime a dozen

Meaning
very common and not valuable
Example
Those toys are **a dime a dozen** at the market.
idiom

mentor someone

Meaning
to guide or advise someone, typically in a professional context
Example
She has been asked to **mentor** the new recruits in the company.
idiom

to hit it off

Meaning
to quickly become good friends
Example
We **hit it off** the moment we met.
idiom

drive a hard bargain

Meaning
to be tough in making a deal or negotiation
Example
She always **drives a hard bargain** when negotiating contracts.
idiom

get a move on

Meaning
to hurry up or move faster
Example
**Get a move on**, or we’ll miss the train!
idiom

learning on the fly

Meaning
to adapt and learn quickly without prior preparation
Example
AI systems are **learning on the fly** from user data.
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

Open book

Meaning
Someone who is easy to understand or transparent.
Example
She’s an **open book**; you always know what she’s thinking.
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**.
idiom

go live

Meaning
to start broadcasting in real time on social media
Example
She plans to **go live** tonight to talk with her followers.
idiom

to steal the show

Meaning
to attract all the attention or praise
Example
Her performance in the play completely **stole the show**.
idiom

own the mistake

Meaning
to take responsibility for doing something wrong
Example
A good leader knows how to **own the mistake** and learn from it.
idiom

data-driven decision making

Meaning
making decisions based on data analysis rather than intuition or personal experience
Example
In the world of business, **data-driven decision making** is crucial for success.
idiom

On the record

Meaning
Officially stated and reportable
Example
She made her statement **on the record** during the interview.
idiom

to sweep someone off their feet

Meaning
to make someone fall in love with you quickly
Example
He **swept her off her feet** with his charm.
idiom

Cross my heart

Meaning
I swear or promise sincerely.
Example
I will help you, **cross my heart**.
idiom

a dead-end job

Meaning
a job with no opportunity for advancement or improvement
Example
He quit his **dead-end job** to start his own business.
idiom

turn the tide

Meaning
to cause a significant change in a situation or trend
Example
The new strategy helped us **turn the tide** in our favor.
idiom

Old hat

Meaning
Something that is outdated or no longer interesting
Example
That style is **old hat** now—no one wears it anymore.
idiom

take it in stride

Meaning
to accept something calmly without being upset
Example
She **took the criticism in stride**.
idiom

switch off

Meaning
to stop thinking about work or problems
Example
It’s important to **switch off** after a long day.
idiom

sleep like a log

Meaning
to sleep very deeply and soundly
Example
After the long journey, I **slept like a log** all night.
idiom

buy a lemon

Meaning
to buy something that is defective or worthless
Example
He **bought a lemon** when he got that used car.
idiom

talk behind someone's back

Meaning
to say bad things about someone when they are not present
Example
I don’t like people who **talk behind my back**.
idiom

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Meaning
Important things take time to accomplish.
Example
**Rome wasn’t built in a day**, be patient with your progress.
idiom

a shoulder to lean on

Meaning
someone to give you support and comfort
Example
She’s always been **a shoulder to lean on** for me.
idiom

cross the floor

Meaning
to change political allegiance or party
Example
The MP shocked everyone when he decided to **cross the floor** and join the opposition.
idiom

raise the roof

Meaning
to make a lot of noise; to celebrate loudly
Example
The crowd **raised the roof** when the team won.
idiom

training the model

Meaning
to teach an AI system how to make predictions by feeding it data
Example
We spent weeks **training the model** before deployment.
idiom

bury your head in the sand

Meaning
to ignore a problem hoping it will go away
Example
We can’t **bury our heads in the sand** about climate change any longer.
idiom

Keep going

Meaning
Continue with determination despite difficulties.
Example
You're doing great—just **keep going**!
idiom

free as a bird

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

spread your wings

Meaning
to start doing new and independent things
Example
After graduation, she wanted to **spread her wings**.
idiom

hit the trends

Meaning
to become popular or fashionable in a very short period of time
Example
The new meme about the office prank has **hit the trends** and is everywhere now.
idiom

Dig deeper

Meaning
To investigate more thoroughly or find out more details.
Example
Journalists are trained to **dig deeper** into stories.
idiom

burn the candle at both ends

Meaning
to work too hard without enough rest
Example
If you **burn the candle at both ends**, you’ll get exhausted soon.
idiom

good Samaritan

Meaning
a person who helps others selflessly
Example
A **good Samaritan** helped the old man cross the street.
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

for what it’s worth

Meaning
used to introduce an opinion that may or may not be useful
Example
**For what it’s worth**, I think you did the right thing.
idiom

go-getter

Meaning
an ambitious person who achieves their goals
Example
Tom is a real **go-getter**; he never gives up.
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

kick in

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

off the rails

Meaning
to become uncontrolled or chaotic
Example
After his friend moved away, his life went **off the rails**.
idiom

once bitten, twice shy

Meaning
after an unpleasant experience, you are careful to avoid it happening again
Example
After losing money in the stock market, he became **once bitten, twice shy**.
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

ease off

Meaning
to gradually become less strong or intense
Example
The rain should **ease off** by evening.
idiom

burst into tears

Meaning
to suddenly start crying
Example
She **burst into tears** after hearing the bad news.
idiom

put the plan into action

Meaning
to start implementing a plan or idea
Example
After weeks of preparation, it's time to **put the plan into action**.
idiom

Building castles in the air

Meaning
To have unrealistic or impractical plans or dreams.
Example
She’s always **building castles in the air**, dreaming of a perfect world.
idiom

sit back

Meaning
to relax and do nothing
Example
Just **sit back** and enjoy the show.
idiom

to machine learn

Meaning
to learn automatically from data without human intervention
Example
The system continues **to machine learn** as more data is fed into it.
idiom

keep the peace

Meaning
to maintain order and avoid conflict
Example
The police were called to **keep the peace** during the protest.
idiom

red-eye flight

Meaning
a flight that leaves late at night and arrives early in the morning
Example
I took a **red-eye flight** to save a day on my trip.
idiom

ahead of the curve

Meaning
to be more advanced or innovative than others
Example
Their company is **ahead of the curve** in AI development.
idiom

take someone to task

Meaning
to strongly criticize someone for something they did wrong
Example
The teacher **took him to task** for cheating on the exam.
idiom

wired for success

Meaning
naturally inclined or designed to succeed
Example
The new AI model seems **wired for success** in every test.
idiom

take the road less traveled

Meaning
to do something different or unconventional
Example
He **took the road less traveled** by choosing a career in adventure sports.
idiom

like father, like son

Meaning
a son behaves like his father
Example
Tom loves cars just like his dad — **like father, like son**!
idiom

chase rainbows

Meaning
to try to achieve something impossible
Example
Stop **chasing rainbows** and focus on reality.
idiom

the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Meaning
complete honesty without hiding or changing anything
Example
Please tell **the whole truth and nothing but the truth**.
idiom

expand one's horizons

Meaning
to increase one’s knowledge or experience
Example
Traveling abroad can really help you **expand your horizons**.
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.
idiom

actions speak louder than words

Meaning
what people do is more important than what they say
Example
**Actions speak louder than words**, so prove it with effort.
idiom

give someone a dose of their own medicine

Meaning
to treat someone the same bad way they treated others
Example
He was rude to everyone, so I **gave him a dose of his own medicine**.
idiom

open and shut case

Meaning
a case that is easily decided or obvious
Example
It was an **open and shut case** with clear evidence.
idiom

chain reaction

Meaning
a series of events triggered by one event
Example
One breakthrough can start a **chain reaction** of new innovations.
idiom

rock the boat

Meaning
to cause problems or upset a stable situation
Example
Everything is going well, so let's not **rock the boat** with unnecessary changes.
idiom

to be on cloud nine

Meaning
to be extremely happy
Example
She was **on cloud nine** after hearing the good news about her promotion.
idiom

bear the responsibility

Meaning
to take on the duty of something
Example
She was willing to **bear the responsibility** for the new project.
idiom

in cold blood

Meaning
without emotion or pity; deliberately cruelly
Example
The victim was murdered **in cold blood**.
idiom

cracks in the wall

Meaning
signs of problems or weaknesses in a system or relationship
Example
There are **cracks in the wall** of their friendship lately.
idiom

double-edged sword

Meaning
something that has both positive and negative consequences
Example
AI surveillance is a **double-edged sword** for security and privacy.
idiom

take the credit

Meaning
to accept praise for something one did
Example
She was the one who solved the issue, but he tried to **take the credit**.
idiom

The melting pot

Meaning
A place where many different cultures blend together
Example
New York is often called **the melting pot** of cultures.
idiom

play a cameo

Meaning
to make a brief appearance in a film
Example
The director himself **played a cameo** in the movie.
idiom

beyond the scope

Meaning
outside the planned or expected area of focus
Example
The new feature was beyond the scope of the original project but added great value.
idiom

zoom in

Meaning
to focus closely on something
Example
Use the report to **zoom in** on customer trends.
idiom

fail fast, learn faster

Meaning
to quickly identify mistakes and use them as learning opportunities
Example
In startup culture, it’s encouraged to **fail fast, learn faster**.
idiom

say hello

Meaning
to greet someone
Example
Please **say hello** to your parents for me.
idiom

talk around

Meaning
to persuade someone by discussion
Example
We finally **talked her around** to joining the team.
idiom

turn a blind eye

Meaning
to deliberately ignore something wrong or unpleasant
Example
The manager **turned a blind eye** to employees leaving early on Fridays.
idiom

face the music

Meaning
to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done
Example
You made a mistake, and now you have to **face the music**.
idiom

get along with someone

Meaning
to have a friendly relationship with someone
Example
They really **get along with each other** and are always laughing.
idiom

roads less traveled

Meaning
choices or paths in life that are unusual or adventurous
Example
He prefers to take the **roads less traveled** and discover new cultures.
idiom

lose your train of thought

Meaning
to forget what you were thinking or saying
Example
I **lost my train of thought** when the phone rang.
idiom

set the wheels in motion

Meaning
to start something or initiate action
Example
The CEO's speech **set the wheels in motion** for the new project.
idiom

In the blink of an eye

Meaning
Very quickly, almost instantaneously.
Example
The discovery of the new planet happened **in the blink of an eye**.
idiom

On the breadline

Meaning
Living in poverty or with very little money.
Example
After losing his job, he was almost **on the breadline**.
idiom

a political football

Meaning
an issue used by politicians for their own advantage
Example
Healthcare has become **a political football** in the country.
idiom

Runway

Meaning
The time a startup has before running out of cash.
Example
We only have six months of **runway** left.
idiom

Caught on camera

Meaning
Recorded on video; captured visually
Example
The accident was **caught on camera** by a passerby.
idiom

clear your head

Meaning
to stop thinking about something for a while and relax
Example
After a stressful week, I like to take a walk to **clear my head**.
idiom

make a name for yourself

Meaning
to become well-known or successful in a particular field
Example
She **made a name for herself** in the world of fashion design.
idiom

sort through

Meaning
to organize by separating what is needed from what is not
Example
Let’s **sort through** the survey responses this afternoon.
idiom

media circus

Meaning
an excessive or sensationalized media coverage
Example
The trial turned into a **media circus**.
idiom

hard act to follow

Meaning
someone or something so good that it’s difficult to replace
Example
The previous manager was a **hard act to follow**.
idiom

hair-raising experience

Meaning
something very frightening or terrifying
Example
Driving through that storm was a **hair-raising experience**.
idiom

hands are tied

Meaning
to be unable to act freely because of rules or restrictions
Example
The government’s **hands are tied** due to international trade laws.
idiom

a game plan

Meaning
a strategy or plan of action
Example
We need a clear **game plan** before we start the meeting.
idiom

living the dream

Meaning
living a life that one always desired
Example
After years of hard work, he’s finally **living the dream**.
idiom

get straight to the point

Meaning
to talk directly about the main topic
Example
Let's **get straight to the point** and discuss the issue.
idiom

That’s exactly right

Meaning
Used to completely agree with a statement
Example
**That’s exactly right**, we should focus on quality first.
idiom

pep up

Meaning
to make someone or something more lively or energetic
Example
A quick walk outside always **peps me up** in the afternoon.
idiom

flash back to

Meaning
to suddenly remember a past event
Example
The photo made her **flash back to** her first day at work.
idiom

stay calm

Meaning
to remain composed and not panic
Example
No need to worry, just **stay calm** and think it through.
idiom

honor one's promise

Meaning
to keep a promise or commitment
Example
She **honored her promise** to visit the orphanage.
idiom

What’s done is done

Meaning
There is no point in worrying about past mistakes.
Example
We can’t change the past, so **what’s done is done**.
idiom

Get down to brass tacks

Meaning
To start discussing the essential or most important aspects of a matter.
Example
Let’s **get down to brass tacks** and talk about the real issues.
idiom

feather in one’s cap

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

black sheep

Meaning
a person who is considered a disgrace to a group or family
Example
He is the **black sheep** of the family.
idiom

latch onto

Meaning
to quickly embrace an idea or connect with someone
Example
The students quickly **latched onto** the new study app.