on the run
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idiom

on the run

Meaning
trying to avoid being caught by the police
Example
The suspect has been **on the run** for three days.
phrasal-verb

fall behind in

Meaning
to not make as much progress as others in something
Example
If you skip classes, you might **fall behind in** your studies.
idiom

The devil is in the details

Meaning
Small details are often the most important or problematic.
Example
The overall concept was great, but **the devil is in the details**.
idiom

rocket science

Meaning
something very complicated or difficult to understand
Example
Coding isn’t **rocket science** if you practice regularly.
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

work on yourself

Meaning
to make conscious efforts to improve your personality, habits, or mindset
Example
He spent years trying to **work on himself** after his breakup.
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.
idiom

make headway

Meaning
to make progress or advance
Example
We are finally **making headway** with our new project.
phrasal-verb

stand for equality

Meaning
to represent or support the idea of equal rights for all
Example
We must **stand for equality** in every part of the world.
idiom

fall behind

Meaning
to fail to keep up with a schedule or progress
Example
If we miss another deadline, we’ll **fall behind** on the project.
phrasal-verb

shrink back

Meaning
to move away from something because of fear
Example
The child **shrank back** when the dog barked loudly.
idiom

give it a shot

Meaning
to try something, even if you are not sure of success
Example
You should **give it a shot**; you might surprise yourself.
idiom

Make a move

Meaning
to take action or start doing something
Example
If you want success, it’s time to **make a move**.
idiom

truth will out

Meaning
the truth will eventually be revealed
Example
You can’t hide it forever; **truth will out**.
idiom

on the cutting edge

Meaning
at the forefront of innovation or technology
Example
The laboratory is **on the cutting edge** of artificial intelligence research.
idiom

Star-studded

Meaning
Full of famous or talented people.
Example
The event was **star-studded** with celebrities from all fields.
idiom

ring the changes

Meaning
to make changes to something to make it more interesting or effective
Example
The restaurant decided to **ring the changes** with a new menu.
phrasal-verb

own responsibility for

Meaning
to accept that you are accountable for something that happened
Example
He chose to **own responsibility for** the team’s delay.
phrasal-verb

stretch out

Meaning
to extend your body or limbs to relax or prepare for exercise
Example
Don’t forget to **stretch out** before starting your workout.
idiom

Cultural melting pot

Meaning
A place where different cultures blend together
Example
New York is often described as a **cultural melting pot**.
idiom

walk on air

Meaning
to feel very happy
Example
She was **walking on air** after hearing his message.
idiom

artificial brainpower

Meaning
intelligence or decision-making provided by AI systems
Example
The car relies on **artificial brainpower** to navigate through traffic.
phrasal-verb

strive for

Meaning
to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something
Example
She always **strives for** excellence in her work.
idiom

have words with someone

Meaning
to argue with someone verbally
Example
I **had words with** my boss about the new policy.
phrasal-verb

level emotions

Meaning
to stabilize one's emotional state; to avoid highs and lows
Example
He practices meditation daily to **level emotions**.
idiom

a stepping stone

Meaning
an event or experience that helps one to progress
Example
This internship was **a stepping stone** to my career.
phrasal-verb

climb toward

Meaning
to make steady progress toward a higher position or goal
Example
He is **climbing toward** the top position in his company.
idiom

Run the risk

Meaning
To do something that may result in loss or danger.
Example
You’ll **run the risk** of losing everything if you lie.
idiom

good Samaritan

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

jump through hoops

Meaning
to do a lot of difficult or complicated things to achieve something
Example
I had to **jump through hoops** to get my visa approved.
phrasal-verb

allow for

Meaning
to consider possible factors when planning something
Example
When assessing risk, always **allow for** human error.
phrasal-verb

look inside

Meaning
to reflect on your own emotions and motivations
Example
You need to **look inside** yourself to understand your anger.
phrasal-verb

give credit to

Meaning
to acknowledge someone’s contribution
Example
You should **give credit to** those who helped you succeed.
phrasal-verb

chase after dreams

Meaning
to actively pursue one's ambitions or desires
Example
He left his hometown to **chase after** his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.
phrasal-verb

level off at

Meaning
to stop increasing or decreasing and stay at a steady level
Example
After a sharp rise, GDP growth **leveled off at** around 6%.
phrasal-verb

shut down emotionally

Meaning
to stop expressing or feeling emotions, especially after being hurt
Example
After the argument, he completely **shut down emotionally**.
idiom

bring up

Meaning
to raise or care for a child until adulthood
Example
She was **brought up** by her grandparents.
phrasal-verb

set up a business

Meaning
to start your own company to earn money
Example
Many people **set up a business** to create their own path to financial freedom.
phrasal-verb

build out

Meaning
to expand or develop infrastructure or capacity
Example
They are working hard to **build out** their cloud platform.
phrasal-verb

follow on from

Meaning
to happen or result from something that was done earlier
Example
This report **follows on from** our last quarter’s findings.
phrasal-verb

turn up the music

Meaning
to increase the volume of music
Example
They **turned up the music** when everyone started dancing.
phrasal-verb

flip over

Meaning
to turn upside down accidentally
Example
The car **flipped over** after hitting a pothole.
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

not born yesterday

Meaning
not easily fooled; experienced and smart
Example
Don’t try to trick me — I was **not born yesterday**.
phrasal-verb

listen openly

Meaning
to pay attention without judgment or interruption
Example
A good friend will **listen openly** when you share your emotions.
idiom

a lump in your throat

Meaning
feeling emotional or about to cry
Example
He felt **a lump in his throat** when he said goodbye.
phrasal-verb

rise above challenges

Meaning
to overcome difficulties and remain positive
Example
He learned to **rise above challenges** and stay optimistic.
phrasal-verb

stay curious about

Meaning
to remain interested in learning new things
Example
Good learners always **stay curious about** how things work.
idiom

move with the times

Meaning
to change and adapt as things in society or technology change
Example
Businesses must **move with the times** to stay relevant.
idiom

brute force attack

Meaning
a method of hacking that tries all possible combinations of passwords until the correct one is found
Example
The attacker launched a **brute force attack** on the system’s login page.
phrasal-verb

rise above fear

Meaning
to act bravely despite being afraid
Example
True courage means learning to **rise above fear**.
idiom

take the high road

Meaning
to act morally or kindly even when others don't
Example
She decided to **take the high road** and forgive him.
idiom

fall through the cracks

Meaning
to be overlooked or neglected
Example
I forgot to follow up on his application and it **fell through the cracks**.
idiom

move up the ladder

Meaning
to be promoted or advance in one’s job
Example
She hopes to **move up the ladder** by the end of the year.
idiom

par for the course

Meaning
what is normal or expected in a given situation
Example
Delays are **par for the course** in big projects.
phrasal-verb

move through

Meaning
to pass through or experience something from start to end
Example
We had to **move through** many challenges to succeed.
idiom

When there’s a will, there’s a way

Meaning
If you are determined, you can find a way to achieve your goal.
Example
**When there’s a will, there’s a way**, and he proved it by finishing the race.
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

sweet tooth

Meaning
a love for sweet foods
Example
She has a **sweet tooth** and can’t resist desserts.
phrasal-verb

look into expansion opportunities

Meaning
to investigate possibilities for growing the business abroad
Example
The management is **looking into expansion opportunities** in Africa.
idiom

soft sell

Meaning
a subtle and persuasive way of selling without pressure
Example
They used a **soft sell** strategy to gain customer trust.
idiom

hold your horses

Meaning
to be patient; to wait
Example
**Hold your horses**! The show hasn’t started yet.
idiom

Plow the field

Meaning
To prepare for future work or success.
Example
Before launching the product, we need to **plow the field** with proper research.
idiom

carry a torch for someone

Meaning
to continue loving someone who doesn’t love you back
Example
He’s still **carrying a torch for** his ex-girlfriend.
idiom

pulling strings

Meaning
using influence to get something done
Example
He got the engineering contract by **pulling strings**.
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.
idiom

shocked to the core

Meaning
deeply shocked or disturbed
Example
Everyone was **shocked to the core** by the tragedy.
idiom

in no time

Meaning
very quickly; almost immediately
Example
He finished the task **in no time**.
idiom

take a gamble

Meaning
to take a risk in the hope of success
Example
She **took a gamble** by quitting her job to travel the world.
phrasal-verb

stand together for

Meaning
to unite in support of a common cause
Example
Nations **stand together for** climate action.
phrasal-verb

build upon yourself

Meaning
to improve or develop your skills, knowledge, or character based on what you already have
Example
You should always try to **build upon yourself** and become a better version of who you were yesterday.
idiom

In the calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful period before a difficult situation or conflict arises.
Example
The office was quiet, **in the calm before the storm**, as they prepared for the big meeting.
phrasal-verb

push on with

Meaning
to continue doing something with energy and effort
Example
Even when tired, he **pushed on with** his training.
idiom

open Pandora’s box

Meaning
to start something that causes many unforeseen problems
Example
Creating sentient AI could **open Pandora’s box** of ethical challenges.
phrasal-verb

reach milestones

Meaning
to achieve significant points of progress toward a goal
Example
By the end of the year, they had **reached all their milestones**.
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.
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.
phrasal-verb

talk through feelings

Meaning
to discuss emotions openly to process them better
Example
It helps to **talk through feelings** with someone you trust.
idiom

tell a tall tale

Meaning
to tell an exaggerated or false story
Example
He loves to **tell tall tales** about his adventures.
idiom

burn your fingers

Meaning
to suffer because of a bad decision or mistake
Example
He **burned his fingers** by trusting the wrong person.
idiom

dig deep

Meaning
to use all your strength and determination to achieve something
Example
You’ll have to **dig deep** to finish this marathon.
phrasal-verb

cut it close

Meaning
to allow very little time for something
Example
Leaving at 8:50 for a 9:00 meeting is **cutting it close**.
phrasal-verb

fall into

Meaning
to begin doing something; to be caught in a situation
Example
She **fell into** bad habits during the lockdown.
phrasal-verb

back up with

Meaning
to support with evidence or examples
Example
You should **back up** your claims **with** reliable data.
idiom

No risk, no reward

Meaning
You can't expect to achieve something without taking risks.
Example
To get ahead in life, you have to understand that **no risk, no reward**.
phrasal-verb

tap into your potential

Meaning
to use your abilities fully to achieve success
Example
You must **tap into your potential** to unlock greater confidence.
phrasal-verb

bounce ahead with optimism

Meaning
to continue progressing with a positive attitude after difficulties
Example
After every failure, she chooses to **bounce ahead with optimism**.
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.
phrasal-verb

value differences

Meaning
to respect and appreciate what makes people unique
Example
We should **value differences** as they make our workplace stronger.
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

pass stories down

Meaning
to share traditions or memories with the next generation
Example
Grandparents **pass stories down** during long festival evenings.
idiom

machine learning

Meaning
A method of data analysis that automates analytical model building.
Example
We used **machine learning** to predict customer behavior.
idiom

sow the seeds of something

Meaning
to begin a process that leads to a result
Example
His actions **sowed the seeds of** mistrust among the team.
idiom

weigh in

Meaning
to give an opinion in a discussion
Example
Experts will **weigh in** on the proposal tomorrow.
idiom

keep something to yourself

Meaning
not tell anyone about something
Example
Please **keep it to yourself** until we’re ready to announce.
idiom

addiction to something

Meaning
a strong and harmful need to do or use something
Example
He is struggling with his **addiction to smoking**.
phrasal-verb

rise with kindness

Meaning
to overcome negativity with compassion and empathy
Example
Always try to **rise with kindness** even when people hurt you.
idiom

see things differently

Meaning
to have a different opinion or perspective
Example
I **see things differently** when it comes to politics.
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

cross one's heart

Meaning
to make a sincere promise, often used by children
Example
I’ll never lie to you again, **cross my heart**.
phrasal-verb

tie up

Meaning
to complete final details of an arrangement
Example
We just need to **tie up** a few loose ends before the event.
phrasal-verb

spread awareness of

Meaning
to share knowledge or information so more people understand an issue
Example
Schools help **spread awareness of** environmental protection.
phrasal-verb

get in

Meaning
to enter a car or vehicle
Example
Please **get in** the car, it’s raining outside.
phrasal-verb

post up

Meaning
to upload or share something online
Example
She **posted up** her vacation photos on Facebook.
phrasal-verb

follow a routine

Meaning
to do the same set of activities regularly
Example
If you **follow a routine**, you’ll build good habits over time.
phrasal-verb

cut down

Meaning
to eat or use less of something
Example
He’s trying to **cut down** his sugar intake.
phrasal-verb

stick to your goals

Meaning
to remain committed to your plans and objectives
Example
If you **stick to your goals**, you’ll eventually succeed.
idiom

Fall seven times, stand up eight

Meaning
Keep trying even after multiple failures.
Example
Life is tough, but remember to **fall seven times, stand up eight**.
phrasal-verb

drift apart from

Meaning
to slowly become less close to someone
Example
Over the years, we **drifted apart from** each other and lost touch.
idiom

Bet the farm

Meaning
To risk everything on one big decision.
Example
He **bet the farm** on that business deal.
idiom

be accountable for

Meaning
to be responsible for something and able to explain it
Example
As the team leader, he is **accountable for the project's outcome**.
phrasal-verb

get started on

Meaning
to begin working on something
Example
It's time to **get started on** your morning routine.
idiom

ease around

Meaning
to move carefully to avoid disturbance
Example
Please **ease around** the cords near the podium.
phrasal-verb

work around challenges

Meaning
to find a way to deal with or bypass difficulties during change
Example
We had to **work around challenges** to complete the migration.
phrasal-verb

shut yourself away

Meaning
to isolate yourself from others to calm down
Example
He **shut himself away** for a while to clear his mind.
idiom

zero-day attack

Meaning
a cyberattack that exploits a previously unknown vulnerability
Example
The team discovered a **zero-day attack** before it spread widely.
idiom

blow out of proportion

Meaning
to exaggerate or overstate something
Example
The media **blew the story out of proportion**.
idiom

blueprint for success

Meaning
a detailed plan for achieving success
Example
Strong teamwork is the **blueprint for success** in this project.
phrasal-verb

team up for

Meaning
to join others in doing something together for a common goal
Example
Countries **team up for** global vaccination programs.
idiom

brainstorm

Meaning
to generate many creative ideas in a group discussion
Example
Let’s **brainstorm** some ideas for our next campaign.
phrasal-verb

reach out to communities

Meaning
to make contact with or offer help to groups of people
Example
Volunteers **reach out to communities** affected by natural disasters.