Out of curiosity
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idiom

Out of curiosity

Meaning
Because of a desire to know or learn something.
Example
I asked him **out of curiosity**, not to interfere.
phrasal-verb

choke back tears

Meaning
to try hard not to cry
Example
She **choked back tears** during her farewell speech.
idiom

build trust

Meaning
to create or develop trust in a relationship
Example
It takes time to **build trust** with new people.
phrasal-verb

fog up

Meaning
when glass or lenses become covered with mist or condensation
Example
My glasses always **fog up** when it rains.
idiom

pay a compliment

Meaning
to give praise or admiration to someone
Example
He always knows how to **pay a compliment** to make someone feel better.
idiom

turn up the heat

Meaning
to increase pressure or intensity
Example
The scientists decided to **turn up the heat** on the experiment.
idiom

political mileage

Meaning
advantage gained from a political situation
Example
Opposition leaders tried to gain **political mileage** from the crisis.
phrasal-verb

rely on

Meaning
to trust or depend on someone or something
Example
We **rely on** local suppliers for daily goods.
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**.
phrasal-verb

dust off

Meaning
to remove dust from something
Example
Could you **dust off** the shelves before putting the books back?
idiom

branch out

Meaning
to expand into new activities or areas
Example
The bakery plans to **branch out** into catering services next year.
phrasal-verb

look in on

Meaning
to visit briefly to see if someone is fine
Example
I’ll **look in on** Grandma after work to make sure she’s okay.
phrasal-verb

phase out old habits

Meaning
to gradually stop doing something that no longer fits
Example
To stay relevant, we must **phase out old habits** that slow progress.
idiom

bring luck

Meaning
to cause good fortune
Example
This bracelet is said to **bring luck** to whoever wears it.
phrasal-verb

smooth things over with

Meaning
to restore peace with someone after a disagreement
Example
She brought cookies to **smooth things over with** her neighbor.
idiom

drop a bombshell

Meaning
to announce something shocking or unexpected
Example
She **dropped a bombshell** by quitting her job.
idiom

rinse off

Meaning
to wash something quickly with water
Example
**Rinse off** the berries before serving them.
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

stand by someone

Meaning
to remain loyal or supportive
Example
True friends **stand by** each other in hard times.
idiom

keep the momentum

Meaning
to continue progressing without slowing down
Example
We need to **keep the momentum** to reach our target.
phrasal-verb

set deadlines

Meaning
to establish specific time limits for tasks
Example
The manager **set deadlines** for each phase of the project.
phrasal-verb

plan for

Meaning
to prepare in advance for possible events or risks
Example
Businesses should **plan for** economic downturns.
phrasal-verb

stamp out

Meaning
to completely stop something bad or harmful
Example
The movement aimed to **stamp out** political corruption.
phrasal-verb

break into production

Meaning
to start producing something new; to begin manufacturing on a large scale
Example
The country plans to **break into production** of electric vehicles next year.
idiom

change your tune

Meaning
to change your opinion or attitude
Example
He criticized the plan at first but later **changed his tune**.
phrasal-verb

cut off funding

Meaning
to stop providing financial support
Example
The government **cut off funding** for several development projects.
phrasal-verb

open up markets

Meaning
to make trade or business opportunities available; to remove barriers to trade
Example
The trade agreement helped **open up markets** for local exporters.
idiom

open channels of communication

Meaning
to establish dialogue or discussion
Example
They tried to **open channels of communication** with the neighboring country.
phrasal-verb

grow through

Meaning
to become stronger or wiser because of difficult experiences
Example
We often **grow through** the pain we experience.
phrasal-verb

make off with

Meaning
to steal something and run away
Example
A thief **made off with** her handbag in the market.
phrasal-verb

stand out as

Meaning
to be noticeable or recognized as having a particular quality
Example
She really **stood out as** a confident and fair leader.
idiom

lay the blame on

Meaning
to accuse someone of being responsible for something bad.
Example
They tried to **lay the blame on** the new employee.
idiom

Cut one’s losses

Meaning
To stop doing something that is failing to avoid further loss.
Example
It’s better to **cut your losses** and exit the market now.
phrasal-verb

narrow in on

Meaning
to focus more closely on a specific goal or decision
Example
He’s **narrowing in on** a few career options now.
idiom

gloss over

Meaning
to avoid mentioning unpleasant details
Example
The report tries to **gloss over** the budget cuts.
phrasal-verb

step up efforts

Meaning
to increase the level of effort or activity
Example
The ministry has **stepped up efforts** to create more jobs.
idiom

take the rap

Meaning
to be punished or blamed for something, often unfairly.
Example
He **took the rap** for the team’s poor performance.
phrasal-verb

fire back at

Meaning
to respond angrily or defensively to criticism
Example
The minister **fired back at** the accusations with strong evidence.
idiom

tip off

Meaning
to secretly give information or a warning
Example
A neighbor **tipped off** the police about the noise.
idiom

crack the code

Meaning
to solve a complex problem or mystery
Example
It took hours, but we finally **cracked the code** of the system error.
idiom

throw one's hat in the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s intention to compete for a position or office
Example
Several candidates have **thrown their hats in the ring** for the presidency.
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.
phrasal-verb

talk down

Meaning
to speak in a way that shows you think someone is less intelligent
Example
Don’t **talk down** to your colleagues; it’s disrespectful.
phrasal-verb

chill yourself out

Meaning
to make yourself calm and relaxed
Example
You need to **chill yourself out** instead of worrying about everything.
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

burned out

Meaning
completely exhausted or tired due to overwork
Example
After months of overtime, she felt **burned out**.
phrasal-verb

speak out against

Meaning
to publicly express opposition to something
Example
Many citizens **spoke out against** the unfair law.
phrasal-verb

sign into

Meaning
to access an online account using credentials
Example
You need to **sign into** your account to post a comment.
idiom

eat your words

Meaning
to take back what you said
Example
He had to **eat his words** after the result was announced.
phrasal-verb

transition through

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

on the same playing field

Meaning
in the same conditions or with equal chances
Example
We’re now **on the same playing field** as our competitors.
idiom

the show must go on

Meaning
to continue despite difficulties
Example
Even after the power went out, the actors knew **the show must go on**.
idiom

a clear conscience

Meaning
a state of being free from guilt or regret
Example
She could sleep soundly at night because she had **a clear conscience**.
phrasal-verb

level off

Meaning
to stop rising or falling and remain steady
Example
After a rapid increase, the sales figures **leveled off**.
idiom

school of thought

Meaning
a particular way of thinking or set of ideas
Example
There’s a **school of thought** that believes learning by doing is best.
phrasal-verb

root out

Meaning
to eliminate or get rid of something completely
Example
The government vowed to **root out** corruption at every level.
phrasal-verb

light up with happiness

Meaning
to look very happy
Example
Her face **lit up with happiness** when she saw the gift.
phrasal-verb

boost up sales

Meaning
to increase the number of products sold
Example
The new marketing plan aims to **boost up** sales during the holiday season.
phrasal-verb

drain away pressure

Meaning
to slowly release mental or emotional pressure
Example
Talking to a friend helps me **drain away pressure** after a long day.
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

throw money down the drain

Meaning
to waste money on something useless
Example
Buying that fake brand bag was like **throwing money down the drain**.
phrasal-verb

move up in

Meaning
to advance or get promoted within an organization
Example
She worked hard to **move up in** her company.
idiom

black hole

Meaning
a situation where things disappear or are lost without explanation
Example
All the research data went into a **black hole** after the server crash.
phrasal-verb

step down costs

Meaning
to gradually reduce expenses
Example
The company will **step down costs** to increase profitability.
idiom

the balance of power

Meaning
a situation in which power is distributed among nations to prevent dominance by one
Example
The UN aims to maintain **the balance of power** among major nations.
phrasal-verb

stay grounded

Meaning
to remain humble and emotionally balanced
Example
No matter how successful you become, always **stay grounded**.
idiom

long story short

Meaning
to summarize something briefly
Example
**Long story short**, we missed the train.
idiom

Failure is the mother of success

Meaning
Success often comes after learning from failures.
Example
Don’t worry about failing; **failure is the mother of success**.
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.
phrasal-verb

glow with happiness

Meaning
to look very happy and healthy
Example
She **glowed with happiness** on her wedding day.
idiom

you’ve got this

Meaning
to reassure someone that they can handle a situation
Example
Don’t worry about the presentation—**you’ve got this**!
idiom

throw someone under the bus

Meaning
to betray or sacrifice someone to save yourself
Example
He **threw his colleague under the bus** to avoid getting fired.
idiom

Stay in the loop

Meaning
To be informed about something regularly.
Example
Make sure you **stay in the loop** about the latest updates.
idiom

mind-blowing

Meaning
extremely surprising or amazing
Example
The view from the mountain was **mind-blowing**.
idiom

burn your bridges

Meaning
to make a decision that cannot be reversed
Example
Be careful not to **burn your bridges** with your old employer.
phrasal-verb

come up short

Meaning
to fail to meet a goal or expectation
Example
The team **came up short** in the final minutes of the game.
phrasal-verb

call out for

Meaning
to ask loudly for something or someone
Example
He **called out for** his mother when he got hurt.
phrasal-verb

bring up prices

Meaning
to cause prices to increase; to make costs rise
Example
High demand for oil can **bring up prices** across many industries.
phrasal-verb

take over responsibilities

Meaning
to start having control or responsibility for something
Example
After the manager resigned, she **took over responsibilities** temporarily.
phrasal-verb

link together

Meaning
to connect or unite people or organizations
Example
The new initiative aims to **link together** researchers from across the globe.
idiom

ease off

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

stand up after failure

Meaning
to recover and try again after failing
Example
Winners are those who **stand up after failure** and keep trying.
phrasal-verb

hand off

Meaning
to transfer a task or responsibility to another person
Example
I’ll **hand off** this report to the marketing team for review.
phrasal-verb

reach out with

Meaning
to offer help or kindness to someone
Example
The volunteers **reached out with** compassion and care.
idiom

drill down

Meaning
to examine something in greater detail
Example
We need to **drill down** into the survey responses.
idiom

Keep it under your hat

Meaning
To keep something secret.
Example
I’ll tell you a secret, but **keep it under your hat**.
phrasal-verb

turn off

Meaning
to stop the flow of something; to switch off
Example
Please **turn off** the lights when you leave the room to save energy.
phrasal-verb

go wild

Meaning
to behave in an extremely excited or enthusiastic way
Example
The crowd **went wild** when the team scored the goal.
idiom

Zoom in on

Meaning
To focus closely on something
Example
Let’s **zoom in on** the key issues first.
idiom

a tough call

Meaning
a difficult decision to make
Example
Choosing between the two offers was **a tough call**.
phrasal-verb

cut down costs

Meaning
to reduce expenses
Example
The manager suggested ways to **cut down** costs without affecting quality.
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

carry across meaning

Meaning
to make someone understand your message clearly
Example
Good translators know how to **carry across meaning** accurately.
idiom

burning desire

Meaning
a strong motivation to achieve something
Example
He has a **burning desire** to succeed in life.
phrasal-verb

use sparingly

Meaning
to use something in small or limited amounts
Example
Please **use** the office supplies **sparingly** until the next order arrives.
idiom

a barrel of laughs

Meaning
someone or something very funny or entertaining
Example
The new comedy show is **a barrel of laughs**.
idiom

the singularity

Meaning
a hypothetical future point when AI surpasses human intelligence
Example
Some experts believe **the singularity** could change humanity forever.
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

party animal

Meaning
someone who loves going to parties
Example
She’s such a **party animal**, always out on weekends.
idiom

steal someone’s thunder

Meaning
to take credit for someone else’s idea or success
Example
She **stole my thunder** by announcing the news first.
idiom

grasp at straws

Meaning
to try any method to succeed, even if unlikely
Example
He was **grasping at straws** when he suggested that idea.
idiom

on fire

Meaning
performing very well; full of energy and success
Example
The sales team is **on fire** this month!
idiom

Bide one’s time

Meaning
To wait patiently for the right opportunity.
Example
She decided to **bide her time** before making a move.
idiom

on the market

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

in the dark web

Meaning
in a hidden or secret part of the internet used for illegal activities
Example
Stolen credentials often end up **in the dark web**.
idiom

jump to conclusions

Meaning
to make a decision without enough information
Example
Don’t **jump to conclusions** before hearing the whole story.
idiom

have a Eureka moment

Meaning
to suddenly realize the solution to a problem
Example
I had a **Eureka moment** while fixing the code last night.
phrasal-verb

think up

Meaning
to invent or imagine a new idea or plan
Example
She **thought up** a brilliant way to reduce energy consumption.
phrasal-verb

set off for

Meaning
to start a journey to a specific place
Example
We **set off for** Cox’s Bazar early in the morning.
idiom

feel it in your bones

Meaning
to sense something strongly without evidence
Example
I **feel it in my bones** that something bad will happen.
idiom

plan B

Meaning
an alternative plan if the first one fails
Example
We should have a **plan B** in case things go wrong.
phrasal-verb

splash out on

Meaning
to spend a lot of money on something special
Example
She **splashed out on** a designer handbag for her birthday.
idiom

batten down

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

Catwalk queen

Meaning
A woman who is very confident and stylish, like a model
Example
She walked into the room like a **catwalk queen**.
idiom

own up to your mistakes

Meaning
to admit that you have done something wrong
Example
It takes courage to **own up to your mistakes**.
idiom

kick off

Meaning
to start an event or activity
Example
The workshop will **kick off** at 9 a.m. sharp.
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

roll into place

Meaning
to start working smoothly after some time or preparation
Example
Once everyone understands their tasks, the new system will **roll into place**.
phrasal-verb

feel bad about

Meaning
to feel sorry or regretful about something
Example
I really **feel bad about** what happened.
idiom

blind experiment

Meaning
a test conducted without participants knowing certain information to prevent bias
Example
The scientists conducted a **blind experiment** to ensure accuracy.
phrasal-verb

follow through with

Meaning
to continue with a plan or commitment until it is completed
Example
You must **follow through with** your study schedule to see improvement.