pay someone back
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

pay someone back

Meaning
to take revenge; to return money owed
Example
I’ll **pay you back** for what you did to me.
idiom

A stitch in time saves nine

Meaning
Solving a small problem early prevents a bigger problem later.
Example
Fix that leak now — a stitch in time saves nine.
idiom

go-getter

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

double check with

Meaning
to confirm information with someone
Example
Could you **double check with** finance about the budget?
idiom

have a heart of gold

Meaning
to be very kind and generous
Example
Everyone loves her because she **has a heart of gold**.
phrasal-verb

set priorities

Meaning
to decide which tasks or goals are most important
Example
You must **set priorities** to reach your long-term goals.
idiom

black box

Meaning
a system or process whose workings are not understood or transparent
Example
The neural network is often described as a **black box** because its decision-making process is not fully transparent.
phrasal-verb

wait on

Meaning
to wait for something to happen before acting; to depend on
Example
We’re **waiting on** the results before making a decision.
phrasal-verb

cut down on delays

Meaning
to reduce the amount of time wasted or delays in work
Example
The team is working to **cut down on delays** in project delivery.
phrasal-verb

calm over

Meaning
to gradually become peaceful or composed
Example
After some quiet time, you’ll **calm over** and think clearly.
idiom

get to the bottom of something

Meaning
to understand or solve the real cause of something
Example
We need to **get to the bottom of this issue** to prevent it from happening again.
phrasal-verb

wind off from

Meaning
to relax or detach yourself from stress; to calm down after work or tension
Example
After a long day, I like to **wind off from** all the pressure by listening to soft music.
phrasal-verb

put up

Meaning
to provide accommodation; to raise something; to display
Example
They will **put up** a tent for the night.
idiom

have cold feet

Meaning
to suddenly become nervous before doing something important
Example
He was ready to get married but **got cold feet** at the last minute.
phrasal-verb

get away with

Meaning
to do something wrong without being punished
Example
He thought he could **get away with** cheating on the test.
phrasal-verb

own up to mistakes

Meaning
to admit errors openly so they can be fixed
Example
Good leaders **own up to mistakes** before they snowball.
idiom

take the wind out of someone’s sails

Meaning
To make someone lose confidence or enthusiasm.
Example
Her harsh criticism **took the wind out of his sails**.
phrasal-verb

shut down

Meaning
to turn off a computer or system
Example
Make sure to **shut down** your computer before leaving.
phrasal-verb

move with

Meaning
to adjust according to changing trends or environments
Example
Companies that **move with** the market survive longer.
phrasal-verb

bridge through education

Meaning
to connect cultures by learning and teaching from each other
Example
Schools help **bridge through education** by hosting cultural exchange programs.
phrasal-verb

frame setbacks as lessons

Meaning
to describe problems as opportunities to learn
Example
We **frame setbacks as lessons** so the team stays optimistic.
idiom

hold down

Meaning
to keep something at a low level
Example
It’s tough to **hold down** rent costs in this city.
phrasal-verb

bring back

Meaning
to reintroduce or restore something that was removed
Example
The city plans to **bring back** tree-planting programs this year.
phrasal-verb

sign on to

Meaning
to agree to join or support something officially
Example
Several parents **sign on to** the new mentorship program this week.
idiom

above board

Meaning
honest and legal; without deceit
Example
Their business deal was completely **above board**.
idiom

it’s raining cats and dogs

Meaning
raining very heavily
Example
We can’t go out now; **it’s raining cats and dogs**.
idiom

a heart of gold

Meaning
someone who is very kind and caring
Example
She has **a heart of gold**, always helping anyone in need.
idiom

carry the weight of the world on one's shoulders

Meaning
to feel responsible for many problems or duties
Example
She always **carries the weight of the world on her shoulders**, even when it's not her fault.
phrasal-verb

lash into

Meaning
to criticize someone angrily
Example
The teacher **lashed into** the students for being noisy.
idiom

food for thought

Meaning
something that makes you think seriously
Example
His comment gave me **food for thought**.
idiom

fall out with

Meaning
to argue or stop being friends with someone
Example
They **fell out with** each other over money.
phrasal-verb

fill out arrival forms

Meaning
to complete entry paperwork when arriving somewhere
Example
Travelers **fill out arrival forms** while waiting in the queue.
idiom

drag on

Meaning
to continue for too long and become boring
Example
The meeting **dragged on** for hours.
idiom

under the microscope

Meaning
being examined very closely
Example
The new policy is **under the microscope** by analysts.
idiom

the cutting edge

Meaning
the most advanced or innovative part of something
Example
This new design is at **the cutting edge** of architecture.
idiom

tighten one’s belt

Meaning
to spend less money due to financial difficulties
Example
After losing his job, he had to **tighten his belt**.
phrasal-verb

turn around the economy

Meaning
to improve an economy that was in decline
Example
The stimulus package helped **turn around the economy** after the crisis.
phrasal-verb

rise with hope

Meaning
to start fresh with renewed optimism
Example
Every morning, she tries to **rise with hope** for a better day.
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

in the loop

Meaning
to be informed about something
Example
Please keep me **in the loop** about the project updates.
phrasal-verb

blow in

Meaning
to arrive unexpectedly, usually with wind
Example
A cold wind suddenly **blew in** from the north.
idiom

keep your cool

Meaning
to stay calm under stress or provocation
Example
Even in emergencies, he always **keeps his cool**.
idiom

weigh your options

Meaning
to consider different possibilities before deciding
Example
You should **weigh your options** before buying the car.
phrasal-verb

ease out of

Meaning
to gradually stop doing something stressful
Example
She decided to **ease out of** her demanding job to find balance.
phrasal-verb

flare with anger

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
She **flared with anger** when she heard the unfair decision.
idiom

mentor from the sidelines

Meaning
to guide someone without directly getting involved in their work
Example
Sometimes, the best leaders **mentor from the sidelines** and let others take charge.
idiom

brick by brick

Meaning
to achieve something gradually and steadily
Example
He built his business **brick by brick**.
phrasal-verb

smile at

Meaning
to express warmth or gratitude through a smile
Example
She **smiled at** me when I handed her the gift.
phrasal-verb

step up to

Meaning
to take responsibility or initiative; to rise to a challenge
Example
When the manager resigned, she **stepped up to** take his place.
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

rise through

Meaning
to progress or succeed in something through effort and determination
Example
She managed to **rise through** hard work and self-belief.
phrasal-verb

ring through

Meaning
to connect a phone call to its destination
Example
I’ll **ring through** to the manager for you.
phrasal-verb

stand up for

Meaning
to defend or support someone’s rights or opinions
Example
Parents should **stand up for** their children when they are treated unfairly.
idiom

masterpiece in the making

Meaning
something developing into something great
Example
Her latest project looks like **a masterpiece in the making**.
idiom

quote chapter and verse

Meaning
to cite something exactly or in great detail
Example
She can **quote chapter and verse** from Shakespeare.
phrasal-verb

deal off with

Meaning
to end a relationship or partnership
Example
They decided to **deal off with** each other after the argument.
phrasal-verb

speak from experience

Meaning
to politely justify your opinion based on personal experience
Example
I **speak from experience** when I say this method really works.
idiom

lost in space

Meaning
confused or not paying attention
Example
He looked completely **lost in space** during the lecture.
phrasal-verb

lift yourself out of

Meaning
to recover or rise from a negative emotional state
Example
She worked hard to **lift herself out of** depression.
idiom

save for a rainy day

Meaning
to save money for future emergencies
Example
You should **save for a rainy day**.
idiom

Old school

Meaning
Having traditional ideas or values; not modern
Example
My father still prefers handwritten letters; he’s really **old school**.
phrasal-verb

follow through on decisions

Meaning
to continue with an action until it is completed
Example
Leaders must always follow through on their promises.
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**.
idiom

fan through

Meaning
to flip through pages quickly
Example
She **fanned through** the report to find the chart.
idiom

to get away with murder

Meaning
to do something wrong and avoid punishment
Example
Rich criminals often **get away with murder** due to influence.
idiom

take the heat

Meaning
to accept criticism or blame.
Example
The manager **took the heat** for the failed project.
phrasal-verb

sign out of

Meaning
to exit or log off from an online account or platform
Example
Don’t forget to **sign out of** your account after using the computer lab.
phrasal-verb

point inside

Meaning
to indicate something within an area or container
Example
He **pointed inside** the box to show the contents.
phrasal-verb

spur growth

Meaning
to encourage or accelerate economic expansion
Example
Tax cuts were introduced to **spur growth** in the private sector.
idiom

how do you do

Meaning
a formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
**How do you do?** It’s a pleasure to meet you.
phrasal-verb

depend upon

Meaning
to rely on someone for support or help
Example
Children **depend upon** their parents for love and care.
idiom

keep something under wraps

Meaning
to keep something secret
Example
They managed to **keep the project under wraps** until the launch day.
idiom

motivate the team

Meaning
to encourage and inspire your team to work harder and achieve goals
Example
As a manager, one of my primary goals is to **motivate the team** to reach their highest potential.
phrasal-verb

coordinate across

Meaning
to organize activities jointly across different areas or teams
Example
Agencies **coordinate across** regions for disaster management.
phrasal-verb

come across

Meaning
to find something or someone unexpectedly
Example
We **came across** a promising distributor during the trade fair.
phrasal-verb

check out of

Meaning
to leave a hotel after paying the bill
Example
We **checked out of** the hotel early to catch our flight.
idiom

A hit piece

Meaning
A story or article intended to damage someone's reputation, often in a biased or unfair way.
Example
The editor criticized the paper for publishing such a **hit piece** on the politician.
phrasal-verb

give way

Meaning
to collapse; to yield under pressure
Example
The old bridge **gave way** during the heavy storm.
phrasal-verb

tune out from

Meaning
to stop paying attention to stressful things; to mentally disconnect
Example
I sometimes **tune out from** work emails on weekends to recharge.
phrasal-verb

bring up old issues

Meaning
to mention past problems during a new argument
Example
He always **brings up old issues** whenever they argue.
idiom

on the mend

Meaning
recovering from an illness or injury
Example
I was sick last week, but I’m **on the mend** now.
idiom

by the book

Meaning
to follow the rules exactly
Example
Our manager does everything **by the book**.
idiom

call to action

Meaning
a prompt that encourages an immediate response from an audience
Example
Your ad must include a strong **call to action**.
phrasal-verb

cut back on imports

Meaning
to reduce the amount of goods bought from abroad
Example
The country decided to **cut back on imports** to improve its trade balance.
phrasal-verb

carry on through

Meaning
to continue despite difficulties or emotional pain
Example
He managed to **carry on through** the tough times.
phrasal-verb

take against

Meaning
to begin to dislike someone or something without clear reason
Example
She suddenly **took against** her new neighbor.
phrasal-verb

drive on

Meaning
to continue working hard to achieve success
Example
Even after failures, he kept **driving on** to reach his dreams.
idiom

take five

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

bottle emotions

Meaning
to keep emotions hidden instead of expressing them
Example
She tends to **bottle emotions** instead of talking about them.
idiom

East meets West

Meaning
A blending of Eastern and Western cultures
Example
This restaurant is a perfect example of **East meets West** cuisine.
phrasal-verb

pump up

Meaning
to make someone feel excited or full of energy
Example
The coach **pumped up** the team before the match.
phrasal-verb

fall through on

Meaning
to fail to happen or be completed, especially a deal or plan
Example
Several merger talks **fell through on** due to the unstable economy.
idiom

alive and kicking

Meaning
still healthy and full of life
Example
My grandmother is 90 but still **alive and kicking**.
idiom

a smoke-filled room

Meaning
a place where powerful people make secret political decisions
Example
The policy was decided in **a smoke-filled room**, not in public.
phrasal-verb

look out toward

Meaning
to show attention or awareness toward someone’s needs
Example
We should always **look out toward** those who are struggling.
idiom

hit a home run

Meaning
to achieve great success
Example
The new marketing campaign really **hit a home run** with its audience.
idiom

Get traction

Meaning
To start gaining attention or success in the market.
Example
The new app is starting to **get traction** among users.
idiom

grateful as can be

Meaning
extremely thankful
Example
I’m **grateful as can be** for your guidance.
idiom

let on

Meaning
to reveal something secret unintentionally
Example
Don’t **let on** that you know about the plan.
phrasal-verb

tone up

Meaning
to make muscles stronger and more defined
Example
He goes jogging every morning to **tone up** his body.
phrasal-verb

sound out about

Meaning
to ask people for their opinions on something
Example
Let's **sound out about** the new comment policy before we publish it.
idiom

Plead the fifth

Meaning
To refuse to answer a question, often in legal contexts, to avoid self-incrimination.
Example
When asked about the financial discrepancies, he chose to **plead the fifth**.
idiom

get a clean bill of health

Meaning
to be declared completely healthy by a doctor
Example
After his check-up, he **got a clean bill of health**.
idiom

lend a hand

Meaning
to help someone with something
Example
Can you **lend a hand** with these boxes?
phrasal-verb

freeze up

Meaning
to become frozen or stop working due to cold
Example
The pipes might **freeze up** if the temperature drops too low.
phrasal-verb

phase over to

Meaning
to switch operations gradually to another system
Example
They plan to **phase over to** a paperless office within six months.
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**.
phrasal-verb

follow up right away

Meaning
to respond immediately after receiving a message
Example
I **follow up right away** when a client shares new requirements.
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

grow toward success

Meaning
to develop gradually in the process of achieving success
Example
You are **growing toward success** with every lesson you learn.
phrasal-verb

flare with joy

Meaning
to suddenly feel or show great happiness
Example
His face **flared with joy** when he saw his family again.
idiom

keep in touch

Meaning
to maintain communication with someone
Example
Even after moving away, we **keep in touch** regularly.
phrasal-verb

plan ahead for

Meaning
to prepare for something in advance
Example
We must **plan ahead for** deadlines to avoid last-minute stress.
idiom

look before you leap

Meaning
to think carefully about possible risks before doing something
Example
Before starting your own business, remember to **look before you leap**.
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**.
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.
phrasal-verb

step out of

Meaning
to move beyond your usual limits or comfort zone
Example
To grow, you need to **step out of** your comfort zone.
idiom

to shoot for the moon

Meaning
to aim for a difficult or ambitious goal
Example
He’s always **shooting for the moon**, trying to achieve impossible goals.
idiom

High stakes

Meaning
Involving serious risk or significant consequences.
Example
Negotiating with investors is a **high-stakes** game.
idiom

bottle up your feelings

Meaning
to hide or suppress your emotions
Example
Don't **bottle up your feelings**; talk about them.
phrasal-verb

thrill to

Meaning
to feel great excitement or pleasure from something
Example
The audience **thrilled to** the singer’s performance.