phase in reforms
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phrasal-verb

phase in reforms

Meaning
to introduce changes gradually over time
Example
The administration plans to **phase in reforms** in the tax system.
phrasal-verb

capitalize on

Meaning
to take advantage of something to gain success
Example
She knew how to **capitalize on** every opportunity that came her way.
phrasal-verb

care from the heart

Meaning
to genuinely care about someone’s feelings or well-being
Example
She truly **cares from the heart** for everyone around her.
phrasal-verb

storm out

Meaning
to leave a place angrily, like a storm
Example
He **stormed out** of the room when we mentioned the weather again.
phrasal-verb

play down

Meaning
to make something seem less important or serious than it is
Example
The minister tried to **play down** the controversy in the media.
phrasal-verb

wrap the day up

Meaning
to finish tasks and close out the workday
Example
I **wrap the day up** by reviewing tomorrow's top three priorities.
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.
phrasal-verb

open up opportunities

Meaning
to create new chances or possibilities for learning or connection
Example
Understanding other cultures can **open up opportunities** for collaboration.
phrasal-verb

play back

Meaning
to listen to or watch something that was previously recorded
Example
Let’s **play back** the scene to check if the sound was clear.
phrasal-verb

stay open to

Meaning
to be willing to consider or accept new ideas or experiences
Example
Always **stay open to** new perspectives while learning.
phrasal-verb

deal around

Meaning
to share something among people informally
Example
He **dealt around** the snacks during the meeting.
phrasal-verb

play around with

Meaning
to experiment with ideas, materials, or techniques
Example
She loves to **play around with** different colors to find new combinations.
phrasal-verb

get back up

Meaning
to recover after falling or failing
Example
When life knocks you down, **get back up** and try again.
phrasal-verb

cut someone off

Meaning
to interrupt someone while they are speaking
Example
She kept **cutting me off** whenever I tried to explain.
phrasal-verb

look within for strength

Meaning
to find inner courage and motivation
Example
When times are tough, **look within for strength**.
phrasal-verb

drop behind

Meaning
to fall behind others in progress or development
Example
She started to **drop behind** in her studies after missing several classes.
phrasal-verb

cool yourself off

Meaning
to calm down after being angry or excited
Example
He went for a walk to **cool himself off** after the argument.
phrasal-verb

get bogged down

Meaning
to become so involved in something that you cannot make progress
Example
I got **bogged down** in paperwork and missed the meeting.
phrasal-verb

grow into leadership

Meaning
to gradually develop the skills needed to lead others
Example
Over time, he **grew into leadership** through mentoring and practice.
phrasal-verb

build up economic ties

Meaning
to strengthen trade relationships between nations
Example
Asian countries are trying to **build up economic ties** through regional cooperation.
phrasal-verb

bottle emotions

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

stand in for

Meaning
to take someone’s place temporarily
Example
Lisa will **stand in for** me during the client meeting tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

lift each other up

Meaning
to encourage or support colleagues emotionally or professionally
Example
A positive workplace culture helps employees **lift each other up**.
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

light upon

Meaning
to discover or notice something that brings appreciation or gratitude
Example
I **lighted upon** an old letter that reminded me of your kindness.
phrasal-verb

play along with

Meaning
to pretend to agree or cooperate with something
Example
Many people **play along with** trending topics just to stay relevant online.
phrasal-verb

light up with joy

Meaning
to look suddenly happy or excited
Example
Her face **lit up with joy** when she saw her parents.
phrasal-verb

put in for

Meaning
to make a formal request for something
Example
I decided to **put in for** a few days of leave.
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.
phrasal-verb

stay ahead in class

Meaning
to perform better or be more advanced than others in the class
Example
He studies extra hours to **stay ahead in class**.
phrasal-verb

set off protests

Meaning
to cause protests or demonstrations to begin
Example
The new law **set off protests** across the country.
phrasal-verb

dance to

Meaning
to move your body in rhythm with the music
Example
We couldn’t resist **dancing to** that catchy song.
phrasal-verb

turn negativity into strength

Meaning
to use negative experiences as motivation for improvement
Example
She learned to **turn negativity into strength** after many failures.
phrasal-verb

question over

Meaning
to express doubt or uncertainty about something
Example
There’s been a lot of **questions over** the accuracy of that report.
phrasal-verb

grow accustomed to

Meaning
to gradually become familiar or comfortable with something
Example
He slowly **grew accustomed to** the cultural differences at work.
phrasal-verb

set up a subsidiary

Meaning
to establish a smaller company controlled by a larger one
Example
They decided to **set up a subsidiary** in Singapore to handle regional operations.
phrasal-verb

lie around

Meaning
to spend time lazily doing nothing
Example
I just want to **lie around** and do nothing today.
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

work toward peace

Meaning
to make efforts to achieve harmony and stability among nations
Example
International leaders continue to **work toward peace** in conflict zones.
phrasal-verb

stay consistent

Meaning
to maintain steady effort and habits toward success
Example
If you **stay consistent**, your hard work will pay off.
phrasal-verb

bond over

Meaning
to develop a close relationship through shared interests or experiences
Example
We **bonded over** our love for traveling.
phrasal-verb

write in about

Meaning
to contact an organization in writing regarding something
Example
If you have ideas, please **write in about** them before Friday.
phrasal-verb

stack small wins

Meaning
to build momentum by completing quick successes
Example
We **stack small wins** early in the day to feel accomplished.
phrasal-verb

soak in

Meaning
to fully enjoy or appreciate a positive feeling or moment
Example
She closed her eyes to **soak in** the beauty of the sunset.
phrasal-verb

dust off

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

let emotions in

Meaning
to allow yourself to feel and process emotions
Example
Don’t block your feelings—**let emotions in** and deal with them.
phrasal-verb

reach beyond borders

Meaning
to connect or act across national or cultural boundaries
Example
Global initiatives aim to **reach beyond borders** to solve shared problems.
phrasal-verb

throw oneself into

Meaning
to do something with great enthusiasm or energy
Example
After the breakup, she **threw herself into** her work.
phrasal-verb

push on with

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

look beyond bias

Meaning
to see past personal prejudices and focus on fairness
Example
We must **look beyond bias** to make objective hiring decisions.
phrasal-verb

stand against

Meaning
to oppose or resist something strongly
Example
He decided to **stand against** the unfair law.
phrasal-verb

wait up

Meaning
to stay awake until someone arrives
Example
Don’t **wait up** for me, I might be late tonight.
phrasal-verb

dream up

Meaning
to imagine or invent something new or creative
Example
They **dreamed up** a new way to achieve their business goals.
phrasal-verb

pull into

Meaning
to drive into a place, such as a parking lot or station
Example
The bus **pulled into** the terminal right on time.
phrasal-verb

lay out a plan

Meaning
to present or explain a strategy or proposal clearly
Example
The finance minister **laid out a plan** for sustainable growth.
phrasal-verb

move off

Meaning
to start moving (of a vehicle)
Example
The bus **moved off** slowly after everyone got on.
phrasal-verb

lighten off

Meaning
to feel or make something less serious or stressful
Example
Talking to friends helped me **lighten off** the pressure.
phrasal-verb

scale up to

Meaning
to increase in size, amount, or production level to meet higher demand or needs
Example
The company plans to **scale up to** full production once the economy stabilizes.
phrasal-verb

pig out

Meaning
to eat too much food in one sitting
Example
We **pigged out** on pizza last night.
phrasal-verb

call for backup

Meaning
to request extra help in a challenging situation
Example
Editors **call for backup** when breaking news floods in overnight.
phrasal-verb

branch out professionally

Meaning
to start doing something new or expand into a new area professionally
Example
After years in sales, he decided to **branch out professionally** into marketing.
phrasal-verb

check back on progress

Meaning
to review how far work has moved since the last update
Example
Project leads **check back on progress** every Thursday morning.
phrasal-verb

build upon ideas

Meaning
to develop or improve existing ideas
Example
Our goal is to **build upon** each other’s ideas to create a stronger plan.
phrasal-verb

weigh against

Meaning
to compare different opinions before expressing your own
Example
Before responding, I’d like to **weigh against** all the arguments made.
phrasal-verb

open hearts to

Meaning
to show kindness and acceptance toward people of other cultures
Example
We should **open our hearts to** people who are different from us.
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.
phrasal-verb

stabilize currency

Meaning
to prevent large fluctuations in the value of a currency
Example
Central banks intervene to **stabilize currency** during financial crises.
phrasal-verb

shake off fear

Meaning
to get rid of fear or anxiety
Example
He tried to **shake off fear** before entering the stage.
phrasal-verb

cut into

Meaning
to reduce the time or energy available for eating or cooking
Example
Work has really **cut into** my cooking time.
phrasal-verb

dig beneath

Meaning
to search for the real emotions or motivations hidden under the surface
Example
He tried to **dig beneath** his frustration to understand his true fears.
phrasal-verb

keep the market afloat

Meaning
to prevent the market from collapsing or declining
Example
The stimulus package helped **keep the market afloat** during the crisis.
phrasal-verb

hand over control

Meaning
to transfer authority or management to another party
Example
The firm will **hand over control** of its Asian operations to a local partner.
phrasal-verb

break into a smile

Meaning
to suddenly start smiling
Example
He **broke into a smile** when he heard the good news.
phrasal-verb

point off

Meaning
to direct attention away intentionally; to mislead
Example
He tried to **point off** the reporters by changing the topic.
phrasal-verb

strive toward goals

Meaning
to put in great effort to achieve objectives
Example
They constantly **strive toward** their goals with persistence.
phrasal-verb

go to bed

Meaning
to lie down to sleep at night
Example
I try to **go to bed** before 11 p.m. every night.
phrasal-verb

shift focus away from

Meaning
to direct your attention away from something that causes anxiety
Example
When you feel nervous, **shift focus away from** your fears and onto your breathing.
phrasal-verb

revive through

Meaning
to bring back to life or strength by specific efforts
Example
The stimulus package helped **revive through** major industrial investment.
phrasal-verb

run behind schedule

Meaning
to be late or delayed in finishing something
Example
The construction team is **running behind schedule** because of heavy rain.
phrasal-verb

fry up

Meaning
to cook something quickly in hot oil or fat
Example
She **fried up** some eggs for breakfast.
phrasal-verb

take off with

Meaning
to become successful quickly
Example
Their new app **took off with** millions of downloads in the first week.
phrasal-verb

talk over drinks

Meaning
to have a conversation while drinking together
Example
They **talked over drinks** about old memories.
phrasal-verb

draw lessons from

Meaning
to learn something valuable from a situation or experience
Example
We should **draw lessons from** our past failures.
phrasal-verb

get in touch with

Meaning
to reconnect or become aware of your emotions again
Example
Meditation helps you **get in touch with** your true feelings.
phrasal-verb

put down to

Meaning
to attribute something to a cause
Example
She **put** her success **down to** hard work and determination.
phrasal-verb

bridge across languages

Meaning
to overcome language differences while communicating
Example
Technology helps us **bridge across languages** through translation tools.
phrasal-verb

pass out

Meaning
to lose consciousness
Example
He **passed out** from exhaustion after the marathon.
phrasal-verb

link up for

Meaning
to connect with others for a specific shared purpose
Example
Several banks **linked up for** cross-border payment solutions.
phrasal-verb

work through feelings

Meaning
to process emotions patiently so you understand them
Example
Therapists help clients **work through feelings** after setbacks.
phrasal-verb

transform over time

Meaning
to gradually change form or nature
Example
The organization will **transform over time** with consistent innovation.
phrasal-verb

stay in touch with

Meaning
to keep communicating regularly with someone
Example
I **stay in touch with** my college friends through video calls.
phrasal-verb

set things straight with

Meaning
to clarify or resolve a misunderstanding
Example
He met her to **set things straight with** her after the confusion.
phrasal-verb

move over

Meaning
to change position to make space for someone or something
Example
Can you **move over** a bit so I can sit down?
phrasal-verb

simmer with anger

Meaning
to feel but not express anger openly
Example
He **simmered with anger** after being insulted.
phrasal-verb

drop off

Meaning
to take someone or something to a place by car
Example
Can you **drop off** the kids at school?
phrasal-verb

open within

Meaning
to connect with your inner emotions and understand yourself better
Example
Yoga helps me to **open within** and feel peaceful.
phrasal-verb

drop in

Meaning
to visit someone casually without prior arrangement
Example
My neighbors often **drop in** for coffee in the evening.
phrasal-verb

reach out to investors

Meaning
to contact people who might be interested in funding your business
Example
Startups often **reach out to investors** when they need capital.
phrasal-verb

embrace emotions

Meaning
to accept and welcome feelings fully
Example
He learned to **embrace his emotions** rather than suppress them.
phrasal-verb

look out over

Meaning
to have a view of something from above or a distance
Example
Our room **looks out over** the beautiful lake.
phrasal-verb

cut off caffeine

Meaning
to stop consuming coffee or caffeinated drinks
Example
She has **cut off caffeine** to sleep better at night.
phrasal-verb

hold down inflation

Meaning
to control or keep inflation at a manageable level
Example
The central bank took measures to **hold down inflation**.
phrasal-verb

run around with

Meaning
to spend a lot of time with a particular group of people
Example
He **runs around with** a fun crowd from college.
phrasal-verb

cut down on imports

Meaning
to reduce the quantity of goods brought from other countries
Example
The country aims to **cut down on imports** to strengthen local industries.
phrasal-verb

give oneself up

Meaning
to surrender to the police or authorities
Example
The thief **gave himself up** to the police after two days.
phrasal-verb

move up professionally

Meaning
to advance to a higher position or level in one’s career
Example
He worked hard to **move up professionally** within the company.
phrasal-verb

reach for higher goals

Meaning
to aim or strive for greater success or achievements
Example
She’s always encouraged her team to **reach for higher goals**.
phrasal-verb

shake up

Meaning
to make major changes in an organization to improve it
Example
The new CEO plans to **shake up** the company’s culture to encourage innovation.
phrasal-verb

reach alignment on

Meaning
to reach an agreement where all parties share the same position
Example
The leaders **reached alignment on** climate goals.
phrasal-verb

take out on

Meaning
to use money for paying a loan or insurance
Example
He decided to **take out** life insurance after having a baby.
phrasal-verb

forgive for

Meaning
to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for something
Example
She **forgave him for** lying to her.
phrasal-verb

hit on

Meaning
to show romantic or sexual interest in someone
Example
He tried to **hit on** her at the party, but she ignored him.
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.
phrasal-verb

reflect on feedback

Meaning
to think carefully about comments or evaluations to improve
Example
Good learners always **reflect on feedback** to do better next time.
phrasal-verb

face up to challenges

Meaning
to confront difficulties with courage and confidence
Example
You’ll grow stronger when you **face up to challenges** instead of avoiding them.
phrasal-verb

shut off

Meaning
to block or stop feeling emotions
Example
He learned to **shut off** his emotions to stay strong.
phrasal-verb

allow for

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

bounce around ideas

Meaning
to discuss and share different ideas informally with others
Example
We **bounced around ideas** during the brainstorming session.
phrasal-verb

draw up a treaty

Meaning
to prepare an official document or agreement
Example
Diplomats worked late into the night to **draw up a treaty** between the two nations.
phrasal-verb

journal through sadness

Meaning
to write in a journal while processing sad feelings
Example
She **journals through sadness** to understand what the day is teaching her.