pick at
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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phrasal-verb

pick at

Meaning
to eat only small amounts of food without interest
Example
He just **picked at** his dinner and left most of it.
idiom

paint the town red

Meaning
to go out and celebrate wildly
Example
After the exam, we decided to **paint the town red**.
phrasal-verb

pair program through

Meaning
to work on code together until a problem is solved
Example
We **pair program through** tricky bugs to keep velocity steady.
idiom

pull rank

Meaning
to use one's authority to gain an advantage
Example
He **pulled rank** to get the last seat on the plane.
idiom

put in a good word for someone

Meaning
to say something positive about someone in order to help them
Example
I will **put in a good word for you** with the manager.
idiom

pharming

Meaning
a cyber attack that redirects a website’s traffic to a fraudulent site to steal information
Example
The victim's bank details were stolen due to a **pharming** attack.
phrasal-verb

prioritize over

Meaning
to give more importance to one thing than another
Example
You should **prioritize over** urgent tasks before anything else.
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.
phrasal-verb

pull back

Meaning
to retreat or withdraw; to move backward
Example
The army had to **pull back** after facing heavy resistance.
idiom

put first things first

Meaning
to focus on the most important things before others
Example
When managing time, always **put first things first**.
phrasal-verb

prototype on paper

Meaning
to sketch a quick version of an idea
Example
Designers **prototype on paper** before they open any software.
idiom

pitch in

Meaning
to join others in doing a task or helping
Example
Everyone **pitched in** to clean the park.
idiom

put one's foot in one's mouth

Meaning
to say something embarrassing or inappropriate
Example
He really **put his foot in his mouth** when he mentioned her ex-boyfriend.
idiom

peace and quiet

Meaning
a time of calmness and tranquility
Example
I just need some **peace and quiet** to finish my work.
phrasal-verb

pour out your heart

Meaning
to express all your emotions and thoughts freely to someone
Example
She **poured out her heart** to her best friend after the breakup.
phrasal-verb

pull out

Meaning
to move into traffic from the side of the road
Example
Be careful when you **pull out** from a parking space.
phrasal-verb

push through limits

Meaning
to go beyond what seems possible; to overcome boundaries
Example
Athletes must **push through limits** to reach their full potential.
idiom

pick oneself up

Meaning
to recover from a setback or failure
Example
Even though he failed, he managed to **pick himself up** and try again.
idiom

push your luck

Meaning
take a risk hoping for more success
Example
You already got a discount, don’t **push your luck**.
phrasal-verb

patch over differences

Meaning
to try to ignore disagreements and restore peace
Example
They decided to **patch over differences** and move on.
phrasal-verb

plan out

Meaning
to carefully think about and arrange the details of something
Example
Let’s **plan out** the schedule so that everything runs smoothly.
phrasal-verb

pick up growth

Meaning
to begin increasing again after a slowdown
Example
The global economy is expected to **pick up growth** next quarter.
idiom

place your confidence in

Meaning
to trust or rely on someone or something
Example
He **placed his confidence in** the team.
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

Playing both sides

Meaning
To secretly support or manipulate both sides of a conflict for personal gain.
Example
The ambassador was accused of **playing both sides** in the negotiations.
idiom

paint oneself into a corner

Meaning
to create a situation where one has limited options
Example
He **painted himself into a corner** by promising too much.
idiom

pull the wool over someone’s eyes

Meaning
to deceive or trick someone
Example
He tried to **pull the wool over my eyes**, but I knew the truth.
idiom

pack up

Meaning
to gather belongings and prepare to leave
Example
We should **pack up** and head home before the storm starts.
phrasal-verb

push ahead

Meaning
to continue working hard towards a goal despite difficulties
Example
Even after many failures, she decided to **push ahead** with her startup idea.
phrasal-verb

pivot around

Meaning
to reorganize or refocus strategy around a central idea or goal
Example
The company decided to **pivot around** customer satisfaction as its new priority.
idiom

put down roots

Meaning
to settle and become established somewhere
Example
After moving to Canada, they finally **put down roots** there.
idiom

play a cameo

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

phase out subsidies

Meaning
to gradually stop providing financial support or benefits
Example
The government plans to **phase out subsidies** for fossil fuels over the next five years.
phrasal-verb

puzzle over

Meaning
to try to understand something that is confusing
Example
He **puzzled over** the strange message all night.
phrasal-verb

pull ahead emotionally

Meaning
to progress emotionally faster than before
Example
After therapy, she began to **pull ahead emotionally**.
phrasal-verb

patch things up with

Meaning
to repair a relationship after an argument or conflict
Example
They finally **patched things up with** each other after weeks of silence.
phrasal-verb

point toward

Meaning
to indicate or suggest a future possibility
Example
Recent studies **point toward** a rise in electric mobility.
phrasal-verb

push through difficulties

Meaning
to keep going and overcome challenges with determination
Example
Great leaders **push through difficulties** instead of giving up.
idiom

pull someone's leg

Meaning
to tease or joke with someone in a playful way
Example
Don't worry, I was just **pulling your leg** about the test results.
idiom

pass sentence

Meaning
to announce a punishment in court
Example
The judge will **pass sentence** next week.
phrasal-verb

protect against

Meaning
to take measures to defend from threats or attacks
Example
Good antivirus software can **protect against** malware.
idiom

pipe dream

Meaning
an unrealistic or impossible hope
Example
Becoming a billionaire overnight is just a **pipe dream**.
idiom

predictive analytics

Meaning
using data and statistical algorithms to forecast future outcomes
Example
With **predictive analytics**, we can forecast market trends with high accuracy.
idiom

play it by ear

Meaning
to decide or act as the situation develops
Example
We’ll **play it by ear** and see what happens.
idiom

put the finishing touches

Meaning
to complete something perfectly by adding the final details
Example
She’s **putting the finishing touches** on her painting.
phrasal-verb

pass away

Meaning
to die
Example
Her grandfather **passed away** peacefully last night.
phrasal-verb

pull in together

Meaning
to combine efforts to achieve a goal
Example
If we all **pull in together**, we can finish the project on time.
idiom

piece of the puzzle

Meaning
a part of the complete solution or understanding
Example
This information is just **a piece of the puzzle**.
idiom

patch together

Meaning
to assemble something quickly and roughly
Example
We managed to **patch together** a plan before the call.
phrasal-verb

pull yourself back

Meaning
to stop overthinking or panicking and return to calmness
Example
Whenever your mind runs away, **pull yourself back** to the present.
phrasal-verb

put on weight

Meaning
to gain weight
Example
I’ve **put on weight** since I stopped exercising.
phrasal-verb

play with

Meaning
to spend time enjoying a game or toy with someone
Example
We used to **play with** marbles and paper boats in the rain.
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

push yourself forward

Meaning
to take initiative or move ahead despite obstacles
Example
You have to **push yourself forward** if you want to succeed.
phrasal-verb

preserve up

Meaning
to maintain or keep something in its original condition for the future
Example
We must **preserve up** our traditional dance forms.
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.
phrasal-verb

pass on to

Meaning
to give information or a message to someone else
Example
Could you **pass this on to** the manager before lunch?
idiom

pave the way

Meaning
to make progress easier for others to follow
Example
Her research **paved the way** for future discoveries.
phrasal-verb

pick up signal

Meaning
to detect or receive a wireless signal
Example
My phone couldn’t **pick up signal** in the basement.
phrasal-verb

play out

Meaning
to happen or develop in a particular way
Example
We watched how the story **played out** until the final twist.
idiom

pair up

Meaning
to form groups of two
Example
Students should **pair up** before starting the lab activity.
phrasal-verb

pull in

Meaning
to attract or earn money, profit, or investment
Example
The new app quickly **pulled in** thousands of subscribers and investors.
phrasal-verb

point away from

Meaning
to direct attention away from something
Example
He tried to **point away from** the real issue.
phrasal-verb

project confidence

Meaning
to appear or make others feel that you are confident
Example
The speaker **projected confidence** throughout the session.
idiom

pick up the pace

Meaning
to increase speed
Example
We need to **pick up the pace** if we want to finish the project on time.
phrasal-verb

phase in new strategies

Meaning
to introduce new methods gradually
Example
The firm will **phase in** new financial strategies over the next year.
idiom

Plain sailing

Meaning
Something that is easy and without difficulty.
Example
Once we solved the main issue, the rest was **plain sailing**.
phrasal-verb

push on through

Meaning
to continue doing something despite difficulties
Example
Even when tired, she decided to **push on through** the pain.
phrasal-verb

pave the way for

Meaning
to create conditions that make something possible
Example
Her strong performance **paved the way for** her promotion.
idiom

puppy love

Meaning
a young or innocent kind of love
Example
Their relationship in school was just **puppy love**.
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.
idiom

play politics

Meaning
to act in a manipulative or strategic way to gain advantage
Example
He was accused of trying to **play politics** instead of focusing on the nation’s welfare.
phrasal-verb

power down

Meaning
to turn off or shut down a device completely
Example
You should **power down** your computer before cleaning it.
phrasal-verb

pump up

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

play one's cards right

Meaning
to make the right decisions in order to achieve a good result
Example
If you **play your cards right**, you could get the promotion you want.
idiom

put one's trust in

Meaning
to place reliance or faith in someone or something
Example
He decided to **put his trust in** the new system.
idiom

put two and two together

Meaning
to figure out something by reasoning
Example
He **put two and two together** and realized she was lying.
idiom

put words in someone’s mouth

Meaning
to say someone said something they did not
Example
Don’t **put words in my mouth**—I never said that!
idiom

political football

Meaning
an issue that is constantly debated and used for political gain
Example
The issue of immigration has become a **political football**, with both parties using it to score points.
phrasal-verb

pick apart from

Meaning
to separate or distinguish from others
Example
It’s hard to **pick her apart from** her twin sister.
idiom

pile up

Meaning
to increase into a large amount
Example
Emails tend to **pile up** over the weekend.
phrasal-verb

pick up

Meaning
to improve or increase after a slowdown
Example
The economy is expected to **pick up** after the policy reforms.
phrasal-verb

press on

Meaning
to continue doing something in a determined way despite difficulties
Example
Although he was tired, he decided to **press on** until he finished the task.
phrasal-verb

pop into

Meaning
to enter a place briefly and casually
Example
We **popped into** a café for a quick coffee.
phrasal-verb

push forward

Meaning
to continue working hard despite obstacles; to persist toward goals
Example
Even after rejection, the team decided to **push forward** with their plan.
phrasal-verb

perk up

Meaning
to become more lively, cheerful, or interested
Example
She **perked up** when she heard the good news.
idiom

Put your heart into it

Meaning
To do something with full effort and enthusiasm.
Example
If you **put your heart into it**, you’ll achieve great results.
phrasal-verb

push back

Meaning
to delay something to a later time or date
Example
We had to **push back** the deadline due to unexpected issues.
phrasal-verb

pick up for

Meaning
to improve or recover for something
Example
Sales usually **pick up for** the holidays.
phrasal-verb

pick off

Meaning
to shoot or remove one by one
Example
The sniper **picked off** the enemies from a distance.
phrasal-verb

plan around

Meaning
to make arrangements considering a specific factor or event
Example
We had to **plan around** the weather when scheduling our trip.
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.
phrasal-verb

pass around

Meaning
to distribute or share something among people
Example
They **passed around** the trophy for everyone to see.
phrasal-verb

pay someone off

Meaning
to give someone money to make them leave or stop working for you
Example
They **paid him off** after ten years of service.
phrasal-verb

phase in

Meaning
to introduce or implement something gradually over a period of time
Example
The school plans to **phase in** bilingual education over the next few years.
phrasal-verb

partner across

Meaning
to work with organizations across different regions or sectors
Example
We **partner across** industries to deliver innovative solutions.
idiom

Put our heads together

Meaning
To discuss and find a solution collectively.
Example
Let’s **put our heads together** and come up with a plan.
idiom

pull someone’s weight

Meaning
to do one's fair share of work in a group
Example
Everyone in the team **pulls their weight** to succeed.
phrasal-verb

power through with

Meaning
to continue strongly by relying on a tool or support
Example
He **powers through with** upbeat playlists on long runs.
phrasal-verb

press toward achievement

Meaning
to put effort and determination into reaching goals
Example
He continues to **press toward achievement** no matter the difficulties.
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**.
phrasal-verb

pace meetings well

Meaning
to manage the speed of a meeting appropriately
Example
Hosts **pace meetings well** by sticking to the agenda timing.
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

point someone toward

Meaning
to direct a person to the right place or resource
Example
Locals **point travelers toward** the right bus when maps confuse them.
idiom

Political bargaining chip

Meaning
An issue or point used to negotiate or exchange in politics.
Example
The trade agreement became a **political bargaining chip** during the negotiations.
idiom

Push yourself

Meaning
Try to do better or go beyond your limits.
Example
You won’t improve unless you **push yourself**.
idiom

phase back in

Meaning
to reintroduce something gradually
Example
We’ll **phase back in** office days next quarter.
phrasal-verb

phase out of

Meaning
to gradually stop using or producing something
Example
The company decided to **phase out of** non-profitable divisions.
idiom

plan B

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

Put one's nose to the grindstone

Meaning
To focus on hard work and continuous effort.
Example
She really had to **put her nose to the grindstone** to get the promotion.
phrasal-verb

phase out restrictions

Meaning
to gradually remove limitations on trade
Example
The country plans to **phase out restrictions** on foreign imports over five years.
idiom

peel off

Meaning
to remove something, especially a layer, from a surface
Example
**Peel off** the label before recycling the jar.
phrasal-verb

pig out on

Meaning
to eat too much of something
Example
We **pigged out on** pizza last night.
idiom

phishing attempt

Meaning
an attempt to deceive someone into revealing personal or confidential information by pretending to be a trustworthy entity
Example
The email you received looks like a **phishing attempt**, so don't click any links.
phrasal-verb

push through fear

Meaning
to take action despite being afraid
Example
He learned to **push through fear** and speak with confidence.
phrasal-verb

pay out of

Meaning
to give money from a specific source
Example
The damages were **paid out of** the company’s funds.
phrasal-verb

pin down answers

Meaning
to get clear responses to specific questions
Example
We **pin down answers** during the call so nothing stays vague.
idiom

pull at heartstrings

Meaning
to evoke strong emotions, usually sympathy or sadness, in an audience
Example
The charity’s commercial really **pulls at the heartstrings**.
phrasal-verb

power through

Meaning
to complete something difficult with strong effort and confidence
Example
She managed to **power through** the challenge with determination.
phrasal-verb

pull in revenue

Meaning
to earn or generate income, especially on a large scale
Example
The new export policy helped the country **pull in revenue** from foreign markets.
idiom

pillar of strength

Meaning
a person who provides strong support or comfort
Example
She was a **pillar of strength** during difficult times.