protect against
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phrasal-verb

protect against

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

ground yourself before speaking

Meaning
to center your emotions so you can communicate steadily
Example
I **ground myself before speaking** in tense meetings by noting three positives.
idiom

a weight on your shoulders

Meaning
a heavy burden or responsibility causing stress
Example
Running the company alone is **a weight on his shoulders**.
phrasal-verb

budget for

Meaning
to plan how much money will be needed for something
Example
We need to **budget for** our new marketing campaign.
phrasal-verb

allow for

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

hashtag activism

Meaning
using hashtags to support social or political causes online
Example
**Hashtag activism** can raise awareness but may not lead to real change.
phrasal-verb

build back

Meaning
to restore emotional strength after hardship
Example
It’s never easy to **build back** after heartbreak.
phrasal-verb

turn pain into purpose

Meaning
to use one’s suffering as motivation for positive action
Example
She managed to **turn her pain into purpose** by helping others heal.
idiom

play the political card

Meaning
to use a political issue to one’s advantage
Example
The minister tried to **play the political card** to gain public sympathy.
idiom

latch onto

Meaning
to quickly embrace an idea or connect with someone
Example
The students quickly **latched onto** the new study app.
phrasal-verb

build around customer needs

Meaning
to develop products or services based on user demands
Example
Successful startups **build around customer needs** to ensure satisfaction.
idiom

hard sell

Meaning
an aggressive or forceful sales approach
Example
Customers today dislike the **hard sell** approach.
phrasal-verb

come together

Meaning
to gather as a family for a purpose or celebration
Example
Our family **comes together** every year for the new year feast.
idiom

a man of integrity

Meaning
someone who is honest and morally upright
Example
He is known as **a man of integrity** in the business world.
idiom

Put your trust in someone

Meaning
To believe in someone's honesty or ability
Example
I chose to **put my trust in her**, and she didn't disappoint me.
phrasal-verb

knock out

Meaning
to defeat someone so they can no longer compete
Example
They **knocked out** the defending champions in the semi-final.
phrasal-verb

trust in

Meaning
to have faith or confidence in something or someone
Example
We should **trust in** ourselves and never lose hope.
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.
idiom

sweep under the rug

Meaning
to hide or ignore problems instead of solving them
Example
You can’t just **sweep problems under the rug** forever.
phrasal-verb

stamp out

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

learn by

Meaning
to gain knowledge or skill through a specific way or method
Example
Many people **learn by** making mistakes and correcting them.
phrasal-verb

build alliances with

Meaning
to form partnerships or agreements with other groups or parties
Example
The party aims to **build alliances with** smaller political movements to strengthen its position.
idiom

set the tone

Meaning
to establish the mood or style for something
Example
The manager's speech **set the tone** for the meeting.
phrasal-verb

finish off

Meaning
to complete the last part of something
Example
We just need to **finish off** the presentation slides before submitting the report.
idiom

head off

Meaning
to prevent something from happening
Example
Early communication can **head off** most misunderstandings.
phrasal-verb

point around

Meaning
to show multiple directions or places
Example
The guide **pointed around** the historical landmarks.
phrasal-verb

go back over

Meaning
to review or check something again carefully
Example
Before submitting your work, **go back over** it once more.
idiom

blaze a trail

Meaning
to be the first to do something innovative
Example
She **blazed a trail** in renewable energy research.
idiom

do without

Meaning
to manage even when something is missing
Example
We’ll **do without** a projector and use prints instead.
phrasal-verb

restore balance

Meaning
to bring back mental or emotional stability
Example
Taking a break can help you **restore balance** in life.
idiom

keep your nose to the grindstone

Meaning
to work hard and continuously
Example
If you **keep your nose to the grindstone**, you’ll achieve your goals.
phrasal-verb

crack down on protests

Meaning
to use force or strict measures to control protests
Example
Authorities began to **crack down on protests** after violence erupted.
idiom

overnight success

Meaning
a person or thing that becomes successful very quickly
Example
Her first song made her an **overnight success**.
phrasal-verb

draw back from

Meaning
to hesitate or decide not to do something due to fear or doubt
Example
He **drew back from** investing after the market showed instability.
idiom

to put one's finger on

Meaning
to identify or recognize something with precision
Example
The journalist was able to **put her finger on** the exact cause of the political unrest.
phrasal-verb

pay for

Meaning
to give money in exchange for something; to suffer the consequences
Example
You will **pay for** your mistakes one day.
phrasal-verb

help out with

Meaning
to assist someone in completing a task or responsibility
Example
Many volunteers **helped out with** the food distribution program.
idiom

keep an eye out

Meaning
to watch for something or someone carefully
Example
Can you **keep an eye out** for my package while I'm away?
idiom

a political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial or sensitive political issue
Example
Immigration has become **a political hot potato** in the country.
idiom

open-hearted

Meaning
kind and honest in expressing feelings
Example
She is an **open-hearted** person who always listens.
phrasal-verb

glow with happiness

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

offline mode

Meaning
a state of being disconnected from the internet or unavailable
Example
He’s been in **offline mode** all weekend, not answering any messages.
phrasal-verb

fall under

Meaning
to be included in a category; to be controlled by someone
Example
This issue **falls under** the HR department’s responsibility.
phrasal-verb

drive toward

Meaning
to focus your energy and effort on reaching a goal
Example
They are **driving toward** a more sustainable business model.
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.
idiom

fall through

Meaning
to fail to happen
Example
Our travel plans might **fall through** if the storm hits.
phrasal-verb

reflect on yourself

Meaning
to think carefully about your actions, thoughts, and emotions
Example
Journaling allows you to **reflect on yourself** and grow.
idiom

stand on your own two feet

Meaning
to be independent and self-supporting
Example
He worked hard to **stand on his own two feet** after college.
idiom

acid test

Meaning
a crucial test that proves the value or success of something
Example
The product launch will be the **acid test** of our new design.
idiom

to throw one's hat into the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s candidacy or intention to compete in something
Example
He decided to **throw his hat into the ring** and run for mayor.
phrasal-verb

stand alongside

Meaning
to support or defend someone as part of a group
Example
True teammates **stand alongside** each other in difficult times.
phrasal-verb

blow through

Meaning
when wind or storm moves quickly across an area
Example
A strong wind **blew through** the town last night.
idiom

stand by someone

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

call in for

Meaning
to join a remote session for a specific purpose
Example
Drivers **call in for** updates when weather turns rough.
phrasal-verb

build flexibility into

Meaning
to include adaptability as a part of a system or plan
Example
We need to **build flexibility into** our workflow to handle changes easily.
idiom

live and let live

Meaning
to allow others to live as they choose without interference
Example
I believe in the principle of **live and let live**.
phrasal-verb

bridge cultural gaps

Meaning
to reduce misunderstanding or distance between cultures
Example
Education can **bridge cultural gaps** and promote mutual respect.
idiom

hit it out of the park

Meaning
to do something extremely well
Example
Your presentation really **hit it out of the park**!
phrasal-verb

learn through

Meaning
to gain knowledge or wisdom as a result of experience or difficulty
Example
We often **learn through** our failures more than our successes.
idiom

good egg

Meaning
a kind and reliable person
Example
Everyone likes John because he’s a **good egg**.
phrasal-verb

join hands with

Meaning
to collaborate or work together for a cause
Example
Several organizations **joined hands with** the ministry to organize the cultural festival.
phrasal-verb

fight on

Meaning
to continue trying to achieve something despite difficulties
Example
Even when life gets hard, true champions **fight on**.
phrasal-verb

open up communication

Meaning
to start or improve honest and clear communication
Example
They tried to **open up communication** to solve their issues.
idiom

bear market

Meaning
a period when stock prices are falling
Example
Many people lose money during a **bear market**.
idiom

wipe the slate clean

Meaning
to forget past mistakes and start fresh
Example
Let’s **wipe the slate clean** and begin again.
idiom

map out

Meaning
to plan something in detail
Example
We should **map out** our marketing strategy for the next quarter.
idiom

my bad

Meaning
a casual way to admit a small mistake
Example
Oh, I forgot to bring your book — **my bad**!
phrasal-verb

yearn for

Meaning
to feel a deep emotional longing or desire for something lost or missed
Example
He still **yearns for** the life he could have had.
phrasal-verb

carry forward surplus

Meaning
to move remaining funds or profit into the next financial period
Example
The company decided to **carry forward surplus** to strengthen future operations.
idiom

spread the word

Meaning
to tell many people about something
Example
Please **spread the word** about our new course.
phrasal-verb

hold on to hope

Meaning
to not give up believing that things will get better
Example
No matter how dark it seems, **hold on to hope**.
phrasal-verb

catch on to

Meaning
to understand or learn something new, especially after some time
Example
It took him a few weeks to **catch on to** the new reporting system.
idiom

cross that bridge when you come to it

Meaning
to deal with a problem when it happens, not before
Example
We will **cross that bridge when we come to it**.
idiom

dot the i's and cross the t's

Meaning
to pay attention to small details or finalize things perfectly
Example
Before the presentation, we need to **dot the i's and cross the t's**.
phrasal-verb

cut down on distractions

Meaning
to reduce things that take your attention away
Example
He’s trying to **cut down on distractions** to stay focused.
idiom

heart sinks

Meaning
to feel disappointed or sad suddenly
Example
My **heart sank** when I saw the exam result.
phrasal-verb

toy with

Meaning
to consider an idea casually without serious intention
Example
He’s been **toying with** the idea of developing a creative AI tool.
idiom

break the bank

Meaning
to cost too much; to use up all your money
Example
Buying that car will **break the bank**.
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.
idiom

a daydreamer

Meaning
someone who spends a lot of time thinking about pleasant things rather than working
Example
She’s **a daydreamer** who often forgets what she’s doing.
phrasal-verb

throw away

Meaning
to discard something that is no longer useful
Example
Don’t **throw away** plastic bottles—recycle them instead.
phrasal-verb

stand out from

Meaning
to be noticeably different or better than others
Example
Her confidence makes her **stand out from** the rest of the team.
idiom

close the book on something

Meaning
to stop dealing with or thinking about something
Example
After years of conflict, they finally **closed the book on** their rivalry.
phrasal-verb

tap into potential

Meaning
to make use of your hidden strengths or abilities
Example
She finally learned how to **tap into potential** and succeed.
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.
idiom

show leadership

Meaning
to demonstrate leadership qualities or skills
Example
She was able to **show leadership** during the crisis and guide the team through tough times.
phrasal-verb

spotlight progress

Meaning
to highlight positive steps that have been made
Example
We **spotlight progress** in standups so hope stays alive.
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

so far so good

Meaning
used to say that an activity has been successful up to this point
Example
We've finished the first part of the project, and **so far so good**.
phrasal-verb

call someone out on

Meaning
to point out a person’s mistake or bad behavior
Example
Coworkers **call someone out on** gossip that hurts the team.
phrasal-verb

rise for

Meaning
to take a stand in favor of a cause or right
Example
People across the nation **rose for** equality.
idiom

a long shot

Meaning
something that has a very small chance of success
Example
Winning the competition is **a long shot**, but we’ll try.
phrasal-verb

balance out trade

Meaning
to make exports and imports more equal in value
Example
The government aims to **balance out trade** by promoting local industries.
phrasal-verb

come out with

Meaning
to produce or publish something new
Example
The company has **come out with** an innovative smartphone design.
phrasal-verb

build yourself up mentally

Meaning
to strengthen your mindset and self-belief
Example
Read motivational books to **build yourself up mentally**.
idiom

have a heart

Meaning
to show compassion or kindness
Example
**Have a heart**, he didn’t mean to hurt you.
idiom

as luck would have it

Meaning
by chance; fortunately or unfortunately
Example
**As luck would have it**, I met my old friend at the airport.
idiom

cry over spilled milk

Meaning
to be upset about something that cannot be changed
Example
There's no use **crying over spilled milk**.
idiom

burn out

Meaning
to become very tired and lose motivation due to overwork
Example
If you don’t rest, you’ll **burn out** soon.
phrasal-verb

step into new roles

Meaning
to begin taking on new responsibilities or positions during change
Example
After the merger, many employees had to **step into new roles**.
idiom

quiet down

Meaning
to become calmer or make less noise
Example
The kids finally **quieted down** after story time.
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

follow along in chat

Meaning
to keep up with messages during an online meeting
Example
Participants **follow along in chat** while the speaker demos the tool.
idiom

light bulb moment

Meaning
a sudden realization or new idea
Example
She had a **light bulb moment** while brainstorming for the campaign.
phrasal-verb

tear up over

Meaning
to start crying because of strong emotions or memories
Example
He **tears up over** the things he didn’t say to his parents.
idiom

rolling in money

Meaning
having a lot of money
Example
After his business took off, he’s been **rolling in money**.
idiom

Unicorn company

Meaning
A startup valued at over one billion dollars.
Example
Becoming a **unicorn company** is every founder’s dream.
idiom

teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning
to try to teach someone something that is difficult for them to learn due to their age or experience
Example
It's hard to **teach an old dog new tricks**, but I'll try.
idiom

talk in circles

Meaning
to discuss something without reaching a conclusion
Example
We **talked in circles** for hours but didn’t solve anything.
idiom

too big to fail

Meaning
a company or institution that is so important that it is unlikely to fail
Example
Many financial institutions were considered **too big to fail** during the 2008 financial crisis.
idiom

gear toward

Meaning
to design or aim something for a particular group
Example
The course is **geared toward** new managers.
phrasal-verb

carry across meaning

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

play into

Meaning
to contribute to or support a particular trend or situation
Example
The new technology **plays into** the growing demand for automation.
phrasal-verb

get ahead of

Meaning
to move in front of someone or gain an advantage
Example
We need to **get ahead of** the other team early in the match.
idiom

get off scot-free

Meaning
to escape punishment or consequences without facing any penalty
Example
He was caught stealing but managed to **get off scot-free**.
idiom

Keep going strong

Meaning
to keep persevering and not give up
Example
Even when times are tough, remember to **keep going strong**.
phrasal-verb

lighten your mood

Meaning
to make yourself feel happier and less stressed
Example
Watching a funny movie can really **lighten your mood**.
phrasal-verb

throw over

Meaning
to end a relationship with someone; to abandon
Example
She **threw him over** for another guy.
idiom

dare to dream

Meaning
to be brave enough to have big ambitions
Example
Only those who **dare to dream** achieve great things.
idiom

get the hang of it

Meaning
to learn or become skilled at something new
Example
Don’t worry, you’ll **get the hang of it** soon.