pull your socks up
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

pull your socks up

Meaning
to make an effort to improve your performance
Example
You need to **pull your socks up** if you want that promotion.
idiom

third time lucky

Meaning
succeeding after two failures
Example
He failed twice, but maybe he’ll be **third time lucky**.
idiom

fly off the handle

Meaning
to react in a very angry way without thinking
Example
He **flew off the handle** when someone scratched his new car.
idiom

live the dream

Meaning
to be living the life you always wanted
Example
After years of hard work, he’s finally **living the dream**.
idiom

off the air

Meaning
no longer being broadcasted
Example
The show went **off the air** after ten years.
idiom

smell a rat

Meaning
to suspect something wrong or dishonest
Example
I **smelled a rat** when he offered me free tickets.
phrasal-verb

say sorry for

Meaning
to express regret or apology for something
Example
He **said sorry for** his rude behavior.
phrasal-verb

fall to

Meaning
to begin doing something eagerly; to become responsible for something
Example
Everyone **fell to** cleaning after the party ended.
phrasal-verb

draw benefits from

Meaning
to gain advantages or profits through collaboration
Example
Both sides expect to **draw benefits from** this partnership.
phrasal-verb

show up late

Meaning
to arrive later than expected
Example
He always **shows up late** for work.
phrasal-verb

pull out of markets

Meaning
to withdraw investments or operations from a market
Example
Some multinational companies decided to **pull out of markets** facing instability.
phrasal-verb

stand up for oneself

Meaning
to defend your rights or express your opinions confidently
Example
You should **stand up for yourself** when someone disrespects you.
phrasal-verb

look back fondly on

Meaning
to remember something with affection or happiness
Example
She **looks back fondly on** her childhood memories.
phrasal-verb

cut off excuses

Meaning
to stop giving reasons for not doing something
Example
It’s time to **cut off excuses** and take real action.
phrasal-verb

talk yourself through

Meaning
to calmly guide yourself with inner talk during anxiety
Example
When your heart races, **talk yourself through** it with reassuring words.
idiom

a burning desire

Meaning
a strong and intense wish to achieve something
Example
She has **a burning desire** to become the best in her field.
idiom

get a handle on something

Meaning
to understand or gain control of something
Example
I'm trying to **get a handle on** the new software.
idiom

sleep on it

Meaning
to delay making a decision until the next day
Example
This is an important decision, why don't you **sleep on it**?
phrasal-verb

cut across inequalities

Meaning
to affect or involve people of all social and economic levels
Example
Climate change issues **cut across inequalities** and impact everyone.
phrasal-verb

take off financially

Meaning
to start growing or succeeding quickly in terms of money
Example
Their online business really **took off financially** after the pandemic.
phrasal-verb

expand on

Meaning
to add more details or information about something
Example
Could you **expand on** your last point a bit more?
phrasal-verb

stick by

Meaning
to continue to support someone even when it is difficult
Example
Good friends **stick by** each other during hard times.
phrasal-verb

hold grudges against

Meaning
to continue feeling angry or resentful toward someone
Example
It’s not healthy to **hold grudges against** your friends.
phrasal-verb

work hand in hand with

Meaning
to cooperate closely with someone
Example
The design and development teams **work hand in hand with** each other to deliver quality results.
idiom

in the dumps

Meaning
feeling sad or depressed
Example
After the argument, he was really **in the dumps**.
idiom

to make a splash

Meaning
to attract a lot of attention or make a big impact
Example
Her new book **made a splash** in the literary world.
idiom

the proof is in the pudding

Meaning
the real value of something can only be judged when it's put to use
Example
He claims the app is great, but **the proof is in the pudding**.
phrasal-verb

step down

Meaning
to resign from an important position; to leave office
Example
The president decided to **step down** after public protests.
idiom

nothing to write home about

Meaning
not special or interesting
Example
The movie was **nothing to write home about**.
idiom

A Jekyll and Hyde

Meaning
A person with two very different sides to their personality.
Example
He’s like **a Jekyll and Hyde**—nice one moment and cruel the next.
idiom

in my book

Meaning
according to one’s own opinion or standards
Example
**In my book**, honesty comes first.
idiom

living the dream

Meaning
living a life that one always desired
Example
After years of hard work, he’s finally **living the dream**.
idiom

talk someone into something

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** going to the gym with him.
phrasal-verb

pencil in

Meaning
to arrange something temporarily
Example
Can we **pencil in** the meeting for Friday morning?
idiom

run a tight ship

Meaning
to manage an organization or group efficiently and strictly
Example
The manager **runs a tight ship**, and everyone follows the rules.
idiom

ride the wave

Meaning
to take advantage of a trend or situation
Example
Many companies are trying to **ride the wave** of AI technology.
phrasal-verb

call for unity

Meaning
to publicly ask people to come together for a common cause
Example
The leader **called for unity** among the divided political groups.
phrasal-verb

brush off doubt

Meaning
to ignore self-doubt and continue with confidence
Example
He **brushed off doubt** and delivered a great speech.
idiom

to drop the ball

Meaning
to make a mistake; to fail at something important
Example
He really **dropped the ball** by forgetting the meeting.
phrasal-verb

fight against

Meaning
to oppose or resist something harmful or unjust
Example
We must **fight against** discrimination in every form.
idiom

give the benefit of the doubt

Meaning
to trust someone even though you may not have all the facts
Example
Even though she was late, I decided to **give her the benefit of the doubt** and not get upset.
phrasal-verb

point up to

Meaning
to highlight or bring attention to a higher idea or reason
Example
The teacher **pointed up to** the main reason for the conflict.
idiom

once in a blue moon

Meaning
very rarely
Example
I only see him **once in a blue moon**.
phrasal-verb

break out of comfort zone

Meaning
to do something that is new or challenging for personal growth
Example
To grow as a person, you must **break out of your comfort zone**.
phrasal-verb

check back in with

Meaning
to reconnect with someone to give or get an update
Example
I'll **check back in with** you after the leadership roundtable.
idiom

leave something up in the air

Meaning
to leave something undecided or uncertain
Example
We left the meeting **up in the air** without any clear decision.
idiom

Cross my heart

Meaning
I swear or promise sincerely.
Example
I will help you, **cross my heart**.
idiom

Lay bricks for the future

Meaning
To build a strong foundation for future success.
Example
Education helps children **lay bricks for the future**.
idiom

put your shoulder to the wheel

Meaning
to start working hard on something
Example
Everyone needs to **put their shoulder to the wheel** to finish the project.
phrasal-verb

stand over to

Meaning
to transfer or carry something to another time or situation
Example
The discussion will be **stood over to** next week.
phrasal-verb

let yourself breathe

Meaning
to allow yourself time to relax and calm down
Example
You should **let yourself breathe** when things get overwhelming.
phrasal-verb

build around ideas

Meaning
to develop something centered on particular ideas or concepts
Example
The campaign was **built around ideas** of innovation and sustainability.
idiom

climb the ladder of success

Meaning
to achieve higher positions in career or life
Example
She’s been **climbing the ladder of success** through hard work.
idiom

break even

Meaning
to have equal income and expenses, neither profit nor loss
Example
The company finally **broke even** after three years.
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

let emotions out

Meaning
to express feelings that you have been holding in
Example
It’s healthy to **let emotions out** instead of suppressing them.
idiom

call it a night

Meaning
to stop what you are doing and go home, especially after a party
Example
It’s getting late, let’s **call it a 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

take over from

Meaning
to assume responsibility from someone else
Example
After my father retired, I **took over from** him in managing family affairs.
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.
phrasal-verb

carry on

Meaning
to continue doing something even after interruptions or difficulties
Example
Despite the challenges, she managed to **carry on** with her work calmly.
phrasal-verb

partner with

Meaning
to collaborate with another organization or country for a shared initiative
Example
Tech companies **partner with** governments to improve cybersecurity globally.
idiom

Freudian slip

Meaning
An unintentional mistake that reveals one's true thoughts or feelings.
Example
He made a **Freudian slip** when he called his boss ‘mom’.
phrasal-verb

point ahead

Meaning
to indicate a direction in front; to suggest future possibilities
Example
The results **point ahead** to major improvements.
idiom

sketchy details

Meaning
information that is incomplete or unclear
Example
The witness gave only **sketchy details** about the incident.
phrasal-verb

be torn between

Meaning
to have difficulty choosing between two options
Example
I’m **torn between** taking the job and staying at home.
phrasal-verb

talk things over with

Meaning
to discuss a matter thoroughly with someone
Example
I need to **talk things over with** you before we make a decision.
idiom

under investigation

Meaning
being examined or looked into by authorities for possible wrongdoing
Example
The suspect is currently **under investigation** for his involvement in the crime.
idiom

Hold out

Meaning
Continue to survive or resist for a long time.
Example
They managed to **hold out** until help arrived.
phrasal-verb

push back against

Meaning
to resist pressure or negativity with determination
Example
He decided to **push back against** the unfair criticism.
idiom

toss out

Meaning
to throw something away
Example
We had to **toss out** the expired snacks.
idiom

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
phrasal-verb

lift up

Meaning
to improve someone's mood or spirit
Example
Her kind words really **lifted up** my mood today.
phrasal-verb

tie up with

Meaning
to form a partnership or collaboration
Example
The fintech company will **tie up with** a global payment network.
idiom

poetic justice

Meaning
a situation in which virtue is rewarded and vice is punished, often ironically
Example
It was **poetic justice** when the dishonest lawyer lost his case due to his own lies.
idiom

fill in for

Meaning
to do someone’s job temporarily
Example
Can you **fill in for** Rosa while she’s on leave?
idiom

go belly up

Meaning
to fail completely; to go bankrupt
Example
Many small businesses **went belly up** during the pandemic.
phrasal-verb

hang out

Meaning
to spend time with someone socially
Example
Let’s **hang out** after work and grab some coffee.
idiom

hair-raising experience

Meaning
something very frightening or terrifying
Example
Driving through that storm was a **hair-raising experience**.
phrasal-verb

keep in

Meaning
to not allow someone to go out; to hold inside
Example
The teacher **kept in** the students after class for talking too much.
phrasal-verb

think back to

Meaning
to recall or remember something from the past
Example
I often **think back to** the lessons my parents taught me.
phrasal-verb

hash out with

Meaning
to resolve details through thorough discussion
Example
We **hash out with** the partners before signing the merger paperwork.
idiom

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Meaning
Adapt to the customs of the place you are visiting
Example
When traveling abroad, it's wise to **do as the Romans do**.
phrasal-verb

calm nerves before

Meaning
to reduce anxiety ahead of an event
Example
I **calm nerves before** presentations by rehearsing with a friend.
phrasal-verb

step into power

Meaning
to assume an official leadership role
Example
A new coalition **steps into power** after the election.
phrasal-verb

stand united against

Meaning
to collectively oppose something as one group
Example
Countries **stand united against** global terrorism.
phrasal-verb

bounce off

Meaning
to discuss an idea with someone to get their opinion
Example
I’d like to **bounce off** a few ideas with you before the presentation.
phrasal-verb

phase out of

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

mix with

Meaning
to socialize and talk with different people
Example
At the party, he tried to **mix with** everyone.
phrasal-verb

cut back on spending

Meaning
to reduce the amount of money spent on something
Example
To control inflation, the government decided to **cut back on spending**.
phrasal-verb

open yourself to

Meaning
to allow yourself to experience emotions or connections
Example
He finally decided to **open himself to** love again.
idiom

brainchild of

Meaning
an idea or invention created by someone
Example
ChatGPT is the **brainchild of** OpenAI researchers.
phrasal-verb

stick to the point

Meaning
to stay focused on the main topic during a discussion
Example
The moderator asked everyone to **stick to the point** during the debate.
phrasal-verb

forgive yourself

Meaning
to stop blaming yourself for past mistakes
Example
You must **forgive yourself** to move forward peacefully.
phrasal-verb

adapt to

Meaning
to change your behavior to fit a new situation or culture
Example
It takes patience to **adapt to** a completely different lifestyle.
idiom

cold feet

Meaning
to feel nervous or hesitant about something
Example
He got **cold feet** before proposing to her.
idiom

under the knife

Meaning
to have surgery
Example
She has to go **under the knife** for her knee problem.
idiom

new blood

Meaning
new people who bring fresh ideas
Example
The company needs **new blood** to stay competitive.
idiom

you can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Meaning
it’s hard for older people to learn new things or change habits
Example
My dad refuses to use a smartphone — **you can’t teach an old dog new tricks**.
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

Tech-savvy

Meaning
Having good knowledge of modern technology.
Example
Our **tech-savvy** team built the prototype in just a week.
idiom

a blast from the past

Meaning
something that reminds you of an earlier time
Example
Seeing that old photo album was **a blast from the past**.
idiom

come up with

Meaning
to think of a plan, idea, or solution
Example
She managed to **come up with** a clever workaround overnight.
idiom

to turn the tide

Meaning
to reverse the direction of events, especially to improve a difficult situation
Example
The new leadership has really **turned the tide** for the company’s performance.
phrasal-verb

plug out

Meaning
to disconnect a device from a power source
Example
Remember to **plug out** your charger when it’s full.
phrasal-verb

push aside doubts

Meaning
to ignore fears or uncertainties and keep moving
Example
She **pushed aside doubts** and followed her instincts.
idiom

bad luck

Meaning
unfortunate or unlucky situation
Example
It’s just **bad luck** that it rained on our picnic day.
phrasal-verb

expand on ideas

Meaning
to explain or develop ideas in more detail
Example
The professor asked me to **expand on ideas** in my essay.
idiom

bloom where you are planted

Meaning
to make the best of the situation you are in
Example
Even in a small town, she managed to **bloom where she was planted**.
idiom

the powers that be

Meaning
people or organizations who hold authority or control
Example
The decision depends on **the powers that be**.
phrasal-verb

follow through on promises

Meaning
to do what one has committed to do
Example
A reliable leader always **follows through on promises** made to the team.
phrasal-verb

point around

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

find through

Meaning
to understand or see something clearly after effort
Example
It took me some time to **find through** his lies.
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

rush through

Meaning
to do something very quickly, often carelessly
Example
Don’t **rush through** your tasks; quality matters more.
idiom

lock in

Meaning
to secure something so it cannot change
Example
Let's **lock in** the reservation before the price goes up.
idiom

a stroke of luck

Meaning
something good that happens by chance
Example
It was **a stroke of luck** that I found my lost wallet.
phrasal-verb

talk yourself through anxiety

Meaning
to calmly reason with yourself to reduce anxiety
Example
I **talk myself through anxiety** by reminding myself that everything will pass.
idiom

call around

Meaning
to contact several people or places by phone
Example
I’ll **call around** to find a venue with parking.
phrasal-verb

hand it to

Meaning
to admit that someone deserves praise
Example
You have to **hand it to** him; he did an amazing job.
idiom

hold over

Meaning
to postpone something to a later time
Example
They had to **hold over** the vote until next week.