push the right buttons
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
idiom

push the right buttons

Meaning
to do exactly what is needed to get a desired result
Example
She knows how to **push the right buttons** to impress her boss.
idiom

Put the pedal to the metal

Meaning
To push harder and make a greater effort.
Example
We need to **put the pedal to the metal** if we want to meet the deadline.
idiom

Pour your heart out

Meaning
To express all your feelings honestly.
Example
She **poured her heart out** to her best friend.
phrasal-verb

pull in investment

Meaning
to attract investors or funds
Example
The government hopes to **pull in investment** through new policies.
idiom

pulling strings

Meaning
using influence to get something done
Example
He got the engineering contract by **pulling strings**.
phrasal-verb

put on weight

Meaning
to gain weight
Example
I’ve **put on weight** since I stopped exercising.
idiom

pick up on

Meaning
to notice or become aware of something
Example
He didn't **pick up on** the subtle hints I was giving.
idiom

post something

Meaning
to share content on a social media platform
Example
She **posted** a beautiful picture on Instagram.
phrasal-verb

pull up

Meaning
to stop a vehicle
Example
The taxi **pulled up** outside the hotel.
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

plug and play

Meaning
easy to use without complex setup
Example
The new printer is **plug and play** – no installation needed.
idiom

plug away

Meaning
to keep working steadily on something
Example
Keep **plugging away** at the draft and it will improve.
phrasal-verb

pay someone out

Meaning
to compensate someone for loss or damage
Example
The insurer **paid her out** after the accident.
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.
idiom

pull strings

Meaning
to use influence or connections to get what you want
Example
She **pulled strings** to get him the job.
phrasal-verb

pull through with

Meaning
to succeed in surviving or recovering with effort or support
Example
The country managed to **pull through with** international assistance.
idiom

pile up

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

pull back from

Meaning
to stop yourself from doing too much or taking on too much stress
Example
She decided to **pull back from** some projects to manage her workload.
idiom

Pivot the business

Meaning
To change direction or strategy to adapt to the market.
Example
After poor sales, they decided to **pivot the business** toward software solutions.
phrasal-verb

patch up bugs

Meaning
to fix small errors or issues in software
Example
Developers are working to **patch up bugs** found in the latest release.
idiom

pipe dream

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

pick up after

Meaning
to clean or tidy after someone
Example
I’m tired of **picking up after** my messy roommates.
phrasal-verb

pull back on

Meaning
to reduce or stop doing something, especially spending or investment; to withdraw effort or commitment
Example
During the economic crisis, many companies **pull back on** new projects to save money.
phrasal-verb

put out

Meaning
to extinguish a fire or light
Example
Firefighters worked hard to **put out** the forest fire.
phrasal-verb

plug in

Meaning
to connect an electrical device to a power source or network
Example
Make sure to **plug in** the router before configuring the settings.
phrasal-verb

pull back

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

pop into

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

pivot

Meaning
to change direction or strategy in response to market feedback or failure
Example
After the initial product launch failed, the team decided to **pivot** to a new business model.
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

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 the brakes on

Meaning
to slow down or stop an activity
Example
The company had to **put the brakes on** its expansion plans.
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.
phrasal-verb

pitch ideas in

Meaning
to contribute ideas or suggestions in teamwork
Example
Everyone was encouraged to **pitch ideas in** during the meeting.
phrasal-verb

put together

Meaning
to assemble or create something by organizing parts
Example
She helped **put together** the entire presentation.
phrasal-verb

pick up where you left off

Meaning
to continue doing something from the point you stopped
Example
Let’s **pick up where we left off** last week.
idiom

put in long hours

Meaning
to work for many hours
Example
He’s been **putting in long hours** to finish the report.
idiom

pull an all-nighter

Meaning
to stay awake all night to study or work
Example
I had to **pull an all-nighter** to finish my assignment.
idiom

play both sides

Meaning
to support opposing parties to gain advantage
Example
Some lobbyists are known to **play both sides** of the issue.
phrasal-verb

pine over

Meaning
to feel deep sadness or longing because of something or someone lost
Example
She still **pines over** her broken relationship.
phrasal-verb

point out issues

Meaning
to identify or highlight problems or mistakes
Example
He was quick to **point out issues** in the project proposal.
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

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**.
idiom

phishing attack

Meaning
a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity
Example
Never click on suspicious links to avoid a **phishing attack**.
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

play a cameo

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

puppy love

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

put through

Meaning
to connect someone on the phone
Example
Could you **put me through** to the manager, please?
phrasal-verb

pick apart

Meaning
to criticize something in detail
Example
The reviewer **picked apart** the movie for its weak plot.
phrasal-verb

pick apart from

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

pump into

Meaning
to invest a large amount of money in something
Example
They **pumped into** the real estate sector during the boom years.
idiom

play a part

Meaning
to have a role or influence in something
Example
She **played a part** in making the project successful.
phrasal-verb

poke around

Meaning
to look for something in a place, often in a casual or curious way
Example
She likes to **poke around** antique shops on weekends.
idiom

put the pieces together

Meaning
to understand or solve something by combining information
Example
After examining the data, the engineer **put the pieces together**.
phrasal-verb

pick through

Meaning
to look through things to find what you want
Example
He **picked through** the old books looking for his favorite one.
idiom

pull someone up

Meaning
to reprimand or correct someone for a mistake or poor performance
Example
If a team member is underperforming, it's important to **pull them up** and help them improve.
idiom

point the finger

Meaning
to accuse or blame someone
Example
Don’t **point the finger** until you have all the facts.
idiom

play to the gallery

Meaning
to try to gain approval from the general public rather than experts
Example
The politician was clearly **playing to the gallery** with his speech.
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

power through

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

put your heart and soul into something

Meaning
to do something with great effort and passion
Example
She **put her heart and soul into** her new business.
phrasal-verb

put back

Meaning
to return something to its place; to delay an event
Example
Please **put back** the book when you’re done reading.
phrasal-verb

pay up

Meaning
to give all the money you owe, especially unwillingly
Example
He refused to **pay up** until the work was completed.
idiom

political mileage

Meaning
advantage gained from a political situation
Example
Opposition leaders tried to gain **political mileage** from the crisis.
idiom

play dirty

Meaning
to use unfair or dishonest methods to win
Example
Politicians often **play dirty** during elections.
phrasal-verb

partner up

Meaning
to form a partnership for a specific goal or project
Example
Our firm decided to **partner up** with a local distributor in Africa.
phrasal-verb

pull through together

Meaning
to survive a hard time by supporting one another
Example
Communities **pull through together** after harsh weather hits.
phrasal-verb

point at

Meaning
to direct attention or a finger toward someone or something
Example
Don’t **point at** people; it’s rude.
phrasal-verb

pool resources for

Meaning
to combine money, labor, or materials for a joint project
Example
The governments **pooled resources for** regional development projects.
idiom

party animal

Meaning
someone who loves going to parties
Example
She’s such a **party animal**, always out on weekends.
phrasal-verb

pay something off

Meaning
to completely repay a debt or loan
Example
We finally **paid off** our mortgage last month.
idiom

pave the way

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

push up

Meaning
to make something increase in value or price
Example
Rising fuel costs have **pushed up** transportation expenses.
phrasal-verb

pull back up

Meaning
to improve or recover after falling or dropping
Example
The national currency has started to **pull back up** against the dollar.
idiom

put heads together

Meaning
to work together to solve a problem
Example
Let’s **put our heads together** and find a solution.
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.
idiom

pass sentence

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

play through the pain

Meaning
to keep working or performing despite pain or hardship
Example
Athletes often **play through the pain** to win.
idiom

put all your cards on the table

Meaning
to be honest and reveal all the facts in a discussion
Example
It’s time to **put all your cards on the table** and be transparent.
idiom

prodigal son

Meaning
a person who leaves home and returns repentant after wasting wealth or opportunities
Example
After years abroad, he returned home like **the prodigal son**.
phrasal-verb

push beyond

Meaning
to go further than one’s limits or fears
Example
You need to **push beyond** your comfort zone to grow.
phrasal-verb

phase out old habits

Meaning
to gradually stop doing something that no longer fits
Example
To stay relevant, we must **phase out old habits** that slow progress.
idiom

pull oneself up by the bootstraps

Meaning
to improve one's situation through hard work and determination
Example
Despite all the challenges, he **pulled himself up by the bootstraps** and succeeded.
phrasal-verb

play up

Meaning
to exaggerate or emphasize something
Example
Some news outlets **played up** the drama to attract viewers.
phrasal-verb

push aside emotions

Meaning
to ignore emotions temporarily to focus on something else
Example
He had to **push aside his sadness** to finish the job.
phrasal-verb

put across

Meaning
to communicate an idea clearly
Example
She always manages to **put across** her ideas effectively.
phrasal-verb

plan ahead for

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

point up

Meaning
to emphasize something; to make something more noticeable
Example
This example **points up** the importance of communication.
idiom

pick holes in something

Meaning
to find faults in something, especially when it’s not necessary
Example
He loves **picking holes** in everyone else’s ideas.
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

plan ahead

Meaning
to prepare for the future
Example
You should **plan ahead** to avoid problems later.
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.
idiom

practice what you preach

Meaning
to act according to the advice you give to others
Example
If you want others to be kind, you need to **practice what you preach**.
phrasal-verb

point towards

Meaning
to indicate a direction or possible cause
Example
The evidence **points towards** a financial motive.
idiom

put your faith in someone

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
She decided to **put her faith in him** and let him handle the project.
phrasal-verb

psych yourself up

Meaning
to get yourself mentally ready and enthusiastic
Example
He **psyched himself up** before pitching the idea to the board.
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.
phrasal-verb

pitch ideas to

Meaning
to present ideas to others for consideration
Example
We’ll **pitch ideas to** the management team tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

pull off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something that is difficult or unexpected
Example
Everyone thought he would fail, but he **pulled off** an amazing victory.
idiom

Put your heads together

Meaning
To discuss and solve a problem collectively.
Example
Let’s **put our heads together** to find a solution.
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

pace yourself through

Meaning
to move steadily through a task without rushing
Example
I **pace myself through** long study guides to stay focused.
phrasal-verb

pin down

Meaning
to identify or determine something exactly
Example
We finally **pinned down** the project’s main objectives.
phrasal-verb

protect against

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

predictive modeling

Meaning
a technique used in AI to predict future trends based on historical data
Example
The use of **predictive modeling** helps companies plan better for the future.
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.
phrasal-verb

protest against

Meaning
to show opposition to something through public action
Example
Thousands of people **protested against** unfair laws.
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.
idiom

plug into

Meaning
to connect or become involved in something, usually a system or network
Example
You need to **plug into** the right social media channels to reach a wider audience.
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

pace yourself

Meaning
to control the speed at which you work to avoid exhaustion
Example
You need to **pace yourself** during busy weeks.
phrasal-verb

put off

Meaning
to postpone or delay something
Example
They decided to **put off** the meeting until next week.
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

pulling the strings

Meaning
to control something or someone secretly
Example
Everyone knows he’s **pulling the strings** behind the scenes.
idiom

press ahead

Meaning
to continue with determination despite obstacles
Example
Let’s **press ahead** even if the timeline shifts.
idiom

pass with flying colors

Meaning
to succeed brilliantly or achieve something with excellence
Example
She **passed the exam with flying colors**.
idiom

pull your weight

Meaning
to do your fair share of work
Example
Everyone needs to **pull their weight** if we want to finish this project on time.
phrasal-verb

pep up with

Meaning
to boost your energy or mood by using something uplifting
Example
I **pep up with** an upbeat playlist before presentations.
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

play a pivotal role

Meaning
to play an important part in something
Example
She played a **pivotal role** in the success of the team.
idiom

play second fiddle

Meaning
to take a subordinate role to someone else
Example
He was tired of **playing second fiddle** to his colleague.
phrasal-verb

pick out of

Meaning
to choose from a group
Example
She was **picked out of** hundreds of applicants.