see stars
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idiom

see stars

Meaning
to feel dizzy or stunned, often after being hit
Example
He bumped his head and started to **see stars**.
phrasal-verb

bottle down

Meaning
to suppress or hide emotions deeply inside
Example
He tends to **bottle down** his anger instead of talking about it.
phrasal-verb

lift yourself up

Meaning
to encourage yourself emotionally or mentally after a setback
Example
He tried to **lift himself up** after the rejection.
idiom

plow ahead

Meaning
to continue doing something despite difficulties
Example
Even with setbacks, they decided to **plow ahead** with the project.
phrasal-verb

fill the gap

Meaning
to make up for something that is missing or lacking
Example
International aid aims to **fill the gap** in education and healthcare.
phrasal-verb

connect with

Meaning
to understand or share similar feelings with someone
Example
I immediately **connected with** her because we had similar life experiences.
idiom

down the road

Meaning
in the future
Example
We may expand to other countries **down the road**.
phrasal-verb

bounce ideas off

Meaning
to share and discuss ideas with someone to get feedback
Example
I love to **bounce ideas off** my teammates before finalizing a plan.
idiom

burst of creativity

Meaning
a sudden outpouring of creative ideas
Example
She had a **burst of creativity** and finished the design in one go.
phrasal-verb

cut over

Meaning
to switch from an old system to a new one
Example
We plan to **cut over** to the new cloud platform this weekend.
phrasal-verb

call off

Meaning
to cancel something
Example
We had to **call off** the meeting because the manager was sick.
idiom

go the distance

Meaning
to finish something successfully despite difficulties
Example
Only the most determined athletes can **go the distance**.
phrasal-verb

grow past pain

Meaning
to develop emotionally by overcoming past suffering
Example
It’s never easy to **grow past pain**, but it’s worth it.
idiom

reboot your life

Meaning
to start over or make a fresh beginning
Example
After losing his job, he decided to **reboot his life**.
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.
idiom

hit a snag

Meaning
to face an unexpected problem or obstacle
Example
The project **hit a snag** when the server went down.
phrasal-verb

throw over

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

boil with anger

Meaning
to be extremely angry
Example
She was **boiling with anger** when she found out about the unfair decision.
idiom

be sure of yourself

Meaning
to have confidence in your abilities or opinions
Example
To be a leader, you must **be sure of yourself**.
idiom

fall through

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

work through pain

Meaning
to deal with emotional pain step by step until you heal
Example
He is still trying to **work through pain** after the breakup.
phrasal-verb

adapt through

Meaning
to change behavior or habits because of exposure to new experiences
Example
She managed to **adapt through** constant interaction with locals.
idiom

wise beyond one's years

Meaning
showing wisdom or maturity greater than expected for one's age
Example
Her advice is always thoughtful—she’s **wise beyond her years**.
phrasal-verb

chat up

Meaning
to talk to someone in a friendly or romantic way
Example
He tried to **chat up** the girl at the party.
idiom

sadder but wiser

Meaning
disappointed but having learned from the experience
Example
After that mistake, she was **sadder but wiser**.
phrasal-verb

bottle up

Meaning
to hide or control your emotions instead of expressing them
Example
He tends to **bottle up** his anger instead of talking about it.
idiom

hit the reset button

Meaning
to start fresh or make a new beginning
Example
After the failure, the team decided to **hit the reset button**.
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

the lights are on but nobody’s home

Meaning
someone appears active but is not thinking clearly
Example
When the AI glitched, it was like **the lights were on but nobody’s home**.
phrasal-verb

shut oneself off

Meaning
to isolate yourself emotionally from others
Example
After the breakup, he completely **shut himself off** from his friends.
phrasal-verb

break through to

Meaning
to make someone understand your emotions or point of view
Example
It took hours to finally **break through to** him and make him understand how I felt.
idiom

have nerves of steel

Meaning
to be very brave and calm under pressure
Example
A firefighter must **have nerves of steel** to face danger every day.
phrasal-verb

report on

Meaning
to give a detailed account of an event or situation
Example
The journalist will **report on** the latest developments from the scene.
idiom

A hard row to hoe

Meaning
A difficult task or challenge.
Example
Getting this project done on time is going to be **a hard row to hoe**.
idiom

Play with fire

Meaning
To do something dangerous or risky.
Example
You’re **playing with fire** if you invest without research.
idiom

on one's shoulders

Meaning
having the responsibility or burden of something
Example
The success of the project is **on his shoulders**.
idiom

playing the long game

Meaning
making decisions or taking actions with long-term objectives in mind
Example
The president is **playing the long game** by focusing on long-term foreign policy.
idiom

lead generation

Meaning
the process of attracting and converting strangers into potential customers
Example
We’re focusing on **lead generation** through free webinars.
idiom

get down to business

Meaning
to start working seriously
Example
Let’s stop chatting and **get down to business**.
idiom

hold someone accountable

Meaning
to make someone take responsibility for their actions
Example
It’s important to **hold people accountable** for their mistakes.
phrasal-verb

scroll through

Meaning
to move down or up a page to look at content
Example
I spent an hour **scrolling through** Instagram last night.
phrasal-verb

stay ahead

Meaning
to continue to be more successful or advanced than others
Example
You have to work hard to **stay ahead** in this competitive program.
phrasal-verb

catch up in

Meaning
to become involved in something, often unwillingly
Example
He got **caught up in** a legal issue he didn’t understand.
idiom

cut and paste solution

Meaning
an easy or unoriginal fix; a copied approach
Example
That’s just a **cut and paste solution**, not a real fix.
idiom

a pipe dream

Meaning
an unrealistic or impossible dream
Example
Owning a private island is just **a pipe dream** for most people.
phrasal-verb

rejoice in

Meaning
to feel or show great joy or delight in something
Example
They **rejoiced in** their success after years of hard work.
idiom

size up

Meaning
to quickly assess someone or something
Example
She walked into the room and instantly **sized up** the situation.
idiom

Fail fast

Meaning
To quickly identify and learn from failures.
Example
In startups, it’s better to **fail fast** and learn than to waste time.
idiom

old friend

Meaning
a friend you have known for a long time
Example
I met an **old friend** from college yesterday.
phrasal-verb

open out of yourself

Meaning
to express your true feelings freely; to become emotionally available
Example
It's healthy to **open out of yourself** when you're feeling overwhelmed.
idiom

set the tone

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

In the know

Meaning
Having information that most people do not have.
Example
She’s always **in the know** about company secrets.
phrasal-verb

buckle up

Meaning
to fasten your seatbelt for safety
Example
Don’t forget to **buckle up** before the car moves.
idiom

make up with someone

Meaning
to become friends again after a disagreement
Example
After their argument, they decided to **make up with each other**.
idiom

crime doesn't pay

Meaning
doing wrong or illegal things will never bring true success
Example
He learned the hard way that **crime doesn't pay**.
idiom

to lay down the law

Meaning
to assert authority and dictate how things should be done
Example
The new judge quickly **laid down the law** in the courtroom.
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

keep up growth

Meaning
to maintain economic progress over time
Example
The government is focusing on policies to **keep up growth** while maintaining stability.
phrasal-verb

rise through challenges

Meaning
to overcome difficulties and grow stronger
Example
She **rose through challenges** and became a respected leader.
idiom

The waiting game

Meaning
A situation in which you must wait for something to happen.
Example
It’s all about **the waiting game** when you’re looking for a job.
phrasal-verb

mute yourself

Meaning
to turn off your microphone so others can’t hear you
Example
Don’t forget to **mute yourself** when you’re not speaking.
phrasal-verb

move ahead

Meaning
to make progress; to go forward
Example
Despite the delay, the project will **move ahead** as planned.
idiom

bring down

Meaning
to make someone feel sad or to reduce something
Example
Don’t let one rude comment **bring down** your confidence.
idiom

have a spark of creativity

Meaning
to show signs of being creative or imaginative
Example
Even as a child, she **had a spark of creativity**.
idiom

swear on one’s life

Meaning
to make a very serious promise that something is true
Example
I **swear on my life**, I didn’t do it!
phrasal-verb

loosen out

Meaning
to relax muscles or body after strain
Example
Stretching helps you **loosen out** your body.
phrasal-verb

tune into cultures

Meaning
to understand and adapt to the ways people from different cultures communicate
Example
To work globally, you must **tune into cultures** beyond your own.
idiom

crossing the aisle

Meaning
when a politician supports or votes for the opposite party
Example
She surprised everyone by **crossing the aisle** to support the bill.
idiom

push the envelope

Meaning
to go beyond the usual limits; to innovate boldly
Example
Tech companies must **push the envelope** to stay competitive.
idiom

spin-off

Meaning
a product or show that results from another existing one
Example
The successful TV show led to a **spin-off** featuring the same characters.
idiom

trust someone with something

Meaning
to give someone responsibility for something important
Example
I trust you to **take care of the project**.
phrasal-verb

open the lines of communication

Meaning
to start talking again after a period of silence
Example
She wanted to **open the lines of communication** with her best friend again.
phrasal-verb

look on the bright side of things

Meaning
to focus on the positive aspects of a situation
Example
Try to **look on the bright side of things** when things go wrong.
idiom

to break out in a cold sweat

Meaning
to suddenly become very nervous or afraid
Example
I **broke out in a cold sweat** before giving my first public speech.
idiom

a storm in a teacup

Meaning
a small problem that is exaggerated
Example
Their argument was just **a storm in a teacup**.
phrasal-verb

speak out for peace

Meaning
to publicly express support for harmony and understanding
Example
Global organizations **speak out for peace** during world summits.
phrasal-verb

say thanks to

Meaning
to verbally express gratitude to someone
Example
Don’t forget to **say thanks to** your teacher before leaving.
phrasal-verb

stand up against injustice

Meaning
to resist unfair treatment or oppression
Example
Citizens gathered to **stand up against injustice** in their country.
idiom

sound out

Meaning
to quietly discover what people think
Example
She will **sound out** the team before making changes.
idiom

Cultural melting pot

Meaning
A place where different cultures blend together
Example
New York is often described as a **cultural melting pot**.
phrasal-verb

scale up operations

Meaning
to expand the size or capacity of business or production
Example
To meet global demand, the company decided to **scale up operations**.
phrasal-verb

draft blueprints for

Meaning
to create a detailed outline for something new
Example
Architects **draft blueprints for** civic centers with community input.
phrasal-verb

melt into tears

Meaning
to start crying softly because of emotion
Example
She **melted into tears** after hearing the touching story.
phrasal-verb

help up

Meaning
to assist someone in standing after a fall
Example
He quickly **helped up** the old man who had tripped.
phrasal-verb

scroll back through

Meaning
to go backward through a feed or list of posts
Example
I **scrolled back through** my messages to find our first conversation.
phrasal-verb

stay disciplined

Meaning
to maintain self-control and consistent study habits
Example
To achieve great results, students must **stay disciplined** throughout the semester.
phrasal-verb

look out for

Meaning
to protect or take care of someone’s needs
Example
My mother always **looks out for** everyone in the family.
idiom

not lose heart

Meaning
to not lose confidence or courage
Example
**Don’t lose heart**; success takes time.
idiom

leap of faith

Meaning
to do something without knowing the outcome
Example
Starting his own company was a **leap of faith** for him.
idiom

runway for growth

Meaning
the time or resources a startup has before it needs more funding
Example
The startup has enough **runway for growth** for the next 12 months.
phrasal-verb

throw back

Meaning
to return something; to remind someone of the past
Example
The smell of the ocean **threw him back** to his childhood memories.
phrasal-verb

dip into savings

Meaning
to use money that you had saved
Example
We had to **dip into our savings** to cover medical expenses.
phrasal-verb

break down for

Meaning
to explain something in simpler parts for someone
Example
Could you **break this down for** the new volunteers?
phrasal-verb

talk out of

Meaning
to persuade someone not to do something
Example
I tried to **talk him out of** quitting his job.
phrasal-verb

grow close to

Meaning
to develop a stronger emotional bond or friendship with someone
Example
Over the years, they **grew close to** each other through shared experiences.
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

sync with

Meaning
to coordinate tasks or schedules with others online
Example
Let’s **sync with** the marketing team tomorrow morning.
phrasal-verb

throw down

Meaning
to drop something forcefully; to challenge someone
Example
He **threw down** his gloves and walked out angrily.
B1 idiom

all ears

Listening very attentively
Meaning
Listening very attentively
Example
When the teacher started explaining the concept, the students were all ears.
When the teacher started explaining the concept, the students were all ears.
idiom

off the rails

Meaning
to become uncontrolled or chaotic
Example
After his friend moved away, his life went **off the rails**.
idiom

behind the times

Meaning
old-fashioned or not keeping up with modern ideas
Example
My uncle still uses a typewriter—he’s **behind the times**.
idiom

burst with pride

Meaning
to be very proud of someone or something
Example
His parents **burst with pride** when he won the award.
idiom

lose your marbles

Meaning
to become crazy or mentally unstable
Example
My boss must have **lost his marbles** to approve such a risky project.
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.
idiom

have a sense of self-worth

Meaning
to believe that you are valuable and deserve respect
Example
It's important to **have a sense of self-worth** to succeed in life.
phrasal-verb

work out with

Meaning
to find a solution or come to an agreement with others
Example
We need to **work out with** the marketing team to align our plans.
phrasal-verb

throw around

Meaning
to use something carelessly; to discuss casually
Example
People often **throw around** big words without understanding them.
idiom

Out of fashion

Meaning
No longer trendy or popular
Example
Those jeans went **out of fashion** years ago.
idiom

set in stone

Meaning
fixed and not likely to change
Example
Our schedule isn’t **set in stone** yet.
idiom

cutting edge

Meaning
the most advanced or innovative
Example
Our company is working on **cutting edge** AI technology.
phrasal-verb

speak against

Meaning
to criticize or express opposition to something or someone
Example
He **spoke against** the policy in the meeting.
idiom

learning on the fly

Meaning
to adapt and learn quickly without prior preparation
Example
AI systems are **learning on the fly** from user data.
idiom

penny stock

Meaning
a very low-priced, high-risk stock
Example
He made a fortune trading **penny stocks**.
idiom

work one’s fingers to the bone

Meaning
to work extremely hard
Example
He **worked his fingers to the bone** to build his business.
phrasal-verb

settle in for

Meaning
to get comfortable because something will take a while
Example
We **settled in for** a long night of studying at the library.
idiom

filter through

Meaning
to spread gradually among people
Example
News of the promotion quickly **filtered through** the office.
phrasal-verb

come up with ideas

Meaning
to create or think of new ideas
Example
The R&D team managed to **come up with ideas** that revolutionized the product line.
idiom

hit the ground running

Meaning
to start something energetically and successfully
Example
She joined the team and **hit the ground running** on her first day.
phrasal-verb

lie back

Meaning
to recline or rest in a relaxed position
Example
Just **lie back** and take a deep breath.
idiom

Down the rabbit hole

Meaning
Entering into a strange, complicated, or bizarre situation.
Example
I went **down the rabbit hole** researching ancient myths.
phrasal-verb

gain from

Meaning
to get a benefit, advantage, or knowledge from something
Example
You can **gain from** every experience, even the difficult ones.