shoot from the hip
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idiom

shoot from the hip

Meaning
to speak or act without thinking carefully
Example
He tends to **shoot from the hip** during meetings.
phrasal-verb

look deeper into yourself

Meaning
to examine your true intentions, feelings, and behaviors
Example
You must **look deeper into yourself** to understand why you feel insecure.
idiom

an apple a day keeps the doctor away

Meaning
eating healthy food helps you stay well
Example
My mom always says, '**An apple a day keeps the doctor away**.'
idiom

a shoulder to cry on

Meaning
someone who listens and supports you when you are sad
Example
She has always been **a shoulder to cry on** when I needed help.
idiom

hit a snag

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

draw out

Meaning
to encourage someone to express themselves
Example
The mentor helped **draw out** her confidence.
idiom

a foot in the door

Meaning
to have a small opportunity to start working in a company or industry
Example
An internship is a great way to get **a foot in the door**.
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.
phrasal-verb

help up

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

give in

Meaning
to stop resisting or to agree after initial refusal
Example
After a long debate, the committee finally **gave in**.
idiom

to hit the jackpot

Meaning
to achieve great success or gain a lot of money
Example
After years of hard work, she finally **hit the jackpot** with her startup.
idiom

get a foot in the door

Meaning
to take the first step towards achieving something, especially a job
Example
He took an internship to **get a foot in the door** of the company.
idiom

hit the target audience

Meaning
to reach the intended group of people with a message or product
Example
The new campaign failed to **hit the target audience** effectively.
idiom

disruptive innovation

Meaning
an innovation that significantly alters or revolutionizes an existing market or industry
Example
The smartphone was a **disruptive innovation** that changed the way we communicate.
idiom

burst with energy

Meaning
to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm
Example
The children were **bursting with energy** during the game.
phrasal-verb

bring together the team

Meaning
to unite people to work collaboratively
Example
The new manager managed to bring together the whole team after a conflict.
phrasal-verb

follow a routine

Meaning
to do the same set of activities regularly
Example
If you **follow a routine**, you’ll build good habits over time.
phrasal-verb

check in on morale

Meaning
to ask people how they are feeling about work
Example
Leads **check in on morale** during stressful weeks.
phrasal-verb

chill off

Meaning
to calm down or relax when feeling tense or angry
Example
I went for a walk to **chill off** after the argument.
idiom

mix up

Meaning
to confuse two or more things
Example
I always **mix up** their names during meetings.
idiom

bad blood

Meaning
anger or resentment between family members
Example
There’s still **bad blood** between the cousins after the inheritance issue.
phrasal-verb

snap back

Meaning
to reply sharply when angry or irritated
Example
He **snapped back** when his boss blamed him unfairly.
phrasal-verb

stand firm

Meaning
to remain strong and not give up under pressure or doubt
Example
He decided to **stand firm** in his beliefs despite opposition.
phrasal-verb

look deeper into

Meaning
to examine something more carefully or in detail
Example
The scientist decided to **look deeper into** the mysterious phenomenon.
phrasal-verb

calm within

Meaning
to find inner peace or stability
Example
Even in chaos, she managed to **calm within** herself.
phrasal-verb

move down

Meaning
to go to a lower position, level, or rank
Example
He had to **move down** to a smaller apartment to save money.
phrasal-verb

take away from

Meaning
to learn or gain something valuable from an experience
Example
What did you **take away from** that experience?
idiom

break the law

Meaning
to commit an illegal act
Example
Anyone who **breaks the law** should be punished.
phrasal-verb

open out with

Meaning
to start being honest and expressive with someone about emotions
Example
She **opened out with** her husband about her anxiety.
phrasal-verb

build up wealth

Meaning
to gradually increase the amount of money or assets you own
Example
It takes years of discipline to **build up wealth** and achieve financial freedom.
phrasal-verb

push into

Meaning
to drive adoption or expansion of something
Example
They are trying to **push into** the digital payment market quickly.
phrasal-verb

scrub off

Meaning
to remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard
Example
You need to **scrub off** that grease from the pan.
idiom

chin up, soldier

Meaning
to stay brave and strong in difficult situations
Example
**Chin up, soldier**, things will get better soon.
phrasal-verb

go over lessons

Meaning
to review or check lessons again for better understanding
Example
I always **go over lessons** before an exam.
idiom

feel the strain

Meaning
to feel stress or pressure from a difficult situation
Example
Many employees are starting to **feel the strain** of the workload.
phrasal-verb

sync across

Meaning
to make sure data or actions are consistent across devices or platforms
Example
All files automatically **sync across** your devices.
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.
phrasal-verb

lean on for

Meaning
to depend on someone for help or advice
Example
My mentor is who I **lean on for** guidance before big negotiations.
idiom

throw the book at someone

Meaning
to punish someone severely
Example
The judge decided to **throw the book at** the criminal.
phrasal-verb

act up

Meaning
to behave badly or cause trouble
Example
The kids started to **act up** during the long car ride.
idiom

hit the jackpot

Meaning
to achieve great success or win something valuable
Example
He **hit the jackpot** when his startup got acquired for millions.
idiom

black sheep of the family

Meaning
a family member who is considered a disgrace
Example
He became the **black sheep of the family** after his bad decisions.
idiom

balance of power

Meaning
the distribution of power between nations to prevent any one nation from becoming too powerful
Example
The United Nations aims to maintain the **balance of power** among its member states.
idiom

to be ahead of the curve

Meaning
to be more advanced than others
Example
Her research was **ahead of the curve** in the field of artificial intelligence.
idiom

Break with tradition

Meaning
To do something in a different way from what is usually done
Example
The couple decided to **break with tradition** and have a small wedding on the beach.
idiom

strike it lucky

Meaning
to have unexpected good fortune
Example
We **struck it lucky** and found the last two tickets.
phrasal-verb

take things in stride

Meaning
to accept and deal with difficult situations calmly
Example
She always **takes things in stride**, no matter what happens.
phrasal-verb

rise to

Meaning
to deal successfully with a difficult situation or challenge
Example
She always **rises to** the occasion when facing tough challenges.
phrasal-verb

keep from

Meaning
to prevent oneself or someone from doing something
Example
I couldn’t **keep from** laughing when he told the joke.
phrasal-verb

get by in

Meaning
to manage to communicate in a language, though not perfectly
Example
She can **get by in** Italian, but she’s not fluent.
idiom

clear the air

Meaning
to remove tension or misunderstanding by talking openly
Example
We need to sit down and **clear the air** about what happened last week.
idiom

iron out

Meaning
to resolve small problems or differences
Example
We need to **iron out** the payment details before signing.
idiom

to be in the same boat

Meaning
to be in the same difficult situation
Example
We are all **in the same boat** when it comes to the upcoming project deadline.
idiom

get ahead in life

Meaning
to succeed or progress in one's life or career
Example
He worked hard to **get ahead in life** and build a successful career.
idiom

start from scratch

Meaning
to begin again without any advantage or preparation
Example
They lost everything and had to **start from scratch**.
idiom

zero-day vulnerability

Meaning
A security flaw in software that is exploited by hackers before the vendor has a chance to fix it
Example
The **zero-day vulnerability** was exploited by hackers to steal sensitive data.
idiom

Burning question

Meaning
An important or urgent question that people are eager to know.
Example
The **burning question** is whether the plan will actually work.
idiom

block off

Meaning
to close an area so people cannot enter
Example
Police **blocked off** the street after the accident.
phrasal-verb

build upon trust

Meaning
to strengthen relationships by relying on mutual trust
Example
A successful team must **build upon trust** to work efficiently.
phrasal-verb

streamline into

Meaning
to simplify a process to make it more efficient
Example
The company aims to **streamline into** a faster workflow this quarter.
idiom

in safe hands

Meaning
Being protected or taken care of by someone trustworthy.
Example
Don’t worry about the kids, they’re **in safe hands** with Grandma.
phrasal-verb

stand out

Meaning
to be very noticeable; to be better than others
Example
Her bright dress really **stood out** at the party.
phrasal-verb

move toward

Meaning
to progress or advance in the direction of change or improvement
Example
Societies are slowly **moving toward** greater gender equality.
idiom

on your own shoulders

Meaning
to be responsible for something yourself
Example
The success of this event rests **on your own shoulders**.
phrasal-verb

park ideas for later

Meaning
to set suggestions aside for future review
Example
We **park ideas for later** when the sprint board is already full.
phrasal-verb

loop stakeholders back

Meaning
to update decision makers after changes are made
Example
Please **loop stakeholders back** once the revised deck is ready.
phrasal-verb

bring out leadership qualities

Meaning
to help someone display or develop leadership traits
Example
Training sessions are designed to **bring out leadership qualities** in employees.
phrasal-verb

speak out about

Meaning
to publicly express one’s opinion or concern
Example
The whistleblower **spoke out about** corruption in the department.
phrasal-verb

step beyond fear

Meaning
to act courageously despite being afraid
Example
To succeed, you must **step beyond fear** and take bold action.
phrasal-verb

look out for one another

Meaning
to care for and protect others in the team
Example
Good teams always **look out for one another**.
idiom

get in shape

Meaning
to become fit through exercise
Example
He started jogging every morning to **get in shape**.
idiom

to the letter

Meaning
exactly as instructed
Example
She followed her teacher’s advice **to the letter**.
idiom

Calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful time before trouble or chaos starts.
Example
The office is quiet now, but it’s just **the calm before the storm**.
idiom

What’s done is done

Meaning
There is no point in worrying about past mistakes.
Example
We can’t change the past, so **what’s done is done**.
idiom

drive up

Meaning
to cause something to increase
Example
Rising fuel costs **drive up** the price of groceries.
idiom

be your own biggest fan

Meaning
to appreciate and believe in yourself
Example
You should **be your own biggest fan** to stay motivated.
phrasal-verb

heap praise on

Meaning
to give a lot of praise to someone
Example
Critics **heaped praise on** the actor for his performance.
idiom

bend the law

Meaning
to use the law in a dishonest way to achieve something
Example
Some lawyers know how to **bend the law** to help their clients.
phrasal-verb

call for change

Meaning
to demand reforms or modifications in policy or system
Example
The activists **called for change** in the voting system.
idiom

gear up

Meaning
to prepare energetically for something
Example
The team is **gearing up** for the product launch next week.
idiom

clue in

Meaning
to give someone the necessary information
Example
Can you **clue me in** on the schedule changes?
idiom

after the rain comes the rainbow

Meaning
good times follow bad times
Example
Don’t lose faith; **after the rain comes the rainbow**.
phrasal-verb

map forward

Meaning
to plan the direction or steps for future progress
Example
The manager helped the team **map forward** their long-term strategy.
phrasal-verb

build on success

Meaning
to use past achievements as a foundation for more success
Example
We should **build on success** and keep improving our results.
phrasal-verb

put up

Meaning
to provide accommodation; to raise something; to display
Example
They will **put up** a tent for the night.
idiom

cliffhanger

Meaning
an ending that leaves the audience in suspense
Example
The episode ended on a **cliffhanger**, so we can’t wait for the next one.
phrasal-verb

think through problems

Meaning
to carefully consider all aspects of an issue before deciding
Example
Before answering, always **think through problems** clearly.
phrasal-verb

calm down after

Meaning
to relax or become less angry after being upset
Example
It took him a while to **calm down after** the argument.
idiom

butterflies in your stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or anxious
Example
I always get **butterflies in my stomach** before a big presentation.
phrasal-verb

build immunity to

Meaning
to develop resistance to a disease
Example
Vaccines help your body **build immunity to** dangerous viruses.
phrasal-verb

butt in

Meaning
to interrupt or give an opinion when not invited
Example
I wish you wouldn’t **butt in** when we are discussing something serious.
phrasal-verb

open relations with

Meaning
to start official or friendly relations with another country
Example
After years of tension, the two countries agreed to **open relations with** each other.
idiom

quick on the uptake

Meaning
able to understand things quickly
Example
You don’t need to explain it twice—he’s **quick on the uptake**.
idiom

luck of the Irish

Meaning
good fortune associated with Irish people
Example
He found gold! Must be the **luck of the Irish**.
phrasal-verb

open up new horizons

Meaning
to create new opportunities for learning or understanding different cultures
Example
Studying abroad can **open up new horizons** for personal and cultural growth.
phrasal-verb

cut down costs

Meaning
to reduce expenses
Example
The manager suggested ways to **cut down** costs without affecting quality.
idiom

on the big screen

Meaning
appearing in a cinema film
Example
Her novel was adapted **on the big screen** last year.
idiom

in the dark web

Meaning
in a hidden or secret part of the internet used for illegal activities
Example
Stolen credentials often end up **in the dark web**.
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.
idiom

Pull one’s weight

Meaning
To do your fair share of work.
Example
If everyone **pulls their weight**, the job will be done quickly.
phrasal-verb

bring people along

Meaning
to inspire others to share and follow your vision; to include others in your progress
Example
A good leader knows how to **bring people along** when introducing new ideas.
idiom

Pyrrhic victory

Meaning
A victory won at too great a cost to be worthwhile.
Example
Winning the lawsuit was a **Pyrrhic victory** since it drained all their finances.
phrasal-verb

set aside funds

Meaning
to reserve money for a particular purpose
Example
The government has **set aside funds** for rural development.
idiom

make yourself clear

Meaning
to express yourself so that others understand you easily
Example
Could you **make yourself clear**, please?
idiom

Practice makes perfect

Meaning
The more you practice, the better you become.
Example
**Practice makes perfect**, so keep trying.
phrasal-verb

open up new perspectives

Meaning
to help someone see things in a new or different way
Example
Traveling to different countries can **open up new perspectives** on life.
phrasal-verb

freeze with fear

Meaning
to be unable to move because of fear
Example
The child **froze with fear** when he saw the big dog.
idiom

let sleeping dogs lie

Meaning
to avoid bringing up a problem that will cause trouble
Example
It is better to **let sleeping dogs lie**.
idiom

security blanket

Meaning
something that gives a sense of safety or comfort
Example
Using a strong password manager is my **security blanket** online.
idiom

add insult to injury

Meaning
to make a bad situation even worse
Example
First, they lost the game, and then, to **add insult to injury**, their bus broke down.
phrasal-verb

float away stress

Meaning
to imagine your stress disappearing like something drifting away
Example
Visualize your worries and let them **float away** like clouds.
phrasal-verb

take off in

Meaning
to start succeeding rapidly in a field
Example
His career really **took off in** the last two years.
phrasal-verb

open up markets

Meaning
to make trade or business opportunities available; to remove barriers to trade
Example
The trade agreement helped **open up markets** for local exporters.
phrasal-verb

step out

Meaning
to leave a place for a short time; to go outside
Example
I’m going to **step out** for a moment to get some fresh air.
idiom

to make a name for oneself

Meaning
to become famous or well known for something
Example
He worked hard to **make a name for himself** in the tech industry.
phrasal-verb

tag along with

Meaning
to join someone, especially without an invitation, in an online or real-life activity
Example
He loves to **tag along with** influencers during live sessions.
phrasal-verb

work toward mastery

Meaning
to practice and improve until becoming very skilled
Example
She is **working toward mastery** in public speaking.
phrasal-verb

build up patience

Meaning
to gradually increase emotional endurance
Example
Meditation helps you **build up patience** in stressful times.
idiom

write one’s own story

Meaning
to shape one’s own destiny or path in life
Example
She chose to **write her own story** instead of following tradition.
phrasal-verb

grow accustomed to

Meaning
to gradually become familiar or comfortable with something
Example
He slowly **grew accustomed to** the cultural differences at work.
phrasal-verb

check back through

Meaning
to review something again for confirmation
Example
Journalists **check back through** notes to avoid quoting errors.