soft sell
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idiom

soft sell

Meaning
a subtle and persuasive way of selling without pressure
Example
They used a **soft sell** strategy to gain customer trust.
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.
idiom

tough cookie

Meaning
a strong and determined person
Example
She’s a **tough cookie** who never gives up easily.
idiom

old friends are gold

Meaning
old friends are precious and valuable
Example
I always say, **old friends are gold**.
idiom

In vogue

Meaning
Currently popular or fashionable
Example
Long skirts are **in vogue** again this season.
idiom

feel comfortable in your own skin

Meaning
to be confident and relaxed about who you are
Example
She finally **feels comfortable in her own skin**.
idiom

to break new ground

Meaning
to do something innovative or unprecedented
Example
The company’s new app **broke new ground** in terms of user experience.
idiom

bust someone

Meaning
to arrest or catch someone doing something illegal
Example
The officer was able to **bust someone** for selling drugs.
idiom

slow as a snail

Meaning
very slow or lazy in movement or action
Example
He walks **slow as a snail** in the morning.
idiom

spur of the moment

Meaning
an unplanned or spontaneous decision or action
Example
The idea came **on the spur of the moment** during lunch.
idiom

a drop in the ocean

Meaning
a very small amount compared to what is needed
Example
The money they raised was just **a drop in the ocean** compared to the total cost.
idiom

come to terms with

Meaning
to reach an agreement or accept a situation after some negotiation
Example
It took some time, but eventually we **came to terms with** the new policy.
idiom

born in the purple

Meaning
born into a wealthy or royal family
Example
He was **born in the purple**, so wealth was never an issue.
idiom

new lease of life

Meaning
to give someone or something a fresh start or new energy
Example
The renovation of the old building has given it a **new lease of life**.
idiom

let someone off the hook

Meaning
to release someone from blame or punishment
Example
The judge decided to **let him off the hook** with a warning.
idiom

Clean hands

Meaning
To be innocent or free from guilt.
Example
He claims to have **clean hands** in the scandal.
idiom

pull over

Meaning
to stop a vehicle at the side of the road
Example
Please **pull over** so we can check the map.
idiom

A truth universally acknowledged

Meaning
A widely accepted truth or belief.
Example
**A truth universally acknowledged** is that honesty is important.
idiom

keep someone’s word

Meaning
to do what you promise to do
Example
You can trust him; he always **keeps his word**.
idiom

data breach

Meaning
unauthorized access to confidential information
Example
The company suffered a major **data breach** last year.
idiom

to get bent out of shape

Meaning
to become angry or upset
Example
Don't **get bent out of shape** over a small mistake.
idiom

stay ahead of the curve

Meaning
to stay more advanced or knowledgeable than others
Example
If you read daily, you can **stay ahead of the curve** in your studies.
idiom

manna from heaven

Meaning
an unexpected gift or blessing
Example
The bonus was **manna from heaven** during the tough month.
idiom

mend fences

Meaning
to repair a damaged relationship
Example
She called her friend to **mend fences** after their disagreement.
idiom

how’s it going

Meaning
a casual way of asking how someone is doing
Example
**How’s it going?** You look great today!
idiom

Plow the field

Meaning
To prepare for future work or success.
Example
Before launching the product, we need to **plow the field** with proper research.
idiom

come into one's own

Meaning
to reach a stage of maturity or full potential
Example
She really **came into her own** after starting her own business.
idiom

drag one’s feet

Meaning
to delay doing something; to do something slowly because you don't want to
Example
He’s **dragging his feet** about finishing the report.
idiom

fight fire with fire

Meaning
to use the same tactics as one’s opponent
Example
When negotiations failed, they decided to **fight fire with fire**.
idiom

light the fire

Meaning
to inspire or motivate people to act passionately
Example
Her speech really **lit the fire** in the employees’ hearts.
idiom

play second fiddle

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

green with envy

Meaning
very jealous
Example
She was **green with envy** when she saw my new phone.
idiom

spread sunshine

Meaning
to make others happy with your positivity
Example
Her smile always **spreads sunshine** wherever she goes.
idiom

to spill the beans

Meaning
to reveal a secret by mistake
Example
Tom accidentally **spilled the beans** about the surprise party.
idiom

When there’s a will, there’s a way

Meaning
If you are determined, you can find a way to achieve your goal.
Example
**When there’s a will, there’s a way**, and he proved it by finishing the race.
idiom

iron out the bugs

Meaning
to fix small problems or errors
Example
We spent the whole night **ironing out the bugs** in the AI chatbot.
idiom

to weigh the pros and cons

Meaning
to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of something
Example
Before making a final decision, it's important to **weigh the pros and cons**.
idiom

bad blood

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

beat the rap

Meaning
to escape punishment or avoid being convicted
Example
He managed to **beat the rap** thanks to a clever lawyer.
idiom

old flame

Meaning
a person one had a romantic relationship with in the past
Example
He met his **old flame** at the reunion.
idiom

at the back of one's mind

Meaning
something that one is not actively thinking about but is still aware of
Example
The fear of failure was always **at the back of his mind**.
idiom

pull someone’s weight

Meaning
to do one's fair share of work in a group
Example
Everyone in the team **pulls their weight** to succeed.
idiom

dress down

Meaning
to scold someone severely
Example
The coach **dressed down** the team for sloppy defense.
idiom

run out of time

Meaning
to have no more time available to complete something
Example
We **ran out of time** before finishing the project.
idiom

crunch the data

Meaning
to process and analyze large amounts of data
Example
The AI can **crunch the data** in seconds and give insights.
idiom

sing someone’s praises

Meaning
to speak highly of someone
Example
Everyone **sang her praises** after the performance.
idiom

Stay on track

Meaning
To continue doing the right thing to reach your goal.
Example
We need to **stay on track** to meet our deadline.
idiom

brute force attack

Meaning
a method of hacking that tries all possible combinations of passwords until the correct one is found
Example
The attacker launched a **brute force attack** on the system’s login page.
idiom

teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone teases her for being the **teacher’s pet**.
idiom

swing vote

Meaning
a vote that is not yet decided and could go either way
Example
The **swing vote** will determine the outcome of the election.
idiom

Power behind the throne

Meaning
A person or group who has a hidden or indirect influence over the leadership
Example
The chief advisor is often considered the **power behind the throne**.
idiom

seeing is believing

Meaning
only what one sees can be believed; things must be experienced to be believed.
Example
I was skeptical at first, but when I saw the results, I realized **seeing is believing**.
idiom

A political animal

Meaning
A person who is very interested in politics and has a talent for it
Example
He’s known to be a real **political animal**.
idiom

parcel out

Meaning
to divide and distribute something
Example
Let’s **parcel out** the tasks for the festival.
idiom

crystal ball

Meaning
the ability to predict the future
Example
I don’t have a **crystal ball**, so I can’t tell what will happen.
idiom

take charge

Meaning
to take control or responsibility for something
Example
She decided to **take charge** of the project herself.
idiom

a political hot potato

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

tempt fate

Meaning
to take a foolish risk that may bring bad luck
Example
You’re **tempting fate** by driving without insurance.
idiom

Straight shooter

Meaning
A person who is honest and direct.
Example
You can trust him; he’s a **straight shooter**.
idiom

hand down

Meaning
to pass something to someone of a later generation
Example
My grandmother **handed down** this recipe to me.
idiom

not the sharpest tool in the shed

Meaning
not very intelligent
Example
He’s kind but **not the sharpest tool in the shed**.
idiom

automate the process

Meaning
to make a process operate automatically using technology
Example
We need to **automate the process** to save time and cost.
idiom

sadder but wiser

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

lead from the front

Meaning
to lead by example, taking the initiative
Example
A good leader knows how to **lead from the front** and inspire others to follow.
idiom

set a precedent

Meaning
to establish a standard or example for future actions
Example
Banning unethical AI systems will **set a precedent** for accountability.
idiom

My two cents

Meaning
My personal opinion or suggestion
Example
That’s just my two cents, but I think we should wait.
idiom

throw money around

Meaning
to spend money carelessly or extravagantly
Example
Some rich importers love to **throw money around** at trade fairs.
idiom

in two minds

Meaning
undecided about something
Example
I'm **in two minds** about accepting the new job offer.
idiom

the wisdom of age

Meaning
knowledge and understanding gained through life experience
Example
He gave me advice that showed **the wisdom of age**.
idiom

down in the dumps

Meaning
feeling sad or depressed
Example
He’s been **down in the dumps** since he lost his job.
idiom

Wear many hats

Meaning
To have many roles or responsibilities.
Example
As a small business owner, she **wears many hats**.
idiom

pivot to success

Meaning
to change direction strategically to achieve success
Example
The company had to **pivot to success** after its first product failed.
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.
idiom

table the issue

Meaning
to postpone discussion of a topic for later
Example
They decided to **table the issue** until next week.
idiom

warm up

Meaning
to prepare the body or mind for activity
Example
Let’s **warm up** before we dive into the rehearsal.
idiom

keep the dream alive

Meaning
to continue to hope or work toward a goal even after setbacks
Example
Even after the failure, they **kept the dream alive**.
idiom

keep something to yourself

Meaning
not tell anyone about something
Example
Please **keep it to yourself** until we’re ready to announce.
idiom

a kingmaker

Meaning
someone who has influence in the selection or appointment of a leader
Example
The senator has become **a kingmaker** in the current presidential race.
idiom

share the load

Meaning
to divide the work or responsibility among people
Example
We should **share the load** so no one gets too tired.
idiom

go to battle

Meaning
to prepare to fight or compete strongly
Example
Our team is ready to **go to battle** in the finals.
idiom

spitting image

Meaning
someone who looks exactly like another person
Example
She is the **spitting image** of her mother.
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.
idiom

brainchild of

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

the bottom has fallen out

Meaning
a situation in which something has suddenly failed or collapsed
Example
The market for tech stocks has crashed; the **bottom has fallen out**.
idiom

cash in on

Meaning
to profit from a situation, often quickly
Example
Several startups tried to **cash in on** the sudden trend.
idiom

keep your fingers crossed

Meaning
to hope for good luck
Example
I am **keeping my fingers crossed** for the exam results.
idiom

mend a broken heart

Meaning
to heal from emotional pain after a breakup
Example
It takes time to **mend a broken heart**.
idiom

You took the words right out of my mouth

Meaning
You said exactly what I was thinking
Example
**You took the words right out of my mouth** — I was about to say that!
idiom

put on the map

Meaning
to make something or someone famous or well-known
Example
The viral campaign **put the brand on the map**.
idiom

foot the bill

Meaning
to pay for something, especially something expensive
Example
His father will **foot the bill** for the wedding.
idiom

short circuit

Meaning
to cause a sudden failure; to interrupt a process abruptly
Example
A small mistake **short-circuited** the entire project.
idiom

bag of bones

Meaning
a very thin person
Example
After his illness, he turned into a **bag of bones**.
idiom

lay it on thick

Meaning
to exaggerate praise or flattery
Example
She really **laid it on thick** when complimenting her boss.
idiom

get one's ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things in a proper and efficient way
Example
Before we begin, we need to **get our ducks in a row** and finalize the plan.
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

think on your feet

Meaning
to make quick decisions or ideas under pressure
Example
Good leaders can **think on their feet**.
idiom

when pigs fly

Meaning
something that will never happen
Example
He'll clean his room **when pigs fly**.
idiom

personally speaking

Meaning
expressing one’s own personal view
Example
**Personally speaking**, I prefer quiet places.
idiom

Bet the farm

Meaning
To risk everything on one big decision.
Example
He **bet the farm** on that business deal.
idiom

party line

Meaning
the official policy or position of a political party
Example
Members were warned not to speak against the **party line**.
idiom

button up

Meaning
to finish preparations or close something securely
Example
Let’s **button up** the proposal by Friday.
idiom

take a toll

Meaning
to cause harm or damage over time due to stress or overwork
Example
Long working hours can **take a toll** on your health.
idiom

hit the road

Meaning
to start a journey; to leave a place
Example
We should **hit the road** before sunset to avoid traffic.
idiom

think on one's feet

Meaning
to be able to make quick decisions and act quickly, especially in an emergency
Example
During the meeting, she had to **think on her feet** and come up with a solution.
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.
idiom

No comment

Meaning
Refusing to answer a question
Example
The spokesperson simply said **no comment** to all questions.
idiom

smooth things over

Meaning
to make a bad situation seem better by dealing with it calmly
Example
She tried to **smooth things over** after their disagreement.
idiom

full of years

Meaning
having lived a long and fulfilling life
Example
He passed away **full of years** and surrounded by family.
idiom

take one for the team

Meaning
to sacrifice for the benefit of others
Example
He **took one for the team** and stayed late to finish the report.
idiom

Push yourself

Meaning
Try to do better or go beyond your limits.
Example
You won’t improve unless you **push yourself**.
idiom

keep track of

Meaning
to monitor or record information consistently
Example
Use the shared sheet to **keep track of** expenses.
idiom

Wear your heart on your sleeve

Meaning
To openly show your emotions or feelings.
Example
He **wears his heart on his sleeve**, so you always know how he feels.
idiom

the final frontier

Meaning
the last or most difficult challenge or area of exploration
Example
For many scientists, space remains **the final frontier**.
idiom

Have something up your sleeve

Meaning
To have a secret plan or idea.
Example
Don’t worry, he **has something up his sleeve** for the project.
idiom

draw the line

Meaning
to set a limit on what is acceptable
Example
We have to **draw the line** when it comes to unethical behavior.
idiom

carry the responsibility

Meaning
to be in charge of something or to be responsible for it
Example
As the project leader, he had to **carry the responsibility** for the entire team.
idiom

a quantum leap

Meaning
a big and sudden improvement
Example
This discovery is **a quantum leap** in medical research.
idiom

drop a bombshell

Meaning
to announce something shocking or unexpected
Example
She **dropped a bombshell** by quitting her job.
idiom

recharge your batteries

Meaning
to rest and regain energy
Example
I took a vacation to **recharge my batteries**.
idiom

a figure of speech

Meaning
a phrase used in a non-literal way for effect or emphasis
Example
When he said he could eat a horse, it was just **a figure of speech**.