speak highly of
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phrasal-verb

speak highly of

Meaning
to praise someone or something
Example
Everyone **speaks highly of** her work ethic.
phrasal-verb

aim toward

Meaning
to direct efforts or plans toward achieving something
Example
Her education is **aimed toward** a career in medicine.
phrasal-verb

stand by allies

Meaning
to support friendly nations during difficult times
Example
The country promised to **stand by allies** during the crisis.
idiom

stand up and be counted

Meaning
to take responsibility by showing your support or opinion openly
Example
It’s time for everyone to **stand up and be counted**.
idiom

tip off

Meaning
to secretly give information or a warning
Example
A neighbor **tipped off** the police about the noise.
idiom

have it out

Meaning
to talk openly about a disagreement to resolve it
Example
They decided to **have it out** instead of staying angry.
idiom

behind schedule

Meaning
later than planned or expected
Example
The flight is **behind schedule** because of the storm.
idiom

Nosey parker

Meaning
Someone who is too interested in other people's business.
Example
Stop being a **nosey parker** and mind your own business!
phrasal-verb

open up to differences

Meaning
to accept and appreciate diversity
Example
Children should learn to **open up to differences** from an early age.
phrasal-verb

slow down growth

Meaning
to reduce the rate of economic expansion
Example
Rising inflation can **slow down growth** in developing countries.
idiom

three sheets to the wind

Meaning
Very drunk or intoxicated.
Example
After the party, he was **three sheets to the wind**.
idiom

tie the knot of friendship

Meaning
to start a friendship
Example
They **tied the knot of friendship** during college.
phrasal-verb

book into

Meaning
to reserve accommodation at a hotel or place
Example
We **booked into** a nice resort by the beach for our holiday.
phrasal-verb

cut back on mistakes

Meaning
to reduce the number of errors you make
Example
To grow professionally, try to **cut back on mistakes**.
idiom

answer the call

Meaning
to respond to a responsibility or opportunity
Example
He was ready to **answer the call** and take charge of the project.
phrasal-verb

tremble with

Meaning
to shake because of fear or anxiety
Example
He **trembled with** fear when he saw the police car stop near him.
phrasal-verb

reach for

Meaning
to try to achieve something difficult or ambitious
Example
Always **reach for** excellence in your education.
phrasal-verb

thank sincerely

Meaning
to thank someone genuinely and wholeheartedly
Example
Let me **thank you sincerely** for your help today.
idiom

a taste of your own medicine

Meaning
to experience the same unpleasantness you caused to others
Example
He was rude to everyone, but now he’s getting **a taste of his own medicine**.
idiom

edge out

Meaning
to narrowly defeat someone or something
Example
They **edged out** their rivals by just one point.
phrasal-verb

believe in

Meaning
to have confidence in someone or something
Example
You need to **believe in** yourself if you want to succeed.
idiom

wind down

Meaning
to relax or slow down after activity
Example
I like to **wind down** with a book before bed.
idiom

lightbulb moment

Meaning
a sudden moment of realization or inspiration
Example
He had a **lightbulb moment** when he figured out how to fix the code.
phrasal-verb

get across to

Meaning
to make someone understand something clearly
Example
It’s hard to **get across to** customer service that the product is faulty.
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

speak about

Meaning
to talk about a particular topic or issue
Example
He will **speak about** effective communication at the seminar.
phrasal-verb

press on with

Meaning
to continue doing something in a determined way despite difficulties
Example
She decided to **press on with** her studies even after failing once.
idiom

dress up

Meaning
to wear formal or special clothes
Example
We don’t have to **dress up** for tonight’s dinner—it’s casual.
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.
phrasal-verb

lend support to

Meaning
to give help or approval to something
Example
Many celebrities **lend support to** environmental causes.
phrasal-verb

side with

Meaning
to support one person or group in an argument or conflict
Example
She always **sides with** her best friend in arguments.
idiom

chicken out

Meaning
to decide not to do something because of fear
Example
He was going to ask her out but **chickened out** at the last minute.
idiom

own your mistakes

Meaning
to take responsibility for what you did wrong.
Example
It’s important to **own your mistakes** and learn from them.
phrasal-verb

get rid of

Meaning
to remove or eliminate something unwanted
Example
I need to **get rid of** these old clothes.
phrasal-verb

shut oneself in

Meaning
to isolate oneself from others to avoid stress
Example
He **shut himself in** his office to avoid interruptions.
phrasal-verb

fill up on

Meaning
to eat a lot of one type of food so you are not hungry for other food
Example
Don’t **fill up on** snacks before dinner.
idiom

change your tune

Meaning
to change your opinion or attitude
Example
He criticized the plan at first but later **changed his tune**.
idiom

plug and play

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

link together

Meaning
to connect or unite people or organizations
Example
The new initiative aims to **link together** researchers from across the globe.
phrasal-verb

shut down

Meaning
to turn off a computer or system
Example
Make sure to **shut down** your computer before leaving.
idiom

engagement rate

Meaning
a measure of how actively people interact with online content
Example
Our **engagement rate** doubled after using video posts.
idiom

pat yourself on the back

Meaning
to praise yourself for doing something well
Example
You should **pat yourself on the back** for finishing that project.
idiom

a weight off your shoulders

Meaning
relief after dealing with a stressful situation
Example
Finishing the project felt like **a weight off my shoulders**.
phrasal-verb

set upon

Meaning
to attack someone suddenly
Example
The thief was **set upon** by the angry crowd.
phrasal-verb

stick to a plan

Meaning
to follow a plan strictly without giving up
Example
If you **stick to a plan**, you’ll achieve your goals faster.
idiom

The shot heard around the world

Meaning
An event with worldwide significance or impact.
Example
The invention of the internet was **the shot heard around the world** in communication.
idiom

offline mode

Meaning
a state of being disconnected from the internet or unavailable
Example
He’s been in **offline mode** all weekend, not answering any messages.
idiom

weigh your options

Meaning
to consider different possibilities before deciding
Example
You should **weigh your options** before buying the car.
idiom

bring forward

Meaning
to move something to an earlier time
Example
We had to **bring forward** the meeting due to travel.
phrasal-verb

step up for responsibility

Meaning
to take on a challenge or responsibility willingly
Example
Leaders must **step up for responsibility** when the situation demands it.
phrasal-verb

block out time for

Meaning
to schedule protected time for a specific activity
Example
Managers **block out time for** deep work on Tuesdays.
idiom

beyond the scope

Meaning
outside the planned or expected area of focus
Example
The new feature was beyond the scope of the original project but added great value.
idiom

have a green thumb

Meaning
to be good at gardening
Example
My mother **has a green thumb** and grows beautiful flowers.
idiom

stand the test of time

Meaning
to remain valuable or successful for a long period of time
Example
His leadership principles have **stood the test of time** and are still relevant today.
phrasal-verb

come up with solutions

Meaning
to think of or create new ideas or solutions
Example
She always manages to **come up with solutions** to complex problems.
phrasal-verb

build up energy

Meaning
to increase your strength or motivation over time
Example
Regular rest helps you **build up energy** for the next day.
phrasal-verb

rise beyond

Meaning
to overcome limitations or challenges
Example
True leaders **rise beyond** their fears and inspire others.
idiom

make it big

Meaning
to become very successful or famous
Example
He moved to Hollywood to **make it big**.
idiom

steal someone’s thunder

Meaning
to take credit for someone else’s idea or success
Example
She **stole my thunder** by announcing the news first.
idiom

streamline the process

Meaning
to make a process more efficient and effective by simplifying or eliminating unnecessary steps
Example
We need to **streamline the process** of content creation to save time.
idiom

ease up

Meaning
to become less intense or to relax
Example
The rain should **ease up** by the evening commute.
phrasal-verb

hop on

Meaning
to get on a vehicle quickly or easily
Example
You can **hop on** the next bus if you miss this one.
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.
idiom

lovebirds

Meaning
a couple who are very affectionate with each other
Example
Look at those **lovebirds** holding hands in the park!
idiom

cut someone down to size

Meaning
to criticize someone to make them feel less important
Example
The manager **cut him down to size** after he bragged too much.
phrasal-verb

pay down

Meaning
to reduce a debt gradually by making regular payments
Example
She’s trying to **pay down** her credit card debt.
idiom

break the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation in which progress is not possible
Example
They finally managed to **break the deadlock** through discussion.
phrasal-verb

go wild

Meaning
to behave in an extremely excited or enthusiastic way
Example
The crowd **went wild** when the team scored the goal.
phrasal-verb

show up as

Meaning
to appear in a particular way or form
Example
Your mistake **shows up as** a red mark on the report.
idiom

go back to square one

Meaning
to start again from the beginning
Example
If this doesn’t work, we’ll have to **go back to square one**.
phrasal-verb

falter on

Meaning
to hesitate or make mistakes while doing something
Example
She **faltered on** a few words during her speech.
phrasal-verb

vet out

Meaning
to examine something thoroughly to remove weak options
Example
We **vet out** risky proposals before they reach the board.
phrasal-verb

keep up on

Meaning
to stay updated with online work or communication
Example
She always **keeps up on** company news through Slack.
idiom

bright future ahead

Meaning
having positive prospects or possibilities
Example
With your hard work, you have a **bright future ahead**.
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

work along with

Meaning
to cooperate or coordinate efforts with others
Example
Researchers **work along with** NGOs to reduce ocean pollution.
idiom

doubt creeps in

Meaning
to begin to feel uncertain or unsure
Example
After a few failures, **doubt began to creep in**.
phrasal-verb

run along

Meaning
to leave or go away, usually said to children
Example
It’s time to **run along** now, kids.
phrasal-verb

skid off

Meaning
to slide uncontrollably off a surface or road
Example
The bus **skidded off** the icy road.
phrasal-verb

snap under

Meaning
to lose control or become angry under stress
Example
She finally **snapped under** the constant criticism from her boss.
idiom

short circuit

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

sub in for

Meaning
to replace someone temporarily in a role
Example
Can you **sub in for** me at the networking event tonight?
idiom

hang someone out to dry

Meaning
to abandon someone to face blame or trouble alone.
Example
His friends **hung him out to dry** when the teacher asked who cheated.
idiom

separate the wheat from the chaff

Meaning
to distinguish valuable things from worthless ones
Example
It’s time to **separate the wheat from the chaff** in this project.
phrasal-verb

boost investor confidence

Meaning
to make investors feel more positive about investing
Example
Strong GDP growth can **boost investor confidence** in the market.
phrasal-verb

hand back

Meaning
to return something to its owner, especially after checking it
Example
The professor **handed back** the graded assignments on Monday.
phrasal-verb

bring up for discussion

Meaning
to introduce a topic for polite debate or talk
Example
I’d like to **bring up for discussion** the new proposal everyone received.
idiom

things are looking up

Meaning
the situation is improving
Example
After a tough year, **things are looking up** for our business.
idiom

nuts and bolts

Meaning
the basic practical details of something
Example
Let's focus on the **nuts and bolts** of this new project.
idiom

stand trial

Meaning
to appear in court to answer criminal charges
Example
He will **stand trial** for fraud next month.
idiom

lend a hand

Meaning
to help someone with something
Example
Can you **lend a hand** with these boxes?
idiom

hold back on

Meaning
to delay or reduce doing something
Example
Let’s **hold back on** hiring until sales improve.
phrasal-verb

stay curious

Meaning
to keep being interested and eager to learn
Example
The best learners always **stay curious** about the world.
phrasal-verb

firm up decisions

Meaning
to confirm choices after considering options
Example
Let's **firm up decisions** now so vendors can start work tomorrow.
idiom

word gets around

Meaning
news or gossip spreads among people
Example
Be careful—**word gets around** quickly in this office.
phrasal-verb

check out

Meaning
to stop being involved or attentive; to mentally disengage
Example
Many employees **check out** mentally before the weekend starts.
idiom

refresh one's memory

Meaning
to help someone remember something
Example
Let me **refresh your memory** about what happened last week.
phrasal-verb

break limits

Meaning
to go beyond what is normally possible or expected
Example
He **broke limits** by achieving what no one else dared to try.
idiom

set your sights high

Meaning
to aim for something ambitious
Example
Always **set your sights high** if you want to grow.
idiom

open Pandora’s box

Meaning
to start something that causes many unforeseen problems
Example
Creating sentient AI could **open Pandora’s box** of ethical challenges.
idiom

strike it lucky

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

a heart-to-heart

Meaning
a sincere and open conversation
Example
We had **a heart-to-heart** about our future plans.
idiom

ink in

Meaning
to schedule or confirm something in writing
Example
I’ll **ink in** the interview for Tuesday morning.
idiom

get acquainted

Meaning
to become familiar or friendly with someone
Example
We had a short chat to **get acquainted**.
idiom

put your faith in

Meaning
to trust or believe in someone or something
Example
She decided to **put her faith in** her friends to help her.
idiom

bounce rate

Meaning
the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page
Example
We need to lower our **bounce rate** to keep visitors engaged.
idiom

hand over to

Meaning
to transfer control or responsibility to someone
Example
I’ll **hand this over to** the legal team for review.
phrasal-verb

gear towards

Meaning
to prepare or design something for a specific type of career or role
Example
Her recent training is **geared towards** a career in management.
phrasal-verb

laugh off trouble

Meaning
to stay positive by joking about problems
Example
She **laughs off trouble** when flight delays throw off plans.
idiom

in stitches

Meaning
laughing uncontrollably
Example
His joke had everyone **in stitches**.
idiom

get ahead

Meaning
to be successful in life or career
Example
She worked hard to **get ahead** in her company.
phrasal-verb

step down from

Meaning
to resign or leave a position of authority or responsibility
Example
The CEO **stepped down from** his role after the financial collapse.
phrasal-verb

branch globally

Meaning
to expand or operate in multiple countries or regions
Example
The company hopes to **branch globally** within the next five years.
phrasal-verb

take up

Meaning
to start doing something new, such as a habit, activity, or belief
Example
Many people **take up** meditation as they explore mindfulness culture.
idiom

follow your dreams

Meaning
to pursue what you truly want in life
Example
He quit his job to **follow his dreams** of becoming a musician.
idiom

same old story

Meaning
something boringly repetitive
Example
It's the **same old story** every time we meet.
phrasal-verb

follow up on leads

Meaning
to contact potential clients after an initial meeting or inquiry
Example
The sales team will **follow up on leads** from the international trade fair.
phrasal-verb

look ahead

Meaning
to think about the future instead of the past
Example
Instead of regretting, **look ahead** and plan your next move.
phrasal-verb

lose it

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry or emotional
Example
She completely **lost it** when she saw the mess in the room.
phrasal-verb

root for

Meaning
to support someone in a competition or difficult situation
Example
We’re all **rooting for** you to succeed in your exam.
idiom

chew someone out

Meaning
to angrily scold or criticize someone
Example
The coach **chewed out** the team for their poor performance.