Spin a story
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idiom

Spin a story

Meaning
To present a story in a way that is intended to influence people's opinions or beliefs.
Example
The journalist managed to **spin a story** that made the politician look like a hero.
phrasal-verb

eat in

Meaning
to have a meal at home or at the hotel instead of going out
Example
We were too tired to go out, so we decided to **eat in**.
idiom

a ticking time bomb

Meaning
A situation or person that could become dangerous at any moment.
Example
His anger issues make him **a ticking time bomb**.
phrasal-verb

throw around

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

not born yesterday

Meaning
not easily fooled; experienced and smart
Example
Don’t try to trick me — I was **not born yesterday**.
phrasal-verb

flip over

Meaning
to turn upside down accidentally
Example
The car **flipped over** after hitting a pothole.
idiom

own it

Meaning
to take pride in who you are or what you do
Example
Don’t be shy about your success—**own it**!
phrasal-verb

bug out

Meaning
to malfunction or behave unexpectedly because of a bug
Example
The new update made the camera app **bug out** constantly.
phrasal-verb

lend support to

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

comfort in

Meaning
to find peace or reassurance in something or someone
Example
Many people **find comfort in** talking to their loved ones.
phrasal-verb

send across

Meaning
to convey a message or feeling clearly to others
Example
His speech **sent across** a strong message of cooperation.
phrasal-verb

transform over time

Meaning
to gradually change form or nature
Example
The organization will **transform over time** with consistent innovation.
phrasal-verb

own your progress

Meaning
to take pride in and acknowledge your personal growth
Example
You should **own your progress** and celebrate every small win.
idiom

square away

Meaning
to organize or finish something neatly
Example
We need to **square away** the paperwork before the audit.
phrasal-verb

drift into relaxation

Meaning
to gradually enter a calm and relaxed state
Example
As I listened to soft music, I slowly **drifted into relaxation**.
idiom

queue up

Meaning
to line up and wait for your turn
Example
Fans began to **queue up** hours before the show.
phrasal-verb

come into alliance with

Meaning
to form an alliance or partnership with another group or country
Example
The two economies **came into alliance with** each other to strengthen trade ties.
idiom

sworn enemy

Meaning
someone who will never be your friend
Example
They used to be close but now are **sworn enemies**.
idiom

Take something with a grain of salt

Meaning
To not take something too seriously or literally
Example
You should **take his stories with a grain of salt**; he often exaggerates.
idiom

a stepping stone

Meaning
an event or experience that helps one to progress
Example
This internship was **a stepping stone** to my career.
idiom

art for art’s sake

Meaning
art should be valued for its beauty and not for any moral or political purpose
Example
He believes in **art for art’s sake**, not propaganda.
phrasal-verb

brag about

Meaning
to talk proudly about one’s or someone’s achievements
Example
He loves to **brag about** his team’s success.
idiom

Catwalk queen

Meaning
A woman who is very confident and stylish, like a model
Example
She walked into the room like a **catwalk queen**.
phrasal-verb

bring up to speed

Meaning
to make someone or something fully informed or updated
Example
The new employees were **brought up to speed** on the company’s financial goals.
phrasal-verb

toy with

Meaning
to consider an idea casually without serious intention
Example
He’s been **toying with** the idea of developing a creative AI tool.
phrasal-verb

hold office

Meaning
to have an official position of authority or power
Example
He has **held office** as the foreign minister for more than five years.
phrasal-verb

shift mindset

Meaning
to change the way one thinks about something
Example
Leaders must **shift mindset** to embrace innovation.
idiom

keep one's word

Meaning
to do what one has promised to do
Example
He always **keeps his word**, no matter what.
idiom

against the odds

Meaning
to succeed despite many difficulties or challenges
Example
They won the game **against all odds**, proving their hard work paid off.
phrasal-verb

check in with yourself

Meaning
to pause and reflect on your current emotional state
Example
Take a moment to **check in with yourself** during stressful days.
phrasal-verb

hesitate over

Meaning
to pause before doing or saying something because of uncertainty
Example
She **hesitated over** whether to tell him the truth.
phrasal-verb

snap out of

Meaning
to suddenly stop feeling sad or depressed
Example
You need to **snap out of** your bad mood and move on.
idiom

get your ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things properly before taking action
Example
Before launching the business, we need to **get our ducks in a row**.
idiom

to wear one's heart on one's sleeve

Meaning
to openly show one's emotions or feelings
Example
He really **wears his heart on his sleeve**, you can tell exactly how he feels.
idiom

in seventh heaven

Meaning
in a state of great happiness
Example
They were **in seventh heaven** during their honeymoon.
phrasal-verb

build on

Meaning
to use your past success or experience to improve or achieve more
Example
We should **build on** our previous success to reach higher goals.
idiom

be on the same page

Meaning
to agree with someone or have the same understanding
Example
Before getting married, they made sure they were **on the same page** about their future.
phrasal-verb

rise early

Meaning
to get up early in the morning regularly
Example
He tries to **rise early** to make the most of his day.
idiom

on good terms

Meaning
to have a friendly and peaceful relationship
Example
They are still **on good terms** even after the breakup.
idiom

to push the envelope

Meaning
to go beyond the usual limits; to innovate
Example
In the world of AI, companies must **push the envelope** to stay competitive.
idiom

a thorn in one's side

Meaning
a constant source of annoyance or trouble
Example
The trade dispute has become **a thorn in our side**.
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

join forces with

Meaning
to combine efforts or resources with others to achieve something
Example
Governments **join forces with** NGOs to fight global hunger.
phrasal-verb

pay off someone

Meaning
to give someone money so they stop bothering you; to bribe
Example
He tried to **pay off** the guard to let him in.
idiom

free as a bird

Meaning
completely free; without restrictions
Example
After leaving his job, he felt **free as a bird**.
phrasal-verb

snack on

Meaning
to eat small amounts of food between meals
Example
I like to **snack on** fruits in the afternoon.
phrasal-verb

lay out a plan

Meaning
to present or explain a strategy or proposal clearly
Example
The finance minister **laid out a plan** for sustainable growth.
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

spin up

Meaning
to start something quickly, especially a system
Example
The IT team can **spin up** a test server in minutes.
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

carry on luggage

Meaning
small bags taken with you on a plane or trip
Example
She packed all her essentials in her **carry on luggage**.
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

cold fish

Meaning
a person who is unemotional or lacks warmth
Example
He’s such a **cold fish**; he never shows his feelings.
idiom

give the green light

Meaning
to give permission or approval to proceed
Example
The board finally **gave the green light** for the new project.
phrasal-verb

look out for others

Meaning
to watch over or protect other people
Example
It’s important to **look out for others** in difficult situations.
phrasal-verb

dig for facts

Meaning
to search carefully to discover true information
Example
Investigators **dig for facts** when a report seems unclear.
idiom

move up

Meaning
to advance to a higher level or position
Example
She hopes to **move up** to a senior role next year.
phrasal-verb

set apart

Meaning
to make something or someone distinctive or unique
Example
Innovative design can **set apart** a brand from its competitors.
phrasal-verb

back out of agreement

Meaning
to withdraw from an agreement or promise
Example
The government suddenly **backed out of agreement** with its allies.
idiom

raise the stakes

Meaning
to increase the level of risk or difficulty
Example
We need to **raise the stakes** if we want to make a bigger impact.
idiom

get away from it all

Meaning
to take a break from daily routine; to relax
Example
We went to the countryside to **get away from it all**.
idiom

keep faith

Meaning
to continue believing in something or someone
Example
Even in tough times, you must **keep faith**.
idiom

break up

Meaning
to end a romantic relationship
Example
They decided to **break up** after five years together.
idiom

Take your chances

Meaning
To try something despite uncertainty.
Example
He decided to **take his chances** and apply for the international scholarship.
phrasal-verb

bring out

Meaning
to reveal or emphasize a quality or idea
Example
Her words **brought out** the importance of teamwork.
phrasal-verb

climb up to

Meaning
to achieve a higher position or level of success
Example
He worked hard to **climb up to** the top position in the company.
phrasal-verb

speak highly of

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

pull out of

Meaning
to withdraw from a project, agreement, or deal
Example
The country decided to **pull out of** the trade agreement.
idiom

take center stage

Meaning
to be the main focus of attention
Example
The issue of climate change **took center stage** at the conference.
phrasal-verb

cool yourself off

Meaning
to calm down after being angry or excited
Example
He went for a walk to **cool himself off** after the argument.
idiom

like father, like son

Meaning
a son behaves like his father
Example
Tom loves cars just like his dad — **like father, like son**!
phrasal-verb

call for unity

Meaning
to publicly ask people to come together for a common cause
Example
The leader **called for unity** among the divided political groups.
phrasal-verb

jump on a call

Meaning
to quickly join an online voice or video call
Example
Let’s **jump on a call** to discuss the issue in detail.
phrasal-verb

bring down expenses

Meaning
to lower the amount of money spent
Example
They managed to **bring down** expenses through better budgeting.
phrasal-verb

turn setbacks into strength

Meaning
to learn and grow from difficulties or failures
Example
He managed to **turn setbacks into strength** through positive thinking.
idiom

frozen with fear

Meaning
unable to move because of extreme fear
Example
She stood **frozen with fear** when the snake appeared.
phrasal-verb

drop away

Meaning
to decrease gradually; to fade or disappear
Example
Attendance at the club meetings has **dropped away** recently.
idiom

brainchild of

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

the school of hard knocks

Meaning
learning through difficult experiences in life
Example
He didn’t go to college, but he learned from **the school of hard knocks**.
idiom

in high spirits

Meaning
feeling cheerful and happy
Example
Everyone was **in high spirits** during the festival.
idiom

firewall

Meaning
A security system designed to protect a network from unauthorized access.
Example
The company installed a **firewall** to protect sensitive data from cyber attacks.
idiom

nip it in the bud

Meaning
to stop a problem before it gets worse
Example
We should **nip it in the bud** before it becomes serious.
phrasal-verb

stand up against

Meaning
to resist or oppose injustice; to defend principles
Example
People **stand up against** censorship to protect freedom of speech.
idiom

turn the page

Meaning
to move on to something new after finishing or overcoming something
Example
After the breakup, she decided to **turn the page** and start fresh.
idiom

the driving force

Meaning
the person or thing that motivates or leads progress
Example
She was **the driving force** behind the project.
idiom

to tell you the truth

Meaning
used to introduce an honest or surprising opinion
Example
**To tell you the truth**, I didn’t enjoy the party.
idiom

play on someone's emotions

Meaning
to influence someone by appealing to their feelings
Example
The ad tries to **play on people's emotions** to sell products.
idiom

ramp up

Meaning
to increase the intensity or amount of something
Example
We need to **ramp up** production before the holidays.
phrasal-verb

appreciate for

Meaning
to recognize the value of someone or something
Example
I really **appreciate you for** staying late to finish the work.
idiom

a thing of the past

Meaning
something that no longer exists or happens
Example
With smartphones, landline phones are **a thing of the past**.
idiom

the picture of health

Meaning
a person who looks very healthy
Example
Despite his age, he’s still **the picture of health**.
idiom

To meet one’s Waterloo

Meaning
To encounter one’s ultimate defeat or failure.
Example
After years of success, the company finally **met its Waterloo**.
idiom

beat around the bush

Meaning
to avoid talking about the main topic
Example
Stop **beating around the bush** and tell me what happened.
phrasal-verb

quote from

Meaning
to repeat words from a person or source in speech or writing
Example
The news anchor **quoted from** the Prime Minister’s statement.
idiom

carve out a niche

Meaning
to establish a unique place or role for oneself
Example
She **carved out a niche** as a specialist in art restoration.
phrasal-verb

link up

Meaning
to connect or join with another group or organization
Example
We plan to **link up** with regional chambers of commerce.
phrasal-verb

power through with

Meaning
to continue strongly by relying on a tool or support
Example
He **powers through with** upbeat playlists on long runs.
phrasal-verb

shake up

Meaning
to make major changes in an organization to improve it
Example
The new CEO plans to **shake up** the company’s culture to encourage innovation.
phrasal-verb

overflow with

Meaning
to have a large amount of positive feeling or emotion
Example
The parents were **overflowing with** pride at their son’s success.
idiom

take someone at their word

Meaning
to trust that someone is telling the truth
Example
You can **take her at her word**; she never lies.
phrasal-verb

hold emotions in

Meaning
to avoid expressing what you really feel
Example
He **holds his emotions in** because he fears being judged.
idiom

the powers that be

Meaning
people or organizations who hold authority or control
Example
The decision depends on **the powers that be**.
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.
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.
phrasal-verb

bring in on

Meaning
to include someone in a discussion or project
Example
Let’s **bring John in on** this design review meeting.
idiom

a silver bullet

Meaning
a simple solution to a complex problem
Example
There is no **silver bullet** for solving climate change, but we need to take action.
phrasal-verb

reach across borders

Meaning
to cooperate internationally; to form connections beyond national boundaries
Example
Organizations are striving to **reach across borders** to solve global problems.
phrasal-verb

fight through

Meaning
to continue despite pain or struggle until success or relief
Example
He managed to **fight through** the hardest days of his life.
phrasal-verb

work into

Meaning
to include something into a plan or discussion
Example
I’ll try to **work** your idea **into** the proposal.
phrasal-verb

reach out for support

Meaning
to ask for help or comfort from others
Example
Don't be afraid to **reach out for support** when you feel alone.
phrasal-verb

reach out about anxiety

Meaning
to contact someone to talk about feeling anxious
Example
Whenever worry builds, I **reach out about anxiety** to a close friend.
phrasal-verb

adapt over time

Meaning
to gradually adjust to changes or new circumstances
Example
Teams often **adapt over time** as they face different challenges.
idiom

grateful as can be

Meaning
extremely thankful
Example
I’m **grateful as can be** for your guidance.
idiom

law and order

Meaning
a state of peace maintained by following laws
Example
The police are responsible for maintaining **law and order**.
phrasal-verb

run along

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

a chapter of one’s life

Meaning
a period or stage in someone’s life
Example
Leaving college was the end of an important **chapter of her life**.
idiom

to shoot for the stars

Meaning
to aim for something very ambitious or difficult to achieve
Example
He decided to **shoot for the stars** by applying to the most prestigious universities.
idiom

in for a shock

Meaning
about to be very surprised or shocked
Example
You’re **in for a shock** when you see the bill.
phrasal-verb

pin down answers

Meaning
to get clear responses to specific questions
Example
We **pin down answers** during the call so nothing stays vague.
idiom

the scales of justice

Meaning
the system or symbol representing fairness and equality in law
Example
The judge ensures that **the scales of justice** remain balanced.
phrasal-verb

cast doubt on

Meaning
to make something seem uncertain or less believable
Example
His inconsistent story **casts doubt on** his credibility.