steal the spotlight
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idiom

steal the spotlight

Meaning
to get all the attention, often taking it away from someone else
Example
The little girl **stole the spotlight** at the wedding with her adorable dance.
idiom

mix together

Meaning
to combine different things into one
Example
**Mix together** the spices before adding them to the stew.
idiom

thick as thieves

Meaning
very close friends who share everything
Example
Those two are **thick as thieves**.
idiom

change one's tune

Meaning
to change one's opinion or attitude
Example
After hearing the good news, he decided to **change his tune**.
idiom

for what it’s worth

Meaning
used to introduce an opinion that may or may not be useful
Example
**For what it’s worth**, I think you did the right thing.
idiom

sell like hotcakes

Meaning
to sell very quickly and in large quantities
Example
After the ad went viral, the product began to **sell like hotcakes**.
idiom

a law unto oneself

Meaning
someone who acts independently and ignores rules
Example
He’s **a law unto himself**, never following company policies.
idiom

not my cup of tea

Meaning
not something one likes or enjoys
Example
Watching cricket is **not my cup of tea**.
idiom

carry the load

Meaning
to take responsibility for something difficult
Example
She had to **carry the load** after her manager resigned.
idiom

right up one’s alley

Meaning
something that suits one’s interests or abilities perfectly
Example
That cooking workshop is **right up your alley**, you should join!
idiom

tiger mom

Meaning
a strict mother who pushes her children to achieve high standards
Example
Her friends call her a **tiger mom** because she’s very demanding.
idiom

be in the driver’s seat

Meaning
to be in control of a situation
Example
After the merger, our company is **in the driver’s seat**.
idiom

a bumper crop

Meaning
an unusually large harvest
Example
Farmers are happy this year because of **a bumper crop** of rice.
idiom

keep something under wraps

Meaning
to keep something secret
Example
They managed to **keep the project under wraps** until the launch day.
idiom

farm out

Meaning
to give work to someone else to do
Example
The company decided to **farm out** its design work.
idiom

a gray area

Meaning
a situation or topic that is not clear or that can be understood in more than one way
Example
The question of intellectual property rights in the digital age is still **a gray area**.
idiom

against all odds

Meaning
despite great difficulties or challenges
Example
She succeeded **against all odds** and became a doctor.
idiom

under construction

Meaning
in the process of being developed or built
Example
Our new website is still **under construction**.
idiom

Break a sweat

Meaning
To exert effort or work hard at something.
Example
She didn't even **break a sweat** while finishing the entire project in one day.
idiom

written in the stars

Meaning
destined to happen; fated
Example
They believe their meeting was **written in the stars**.
idiom

neural spark

Meaning
a sudden moment of insight or creativity in AI innovation
Example
Her idea was a true **neural spark** that changed the whole project.
idiom

a chip off the old block

Meaning
someone who is very similar to their parent
Example
Your daughter is so smart — she’s **a chip off the old block**.
idiom

recharge your batteries

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

open-hearted

Meaning
kind and honest in expressing feelings
Example
She is an **open-hearted** person who always listens.
idiom

hang out with

Meaning
to spend time with friends
Example
We usually **hang out with** our classmates after school.
idiom

follow through on

Meaning
to complete a task or promise as planned
Example
She always **follows through on** what she says she will do.
idiom

shoulder the responsibility

Meaning
to accept or take on a responsibility
Example
He was ready to **shoulder the responsibility** of leading the project.
idiom

overfitting

Meaning
when a model performs well on training data but poorly on unseen data
Example
The model seems to be **overfitting** because it performs well on the training data but poorly on the test set.
idiom

wear one's heart on one's sleeve

Meaning
to openly show emotions or feelings
Example
He tends to **wear his heart on his sleeve** when it comes to helping others.
idiom

spill your guts

Meaning
to tell someone all your private feelings or secrets
Example
After a few drinks, he started to **spill his guts** about his failed marriage.
idiom

down the road

Meaning
in the future
Example
We may expand to other countries **down the road**.
idiom

in the line of fire

Meaning
to be in a situation where one is likely to be blamed or criticized
Example
The manager found himself **in the line of fire** after the project failed.
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.
idiom

light up someone’s day

Meaning
to make someone happy
Example
Your kind words **lighted up my day**.
idiom

Put your heads together

Meaning
To discuss and solve a problem collectively.
Example
Let’s **put our heads together** to find a solution.
idiom

a peaceful resolution

Meaning
a solution that resolves a conflict calmly
Example
They reached **a peaceful resolution** after several discussions.
idiom

count your blessings

Meaning
be grateful for the good things in your life
Example
Instead of complaining, **count your blessings**.
idiom

All hands on deck

Meaning
Everyone must work together or help with a task.
Example
We need **all hands on deck** to finish this project by tomorrow.
idiom

data-driven

Meaning
based on or influenced by data
Example
We make **data-driven** decisions to ensure the best outcome.
idiom

a blessing in disguise

Meaning
something that seems bad but results in something good
Example
Losing that job was **a blessing in disguise**.
idiom

no such luck

Meaning
used when something hoped for did not happen
Example
I hoped to win the lottery, but **no such luck**.
idiom

buckle under the strain

Meaning
to give in to stress or pressure
Example
She refused to **buckle under the strain** and kept going.
idiom

a bug in the system

Meaning
a problem or error in a program or system
Example
There seems to be **a bug in the system** causing slow performance.
idiom

a clean slate

Meaning
a fresh start; an opportunity to begin again without past mistakes
Example
He moved to a new city for **a clean slate**.
idiom

hacktivism

Meaning
the use of hacking to promote political or social causes
Example
The group used **hacktivism** to expose corruption within the government.
idiom

spill the beans

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

Hold your head high

Meaning
To be proud and confident even after failure or hardship.
Example
Even after losing, she **held her head high**.
B2 idiom

wrap your head around it

to understand or accept something
Meaning
to understand or accept something
Example
It's hard to wrap your head around it, but that's just how the system works.
It's hard to wrap your head around it, but that's just how the system works.
idiom

keyboard warrior

Meaning
someone who posts aggressive or angry comments online
Example
He acts tough online, but he’s just a **keyboard warrior**.
idiom

In uncharted waters

Meaning
In a situation that is unknown or unfamiliar.
Example
The astronauts are heading into **uncharted waters** as they explore the unknown galaxy.
idiom

Too many cooks spoil the broth

Meaning
When too many people try to manage something, it can fail.
Example
If everyone keeps giving their opinion, remember that **too many cooks spoil the broth**.
idiom

Don't rush things

Meaning
Take your time and don't hurry.
Example
You don't need to finish everything today, **don't rush things**.
idiom

kick up a fuss

Meaning
to make a big complaint or protest about something
Example
They **kicked up a fuss** when the restaurant ran out of food.
idiom

build character

Meaning
to develop positive qualities or strength through challenges
Example
Going through this process will **build character** in the team.
idiom

three sheets to the wind

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

pull yourself together

Meaning
to regain control of your emotions or behavior
Example
Stop crying and **pull yourself together** – we need to find a solution.
idiom

Keep your head above water

Meaning
Manage to survive or cope with difficulties.
Example
It’s hard, but I’m trying to **keep my head above water**.
idiom

on the same playing field

Meaning
in the same conditions or with equal chances
Example
We’re now **on the same playing field** as our competitors.
idiom

carry forward

Meaning
to move something to a later period
Example
We’ll **carry forward** the unused budget to next quarter.
idiom

blow off steam

Meaning
to express anger or frustration so that you feel better
Example
He went for a run to **blow off steam** after the argument.
idiom

rein in

Meaning
to control or limit something
Example
We must **rein in** our spending this quarter.
idiom

go off the deep end

Meaning
to become very angry or emotional suddenly
Example
She **went off the deep end** when she heard the bad news.
idiom

go above and beyond

Meaning
to do more than what is required
Example
She **went above and beyond** to complete the project ahead of schedule.
idiom

even out

Meaning
to make something level or balanced
Example
Stir the batter to **even out** the lumps.
idiom

Tech-savvy

Meaning
Having good knowledge of modern technology.
Example
Our **tech-savvy** team built the prototype in just a week.
idiom

to make matters worse

Meaning
to make a bad situation even more difficult or unpleasant
Example
I was already late, and **to make matters worse**, I couldn't find my keys.
idiom

The unexamined life is not worth living

Meaning
A life lived without introspection or self-reflection is not truly fulfilling or meaningful.
Example
Socrates' belief that **the unexamined life is not worth living** continues to inspire those seeking a deeper understanding of existence.
idiom

a shoulder to lean on

Meaning
someone to give you support and comfort
Example
She’s always been **a shoulder to lean on** for me.
idiom

brighten someone's day

Meaning
to make someone feel happier
Example
Her kindness really **brightened my day**.
idiom

match made in heaven

Meaning
a perfect romantic couple
Example
Everyone says they are a **match made in heaven**.
idiom

Bootstrap the business

Meaning
To build a company using only personal finances.
Example
They decided to **bootstrap the business** instead of seeking investors.
idiom

race to the bottom

Meaning
a situation where companies or countries lower standards to remain competitive
Example
Reducing wages to attract investors can create a **race to the bottom**.
idiom

Economic bubble

Meaning
A situation where asset prices rise far above their real value.
Example
The housing **economic bubble** burst in 2008, causing a global crisis.
idiom

train a model

Meaning
to teach an AI model using data to make predictions or decisions
Example
We need to **train a model** on the new dataset before running predictions.
idiom

Keep going

Meaning
Continue with determination despite difficulties.
Example
You're doing great—just **keep going**!
idiom

saber rattling

Meaning
threatening military action to intimidate others
Example
The country’s recent **saber rattling** alarmed its neighbors.
idiom

practice what you preach

Meaning
to act according to the advice you give to others
Example
If you want others to be kind, you need to **practice what you preach**.
idiom

come to the rescue

Meaning
to help someone in trouble
Example
A firefighter **came to the rescue** of the trapped cat.
idiom

in harm’s way

Meaning
In a position to be injured or in danger.
Example
Firefighters often put themselves **in harm’s way** to save others.
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

Star-studded

Meaning
Full of famous or talented people.
Example
The event was **star-studded** with celebrities from all fields.
idiom

brush past

Meaning
to move quickly by someone or something with slight contact
Example
He **brushed past** the reporters without stopping.
idiom

be in the limelight

Meaning
to be the center of attention
Example
The actor was **in the limelight** after his award win.
idiom

call on

Meaning
to request someone to speak or do something
Example
The teacher will **call on** you if you raise your hand.
idiom

brighten up your day

Meaning
to make someone feel happier
Example
Her smile can **brighten up your day** instantly.
idiom

miss out on

Meaning
to fail to experience something enjoyable
Example
Don’t **miss out on** the early-bird discount.
idiom

go out of one’s way

Meaning
to make a special effort to help someone
Example
She **went out of her way** to make sure we felt welcome.
idiom

stoic calm

Meaning
to remain calm in difficult or stressful situations
Example
Even during the crisis, she maintained **stoic calm**.
idiom

the singularity

Meaning
a hypothetical future point when AI surpasses human intelligence
Example
Some experts believe **the singularity** could change humanity forever.
idiom

tie up loose ends

Meaning
to complete the remaining small tasks of a project
Example
Before the deadline, we need to **tie up loose ends**.
idiom

foot the bill

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

double check with

Meaning
to confirm information with someone
Example
Could you **double check with** finance about the budget?
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

gain the upper hand

Meaning
to get control or advantage over someone
Example
Through smart negotiation, the ambassador **gained the upper hand**.
idiom

spin doctor

Meaning
a person who gives a favorable interpretation of events to the media
Example
The politician hired a **spin doctor** to handle the press.
idiom

play a cameo

Meaning
to make a brief appearance in a film
Example
The director himself **played a cameo** in the movie.
idiom

walk tall

Meaning
to behave confidently and proudly
Example
You have every reason to **walk tall** after your success.
idiom

kick in

Meaning
to begin to take effect
Example
The backup generator should **kick in** within seconds.
idiom

grey matter

Meaning
intelligence; the ability to think
Example
Use your **grey matter** to solve the puzzle.
idiom

give it a rest

Meaning
to stop talking or thinking about something stressful
Example
You’ve been worrying too much—**give it a rest**.
idiom

rules are made to be broken

Meaning
sometimes it's okay to ignore rules
Example
He believes **rules are made to be broken**.
idiom

to be in someone’s good books

Meaning
to be in favor with someone
Example
If you want to get promoted, you need to be **in the boss’s good books**.
idiom

A Faustian bargain

Meaning
A deal where one sacrifices moral integrity for power or success.
Example
Signing that contract was **a Faustian bargain** for him.
idiom

give someone the creeps

Meaning
to make someone feel uncomfortable or afraid
Example
Old abandoned houses **give me the creeps**.
idiom

play hardball

Meaning
to be firm and tough in negotiation
Example
He decided to **play hardball** during the contract talks.
idiom

Keep it under your hat

Meaning
To keep something secret.
Example
I’ll tell you a secret, but **keep it under your hat**.
idiom

an old hand

Meaning
someone very experienced at something
Example
She’s **an old hand** at managing big events.
idiom

lost in translation

Meaning
when the meaning is lost or changed in translation or communication
Example
The humor was **lost in translation** when the movie was dubbed.
idiom

have a blast

Meaning
to have a really good time
Example
We **had a blast** at the concert last night!
idiom

wrap someone around your finger

Meaning
to have complete control or influence over someone
Example
She has her boss **wrapped around her finger**.
idiom

new blood

Meaning
new people who bring fresh ideas
Example
The company needs **new blood** to stay competitive.
idiom

a weight on your shoulders

Meaning
a heavy burden or responsibility causing stress
Example
Running the company alone is **a weight on his shoulders**.
idiom

Roll the dice

Meaning
to take a chance on something uncertain
Example
They **rolled the dice** by launching their product early.
idiom

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Meaning
Important things take time to accomplish.
Example
**Rome wasn’t built in a day**, be patient with your progress.
idiom

keep your head up

Meaning
to remain confident and strong during hardships
Example
**Keep your head up**, better days are coming.
idiom

Ask the right questions

Meaning
To inquire wisely to gain understanding.
Example
Good researchers always **ask the right questions**.
idiom

mind your own business

Meaning
to focus on your own matters and not interfere in others’ affairs
Example
You should **mind your own business** instead of gossiping.
idiom

tone down

Meaning
to make something less forceful or intense
Example
Could you **tone down** the colors in that slide?
idiom

back into

Meaning
to move backwards into something unintentionally
Example
I nearly **backed into** the recycling bin while parking.