stick to your guns
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

stick to your guns

Meaning
to remain firm in your beliefs or decisions even under pressure
Example
He **stuck to his guns** even when others doubted him.
idiom

sing from the same hymn sheet

Meaning
to express the same opinion as others, especially publicly
Example
All the managers are **singing from the same hymn sheet** on this issue.
phrasal-verb

sink money into

Meaning
to invest a large amount of money in something that may not be profitable
Example
They **sank money into** a risky cryptocurrency venture.
phrasal-verb

stand by your word

Meaning
to keep a promise or commitment even when it is difficult
Example
He’s the kind of person who always **stands by his word**.
phrasal-verb

sync with

Meaning
to coordinate tasks or schedules with others online
Example
Let’s **sync with** the marketing team tomorrow morning.
idiom

scare the life out of someone

Meaning
to frighten someone very badly
Example
That horror movie **scared the life out of me**.
idiom

sleep like a baby

Meaning
to sleep very peacefully and comfortably
Example
After a warm bath, she **slept like a baby**.
phrasal-verb

soak in positivity

Meaning
to absorb good energy and positive thoughts
Example
Surround yourself with good people and **soak in positivity**.
phrasal-verb

single out

Meaning
to choose one person or thing from a group for special attention
Example
The teacher **singled out** one student for praise.
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

school of hard knocks

Meaning
learning through difficult life experiences
Example
He didn’t go to college; he learned from the **school of hard knocks**.
phrasal-verb

stick around for

Meaning
to stay nearby or remain present, usually to spend more time together
Example
Why don’t you **stick around for** a while and have coffee with us?
phrasal-verb

shore up the economy

Meaning
to support or strengthen the economy during difficult times
Example
The stimulus package was introduced to **shore up the economy** after the crisis.
phrasal-verb

spin off into

Meaning
to develop from something and become a separate project
Example
Our AI pilot might **spin off into** a full analytics product.
phrasal-verb

strive toward goals

Meaning
to put in great effort to achieve objectives
Example
They constantly **strive toward** their goals with persistence.
phrasal-verb

stir up

Meaning
to cause activity or energy to increase
Example
New infrastructure projects have **stirred up** economic growth in rural areas.
phrasal-verb

stand back

Meaning
to move away from something; to distance yourself from involvement
Example
Please **stand back** from the edge of the platform.
phrasal-verb

settle in for

Meaning
to get comfortable because something will take a while
Example
We **settled in for** a long night of studying at the library.
phrasal-verb

soak in

Meaning
to fully enjoy or appreciate a positive feeling or moment
Example
She closed her eyes to **soak in** the beauty of the sunset.
idiom

snowed under

Meaning
to have too much work to do
Example
I'm **snowed under** with assignments this week.
phrasal-verb

sweep up

Meaning
to clean the floor by brushing dirt together
Example
She grabbed the broom to **sweep up** the dirt on the floor.
phrasal-verb

shake with laughter

Meaning
to laugh so much that your body moves
Example
They **shook with laughter** at the comedian’s jokes.
phrasal-verb

speak across borders

Meaning
to communicate effectively with people from other countries
Example
Social media allows us to **speak across borders** instantly.
idiom

shoulder the responsibility

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

shape up

Meaning
to improve physical condition; to get fit
Example
He’s been going to the gym regularly to **shape up** before summer.
idiom

strike it lucky

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

shine through

Meaning
to show your confidence or talent clearly despite challenges
Example
Her true confidence **shone through** during the interview.
phrasal-verb

show thanks for

Meaning
to display appreciation through words or actions
Example
She baked cookies to **show thanks for** her neighbor’s kindness.
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

Speak the truth and shame the devil

Meaning
Speak the truth even if it may cause trouble or discomfort.
Example
She always believes that **speak the truth and shame the devil** is the right way.
phrasal-verb

stand up for oneself

Meaning
to defend your rights or express your opinions confidently
Example
You should **stand up for yourself** when someone disrespects you.
idiom

soft spot for someone

Meaning
to feel affection or kindness towards someone
Example
He has a **soft spot for** stray animals.
phrasal-verb

scroll back through

Meaning
to go backward through a feed or list of posts
Example
I **scrolled back through** my messages to find our first conversation.
idiom

sleep like a log

Meaning
to sleep very deeply and soundly
Example
After the long journey, I **slept like a log** all night.
idiom

step in

Meaning
to become involved in order to help or stop something
Example
The manager will **step in** if the discussion gets heated.
idiom

smell a rat

Meaning
to suspect something wrong or dishonest
Example
I **smelled a rat** when he offered me free tickets.
phrasal-verb

slow down spending

Meaning
to reduce the speed of financial expenditure
Example
During inflation, people tend to **slow down spending**.
phrasal-verb

step through

Meaning
to pass through something carefully or one stage at a time
Example
Let’s **step through** the process so everyone understands it clearly.
phrasal-verb

steer someone toward

Meaning
to guide a person toward a helpful choice
Example
Mentors **steer interns toward** roles that match their strengths.
phrasal-verb

smooth out

Meaning
to make emotions or problems less rough or intense
Example
Time will **smooth out** the pain you’re feeling now.
phrasal-verb

stretch out

Meaning
to extend your body or limbs to relax or prepare for exercise
Example
Don’t forget to **stretch out** before starting your workout.
phrasal-verb

snap at

Meaning
to speak angrily and quickly to someone
Example
He **snapped at** me when I asked him a simple question.
idiom

spread sunshine

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

shine through challenges

Meaning
to maintain positivity and confidence during difficulties
Example
She always manages to **shine through challenges** with a smile.
phrasal-verb

step up investment

Meaning
to increase the amount of money put into projects or businesses
Example
Foreign companies are expected to **step up investment** in renewable energy.
idiom

stormy relationship

Meaning
a relationship full of arguments and conflicts
Example
They had a **stormy relationship** for many years.
phrasal-verb

slip by

Meaning
to miss or overlook something accidentally
Example
A few errors **slipped by** during the proofreading.
phrasal-verb

step up to challenges

Meaning
to face difficult situations with courage and effort
Example
Good leaders always **step up to challenges**.
idiom

spill the tea

Meaning
to share gossip or secrets
Example
Come on, **spill the tea** - what happened at the party?
phrasal-verb

stand out as a leader

Meaning
to be recognized for leadership qualities or achievements
Example
She **stood out as a leader** because of her integrity and vision.
phrasal-verb

speak up against

Meaning
to voice opposition to something openly
Example
Many young people **speak up against** injustice in their communities.
idiom

social proof

Meaning
the influence that other people’s actions have on one’s own behavior
Example
Positive reviews serve as **social proof** for new customers.
idiom

Stick with it

Meaning
Keep doing something even if it’s hard.
Example
Learning English takes time, so **stick with it**.
idiom

spin-off

Meaning
a product or show that results from another existing one
Example
The successful TV show led to a **spin-off** featuring the same characters.
phrasal-verb

spread out

Meaning
to extend over a large area; to reach many people
Example
The news **spread out** quickly across social media.
phrasal-verb

shape up to be

Meaning
to seem likely to develop into something
Example
The new policy is **shaping up to be** a major change in the industry.
phrasal-verb

stand in for

Meaning
to take someone’s place temporarily
Example
Lisa will **stand in for** me during the client meeting tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

shake off pressure

Meaning
to get rid of tension or stress and regain focus
Example
He took a deep breath to **shake off pressure** before starting his speech.
phrasal-verb

start up

Meaning
to begin a new business or project
Example
They decided to **start up** a food delivery service in their city.
phrasal-verb

sit with yourself

Meaning
to spend quiet time alone reflecting on your feelings and thoughts
Example
It’s important to **sit with yourself** to understand your emotions.
idiom

seat at the table

Meaning
to have influence or participation in important decision-making
Example
Developing nations are demanding a **seat at the table** in climate talks.
idiom

sow the seeds of something

Meaning
to begin a process that leads to a result
Example
His actions **sowed the seeds of** mistrust among the team.
phrasal-verb

stick to your goals

Meaning
to remain committed to your plans and objectives
Example
If you **stick to your goals**, you’ll eventually succeed.
idiom

sugarcoat the truth

Meaning
to make something seem more pleasant or acceptable than it is
Example
Don’t try to **sugarcoat the truth**; we need to be honest about the situation.
idiom

spam someone

Meaning
to send too many messages or unnecessary information
Example
Don’t **spam me** with notifications every minute!
phrasal-verb

sit for

Meaning
to take an exam
Example
I’m going to **sit for** my final exams next week.
idiom

Scale up

Meaning
To expand a company’s operations or reach.
Example
The startup is ready to **scale up** after its first funding round.
phrasal-verb

stack small wins

Meaning
to build momentum by completing quick successes
Example
We **stack small wins** early in the day to feel accomplished.
idiom

sit at someone’s feet

Meaning
to learn from someone who is very knowledgeable
Example
Many students wanted to **sit at his feet** and learn from him.
idiom

spark an idea

Meaning
to cause someone to have a new thought or idea
Example
That movie **sparked an idea** for my next project.
idiom

sift through

Meaning
to examine a large amount of information or items carefully
Example
I spent the afternoon **sifting through** old emails for the missing file.
phrasal-verb

shut oneself off

Meaning
to isolate yourself emotionally from others
Example
After the breakup, he completely **shut himself off** from his friends.
phrasal-verb

speak up for yourself

Meaning
to express your opinions or defend your feelings confidently
Example
You need to **speak up for yourself** if something feels unfair.
idiom

step on the gas

Meaning
to move faster; to hurry up
Example
We need to **step on the gas** if we want to reach on time.
phrasal-verb

scale up exports

Meaning
to expand the amount of goods sold abroad
Example
The company plans to **scale up exports** to reach new markets.
idiom

spread kindness

Meaning
to do or say kind things to others
Example
We should all try to **spread kindness** every day.
phrasal-verb

stamp out

Meaning
to completely stop something bad or harmful
Example
The movement aimed to **stamp out** political corruption.
idiom

set an example

Meaning
to behave in a way that others should follow
Example
A true leader **sets an example** for others to follow.
phrasal-verb

stabilize prices

Meaning
to make prices steady and prevent large fluctuations
Example
Regulations were imposed to **stabilize prices** in the food market.
phrasal-verb

see about

Meaning
to deal with something; to arrange for something
Example
I’ll **see about** getting us some tickets for the concert.
phrasal-verb

share your soul with

Meaning
to be completely honest and vulnerable in expressing your emotions to someone
Example
You can only truly love when you **share your soul with** someone.
phrasal-verb

stay logged in

Meaning
to remain connected to an online account or platform
Example
You can **stay logged in** to avoid entering your password every time.
phrasal-verb

spin out

Meaning
to lose control and start spinning around
Example
The car **spun out** on the wet highway.
idiom

stick your neck out

Meaning
to take a risk by doing or saying something that others may disagree with
Example
He **stuck his neck out** to defend his colleague.
phrasal-verb

show love to

Meaning
to demonstrate affection or gratitude toward someone
Example
He **shows love to** his mentors for guiding him through tough times.
phrasal-verb

set yourself apart

Meaning
to make yourself different or outstanding from others
Example
Hard work and creativity will **set you apart** from the rest.
idiom

stand out from the crowd

Meaning
to be noticeably different or better than others
Example
Her talent helps her **stand out from the crowd**.
phrasal-verb

stand for yourself

Meaning
to defend your beliefs or actions confidently
Example
Always **stand for yourself** even when others disagree.
phrasal-verb

stand together with

Meaning
to support and stay united with partners during challenges
Example
True business partners **stand together with** each other in hard times.
phrasal-verb

speak out for justice

Meaning
to publicly support fairness or equality
Example
The ambassador **spoke out for justice** in his UN speech.
phrasal-verb

stand over to

Meaning
to transfer or carry something to another time or situation
Example
The discussion will be **stood over to** next week.
idiom

stick with

Meaning
to continue doing or supporting something despite challenges
Example
If you **stick with** the routine, you’ll see results soon.
phrasal-verb

stand tall with courage

Meaning
to stay brave and optimistic in difficult situations
Example
He always **stands tall with courage** when facing failures.
idiom

set the pace

Meaning
to establish a standard of performance or progress for others to follow
Example
Our CEO always **sets the pace** for the entire company.
phrasal-verb

staff up for

Meaning
to hire additional people in preparation for something
Example
We need to **staff up for** the remote support launch.
phrasal-verb

stick to goals

Meaning
to remain committed to educational or personal objectives
Example
To achieve success, you must **stick to goals** no matter how hard it gets.
phrasal-verb

set out plans

Meaning
to explain or describe plans in detail
Example
The finance minister **set out plans** to boost national growth.
idiom

stand by your principles

Meaning
to remain loyal to your values, even in difficult situations
Example
She always **stands by her principles** in tough times.
idiom

switch over

Meaning
to change from one system or option to another
Example
The team will **switch over** to the new software tonight.
idiom

switch on

Meaning
to turn something on so it operates
Example
Please **switch on** the lights before the clients arrive.
idiom

slip into

Meaning
to gradually enter a state or start wearing something
Example
She quickly **slipped into** a more comfortable outfit.
phrasal-verb

stand aside

Meaning
to step to one side; to withdraw and let others take charge
Example
He **stood aside** to let her pass.
idiom

show initiative

Meaning
to take action without being told what to do
Example
Employees are encouraged to **show initiative** and come up with solutions on their own.
phrasal-verb

stay put

Meaning
to remain in the same place and wait
Example
**Stay put** until I get back.
phrasal-verb

sleep in

Meaning
to sleep later than usual, especially in the morning
Example
I like to **sleep in** on weekends to rest properly.
idiom

sound out

Meaning
to quietly discover what people think
Example
She will **sound out** the team before making changes.
phrasal-verb

stop by

Meaning
to visit a place briefly on your way somewhere else
Example
Let’s **stop by** the souvenir shop before heading home.
phrasal-verb

send out

Meaning
to distribute or send invitations to people
Example
We need to **send out** the invitations by tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

shift focus away from

Meaning
to direct your attention away from something that causes anxiety
Example
When you feel nervous, **shift focus away from** your fears and onto your breathing.
phrasal-verb

set aside funds

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

stressed out

Meaning
feeling very worried or tense because of problems
Example
I'm completely **stressed out** about my exams.
phrasal-verb

soothe out

Meaning
to reduce emotional tension; to make feelings smoother or calmer
Example
Meditation helps to **soothe out** the stress in my mind.
phrasal-verb

shift to

Meaning
to move or change focus, method, or responsibility
Example
Our company plans to **shift to** a hybrid work model.
phrasal-verb

ship out goods

Meaning
to send goods to another place, especially abroad
Example
They will **ship out goods** to Europe by the end of this month.
phrasal-verb

show up at

Meaning
to arrive or appear at an event or place
Example
Many guests didn't **show up at** the party until midnight.
idiom

spend money like water

Meaning
to spend money freely or wastefully
Example
She **spends money like water** on clothes.
phrasal-verb

stay up

Meaning
to remain awake later than usual
Example
If you **stay up** too late, you’ll feel tired in the morning.
phrasal-verb

sell off

Meaning
to sell assets or shares quickly, often at a low price
Example
Investors began to **sell off** their shares during the market downturn.
phrasal-verb

stand united against

Meaning
to collectively oppose something as one group
Example
Countries **stand united against** global terrorism.
phrasal-verb

stay ahead in class

Meaning
to perform better or be more advanced than others in the class
Example
He studies extra hours to **stay ahead in class**.
idiom

street smart

Meaning
having practical intelligence and experience, not just book knowledge
Example
He may not have a degree, but he’s very **street smart**.