sweep something under the rug
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idiom

sweep something under the rug

Meaning
to ignore or hide a problem or mistake
Example
Don't just **sweep the issue under the rug**. We need to address it.
idiom

piece of cake

Meaning
something very easy to do
Example
The exam was a **piece of cake** for her.
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

evolve from

Meaning
to develop or change gradually from a previous form or condition
Example
Modern customs often **evolve from** ancient traditions.
idiom

hang by a thread

Meaning
to be in a very dangerous or uncertain situation
Example
After the accident, his life was **hanging by a thread**.
idiom

outsmart the algorithm

Meaning
to beat or trick a system that uses AI or automation
Example
People try to **outsmart the algorithm** to boost their posts.
phrasal-verb

lock out

Meaning
to be unable to access a system due to password or error
Example
I got **locked out** of my account after entering the wrong password.
phrasal-verb

break down barriers

Meaning
to remove misunderstandings or divisions between people or cultures
Example
Art and music can **break down barriers** between different cultures.
phrasal-verb

tally costs up

Meaning
to add expenses together to get a total
Example
We **tally costs up** every Friday to stay under budget.
phrasal-verb

run for

Meaning
to compete in an election for a political position
Example
He plans to **run for** president next year.
phrasal-verb

take breaks

Meaning
to pause from work for rest; to stop temporarily for relaxation
Example
You should **take breaks** regularly to stay focused throughout the day.
phrasal-verb

soak up the moment

Meaning
to fully enjoy and appreciate a happy situation
Example
She stood on the beach, **soaking up the moment**.
idiom

feeling low

Meaning
feeling depressed or unhappy
Example
I’ve been **feeling low** lately due to stress.
phrasal-verb

throw to

Meaning
to pass something to someone by throwing; to hand over responsibility
Example
The host **threw to** the reporter at the scene.
phrasal-verb

call in for

Meaning
to join a remote session for a specific purpose
Example
Drivers **call in for** updates when weather turns rough.
idiom

break one's word

Meaning
to fail to keep a promise
Example
Don’t **break your word**; people rely on you.
idiom

jump the shark

Meaning
when something begins to decline in quality or popularity
Example
The show **jumped the shark** after season five.
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

shift into

Meaning
to transition into a different type of job or field
Example
He’s planning to **shift into** a more creative industry next year.
phrasal-verb

turn left

Meaning
to change direction to the left
Example
At the next intersection, **turn left** onto Main Street.
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.
idiom

a Eureka moment

Meaning
a moment of sudden discovery or realization
Example
He had **a Eureka moment** when he solved the equation.
idiom

wind down

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

the walls have ears

Meaning
be careful what you say because someone might be listening
Example
Speak quietly—**the walls have ears**.
idiom

take the reins

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
After the director retired, she **took the reins** of the company.
idiom

double down on

Meaning
to increase effort or commitment toward something
Example
After the setback, they **doubled down on** their training routine.
phrasal-verb

stick with your goals

Meaning
to stay committed to your plans and not give up
Example
If you **stick with your goals**, you’ll see results soon.
phrasal-verb

step beyond limits

Meaning
to go past what you thought was possible
Example
To grow, you need to **step beyond limits** and challenge yourself.
phrasal-verb

base on

Meaning
to use something as a foundation or starting point
Example
The conclusion is **based on** reliable evidence.
phrasal-verb

pay respect to

Meaning
to show honor or appreciation to someone
Example
They **paid respect to** their teachers during the ceremony.
idiom

narrow in

Meaning
to focus on a smaller area or set of options
Example
Let’s **narrow in** on the two strongest proposals.
phrasal-verb

take responsibility for

Meaning
to accept that you are to blame for something
Example
He finally **took responsibility for** the mistake.
idiom

get back on your feet

Meaning
to recover after an illness or difficulty
Example
He lost his job but soon **got back on his feet**.
idiom

take someone aback

Meaning
to surprise or shock someone suddenly
Example
I was **taken aback** by his rude comment.
phrasal-verb

boost up sales

Meaning
to increase the number of products sold
Example
The new marketing plan aims to **boost up** sales during the holiday season.
phrasal-verb

work out of

Meaning
to be based or operate from a specific place
Example
He **works out of** our Singapore office.
idiom

in a bad mood

Meaning
feeling unhappy or irritable
Example
She’s **in a bad mood** because she didn’t sleep well.
phrasal-verb

focus on improvement

Meaning
to give attention to becoming better at something
Example
Every student should **focus on improvement** rather than perfection.
phrasal-verb

cut down on costs

Meaning
to reduce expenses or spending
Example
The government is trying to **cut down on costs** to stabilize the economy.
phrasal-verb

talk down

Meaning
to speak in a way that shows you think someone is less intelligent
Example
Don’t **talk down** to your colleagues; it’s disrespectful.
idiom

top-notch

Meaning
of the highest quality; excellent
Example
Your presentation was absolutely **top-notch**.
idiom

clear away

Meaning
to remove things to tidy a space
Example
Please **clear away** the dishes after lunch.
idiom

bond of friendship

Meaning
A strong connection of trust and affection between friends.
Example
Their **bond of friendship** grew stronger over the years.
idiom

have a crush on someone

Meaning
to have romantic feelings for someone, often secretly
Example
I’ve **had a crush on** her for months.
idiom

heart sinks

Meaning
to feel disappointed or sad suddenly
Example
My **heart sank** when I saw the exam result.
idiom

cash cow

Meaning
a product or service that consistently generates a lot of money
Example
Their mobile app has become a **cash cow** for the company.
idiom

go nuclear

Meaning
to react very strongly or angrily
Example
When the data got deleted, the manager **went nuclear**.
phrasal-verb

branch out creatively

Meaning
to expand one’s work into more creative fields or approaches
Example
Our agency has started to **branch out creatively** with digital storytelling.
idiom

out of the woods

Meaning
no longer in danger or difficulty
Example
She’s recovering now, so she’s **out of the woods**.
phrasal-verb

hear out

Meaning
to listen to someone until they have finished speaking
Example
Please **hear me out** before making a decision.
idiom

data mining

Meaning
the process of discovering patterns and relationships in large datasets
Example
Data mining helps businesses understand customer behavior and predict trends.
idiom

Put your heart into it

Meaning
To do something with full effort and enthusiasm.
Example
If you **put your heart into it**, you’ll achieve great results.
idiom

bang for your buck

Meaning
value for the money spent; a good deal
Example
This insurance plan gives you the best **bang for your buck**.
idiom

a man of faith

Meaning
a person who strongly believes in a particular religion or principle
Example
He is known as **a man of faith** in his community.
idiom

to be on cloud nine

Meaning
to be extremely happy
Example
She was **on cloud nine** after hearing the good news about her promotion.
idiom

lock down

Meaning
to secure or restrict access to something completely
Example
After detecting the breach, the company **locked down** all servers.
idiom

sit in the driver’s seat

Meaning
to be in a position of control or leadership
Example
After the promotion, she now **sits in the driver’s seat**.
idiom

by the book

Meaning
to follow the rules exactly
Example
Our manager does everything **by the book**.
idiom

to get the ball rolling

Meaning
to start something, especially a project or task
Example
Let's **get the ball rolling** and start the meeting.
idiom

have a change of heart

Meaning
to change your opinion or the way you feel about something
Example
She was going to move abroad, but she had **a change of heart**.
idiom

back into

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

read over

Meaning
to check something by reading it again
Example
Can you **read over** my essay and tell me what you think?
idiom

Pilot project

Meaning
A small-scale experiment to test a concept.
Example
We launched a **pilot project** before going nationwide.
phrasal-verb

dig up

Meaning
to discover secret or forgotten information
Example
Journalists managed to **dig up** new evidence about the case.
phrasal-verb

stand resilient

Meaning
to remain strong and recover quickly from difficulties
Example
Communities must **stand resilient** in the face of tragedy.
idiom

true to one's word

Meaning
To do what one has promised.
Example
She was **true to her word** and helped me finish the project.
phrasal-verb

deal down

Meaning
to negotiate a lower price
Example
She managed to **deal down** the price of the car.
phrasal-verb

speak truth to power

Meaning
to tell honest truths to those in authority
Example
Journalists **speak truth to power** when they expose corruption.
phrasal-verb

own out of

Meaning
to stop being involved because of ethical concerns
Example
The company **owned out of** the project due to ethical issues.
idiom

mend a broken heart

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

keep it together

Meaning
to stay composed during difficult times
Example
Even after hearing the bad news, he managed to **keep it together**.
phrasal-verb

grow into understanding

Meaning
to gradually develop empathy or comprehension for different cultures
Example
Children can **grow into understanding** diversity through stories and travel.
phrasal-verb

pack for

Meaning
to prepare luggage for a particular destination or purpose
Example
She’s **packing for** her summer vacation in Thailand.
idiom

white lie

Meaning
a harmless or small lie told to avoid hurting someone
Example
I told a **white lie** to avoid upsetting her.
idiom

hash it out

Meaning
to discuss a problem thoroughly to find a solution
Example
Let’s sit down and **hash it out** instead of fighting.
idiom

An arm and a leg

Meaning
Something that is very expensive.
Example
That new phone costs **an arm and a leg**, but it’s worth it.
idiom

strength in numbers

Meaning
greater power comes from a larger group
Example
We can win this battle if we stick together, there's **strength in numbers**.
phrasal-verb

warm up emotionally

Meaning
to start feeling comfortable enough to share your emotions
Example
It took a while for him to **warm up emotionally** after the breakup.
idiom

lose ground

Meaning
to lose advantage or control in a situation
Example
During the talks, one side began to **lose ground** quickly.
phrasal-verb

ally with

Meaning
to join forces with someone for a shared cause or benefit
Example
The developing nations **allied with** each other to negotiate better trade terms.
phrasal-verb

keep offices aligned

Meaning
to ensure different branches follow the same plan
Example
We **keep offices aligned** with a daily global standup call.
phrasal-verb

ease off pressure

Meaning
to reduce stress or workload to feel relaxed
Example
Take short breaks to **ease off pressure** during work.
idiom

a bumper crop

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

opt out

Meaning
to choose not to participate
Example
Employees can **opt out** of the program if they want.
phrasal-verb

cheer on

Meaning
to encourage someone to keep going; to show support
Example
My friends always **cheer on** me when I feel down.
phrasal-verb

take care of

Meaning
to be responsible for someone or something
Example
My sister **takes care of** our younger brother when our parents are away.
phrasal-verb

turn failure into

Meaning
to transform a failure into a learning or success opportunity
Example
He tried to **turn failure into** motivation for his next project.
idiom

Calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful time before trouble or chaos starts.
Example
The office is quiet now, but it’s just **the calm before the storm**.
idiom

raise the white flag

Meaning
to surrender or give up
Example
After several failed attempts, he finally **raised the white flag**.
phrasal-verb

listen without judging

Meaning
to pay attention to others’ views without bias or criticism
Example
Inclusive managers **listen without judging** during discussions.
phrasal-verb

talk it through

Meaning
to discuss your worries or feelings with someone to find relief
Example
It often helps to **talk it through** with someone who listens without judging.
idiom

social butterfly

Meaning
someone who loves meeting and talking to people
Example
Emma is a **social butterfly**; she knows everyone at the event.
idiom

dress down

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

break into a market

Meaning
to successfully enter a new market or industry
Example
The company is trying to **break into the Asian market**.
idiom

a problem shared is a problem halved

Meaning
discussing a problem makes it easier to solve
Example
Don't hesitate to ask for help. **A problem shared is a problem halved**.
phrasal-verb

talk about

Meaning
to discuss a topic; to mention something in conversation
Example
We need to **talk about** your plans for next year.
idiom

lazy bones

Meaning
a lazy person
Example
Come on, **lazy bones**, get out of bed!
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

open up communication

Meaning
to start or improve honest and clear communication
Example
They tried to **open up communication** to solve their issues.
phrasal-verb

get across

Meaning
to communicate an idea successfully so that others understand it
Example
He struggled to **get across** his main message to the audience.
idiom

to have a ray of hope

Meaning
to see a small sign of improvement in a bad situation
Example
After hearing the good news, I felt I had a **ray of hope** for my future.
phrasal-verb

hold onto values

Meaning
to keep and protect one’s principles despite pressure
Example
A leader should **hold onto values** even when it's not easy.
idiom

at each other’s throats

Meaning
to be in constant conflict or fighting
Example
The two brothers were **at each other’s throats** all day.
idiom

sort out

Meaning
to organize or resolve a confusing situation
Example
We need to **sort out** this billing error today.
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.
phrasal-verb

build up pressure

Meaning
to increase influence or demand for action
Example
Opposition parties **built up pressure** for early elections.
phrasal-verb

rant about

Meaning
to complain or talk loudly in anger about something
Example
He kept **ranting about** the unfair treatment at work.
idiom

a dead-end job

Meaning
a job with no opportunity for advancement or improvement
Example
He quit his **dead-end job** to start his own business.
idiom

backroom deal

Meaning
a secret agreement made by powerful people
Example
The media exposed the **backroom deal** between the two parties.
phrasal-verb

build around customer needs

Meaning
to develop products or services based on user demands
Example
Successful startups **build around customer needs** to ensure satisfaction.
idiom

fall through the cracks

Meaning
to be overlooked or neglected
Example
I forgot to follow up on his application and it **fell through the cracks**.
idiom

A goal without a plan is just a wish

Meaning
Having a goal without a clear plan makes it unlikely to succeed.
Example
Don’t just dream, remember **a goal without a plan is just a wish**.
idiom

laugh off

Meaning
to dismiss something by treating it as a joke
Example
She tried to **laugh off** the mistake during the presentation.
phrasal-verb

shore up with

Meaning
to strengthen something by adding support
Example
We **shore up with** extra data before presenting the forecast.
idiom

plans are up in the air

Meaning
plans are uncertain or not decided yet
Example
Our travel plans are still **up in the air**.
phrasal-verb

let someone off

Meaning
to forgive someone and not punish them
Example
The teacher **let him off** with a warning.
idiom

when pigs fly

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

go through the motions

Meaning
to do something without enthusiasm
Example
He’s just **going through the motions** at work.
idiom

pioneer a path

Meaning
to be the first to do something new or innovative.
Example
She is determined to **pioneer a path** in sustainable fashion.
idiom

smart cookie

Meaning
a clever and intelligent person
Example
Don’t underestimate her—she’s a **smart cookie**.
phrasal-verb

stumble upon

Meaning
to find something by accident
Example
We **stumbled upon** a hidden waterfall in the forest.