sworn enemy turned friend
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idiom

sworn enemy turned friend

Meaning
someone who was once your enemy but is now a friend
Example
After years of rivalry, they became **sworn enemies turned friends**.
idiom

to rocket to success

Meaning
to achieve success very quickly
Example
His new startup **rocketed to success** after securing major funding.
idiom

go with the flow

Meaning
to accept things as they come; not resist change
Example
Instead of worrying, just **go with the flow**.
idiom

on solid ground

Meaning
in a safe or stable situation
Example
After months of hard work, the company is now **on solid ground**.
idiom

To be thick as thieves

Meaning
To be very close friends
Example
They've been **thick as thieves** ever since childhood.
idiom

under the hood

Meaning
behind the surface; the underlying mechanism or system
Example
Developers love to see what’s **under the hood** of a new app.
idiom

a man of vision

Meaning
a person who has foresight and imagination
Example
He is **a man of vision** who transformed the company.
idiom

fall flat

Meaning
to fail completely
Example
His idea **fell flat** because nobody liked it.
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.
idiom

dodged a bullet

Meaning
To narrowly escape a dangerous or unlucky situation.
Example
We really **dodged a bullet** when that deal fell through.
idiom

carry the responsibility

Meaning
to be in charge of something or to be responsible for it
Example
As the project leader, he had to **carry the responsibility** for the entire team.
idiom

at the helm

Meaning
in a position of leadership or control
Example
With her **at the helm**, the company has grown rapidly.
idiom

bring to the table

Meaning
to contribute something useful or valuable
Example
Each team member **brings something unique to the table**.
idiom

fall head over heels

Meaning
to fall deeply in love
Example
He **fell head over heels** in love with her the moment they met.
idiom

My two cents

Meaning
My personal opinion or suggestion
Example
That’s just my two cents, but I think we should wait.
idiom

the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Meaning
complete honesty without hiding or changing anything
Example
Please tell **the whole truth and nothing but the truth**.
idiom

cut back on

Meaning
to reduce the amount of something
Example
We’re trying to **cut back on** eating out during the week.
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

bear market

Meaning
a period when stock prices are falling
Example
Many people lose money during a **bear market**.
idiom

set down

Meaning
to place something or write something down
Example
**Set down** your ideas so we can review them.
idiom

at breaking point

Meaning
so stressed or tired that one can hardly cope
Example
After working 80 hours this week, she’s **at breaking point**.
idiom

catch some z’s

Meaning
to get some sleep
Example
I need to **catch some z’s** before the meeting.
idiom

stick together

Meaning
to stay close and support each other
Example
In tough times, good friends **stick together**.
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

work your fingers to the bone

Meaning
to work extremely hard
Example
She **worked her fingers to the bone** to support her family.
idiom

talk in circles

Meaning
to discuss something without reaching a conclusion
Example
We **talked in circles** for hours but didn’t solve anything.
idiom

gain the upper ground

Meaning
to achieve a position of advantage or superiority
Example
The opposition **gained the upper ground** after the scandal.
idiom

the old school

Meaning
having traditional beliefs or methods
Example
My professor is from **the old school**; he prefers chalkboards to slides.
idiom

kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to succeed in achieving two things in a single action
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

extend an olive branch

Meaning
to offer peace or reconciliation
Example
After years of conflict, the president decided to **extend an olive branch**.
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**.
idiom

keep your eye on the prize

Meaning
to stay focused on your goal or objective despite obstacles
Example
Even though the road was tough, he always **kept his eye on the prize** and succeeded.
idiom

learn from mistakes

Meaning
to improve oneself by understanding and correcting errors
Example
I always try to **learn from mistakes** to avoid repeating them.
idiom

split second

Meaning
a very short amount of time
Example
The decision was made in a **split second**.
idiom

the letter of the law

Meaning
following the exact wording of the law
Example
He follows **the letter of the law**, not its spirit.
idiom

to break new ground

Meaning
to do something innovative or unprecedented
Example
The company’s new app **broke new ground** in terms of user experience.
idiom

jump to conclusions

Meaning
to make a decision without enough information
Example
Don’t **jump to conclusions** before hearing the whole story.
idiom

Nero fiddled while Rome burned

Meaning
To ignore a crisis or serious situation while doing something trivial.
Example
The leader was accused of **fiddling while Rome burned** during the economic collapse.
idiom

on the same page

Meaning
to agree or have the same understanding about something
Example
Before we continue, let’s make sure we’re **on the same page**.
idiom

head out

Meaning
to leave for a destination
Example
Let’s **head out** before the traffic gets heavy.
idiom

go off on a tangent

Meaning
to suddenly start talking about something unrelated
Example
He tends to **go off on a tangent** when discussing politics.
idiom

look before you leap

Meaning
to think carefully about possible risks before doing something
Example
Before starting your own business, remember to **look before you leap**.
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

the bottom line

Meaning
the most important fact or result
Example
The **bottom line** is that we need to increase our profits.
idiom

No guts, no glory

Meaning
Without courage, you can’t achieve success.
Example
He took the challenge—**no guts, no glory**.
idiom

get a grip on yourself

Meaning
to control your emotions and behave calmly
Example
You need to **get a grip on yourself** before talking to your boss.
idiom

school of thought

Meaning
a particular way of thinking or set of ideas
Example
There’s a **school of thought** that believes learning by doing is best.
idiom

troll someone

Meaning
to deliberately provoke or upset someone online
Example
Some users love to **troll** others just for fun.
idiom

play it by ear

Meaning
to decide or act as the situation develops
Example
We’ll **play it by ear** and see what happens.
idiom

Frankenstein’s monster

Meaning
A creation that turns against its creator.
Example
Social media became a **Frankenstein’s monster** for its inventors.
idiom

Bear with me

Meaning
Be patient with me.
Example
**Bear with me** while I fix this problem.
idiom

keep out

Meaning
to prevent someone or something from entering
Example
Close the windows to **keep out** the dust during the renovation.
idiom

get one's ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things in a proper and efficient way
Example
Before we begin, we need to **get our ducks in a row** and finalize the plan.
idiom

draw up

Meaning
to prepare an official document or plan
Example
The lawyer will **draw up** the agreement this afternoon.
idiom

grinning from ear to ear

Meaning
smiling broadly due to happiness
Example
He was **grinning from ear to ear** after receiving the gift.
idiom

A flash of inspiration

Meaning
A sudden creative idea
Example
He had **a flash of inspiration** while working late at night.
idiom

take someone under your wing

Meaning
to take responsibility for someone and help them learn
Example
He decided to **take me under his wing** and show me how to succeed.
idiom

the elephant in the room

Meaning
an obvious problem that no one wants to discuss
Example
Nobody wants to address **the elephant in the room**.
idiom

to hit the books

Meaning
to study intensely
Example
I need to **hit the books** if I want to pass the exam.
idiom

be at someone’s beck and call

Meaning
to always be ready to help or obey someone
Example
The assistant is **at his boss’s beck and call**.
idiom

political circus

Meaning
a situation where politics becomes chaotic and theatrical
Example
The election debates turned into a **political circus**.
idiom

across the board

Meaning
affecting everyone or everything equally
Example
The new tariffs apply **across the board** to all imported goods.
idiom

come to terms

Meaning
to reach an agreement after discussion or conflict
Example
After weeks of negotiation, both sides finally **came to terms**.
idiom

fear of the unknown

Meaning
anxiety about things that are unfamiliar or uncertain
Example
Many people avoid change because of their **fear of the unknown**.
idiom

anchors aweigh

Meaning
Ready to depart or begin a journey.
Example
With our bags packed, it’s **anchors aweigh** for the road trip!
idiom

rule out

Meaning
to decide that something is not possible
Example
We can’t **rule out** another delay yet.
idiom

Wisdom comes with age

Meaning
The older you get, the wiser you become, due to experience.
Example
You should listen to him; after all, **wisdom comes with age**.
idiom

cover story

Meaning
the main story on the front of a magazine or newspaper
Example
Her interview became the **cover story** of the week.
idiom

steer the ship

Meaning
to be in charge or control of a situation or organization
Example
The manager was able to **steer the ship** through the difficult times.
idiom

honor one's promise

Meaning
to keep a promise or commitment
Example
She **honored her promise** to visit the orphanage.
idiom

butterflies in the stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or excited
Example
I always get **butterflies in my stomach** before a date.
idiom

make ends meet

Meaning
to earn enough money to live on
Example
He works two jobs to **make ends meet**.
idiom

beyond one's control

Meaning
not under one’s power or influence
Example
The situation is **beyond our control** now.
idiom

it takes two to tango

Meaning
both people involved in a situation are equally responsible
Example
You can't blame only him for the argument - **it takes two to tango**.
idiom

walk on eggshells

Meaning
to be very careful about what you say or do to avoid upsetting someone
Example
Ever since the argument, I've been **walking on eggshells** around him.
idiom

enter stage left

Meaning
to appear or arrive dramatically in a situation
Example
Just when things got complicated, **enter stage left**—our new competitor!
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

a paradigm shift

Meaning
a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions
Example
The invention of the internet marked a **paradigm shift** in communication and information sharing.
idiom

the acid test

Meaning
a true and final test of success
Example
The real market will be **the acid test** for this invention.
idiom

Burning question

Meaning
An important or urgent question that people are eager to know.
Example
The **burning question** is whether the plan will actually work.
idiom

don't sweat the small stuff

Meaning
don’t worry about minor or unimportant things
Example
It’s just a little mistake, **don’t sweat the small stuff**.
idiom

table a proposal

Meaning
to formally present a proposal for discussion
Example
The ambassador decided to **table a proposal** for regional cooperation.
idiom

frozen with fear

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

crack down on

Meaning
to take strict action to stop something
Example
The city plans to **crack down on** illegal parking downtown.
idiom

hold the upper hand

Meaning
to have more power or advantage over others
Example
Negotiations continued, but the buyer **held the upper hand**.
idiom

team effort

Meaning
work done by a group of people to achieve a common goal
Example
The success of the project was due to a great **team effort**.
idiom

political mileage

Meaning
advantage gained from a political situation
Example
Opposition leaders tried to gain **political mileage** from the crisis.
idiom

To question everything

Meaning
To critically examine and not blindly accept the status quo or accepted beliefs.
Example
In philosophy, one is encouraged **to question everything** in order to arrive at the truth.
idiom

draw a blank

Meaning
to be unable to remember or think of something
Example
When asked about the date, she **drew a blank**.
idiom

put words in someone’s mouth

Meaning
to say someone said something they did not
Example
Don’t **put words in my mouth**—I never said that!
idiom

keep someone's secret

Meaning
to not tell others what someone has told you in confidence
Example
You can trust me—I’ll **keep your secret**.
idiom

footloose and fancy-free

Meaning
free to do whatever you want; without commitments
Example
He loves being **footloose and fancy-free** after retirement.
idiom

busy as a bee

Meaning
very active or hardworking
Example
She’s **as busy as a bee** preparing for the wedding.
idiom

earn someone's trust

Meaning
to gain someone's confidence through actions
Example
You need to **earn their trust** before they open up.
idiom

deep learning

Meaning
A class of machine learning algorithms that uses multiple layers to progressively extract higher-level features from raw input.
Example
The AI system improved through **deep learning**, making it smarter over time.
idiom

scared stiff

Meaning
to be extremely frightened
Example
I was **scared stiff** when I heard strange noises at night.
idiom

iron out the kinks

Meaning
to resolve small problems or imperfections
Example
We’ll **iron out the kinks** before launch day.
idiom

A Jekyll and Hyde

Meaning
A person with two very different sides to their personality.
Example
He’s like **a Jekyll and Hyde**—nice one moment and cruel the next.
idiom

move forward

Meaning
to continue with progress after a delay or challenge
Example
After reviewing the feedback, we can **move forward** with the design.
idiom

get your point across

Meaning
to express an idea clearly so that others understand it
Example
It’s important to **get your point across** during discussions.
idiom

long time no see

Meaning
used when you meet someone after a long time
Example
**Long time no see!** How have you been?
idiom

a bundle of joy

Meaning
someone or something that brings great happiness
Example
Their new baby is **a bundle of joy** for the family.
idiom

at the cutting edge

Meaning
at the most advanced position in a field
Example
The lab is **at the cutting edge** of medical research.
idiom

ring the changes

Meaning
to make changes to something to make it more interesting or effective
Example
The restaurant decided to **ring the changes** with a new menu.
idiom

laid-back

Meaning
calm, relaxed, and not easily upset
Example
He’s a very **laid-back** person who rarely gets angry.
idiom

moonlight as

Meaning
to work at a second job, especially secretly or part-time
Example
She decided to **moonlight as** a freelance writer to make extra money.
idiom

to mess up

Meaning
to make a mistake or do something badly
Example
Don’t **mess up** the report again this time.
idiom

a debt of gratitude

Meaning
a feeling of being grateful to someone who has helped you
Example
We owe **a debt of gratitude** to our mentors.
idiom

pull rank

Meaning
to use one's authority to gain an advantage
Example
He **pulled rank** to get the last seat on the plane.
idiom

change gears

Meaning
to shift to a new way of thinking or doing things
Example
We need to **change gears** if we want to reach our target in time.
idiom

go the distance

Meaning
to finish something successfully despite difficulties
Example
Only the most determined athletes can **go the distance**.
idiom

bite your tongue

Meaning
to stop yourself from saying something you want to say
Example
I had to **bite my tongue** when my boss took credit for my work.
idiom

break your back

Meaning
to work very hard to achieve something
Example
He’s been **breaking his back** to support his family.
idiom

narrow down to

Meaning
to reduce choices to a smaller number
Example
We’ve **narrowed it down to** three finalists.
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

lock down

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

the smoking gun

Meaning
a piece of evidence that clearly proves guilt
Example
The email was **the smoking gun** in the corruption case.
idiom

break the glass ceiling

Meaning
to overcome a barrier or limitation, particularly in career or personal advancement
Example
She was the first woman in the company to **break the glass ceiling** and become a senior manager.
idiom

make a name for oneself

Meaning
to become well-known or famous for something
Example
He **made a name for himself** as a creative designer.
idiom

artificial intelligence

Meaning
The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn.
Example
The company has invested heavily in **artificial intelligence** to enhance automation.
idiom

change of scene

Meaning
a new environment or situation
Example
After months of work, I needed a **change of scene**.