tack on
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idiom

tack on

Meaning
to add something extra, especially at the end
Example
They **tacked on** a brief Q&A after the session.
phrasal-verb

speak down to

Meaning
to talk to someone as if they are less intelligent
Example
Don’t **speak down to** your colleagues; treat them equally.
idiom

sleep tight

Meaning
to have a good and peaceful sleep
Example
Good night! **Sleep tight** and sweet dreams.
phrasal-verb

reach deep

Meaning
to dig into one’s emotions or empathy to connect with others
Example
He had to **reach deep** to find the compassion to forgive.
idiom

blaze a trail

Meaning
to be the first to do something innovative
Example
She **blazed a trail** in renewable energy research.
idiom

tear down

Meaning
to demolish or dismantle something
Example
They plan to **tear down** the old shed this weekend.
idiom

meet halfway

Meaning
to compromise by agreeing to part of what each person wants
Example
We decided to **meet halfway** and agree on a fair price.
idiom

key in on

Meaning
to give focused attention to something specific
Example
The coach asked the team to **key in on** their defensive mistakes.
phrasal-verb

call for change

Meaning
to demand reforms or modifications in policy or system
Example
The activists **called for change** in the voting system.
idiom

zero-day attack

Meaning
a cyberattack that exploits a previously unknown vulnerability
Example
The team discovered a **zero-day attack** before it spread widely.
phrasal-verb

draw up a budget

Meaning
to prepare or plan a financial outline for a period
Example
The finance team will **draw up a budget** for the next fiscal year.
idiom

brush past

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

do away with

Meaning
to get rid of something; to abolish
Example
They plan to **do away with** the old system soon.
phrasal-verb

call attention to

Meaning
to make people notice something good
Example
He **called attention to** the artist’s unique style.
idiom

take your time

Meaning
don’t rush; use as much time as needed
Example
**Take your time** and finish the job carefully.
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

cross your heart and hope to die

Meaning
to swear that something is true, often said with sincerity
Example
I **cross my heart and hope to die** that I will never lie to you.
phrasal-verb

result in

Meaning
to cause something to happen
Example
The lack of data **resulted in** an incomplete analysis.
idiom

come to mind

Meaning
to suddenly remember something
Example
Her name didn’t **come to mind** at first.
phrasal-verb

march on

Meaning
to continue advancing toward a goal despite difficulties
Example
The demonstrators **marched on** the capital demanding justice.
idiom

draw down

Meaning
to reduce the level or amount of something
Example
We plan to **draw down** inventory over the summer.
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

pull at

Meaning
to tug or hold onto something repeatedly
Example
The child kept **pulling at** his mother’s hand.
phrasal-verb

rack up

Meaning
to accumulate or achieve something, such as points or awards
Example
She has **racked up** several awards for her outstanding work.
idiom

drive up

Meaning
to cause something to increase
Example
Rising fuel costs **drive up** the price of groceries.
phrasal-verb

cheer others on

Meaning
to encourage people to keep going
Example
Managers **cheer others on** when the team hits tough weather calls.
idiom

music to my ears

Meaning
something that makes you feel happy or pleased
Example
Hearing that the concert was extended was **music to my ears**.
phrasal-verb

warn against

Meaning
to advise someone not to do something risky or harmful
Example
Experts **warn against** sharing passwords online.
idiom

rolling in money

Meaning
having a lot of money
Example
After his business took off, he’s been **rolling in money**.
phrasal-verb

let off tension

Meaning
to release built-up stress or frustration
Example
Going for a run helps me **let off tension** after a busy day.
idiom

a taste of your own medicine

Meaning
to experience the same unpleasantness you caused to others
Example
He was rude to everyone, but now he’s getting **a taste of his own medicine**.
idiom

rule of thumb

Meaning
a general practical principle based on experience
Example
As a **rule of thumb**, I double-check every document.
phrasal-verb

hang out

Meaning
to spend time with someone socially
Example
Let’s **hang out** after work and grab some coffee.
idiom

set the record straight

Meaning
to clarify the truth after a misunderstanding
Example
He wanted to **set the record straight** about what really happened.
idiom

toss out

Meaning
to throw something away
Example
We had to **toss out** the expired snacks.
phrasal-verb

carry off with

Meaning
to remove or take away forcefully
Example
The thief **carried off** the jewels **with** surprising speed.
phrasal-verb

make amends with

Meaning
to do something to show you are sorry and to fix a problem
Example
She tried to **make amends with** her colleague after the heated argument.
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

off the top of your head

Meaning
to say something without deep thinking or preparation
Example
I can’t remember the exact number **off the top of my head**.
phrasal-verb

live by

Meaning
to follow certain principles or moral values
Example
Our organization **lives by** honesty and transparency.
phrasal-verb

carry on through

Meaning
to continue despite difficulties or emotional pain
Example
He managed to **carry on through** the tough times.
idiom

carry over

Meaning
to transfer something to a later time or place
Example
We’ll **carry over** the unused vacation days to next year.
phrasal-verb

keep moving with purpose

Meaning
to continue progressing with clear goals and motivation
Example
Stay focused and **keep moving with purpose** every day.
idiom

A Catch-22

Meaning
A dilemma or difficult situation from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting conditions.
Example
It’s a **Catch-22**—you can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job.
phrasal-verb

take through

Meaning
to explain something step by step; to guide someone through a process
Example
Let me **take you through** the application process.
phrasal-verb

roll in profits

Meaning
to start earning a large amount of money
Example
After launching the new app, profits began to **roll in** quickly.
phrasal-verb

map out a plan

Meaning
to carefully plan or design steps to achieve a goal
Example
She **mapped out a plan** for reaching her five-year career goals.
phrasal-verb

refer back to

Meaning
to mention or direct attention to something mentioned earlier
Example
In this section, we **refer back to** the previous findings.
phrasal-verb

step in for

Meaning
to take someone’s place to handle a situation
Example
The manager had to **step in for** the team leader during the crisis.
idiom

open channels of communication

Meaning
to establish dialogue or discussion
Example
They tried to **open channels of communication** with the neighboring country.
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.
phrasal-verb

pay down

Meaning
to reduce a debt gradually by making regular payments
Example
She’s trying to **pay down** her credit card debt.
idiom

doomscrolling

Meaning
endlessly scrolling through bad news or negative content online
Example
I stayed up late **doomscrolling** last night.
phrasal-verb

tag in

Meaning
to include someone’s username in a post or photo
Example
Don’t forget to **tag in** your friends when you upload the group photo.
idiom

make the same mistake twice

Meaning
to repeat a mistake despite knowing it’s wrong
Example
She promised never to **make the same mistake twice**.
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

keep all your eggs in one basket

Meaning
to rely on a single plan or source of success
Example
Don’t **keep all your eggs in one basket** when investing.
idiom

hit the same wavelength

Meaning
to share similar thoughts and feelings
Example
We **hit the same wavelength** from the first conversation.
idiom

over it

Meaning
no longer interested or affected by something
Example
I'm totally **over it** now.
idiom

kill someone with kindness

Meaning
to be extra kind to someone unpleasant to neutralize their negativity
Example
The best way to deal with her is to **kill her with kindness**.
phrasal-verb

hit out at

Meaning
to criticize someone or something angrily
Example
The politician **hit out at** the media for spreading lies.
phrasal-verb

step up for

Meaning
to take responsibility or show leadership in a group situation
Example
When the manager was away, Sara **stepped up for** the team.
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**.
phrasal-verb

deal over

Meaning
to repeat the distribution of cards or tasks
Example
Let’s **deal over**; someone missed a card.
phrasal-verb

side with

Meaning
to support one person or group in an argument or conflict
Example
She always **sides with** her best friend in arguments.
idiom

kick up your heels

Meaning
to enjoy yourself by dancing or celebrating
Example
Everyone was ready to **kick up their heels** at the reunion.
idiom

call on

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

connect through

Meaning
to build relationships or understanding by using shared experiences or communication
Example
People can **connect through** art and music despite language barriers.
phrasal-verb

take part

Meaning
to participate or be involved in an activity
Example
Many people **take part** in the annual marathon as a hobby.
idiom

Pass down from generation to generation

Meaning
To transfer knowledge, customs, or traditions from one generation to the next
Example
These folk songs have been **passed down from generation to generation**.
idiom

overnight success

Meaning
a person or thing that becomes successful very quickly
Example
Her first song made her an **overnight success**.
phrasal-verb

brush back

Meaning
to push hair away from the face using the hand or brush
Example
She **brushed back** her hair to see more clearly.
idiom

play by ear

Meaning
to improvise or decide as you go rather than following a fixed plan
Example
We don't have a fixed schedule, so let's just **play it by ear**.
phrasal-verb

break away from

Meaning
to stop being part of something or someone’s influence
Example
He wants to **break away from** his parents’ control.
phrasal-verb

pick apart from

Meaning
to separate or distinguish from others
Example
It’s hard to **pick her apart from** her twin sister.
phrasal-verb

set up a coalition

Meaning
to form an alliance between parties or groups for political purposes
Example
Opposition leaders worked together to **set up a coalition** government.
phrasal-verb

raise concern about

Meaning
to express worry or doubt about an issue
Example
Activists **raised concern about** the pollution levels in the river.
phrasal-verb

work toward understanding

Meaning
to make an effort to empathize and see another person’s perspective
Example
Both sides should **work toward understanding** rather than arguing.
phrasal-verb

put on weight

Meaning
to gain weight
Example
I’ve **put on weight** since I stopped exercising.
phrasal-verb

run across

Meaning
to find or meet something or someone by chance
Example
I **ran across** an interesting article online.
idiom

a quick study

Meaning
someone who learns new things very fast
Example
She’s **a quick study** and mastered the topic in a day.
idiom

beat someone to the punch

Meaning
to do something before someone else does
Example
He **beat me to the punch** by applying for the job first.
idiom

Help each other out

Meaning
To assist one another, especially in difficult situations.
Example
During the project, we all had to **help each other out** to finish on time.
phrasal-verb

send across

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

cover all the bases

Meaning
to prepare for every possible situation
Example
We need to **cover all the bases** before the meeting.
phrasal-verb

crash out

Meaning
to fall asleep suddenly from exhaustion
Example
After a long day, I just **crashed out** on the sofa.
phrasal-verb

wait for

Meaning
to expect or anticipate the delivery of an order
Example
I can’t **wait for** my new shoes to arrive.
idiom

gain ground

Meaning
to make progress or advance
Example
The company has been **gaining ground** in the tech industry.
idiom

pat on the back

Meaning
to praise or congratulate someone for doing something well
Example
You deserve a **pat on the back** for your effort.
phrasal-verb

lead the way for

Meaning
to create an example that others can follow
Example
Community leaders **lead the way for** safer streets by volunteering weekends.
idiom

gather around

Meaning
to come together around someone or something
Example
Kids **gathered around** to watch the science demo.
phrasal-verb

rejoice in

Meaning
to feel or show great joy or delight in something
Example
They **rejoiced in** their success after years of hard work.
phrasal-verb

break into exports

Meaning
to start selling goods or services to foreign markets
Example
Many local companies are trying to **break into exports** to expand growth.
phrasal-verb

hurry up

Meaning
to do something faster
Example
You need to **hurry up** if you want to catch the train.
phrasal-verb

build bridges with

Meaning
to improve relationships and promote understanding between people or countries
Example
The summit aimed to **build bridges with** neighboring countries.
phrasal-verb

hand over responsibilities

Meaning
to transfer duties or control to someone else
Example
He will **hand over responsibilities** to his deputy next month.
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

stand on your own two feet

Meaning
to be independent and self-supporting
Example
He worked hard to **stand on his own two feet** after college.
phrasal-verb

hold against

Meaning
to blame someone for something
Example
Don’t **hold it against** her; she made an honest mistake.
idiom

set a good example

Meaning
to behave in a way that shows others how they should act
Example
Parents should **set a good example** for their children.
idiom

bounce back

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback or failure
Example
She **bounced back** after losing the competition.
idiom

boot up

Meaning
to start a computer or system
Example
My laptop takes forever to **boot up**.
idiom

weed out

Meaning
to remove unwanted people or things
Example
The editor **weeded out** the mistakes before publishing.
idiom

break down the problem

Meaning
to analyze a problem step by step
Example
Let’s **break down the problem** to understand it better.
idiom

caught red-handed

Meaning
to be caught in the act of doing something wrong
Example
The thief was **caught red-handed** stealing the wallet.
phrasal-verb

shine through

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

Light a fire under someone

Meaning
To motivate someone to take action or work harder.
Example
The coach’s speech really **lit a fire under** the players.
phrasal-verb

speak on

Meaning
to talk about a specific political or social issue
Example
The minister will **speak on** the new environmental policy tomorrow.
phrasal-verb

save up

Meaning
to keep money so you can buy something in the future
Example
I’m trying to **save up** for a new laptop.
idiom

kill time

Meaning
to do something while waiting
Example
We played cards to **kill time** before the show started.
idiom

sitting on the fence

Meaning
to avoid taking sides or making a decision
Example
He is **sitting on the fence** about the new policy.
idiom

world at your fingertips

Meaning
to have access to vast information easily, especially online
Example
With smartphones, the **world is at your fingertips**.
idiom

peel off

Meaning
to remove something, especially a layer, from a surface
Example
**Peel off** the label before recycling the jar.
phrasal-verb

bow to

Meaning
to accept the authority or influence of someone or something unwillingly
Example
The government finally **bowed to** public pressure.
phrasal-verb

sum up

Meaning
to summarize or express something briefly
Example
Let me **sum up** the key points before we finish.
idiom

get on like a house on fire

Meaning
to have a very good and friendly relationship
Example
The two sisters **get on like a house on fire**.
phrasal-verb

slim down

Meaning
to become thinner; to lose weight
Example
She has been exercising to **slim down** for her wedding.
phrasal-verb

open up to diversity

Meaning
to become accepting and appreciative of different backgrounds or perspectives
Example
Education helps people **open up to diversity** and reduce prejudice.
idiom

on background

Meaning
information given to a journalist that cannot be attributed to the source
Example
The official spoke **on background** about the new policy.
idiom

train your brain

Meaning
to practice and improve one’s cognitive abilities
Example
Use puzzles to **train your brain** like an AI model.
idiom

to reach for the moon

Meaning
to aim for something that is difficult or seemingly impossible to achieve
Example
He decided to **reach for the moon** and apply for the most competitive university.