take forward
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phrasal-verb

take forward

Meaning
to move a plan or project to the next stage
Example
We need strong leadership to **take forward** the innovation agenda.
idiom

take the bull by the horns

Meaning
to face a difficult situation directly and with courage
Example
She decided to **take the bull by the horns** and confront her manager.
phrasal-verb

tear up

Meaning
to start crying a little
Example
She **teared up** during the emotional movie scene.
phrasal-verb

throw down

Meaning
to drop something forcefully; to challenge someone
Example
He **threw down** his gloves and walked out angrily.
idiom

the early bird catches the worm

Meaning
people who start early are more likely to succeed
Example
**The early bird catches the worm**, so start your day early.
phrasal-verb

take over

Meaning
to gain control of another company through acquisition
Example
A multinational firm is planning to **take over** the local brand.
phrasal-verb

turn out for

Meaning
to attend or participate in an event
Example
Thousands of people **turned out for** the annual cultural parade.
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.
phrasal-verb

thank warmly

Meaning
to express gratitude in a sincere way
Example
She **thanked everyone warmly** for attending the event.
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

two-faced

Meaning
deceitful; pretending to be friendly while being dishonest
Example
She seems nice, but she’s actually **two-faced**.
idiom

talk through

Meaning
to discuss something in detail
Example
Let’s **talk through** the plan before the client call.
idiom

take someone to task

Meaning
to strongly criticize someone for something they did wrong
Example
The teacher **took him to task** for cheating on the exam.
idiom

think twice

Meaning
to reconsider something carefully before acting
Example
You should **think twice** before making that deal.
phrasal-verb

throw at

Meaning
to aim something at someone or something with force
Example
He **threw** the ball **at** his friend playfully.
idiom

tighten the belt

Meaning
to reduce spending; to save money due to financial constraints
Example
In tough economic times, businesses must **tighten the belt** to survive.
idiom

talk someone into something

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** going to the gym with him.
idiom

the going gets tough

Meaning
when the situation becomes very difficult or challenging
Example
When **the going gets tough**, the tough get going.
idiom

take someone's breath away

Meaning
to impress or amaze someone with beauty or charm
Example
Her beauty **took his breath away**.
phrasal-verb

tap into new markets

Meaning
to start selling in new regions or countries
Example
The company is trying to **tap into new markets** in Asia and Africa.
idiom

to mend fences

Meaning
to repair a relationship
Example
After their argument, they decided to **mend fences**.
phrasal-verb

take over for

Meaning
to temporarily handle someone’s virtual responsibilities
Example
Can you **take over for** me while I’m offline?
idiom

the nuts and bolts

Meaning
the basic practical details of something
Example
We discussed **the nuts and bolts** of the new software project.
idiom

take someone at their word

Meaning
to trust that someone is telling the truth
Example
You can **take her at her word**; she never lies.
phrasal-verb

talk over someone

Meaning
to speak louder than another person so they cannot be heard
Example
Stop **talking over** others; it's hard to understand anyone.
idiom

think for yourself

Meaning
to form your own opinions and make your own decisions
Example
You should learn to **think for yourself** instead of copying others.
idiom

the moral compass

Meaning
a person's or society’s sense of right and wrong
Example
We must ensure AI doesn’t lose its **moral compass**.
idiom

The more, the merrier

Meaning
Things are more fun or effective with more people involved.
Example
Bring your friends along — **the more, the merrier**!
idiom

to backfire

Meaning
to have the opposite result of what was intended
Example
His plan **backfired** and made things worse.
phrasal-verb

tune yourself out

Meaning
to stop paying attention to stressful things
Example
When people argue, I just **tune myself out** to stay calm.
idiom

toe the line

Meaning
to obey rules or follow the official policy
Example
All members are expected to **toe the line** with party policy.
phrasal-verb

take things in stride

Meaning
to accept and deal with difficult situations calmly
Example
She always **takes things in stride**, no matter what happens.
idiom

that's the last straw

Meaning
my patience has run out
Example
He's been late all week, but this is **the last straw**.
idiom

trust your gut

Meaning
to follow your intuition or instincts
Example
When making big decisions, it’s often best to **trust your gut**.
phrasal-verb

tone down for

Meaning
to soften your language or behavior for a situation
Example
She **tones down for** audiences who prefer straightforward facts.
phrasal-verb

touch on

Meaning
to briefly mention or discuss a subject
Example
She only **touched on** the topic during her speech.
idiom

tighten one’s belt

Meaning
to spend less money due to financial difficulties
Example
After losing his job, he had to **tighten his belt**.
idiom

take someone aback

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

turn setbacks into strengths

Meaning
to use failures or difficulties as a source of learning and confidence
Example
She learned to **turn setbacks into strengths** through self-belief.
idiom

take the pressure off

Meaning
to make a stressful situation easier
Example
Hiring an assistant really **took the pressure off** me.
idiom

talk the talk

Meaning
to speak confidently about something
Example
He can **talk the talk**, but can he walk the walk?
idiom

the fourth estate

Meaning
the press or news media, considered as an influential societal force
Example
Many believe **the fourth estate** plays a vital role in democracy.
phrasal-verb

trip over

Meaning
to make a careless mistake while doing something
Example
I **tripped over** my words during the speech.
idiom

take no prisoners

Meaning
to be ruthless or extremely determined in achieving something
Example
Our sales team **takes no prisoners** when it comes to competition.
idiom

to take the law into one’s own hands

Meaning
to punish someone personally instead of letting the authorities handle it
Example
The villagers **took the law into their own hands** when the thief escaped.
idiom

to the letter

Meaning
exactly as instructed
Example
She followed her teacher’s advice **to the letter**.
phrasal-verb

turn down for

Meaning
to reject an offer or opportunity
Example
He was **turned down for** the job because he lacked experience.
idiom

track down

Meaning
to find something or someone after a search
Example
We finally **tracked down** the missing invoice.
idiom

throw caution to the wind

Meaning
to do something risky without worrying
Example
I decided to **throw caution to the wind** and try it.
phrasal-verb

take up a new habit

Meaning
to start doing something regularly as a habit or routine
Example
She decided to **take up a new habit** of reading before bed.
phrasal-verb

throw up one's hands

Meaning
to give up in despair or frustration
Example
The manager **threw up his hands** when the plan failed.
idiom

talk around something

Meaning
to discuss something without addressing it directly
Example
She kept **talking around** the topic instead of answering the question directly.
phrasal-verb

think outside boundaries

Meaning
to think creatively without restrictions or limitations
Example
Designers must **think outside boundaries** to stay innovative.
idiom

the law of supply and demand

Meaning
an economic theory that states that the price of a good or service is determined by the availability of the product (supply) and the demand for it
Example
The **law of supply and demand** dictates that prices will rise if demand outstrips supply.
phrasal-verb

throw up

Meaning
to vomit
Example
The spoiled food made him **throw up**.
idiom

the teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone knows he’s **the teacher’s pet** in our class.
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

take it with a grain of salt

Meaning
to not completely believe something
Example
He tends to exaggerate, so **take his stories with a grain of salt**.
idiom

turn a new leaf

Meaning
to make a fresh start or change for the better
Example
After the incident, he decided to **turn a new leaf** and improve his behavior.
idiom

to come clean

Meaning
to admit the truth, especially when it is difficult or embarrassing
Example
He decided it was time to **come clean** about his mistake.
idiom

to see the big picture

Meaning
to understand the larger or more important issue
Example
You need to **see the big picture** when making strategic decisions.
idiom

to strike it rich

Meaning
to suddenly become very wealthy
Example
He **struck it rich** by investing in early-stage tech companies.
phrasal-verb

take off in career

Meaning
to suddenly become successful in your job or business
Example
Her career really **took off** after she launched her own startup.
idiom

take a dim view of

Meaning
to disapprove of something; to have a negative opinion
Example
The manager **takes a dim view of** employees arriving late.
idiom

think on your feet

Meaning
to make quick decisions or ideas under pressure
Example
Good leaders can **think on their feet**.
idiom

tell a tall tale

Meaning
to tell an exaggerated or false story
Example
He loves to **tell tall tales** about his adventures.
idiom

twist someone's arm

Meaning
to persuade someone forcefully
Example
I had to **twist his arm** to get him to come.
phrasal-verb

take back

Meaning
to admit that what you said was wrong; to retract something
Example
I **take back** what I said earlier.
idiom

To move mountains

Meaning
To achieve something very difficult or seemingly impossible.
Example
With determination, she can **move mountains**.
idiom

take the cake

Meaning
to be the best or most outstanding
Example
Among all the entries, your design really **takes the cake**.
idiom

third time lucky

Meaning
succeeding after two failures
Example
He failed twice, but maybe he’ll be **third time lucky**.
phrasal-verb

talk it over

Meaning
to discuss something to solve a problem or misunderstanding
Example
Let’s **talk it over** and clear things up.
idiom

to hack into

Meaning
to gain unauthorized access to a system or network
Example
The attackers managed **to hack into** the company's internal servers.
idiom

throw one's hat in the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s intention to compete for a position or office
Example
Several candidates have **thrown their hats in the ring** for the presidency.
idiom

take the time to listen

Meaning
to make an effort to understand or care about someone else's feelings
Example
Sometimes, all we need is to **take the time to listen** to others' problems.
idiom

too big to fail

Meaning
a company or institution that is so important that it is unlikely to fail
Example
Many financial institutions were considered **too big to fail** during the 2008 financial crisis.
phrasal-verb

turn away

Meaning
to refuse entry or acceptance; to move away from something
Example
The guard **turned away** people without tickets.
idiom

truth will out

Meaning
the truth will eventually be revealed
Example
You can’t hide it forever; **truth will out**.
idiom

trailblaze

Meaning
to be the first to do something or lead the way
Example
She is a **trailblazer** in the tech industry.
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

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**.
phrasal-verb

talk over drinks

Meaning
to have a conversation while drinking together
Example
They **talked over drinks** about old memories.
idiom

There’s always hope

Meaning
No matter how bad things look, you can still hope.
Example
Don’t lose heart — **there’s always hope**.
idiom

throw under the bus

Meaning
to blame someone else to save yourself.
Example
He **threw his colleague under the bus** to avoid punishment.
idiom

to my mind

Meaning
in my personal opinion or belief
Example
**To my mind**, this plan will work perfectly.
idiom

To go the extra mile

Meaning
To put in more effort than is expected
Example
He always goes the extra mile to help his friends.
phrasal-verb

take away

Meaning
to remove something; to make someone learn or remember something
Example
What did you **take away** from the meeting?
idiom

take someone's word for it

Meaning
to trust that what someone says is true
Example
I’ll **take your word for it** since you were there.
idiom

To have a clear conscience

Meaning
To feel that one has done the right thing.
Example
After returning the lost wallet, he went to bed **with a clear conscience**.
idiom

turn over a new leaf

Meaning
to start behaving better after doing something wrong
Example
After the accident, he decided to **turn over a new leaf**.
idiom

table the discussion

Meaning
to postpone discussing something until later
Example
They decided to **table the discussion** until next week.
phrasal-verb

talk it out

Meaning
to discuss problems to relieve stress
Example
If you’re feeling tense, it helps to **talk it out** with a friend.
phrasal-verb

take notes

Meaning
to write down important information during a lesson or meeting
Example
He always **takes notes** when the teacher explains a new topic.
idiom

think outside the box

Meaning
to think creatively and differently
Example
We need to **think outside the box** to solve this issue.
idiom

The greater good

Meaning
The idea that actions should be judged based on how much they contribute to the overall well-being of society, rather than individual interests.
Example
In times of crisis, leaders must always think about **the greater good** before making decisions.
phrasal-verb

throw on

Meaning
to put on clothes quickly and carelessly
Example
She just **threw on** a sweater and ran out the door.
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

till the soil

Meaning
to prepare for future success by hard work
Example
He spent years **tilling the soil** before his business finally grew.
idiom

the rest is history

Meaning
used to say that everyone knows what happened next
Example
They met in college, fell in love, and **the rest is history**.
idiom

The sun is shining

Meaning
A metaphor for happiness or positivity, often used when things are going well.
Example
After all the hard work, things finally seemed to be **shining**.
phrasal-verb

trust with

Meaning
to give someone responsibility or confidence to handle something
Example
I **trust you with** my deepest secrets.
idiom

throw one’s hat into the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s intention to compete or take part, especially in politics
Example
He finally **threw his hat into the ring** for the mayoral election.
phrasal-verb

tear into

Meaning
to attack or criticize someone fiercely
Example
The coach **tore into** the players after their poor performance.
idiom

the end of the road

Meaning
the point where progress stops; the end of something
Example
For us, this is **the end of the road**.
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

to put it bluntly

Meaning
to express an opinion in a direct and straightforward way
Example
**To put it bluntly**, you were wrong.
idiom

take the road less traveled

Meaning
to do something different or unconventional
Example
He **took the road less traveled** by choosing a career in adventure sports.
phrasal-verb

thrill to

Meaning
to feel great excitement or pleasure from something
Example
The audience **thrilled to** the singer’s performance.
phrasal-verb

take out on

Meaning
to use money for paying a loan or insurance
Example
He decided to **take out** life insurance after having a baby.
idiom

The melting pot

Meaning
A place where many different cultures blend together
Example
New York is often called **the melting pot** of cultures.
idiom

throw your hat in the ring

Meaning
to show interest in something, especially a competition or challenge
Example
I decided to **throw my hat in the ring** and apply for the leadership role.
phrasal-verb

tie innovation to strategy

Meaning
to connect innovation plans with business strategy
Example
The manager wants to **tie innovation to strategy** for better results.
phrasal-verb

throw about

Meaning
to move or scatter things in a disorderly way
Example
The kids **threw about** their toys all over the room.
idiom

tear-jerker

Meaning
something that makes you cry, especially a movie or story
Example
That movie was such a **tear-jerker**.
phrasal-verb

tear up with joy

Meaning
to start crying because of happiness
Example
She **tore up with joy** when she heard the good news.
idiom

the black sheep

Meaning
a person who is a disgrace to their family or group
Example
He’s **the black sheep** of the family.
idiom

the big bang

Meaning
a sudden and powerful beginning; often used metaphorically
Example
The startup launched with **a big bang** in the tech world.
phrasal-verb

talk back

Meaning
to reply rudely; to argue with authority
Example
Don’t **talk back** to your teacher like that!
idiom

take a rain check

Meaning
to decline an offer but suggest doing it another time
Example
Can I **take a rain check** on dinner? I am busy tonight.
idiom

to have hope in one's heart

Meaning
to remain hopeful and optimistic about the future
Example
Despite all the challenges, he always **has hope in his heart**.
phrasal-verb

turn down

Meaning
to reject or refuse something
Example
The minister **turned down** the proposal for increasing taxes.