the big cheese
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idiom

the big cheese

Meaning
an important or influential person
Example
He's **the big cheese** in the company.
phrasal-verb

merge efforts with

Meaning
to combine work or resources with another party
Example
They **merged efforts with** neighboring countries for mutual benefit.
phrasal-verb

log in to

Meaning
to enter your username and password to access an account
Example
I can’t **log in to** my Instagram account right now.
phrasal-verb

break out in a rash

Meaning
to suddenly develop a skin condition
Example
She **broke out in a rash** after eating seafood.
idiom

trust someone with something

Meaning
to give someone responsibility for something important
Example
I trust you to **take care of the project**.
idiom

cool as a cucumber

Meaning
very calm and composed
Example
He stayed **cool as a cucumber** during the meeting.
idiom

To be in someone's corner

Meaning
To support or defend someone.
Example
Even though they were having disagreements, she was always **in his corner**.
phrasal-verb

burst with

Meaning
to be full of a strong emotion like happiness or excitement
Example
The children were **bursting with** excitement on their birthday.
idiom

catch the travel bug

Meaning
to become very interested in traveling
Example
After visiting Thailand, she really **caught the travel bug**.
phrasal-verb

balance between

Meaning
to maintain stability between different emotions or responsibilities
Example
She tries to **balance between** her work and personal life.
idiom

sadder but wiser

Meaning
disappointed but having learned from the experience
Example
After that mistake, she was **sadder but wiser**.
phrasal-verb

blow it

Meaning
to fail at something important; to lose an opportunity
Example
I really **blew it** in the interview by arriving late.
phrasal-verb

come down

Meaning
when rain or snow falls heavily
Example
The rain is really **coming down** now.
phrasal-verb

win over

Meaning
to persuade someone to support you or your ideas
Example
The candidate tried to **win over** the undecided voters.
phrasal-verb

pave the way for

Meaning
to create conditions that make something possible
Example
Her strong performance **paved the way for** her promotion.
idiom

at the helm

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

gain insight into

Meaning
to understand something deeply or clearly through experience
Example
Traveling helped me **gain insight into** different cultures.
phrasal-verb

join hands with

Meaning
to collaborate or work together for a cause
Example
Several organizations **joined hands with** the ministry to organize the cultural festival.
phrasal-verb

play with

Meaning
to spend time enjoying a game or toy with someone
Example
We used to **play with** marbles and paper boats in the rain.
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

keep up the momentum

Meaning
to continue working with the same energy and enthusiasm
Example
After achieving success, the team must **keep up the momentum**.
idiom

cross off

Meaning
to remove an item from a list
Example
You can **cross off** the tasks we’ve finished.
phrasal-verb

roll back

Meaning
to reverse or reduce the effect of something
Example
The government decided to **roll back** the new data policy after criticism.
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.
idiom

Chart a course

Meaning
To plan a way to achieve something.
Example
The company has **charted a course** for global expansion.
phrasal-verb

melt away

Meaning
when snow or ice disappears as it gets warmer
Example
The snow quickly **melted away** in the morning sun.
idiom

dig out

Meaning
to retrieve something that has been stored or buried
Example
Could you **dig out** last year’s budget notes?
idiom

judge a book by its cover

Meaning
to form an opinion based on appearance only
Example
Don’t **judge a book by its cover**; she’s actually very kind.
idiom

make someone's day

Meaning
to make someone very happy
Example
Your message really **made my day**!
idiom

time will tell

Meaning
the future will reveal the outcome
Example
**Time will tell** whether this was the right decision.
phrasal-verb

pick through

Meaning
to look through things to find what you want
Example
He **picked through** the old books looking for his favorite one.
idiom

spill the beans

Meaning
to reveal a secret
Example
She accidentally **spilled the beans** about the surprise party.
idiom

tip of the hat

Meaning
a gesture of appreciation or respect
Example
A **tip of the hat** to everyone who made this event possible.
idiom

prodigal son

Meaning
a person who leaves home and returns repentant after wasting wealth or opportunities
Example
After years abroad, he returned home like **the prodigal son**.
phrasal-verb

log back out

Meaning
to safely disconnect from a system again after using it
Example
Don’t forget to **log back out** after checking your account.
idiom

clear the air

Meaning
to remove tension or misunderstanding by talking openly
Example
We need to sit down and **clear the air** about what happened last week.
phrasal-verb

relate across

Meaning
to connect with people from other backgrounds through shared understanding
Example
Learning languages helps you **relate across** cultures more easily.
idiom

show leadership

Meaning
to demonstrate leadership qualities or skills
Example
She was able to **show leadership** during the crisis and guide the team through tough times.
phrasal-verb

deal off

Meaning
to finish or complete a business transaction
Example
They finally **dealt off** the property last week.
idiom

on the gravy train

Meaning
to be in a situation where one makes a lot of money with little effort
Example
He’s been riding **on the gravy train** since he took over the family business.
phrasal-verb

hold up under pressure

Meaning
to remain strong and calm when under stress or pressure
Example
She always **holds up under pressure** and performs her best.
phrasal-verb

bring people along

Meaning
to inspire others to share and follow your vision; to include others in your progress
Example
A good leader knows how to **bring people along** when introducing new ideas.
idiom

school someone in something

Meaning
to teach someone about a subject or skill
Example
He **schooled me in** the basics of computer programming.
phrasal-verb

fall into

Meaning
to begin doing something; to be caught in a situation
Example
She **fell into** bad habits during the lockdown.
idiom

branch out

Meaning
to expand into new activities or areas
Example
The bakery plans to **branch out** into catering services next year.
phrasal-verb

pick off

Meaning
to shoot or remove one by one
Example
The sniper **picked off** the enemies from a distance.
idiom

power play

Meaning
a strategic move to gain or maintain control
Example
The alliance between the two countries is seen as a **power play**.
idiom

break the silence

Meaning
to start talking after a period of silence
Example
He was the one to **break the silence** after the awkward pause.
idiom

break down the problem

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

run away with

Meaning
to win easily; to take something without permission
Example
Their team **ran away with** the championship.
idiom

a wake-up call

Meaning
an event that makes someone realize they need to change
Example
Losing his job was a **wake-up call** for him.
phrasal-verb

branch off into

Meaning
to start doing something different from your main work or area of expertise
Example
After several years in finance, he decided to **branch off into** consulting.
phrasal-verb

burst into flames

Meaning
to suddenly start burning
Example
The car **burst into flames** after the collision.
phrasal-verb

go on

Meaning
to happen or take place
Example
The celebration **went on** until midnight with music and dance.
idiom

shake off

Meaning
to get rid of something unpleasant
Example
She took a walk to **shake off** the stress.
idiom

smooth sailing

Meaning
a situation without problems or difficulties
Example
Once we crossed the border, it was **smooth sailing**.
phrasal-verb

pass down

Meaning
to give something from one generation to the next
Example
The recipe was **passed down** from my grandmother to my mother.
idiom

out of bandwidth

Meaning
too busy or overwhelmed to handle more tasks
Example
I’m **out of bandwidth** today, can we talk tomorrow?
phrasal-verb

aim at

Meaning
to have a particular goal or purpose
Example
This research **aims at** improving online education quality.
phrasal-verb

cut down on tariffs

Meaning
to reduce import or export taxes
Example
The WTO encourages members to **cut down on tariffs** to enhance global trade.
idiom

spaced out

Meaning
not paying attention; lost in thought
Example
He looked completely **spaced out** during the meeting.
idiom

drive up

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

take the helm

Meaning
to assume control or leadership of an organization
Example
She **took the helm** of the company after her father's retirement.
idiom

separate the wheat from the chaff

Meaning
to distinguish valuable things from worthless ones
Example
It’s time to **separate the wheat from the chaff** in this project.
idiom

reach the top

Meaning
to achieve the highest position or level in something
Example
After years of hard work, she finally **reached the top** of her profession.
idiom

pull it off

Meaning
to succeed in doing something difficult
Example
No one thought she could do it, but she **pulled it off**.
phrasal-verb

turn pain into purpose

Meaning
to use one’s suffering as motivation for positive action
Example
She managed to **turn her pain into purpose** by helping others heal.
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.
phrasal-verb

fuel up on

Meaning
to eat or drink something to gain energy
Example
We **fuel up on** oatmeal before the morning hike.
idiom

chart a new course

Meaning
to plan a new direction or strategy
Example
After the crisis, the CEO decided to **chart a new course**.
phrasal-verb

keep striving

Meaning
to continue trying hard to achieve something
Example
Even after success, a true professional keeps **striving** for excellence.
phrasal-verb

move ahead

Meaning
to make progress; to go forward
Example
Despite the delay, the project will **move ahead** as planned.
phrasal-verb

grow beyond mistakes

Meaning
to develop personally by learning from one’s errors
Example
He chose to **grow beyond mistakes** instead of regretting them.
phrasal-verb

get behind

Meaning
to fall late in doing something
Example
I’ve **got behind** on my assignments this week.
idiom

take the high road

Meaning
to act morally or kindly even when others don't
Example
She decided to **take the high road** and forgive him.
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

aim toward

Meaning
to direct efforts or plans toward achieving something
Example
Her education is **aimed toward** a career in medicine.
idiom

Front page news

Meaning
Extremely important or widely discussed news
Example
His heroic act became **front page news** the next morning.
phrasal-verb

catch up with

Meaning
to reach the same level or standard as others
Example
Many companies are trying to **catch up with** global tech giants.
idiom

play both sides

Meaning
to support opposing parties to gain advantage
Example
Some lobbyists are known to **play both sides** of the issue.
idiom

Stay on track

Meaning
To continue doing the right thing to reach your goal.
Example
We need to **stay on track** to meet our deadline.
idiom

gather around

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

calm nerves before

Meaning
to reduce anxiety ahead of an event
Example
I **calm nerves before** presentations by rehearsing with a friend.
phrasal-verb

lean into healing

Meaning
to actively engage in the process of emotional recovery
Example
It's okay to cry—**lean into healing** and allow yourself to grow.
idiom

artificial genius

Meaning
an exceptionally smart system created by humans
Example
Chatbots have become the face of **artificial genius**.
phrasal-verb

bring in capital

Meaning
to attract or generate investment money
Example
The government is trying to **bring in capital** from foreign investors.
phrasal-verb

grow close to

Meaning
to develop a stronger emotional bond or friendship with someone
Example
Over the years, they **grew close to** each other through shared experiences.
phrasal-verb

adjust within a team

Meaning
to modify behavior to work better with colleagues
Example
New members often need time to **adjust within a team**.
phrasal-verb

bring down tariffs

Meaning
to reduce taxes on imports or exports
Example
The new agreement aims to **bring down tariffs** between the two nations.
phrasal-verb

lean forward

Meaning
to show interest and emotional engagement in a conversation
Example
She **leaned forward** and listened carefully to her friend’s worries.
idiom

phishing

Meaning
A method of trying to gather personal information using deceptive emails, websites, or other communications.
Example
He received an email that looked legitimate, but it was actually a **phishing** attempt.
idiom

Freudian slip

Meaning
An unintentional mistake that reveals one's true thoughts or feelings.
Example
He made a **Freudian slip** when he called his boss ‘mom’.
phrasal-verb

flatten out

Meaning
to stop increasing or decreasing and stay at the same level
Example
After years of fluctuation, growth has **flattened out**.
idiom

keep the dream alive

Meaning
to continue to hope or work toward a goal even after setbacks
Example
Even after the failure, they **kept the dream alive**.
idiom

hit the panic button

Meaning
to react too quickly or nervously to a problem
Example
Don’t **hit the panic button** just because the server is down.
idiom

leaf through

Meaning
to turn the pages of a book or magazine casually
Example
He likes to **leaf through** catalogs during lunch.
phrasal-verb

find peace with

Meaning
to accept something painful and stop being upset about it
Example
In time, she **found peace with** her past mistakes.
phrasal-verb

get around obstacles

Meaning
to find ways to avoid or overcome difficulties
Example
She found a clever way to **get around obstacles** and finish her project.
phrasal-verb

look into partnerships

Meaning
to investigate or explore potential collaborations
Example
They are **looking into partnerships** with international NGOs.
phrasal-verb

churn out

Meaning
to produce something quickly and in large amounts, often without much quality
Example
The company has been **churning out** reports all week.
idiom

fail forward

Meaning
to learn and grow from failure
Example
Don’t be afraid to **fail forward** and learn from your mistakes.
phrasal-verb

simmer with frustration

Meaning
to feel anger or annoyance that is not fully expressed
Example
She **simmered with frustration** after failing the exam.
idiom

Crossing the Rubicon

Meaning
Taking an irreversible step with serious consequences.
Example
By going public with the information, he was **crossing the Rubicon**.
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

leave your mark

Meaning
to have a lasting impact or influence on something
Example
Her dedication to the cause will surely **leave her mark** in the history books.
idiom

data is the new oil

Meaning
information has become a valuable resource in the modern world
Example
Every company knows that **data is the new oil**.
idiom

a bolt from the blue

Meaning
a sudden and unexpected event or news
Example
His resignation came **like a bolt from the blue**.
phrasal-verb

reach consensus on

Meaning
to agree collectively on an issue after discussion
Example
Delegates finally **reached consensus on** the new global trade policy.
idiom

go through a transformation

Meaning
to undergo a significant change or improvement
Example
The company had to **go through a transformation** to survive in the competitive market.
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

drop in

Meaning
to visit someone casually without prior arrangement
Example
My neighbors often **drop in** for coffee in the evening.
phrasal-verb

open up opportunities

Meaning
to create new chances or possibilities for learning or connection
Example
Understanding other cultures can **open up opportunities** for collaboration.
phrasal-verb

send out

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

work like a charm

Meaning
to function perfectly or very effectively
Example
The new solution **worked like a charm**.
idiom

What’s done is done

Meaning
There is no point in worrying about past mistakes.
Example
We can’t change the past, so **what’s done is done**.
idiom

cry wolf

Meaning
to raise a false alarm
Example
Do not **cry wolf** or no one will believe you later.
idiom

zero gravity

Meaning
a state of complete freedom or lack of pressure
Example
After quitting his stressful job, he felt like he was in **zero gravity**.
idiom

call someone out

Meaning
to criticize someone publicly for their behavior or actions
Example
She **called him out** for being rude to the waiter.
idiom

see stars

Meaning
to feel dizzy or stunned, often after being hit
Example
He bumped his head and started to **see stars**.
idiom

the cream of the crop

Meaning
the best among a group of people or things
Example
Only **the cream of the crop** get into that university.
phrasal-verb

cut off from network

Meaning
to lose connection to a network or internet
Example
The device got **cut off from the network** during the update.