the lesser of two evils
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idiom

the lesser of two evils

Meaning
the less harmful of two bad options
Example
Voters often choose **the lesser of two evils** during elections.
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**.
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

to be like family

Meaning
to be as close as family members
Example
My neighbors are **like family** to me.
idiom

the dawn of a new day

Meaning
a new beginning filled with hope
Example
Her graduation marked **the dawn of a new day** in her life.
idiom

through thick and thin

Meaning
in good times and bad times
Example
She stood by me **through thick and thin**.
idiom

to be in the same boat

Meaning
to be in the same difficult situation
Example
We are all **in the same boat** when it comes to the upcoming project deadline.
idiom

to hit the nail on the head

Meaning
to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem
Example
When she pointed out the lack of communication, she really **hit the nail on the head**.
idiom

the vision thing

Meaning
the ability to imagine and plan the future clearly
Example
Many politicians lack **the vision thing**.
idiom

throw shade

Meaning
to subtly insult or criticize someone
Example
She was **throwing shade** at her ex during the conversation.
idiom

to sweep someone off their feet

Meaning
to make someone fall in love with you quickly
Example
He **swept her off her feet** with his charm.
idiom

Throw money at something

Meaning
To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of using a better solution.
Example
The government keeps **throwing money at** the education problem instead of reforming it.
idiom

To have a heart of gold

Meaning
To be very kind and generous
Example
She has a heart of gold, always helping those in need.
idiom

The Midas touch

Meaning
The ability to make money or succeed in everything one does.
Example
She seems to have **the Midas touch**—every project she starts becomes a success.
idiom

to have a clean bill of health

Meaning
to be declared healthy by a doctor
Example
After the checkup, she got **a clean bill of health**.
idiom

to be ahead of the curve

Meaning
to be more advanced than others
Example
Her research was **ahead of the curve** in the field of artificial intelligence.
idiom

take charge

Meaning
to take control or responsibility for something
Example
She decided to **take charge** of the project herself.
idiom

To meet one’s Waterloo

Meaning
To encounter one’s ultimate defeat or failure.
Example
After years of success, the company finally **met its Waterloo**.
idiom

the winds of change

Meaning
an influence that promotes change
Example
**The winds of change** are blowing through the organization.
idiom

the political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to handle
Example
Corruption has become **a political hot potato** in the country.
idiom

take your life in your hands

Meaning
To do something very risky or dangerous.
Example
You’re **taking your life in your hands** by driving in that storm.
idiom

take flak

Meaning
to receive strong criticism
Example
The government **took flak** for its poor handling of the crisis.
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

time will tell

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

to shoot for the moon

Meaning
to aim for a difficult or ambitious goal
Example
He’s always **shooting for the moon**, trying to achieve impossible goals.
idiom

the final frontier

Meaning
the last or most difficult challenge or area of exploration
Example
For many scientists, space remains **the final frontier**.
idiom

the spark of an idea

Meaning
the beginning of a new idea or thought
Example
That comment gave me **the spark of an idea**.
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

to fall flat on one's face

Meaning
to fail completely or embarrass oneself
Example
The comedian **fell flat on his face** when no one laughed.
idiom

Two’s company, three’s a crowd

Meaning
Sometimes, two people are just right, but a third person can make things uncomfortable.
Example
I wanted some alone time with Emily, but as they say, **two’s company, three’s a crowd**.
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

to get bent out of shape

Meaning
to become angry or upset
Example
Don't **get bent out of shape** over a small mistake.
idiom

throw your weight around

Meaning
to use one’s power or influence aggressively
Example
He likes to **throw his weight around** in meetings.
idiom

true colors

Meaning
someone’s real character or intentions
Example
He showed his **true colors** when he lied to me.
idiom

touch base with

Meaning
to make brief contact with someone for an update
Example
I'll **touch base with** you after the meeting to confirm the plan.
idiom

think on your feet

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

take your time

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

to put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning
to risk everything on a single venture or decision
Example
I wouldn’t suggest **putting all your eggs in one basket** with this investment.
idiom

tough as nails

Meaning
very strong and resilient
Example
She is **tough as nails**, nothing can break her spirit.
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

test the waters

Meaning
to try something out before committing fully
Example
Before launching the product, we decided to **test the waters**.
idiom

take the stand

Meaning
to testify in court
Example
The witness will **take the stand** tomorrow morning.
idiom

to machine learn

Meaning
to learn automatically from data without human intervention
Example
The system continues **to machine learn** as more data is fed into it.
idiom

the bots are taking over

Meaning
referring to the increasing use of AI systems in various industries; the automation of tasks traditionally performed by humans
Example
It feels like **the bots are taking over** every sector of business these days.
idiom

Tell the truth

Meaning
To say what is true instead of lying.
Example
Please **tell the truth**, even if it hurts.
idiom

trial and error

Meaning
learning through experimenting and correcting mistakes
Example
We developed the product through **trial and error**.
idiom

tie in with

Meaning
to connect or coordinate with something else
Example
The workshop topics **tie in with** our current curriculum.
idiom

track down

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

the picture of health

Meaning
a person who looks very healthy
Example
Despite his age, he’s still **the picture of health**.
idiom

throw a wrench in the works

Meaning
to cause a problem that stops progress
Example
The last-minute design change **threw a wrench in the works**.
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.
idiom

to lay down the law

Meaning
to assert authority and dictate how things should be done
Example
The new judge quickly **laid down the law** in the courtroom.
idiom

To be thick as thieves

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

turn the page

Meaning
to move on to something new after finishing or overcoming something
Example
After the breakup, she decided to **turn the page** and start fresh.
idiom

The sun will shine again

Meaning
Better times will come after bad ones.
Example
Don’t worry too much — **the sun will shine again**.
idiom

the art of war

Meaning
strategies or tactics for achieving success in difficult situations
Example
The general studied **the art of war** to prepare for the upcoming battle.
idiom

the long arm of the law

Meaning
the power and reach of the law to catch criminals
Example
**The long arm of the law** finally caught the escaped prisoner.
idiom

tone down

Meaning
to make something less forceful or intense
Example
Could you **tone down** the colors in that slide?
idiom

to pick someone's brain

Meaning
to ask someone questions in order to get information or advice
Example
I need to **pick your brain** about your experience with this software.
idiom

to boot up

Meaning
to start something; to begin working or functioning
Example
Let’s **boot up** the new project today and see how it goes.
idiom

the driving force

Meaning
the person or thing that motivates or leads progress
Example
She was **the driving force** behind the project.
idiom

the singularity

Meaning
a hypothetical future point when AI surpasses human intelligence
Example
Some experts believe **the singularity** could change humanity forever.
idiom

table the issue

Meaning
to postpone discussion of a topic for later
Example
They decided to **table the issue** until next week.
idiom

to blow it

Meaning
to ruin a chance or opportunity by mistake
Example
He **blew it** by arriving late to the interview.
idiom

the bottom line

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

take the fall for

Meaning
to accept blame for something on behalf of someone else
Example
He decided to **take the fall for** his colleague's mistake.
idiom

third time lucky

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

to steal the show

Meaning
to attract all the attention or praise
Example
Her performance in the play completely **stole the show**.
idiom

team up with

Meaning
to collaborate with someone for a common goal
Example
The nonprofits **teamed up with** local schools for the project.
idiom

talk over

Meaning
to discuss something thoroughly
Example
Let’s **talk over** the proposal before we send it.
idiom

talk someone into

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** joining the event.
idiom

turn the tables

Meaning
to reverse a situation and gain the upper hand
Example
They were losing, but managed to **turn the tables** in the final round.
idiom

to pass with flying colors

Meaning
to succeed with a very high score
Example
He studied hard and passed the exam with **flying colors**.
idiom

to make a name for oneself

Meaning
to become famous or well known for something
Example
He worked hard to **make a name for himself** in the tech industry.
idiom

take the lead

Meaning
to go ahead or be in front in a competition
Example
Our team **took the lead** in the final round.
idiom

to be in someone’s good books

Meaning
to be in favor with someone
Example
If you want to get promoted, you need to be **in the boss’s good books**.
idiom

take with a grain of salt

Meaning
to view something with skepticism or not completely believe it
Example
He's known for exaggerating, so **take his stories with a grain of salt**.
idiom

to be on the up and up

Meaning
to be honest and trustworthy
Example
I trust her completely because I know she’s always **on the up and up**.
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

twist someone's ear

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something by being persistent
Example
I had to **twist someone's ear** to get him to help me move.
idiom

tempt fate

Meaning
to take a foolish risk that may bring bad luck
Example
You’re **tempting fate** by driving without insurance.
idiom

tag along

Meaning
to join someone’s online activity or conversation uninvited
Example
He just **tagged along** in our group chat without asking.
idiom

to play fair

Meaning
To act honestly and follow the rules.
Example
In every competition, we must **play fair**.
idiom

take the law into your own hands

Meaning
to punish someone without legal authority
Example
Citizens should not **take the law into their own hands**.
idiom

To offer the olive branch

Meaning
To make peace with someone after a conflict
Example
After their argument, he decided to **offer the olive branch** and apologize.
idiom

To lend a helping hand

Meaning
to assist someone in a time of need
Example
She always knows when to **lend a helping hand** and never hesitates.
idiom

the cat’s out of the bag

Meaning
the secret is revealed
Example
Now that **the cat’s out of the bag**, everyone knows the truth.
idiom

take a turn for the worse

Meaning
to become more ill
Example
His condition **took a turn for the worse** last night.
idiom

the conversion funnel

Meaning
the process customers go through from awareness to purchase
Example
We need to analyze where people drop off in **the conversion funnel**.
idiom

teach someone a lesson

Meaning
to make someone learn from their mistake
Example
The teacher’s punishment really **taught him a lesson**.
idiom

take five

Meaning
to take a short break
Example
Let's **take five** before continuing the meeting.
idiom

take the rap

Meaning
to be punished or blamed for something, often unfairly.
Example
He **took the rap** for the team’s poor performance.
idiom

taste of success

Meaning
to experience success for the first time
Example
After years of struggle, he finally got a **taste of success**.
idiom

talk the talk

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

the life of the party

Meaning
a person who is lively, entertaining, and the center of attention at social gatherings
Example
Everyone loves Tom because he’s always **the life of the party**.
idiom

the tip of the iceberg

Meaning
a small visible part of a much larger problem
Example
The few complaints we received are just **the tip of the iceberg**.
idiom

True friends stab you in the front

Meaning
A true friend tells you harsh truths to your face.
Example
She’s not afraid to tell me the truth, because **true friends stab you in the front**.
idiom

tell it like it is

Meaning
to speak honestly without sugarcoating
Example
She’s known for **telling it like it is**, even when the truth hurts.
idiom

the wisdom of age

Meaning
knowledge and understanding gained through life experience
Example
He gave me advice that showed **the wisdom of age**.
idiom

to kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to achieve two things at once
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

the buck stops here

Meaning
I am the one responsible; I will take responsibility.
Example
**The buck stops here**, and I will handle the mistake personally.
idiom

the cutting edge

Meaning
the most advanced or innovative part of something
Example
This new design is at **the cutting edge** of architecture.
idiom

the writing on the wall

Meaning
a sign that something bad will happen soon
Example
When sales started falling, the manager saw **the writing on the wall**.
idiom

To break ground

Meaning
To begin a new project or initiative.
Example
The company is excited to **break ground** on their new office next month.
idiom

to pass the baton

Meaning
to transfer responsibility to someone else
Example
After years of leadership, he decided it was time to **pass the baton** to his successor.
idiom

take a step back

Meaning
to pause and reassess a situation
Example
Sometimes you need to **take a step back** to see the bigger picture.
idiom

to mend fences

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

think twice

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

to cloud-sync

Meaning
to synchronize data or files between devices via cloud services
Example
I always **to cloud-sync** my documents so that I can access them anywhere.
idiom

travel light

Meaning
to travel with very little luggage
Example
When I travel for business, I like to **travel light**.
idiom

think tank

Meaning
a group of experts developing new ideas or policies
Example
The **think tank** proposed innovative educational reforms.
idiom

training data

Meaning
data used to train machine learning models to recognize patterns or make predictions
Example
The AI model's performance depends on the quality of its **training data**.
idiom

take the law into one's own hands

Meaning
to seek justice personally rather than through legal authorities
Example
The villagers decided to **take the law into their own hands** and punished the thief.
idiom

to break the ice

Meaning
to start a friendly conversation in an awkward situation
Example
To **break the ice**, I told a joke.
idiom

to be in the spotlight

Meaning
to receive a lot of public attention
Example
The artist has been **in the spotlight** since her latest exhibition.
idiom

to be honest

Meaning
used when expressing a sincere or frank opinion
Example
**To be honest**, I didn’t like the food.
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

to screw up

Meaning
to make a serious mistake or spoil something
Example
I really **screwed up** the presentation.
idiom

tip off

Meaning
to secretly give information or a warning
Example
A neighbor **tipped off** the police about the noise.
idiom

turn a blind eye

Meaning
to deliberately ignore something wrong or unpleasant
Example
The manager **turned a blind eye** to employees leaving early on Fridays.
idiom

take the long view

Meaning
to plan or think about the future rather than short-term gains
Example
Successful leaders always **take the long view** when making decisions.