To tell the truth
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idiom

To tell the truth

Meaning
To speak honestly or openly.
Example
**To tell the truth**, I never liked that movie.
idiom

strike it lucky

Meaning
to have unexpected good fortune
Example
We **struck it lucky** and found the last two tickets.
phrasal-verb

let out

Meaning
to express or release emotions openly
Example
He finally **let out** his anger after holding it in for weeks.
idiom

to have a clean conscience

Meaning
to feel good about oneself because one has done nothing wrong
Example
After telling the truth, she had **a clean conscience**.
idiom

burn your bridges

Meaning
to make a decision that cannot be reversed
Example
Be careful not to **burn your bridges** with your old employer.
idiom

hit the brakes

Meaning
to slow down or stop something
Example
The company had to **hit the brakes** on its expansion plans.
idiom

draw the line

Meaning
to set a limit on what is acceptable
Example
We have to **draw the line** when it comes to unethical behavior.
idiom

thinking outside the bot

Meaning
to think creatively beyond automated or programmed solutions
Example
To solve this challenge, we need to **think outside the bot**.
phrasal-verb

open yourself up to

Meaning
to allow yourself to express feelings or be vulnerable
Example
He learned to **open himself up to** love again.
phrasal-verb

snow under

Meaning
to be overwhelmed by too much work or snow
Example
We were completely **snowed under** during the winter storm.
phrasal-verb

step forward

Meaning
to volunteer or take initiative for something
Example
John always **steps forward** when the team needs extra help.
phrasal-verb

keep on

Meaning
to continue doing something repeatedly
Example
She **kept on** talking even though nobody was listening.
idiom

a gray area

Meaning
a situation or topic that is not clear or that can be understood in more than one way
Example
The question of intellectual property rights in the digital age is still **a gray area**.
idiom

East meets West

Meaning
A blending of Eastern and Western cultures
Example
This restaurant is a perfect example of **East meets West** cuisine.
phrasal-verb

play out

Meaning
to happen or develop in a particular way
Example
We watched how the story **played out** until the final twist.
idiom

High stakes

Meaning
Involving serious risk or significant consequences.
Example
Negotiating with investors is a **high-stakes** game.
phrasal-verb

bring out clarity

Meaning
to make thoughts or feelings clearer
Example
Writing in a journal can **bring out clarity** about what you truly feel.
idiom

deep down

Meaning
in one’s innermost feelings
Example
**Deep down**, she knew she was wrong.
phrasal-verb

pick up speed

Meaning
to gain momentum or progress faster
Example
Sales have **picked up speed** since the new campaign launched.
phrasal-verb

look beneath

Meaning
to explore the deeper meaning or reason behind your thoughts or actions
Example
You need to **look beneath** your anger to find what’s really hurting you.
phrasal-verb

build confidence in

Meaning
to create or increase trust in something
Example
The new reforms helped **build confidence in** the financial market.
phrasal-verb

work on yourself

Meaning
to make conscious efforts to improve your personality, habits, or mindset
Example
He spent years trying to **work on himself** after his breakup.
phrasal-verb

drift into relaxation

Meaning
to gradually enter a calm and relaxed state
Example
As I listened to soft music, I slowly **drifted into relaxation**.
idiom

take sides

Meaning
to support one person or group in an argument
Example
It’s hard not to **take sides** when your friends are arguing.
idiom

a smart cookie

Meaning
a very clever or intelligent person
Example
Don’t underestimate her; she’s **a smart cookie**.
phrasal-verb

move down

Meaning
to go to a lower position, level, or rank
Example
He had to **move down** to a smaller apartment to save money.
phrasal-verb

adapt culturally

Meaning
to adjust behavior or mindset to fit into another culture
Example
When moving abroad, it’s important to **adapt culturally** to the new environment.
idiom

spend money like water

Meaning
to spend money freely or wastefully
Example
She **spends money like water** on clothes.
phrasal-verb

prep for

Meaning
to get yourself ready for something
Example
I like to **prep for** big presentations the night before.
phrasal-verb

work through feelings

Meaning
to process emotions patiently so you understand them
Example
Therapists help clients **work through feelings** after setbacks.
idiom

lay your cards on the table

Meaning
to be open and honest about your intentions or plans
Example
Let’s **lay our cards on the table** and discuss this honestly.
idiom

Put your best foot forward

Meaning
to try as hard as you can
Example
She **put her best foot forward** in the interview.
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

reach into

Meaning
to access or connect with inner feelings; to explore emotions deeply
Example
She tried to **reach into** her own pain to understand his suffering.
idiom

run for office

Meaning
to campaign for a political position
Example
She decided to **run for office** next year.
phrasal-verb

track down errors

Meaning
to find the source of mistakes or problems
Example
Our developers worked late to **track down errors** in the system.
phrasal-verb

crack up

Meaning
to burst into laughter; to laugh uncontrollably
Example
We all **cracked up** at his silly joke.
phrasal-verb

bring in income

Meaning
to earn money from work or investment
Example
She started freelancing to **bring in income** alongside her full-time job.
phrasal-verb

give up on

Meaning
to stop believing in someone or something
Example
Don’t **give up on** your dreams, no matter how hard it gets.
phrasal-verb

work out at

Meaning
to exercise at a gym or place regularly
Example
I **work out at** the gym every morning before work.
phrasal-verb

get behind

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

the winds of change

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

push aside

Meaning
to ignore negative feelings and focus on moving forward
Example
She tried to **push aside** her fears and keep going.
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.
phrasal-verb

storm in

Meaning
to enter suddenly and angrily, like a storm
Example
The teacher **stormed in** as the students were shouting loudly.
idiom

make friends with

Meaning
To become friendly with someone.
Example
It’s easy to **make friends with** kind people.
idiom

don't judge a book by its cover

Meaning
you shouldn't form an opinion on someone or something based purely on what you see on the outside
Example
She may look serious, but **don't judge a book by its cover**.
phrasal-verb

scale down to

Meaning
to reduce the size or capacity to fit a smaller need
Example
The company had to **scale down to** a smaller data center to cut costs.
idiom

grab attention

Meaning
to make people notice something immediately
Example
Bright colors and bold fonts are used to **grab attention**.
phrasal-verb

switch over for

Meaning
to change to a different option because of a need
Example
We **switch over for** winter hours to match customer demand.
phrasal-verb

bloom into

Meaning
to develop into something beautiful or full of life
Example
She **bloomed into** a confident young woman.
idiom

take the blame

Meaning
to accept responsibility for something wrong
Example
He decided to **take the blame** for the team's failure.
idiom

make yourself clear

Meaning
to express yourself so that others understand you easily
Example
Could you **make yourself clear**, please?
idiom

in a tight spot

Meaning
to be in a difficult or tricky situation
Example
He found himself **in a tight spot** when both friends asked for help.
phrasal-verb

smooth out differences

Meaning
to resolve disagreements or make things run more easily
Example
We need to **smooth out differences** between the teams to improve collaboration.
idiom

reinvent the wheel

Meaning
to waste time creating something that already exists
Example
Don’t **reinvent the wheel**; use the existing design.
idiom

nose for news

Meaning
an instinct for finding interesting stories
Example
Good reporters have a natural **nose for news**.
idiom

bird’s eye view

Meaning
a view from a high position; an overview
Example
We got a **bird’s eye view** of the city from the tower.
phrasal-verb

knock down

Meaning
to hit someone or something and cause them to fall to the ground
Example
The car **knocked down** a cyclist on the busy road.
phrasal-verb

turn up for

Meaning
to attend or show up to support an event or cause
Example
Many locals **turned up for** the community clean-up drive.
idiom

lock horns

Meaning
to get into an argument or fight
Example
They **locked horns** over the new proposal.
phrasal-verb

appeal to

Meaning
to ask someone earnestly or formally for help
Example
The charity **appealed to** the public for donations.
phrasal-verb

speak up in

Meaning
to express one’s thoughts or opinions clearly during a conversation or meeting
Example
She always **speaks up in** international conferences to share her ideas.
idiom

wash your hands of something

Meaning
to stop being involved in or responsible for something
Example
After the scandal, the manager **washed his hands of** the project.
phrasal-verb

spur growth

Meaning
to encourage or accelerate economic expansion
Example
Tax cuts were introduced to **spur growth** in the private sector.
phrasal-verb

lag behind

Meaning
to respond slowly compared to expected speed
Example
The game **lags behind** because my device is old.
idiom

crack the code

Meaning
to solve a complex problem or mystery
Example
It took hours, but we finally **cracked the code** of the system error.
phrasal-verb

lean toward

Meaning
to show preference or support for one option or side
Example
Most countries **lean toward** multilateral cooperation.
idiom

learn the hard way

Meaning
to learn something through experience, especially through making mistakes
Example
He **learned the hard way** that honesty is the best policy.
idiom

life in the fast lane

Meaning
a lifestyle full of excitement, activity, and sometimes risk
Example
He enjoys **life in the fast lane** with parties and travel.
phrasal-verb

focus on improvement

Meaning
to give attention to becoming better at something
Example
Every student should **focus on improvement** rather than perfection.
idiom

square peg in a round hole

Meaning
someone or something that doesn't fit or belong in a particular place or situation
Example
Putting a modern building in a historical district is like trying to fit a **square peg in a round hole**.
idiom

lovebirds

Meaning
a couple who are very affectionate with each other
Example
Look at those **lovebirds** holding hands in the park!
phrasal-verb

balance out inflation

Meaning
to offset or stabilize inflationary pressure
Example
Raising interest rates can help **balance out inflation**.
idiom

put in a good word for someone

Meaning
to say something positive about someone in order to help them
Example
I will **put in a good word for you** with the manager.
idiom

brighten someone's day

Meaning
to make someone feel happier
Example
Her kindness really **brightened my day**.
idiom

a bone of contention

Meaning
a subject of disagreement or dispute
Example
Money has always been **a bone of contention** between them.
idiom

Love me, love my dog

Meaning
If you love someone, you must accept their flaws too.
Example
**Love me, love my dog**—you can’t love me and hate my friends.
phrasal-verb

pivot to

Meaning
to change direction or strategy in response to challenges or new opportunities
Example
When their initial product failed, the startup decided to **pivot to** a new market.
phrasal-verb

bring home

Meaning
to win or achieve something valuable or important
Example
The team worked hard and finally **brought home** the championship trophy.
phrasal-verb

bring forward ideas

Meaning
to propose or suggest ideas for discussion or action
Example
Global leaders **bring forward ideas** to tackle poverty and inequality.
phrasal-verb

cheer someone for

Meaning
to show appreciation by praising or encouraging someone
Example
They **cheered him for** his volunteer work at the shelter.
idiom

give it time

Meaning
to wait for something to improve or happen
Example
**Give it time**, you’ll see results soon.
phrasal-verb

heap praise on

Meaning
to give a lot of praise to someone
Example
Critics **heaped praise on** the actor for his performance.
idiom

rising tide lifts all boats

Meaning
economic growth benefits everyone; a general improvement in the economy helps all participants
Example
The government's new policies are helping the economy, and as a result, **a rising tide lifts all boats**.
phrasal-verb

break off from

Meaning
to pause or stop doing something temporarily
Example
She had to **break off from** studying to answer a call.
phrasal-verb

call over

Meaning
to invite someone to come to your place
Example
We should **call over** some friends this weekend for a movie night.
phrasal-verb

let go of resentment

Meaning
to release negative feelings toward someone
Example
He decided to **let go of resentment** and move on with his life.
idiom

caught between two stools

Meaning
to fail because of trying to do two things at once
Example
He was **caught between two stools**—trying to please both his boss and his team.
phrasal-verb

shut off emotions

Meaning
to stop feeling or expressing emotions
Example
He learned to **shut off his emotions** to protect himself.
idiom

have a falling out

Meaning
to have a disagreement or fight with someone
Example
They **had a falling out** over money issues.
phrasal-verb

follow through on commitments

Meaning
to complete promises or obligations made to others
Example
The government must **follow through on commitments** made at the summit.
phrasal-verb

move toward improvement

Meaning
to progress gradually toward a better state or process
Example
Every organization must **move toward improvement** to stay competitive.
phrasal-verb

march on

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

add fuel to the fire

Meaning
to make a bad situation worse
Example
Your comments **added fuel to the fire**.
idiom

raise the white flag

Meaning
to surrender or give up
Example
After several failed attempts, he finally **raised the white flag**.
phrasal-verb

get by with

Meaning
to manage or survive with limited resources or help
Example
We **got by with** little money when my dad lost his job.
phrasal-verb

ramp up exports

Meaning
to increase the volume or rate of exports
Example
The manufacturing sector aims to **ramp up exports** in the next fiscal year.
phrasal-verb

put off

Meaning
to postpone or delay something
Example
They decided to **put off** the meeting until next week.
phrasal-verb

show admiration for

Meaning
to express approval and respect
Example
He openly **showed admiration for** her courage.
idiom

new lease of life

Meaning
to give someone or something a fresh start or new energy
Example
The renovation of the old building has given it a **new lease of life**.
idiom

trickle-down economics

Meaning
an economic theory that suggests that policies benefiting the wealthy will eventually benefit everyone by creating jobs and growth
Example
Critics argue that **trickle-down economics** has failed to provide substantial benefits for the poor.
idiom

green around the gills

Meaning
looking sick or nauseated
Example
He looked **green around the gills** after the boat ride.
phrasal-verb

close a deal

Meaning
to successfully reach an agreement or finalize a business transaction
Example
Our company managed to **close a deal** with a top European distributor.
phrasal-verb

work around obstacles

Meaning
to find alternative ways to complete a task despite difficulties
Example
The team managed to **work around obstacles** to meet the deadline.
idiom

silver bullet

Meaning
a simple and perfect solution to a complex problem
Example
There’s no **silver bullet** for data security.
idiom

Heart full of gratitude

Meaning
Deeply thankful and appreciative.
Example
She spoke with a **heart full of gratitude** for her teachers.
idiom

You took the words right out of my mouth

Meaning
You said exactly what I was thinking
Example
**You took the words right out of my mouth** — I was about to say that!
idiom

adapt to new circumstances

Meaning
to adjust oneself to new situations or changes
Example
In order to survive in the changing world, we need to **adapt to new circumstances**.
phrasal-verb

plan ahead for

Meaning
to prepare for something in advance
Example
We must **plan ahead for** deadlines to avoid last-minute stress.
idiom

a chatterbox

Meaning
someone who talks a lot, especially a child
Example
My little sister is **a chatterbox**; she never stops talking.
phrasal-verb

join forces with

Meaning
to combine efforts or resources with others to achieve something
Example
Governments **join forces with** NGOs to fight global hunger.
phrasal-verb

line questions up

Meaning
to prepare queries in an organized list
Example
I **line questions up** before our weekly check-in with leadership.
idiom

Band together

Meaning
To unite for a common purpose.
Example
The workers **banded together** to demand better wages.
idiom

beginner’s luck

Meaning
success for someone inexperienced
Example
He won his first game — must be **beginner’s luck**.
phrasal-verb

cut off negativity

Meaning
to remove negative influences or thoughts
Example
He learned to **cut off negativity** to stay mentally strong.
phrasal-verb

pull into

Meaning
to drive into a place, such as a parking lot or station
Example
The bus **pulled into** the terminal right on time.
phrasal-verb

honor where you come from

Meaning
to show respect for your cultural roots
Example
Artists **honor where they come from** by weaving family stories into their work.
idiom

lovey-dovey

Meaning
showing a lot of affection publicly
Example
The couple was being **lovey-dovey** at the restaurant.
idiom

hit upon an idea

Meaning
to suddenly think of a good idea
Example
I **hit upon an idea** for improving the app.
idiom

book someone

Meaning
to officially charge someone with a crime
Example
The police **booked** him for theft.