top-notch
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idiom

top-notch

Meaning
of the highest quality; excellent
Example
Your presentation was absolutely **top-notch**.
idiom

the picture of health

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

scare the life out of someone

Meaning
to frighten someone very badly
Example
That horror movie **scared the life out of me**.
idiom

join up with

Meaning
to become part of a group or team
Example
She’ll **join up with** the outreach crew tomorrow.
idiom

burned out

Meaning
completely exhausted or tired due to overwork
Example
After months of overtime, she felt **burned out**.
idiom

soft launch

Meaning
a limited or quiet release of a new product before the full launch
Example
The company did a **soft launch** to test customer reactions.
idiom

Money talks

Meaning
Money has great influence and power.
Example
He got the deal because **money talks**.
idiom

roam around

Meaning
to travel or walk around aimlessly
Example
We spent the afternoon **roaming around** the old city.
idiom

school of hard knocks

Meaning
learning through difficult life experiences
Example
He didn’t go to college; he learned from the **school of hard knocks**.
idiom

grow on someone

Meaning
to become more liked or appreciated over time
Example
At first I didn’t like the song, but it **grew on me**.
idiom

read someone like a book

Meaning
to easily understand someone's thoughts and intentions
Example
She can **read him like a book** and always knows when he's lying.
idiom

growth hacking

Meaning
using creative and low-cost strategies to rapidly grow a business or product
Example
Startups rely heavily on **growth hacking** to gain users quickly.
idiom

Put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning
to risk everything on a single opportunity
Example
Don’t **put all your eggs in one basket**; invest in different sectors.
idiom

tear down

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

lay down

Meaning
to establish a rule or principle
Example
The manager **laid down** clear guidelines for remote work.
idiom

kick off

Meaning
to start an event or activity
Example
The workshop will **kick off** at 9 a.m. sharp.
idiom

keep your fingers crossed

Meaning
to hope for good luck
Example
I am **keeping my fingers crossed** for the exam results.
idiom

fall head over heels for someone

Meaning
to fall deeply in love with someone
Example
He **fell head over heels for her** the moment they met.
idiom

human in the loop

Meaning
a person actively involved in monitoring or controlling an automated process
Example
Even in AI systems, a **human in the loop** ensures ethical decisions.
idiom

go with the flow

Meaning
to accept things as they come; not resist change
Example
Instead of worrying, just **go with the flow**.
idiom

to go viral

Meaning
to spread rapidly, especially online
Example
The new research paper **went viral** on social media.
idiom

Pivot the business

Meaning
To change direction or strategy to adapt to the market.
Example
After poor sales, they decided to **pivot the business** toward software solutions.
idiom

blood, sweat, and tears

Meaning
great effort and hard work
Example
Building this company took a lot of **blood, sweat, and tears**.
idiom

nod off

Meaning
to fall asleep suddenly, especially when sitting
Example
He **nodded off** during the boring lecture.
idiom

Lay down arms

Meaning
to stop fighting and surrender
Example
After the long conflict, both sides decided to **lay down arms** and negotiate.
idiom

big mouth

Meaning
someone who talks too much or reveals secrets
Example
Don’t tell him anything — he’s got a **big mouth**.
idiom

green-eyed with envy

Meaning
showing strong jealousy
Example
They were **green-eyed with envy** at her luxurious lifestyle.
idiom

get ahead

Meaning
to be successful in life or career
Example
She worked hard to **get ahead** in her company.
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

A team player

Meaning
Someone who works well with others in a group.
Example
John is **a team player** who always supports his colleagues.
idiom

drop in the ocean

Meaning
a very small or insignificant amount compared to what is needed
Example
Our recycling efforts are just a **drop in the ocean** compared to the global pollution problem.
idiom

no pain, no gain

Meaning
you have to work hard to achieve success
Example
He practices every day because he believes **no pain, no gain**.
idiom

against the odds

Meaning
to succeed despite many difficulties or challenges
Example
They won the game **against all odds**, proving their hard work paid off.
idiom

Fuel the economy

Meaning
To stimulate economic growth.
Example
Government spending can **fuel the economy** during a recession.
idiom

come to mind

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

settle in

Meaning
to become comfortable in a new place or situation
Example
It took a week to **settle in** after the move.
idiom

close ranks

Meaning
to unite and support each other when facing opposition
Example
The employees **closed ranks** after the company came under criticism.
idiom

weed out

Meaning
to remove unwanted people or things
Example
The editor **weeded out** the mistakes before publishing.
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 spark of an idea

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

in one’s element

Meaning
doing something one is good at or enjoys
Example
He’s **in his element** when he’s cooking for friends.
idiom

in good faith

Meaning
with honest intentions; sincerely
Example
They acted **in good faith** when signing the agreement.
idiom

bank on

Meaning
to rely on or depend on something happening
Example
You can **bank on** her support during tough times.
idiom

in the doldrums

Meaning
feeling sad or bored for a long time
Example
He’s been **in the doldrums** since his team lost.
idiom

let off steam

Meaning
to release strong emotions or energy
Example
I went to the gym to **let off steam** after a stressful day.
idiom

at a crossroads

Meaning
at a point where a decision must be made
Example
After years of travel, she found herself **at a crossroads** in life.
idiom

play one's cards close to one's chest

Meaning
to keep one's plans or ideas secret
Example
He always **plays his cards close to his chest** in business.
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

virus of doubt

Meaning
a feeling of uncertainty that spreads quickly
Example
A **virus of doubt** spread after the project delay.
idiom

carry the responsibility

Meaning
to be in charge of something or to be responsible for it
Example
As the project leader, he had to **carry the responsibility** for the entire team.
idiom

school someone in something

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

get your hands dirty

Meaning
to engage in the hard or unpleasant work of a task
Example
A true leader will not hesitate to **get their hands dirty** when necessary.
idiom

On the record

Meaning
Officially stated and reportable
Example
She made her statement **on the record** during the interview.
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.
idiom

join the dots

Meaning
to connect pieces of information to understand the full picture
Example
AI systems can **join the dots** faster than humans when analyzing data.
idiom

deep learning

Meaning
A class of machine learning algorithms that uses multiple layers to progressively extract higher-level features from raw input.
Example
The AI system improved through **deep learning**, making it smarter over time.
idiom

Slow and steady wins the race

Meaning
Consistency and patience lead to success.
Example
Remember, **slow and steady wins the race**.
idiom

read someone the riot act

Meaning
to warn or scold someone severely for bad behavior
Example
The teacher **read the students the riot act** after the chaos in class.
idiom

political football

Meaning
an issue that is constantly debated and used for political gain
Example
The issue of immigration has become a **political football**, with both parties using it to score points.
idiom

down to earth

Meaning
practical and realistic
Example
Despite her fame, she’s very **down to earth**.
idiom

hot under the collar

Meaning
feeling angry or embarrassed
Example
He got **hot under the collar** when his mistake was pointed out.
idiom

pop the champagne

Meaning
to celebrate a special event or success
Example
Let’s **pop the champagne** to celebrate our victory!
idiom

on the same playing field

Meaning
in the same conditions or with equal chances
Example
We’re now **on the same playing field** as our competitors.
idiom

cut someone down to size

Meaning
to criticize someone to make them feel less important
Example
The manager **cut him down to size** after he bragged too much.
idiom

grateful as can be

Meaning
extremely thankful
Example
I’m **grateful as can be** for your guidance.
idiom

a social butterfly

Meaning
someone who is very social and enjoys meeting people
Example
He’s **a social butterfly**, always at some event or gathering.
idiom

Fail fast

Meaning
To quickly identify and learn from failures.
Example
In startups, it’s better to **fail fast** and learn than to waste time.
idiom

keep moving forward

Meaning
to continue progressing despite obstacles or setbacks
Example
No matter what happens, always **keep moving forward**.
idiom

flash of genius

Meaning
a sudden brilliant idea or solution
Example
Her idea for the new logo was a real **flash of genius**.
idiom

A pack of lies

Meaning
A complete set of false statements.
Example
His excuse was nothing but **a pack of lies**.
idiom

bury your head in the sand

Meaning
to ignore a problem hoping it will go away
Example
We can’t **bury our heads in the sand** about climate change any longer.
idiom

use up

Meaning
to consume something completely
Example
We’ve **used up** all the printer paper already.
idiom

cry over spilt milk

Meaning
to be upset about something that cannot be changed
Example
There’s no use **crying over spilt milk**.
idiom

switch on

Meaning
to turn something on so it operates
Example
Please **switch on** the lights before the clients arrive.
idiom

take center stage

Meaning
to be the main focus of attention
Example
The issue of climate change **took center stage** at the conference.
idiom

lay down the law

Meaning
to state rules firmly and clearly
Example
The manager **laid down the law** about punctuality.
idiom

hook the customer

Meaning
to attract and keep a customer’s interest
Example
A good slogan can easily **hook the customer**.
idiom

to err is human

Meaning
everyone makes mistakes; it’s natural to be imperfect
Example
**To err is human**, but to learn from errors is wisdom.
idiom

stick to your guns

Meaning
to remain firm in your beliefs or decisions even under pressure
Example
He **stuck to his guns** even when others doubted him.
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

clickbait

Meaning
a headline or content designed to attract attention and encourage clicks
Example
That article title is pure **clickbait**.
idiom

kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to succeed in achieving two things in a single action
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

tear-jerker

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

to learn the hard way

Meaning
to learn by making mistakes or through difficult experiences
Example
He **learned the hard way** that honesty is the best policy.
idiom

Keep the tradition alive

Meaning
To continue practicing a custom so that it is not forgotten
Example
Every year we celebrate this festival to **keep the tradition alive**.
idiom

a couch potato

Meaning
a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
Example
He’s become **a couch potato** since he lost his job.
idiom

earn trust

Meaning
to gain someone's trust through actions or reliability
Example
She worked hard to **earn the trust** of her colleagues.
idiom

at each other’s throats

Meaning
to be in constant conflict or fighting
Example
The two brothers were **at each other’s throats** all day.
idiom

sketchy details

Meaning
information that is incomplete or unclear
Example
The witness gave only **sketchy details** about the incident.
idiom

join forces

Meaning
to combine efforts with others for a common purpose
Example
Two companies **joined forces** to create a better product.
idiom

call to arms

Meaning
a call to take action, especially to defend a cause
Example
The leader’s speech was a **call to arms** for all citizens to fight corruption.
idiom

brush off

Meaning
to dismiss something or someone as unimportant
Example
He tried to **brush off** the criticism during the meeting.
idiom

hack the system

Meaning
to break into a system or network to gain unauthorized access
Example
He was caught trying to **hack the system** for personal gain.
idiom

SEO-friendly

Meaning
optimized to rank higher in search engine results
Example
Make sure your website is **SEO-friendly**.
idiom

dress up

Meaning
to wear formal or special clothes
Example
We don’t have to **dress up** for tonight’s dinner—it’s casual.
idiom

hand off to

Meaning
to transfer responsibility or control to someone else
Example
I’ll **hand this off to** the design team tomorrow.
idiom

to spill the beans

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

it's not rocket science

Meaning
it's not difficult to understand
Example
You can learn to cook, **it's not rocket science**.
idiom

give it a rest

Meaning
to stop talking or thinking about something stressful
Example
You’ve been worrying too much—**give it a rest**.
idiom

the bottom line

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

the jury is still out

Meaning
a decision has not yet been made
Example
**The jury is still out** on whether the new policy will work.
idiom

hope against hope

Meaning
to continue hoping even when it seems impossible
Example
They **hoped against hope** that their team would win.
idiom

fake news

Meaning
false or misleading information presented as news
Example
Be careful not to believe in **fake news** spread on social media.
idiom

get away from it all

Meaning
to take a break from daily routine; to relax
Example
We went to the countryside to **get away from it all**.
idiom

go public

Meaning
to sell shares of a company to the public for the first time
Example
The startup plans to **go public** next year.
idiom

third time lucky

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

dare to dream

Meaning
to be brave enough to have big ambitions
Example
Only those who **dare to dream** achieve great things.
idiom

to make a splash

Meaning
to attract a lot of attention or make a big impact
Example
Her new book **made a splash** in the literary world.
idiom

believe you’re good enough

Meaning
to accept that you are capable and worthy
Example
To overcome fear, you must **believe you’re good enough**.
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.
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

tough luck

Meaning
expression of sympathy for someone’s misfortune
Example
Didn’t get the job? **Tough luck**!
idiom

roll the credits

Meaning
to finish something officially
Example
After the final announcement, they **rolled the credits** on the project.
idiom

well-oiled machine

Meaning
something that operates smoothly and efficiently
Example
Our engineering team runs like a **well-oiled machine**.
idiom

rule with an iron fist

Meaning
to control people very strictly and harshly
Example
The dictator **ruled with an iron fist** for twenty years.
idiom

have faith in someone

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
You should **have faith in** your team.
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

Put up walls

Meaning
To create emotional barriers or distance from others.
Example
After the breakup, she **put up walls** and stopped trusting people.
idiom

laugh off

Meaning
to dismiss something by treating it as a joke
Example
She tried to **laugh off** the mistake during the presentation.
idiom

out of the frying pan into the fire

Meaning
to go from a bad situation to a worse one
Example
Leaving that job was like jumping **out of the frying pan into the fire**.
idiom

artificial brainpower

Meaning
intelligence or decision-making provided by AI systems
Example
The car relies on **artificial brainpower** to navigate through traffic.