toy with concepts
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
Content locale
EN English BN Bengali HI Hindi ES Spanish FR French DE German RU Russian ZH Chinese JA Japanese
All Expression Cards All Expressions
phrasal-verb

toy with concepts

Meaning
to play with or experiment with creative ideas before finalizing them
Example
We’re still **toying with concepts** for the new campaign slogan.
idiom

to lose your nerve

Meaning
to lose courage and become too afraid to do something
Example
He wanted to jump, but he **lost his nerve** at the last second.
idiom

take the stage

Meaning
to begin performing or speaking publicly
Example
The new actor will **take the stage** for the first time tonight.
idiom

to break the ice

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

testify against

Meaning
to give evidence in court against someone
Example
The witness agreed to **testify against** the accused.
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.
phrasal-verb

take charge of

Meaning
to assume control or responsibility for something
Example
She decided to **take charge of** the new department.
idiom

training the model

Meaning
to teach an AI system how to make predictions by feeding it data
Example
We spent weeks **training the model** before deployment.
idiom

turn back the clock

Meaning
to return to an earlier time; to undo progress or change
Example
Many people wish they could **turn back the clock** to their childhood.
phrasal-verb

tie up in

Meaning
to have money invested in something and not easily available
Example
Most of their capital is **tied up in** real estate.
phrasal-verb

tie up with

Meaning
to form a partnership or collaboration
Example
The fintech company will **tie up with** a global payment network.
phrasal-verb

tune out negativity

Meaning
to ignore or block negative thoughts or emotions
Example
He tries to **tune out negativity** to stay mentally strong.
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.
phrasal-verb

throw yourself into

Meaning
to do something with great enthusiasm and energy
Example
He **threw himself into** the new training program.
idiom

to make a blunder

Meaning
to make a very big or stupid mistake
Example
The company **made a blunder** by ignoring customer feedback.
idiom

to mend fences

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

tune out from

Meaning
to stop paying attention to stressful things; to mentally disconnect
Example
I sometimes **tune out from** work emails on weekends to recharge.
idiom

to feel like a million bucks

Meaning
to feel very good or confident
Example
After the spa treatment, I **felt like a million bucks**.
idiom

third time lucky

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

take by surprise

Meaning
to catch someone off guard; to surprise unexpectedly
Example
The sudden rain **took us by surprise**.
idiom

touch wood

Meaning
to say something positive and hope it continues to be good
Example
We haven’t lost a game yet, **touch wood**.
idiom

take a nosedive

Meaning
to decline suddenly and dramatically
Example
The company's stock **took a nosedive** after the scandal.
phrasal-verb

take up

Meaning
to start doing something new, such as a habit, activity, or belief
Example
Many people **take up** meditation as they explore mindfulness culture.
phrasal-verb

tune in to

Meaning
to become aware of or responsive to something or someone
Example
Good leaders **tune in to** their team’s needs and emotions.
idiom

teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone teases her for being the **teacher’s pet**.
phrasal-verb

trip up

Meaning
to make someone make a mistake; to make an error
Example
The interviewer tried to **trip up** the candidate with tricky questions.
idiom

to be a sponge for knowledge

Meaning
to absorb information eagerly and enthusiastically
Example
She's **a sponge for knowledge**; she reads every book she can find.
phrasal-verb

trip up on

Meaning
to make a mistake when dealing with something difficult
Example
She **tripped up on** the hardest part of the puzzle.
phrasal-verb

throw on

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

turn over to

Meaning
to transfer control or responsibility to someone else
Example
He **turned over to** the next speaker after finishing his talk.
idiom

to be in good shape

Meaning
to be physically fit and healthy
Example
She exercises daily to stay **in good shape**.
idiom

turn your dreams into reality

Meaning
to make your dreams come true through effort
Example
She worked day and night to **turn her dreams into reality**.
phrasal-verb

take over the government

Meaning
to assume control of the government, often by force
Example
The military attempted to **take over the government** after months of unrest.
phrasal-verb

take through

Meaning
to explain something step by step; to guide someone through a process
Example
Let me **take you through** the application process.
idiom

the bottom line

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

team spirit

Meaning
a feeling of pride and loyalty shared by members of a group
Example
Their **team spirit** helped them win the championship.
phrasal-verb

trim down

Meaning
to make something smaller or more efficient by removing unnecessary parts or expenses
Example
Companies **trim down** their budgets to survive during recessions.
idiom

take a hit

Meaning
to suffer a financial loss
Example
The company **took a hit** after the stock market crash.
idiom

take a gamble

Meaning
to take a risk in the hope of success
Example
She **took a gamble** by quitting her job to travel the world.
phrasal-verb

tie to

Meaning
to connect closely with something
Example
Many local festivals are **tied to** historical events.
idiom

thinking outside the algorithm

Meaning
to think creatively beyond structured systems or programmed logic
Example
Our best innovation came when we started **thinking outside the algorithm**.
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

tell tales

Meaning
to gossip or reveal secrets, often to get someone in trouble
Example
Stop **telling tales** about your coworkers.
idiom

throw one’s weight around

Meaning
to use one’s power or influence aggressively
Example
He likes to **throw his weight around** at work to get things done.
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.
phrasal-verb

touch up

Meaning
to improve the appearance of something slightly, like makeup or paint
Example
She went to the mirror to **touch up** her makeup.
idiom

tap into

Meaning
to make use of a resource or ability
Example
The startup hopes to **tap into** a new audience through social media.
idiom

to have a fever pitch

Meaning
to reach an intense level of excitement or emotion
Example
The crowd’s excitement reached **fever pitch** during the final moments.
idiom

the whole truth

Meaning
the complete truth without leaving anything out
Example
She promised to tell **the whole truth** in court.
idiom

to sketch out

Meaning
to make a rough plan or outline of something
Example
The director **sketched out** the concept before filming began.
phrasal-verb

talk down to

Meaning
to speak to someone as if they are less intelligent or inferior
Example
He always **talks down to** his employees.
idiom

take the cake

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

take the reins

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
After the director retired, she **took the reins** of the company.
idiom

troll someone

Meaning
to deliberately provoke or upset someone online
Example
Some users love to **troll** others just for fun.
idiom

talk nineteen to the dozen

Meaning
to talk very quickly and without stopping
Example
Once she starts, she **talks nineteen to the dozen**.
idiom

to bite the bullet

Meaning
to make a difficult decision or endure something unpleasant
Example
I didn't want to go to the doctor, but I had to **bite the bullet**.
idiom

talk around

Meaning
to persuade someone by discussion
Example
We finally **talked her around** to joining the team.
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

to spill the beans

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

turn around a business

Meaning
to make a failing business successful again
Example
The new CEO managed to **turn around the business** within a year.
idiom

to make a boo-boo

Meaning
to make a small or funny mistake
Example
Oops, I **made a boo-boo** and sent the wrong file!
idiom

The more you know, the less you know

Meaning
The more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know.
Example
After years of study, he said, '**The more you know, the less you know**.'
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

to have second thoughts

Meaning
to reconsider a decision
Example
I’m **having second thoughts** about moving abroad.
idiom

the grass is always greener on the other side

Meaning
other situations always seem better than your own
Example
**The grass is always greener on the other side**, but be grateful.
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

tighten your belt

Meaning
to spend less money; to economize
Example
We’ll have to **tighten our belts** until business improves.
idiom

throw a wrench into the works

Meaning
to disrupt or complicate something
Example
The sudden resignation of the minister threw a **wrench into the works** of the peace negotiations.
idiom

to make the grade

Meaning
to meet the required standard
Example
He didn’t **make the grade** in the final exam.
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

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

tone down

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

the going gets tough

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

take on too much

Meaning
to accept more work or responsibility than one can handle
Example
You’re stressing yourself out because you **take on too much** work.
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.
phrasal-verb

tick off

Meaning
to mark completed items on a list
Example
I **ticked off** each task as I finished to track the progress before the deadline.
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

target audience

Meaning
a specific group of people a campaign is aimed at
Example
You need to know your **target audience** before launching a campaign.
idiom

to play fair

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

talk the same language

Meaning
to have similar ideas and understanding
Example
We get along because we **talk the same language**.
idiom

to frame the issue

Meaning
to present a situation in a particular way
Example
The journalist cleverly **framed the issue** to highlight social inequality.
idiom

the winds of change

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

to break new ground

Meaning
to do something innovative or unprecedented
Example
The company’s new app **broke new ground** in terms of user experience.
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.
idiom

to be like family

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

to my mind

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

throw money down the drain

Meaning
to waste money on something useless
Example
Buying that fake brand bag was like **throwing money down the drain**.
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

to deep dive into data

Meaning
to analyze data in great detail
Example
We need **to deep dive into data** to understand the root cause of the problem.
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.
idiom

two-faced

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

throw oneself at someone's mercy

Meaning
to ask for forgiveness and hope for kindness
Example
She **threw herself at the teacher’s mercy** after missing the deadline.
idiom

tempt fate

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

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

talk shop

Meaning
to talk about work or business during leisure time
Example
Even at dinner, they started to **talk shop**.
phrasal-verb

take over from

Meaning
to assume responsibility from someone else
Example
After my father retired, I **took over from** him in managing family affairs.
idiom

trust someone with your life

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
I’d **trust her with my life**.
idiom

the best of both worlds

Meaning
a situation in which you can enjoy the advantages of two very different things at the same time
Example
She works in the city and lives in the country, so she gets **the best of both worlds**.
idiom

the wisdom of age

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

tidy up

Meaning
to clean and organize a space
Example
I need to **tidy up** the kitchen before going to bed.
idiom

take flak

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

touch upon

Meaning
to mention a topic briefly and politely
Example
Let’s **touch upon** the topic of customer feedback before we end the meeting.
idiom

take it or leave it

Meaning
showing indifference about accepting or rejecting something
Example
That’s my final offer — **take it or leave it**.
idiom

the honest truth

Meaning
the absolute and complete truth
Example
To tell you **the honest truth**, I didn’t enjoy the trip.
phrasal-verb

tally costs up

Meaning
to add expenses together to get a total
Example
We **tally costs up** every Friday to stay under budget.
idiom

truth be told

Meaning
to admit something honestly
Example
**Truth be told**, I don’t really like this movie.
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.
idiom

the power behind the throne

Meaning
a person who secretly controls or influences the leader
Example
Though he's not the CEO, he's **the power behind the throne**.
phrasal-verb

touch on

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

take over a company

Meaning
to gain control of another company by buying it
Example
A major corporation plans to **take over a company** in the European market.
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

think tank

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

throw around

Meaning
to use something carelessly; to discuss casually
Example
People often **throw around** big words without understanding them.
phrasal-verb

tremble with excitement

Meaning
to shake slightly because of excitement
Example
He **trembled with excitement** before the announcement.
idiom

Through the lens

Meaning
From a particular perspective or point of view
Example
We need to see this issue **through the lens** of equality.