turn things around
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idiom

turn things around

Meaning
to reverse a negative situation and make it positive
Example
With some effort, we can **turn things around**.
idiom

have itchy feet

Meaning
to feel a strong desire to travel or move
Example
After a few months at home, I started to **have itchy feet** again.
idiom

hold out for

Meaning
to wait to get exactly what you want
Example
She’ll **hold out for** a better offer before signing.
idiom

show compassion

Meaning
to express care or sympathy toward others
Example
We should **show compassion** to those in need.
idiom

butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth

Meaning
someone who looks innocent but might not be
Example
She looks so sweet—**butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth**.
idiom

bring to life

Meaning
to make something more interesting or realistic
Example
The artist’s use of color really **brought the painting to life**.
idiom

lost in space

Meaning
confused or not paying attention
Example
He looked completely **lost in space** during the lecture.
idiom

Calm before the storm

Meaning
A peaceful time before trouble or chaos starts.
Example
The office is quiet now, but it’s just **the calm before the storm**.
idiom

play one's cards right

Meaning
to make the right decisions in order to achieve a good result
Example
If you **play your cards right**, you could get the promotion you want.
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

True to your word

Meaning
To do exactly what you say you’ll do.
Example
He was **true to his word** and kept his promise.
idiom

without a care in the world

Meaning
free from worries or problems
Example
The kids were playing **without a care in the world**.
idiom

push the envelope

Meaning
to go beyond the usual limits; to innovate boldly
Example
Tech companies must **push the envelope** to stay competitive.
idiom

I’d say

Meaning
used to express a considered opinion
Example
**I’d say** this is the best option we have.
idiom

Keep hope alive

Meaning
To continue believing in a positive outcome.
Example
Even in hard times, we must **keep hope alive**.
idiom

AI accountability

Meaning
the responsibility of developers and organizations to ensure AI systems act fairly, safely, and ethically.
Example
Ensuring **AI accountability** is essential to avoid harmful consequences in society.
idiom

give someone the third degree

Meaning
to question someone intensely
Example
The police **gave him the third degree** after the incident.
idiom

burn out

Meaning
to become very tired and lose motivation due to overwork
Example
If you don’t rest, you’ll **burn out** soon.
idiom

out of your league

Meaning
too good or powerful to compete with
Example
That company is **out of our league** in terms of resources.
idiom

meet someone halfway

Meaning
to agree to compromise with someone
Example
We finally **met each other halfway** and agreed on a solution.
idiom

keep your cards close to your chest

Meaning
to keep your plans or intentions secret
Example
She always **keeps her cards close to her chest** during negotiations.
idiom

get one's act together

Meaning
to organize oneself or one's actions effectively
Example
We need to **get our act together** before the deadline.
idiom

wear the crown

Meaning
to be in a position of leadership or power
Example
It's not easy to **wear the crown** and handle all responsibilities.
idiom

latch onto

Meaning
to quickly embrace an idea or connect with someone
Example
The students quickly **latched onto** the new study app.
idiom

cover all the bases

Meaning
to prepare for every possible situation
Example
We need to **cover all the bases** before the meeting.
idiom

home sweet home

Meaning
used to express happiness upon returning home
Example
After a long trip, it feels so good to be **home sweet home**.
idiom

blind date

Meaning
a romantic meeting between two people who have never met before
Example
She met her boyfriend on a **blind date**.
idiom

on the cutting edge

Meaning
at the forefront of innovation or technology
Example
The laboratory is **on the cutting edge** of artificial intelligence research.
idiom

give someone a shot in the arm

Meaning
to boost someone’s confidence or enthusiasm
Example
The victory **gave the team a shot in the arm** before the final.
idiom

piece of cake

Meaning
something very easy to do
Example
The exam was a **piece of cake** for her.
idiom

the powers that be

Meaning
people or organizations who hold authority or control
Example
The decision depends on **the powers that be**.
idiom

on all fours

Meaning
crawling on hands and knees
Example
The baby moved **on all fours** across the floor.
idiom

overfitting

Meaning
when a model performs well on training data but poorly on unseen data
Example
The model seems to be **overfitting** because it performs well on the training data but poorly on the test set.
idiom

good things come to those who wait

Meaning
patience brings positive results
Example
**Good things come to those who wait**, so be patient.
idiom

beat someone to the punch

Meaning
to do something before someone else does
Example
He **beat me to the punch** by applying for the job first.
idiom

music to one’s ears

Meaning
something that makes someone feel very happy or pleased
Example
The news of his promotion was **music to his ears**.
idiom

get the picture

Meaning
to understand the situation
Example
After a few minutes, I started to **get the picture**.
idiom

see stars

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

crystal ball

Meaning
the ability to predict the future
Example
I don’t have a **crystal ball**, so I can’t tell what will happen.
idiom

a close call

Meaning
A situation where a disaster or accident was narrowly avoided.
Example
That was **a close call** — the car almost hit us!
idiom

change one's tune

Meaning
to change one's opinion or attitude
Example
After hearing the good news, he decided to **change his tune**.
idiom

Put yourself in someone’s shoes

Meaning
To imagine yourself in another person's situation
Example
Try to **put yourself in her shoes** before judging her actions.
idiom

take someone aback

Meaning
to surprise or shock someone suddenly
Example
I was **taken aback** by his rude comment.
idiom

play to the gallery

Meaning
to try to gain approval from the general public rather than experts
Example
The politician was clearly **playing to the gallery** with his speech.
idiom

parallel universe

Meaning
a completely different or contrasting situation
Example
Life in the countryside feels like a **parallel universe** compared to the city.
idiom

take on board

Meaning
to accept or take responsibility for something
Example
The manager had to **take on board** the new task for the team.
idiom

check over

Meaning
to examine something carefully for mistakes
Example
Let’s **check over** the draft before sending it.
idiom

Old school

Meaning
Having traditional ideas or values; not modern
Example
My father still prefers handwritten letters; he’s really **old school**.
idiom

a cold war

Meaning
a state of political hostility without open warfare
Example
The two nations seem to be entering **a cold war** again.
idiom

words can’t express

Meaning
used to show that you are very thankful beyond words
Example
**Words can’t express** how thankful I am for your support.
idiom

keep out

Meaning
to prevent someone or something from entering
Example
Close the windows to **keep out** the dust during the renovation.
idiom

new lease on life

Meaning
a chance to live or start something again after a period of difficulty
Example
Winning the award gave her a **new lease on life**.
idiom

Break bread with someone

Meaning
To share a meal; to bond over food
Example
They decided to **break bread** to celebrate their new partnership.
idiom

set the wheels in motion

Meaning
to start something or initiate action
Example
The CEO's speech **set the wheels in motion** for the new project.
idiom

pass with flying colors

Meaning
to succeed brilliantly or achieve something with excellence
Example
She **passed the exam with flying colors**.
idiom

the nuts and bolts

Meaning
the basic practical details of something
Example
We discussed **the nuts and bolts** of the new software project.
idiom

That ship has sailed

Meaning
That opportunity is gone and cannot be used anymore.
Example
I wanted to apply for that job, but **that ship has sailed**.
idiom

bounce back

Meaning
to recover quickly after a setback or failure
Example
She **bounced back** after losing the competition.
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

on the money

Meaning
exactly correct or accurate
Example
His prediction about the stock was **on the money**.
idiom

clean conscience

Meaning
feeling that you have done nothing wrong
Example
He can sleep well because he has a **clean conscience**.
idiom

market forces

Meaning
the economic factors affecting the supply and demand of goods and services in a market
Example
The price increase is driven by **market forces**, as demand for the product rises.
idiom

a smoke-filled room

Meaning
a place where powerful people make secret political decisions
Example
The policy was decided in **a smoke-filled room**, not in public.
idiom

back and forth

Meaning
to change opinions or decisions repeatedly
Example
We’ve been going **back and forth** about this issue for weeks.
idiom

extend an olive branch

Meaning
to offer peace or reconciliation
Example
After years of conflict, the president decided to **extend an olive branch**.
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

throw someone under the bus

Meaning
to betray or sacrifice someone to save yourself
Example
He **threw his colleague under the bus** to avoid getting fired.
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

paint a new picture

Meaning
to create a new vision or concept
Example
The designer managed to **paint a new picture** for the brand.
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

mad scientist

Meaning
a person who is dangerously or foolishly creative or obsessed with experiments
Example
He looks like a **mad scientist** when he’s working in his lab all night.
idiom

get one's ducks in a row

Meaning
to organize things in a proper and efficient way
Example
Before we begin, we need to **get our ducks in a row** and finalize the plan.
idiom

win someone over

Meaning
to persuade someone to support you or agree with you
Example
The candidate’s speech **won the crowd over**.
idiom

Keep the team on track

Meaning
to make sure the team remains focused and organized
Example
As the project manager, it's important to **keep the team on track**.
idiom

drum up

Meaning
to increase interest or support for something
Example
The volunteers are visiting schools to **drum up** excitement for the festival.
idiom

take up a hobby

Meaning
to start a new hobby or leisure activity
Example
During the lockdown, many people **took up hobbies** like painting or cooking.
idiom

hit like a ton of bricks

Meaning
to cause a sudden and strong shock or surprise
Example
The news of his death **hit me like a ton of bricks**.
idiom

chin up, soldier

Meaning
to stay brave and strong in difficult situations
Example
**Chin up, soldier**, things will get better soon.
idiom

Left no stone unturned

Meaning
To try every possible way to achieve something.
Example
The detective **left no stone unturned** to find the truth.
idiom

a gift from the heavens

Meaning
a blessing or something very special
Example
Her support during the tough times was **a gift from the heavens**.
idiom

think through

Meaning
to consider something carefully from all angles
Example
Let’s **think through** the risks before committing.
idiom

speak your mind

Meaning
to say exactly what you think
Example
Don't be afraid to **speak your mind**.
idiom

in the zone

Meaning
to be fully focused and performing at your best
Example
When she’s **in the zone**, she can write for hours without stopping.
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

step away

Meaning
to take a short break from a situation
Example
Take a minute to **step away** if you feel overwhelmed.
idiom

catch the train

Meaning
to be on time for a train or event
Example
Hurry up or you’ll not **catch the train**!
idiom

in the same boat

Meaning
to be in the same difficult situation as others
Example
We are all **in the same boat** with these challenges.
idiom

cool off with

Meaning
to refresh oneself using something
Example
We’ll **cool off with** iced tea after the run.
idiom

get a pat on the back

Meaning
to receive praise or recognition for something good
Example
He **got a pat on the back** for completing the project early.
idiom

put in the hours

Meaning
to spend a lot of time working
Example
If you **put in the hours**, you’ll see progress soon.
idiom

thank you kindly

Meaning
a polite way to say thank you warmly
Example
**Thank you kindly** for your time and patience.
idiom

turn up the heat

Meaning
to increase pressure or intensity
Example
The scientists decided to **turn up the heat** on the experiment.
idiom

talk around

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

behind someone’s back

Meaning
to do something secretly without their knowledge
Example
She was talking about me **behind my back**.
idiom

move mountains

Meaning
to achieve something very difficult
Example
With determination, you can **move mountains**.
idiom

Speak from the heart

Meaning
To speak honestly and sincerely.
Example
When he apologized, he really **spoke from the heart**.
idiom

your own flesh and blood

Meaning
A family member or close relative.
Example
How can you turn away from **your own flesh and blood**?
idiom

fall through the cracks

Meaning
to be overlooked or neglected
Example
I forgot to follow up on his application and it **fell through the cracks**.
idiom

political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to deal with
Example
Immigration reform has become a **political hot potato** for the government.
idiom

Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

Meaning
To be born into a wealthy family.
Example
He never had to struggle; he was **born with a silver spoon in his mouth**.
idiom

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Meaning
Strong people keep working hard even in difficulties.
Example
**When the going gets tough, the tough get going** — never lose hope.
idiom

have a falling out

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

silver lining

Meaning
a positive aspect in a bad situation
Example
Every dark cloud has a **silver lining**.
idiom

kick the bucket

Meaning
to die (informal)
Example
He finally **kicked the bucket** after a long illness.
idiom

narrow in

Meaning
to focus on a smaller area or set of options
Example
Let’s **narrow in** on the two strongest proposals.
idiom

throw the book at someone

Meaning
to punish someone severely
Example
The judge decided to **throw the book at** the criminal.
idiom

Take off

Meaning
To begin to succeed rapidly; to leave the ground.
Example
Her business really **took off** after the new marketing campaign.
idiom

A bright future lies ahead

Meaning
there is hope for success in the future
Example
With his talent and hard work, **a bright future lies ahead** for him.
idiom

lay up

Meaning
to keep something in reserve for later use
Example
We should **lay up** extra supplies before winter.
idiom

cliffhanger

Meaning
an ending that leaves the audience in suspense
Example
The episode ended on a **cliffhanger**, so we can’t wait for the next one.
idiom

chalk up

Meaning
to attribute something to a particular cause
Example
Let’s **chalk up** the delay to bad weather.
idiom

out like a light

Meaning
to fall asleep very quickly
Example
He was **out like a light** as soon as his head hit the pillow.
idiom

chart your own course

Meaning
to plan your own path or future independently
Example
He decided to **chart his own course** and become an entrepreneur.
idiom

adapt to the changing times

Meaning
to adjust to new conditions or circumstances
Example
In order to survive in this fast-paced world, you must **adapt to the changing times**.
idiom

Face the truth

Meaning
To accept the reality of a situation, even if it’s unpleasant.
Example
You have to **face the truth** about your finances.
idiom

jot down

Meaning
to write something quickly for later use
Example
I always **jot down** ideas as soon as they pop into my head.
idiom

clean up your act

Meaning
to start behaving more responsibly.
Example
You need to **clean up your act** if you want that promotion.
idiom

game changer

Meaning
an idea or event that changes everything significantly
Example
The new app was a real **game changer** for the company.
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

mull over

Meaning
to think carefully about something
Example
Take a day to **mull over** the offer.
idiom

cash cow

Meaning
a product or service that consistently generates a lot of money
Example
Their mobile app has become a **cash cow** for the company.