under the knife
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idiom

under the knife

Meaning
to have surgery
Example
She has to go **under the knife** for her knee problem.
idiom

In for the long haul

Meaning
Prepared to continue something for a long time.
Example
He knew that success would take years, but he was **in for the long haul**.
idiom

bail out

Meaning
to release someone from jail after paying bail money
Example
His family managed to **bail him out** after two days.
idiom

put a spin on

Meaning
to present information in a way that influences people's perception
Example
The media often **puts a spin on** stories to attract viewers.
idiom

make peace with

Meaning
to end conflict and become friendly again
Example
She finally **made peace with** her sister after years of misunderstanding.
idiom

A clear conscience is a soft pillow

Meaning
When you live honestly, you sleep peacefully without guilt.
Example
After telling the truth, he had a peaceful night’s sleep because **a clear conscience is a soft pillow**.
idiom

security blanket

Meaning
something that gives a sense of safety or comfort
Example
Using a strong password manager is my **security blanket** online.
idiom

put in a nutshell

Meaning
to summarize something briefly
Example
To **put it in a nutshell**, we need more time to finish.
idiom

pivot to success

Meaning
to change direction strategically to achieve success
Example
The company had to **pivot to success** after its first product failed.
idiom

jump to conclusions

Meaning
to make a decision without enough information
Example
Don’t **jump to conclusions** before hearing the whole story.
idiom

in a nutshell

Meaning
to summarize something briefly
Example
To put it **in a nutshell**, we need more funding.
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

Don't cry over spilled milk

Meaning
Don’t waste time worrying about things that have already happened.
Example
**Don't cry over spilled milk**; learn from your mistake.
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

give someone a break

Meaning
to give someone a chance or show them mercy
Example
He’s new here, so **give him a break**.
idiom

strong password

Meaning
a password that is difficult for others to guess, typically combining letters, numbers, and symbols
Example
For better security, always use a **strong password** with at least eight characters.
idiom

Pyrrhic victory

Meaning
A victory won at too great a cost to be worthwhile.
Example
Winning the lawsuit was a **Pyrrhic victory** since it drained all their finances.
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

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

To tell the truth

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

lay aside

Meaning
to put something away temporarily
Example
Please **lay aside** your phones during the briefing.
idiom

make friends with

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

pivot on a dime

Meaning
to change direction or strategy quickly
Example
Startups often have to **pivot on a dime** when market trends shift.
idiom

add fuel to the fire

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

learn your lesson

Meaning
to learn from an unpleasant experience so as not to repeat it
Example
After being late several times, he finally **learned his lesson**.
idiom

long story short

Meaning
to summarize something briefly
Example
**Long story short**, we missed the train.
idiom

full of years

Meaning
having lived a long and fulfilling life
Example
He passed away **full of years** and surrounded by family.
idiom

by and large

Meaning
generally speaking; on the whole
Example
**By and large**, we agree with your proposal.
idiom

take your time

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

a trip down memory lane

Meaning
to remember pleasant events from the past
Example
Looking through old photos was **a trip down memory lane**.
idiom

on edge

Meaning
to be nervous, tense, or irritable
Example
She’s been **on edge** since the exam started.
idiom

rob Peter to pay Paul

Meaning
to take money from one part of something in order to pay for something else
Example
They're always **robbing Peter to pay Paul**, moving money around without making any progress.
idiom

cut through the noise

Meaning
to stand out from the competition; to be noticed despite distractions
Example
Our campaign needs to **cut through the noise** and grab people’s attention.
idiom

peace talks

Meaning
negotiations aimed at ending a conflict
Example
The **peace talks** between the two countries lasted for weeks.
idiom

sink or swim

Meaning
to succeed or fail by your own efforts
Example
When you start your own business, it’s **sink or swim**.
idiom

moonlight as

Meaning
to work at a second job, especially secretly or part-time
Example
She decided to **moonlight as** a freelance writer to make extra money.
idiom

malware

Meaning
software designed to damage or disrupt computers or networks
Example
The antivirus software successfully removed the **malware** from the system.
idiom

sweeten the deal

Meaning
to make an offer more attractive
Example
They decided to **sweeten the deal** by offering free shipping.
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 the letter

Meaning
exactly as instructed
Example
She followed her teacher’s advice **to the letter**.
idiom

tie in with

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

have a vivid imagination

Meaning
to be able to think of interesting and unusual ideas
Example
Children often **have a vivid imagination**.
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**.'
idiom

forgive and forget

Meaning
to stop being angry and not remember someone’s mistake
Example
Let’s **forgive and forget** and move on.
idiom

clean up one’s act

Meaning
to improve behavior or performance; to become more responsible
Example
The factory had to **clean up its act** to avoid heavy fines.
idiom

keep it together

Meaning
to stay composed during difficult times
Example
Even after hearing the bad news, he managed to **keep it together**.
idiom

serve time

Meaning
to spend time in prison as punishment
Example
He had to **serve time** for his involvement in the fraud case.
idiom

to spill the beans

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

in the wrong

Meaning
to be responsible for a mistake or bad situation.
Example
He knew he was **in the wrong** for shouting at her.
idiom

run out of bandwidth

Meaning
to have no time or energy left; to be overwhelmed
Example
Sorry, I can’t take another task — I’ve **run out of bandwidth**.
idiom

it’s raining cats and dogs

Meaning
raining very heavily
Example
We can’t go out now; **it’s raining cats and dogs**.
idiom

give someone the shirt off your back

Meaning
to be extremely generous and selfless
Example
He’d **give you the shirt off his back** if you needed it.
idiom

cloak and dagger

Meaning
involving secrecy, mystery, and deception
Example
The meeting was surrounded by **cloak and dagger** secrecy.
idiom

brand ambassador

Meaning
a person who promotes a brand through personal influence
Example
They hired a celebrity as their **brand ambassador**.
idiom

tie up loose ends

Meaning
to complete the remaining small tasks of a project
Example
Before the deadline, we need to **tie up loose ends**.
idiom

run your own show

Meaning
to be in control of your own activities or business
Example
After years of working for others, he wanted to **run his own show**.
idiom

come clean

Meaning
to tell the truth about something you have been hiding
Example
He finally **came clean** about what happened.
idiom

heart of gold

Meaning
a very kind and generous person
Example
My grandmother has a **heart of gold**.
idiom

chain reaction

Meaning
a series of events triggered by one event
Example
One breakthrough can start a **chain reaction** of new innovations.
idiom

miss the mark

Meaning
to fail to achieve the intended result
Example
His speech **missed the mark** and didn’t impress anyone.
idiom

tone down

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

keep something to yourself

Meaning
not tell anyone about something
Example
Please **keep it to yourself** until we’re ready to announce.
idiom

a tough act to follow

Meaning
something so impressive that others find it hard to match or surpass
Example
His last performance was **a tough act to follow**.
idiom

Seed funding

Meaning
Initial capital used to start a business.
Example
They received **seed funding** from angel investors.
idiom

knock around

Meaning
to spend time doing casual activities
Example
We’ll **knock around** the city after the workshop.
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

ahead of the game

Meaning
to have an advantage or be well prepared
Example
She’s always **ahead of the game** with her planning.
idiom

well-oiled machine

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

penny wise, pound foolish

Meaning
being careful with small amounts of money but careless with large amounts
Example
She refuses to buy a $10 book, but spends $100 on clothes; she's **penny wise, pound foolish**.
idiom

take pride in

Meaning
to feel good about something you have done
Example
You should **take pride in** your achievements.
idiom

Like two peas in a pod

Meaning
Two people who are very similar or close.
Example
John and Mike are **like two peas in a pod**. They think alike and do everything together.
idiom

shore up

Meaning
to strengthen or support something
Example
They’re investing to **shore up** the rural clinics.
idiom

carry the weight of responsibility

Meaning
to bear the burden of an important duty or obligation
Example
As a team leader, he has to **carry the weight of responsibility**.
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

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

carve your own path

Meaning
to create your own way of achieving success or independence
Example
She decided to **carve her own path** instead of joining her family business.
idiom

True blue

Meaning
Loyal and trustworthy.
Example
You can count on her; she’s **true blue**.
idiom

take under one’s wing

Meaning
to look after someone and help them develop
Example
The teacher **took the new student under her wing**.
idiom

nip it in the bud

Meaning
to stop a problem before it gets worse
Example
We should **nip it in the bud** before it becomes serious.
idiom

cut the cord

Meaning
to become independent from someone or something
Example
It’s time for you to **cut the cord** and live on your own.
idiom

better luck next time

Meaning
used to encourage someone who has failed
Example
**Better luck next time**! You almost won.
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

mud-slinging

Meaning
the act of criticizing someone, especially in politics, to harm their reputation
Example
The debate turned into **mud-slinging** very quickly.
idiom

hacktivism

Meaning
the use of hacking to promote political or social causes
Example
The group used **hacktivism** to expose corruption within the government.
idiom

Talk through your hat

Meaning
To speak nonsense or about something one knows little about.
Example
He was **talking through his hat** about quantum physics.
idiom

play it by ear

Meaning
to decide or act as the situation develops
Example
We’ll **play it by ear** and see what happens.
idiom

go out of one’s way

Meaning
to make a special effort to help someone
Example
She **went out of her way** to make sure we felt welcome.
idiom

get back on your feet

Meaning
to recover after an illness or difficulty
Example
He lost his job but soon **got back on his feet**.
idiom

a long shot

Meaning
something that has a very small chance of success
Example
Winning the competition is **a long shot**, but we’ll try.
idiom

pass along

Meaning
to share information or items with someone else
Example
Could you **pass along** the agenda to the interns?
idiom

split the difference

Meaning
to agree on a compromise between two opinions or prices
Example
Let’s **split the difference** and meet halfway.
idiom

scoop the news

Meaning
to be the first to report an important piece of news
Example
The local newspaper **scooped the news** about the mayor's resignation.
idiom

nice to meet you

Meaning
a polite expression used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
It's **nice to meet you**, I've heard a lot about you.
idiom

chase rainbows

Meaning
to try to achieve something impossible
Example
Stop **chasing rainbows** and focus on reality.
idiom

Get the scoop

Meaning
To be the first to report on a story, often an exclusive one.
Example
The reporter worked tirelessly to **get the scoop** on the celebrity scandal.
idiom

On the record

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

a drop in the ocean

Meaning
a very small amount compared to what is needed
Example
The money they raised was just **a drop in the ocean** compared to the total cost.
idiom

run on empty

Meaning
to continue working even when you are tired or out of energy
Example
He’s been **running on empty** for weeks without a break.
idiom

get a taste of your own medicine

Meaning
to be treated in the same unpleasant way that you have treated others
Example
He's always rude to people, so I'm glad he finally **got a taste of his own medicine**.
idiom

a cut above

Meaning
better than others; superior in quality or ability
Example
Her work is **a cut above** the rest.
idiom

breeze through

Meaning
to do something easily and with little effort
Example
She managed to **breeze through** the exam without any problems.
idiom

A hit piece

Meaning
A story or article intended to damage someone's reputation, often in a biased or unfair way.
Example
The editor criticized the paper for publishing such a **hit piece** on the politician.
idiom

debug the problem

Meaning
to identify and fix issues or errors
Example
Let’s **debug the problem** before we push the update.
idiom

head to head

Meaning
to be in direct competition or disagreement
Example
The two leaders went **head to head** in the debate.
idiom

keep it up

Meaning
to continue doing something well
Example
You’re doing great with your studies—**keep it up**!
idiom

be your own biggest fan

Meaning
to appreciate and believe in yourself
Example
You should **be your own biggest fan** to stay motivated.
idiom

The waiting game

Meaning
A situation in which you must wait for something to happen.
Example
It’s all about **the waiting game** when you’re looking for a job.
idiom

cut somebody some slack

Meaning
to not judge someone as severely as you usually would because they are having problems at the present time
Example
He's been under a lot of stress lately, so let's **cut him some slack**.
idiom

In due time

Meaning
At the right or appropriate time.
Example
Everything will be alright **in due time**, just be patient.
idiom

table the issue

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

carry the burden

Meaning
to take on responsibility or a difficult task
Example
She had to **carry the burden** of the entire project alone.
idiom

check in on

Meaning
to monitor or see how someone or something is doing
Example
Could you **check in on** the kids while I'm out?
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

runway for growth

Meaning
the time or resources a startup has before it needs more funding
Example
The startup has enough **runway for growth** for the next 12 months.
idiom

feel the strain

Meaning
to feel stress or pressure from a difficult situation
Example
Many employees are starting to **feel the strain** of the workload.
idiom

to go down in history

Meaning
to be remembered for something important or significant
Example
He **went down in history** as one of the greatest inventors of all time.
idiom

a silver lining

Meaning
a positive aspect in a difficult situation
Example
Losing my job was tough, but the **silver lining** was that I found a better one.
idiom

at breaking point

Meaning
so stressed or tired that one can hardly cope
Example
After working 80 hours this week, she’s **at breaking point**.
idiom

It’s not over till it’s over

Meaning
Don’t lose hope until the end.
Example
**It’s not over till it’s over**, we can still win this game.
idiom

Give it your best shot

Meaning
Try as hard as you can.
Example
Even if you fail, **give it your best shot**.