wind down
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idiom

wind down

Meaning
to relax or slow down after activity
Example
I like to **wind down** with a book before bed.
idiom

outstanding in one’s field

Meaning
to be exceptionally good at one’s work
Example
She’s **outstanding in her field** as a scientist.
idiom

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning
It’s better to hold onto something you have than risk losing it by trying to get something better.
Example
I decided to keep the job offer I already have because **a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush**.
idiom

bend over backwards

Meaning
to make a great effort to help or please someone
Example
She **bent over backwards** to make the event successful.
idiom

cross your fingers

Meaning
to hope that things will happen the way you want
Example
I'm **crossing my fingers** that I get the job.
idiom

ease around

Meaning
to move carefully to avoid disturbance
Example
Please **ease around** the cords near the podium.
idiom

play second fiddle

Meaning
to take a subordinate role to someone else
Example
He was tired of **playing second fiddle** to his colleague.
idiom

stand by your principles

Meaning
to remain loyal to your values, even in difficult situations
Example
She always **stands by her principles** in tough times.
idiom

hold forth

Meaning
to speak at length about a topic
Example
He loved to **hold forth** on travel stories.
idiom

Failure is the mother of success

Meaning
Success often comes after learning from failures.
Example
Don’t worry about failing; **failure is the mother of success**.
idiom

speak one’s mind

Meaning
to say exactly what one thinks
Example
She always **speaks her mind**, even if it offends people.
idiom

digital detox

Meaning
a period when a person avoids using digital devices or social media
Example
I’m going on a **digital detox** this weekend.
idiom

know the ropes

Meaning
to be very familiar with something; to have a thorough understanding of something
Example
He really **knows the ropes** in this field of work.
idiom

upload your brain

Meaning
to transfer or store one’s thoughts, knowledge, or consciousness digitally
Example
One day we might be able to **upload our brain** into the cloud.
idiom

a blank page

Meaning
a new beginning; an opportunity to start fresh
Example
After graduation, she saw her life as **a blank page** waiting to be written.
idiom

steal the show

Meaning
to be the most outstanding performer
Example
Her performance **stole the show** last night.
idiom

give it time

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

hit it out of the park

Meaning
to do something extremely well
Example
Your presentation really **hit it out of the park**!
idiom

to draw the line

Meaning
to set a limit on what is acceptable
Example
We need to **draw the line** between inspiration and plagiarism.
idiom

Follow your nose

Meaning
Trust your instincts and go in the direction that feels right.
Example
If you're lost, just **follow your nose** and you'll find the way.
idiom

Two’s company, three’s a crowd

Meaning
Sometimes, two people are just right, but a third person can make things uncomfortable.
Example
I wanted some alone time with Emily, but as they say, **two’s company, three’s a crowd**.
idiom

behind bars

Meaning
in prison
Example
The murderer will spend the rest of his life **behind bars**.
idiom

Cultural shock

Meaning
A feeling of confusion when exposed to a different culture or way of life
Example
Moving from a small village to a big city gave me **cultural shock**.
idiom

spend money like water

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

training data

Meaning
data used to train machine learning models to recognize patterns or make predictions
Example
The AI model's performance depends on the quality of its **training data**.
idiom

lose interest

Meaning
to stop being interested in something
Example
He quickly **lost interest** in the project.
idiom

Building castles in the air

Meaning
To have unrealistic or impractical plans or dreams.
Example
She’s always **building castles in the air**, dreaming of a perfect world.
idiom

think on your feet

Meaning
to make quick decisions or ideas under pressure
Example
Good leaders can **think on their feet**.
idiom

to backfire

Meaning
to have the opposite result of what was intended
Example
His plan **backfired** and made things worse.
idiom

a well-oiled machine

Meaning
a group that works efficiently and smoothly together
Example
Our team worked like **a well-oiled machine** during the event.
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

Unicorn company

Meaning
A startup valued at over one billion dollars.
Example
Becoming a **unicorn company** is every founder’s dream.
idiom

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

Meaning
Always stay optimistic, but be ready for any outcome.
Example
She was nervous about the exam but decided to **hope for the best, prepare for the worst**.
idiom

deep down

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

get your foot in the door

Meaning
to make a first step towards achieving something, especially a job
Example
She finally **got her foot in the door** at a top firm.
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

confide in someone

Meaning
to trust someone enough to tell them secrets
Example
She only **confides in** her best friend.
idiom

lose faith in someone

Meaning
to stop trusting someone
Example
After what he did, I’ve completely **lost faith in him**.
idiom

take flak

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

in one piece

Meaning
safe and unharmed after a difficult situation
Example
Luckily, everyone came out **in one piece** after the accident.
idiom

Chart a course

Meaning
To plan a way to achieve something.
Example
The company has **charted a course** for global expansion.
idiom

breach of trust

Meaning
a failure to keep information or promises secure
Example
Leaking user data is a major **breach of trust**.
idiom

take by surprise

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

do the right thing

Meaning
to act in a morally or socially responsible way
Example
Even when it’s hard, always **do the right thing**.
idiom

get the ball rolling

Meaning
to start something, especially a project or process
Example
Let’s **get the ball rolling** on this new campaign.
idiom

a lump in your throat

Meaning
feeling emotional or about to cry
Example
He felt **a lump in his throat** when he said goodbye.
idiom

patch up

Meaning
to repair something or improve a damaged relationship
Example
They managed to **patch up** their friendship after the argument.
idiom

catch up

Meaning
to meet and talk after a long time; to reach the same level as someone
Example
Let’s **catch up** over coffee this weekend.
idiom

feel on top of things

Meaning
feeling positive and in control of your life
Example
After organizing her tasks, she felt **on top of things**.
idiom

spread the love

Meaning
to show kindness and affection to others
Example
She always tries to **spread the love** by helping others.
idiom

a slow learner

Meaning
someone who takes time to understand or learn things
Example
Don’t worry if you need more time—you’re just **a slow learner**.
idiom

piece together

Meaning
to understand something by combining small details
Example
The detective tried to **piece together** what had happened that night.
idiom

make peace

Meaning
to end a disagreement and become friendly again
Example
The two families finally **made peace** after many years.
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

after the storm comes the calm

Meaning
peace follows a period of trouble
Example
Stay patient; **after the storm comes the calm**.
idiom

put one's cards on the table

Meaning
to be honest and open about one’s intentions
Example
The negotiator decided to **put his cards on the table** to speed up talks.
idiom

alien concept

Meaning
something unfamiliar or strange
Example
Honesty seems like an **alien concept** to him.
idiom

lend an ear

Meaning
to listen carefully to someone’s problems or feelings
Example
She’s always ready to **lend an ear** when I’m feeling down.
idiom

behind the scenes

Meaning
secretly or without public knowledge
Example
A lot of work happens **behind the scenes** to make a movie.
idiom

have a green thumb

Meaning
to be good at gardening
Example
My mother **has a green thumb** and grows beautiful flowers.
idiom

rant and rave

Meaning
to shout and complain loudly
Example
He was **ranting and raving** about the bad service.
idiom

get along like a house on fire

Meaning
To quickly become good friends and enjoy each other’s company.
Example
They met last week and **got along like a house on fire**.
idiom

face the world

Meaning
to deal with life and its challenges confidently
Example
After recovering, she was ready to **face the world** again.
idiom

yellow-bellied

Meaning
very cowardly
Example
He’s too **yellow-bellied** to stand up for himself.
idiom

a little bird told me

Meaning
someone told me something secretly
Example
A **little bird told me** that you got a new job.
idiom

Golden handshake

Meaning
A large payment given to someone when they leave a job, especially early retirement.
Example
The CEO received a **golden handshake** when he retired early.
idiom

rally the troops

Meaning
to motivate or encourage a group to take action
Example
The manager **rallied the troops** before the big presentation.
idiom

inside job

Meaning
a crime committed by someone within the organization affected
Example
The robbery turned out to be an **inside job**.
idiom

set in stone

Meaning
fixed and not likely to change
Example
Our schedule isn’t **set in stone** yet.
idiom

rule the roost

Meaning
to be the most powerful person in a group or family
Example
It’s clear that Mary **rules the roost** in that household.
idiom

a loose cannon

Meaning
A person who behaves unpredictably and may cause problems.
Example
Be careful with him — he’s **a loose cannon**.
idiom

Risk it all

Meaning
To take a huge risk that could lead to loss.
Example
She decided to **risk it all** for her dream project.
idiom

a full plate

Meaning
to be very busy or have many things to do
Example
I can’t join the trip now; I’ve got **a full plate**.
idiom

shore up

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

check in with

Meaning
to contact someone to exchange updates
Example
I’ll **check in with** the vendor later today.
idiom

go the extra mile

Meaning
to make a special effort to achieve something
Example
She always **goes the extra mile** to help her team succeed.
idiom

the bottom has fallen out

Meaning
a situation in which something has suddenly failed or collapsed
Example
The market for tech stocks has crashed; the **bottom has fallen out**.
idiom

break up

Meaning
to end a romantic relationship
Example
They decided to **break up** after five years together.
idiom

measure out

Meaning
to calculate and separate a specific amount
Example
Please **measure out** two cups of flour.
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

data breach

Meaning
unauthorized access to confidential information
Example
The company suffered a major **data breach** last year.
idiom

A blurred line

Meaning
An unclear distinction between two things
Example
There’s often **a blurred line** between work and personal life.
idiom

stand up for something

Meaning
to support or defend something you believe in
Example
She always **stands up for what she believes in**, even when it's difficult.
idiom

keep a straight face

Meaning
to avoid laughing in a funny situation
Example
It was hard to **keep a straight face** during his silly speech.
idiom

A battle of wits

Meaning
A contest or situation where people use intelligence or cleverness to outsmart each other.
Example
The negotiations were a true **battle of wits** between the two leaders.
idiom

paint the town red

Meaning
to go out and celebrate wildly
Example
After the exam, we decided to **paint the town red**.
idiom

Breaking new ground

Meaning
To make an important new discovery or innovation; to do something that has never been done before.
Example
The new trade agreement is **breaking new ground** in international relations.
idiom

work-life harmony

Meaning
a balanced and peaceful relationship between work and personal life
Example
She believes in maintaining **work-life harmony**.
idiom

fade to black

Meaning
to end something dramatically
Example
The director chose to **fade to black** at the emotional climax.
idiom

Go where no man has gone before

Meaning
To explore or attempt something that has never been done before.
Example
The mission to Mars aims to **go where no man has gone before**.
idiom

to tip the scales

Meaning
to influence the outcome of a situation
Example
One witness’s statement **tipped the scales** in favor of the defendant.
idiom

Keep at it

Meaning
Continue trying even when it’s hard.
Example
Don’t give up—just **keep at it**.
idiom

draw attention

Meaning
to make people notice something
Example
The bright colors **draw attention** to the poster.
idiom

cover your bases

Meaning
to prepare for all possible outcomes; to be cautious
Example
Make sure you **cover your bases** before presenting the report.
idiom

above board

Meaning
honest and legal; without deceit
Example
Their business deal was completely **above board**.
idiom

Tell the truth and shame the devil

Meaning
Always speak the truth, even when it’s hard or risky.
Example
Just **tell the truth and shame the devil**, even if it hurts.
idiom

faithful to the end

Meaning
staying loyal and supportive for a long time
Example
She was **faithful to the end** in her relationship.
idiom

break one's word

Meaning
to fail to keep a promise
Example
Don’t **break your word**; people rely on you.
idiom

take a stand

Meaning
to make a firm decision or opinion known
Example
It’s time to **take a stand** and support what you believe in.
idiom

go-getter

Meaning
an ambitious person who achieves their goals
Example
Tom is a real **go-getter**; he never gives up.
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

hand off to

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

talk someone's ear off

Meaning
to talk too much and for a long time
Example
She **talked my ear off** about her new job.
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

race against time

Meaning
to rush to complete something before a deadline
Example
We’re in a **race against time** to meet the client’s demand.
idiom

frozen with fear

Meaning
unable to move because of extreme fear
Example
She stood **frozen with fear** when the snake appeared.
idiom

The longest journey begins with a single step

Meaning
Any big task starts with a small action.
Example
Don't worry about the entire project, **the longest journey begins with a single step**.
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

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**.
idiom

riding the wave

Meaning
taking advantage of a current trend or success
Example
The company is **riding the wave** of its recent success in the international market.
idiom

lose one's temper

Meaning
to become very angry
Example
He **lost his temper** when he saw the mess.
idiom

go nuclear

Meaning
to react very strongly or angrily
Example
When the data got deleted, the manager **went nuclear**.
idiom

A red herring

Meaning
A misleading clue or distraction intended to divert attention from the real issue.
Example
The new law was just a **red herring** to distract from the corruption scandal.
idiom

fend off

Meaning
to defend against something or someone
Example
They installed lights to **fend off** raccoons in the yard.
idiom

lay aside

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

cover your tracks

Meaning
to hide evidence of one’s actions
Example
Hackers often **cover their tracks** after breaking into systems.
idiom

to make the grade

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

Bootstrap the business

Meaning
To build a company using only personal finances.
Example
They decided to **bootstrap the business** instead of seeking investors.
idiom

troll someone

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

raise the bar

Meaning
to set a higher standard or level of quality
Example
The new product really **raised the bar** for the industry.
idiom

keep all your eggs in one basket

Meaning
to rely on a single plan or source of success
Example
Don’t **keep all your eggs in one basket** when investing.