wind up
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
idiom

wind up

Meaning
to end up in a particular situation
Example
If you ignore the warning signs, you could **wind up** in trouble.
phrasal-verb

wind up with

Meaning
to end up in a particular situation or condition; to result in
Example
If you keep skipping breaks, you might **wind up with** burnout.
idiom

how do you do

Meaning
a formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
**How do you do?** It’s a pleasure to meet you.
phrasal-verb

stand over to

Meaning
to transfer or carry something to another time or situation
Example
The discussion will be **stood over to** next week.
phrasal-verb

depend upon imports

Meaning
to rely on goods brought from other countries
Example
Many developing countries **depend upon imports** for essential commodities.
idiom

a chapter of one’s life

Meaning
a period or stage in someone’s life
Example
Leaving college was the end of an important **chapter of her life**.
phrasal-verb

come off medication

Meaning
to stop taking medicine
Example
He **came off** his medication after feeling better.
idiom

pile up

Meaning
to increase into a large amount
Example
Emails tend to **pile up** over the weekend.
phrasal-verb

hold back tears

Meaning
to stop yourself from crying
Example
He tried to **hold back tears** during the speech.
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

Keep your head above water

Meaning
Manage to survive or cope with difficulties.
Example
It’s hard, but I’m trying to **keep my head above water**.
phrasal-verb

take after

Meaning
to resemble a parent or relative in appearance or behavior
Example
He **takes after** his mother in both looks and nature.
phrasal-verb

check in after

Meaning
to follow up with someone once something has happened
Example
Please **check in after** the appointment so I know how it went.
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

on the go

Meaning
always busy or active; traveling a lot
Example
She's always **on the go** with her work trips.
phrasal-verb

bring in investors

Meaning
to attract people who will invest money
Example
The startup managed to **bring in** several new investors this year.
phrasal-verb

take off economically

Meaning
to start growing or improving rapidly
Example
After years of reform, the country's economy finally **took off economically**.
idiom

draw a line in the sand

Meaning
to set a firm boundary or make a limit clear
Example
The prime minister **drew a line in the sand** regarding national security.
phrasal-verb

calm oneself down

Meaning
to relax and regain emotional control after being upset or angry
Example
He took a deep breath to **calm himself down** before speaking.
phrasal-verb

turn right

Meaning
to change direction to the right
Example
**Turn right** after the traffic light and go past the gas station.
phrasal-verb

roll with it

Meaning
to accept a situation as it comes and deal with it calmly
Example
When unexpected challenges arise, she knows how to **roll with it**.
phrasal-verb

owe to

Meaning
to feel you should thank someone for something
Example
I **owe my success to** my parents’ support.
phrasal-verb

let out

Meaning
to express or release emotions openly
Example
He finally **let out** his anger after holding it in for weeks.
idiom

backdoor entry

Meaning
a secret or unofficial way to access something
Example
Hackers found a **backdoor entry** into the company’s database.
phrasal-verb

stand over

Meaning
to watch someone closely to ensure they do something correctly
Example
The teacher **stood over** the students during the exam.
idiom

table the issue

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

let courage in

Meaning
to allow oneself to feel and act with bravery
Example
He tried to **let courage in** instead of fear.
phrasal-verb

get over hurt

Meaning
to recover emotionally from pain or sadness
Example
It took him months to **get over** the hurt from the breakup.
idiom

Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning
To pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action.
Example
If you think I'm guilty, you're **barking up the wrong tree**.
phrasal-verb

look into allegations

Meaning
to investigate claims or accusations
Example
An independent body was formed to **look into allegations** of election fraud.
phrasal-verb

ease tensions between

Meaning
to reduce conflict or hostility between countries
Example
Efforts were made to **ease tensions between** the rival nations.
idiom

keep up with the Joneses

Meaning
to try to match your neighbors or peers in wealth or possessions
Example
Many people go into debt trying to **keep up with the Joneses**.
phrasal-verb

dream beyond

Meaning
to imagine or aim for something greater than what seems possible
Example
To make a difference, you must **dream beyond** limits.
phrasal-verb

turn over

Meaning
to flip something; to change jobs or positions
Example
She **turned over** the page to continue reading.
phrasal-verb

swap in healthier sides

Meaning
to replace part of a meal with a healthier option
Example
We **swap in healthier sides** like roasted veggies instead of fries.
idiom

going viral

Meaning
to become very popular very quickly on the internet or social media
Example
The video of the cat dancing has **gone viral** and everyone is talking about it.
idiom

Cut from the same cloth

Meaning
To be very similar in character or behavior.
Example
Those two brothers are **cut from the same cloth**.
idiom

do time

Meaning
to spend time in prison
Example
He had to **do time** for his crimes.
idiom

the doctor ordered

Meaning
exactly what is needed or wanted
Example
After a long day, a cup of coffee was just **what the doctor ordered**.
phrasal-verb

press for

Meaning
to insistently demand something
Example
Opposition parties continue to **press for** fair elections.
phrasal-verb

revive through

Meaning
to bring back to life or strength by specific efforts
Example
The stimulus package helped **revive through** major industrial investment.
phrasal-verb

wear off

Meaning
to gradually disappear or lose effect
Example
The excitement of the trip soon **wore off** after returning home.
idiom

bend the truth

Meaning
to slightly change the truth to make something sound better
Example
He tends to **bend the truth** when telling stories.
idiom

pluck up the courage

Meaning
to make yourself feel brave enough to do something
Example
He finally **plucked up the courage** to speak in public.
phrasal-verb

quote from

Meaning
to repeat words from a person or source in speech or writing
Example
The news anchor **quoted from** the Prime Minister’s statement.
idiom

gain ground

Meaning
to make progress or advance
Example
The company has been **gaining ground** in the tech industry.
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.
phrasal-verb

listen to

Meaning
to pay attention to what someone feels or says with empathy
Example
Sometimes all a person needs is someone to **listen to** them.
idiom

chicken out

Meaning
to decide not to do something because of fear
Example
He was going to ask her out but **chickened out** at the last minute.
phrasal-verb

learn about

Meaning
to gain knowledge or understanding of something new
Example
Through cultural exchange, people **learn about** different lifestyles and beliefs.
phrasal-verb

lean toward

Meaning
to show preference or support for one option or side
Example
Most countries **lean toward** multilateral cooperation.
phrasal-verb

work on weaknesses

Meaning
to make efforts to improve the areas where you are lacking
Example
He is trying to **work on his weaknesses** to become more confident.
phrasal-verb

prioritize over

Meaning
to give more importance to one thing than another
Example
You should **prioritize over** urgent tasks before anything else.
phrasal-verb

stick to goals

Meaning
to remain committed to educational or personal objectives
Example
To achieve success, you must **stick to goals** no matter how hard it gets.
idiom

double-cross someone

Meaning
to betray someone after pretending to support them
Example
He promised to help but **double-crossed** me in the end.
phrasal-verb

ease your mind

Meaning
to make yourself feel less worried or anxious
Example
Talking to a friend can really **ease your mind**.
idiom

spread the word

Meaning
to tell many people about something
Example
Please **spread the word** about our new course.
idiom

cover all bases

Meaning
to prepare for all possible situations
Example
Before the presentation, we need to **cover all bases**.
idiom

black box problem

Meaning
a situation where the internal workings of an AI system are not transparent or understood
Example
The biggest challenge in deep learning is the **black box problem**.
phrasal-verb

switch off mentally

Meaning
to stop thinking about work or problems for a while
Example
On weekends, I try to **switch off mentally** and enjoy time with my family.
idiom

dream on

Meaning
used to say that something is unlikely to happen
Example
You think you’ll win the lottery? **Dream on!**
phrasal-verb

blow out

Meaning
to extinguish flames, especially candles
Example
She **blew out** the candles and made a wish on her birthday.
idiom

ring up

Meaning
to calculate and record a sale
Example
The cashier will **ring up** your items at the counter.
phrasal-verb

question over

Meaning
to express doubt or uncertainty about something
Example
There’s been a lot of **questions over** the accuracy of that report.
phrasal-verb

show over

Meaning
to take someone on a short tour of a place
Example
The agent **showed over** the apartment to the potential buyers.
idiom

weed out

Meaning
to remove unwanted people or things
Example
The editor **weeded out** the mistakes before publishing.
idiom

Trickle-down effect

Meaning
Economic benefits of the wealthy gradually reaching the lower-income groups.
Example
Critics argue that the **trickle-down effect** rarely helps the poor.
idiom

crack the books

Meaning
to open your books and begin studying
Example
It's time to **crack the books** and prepare for finals.
phrasal-verb

blow apart emotionally

Meaning
to lose control because of overwhelming emotion
Example
After the breakup, she **blew apart emotionally** for weeks.
phrasal-verb

find for

Meaning
to support or rule in favor of someone (usually in a legal case)
Example
The court **found for** the defendant after reviewing the evidence.
idiom

on the dot

Meaning
exactly on time; punctual
Example
The meeting started **on the dot** at 10 a.m.
phrasal-verb

reflect on mistakes

Meaning
to think carefully about what went wrong and learn from it
Example
It’s healthy to **reflect on mistakes** and grow from them.
phrasal-verb

keep your spirits up

Meaning
to stay cheerful and hopeful in tough times
Example
Even during stress, try to **keep your spirits up**.
phrasal-verb

come together on

Meaning
to unite in agreement on a common issue
Example
World leaders **came together on** climate change goals.
phrasal-verb

throw yourself into

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

push back on

Meaning
to resist or challenge a proposal or action
Example
Citizens **push back on** the policy until leaders revise it.
phrasal-verb

hold onto hope

Meaning
to keep believing that good things will happen
Example
No matter how hard life gets, always **hold onto hope**.
idiom

make a comeback

Meaning
to return to success after a period of failure
Example
After a year of struggle, the team managed to **make a comeback** and won the championship.
phrasal-verb

carry on smiling

Meaning
to keep smiling even during difficult times
Example
She always **carries on smiling** no matter what happens.
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

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

against all odds

Meaning
despite great difficulties or challenges
Example
She succeeded **against all odds** and became a doctor.
phrasal-verb

hit on

Meaning
to show romantic or sexual interest in someone
Example
He tried to **hit on** her at the party, but she ignored him.
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.
phrasal-verb

drop behind

Meaning
to fall behind others in progress or development
Example
She started to **drop behind** in her studies after missing several classes.
phrasal-verb

flag blockers early

Meaning
to report obstacles as soon as they appear
Example
Please **flag blockers early** so support teams can jump in.
idiom

have an axe to grind

Meaning
to have a personal reason to complain or criticize
Example
She **has an axe to grind** with her former employer.
phrasal-verb

campaign for

Meaning
to work in an organized way for a political or social goal
Example
They are **campaigning for** better education policies.
phrasal-verb

do over

Meaning
to do something again; to decorate or renovate a place
Example
You’ll have to **do over** the report because it’s full of errors.
idiom

hand over

Meaning
to give control or possession to someone else
Example
She will **hand over** the keys when the lease is signed.
idiom

on cloud nine

Meaning
extremely happy; overjoyed
Example
She was **on cloud nine** after getting the job.
phrasal-verb

apologize sincerely

Meaning
to say sorry in a heartfelt and honest manner
Example
If you make a mistake, **apologize sincerely** to the person.
phrasal-verb

call over

Meaning
to invite someone to come to your place
Example
We should **call over** some friends this weekend for a movie night.
phrasal-verb

rise above setbacks

Meaning
to recover and continue after facing difficulties or failures
Example
She learned to **rise above setbacks** and keep moving forward.
phrasal-verb

stay curious

Meaning
to keep being interested and eager to learn
Example
The best learners always **stay curious** about the world.
idiom

clue in

Meaning
to give someone the necessary information
Example
Can you **clue me in** on the schedule changes?
idiom

the last straw

Meaning
the final problem that makes a situation unbearable
Example
His rude comment was **the last straw** for her.
idiom

not lose heart

Meaning
to not lose confidence or courage
Example
**Don’t lose heart**; success takes time.
phrasal-verb

cut off

Meaning
to stop the supply of something; to disconnect
Example
The drought has **cut off** water supplies to several villages.
phrasal-verb

reach for higher goals

Meaning
to aim or strive for greater success or achievements
Example
She’s always encouraged her team to **reach for higher goals**.
idiom

lay the foundation

Meaning
to create the base or starting point for something
Example
They worked hard to **lay the foundation** for future growth.
phrasal-verb

reflect on feedback

Meaning
to think carefully about comments or evaluations to improve
Example
Good learners always **reflect on feedback** to do better next time.
phrasal-verb

book into

Meaning
to reserve accommodation at a hotel or place
Example
We **booked into** a nice resort by the beach for our holiday.
idiom

play dirty

Meaning
to use unfair or dishonest methods to win
Example
Politicians often **play dirty** during elections.
phrasal-verb

live by

Meaning
to follow certain principles or moral values
Example
Our organization **lives by** honesty and transparency.
phrasal-verb

talk through with

Meaning
to discuss something step by step with someone
Example
Let's **talk through with** the client before we give our recommendation.
phrasal-verb

price in

Meaning
to include expected future events in the current price of an investment
Example
Traders have already **priced in** the expected interest rate hike.
phrasal-verb

bring in

Meaning
to introduce something new, such as a law, idea, or practice; to implement
Example
The organization decided to **bring in** new policies to promote inclusivity.
idiom

blow away the cobwebs

Meaning
to refresh one’s mind or body after inactivity
Example
A short walk helped me **blow away the cobwebs**.
idiom

apple of one’s eye

Meaning
someone who is cherished above others
Example
Her little son is the **apple of her eye**.
phrasal-verb

show up for

Meaning
to be present for someone when they need you
Example
Real friends always **show up for** each other.
phrasal-verb

grow apart

Meaning
to become distant from someone emotionally over time
Example
After years, they **grew apart** because of different interests.
idiom

olive branch

Meaning
a gesture of peace or reconciliation
Example
The president extended an **olive branch** by inviting his rival to the summit.
phrasal-verb

reflect on yourself

Meaning
to think carefully about your actions, thoughts, and emotions
Example
Journaling allows you to **reflect on yourself** and grow.
phrasal-verb

talk through emotions

Meaning
to discuss your feelings in order to understand or manage them
Example
It helps to **talk through** your emotions with someone you trust.
phrasal-verb

cool down from

Meaning
to relax and recover from emotional or physical stress
Example
She needed time to **cool down from** the heated discussion.
idiom

artificial intelligence

Meaning
The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn.
Example
The company has invested heavily in **artificial intelligence** to enhance automation.
idiom

it blew my mind

Meaning
it amazed or shocked me completely
Example
The technology they used **blew my mind**.
phrasal-verb

run over budget

Meaning
to spend more money than was planned
Example
The construction project **ran over budget** by nearly 20%.
phrasal-verb

get past differences

Meaning
to overcome disagreements and move forward positively
Example
The team managed to **get past differences** and focus on the project.
idiom

couch potato

Meaning
a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
Example
He’s such a **couch potato**, he never goes out or exercises.