wise up
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

wise up

Meaning
to become aware or informed about something
Example
It’s time to **wise up** and start saving money.
idiom

feather in one’s cap

Meaning
an achievement to be proud of
Example
Winning the national award was a real **feather in his cap**.
idiom

key into

Meaning
to pay close attention to or understand something important
Example
Leaders must **key into** what customers value most.
idiom

ground control

Meaning
authority or people managing a situation
Example
In this project, Sarah is **ground control**.
phrasal-verb

let down your guard

Meaning
to stop being defensive and allow yourself to feel or connect
Example
When you **let down your guard**, you allow others to truly know you.
phrasal-verb

look out

Meaning
to be careful; to pay attention to avoid danger
Example
You should **look out** when crossing the street.
phrasal-verb

build flexibility into

Meaning
to include adaptability as a part of a system or plan
Example
We need to **build flexibility into** our workflow to handle changes easily.
phrasal-verb

evolve from

Meaning
to develop or change gradually from a previous form or condition
Example
Modern customs often **evolve from** ancient traditions.
idiom

in the same orbit

Meaning
to be in agreement or share similar thoughts or goals
Example
We’re both **in the same orbit** when it comes to our project’s goals.
idiom

party pooper

Meaning
someone who spoils the fun of others
Example
Don’t be a **party pooper**, join the fun!
phrasal-verb

clamor for

Meaning
to demand something loudly and emotionally
Example
Fans **clamored for** an encore performance.
idiom

your guess is as good as mine

Meaning
I do not know the answer to a question
Example
I don't know what time the movie starts. **Your guess is as good as mine**.
idiom

rough patch

Meaning
a period of difficulty or trouble
Example
Their marriage went through a **rough patch** last year.
idiom

a weak link

Meaning
the least reliable or secure part of a system or group
Example
One careless employee can be **a weak link** in the security chain.
idiom

a light bulb moment

Meaning
a moment of sudden inspiration or realization
Example
She had **a light bulb moment** during the meeting.
idiom

zero-day attack

Meaning
a cyberattack that exploits a previously unknown vulnerability
Example
The team discovered a **zero-day attack** before it spread widely.
idiom

the scoop

Meaning
exclusive or sensational news
Example
The journalist got **the scoop** on the celebrity wedding.
idiom

pile up

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

break into a market

Meaning
to successfully enter a new market or industry
Example
The company is trying to **break into the Asian market**.
idiom

burn bridges

Meaning
to destroy relationships or connections permanently
Example
Be careful not to **burn bridges** when leaving your job.
phrasal-verb

bring down trade barriers

Meaning
to reduce or remove obstacles that limit international trade
Example
Efforts are being made to **bring down trade barriers** between neighboring countries.
idiom

sweep someone off their feet

Meaning
to make someone fall in love with you suddenly
Example
His charm and confidence really **swept her off her feet**.
phrasal-verb

pace yourself

Meaning
to control the speed at which you work to avoid exhaustion
Example
You need to **pace yourself** during busy weeks.
phrasal-verb

deal upon

Meaning
to act or decide based on something
Example
They **dealt upon** the information they received.
idiom

living the dream

Meaning
living a life that one always desired
Example
After years of hard work, he’s finally **living the dream**.
phrasal-verb

point someone toward

Meaning
to direct a person to the right place or resource
Example
Locals **point travelers toward** the right bus when maps confuse them.
idiom

give off

Meaning
to emit a smell, light, or feeling
Example
The candles **give off** a calming scent in the room.
phrasal-verb

refer back

Meaning
to mention something again for clarification
Example
Let’s **refer back** to the graph we saw earlier.
phrasal-verb

scale up production

Meaning
to increase production capacity significantly
Example
Factories are trying to **scale up production** to meet the growing global demand.
phrasal-verb

bring in together

Meaning
to unite people from different backgrounds
Example
The HR department worked hard to **bring in together** employees from various cultures.
phrasal-verb

crack a smile

Meaning
to smile slightly, especially when trying not to
Example
Even he **cracked a smile** after hearing the funny story.
idiom

a dream come true

Meaning
something that happens which you always wished for
Example
Getting that scholarship was **a dream come true** for her.
phrasal-verb

let yourself rest

Meaning
to allow yourself to take a break and relax
Example
You should **let yourself rest** after such a long day.
phrasal-verb

get by

Meaning
to manage to live or survive with what you have
Example
Even with little money, our family managed to **get by** happily.
phrasal-verb

find through

Meaning
to understand or see something clearly after effort
Example
It took me some time to **find through** his lies.
phrasal-verb

float away stress

Meaning
to imagine your stress disappearing like something drifting away
Example
Visualize your worries and let them **float away** like clouds.
phrasal-verb

drop below

Meaning
to decrease to less than a specific amount or level
Example
Investment growth **dropped below** expectations this quarter.
phrasal-verb

set meeting notes live

Meaning
to publish the latest minutes for everyone to view
Example
Please **set meeting notes live** right after the session ends.
phrasal-verb

grow into understanding

Meaning
to gradually develop empathy or comprehension for different cultures
Example
Children can **grow into understanding** diversity through stories and travel.
idiom

sliding into DMs

Meaning
to send a private message to someone on social media, often flirtatiously
Example
He started **sliding into her DMs** after seeing her post.
idiom

have a stake in

Meaning
to have an interest or investment in something
Example
She has a **stake in** the company's success.
idiom

don't sweat the small stuff

Meaning
don’t worry about minor or unimportant things
Example
It’s just a little mistake, **don’t sweat the small stuff**.
phrasal-verb

push through fear

Meaning
to take action despite being afraid
Example
He learned to **push through fear** and speak with confidence.
idiom

talk someone into

Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** joining the event.
phrasal-verb

carry back to

Meaning
to take someone or something to a previous state or time
Example
This smell **carries me back to** my grandmother’s kitchen.
phrasal-verb

write up

Meaning
to prepare a detailed written report
Example
Please **write up** the feedback summary for the manager.
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

adapt under pressure

Meaning
to adjust effectively when facing stressful situations
Example
Professionals must learn to **adapt under pressure**.
idiom

fly high

Meaning
to be very successful or happy
Example
After winning the award, she’s been **flying high**.
phrasal-verb

fizzle out

Meaning
to gradually end or fail after starting strongly
Example
The hype around that new brand **fizzled out** after a few months.
phrasal-verb

drop in for

Meaning
to attend briefly or informally
Example
I plan to **drop in for** the group discussion later this evening.
idiom

Sow the seeds

Meaning
To begin a process that will develop in the future.
Example
Her small donations **sowed the seeds** of a larger charity movement.
phrasal-verb

hold grudges against

Meaning
to continue feeling angry or resentful toward someone
Example
It’s not healthy to **hold grudges against** your friends.
idiom

lend a listening ear

Meaning
to listen attentively and sympathetically
Example
Whenever I feel down, she always knows how to **lend a listening ear**.
phrasal-verb

stand together for inclusion

Meaning
to unite in support of equality and inclusion
Example
Employees decided to **stand together for inclusion** during the diversity week.
phrasal-verb

stand united against

Meaning
to collectively oppose something as one group
Example
Countries **stand united against** global terrorism.
idiom

walk on eggshells

Meaning
to be very careful about what you say or do to avoid upsetting someone
Example
Ever since the argument, I've been **walking on eggshells** around him.
phrasal-verb

set back

Meaning
to delay progress or cause a problem
Example
The heavy rain **set back** the construction work by two weeks.
phrasal-verb

drop someone off

Meaning
to take someone by vehicle to a place and leave them there
Example
The driver **dropped me off** at the airport.
idiom

put one's foot in one's mouth

Meaning
to say something embarrassing or inappropriate
Example
He really **put his foot in his mouth** when he mentioned her ex-boyfriend.
idiom

drop someone a line

Meaning
to contact someone by writing or message
Example
Please **drop me a line** when you arrive.
phrasal-verb

chat with

Meaning
to talk informally with someone
Example
She loves to **chat with** new people at social events.
phrasal-verb

put by

Meaning
to save money for the future
Example
She tries to **put by** a small amount every month.
idiom

dodged a bullet

Meaning
To narrowly escape a dangerous or unlucky situation.
Example
We really **dodged a bullet** when that deal fell through.
idiom

step change

Meaning
a significant improvement or shift
Example
This marks a **step change** in how we approach innovation.
phrasal-verb

blend with

Meaning
to mix harmoniously with something; to integrate smoothly
Example
Immigrants often try to **blend with** the local culture while keeping their traditions alive.
idiom

against all odds

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

balance workloads across

Meaning
to distribute tasks evenly among people
Example
Managers **balance workloads across** the team before busy quarters.
idiom

answer for

Meaning
to be responsible for something and answer to others about it
Example
She had to **answer for** the mistakes made by her team.
idiom

follow through on

Meaning
to complete a task or promise as planned
Example
She always **follows through on** what she says she will do.
idiom

sleep on

Meaning
to delay making a decision until the next day
Example
I'll **sleep on** it and let you know my answer tomorrow.
idiom

veer off

Meaning
to suddenly change direction
Example
The conversation **veered off** into weekend plans.
idiom

a paradigm shift

Meaning
a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions
Example
The invention of the internet marked a **paradigm shift** in communication and information sharing.
phrasal-verb

break into conversation

Meaning
to join an ongoing conversation
Example
He politely **broke into the conversation** to share his opinion.
idiom

open the floodgates

Meaning
to allow something to happen on a large scale; to trigger a chain reaction
Example
When the security flaw was leaked, it **opened the floodgates** for hackers worldwide.
idiom

rule out

Meaning
to decide that something is not possible
Example
We can’t **rule out** another delay yet.
idiom

have your hands full

Meaning
to be very busy with work or responsibilities
Example
She can’t take on another task right now—she already **has her hands full**.
idiom

sort out

Meaning
to organize or resolve a confusing situation
Example
We need to **sort out** this billing error today.
phrasal-verb

transition through

Meaning
to pass through different phases of change smoothly
Example
The company managed to **transition through** restructuring with minimal disruption.
idiom

make someone's jaw drop

Meaning
to surprise or amaze someone greatly
Example
Her stunning dress **made everyone's jaw drop**.
phrasal-verb

put away

Meaning
to store or tidy something in its proper place
Example
Please **put away** your toys after playing.
idiom

start off on the right foot

Meaning
to begin something well or positively
Example
I want to **start off on the right foot** with my new job.
phrasal-verb

give credit for

Meaning
to acknowledge someone’s effort or contribution positively
Example
He always **gives credit for** others’ good ideas.
idiom

a fair game

Meaning
a situation where both parties have equal opportunities to succeed or compromise
Example
The terms of the contract were discussed until both sides agreed it was **a fair game**.
phrasal-verb

jump at

Meaning
to react suddenly with fear or surprise
Example
She **jumped at** the sound of thunder.
idiom

pull someone's leg

Meaning
to tease or joke with someone in a playful way
Example
Don't worry, I was just **pulling your leg** about the test results.
phrasal-verb

open out

Meaning
to become more confident, relaxed, and expressive emotionally
Example
He started to **open out** after making new friends at work.
idiom

the next big thing

Meaning
something that will become extremely popular or successful soon
Example
Everyone thinks blockchain is **the next big thing**.
phrasal-verb

overflow with

Meaning
to have a large amount of positive feeling or emotion
Example
The parents were **overflowing with** pride at their son’s success.
idiom

time flies

Meaning
time passes very quickly
Example
**Time flies** when you’re having fun.
phrasal-verb

draw everyone in

Meaning
to involve all members actively in a discussion or activity
Example
The facilitator tried to **draw everyone in** during the brainstorming session.
phrasal-verb

point up

Meaning
to emphasize something; to make something more noticeable
Example
This example **points up** the importance of communication.
idiom

nose around

Meaning
to search for information in a curious way
Example
Reporters began to **nose around** after the leak.
phrasal-verb

stand united for

Meaning
to act together in support of a cause or issue
Example
Nations must **stand united for** peace and prosperity.
phrasal-verb

follow through on decisions

Meaning
to continue with an action until it is completed
Example
Leaders must always follow through on their promises.
idiom

apology accepted

Meaning
used to say that you forgive someone
Example
Don’t worry, **apology accepted**.
phrasal-verb

take against

Meaning
to begin to dislike someone or something without clear reason
Example
She suddenly **took against** her new neighbor.
idiom

give someone a leg up

Meaning
to help someone improve their situation or get an advantage
Example
Her mentor **gave her a leg up** in her career.
idiom

make up for

Meaning
to compensate for something
Example
We’ll **make up for** the delay with extra support.
idiom

feel under pressure

Meaning
to feel stressed or anxious due to responsibilities or expectations
Example
She's **feeling under pressure** to meet the deadline.
idiom

cold fish

Meaning
a person who is unemotional or lacks warmth
Example
He’s such a **cold fish**; he never shows his feelings.
idiom

double check

Meaning
to verify something again for accuracy
Example
Always **double check** the numbers before submitting.
phrasal-verb

speak on behalf of

Meaning
to represent someone else's opinion politely
Example
I’d like to **speak on behalf of** my team regarding this issue.
phrasal-verb

feed on

Meaning
to gain support or energy from something, often negative; to be sustained by
Example
The tabloids **feed on** celebrity scandals to boost their sales.
idiom

out with the old, in with the new

Meaning
to replace old things or ideas with new ones
Example
It's time for **out with the old, in with the new**.
phrasal-verb

set upon

Meaning
to attack someone suddenly
Example
The thief was **set upon** by the angry crowd.
phrasal-verb

point back to

Meaning
to refer to something in the past as a cause or source
Example
Her symptoms **point back to** a previous illness.
phrasal-verb

blend into

Meaning
to mix harmoniously with a group or culture; to become part of the surroundings
Example
She quickly **blended into** the local community by learning their customs.
idiom

chapter and verse

Meaning
to provide full and exact details about something
Example
She can quote **chapter and verse** to support her argument.
idiom

hold oneself accountable

Meaning
to take responsibility for one's actions or decisions
Example
A true leader **holds himself accountable** for the team’s failures.
idiom

Pull one’s weight

Meaning
To do your fair share of work.
Example
If everyone **pulls their weight**, the job will be done quickly.
phrasal-verb

open up new horizons

Meaning
to create new opportunities for learning or understanding different cultures
Example
Studying abroad can **open up new horizons** for personal and cultural growth.
idiom

brainstorm an idea

Meaning
to discuss and think creatively to generate new ideas
Example
The teacher asked the class to **brainstorm ideas** for the project.
idiom

safeguard your system

Meaning
to protect your computer system or network from attacks
Example
Make sure to **safeguard your system** with the latest antivirus software.
idiom

drop the ball

Meaning
to make a mistake or fail to do something important
Example
I really **dropped the ball** by forgetting to send that important email.
idiom

as happy as a clam

Meaning
feeling completely happy and content
Example
After a long vacation, he was **as happy as a clam**.
phrasal-verb

push forward

Meaning
to continue working hard despite obstacles; to persist toward goals
Example
Even after rejection, the team decided to **push forward** with their plan.
idiom

work like a charm

Meaning
to function perfectly or very effectively
Example
The new solution **worked like a charm**.
idiom

fan out

Meaning
to spread out over an area
Example
Volunteers will **fan out** across the park.
idiom

train a model

Meaning
to teach an AI model using data to make predictions or decisions
Example
We need to **train a model** on the new dataset before running predictions.
phrasal-verb

work out of

Meaning
to be based or operate from a specific place
Example
He **works out of** our Singapore office.