work past
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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phrasal-verb

work past

Meaning
to overcome an emotional obstacle or memory
Example
He’s still trying to work past his anxiety.
phrasal-verb

fall behind schedule

Meaning
to not be progressing as quickly as planned
Example
Construction has fallen behind schedule due to bad weather.
phrasal-verb

run across

Meaning
to find or meet something or someone by chance
Example
I ran across an interesting article online.
phrasal-verb

be curious about

Meaning
to have a desire to know or learn about something
Example
Children are naturally curious about how things work.
idiom

opt out

Meaning
to choose not to participate
Example
Employees can opt out of the program if they want.
idiom

to have a thirst for knowledge

Meaning
to have a strong desire to learn or gain more knowledge
Example
She always has a thirst for knowledge and keeps reading books.
phrasal-verb

fit into society

Meaning
to become accepted or comfortable within a new social environment
Example
Newcomers often struggle to fit into society when they move abroad.
phrasal-verb

get by in

Meaning
to manage to communicate in a language, though not perfectly
Example
She can get by in Italian, but she’s not fluent.
phrasal-verb

keep striving for

Meaning
to continue making great efforts toward achieving something
Example
He always tells his students to keep striving for excellence.
idiom

blow one’s top

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
He blew his top when he saw the mistake.
phrasal-verb

pull back on

Meaning
to reduce or stop doing something, especially spending or investment; to withdraw effort or commitment
Example
During the economic crisis, many companies pull back on new projects to save money.
phrasal-verb

stand up for

Meaning
to defend or support someone’s rights or opinions
Example
Parents should stand up for their children when they are treated unfairly.
phrasal-verb

invite over

Meaning
to ask someone to come to your home
Example
We’re planning to invite over our colleagues this weekend.
B1 idiom

fish out of water

Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Meaning
Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Example
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
phrasal-verb

come around

Meaning
to regain consciousness; to change one’s opinion
Example
She finally came around to our way of thinking.
phrasal-verb

go crazy for

Meaning
to like something very much
Example
Fans go crazy for his new songs.
idiom

Take it one step at a time

Meaning
Deal with tasks gradually instead of rushing.
Example
Take it one step at a time, and you’ll succeed.
idiom

as strong as an ox

Meaning
very strong and powerful
Example
He’s as strong as an ox after years of training.
phrasal-verb

spark up

Meaning
to begin something cheerful or lively, such as a smile or conversation
Example
He sparked up a smile as soon as he saw her.
phrasal-verb

make amends for

Meaning
to do something to show you are sorry for hurting someone
Example
She tried to make amends for her mistake.
phrasal-verb

draw up a budget

Meaning
to prepare or plan a financial outline for a period
Example
The finance team will draw up a budget for the next fiscal year.
phrasal-verb

honor with

Meaning
to give respect or recognition to someone for their contribution
Example
The company honored him with an award for his years of service.
phrasal-verb

hang up

Meaning
to end a phone call
Example
He suddenly hung up without saying goodbye.
phrasal-verb

hold down costs

Meaning
to keep expenses under control
Example
The company managed to hold down costs despite rising raw material prices.
phrasal-verb

boil with anger

Meaning
to be extremely angry
Example
She was boiling with anger when she found out about the unfair decision.
idiom

fall head over heels

Meaning
to fall deeply in love
Example
He fell head over heels in love with her the moment they met.
idiom

set the example

Meaning
to model the behavior you expect from others
Example
The manager always tries to set the example by being punctual and hardworking.
idiom

get to the bottom of it

Meaning
to find the real reason or cause of something
Example
Let’s get to the bottom of it before making any decision.
idiom

drag on

Meaning
to continue for too long and become boring
Example
The meeting dragged on for hours.
idiom

sleep tight

Meaning
to have a good and peaceful sleep
Example
Good night! Sleep tight and sweet dreams.
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.
phrasal-verb

lay down guidelines

Meaning
to establish official rules or principles
Example
The economic council will lay down guidelines for fiscal discipline.
idiom

a little bird told me

Meaning
someone told me something secretly
Example
A little bird told me that you got a new job.
phrasal-verb

speak truth to power

Meaning
to tell honest truths to those in authority
Example
Journalists speak truth to power when they expose corruption.
phrasal-verb

cut down on emissions

Meaning
to reduce the amount of something harmful, especially pollution
Example
Nations are taking measures to cut down on emissions from industries.
phrasal-verb

trip over

Meaning
to make a careless mistake while doing something
Example
I tripped over my words during the speech.
phrasal-verb

stand up for values

Meaning
to defend important beliefs or principles even when it's hard
Example
A respected leader always stands up for values under pressure.
phrasal-verb

cut off funding

Meaning
to stop providing financial support
Example
The government cut off funding for several development projects.
idiom

a golden goose

Meaning
a source of continuous wealth or profit
Example
Their subscription service has become a golden goose for the company.
idiom

global reach

Meaning
the ability to extend services or products worldwide
Example
With its strong online presence, the company has a significant global reach.
idiom

Crooked as a snake

Meaning
Dishonest or untrustworthy.
Example
Everyone knows that politician is crooked as a snake.
idiom

talk shop

Meaning
to talk about work or business during leisure time
Example
Even at dinner, they started to talk shop.
idiom

by the book

Meaning
to follow the rules exactly
Example
Our manager does everything by the book.
phrasal-verb

limit yourself to

Meaning
to restrict your actions or choices for a specific goal
Example
Try to limit yourself to one hour of social media per day.
idiom

gear down

Meaning
to slow the pace of activity
Example
We can gear down after the product launch is stable.
phrasal-verb

drop below

Meaning
to decrease to less than a specific amount or level
Example
Investment growth dropped below expectations this quarter.
idiom

open a Pandora’s box

Meaning
to start something that causes many unexpected problems
Example
Unregulated AI development may open a Pandora’s box of ethical issues.
idiom

pull your socks up

Meaning
to make an effort to improve your performance
Example
You need to pull your socks up if you want that promotion.
idiom

show one's true colors

Meaning
to reveal one's true character or feelings, often after a period of hiding them
Example
He finally showed his true colors when he volunteered at the charity event.
idiom

down and out

Meaning
feeling hopeless and defeated
Example
After losing everything, he was completely down and out.
idiom

black hat

Meaning
a hacker with malicious intent
Example
Black hats often exploit vulnerabilities for personal gain.
phrasal-verb

forgive yourself for

Meaning
to stop blaming yourself for past mistakes
Example
You must forgive yourself for what happened and move forward.
phrasal-verb

jump on a call

Meaning
to quickly join an online voice or video call
Example
Let’s jump on a call to discuss the issue in detail.
idiom

break even

Meaning
to have equal income and expenses, neither profit nor loss
Example
The company finally broke even after three years.
idiom

set the pace

Meaning
to establish a standard of performance or progress for others to follow
Example
Our CEO always sets the pace for the entire company.
idiom

train of thought

Meaning
a connected series of thoughts
Example
I lost my train of thought during the presentation.
idiom

lose one’s cool

Meaning
to suddenly become angry
Example
Try not to lose your cool during the argument.
idiom

bite off more than you can chew

Meaning
to take on a task that is too big to handle
Example
I think I bit off more than I can chew by agreeing to manage three projects at once.
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

link together

Meaning
to connect or unite people or organizations
Example
The new initiative aims to link together researchers from across the globe.
idiom

make friends

Meaning
to form new friendships
Example
It’s easy to make friends when you’re kind to others.
phrasal-verb

hand out recognition

Meaning
to give praise or rewards for good work
Example
The manager regularly hands out recognition to motivate the staff.
phrasal-verb

fly into a rage

Meaning
to suddenly become very angry
Example
The manager flew into a rage when the report was submitted late.
phrasal-verb

pig out

Meaning
to eat too much food in one sitting
Example
We pigged out on pizza last night.
idiom

in over one’s head

Meaning
to be involved in something too difficult to handle
Example
He’s in over his head with this complex project.
idiom

cut loose

Meaning
to behave freely and enjoy oneself
Example
It’s the weekend—time to cut loose!
idiom

be at someone’s beck and call

Meaning
to always be ready to help or obey someone
Example
The assistant is at his boss’s beck and call.
phrasal-verb

mix in with

Meaning
to participate socially and integrate with others in a group
Example
He tried to mix in with the team by joining their weekend activities.
idiom

scare the life out of someone

Meaning
to frighten someone very badly
Example
That horror movie scared the life out of me.
idiom

work your fingers to the bone

Meaning
to work extremely hard
Example
She worked her fingers to the bone to support her family.
idiom

pick up on

Meaning
to notice or become aware of something
Example
He didn't pick up on the subtle hints I was giving.
idiom

fall through

Meaning
to fail to happen
Example
Our travel plans might fall through if the storm hits.
phrasal-verb

filter through emails

Meaning
to go through many emails and find the relevant ones
Example
I spent an hour filtering through emails this morning.
phrasal-verb

bloom into

Meaning
to develop into something beautiful or full of life
Example
She bloomed into a confident young woman.
idiom

hard as nails

Meaning
very tough and determined
Example
She’s hard as nails when it comes to achieving her goals.
phrasal-verb

grow beyond

Meaning
to develop emotionally past a previous limitation or belief
Example
She’s trying to grow beyond her old fears and doubts.
idiom

go down in flames

Meaning
to fail spectacularly
Example
The project went down in flames after the funding was cut.
phrasal-verb

get through

Meaning
to successfully complete or pass something; to finish
Example
I finally got through my math exam.
idiom

luck of the Irish

Meaning
good fortune associated with Irish people
Example
He found gold! Must be the luck of the Irish.
phrasal-verb

head back

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
It’s getting late, we should head back to the hotel.
idiom

step in

Meaning
to become involved in order to help or stop something
Example
The manager will step in if the discussion gets heated.
idiom

white as snow

Meaning
Pure and innocent.
Example
Her intentions were white as snow.
phrasal-verb

find into

Meaning
to enter or get involved in something gradually
Example
He slowly found into the rhythm of city life.
phrasal-verb

perk up

Meaning
to become more lively, cheerful, or interested
Example
She perked up when she heard the good news.
phrasal-verb

run away

Meaning
to escape from danger or a threatening situation
Example
The children ran away when they saw the wild dog.
phrasal-verb

run around with

Meaning
to spend a lot of time with a particular group of people
Example
He runs around with a fun crowd from college.
phrasal-verb

boil down

Meaning
to simplify something to its essential points
Example
The report boils down to one key recommendation: cut costs.
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.
phrasal-verb

open up trade

Meaning
to make international trade easier by removing barriers
Example
The new agreement will open up trade between the two nations.
phrasal-verb

keep off

Meaning
to avoid touching or stepping on something; to avoid talking about something
Example
Please keep off the grass.
idiom

go-getter

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

kick up your heels

Meaning
to enjoy yourself by dancing or celebrating
Example
Everyone was ready to kick up their heels at the reunion.
phrasal-verb

kick goals around

Meaning
to discuss possible objectives informally
Example
We kick goals around during lunch before locking the roadmap.
phrasal-verb

light up with happiness

Meaning
to look very happy
Example
Her face lit up with happiness when she saw the gift.
idiom

show initiative

Meaning
to take action without being told what to do
Example
Employees are encouraged to show initiative and come up with solutions on their own.
idiom

back on one’s feet

Meaning
to recover and be healthy again
Example
After a few days of rest, he’s finally back on his feet.
phrasal-verb

brush through

Meaning
to quickly review or go through something
Example
I’ll brush through my notes one more time before the exam.
idiom

plug and play

Meaning
easy to use without complex setup
Example
The new printer is plug and play – no installation needed.
phrasal-verb

grow into confidence

Meaning
to gradually develop self-assurance and ability
Example
Over time, she grew into confidence in her managerial role.
phrasal-verb

adapt for

Meaning
to modify or adjust something to make it suitable for a new culture or purpose
Example
The book was adapted for a film that appealed to global audiences.
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

set off protests

Meaning
to cause protests or demonstrations to begin
Example
The new law set off protests across the country.
idiom

tear one’s hair out

Meaning
to be extremely worried or upset
Example
She was tearing her hair out trying to find her lost keys.
idiom

artificial empathy

Meaning
AI's ability to simulate or mimic human emotions
Example
The robot therapist shows artificial empathy during sessions.
idiom

rise and fall

Meaning
the success and failure of someone or something over time
Example
The documentary shows the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
phrasal-verb

post about

Meaning
to publish content on social media related to a topic
Example
He often posts about his travel experiences on Instagram.
phrasal-verb

celebrate wins with

Meaning
to mark achievements alongside someone
Example
We celebrate wins with a quick message in the team chat.
idiom

have big plans

Meaning
to have important or ambitious goals for the future
Example
He has big plans to expand his business overseas.
idiom

throw your hat in the ring

Meaning
to show interest in something, especially a competition or challenge
Example
I decided to throw my hat in the ring and apply for the leadership role.
phrasal-verb

space yourself out

Meaning
to take mental breaks to avoid stress
Example
You should space yourself out during long study sessions.
idiom

cross the line

Meaning
to do something that is considered unacceptable
Example
He crossed the line when he insulted her in front of everyone.
phrasal-verb

run around

Meaning
to play or move actively, especially as a child
Example
We used to run around the fields all day long.
phrasal-verb

pop up

Meaning
to appear suddenly on the screen
Example
A message just popped up on my screen.
phrasal-verb

hold back anger

Meaning
to control one’s temper during conflict
Example
He tried to hold back anger while listening to the criticism.
idiom

pillar of strength

Meaning
a person who provides strong support or comfort
Example
She was a pillar of strength during difficult times.
phrasal-verb

reach across traditions

Meaning
to connect or communicate across different cultural or traditional boundaries
Example
The festival helps people reach across traditions and share their heritage.
phrasal-verb

speak up in

Meaning
to express one’s thoughts or opinions clearly during a conversation or meeting
Example
She always speaks up in international conferences to share her ideas.
phrasal-verb

peer into

Meaning
to look closely or carefully at something difficult to see
Example
She peered into the darkness, trying to see who was there.
idiom

steal the spotlight

Meaning
to get all the attention, often taking it away from someone else
Example
The little girl stole the spotlight at the wedding with her adorable dance.
idiom

phase back in

Meaning
to reintroduce something gradually
Example
We’ll phase back in office days next quarter.
idiom

leave your mark

Meaning
to have a lasting impact or influence on something
Example
Her dedication to the cause will surely leave her mark in the history books.