zero in
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All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
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idiom

zero in

Meaning
to focus closely on something
Example
Our analysis should **zero in** on customer pain points.
idiom

a storybook ending

Meaning
a perfect or happy ending, like in a fairy tale
Example
Their wedding was a true **storybook ending**.
idiom

pay attention to

Meaning
to listen carefully or give thought to something
Example
You should **pay attention to** the details of the project.
idiom

once in a while

Meaning
sometimes, but not very often
Example
I enjoy eating out **once in a while**, but I prefer home-cooked meals.
idiom

to mend fences

Meaning
to repair a relationship
Example
After their argument, they decided to **mend fences**.
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

start from scratch

Meaning
to begin again without any advantage or preparation
Example
They lost everything and had to **start from scratch**.
idiom

drive up

Meaning
to cause something to increase
Example
Rising fuel costs **drive up** the price of groceries.
phrasal-verb

die out

Meaning
to become extinct or disappear completely
Example
Many ancient traditions have **died out** over the centuries.
idiom

a turning point

Meaning
a moment when an important change happens
Example
Graduating from college was a **turning point** in his life.
phrasal-verb

point over

Meaning
to gesture or indicate something across a space
Example
She **pointed over** to the next building.
idiom

to lay down the law

Meaning
to assert authority and dictate how things should be done
Example
The new judge quickly **laid down the law** in the courtroom.
phrasal-verb

roll out to

Meaning
to release something to a group of people
Example
The update will **roll out to** all users overnight.
idiom

wash one’s hands of something

Meaning
to stop being responsible for something
Example
He **washed his hands of** the project after it failed.
idiom

silver lining

Meaning
a positive aspect in a bad situation
Example
Every dark cloud has a **silver lining**.
idiom

not lose heart

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

to see the big picture

Meaning
to understand the larger or more important issue
Example
You need to **see the big picture** when making strategic decisions.
idiom

keep the fire burning

Meaning
to stay motivated and passionate about something
Example
Even after failure, he managed to **keep the fire burning**.
idiom

see the big picture

Meaning
to understand the overall situation or goal
Example
You need to **see the big picture** before making decisions.
phrasal-verb

go through

Meaning
to study or read something carefully
Example
You should **go through** the textbook before the quiz.
idiom

crunch the numbers

Meaning
to process data or analyze statistics
Example
AI can **crunch the numbers** faster than any human.
phrasal-verb

balance out trade deficits

Meaning
to equalize imports and exports to avoid economic imbalance
Example
The country is working to **balance out trade deficits** by boosting exports.
idiom

to be in the same boat

Meaning
to be in the same difficult situation
Example
We are all **in the same boat** when it comes to the upcoming project deadline.
idiom

Hold your head high

Meaning
To be proud and confident even after failure or hardship.
Example
Even after losing, she **held her head high**.
idiom

give someone the third degree

Meaning
to question someone intensely
Example
The police **gave him the third degree** after the incident.
idiom

if you ask me

Meaning
used when giving a personal opinion, often without being asked
Example
**If you ask me**, they made a bad decision.
idiom

to see eye to eye

Meaning
to agree with someone
Example
We finally **saw eye to eye** on the decision.
phrasal-verb

move down

Meaning
to go to a lower position, level, or rank
Example
He had to **move down** to a smaller apartment to save money.
idiom

meet halfway

Meaning
to compromise by agreeing to part of what each person wants
Example
We decided to **meet halfway** and agree on a fair price.
idiom

Put your heart into it

Meaning
To do something with full effort and enthusiasm.
Example
If you **put your heart into it**, you’ll achieve great results.
idiom

Bear with me

Meaning
Be patient with me.
Example
**Bear with me** while I fix this problem.
idiom

paint the town red

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

go nuclear

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

drop a line to

Meaning
to send a short message to someone
Example
Don’t forget to **drop a line to** me when you arrive.
phrasal-verb

chart out for

Meaning
to map a path or schedule for something
Example
We **chart out for** peak-season shipping routes in advance.
idiom

hope for the best

Meaning
expect a positive outcome even in uncertainty
Example
We did everything we could, now let’s **hope for the best**.
phrasal-verb

lay off workers

Meaning
to dismiss employees due to economic downturn
Example
Several companies had to **lay off workers** during the recession.
idiom

hit it off

Meaning
to become friends quickly and easily
Example
They **hit it off** right after being introduced.
phrasal-verb

figure out regulations

Meaning
to understand foreign laws and business rules
Example
It can take months to **figure out regulations** in a new country.
idiom

stoic calm

Meaning
to remain calm in difficult or stressful situations
Example
Even during the crisis, she maintained **stoic calm**.
idiom

go up in smoke

Meaning
to fail completely; to come to nothing
Example
All his dreams **went up in smoke** after the deal collapsed.
idiom

put your faith in someone

Meaning
to trust someone completely
Example
She decided to **put her faith in him** and let him handle the project.
idiom

set aside

Meaning
to reserve something for a particular purpose
Example
We should **set aside** some money for unexpected expenses.
phrasal-verb

sit with

Meaning
to accept and experience emotions without rushing to fix them
Example
When you’re sad, just **sit with** your feelings for a while.
idiom

digital footprint

Meaning
the trace of information left by a user's online activities
Example
Be cautious about what you post online; your **digital footprint** lasts forever.
phrasal-verb

choke down

Meaning
to suppress or hide emotions like anger or sadness
Example
He tried to **choke down** his tears during the farewell speech.
idiom

tide over

Meaning
to help someone through a difficult period
Example
A short-term loan will **tide us over** until the invoices are paid.
idiom

block off

Meaning
to close an area so people cannot enter
Example
Police **blocked off** the street after the accident.
phrasal-verb

work through stress

Meaning
to deal with and gradually overcome stress
Example
Meditation helps me **work through stress** effectively.
phrasal-verb

catch up on

Meaning
to do something that one has missed or delayed doing before a deadline
Example
I stayed late to **catch up on** my unfinished reports.
phrasal-verb

top off with

Meaning
to finish something by adding a final touch
Example
We always **top off with** fresh herbs before serving the soup.
idiom

lay down the law

Meaning
to state rules firmly and clearly
Example
The manager **laid down the law** about punctuality.
idiom

light the fire

Meaning
to inspire or motivate people to act passionately
Example
Her speech really **lit the fire** in the employees’ hearts.
phrasal-verb

get over with

Meaning
to finish something unpleasant
Example
Let’s **get this injection over with** quickly.
phrasal-verb

reach deep within

Meaning
to connect with your inner emotions or true feelings
Example
Meditation helps you **reach deep within** and find peace.
phrasal-verb

wish for

Meaning
to hope or desire for something to happen
Example
I always **wish for** peace and happiness in my life.
phrasal-verb

light up with joy

Meaning
to look suddenly happy or excited
Example
Her face **lit up with joy** when she saw her parents.
idiom

to be on the up and up

Meaning
to be honest and trustworthy
Example
I trust her completely because I know she’s always **on the up and up**.
idiom

to hit the jackpot

Meaning
to achieve great success or gain a lot of money
Example
After years of hard work, she finally **hit the jackpot** with her startup.
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.
phrasal-verb

decide on

Meaning
to choose something after thinking carefully
Example
We finally **decided on** the blue design.
phrasal-verb

break into profits

Meaning
to start making profits after a period of losses or investment
Example
After three years, the startup finally **broke into profits**.
phrasal-verb

set off protests

Meaning
to cause protests or demonstrations to begin
Example
The new law **set off protests** across the country.
phrasal-verb

go past

Meaning
to move beyond a particular place or object
Example
**Go past** the supermarket and you’ll find the library on the left.
phrasal-verb

check in about

Meaning
to discuss or confirm the status of something
Example
Let’s **check in about** the deliverables before Friday.
phrasal-verb

ship out goods

Meaning
to send goods to another place, especially abroad
Example
They will **ship out goods** to Europe by the end of this month.
idiom

influencer culture

Meaning
the trend of social media personalities promoting products or lifestyles
Example
**Influencer culture** has changed how brands market themselves.
idiom

a dead-end job

Meaning
a job with no opportunity for advancement or improvement
Example
He quit his **dead-end job** to start his own business.
idiom

zero gravity

Meaning
a state of complete freedom or lack of pressure
Example
After quitting his stressful job, he felt like he was in **zero gravity**.
idiom

fall flat on one’s face

Meaning
to fail completely or embarrass oneself
Example
He **fell flat on his face** trying to start a new business.
idiom

sound out

Meaning
to quietly discover what people think
Example
She will **sound out** the team before making changes.
idiom

mind your peace and quiet

Meaning
to protect your calm and avoid stress or disturbance
Example
She values her alone time to **mind her peace and quiet**.
idiom

Speaking personally

Meaning
Expressing one’s personal view or opinion
Example
Speaking personally, I wouldn’t take that risk.
idiom

seat at the table

Meaning
to have influence or participation in important decision-making
Example
Developing nations are demanding a **seat at the table** in climate talks.
phrasal-verb

snap at

Meaning
to speak angrily and quickly to someone
Example
He **snapped at** me when I asked him a simple question.
idiom

expand one's horizons

Meaning
to increase one’s knowledge or experience
Example
Traveling abroad can really help you **expand your horizons**.
phrasal-verb

brush back

Meaning
to push hair away from the face using the hand or brush
Example
She **brushed back** her hair to see more clearly.
phrasal-verb

lift out of poverty

Meaning
to help people or nations escape from poverty
Example
International aid has helped **lift millions out of poverty** worldwide.
idiom

well-oiled machine

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

pour out your heart

Meaning
to express all your emotions and thoughts freely to someone
Example
She **poured out her heart** to her best friend after the breakup.
idiom

table the discussion

Meaning
to postpone discussing something until later
Example
They decided to **table the discussion** until next week.
phrasal-verb

hold space for

Meaning
to be emotionally present for someone without judgment
Example
Sometimes the best support is just to **hold space for** a friend in pain.
idiom

gear down

Meaning
to slow the pace of activity
Example
We can **gear down** after the product launch is stable.
idiom

hold off

Meaning
to delay doing something
Example
Let’s **hold off** on finalizing the order until we confirm the budget.
idiom

leave something up in the air

Meaning
to leave something undecided or uncertain
Example
We left the meeting **up in the air** without any clear decision.
idiom

hand off to

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

benefit from

Meaning
to gain an advantage or profit through something
Example
Many developing nations **benefit from** global trade agreements.
phrasal-verb

shake off pressure

Meaning
to get rid of tension or stress and regain focus
Example
He took a deep breath to **shake off pressure** before starting his speech.
phrasal-verb

break down emotionally

Meaning
to lose control over your emotions and start crying
Example
She **broke down emotionally** after hearing the bad news.
phrasal-verb

radiate happiness

Meaning
to clearly show happiness or joy through your appearance or behavior
Example
The bride **radiated happiness** throughout the ceremony.
idiom

political circus

Meaning
a situation where politics becomes chaotic and theatrical
Example
The election debates turned into a **political circus**.
phrasal-verb

stand up for oneself

Meaning
to defend your rights or express your opinions confidently
Example
You should **stand up for yourself** when someone disrespects you.
idiom

set a good example

Meaning
to behave in a way that shows others how they should act
Example
Parents should **set a good example** for their children.
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.
phrasal-verb

reach out for balance

Meaning
to make an effort to create harmony in life
Example
He’s learning to **reach out for balance** between work and rest.
idiom

cop a plea

Meaning
to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid a more severe penalty
Example
He decided to **cop a plea** and serve a shorter sentence.
idiom

a brainwave

Meaning
a sudden clever idea or solution
Example
I had **a brainwave** and realized how to fix the issue.
idiom

rags to riches

Meaning
to go from being poor to becoming rich and successful
Example
His life story is a real **rags to riches** tale.
phrasal-verb

set out new goals

Meaning
to define or start pursuing new objectives
Example
The innovation team **set out new goals** for sustainable business models.
idiom

artificial empathy

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

grow accustomed to

Meaning
to gradually become familiar or comfortable with something
Example
He slowly **grew accustomed to** the cultural differences at work.
phrasal-verb

live through

Meaning
to experience or survive an important period of history
Example
Our grandparents **lived through** times of great cultural change.
idiom

bright spark

Meaning
a very clever or talented person
Example
The new intern is a real **bright spark** with great ideas.
idiom

measure twice, cut once

Meaning
to plan carefully before taking action
Example
Before starting the project, he always says **measure twice, cut once**.
idiom

go behind someone’s back

Meaning
to do something secretly or deceitfully against someone
Example
She **went behind my back** and told the manager everything.
idiom

work around the clock

Meaning
to work continuously day and night
Example
They **worked around the clock** to finish the project.
phrasal-verb

honor where you come from

Meaning
to show respect for your cultural roots
Example
Artists **honor where they come from** by weaving family stories into their work.
phrasal-verb

wake early

Meaning
to get up early in the morning; to start the day early
Example
I try to **wake early** every morning to enjoy the quiet and plan my day.
phrasal-verb

back up with

Meaning
to support with evidence or examples
Example
You should **back up** your claims **with** reliable data.
idiom

throw one’s hat into the ring

Meaning
to announce one’s intention to compete or take part, especially in politics
Example
He finally **threw his hat into the ring** for the mayoral election.
phrasal-verb

build upon research

Meaning
to use previous studies as a base for innovation
Example
Scientists often **build upon research** to create groundbreaking solutions.
idiom

penny wise and pound foolish

Meaning
careful with small amounts of money but wasteful with large amounts
Example
He’s **penny wise and pound foolish** when it comes to investments.
phrasal-verb

pray for

Meaning
to express hope or desire for something by praying
Example
We all **pray for** a better future.
idiom

a foot in the door

Meaning
to have a small opportunity to start working in a company or industry
Example
An internship is a great way to get **a foot in the door**.
phrasal-verb

move closer to

Meaning
to make progress toward achieving a goal
Example
Every small win moves you **closer to** success.
phrasal-verb

pick up where you left off

Meaning
to continue doing something from the point you stopped
Example
Let’s **pick up where we left off** last week.
phrasal-verb

jump back

Meaning
to move suddenly backward in fear or surprise
Example
She **jumped back** when the cat suddenly hissed.
idiom

burn bridges

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

get a foot in the door

Meaning
to take the first step towards achieving something, especially a job
Example
He took an internship to **get a foot in the door** of the company.
phrasal-verb

keep inside

Meaning
to not show or tell others about your emotions
Example
He tends to **keep** his feelings **inside** instead of talking about them.
phrasal-verb

rally behind

Meaning
to come together to support a leader or cause
Example
Citizens **rallied behind** their prime minister during the crisis.