zero out
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phrasal-verb

zero out

Meaning
to reduce an amount to nothing
Example
We **zero out** the balance every month to avoid interest.
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

ask around about

Meaning
to ask several people for information about something
Example
He’s been **asking around about** the new manager.
phrasal-verb

puzzle over

Meaning
to try to understand something that is confusing
Example
He **puzzled over** the strange message all night.
phrasal-verb

move away from

Meaning
to stop focusing on or using something
Example
The economy is **moving away from** dependency on foreign aid.
idiom

lead generation

Meaning
the process of attracting and converting strangers into potential customers
Example
We’re focusing on **lead generation** through free webinars.
phrasal-verb

play around with

Meaning
to experiment with ideas, materials, or techniques
Example
She loves to **play around with** different colors to find new combinations.
idiom

cross the bridge when you come to it

Meaning
to not worry about something until it happens
Example
We’ll **cross the bridge when we come to it**.
idiom

time is money

Meaning
time is valuable and should not be wasted
Example
In business, every minute counts because **time is money**.
idiom

out of one’s mind

Meaning
crazy or extremely worried
Example
He must be **out of his mind** to drive so fast in the rain.
idiom

scared out of one's wits

Meaning
to be very frightened
Example
The loud thunder **scared me out of my wits**.
idiom

wear out

Meaning
to use something until it becomes unusable
Example
You’ll **wear out** those shoes if you hike every weekend.
idiom

the political hot potato

Meaning
a controversial issue that no one wants to handle
Example
Corruption has become **a political hot potato** in the country.
phrasal-verb

run on

Meaning
to be powered by a particular source of energy
Example
Electric cars **run on** renewable energy instead of gasoline.
phrasal-verb

fall for

Meaning
to fall in love with someone; to be strongly attracted to something
Example
He **fell for** her the moment they met.
idiom

opt out

Meaning
to choose not to participate
Example
Employees can **opt out** of the program if they want.
phrasal-verb

stumble upon

Meaning
to find something by accident
Example
We **stumbled upon** a hidden waterfall in the forest.
phrasal-verb

adapt to

Meaning
to change your behavior to fit a new situation or culture
Example
It takes patience to **adapt to** a completely different lifestyle.
phrasal-verb

grow close

Meaning
to become more emotionally connected with someone
Example
They **grew close** after spending so much time together.
idiom

raise the roof

Meaning
to make a lot of noise; to celebrate loudly
Example
The crowd **raised the roof** when the team won.
phrasal-verb

get along across cultures

Meaning
to have a friendly and positive relationship with people from other cultures
Example
To work abroad successfully, you need to **get along across cultures**.
idiom

make yourself clear

Meaning
to express yourself so that others understand you easily
Example
Could you **make yourself clear**, please?
idiom

write down

Meaning
to record information on paper
Example
Please **write down** the maintenance request number.
phrasal-verb

get away with

Meaning
to do something wrong without being punished
Example
He thought he could **get away with** cheating on the test.
idiom

see the bigger picture

Meaning
to understand the full scope of a situation or problem
Example
To make an informed decision, you need to **see the bigger picture**.
phrasal-verb

check in with yourself

Meaning
to pause and reflect on your current emotional state
Example
Take a moment to **check in with yourself** during stressful days.
idiom

write off

Meaning
to dismiss something as unimportant or not worth considering
Example
Don’t **write off** his idea; it might actually work.
phrasal-verb

spread out investment

Meaning
to diversify investments to reduce risk
Example
It's wise to **spread out investment** across different sectors.
idiom

take by surprise

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

Old hat

Meaning
Something that is outdated or no longer interesting
Example
That style is **old hat** now—no one wears it anymore.
idiom

hand down

Meaning
to pass something to someone of a later generation
Example
My grandmother **handed down** this recipe to me.
idiom

spread kindness

Meaning
to do or say kind things to others
Example
We should all try to **spread kindness** every day.
phrasal-verb

fess up

Meaning
to confess or admit something embarrassing or wrong
Example
It’s time to **fess up** and tell the truth about what happened.
idiom

trust goes both ways

Meaning
both sides must trust each other
Example
**Trust goes both ways** in any relationship.
phrasal-verb

ease yourself into

Meaning
to gradually start doing something stressful to reduce anxiety
Example
Try to **ease yourself into** the new routine instead of rushing it.
idiom

go under the knife

Meaning
to have a surgical operation
Example
He had to **go under the knife** to fix his knee injury.
phrasal-verb

laugh with

Meaning
to share laughter and happiness with someone
Example
We **laughed with** our colleagues after the meeting.
phrasal-verb

expand expertise in

Meaning
to increase knowledge or skills in a specific area
Example
He attended workshops to **expand his expertise in** management.
phrasal-verb

draw up a contract

Meaning
to prepare an official agreement in writing
Example
The lawyers will **draw up a contract** before the deal is signed.
phrasal-verb

open relations with

Meaning
to start official or friendly relations with another country
Example
After years of tension, the two countries agreed to **open relations with** each other.
idiom

hangover cure

Meaning
a remedy for the aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol
Example
He swears by coffee as the best **hangover cure**.
phrasal-verb

break out

Meaning
to start suddenly (for war, fire, disease, etc.)
Example
A fire **broke out** in the kitchen last night.
idiom

game plan

Meaning
a carefully thought-out strategy
Example
We need a solid **game plan** before meeting the investors.
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

True blue

Meaning
Loyal and trustworthy.
Example
You can count on her; she’s **true blue**.
phrasal-verb

fall apart

Meaning
to break into pieces; to fail completely
Example
Their marriage **fell apart** after years of arguments.
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.
phrasal-verb

pull back

Meaning
to retreat or withdraw; to move backward
Example
The army had to **pull back** after facing heavy resistance.
idiom

put all your cards on the table

Meaning
to be honest and reveal all the facts in a discussion
Example
It’s time to **put all your cards on the table** and be transparent.
idiom

lost in translation

Meaning
when the meaning is lost or changed in translation or communication
Example
The humor was **lost in translation** when the movie was dubbed.
phrasal-verb

ask over

Meaning
to invite someone to your place, often to talk or apologize
Example
He **asked her over** to say sorry for what happened.
idiom

on the warpath

Meaning
very angry and likely to argue or fight
Example
She was **on the warpath** after hearing the bad news.
phrasal-verb

bubble over

Meaning
to show excitement or happiness in an obvious way
Example
The children were **bubbling over** with joy on the last day of school.
idiom

back into

Meaning
to move backwards into something unintentionally
Example
I nearly **backed into** the recycling bin while parking.
phrasal-verb

coach up

Meaning
to train someone thoroughly to improve their skills
Example
My mentor **coaches me up** before every major presentation.
idiom

it’s raining cats and dogs

Meaning
raining very heavily
Example
We can’t go out now; **it’s raining cats and dogs**.
idiom

show someone the ropes

Meaning
to teach someone how to do a task
Example
She took the time to **show me the ropes** on my first day at work.
idiom

work like a dog

Meaning
to work very hard without rest
Example
She **works like a dog** to provide for her kids.
phrasal-verb

stick to the point

Meaning
to stay focused on the main topic during a discussion
Example
The moderator asked everyone to **stick to the point** during the debate.
phrasal-verb

show love to

Meaning
to demonstrate affection or gratitude toward someone
Example
He **shows love to** his mentors for guiding him through tough times.
idiom

play a pivotal role

Meaning
to play an important part in something
Example
She played a **pivotal role** in the success of the team.
phrasal-verb

chill yourself out

Meaning
to make yourself calm and relaxed
Example
You need to **chill yourself out** instead of worrying about everything.
phrasal-verb

open up to trade

Meaning
to start allowing international trade or economic exchange
Example
Many developing nations are trying to **open up to trade** to attract foreign investment.
idiom

busy bee

Meaning
a person who is always busy and active
Example
She’s a **busy bee**, always working on something.
idiom

machine learning

Meaning
A method of data analysis that automates analytical model building.
Example
We used **machine learning** to predict customer behavior.
phrasal-verb

fill your mind with peace

Meaning
to focus your thoughts on calm and positive feelings
Example
Meditation helps you **fill your mind with peace**.
phrasal-verb

step back

Meaning
to pause and look at a situation calmly and objectively
Example
Sometimes you need to **step back** to see the bigger picture.
phrasal-verb

reach consensus on

Meaning
to agree collectively on an issue after discussion
Example
Delegates finally **reached consensus on** the new global trade policy.
idiom

a long shot

Meaning
something that has a very small chance of success
Example
Winning the competition is **a long shot**, but we’ll try.
phrasal-verb

eat in

Meaning
to have a meal at home or at the hotel instead of going out
Example
We were too tired to go out, so we decided to **eat in**.
idiom

aim high

Meaning
to set challenging and ambitious goals
Example
Always **aim high** if you want to achieve greatness.
phrasal-verb

take to

Meaning
to start liking someone or something
Example
She quickly **took to** her new job.
phrasal-verb

be grateful for

Meaning
to feel thankful for something
Example
I’m really **grateful for** all your support.
idiom

teach someone a lesson

Meaning
to make someone learn from their mistake
Example
The teacher’s punishment really **taught him a lesson**.
idiom

a cold fish

Meaning
someone who is unemotional or not friendly
Example
He seemed **a cold fish** when I first met him.
idiom

hit the firewall

Meaning
to face a restriction or security block while trying to access something online
Example
I tried to visit the site but **hit the firewall** at work.
idiom

fan through

Meaning
to flip through pages quickly
Example
She **fanned through** the report to find the chart.
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.
phrasal-verb

drop away

Meaning
to decrease gradually; to fade or disappear
Example
Attendance at the club meetings has **dropped away** recently.
phrasal-verb

fill in

Meaning
to provide missing information; to substitute for someone temporarily
Example
Can you **fill in** for me at the meeting tomorrow?
idiom

chase your dreams

Meaning
to actively try to achieve your ambitions
Example
You should always **chase your dreams** no matter how hard it seems.
phrasal-verb

call in

Meaning
to phone a place, especially work; to ask for help from someone
Example
I had to **call in** sick this morning.
idiom

glide through

Meaning
to complete something smoothly and easily
Example
She managed to **glide through** the presentation.
idiom

buckle down

Meaning
to start working seriously
Example
If you want to pass the exam, you’d better **buckle down** and study.
idiom

jump in on

Meaning
to join an activity or discussion quickly
Example
Feel free to **jump in on** the brainstorming if you have ideas.
idiom

know something by heart

Meaning
to memorize something perfectly
Example
She **knows all the poems by heart**.
idiom

sweep something under the rug

Meaning
to ignore or hide a problem or mistake
Example
Don't just **sweep the issue under the rug**. We need to address it.
phrasal-verb

adapt around challenges

Meaning
to change plans or behavior to deal with obstacles effectively
Example
Our team had to **adapt around challenges** when the project timeline shifted.
idiom

Exactly!

Meaning
Used to strongly show agreement
Example
‘It’s time to move on.’ ‘**Exactly!**’
idiom

break the silence

Meaning
to start talking after a period of silence
Example
He was the one to **break the silence** after the awkward pause.
idiom

throw caution to the wind

Meaning
to do something risky without worrying
Example
I decided to **throw caution to the wind** and try it.
phrasal-verb

add up to

Meaning
to result in a total amount; to make sense financially
Example
All these small expenses **add up to** a large amount by the end of the month.
idiom

a people person

Meaning
someone who enjoys being with and talking to other people
Example
Maria is **a people person**, she makes friends everywhere she goes.
phrasal-verb

gain from

Meaning
to get a benefit, advantage, or knowledge from something
Example
You can **gain from** every experience, even the difficult ones.
phrasal-verb

cling to power

Meaning
to try to keep control or authority
Example
Some leaders **cling to power** even after losing public support.
phrasal-verb

take things in stride

Meaning
to accept and deal with difficult situations calmly
Example
She always **takes things in stride**, no matter what happens.
phrasal-verb

hold down inflation

Meaning
to control or keep inflation at a manageable level
Example
The central bank took measures to **hold down inflation**.
idiom

beyond the pale

Meaning
outside acceptable rules or standards
Example
His behavior was **beyond the pale**.
idiom

go with your gut

Meaning
to trust your instinct when making a decision
Example
Sometimes you just have to **go with your gut**.
phrasal-verb

hold accountable for

Meaning
to make someone responsible for their actions
Example
The CEO promised to **hold accountable for** those who broke company rules.
phrasal-verb

pop into chat

Meaning
to join a conversation or chat briefly
Example
He **popped into the chat** just to say hi.
phrasal-verb

bring around

Meaning
to persuade someone to accept your opinion
Example
I finally **brought her around** to my point of view.
phrasal-verb

flow with

Meaning
to move along naturally with emotions or situations instead of resisting them
Example
She learned to **flow with** her emotions rather than fight them.
idiom

house of cards

Meaning
a plan or structure that is weak and likely to fail
Example
Their business model turned out to be a **house of cards**.
idiom

Push yourself

Meaning
Try to do better or go beyond your limits.
Example
You won’t improve unless you **push yourself**.
phrasal-verb

grow out of

Meaning
to stop repeating mistakes as you gain experience
Example
Most people **grow out of** their early mistakes with time.
idiom

lay off

Meaning
to dismiss someone from a job due to lack of work or money
Example
The company hopes to avoid having to **lay off** employees.
phrasal-verb

reach out to allies

Meaning
to make contact or offer cooperation to friendly nations
Example
The new leader tried to **reach out to allies** to rebuild trust.
phrasal-verb

go ahead with

Meaning
to start or continue doing something planned
Example
The teacher told us to **go ahead with** the project.
idiom

Bring peace to

Meaning
To restore calm or tranquility in a situation.
Example
Her kind words helped **bring peace to** the argument.
phrasal-verb

keep at

Meaning
to continue doing something with determination
Example
If you **keep at** your practice, you’ll master it soon.
phrasal-verb

work across

Meaning
to collaborate or operate jointly across multiple regions or teams
Example
The NGO **works across** 20 countries to promote global education.
idiom

toe the line

Meaning
to obey rules or follow the official policy
Example
All members are expected to **toe the line** with party policy.
phrasal-verb

live off

Meaning
to depend on a particular kind of food for living
Example
During college, I mostly **lived off** instant noodles.
phrasal-verb

shift away from negativity

Meaning
to move your attention away from negative thoughts or people
Example
I’ve learned to **shift away from negativity** and focus on gratitude.
phrasal-verb

stand up

Meaning
to rise to a standing position
Example
Everyone **stood up** when the teacher entered the room.
idiom

set aside

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

set an example for

Meaning
to behave in a way that others should copy; to lead by example
Example
A good leader **sets an example for** the team through actions, not words.
idiom

make a name for oneself

Meaning
to become well-known or famous for something
Example
He **made a name for himself** as a creative designer.
idiom

in the limelight

Meaning
to be the focus of public attention
Example
After winning the award, he was **in the limelight** for months.
idiom

alien concept

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