Expressions

English Expressions, Idioms & Phrasal Verbs | Meanings, Examples & Usage

Phrasal-verb Emotion

to drop something forcefully; to challenge someone

"He threw down his gloves and walked out angrily."

Idiom History

To challenge someone to fight or compete.

"He threw down the gauntlet by questioning his opponent’s honesty."

Idiom Finance

to waste more money on something that has already failed

"Don’t throw good money after bad on that failing project."

Phrasal-verb Business

to add something extra for free; to include casually

"The seller threw in a free cover with the phone."

Idiom Giving Up

to give up or quit

"After many failures, he threw in the towel."

Idiom Trade

to spend money carelessly or extravagantly

"Some rich importers love to throw money around at trade fairs."

Idiom Economics

to spend large amounts of money in a hasty or unwise way

"The company tried to throw money at the problem instead of addressing the root cause."

Idiom Money

To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of using a better solution.

"The government keeps throwing money at the education problem instead of reforming it."

Idiom Economics

To try to solve a problem by spending a lot of money instead of finding the real solution.

"You can’t just throw money at the problem; we need a proper plan."

Idiom Money

to waste money on something useless

"Buying that fake brand bag was like throwing money down the drain."

Phrasal-verb Health

to get rid of something; to free oneself from control or illness

"It took him weeks to throw off the flu."

Phrasal-verb Casual wear

to put on clothes quickly and carelessly

"She just threw on a sweater and ran out the door."

Idiom Politics

to announce one’s intention to compete for a position or office

"Several candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for the presidency."

Idiom Politics

to announce one’s candidacy for a position or to join a contest

"When the senator announced that he would throw his hat into the ring for re-election, it surprised many people."

Idiom Leadership

to use one's authority or influence in an aggressive way

"He’s always throwing his weight around in meetings."

Idiom Apology

to ask for forgiveness and hope for kindness

"She threw herself at the teacher’s mercy after missing the deadline."

Phrasal-verb Motivation

to do something with great enthusiasm or energy

"After the breakup, she threw herself into her work."

Phrasal-verb Decluttering

to get rid of something you no longer need; to discard

"We should throw out all the old newspapers."

Phrasal-verb Relationship

to end a relationship with someone; to abandon

"She threw him over for another guy."

Idiom Criticism

to subtly insult or criticize someone

"She was throwing shade at her ex during the conversation."

Idiom Betrayal

to betray or sacrifice someone to save yourself

"He threw his colleague under the bus to avoid getting fired."

Idiom Law

to punish someone severely

"The judge decided to throw the book at the criminal."

Phrasal-verb Media

to pass something to someone by throwing; to hand over responsibility

"The host threw to the reporter at the scene."

Phrasal-verb Cooking

to assemble or prepare something quickly and without care

"They threw together a quick dinner before the guests arrived."

Idiom Blame

to blame someone else to save yourself.

"He threw his colleague under the bus to avoid punishment."

Phrasal-verb Health

to vomit

"The spoiled food made him throw up."

Phrasal-verb Emotion

to give up in despair or frustration

"The manager threw up his hands when the plan failed."

Idiom Teamwork

to show interest in something, especially a competition or challenge

"I decided to throw my hat in the ring and apply for the leadership role."

Idiom Power

to use one’s power or influence aggressively

"He likes to throw his weight around in meetings."

Idiom Teamwork

to support someone or something strongly

"The manager threw his weight behind the new proposal."

Phrasal-verb Motivation

to do something with great enthusiasm and energy

"He threw himself into the new training program."

Phrasal-verb Tracking

to mark completed items on a list

"I ticked off each task as I finished to track the progress before the deadline."

Idiom Colors

very pleased or delighted

"She was tickled pink by the surprise gift."

Idiom Money and Finance

to help someone through a difficult period

"A short-term loan will tide us over until the invoices are paid."

Phrasal-verb Home

to clean and organize a space

"I need to tidy up the kitchen before going to bed."

Phrasal-verb Home

to clean and organize a space after someone else has used it

"After dinner I always tidy up after the kids before sitting down."

Phrasal-verb Data correlation

to be connected or consistent with something; to correlate with

"The new results tie in with our previous research findings."

Phrasal-verb Strategy

to connect innovation plans with business strategy

"The manager wants to tie innovation to strategy for better results."

Phrasal-verb Planning

to connect or link closely with something

"This project ties into our long-term digital strategy."

Phrasal-verb Trade

to link countries through shared economic activities

"Free trade agreements tie nations together through common benefits."

Idiom Relationships

to get married

"They are planning to tie the knot next summer."

Idiom Friendship

to start a friendship

"They tied the knot of friendship during college."

Phrasal-verb Connection

to connect closely with something

"Many local festivals are tied to historical events."

Phrasal-verb Organization

to connect or combine different ideas or organizations into a single effort

"Their vision helps to tie together efforts from multiple NGOs."

Phrasal-verb Organization

to complete final details of an arrangement

"We just need to tie up a few loose ends before the event."

Phrasal-verb Finance

to have money invested in something and not easily available

"Most of their capital is tied up in real estate."

Idiom Completion

to complete the remaining small tasks of a project

"Before the deadline, we need to tie up loose ends."

Phrasal-verb Partnership

to form a partnership or collaboration

"The fintech company will tie up with a global payment network."

Idiom Family

a strict mother who pushes her children to achieve high standards

"Her friends call her a tiger mom because she’s very demanding."

Idiom Economics

To spend less; to live frugally.

"During the recession, people had to tighten their belts."