Expressions

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

Phrasal-verb Agreement

to agree to support a plan or idea

"Managers buy in on the strategy once they see the cost savings."

Phrasal-verb Finance

to invest in something; to believe in an idea or plan

"Many young investors buy into startups hoping for big returns."

Idiom Economy

The strategy of buying goods or assets cheaply and selling them for a profit.

"Every investor dreams to buy low, sell high."

Phrasal-verb Emotion

to talk excitedly about something; to be filled with excitement

"The office was buzzing about the upcoming project."

Phrasal-verb Atmosphere

to be full of excitement or activity

"The hall was buzzing with excitement before the show."

Idiom Communication

generally speaking; on the whole

"By and large, we agree with your proposal."

Idiom Planning

to progress or improve very quickly

"Her English has improved by leaps and bounds."

Idiom Work

to follow the rules exactly

"Our manager does everything by the book."

Idiom Safety

To narrowly escape or achieve something by a very small margin.

"I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth."

Idiom Success

to just barely manage to do something

"He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth."

Idiom Speaking

used to introduce a new topic or add extra information

"By the way, did you finish your project?"

Idiom Strategy

learning by experimenting and correcting mistakes

"We developed the best method by trial and error."

Idiom Technology

to face a difficult situation bravely

"We have to byte the bullet and fix the system bugs now."

Idiom History

A person in a position of trust must be beyond any hint of wrongdoing.

"A judge should remember that Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion."

Idiom Honesty

to speak honestly and directly, even if it’s unpleasant

"She always calls a spade a spade, no matter who gets offended."

Idiom Conflict

to agree to stop fighting or arguing for a while

"They decided to call a truce until the boss arrived."

Phrasal-verb Planning

to phone in advance to make arrangements

"You should call ahead to reserve a seat."

Phrasal-verb Communication

to phone several people or places

"I’ll call around to see if anyone has seen my dog."

Phrasal-verb Art

to make people notice something good

"He called attention to the artist’s unique style."

Phrasal-verb Communication

to return a phone call

"I’ll call back after I finish my meeting."

Phrasal-verb Social

to visit briefly

"I’ll call by your office tomorrow morning."

Phrasal-verb Initiative

to claim responsibility for specific work

"New hires call dibs on tasks that match their learning goals."

Phrasal-verb Work

to scold or reprimand someone

"The boss called down the employee for being late."

Phrasal-verb Protest

to demand or request something publicly

"The citizens called for fair elections and transparency."

Phrasal-verb Governance

to demand responsibility from someone for their actions

"The citizens called for accountability after the scandal broke out."

Phrasal-verb Advocacy

to demand people to do something to solve a problem

"The protest called for action on climate change."

Phrasal-verb Support

to request extra help in a challenging situation

"Editors call for backup when breaking news floods in overnight."

Phrasal-verb Reform

to demand reforms or modifications in policy or system

"The activists called for change in the voting system."

Phrasal-verb Diplomacy

to publicly ask for an end to conflict

"The international community called for peace between the rival nations."

Phrasal-verb Leadership

to publicly ask people to come together for a common cause

"The leader called for unity among the divided political groups."

Phrasal-verb Emotions

to bring about a reaction or response

"Her speech called forth a lot of emotions from the audience."

Phrasal-verb Work

to phone a place, especially work; to ask for help from someone

"I had to call in sick this morning."

Phrasal-verb Communication

to join a remote session for a specific purpose

"Drivers call in for updates when weather turns rough."

Phrasal-verb Formal

to doubt or challenge something

"The report called into question the company’s honesty."

Idiom Communication

to stop working for the day

"Let’s call it a day and go home."

Idiom Celebration

to stop what you are doing and go home, especially after a party

"It’s getting late, let’s call it a night."

Idiom Emotion

to stop or end something

"After working for hours, they decided to call it quits for the day."

Phrasal-verb Cancellation

to cancel something

"We had to call off the meeting because the manager was sick."

Phrasal-verb Politics

to urge someone to do something

"The president called on citizens to participate in the election."

Phrasal-verb Criticism

to criticize or challenge someone publicly

"The candidate called out the government for ignoring public needs."

Phrasal-verb Awareness

to point out when energy is being used carelessly

"Teammates call out energy waste whenever lights stay on overnight."

Phrasal-verb Emotional

to ask loudly for something or someone

"He called out for his mother when he got hurt."

Phrasal-verb Social

to invite someone to come to your place

"We should call over some friends this weekend for a movie night."

Idiom Criticism

to criticize someone publicly for their behavior or actions

"She called him out for being rude to the waiter."

Phrasal-verb Accountability

to point out a person’s mistake or bad behavior

"Coworkers call someone out on gossip that hurts the team."

Idiom Authority

to challenge someone to prove their authority or claim

"She called his bluff when he threatened to quit."

Idiom Decision

to be in charge and make decisions

"In this company, the manager calls the shots."

Idiom Music

to be in control; to make important decisions

"In this company, the investors call the tune."

Idiom Marketing

a prompt that encourages an immediate response from an audience

"Your ad must include a strong call to action."

Idiom Military

a call to take action, especially to defend a cause

"The leader’s speech was a call to arms for all citizens to fight corruption."