English Expressions, Idioms & Phrasal Verbs | Meanings, Examples & Usage
to agree to support a plan or idea
"Managers buy in on the strategy once they see the cost savings."
to invest in something; to believe in an idea or plan
"Many young investors buy into startups hoping for big returns."
The strategy of buying goods or assets cheaply and selling them for a profit.
"Every investor dreams to buy low, sell high."
to talk excitedly about something; to be filled with excitement
"The office was buzzing about the upcoming project."
to be full of excitement or activity
"The hall was buzzing with excitement before the show."
generally speaking; on the whole
"By and large, we agree with your proposal."
to progress or improve very quickly
"Her English has improved by leaps and bounds."
to follow the rules exactly
"Our manager does everything by the book."
To narrowly escape or achieve something by a very small margin.
"I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth."
to just barely manage to do something
"He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth."
used to introduce a new topic or add extra information
"By the way, did you finish your project?"
learning by experimenting and correcting mistakes
"We developed the best method by trial and error."
to face a difficult situation bravely
"We have to byte the bullet and fix the system bugs now."
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."
to speak honestly and directly, even if it’s unpleasant
"She always calls a spade a spade, no matter who gets offended."
to agree to stop fighting or arguing for a while
"They decided to call a truce until the boss arrived."
to phone in advance to make arrangements
"You should call ahead to reserve a seat."
to phone several people or places
"I’ll call around to see if anyone has seen my dog."
to make people notice something good
"He called attention to the artist’s unique style."
to return a phone call
"I’ll call back after I finish my meeting."
to visit briefly
"I’ll call by your office tomorrow morning."
to claim responsibility for specific work
"New hires call dibs on tasks that match their learning goals."
to scold or reprimand someone
"The boss called down the employee for being late."
to demand or request something publicly
"The citizens called for fair elections and transparency."
to demand responsibility from someone for their actions
"The citizens called for accountability after the scandal broke out."
to demand people to do something to solve a problem
"The protest called for action on climate change."
to request extra help in a challenging situation
"Editors call for backup when breaking news floods in overnight."
to demand reforms or modifications in policy or system
"The activists called for change in the voting system."
to publicly ask for an end to conflict
"The international community called for peace between the rival nations."
to publicly ask people to come together for a common cause
"The leader called for unity among the divided political groups."
to bring about a reaction or response
"Her speech called forth a lot of emotions from the audience."
to phone a place, especially work; to ask for help from someone
"I had to call in sick this morning."
to join a remote session for a specific purpose
"Drivers call in for updates when weather turns rough."
to doubt or challenge something
"The report called into question the company’s honesty."
to stop working for the day
"Let’s call it a day and go home."
to stop what you are doing and go home, especially after a party
"It’s getting late, let’s call it a night."
to stop or end something
"After working for hours, they decided to call it quits for the day."
to cancel something
"We had to call off the meeting because the manager was sick."
to urge someone to do something
"The president called on citizens to participate in the election."
to criticize or challenge someone publicly
"The candidate called out the government for ignoring public needs."
to point out when energy is being used carelessly
"Teammates call out energy waste whenever lights stay on overnight."
to ask loudly for something or someone
"He called out for his mother when he got hurt."
to invite someone to come to your place
"We should call over some friends this weekend for a movie night."
to criticize someone publicly for their behavior or actions
"She called him out for being rude to the waiter."
to point out a person’s mistake or bad behavior
"Coworkers call someone out on gossip that hurts the team."
to challenge someone to prove their authority or claim
"She called his bluff when he threatened to quit."
to be in charge and make decisions
"In this company, the manager calls the shots."
to be in control; to make important decisions
"In this company, the investors call the tune."
a prompt that encourages an immediate response from an audience
"Your ad must include a strong call to action."
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."