English Expressions, Idioms & Phrasal Verbs | Meanings, Examples & Usage
to dominate a particular market
"They’ve managed to corner the market in organic products."
the most important foundation or element for achieving success
"Hard work is the cornerstone of success."
to be very expensive
"That designer bag cost an arm and a leg."
a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
"He’s such a couch potato, he never goes out or exercises."
to be so surprised that you doubt what you see
"I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the results."
to show total indifference
"She couldn’t care less about what people think."
to count backward to mark the start of an event
"Everyone counted down to midnight on New Year’s Eve."
to recite numbers backward starting from a specific point
"The teacher had us count down from twenty to practice timing."
to track remaining time closely before work is due
"I count down to deadlines with reminders so nothing slips."
to rely or depend on someone
"You can always count on your teammates for support."
to pause and calm down before reacting in anger
"When you’re upset, just count to ten before speaking."
to contribute to an overall result or future achievement
"This internship will count towards your graduation credits."
to depend or rely on someone for help or support
"You can always count upon me when you need assistance."
be grateful for the good things in your life
"Instead of complaining, count your blessings."
to deal with a lot of information or material
"The lecture covered a lot of ground in just one hour."
to prepare for all possible situations
"Before the presentation, we need to cover all bases."
to examine a story or issue from every perspective
"The journalist tried to cover all the angles before publishing the article."
to prepare for every possible situation
"We need to cover all the bases before the meeting."
to protect someone by hiding their mistake or wrongdoing
"He tried to cover for his colleague who submitted false data."
the main story on the front of a magazine or newspaper
"Her interview became the cover story of the week."
to hide a mistake or wrongdoing
"They tried to cover up their error by changing the report."
to prepare for all possible outcomes; to be cautious
"Make sure you cover your bases before presenting the report."
to hide evidence of one’s actions
"Hackers often cover their tracks after breaking into systems."
to smile slightly, especially when trying not to
"Even he cracked a smile after hearing the funny story."
to take strong action against illegal or undesirable activities
"The government is cracking down on corruption and tax evasion."
to take strong measures to stop corruption
"The new government promised to crack down on corruption."
to use force or strict measures to control protests
"Authorities began to crack down on protests after violence erupted."
very early in the morning
"He wakes up at the crack of dawn every day."
to open your books and begin studying
"It's time to crack the books and prepare for finals."
to solve a complex problem or mystery
"It took hours, but we finally cracked the code of the system error."
to use authority to make people work harder or obey rules
"The new manager is cracking the whip to improve productivity."
to fail or give up because of too much pressure or stress
"He cracked under the pressure of constant deadlines."
to fail or give up because of stress or tension
"Many employees crack under pressure when the workload doubles."
to burst into laughter; to laugh uncontrollably
"We all cracked up at his silly joke."
to laugh uncontrollably at something
"Everyone cracked up at his funny joke."
signs of problems or weaknesses in a system or relationship
"There are cracks in the wall of their friendship lately."
to fail completely or suddenly
"The new software update crashed and burned after launch."
to suddenly stop working or fail completely
"The software crashed down in the middle of my presentation."
to hit something, especially another vehicle, violently
"The bus crashed into a truck in the early morning fog."
to fall asleep suddenly from exhaustion
"After a long day, I just crashed out on the sofa."
to cause complete failure in a system or process
"One wrong command can crash the system."
to be deeply attracted or infatuated with someone
"She’s crazy about her new boyfriend."
the best of a group; the finest selection
"These students are the cream of the crop."
to generate excitement and talk about a product or event
"The teaser video helped create buzz before the product launch."
committing crimes ultimately brings trouble rather than benefit
"Crime doesn’t pay; he ended up losing everything."
Dishonest or untrustworthy.
"Everyone knows that politician is crooked as a snake."
I swear or promise sincerely.
"I will help you, cross my heart."
to remove an item from a list
"You can cross off the tasks we’ve finished."
to make a sincere promise, often used by children
"I’ll never lie to you again, cross my heart."
To suddenly think of something.
"It never crossed my mind that he could be lying."