in the spotlight
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
Content locale
EN 英语 BN 孟加拉语 HI 印地语 ES 西班牙语 FR 法语 DE 德语 RU 俄语 ZH 中文 JA 日语
All Expression Cards All Expressions
idiom

in the spotlight

接受公众关注
Meaning
receiving public attention
Example
After the award, she’s been **in the spotlight** constantly.
获奖后,她一直处于**聚光灯下**。
idiom

rub someone the wrong way

在没有意图的情况下刺激或惹恼某人
Meaning
to irritate or annoy someone without intending to
Example
His attitude tends to **rub people the wrong way**.
他的态度往往激怒别人。
idiom

give someone a run for their money

与某人进行激烈的竞争
Meaning
to compete strongly against someone
Example
The new player **gave the champion a run for his money**.
新选手给冠军带来了强烈的竞争。
idiom

give me a hand

帮助某人
Meaning
to help someone
Example
Can you **give me a hand** with this bag?
你能**帮我一把**这个袋子吗?
idiom

a breakthrough

在科学或研究中取得的重要发现或成就
Meaning
a significant discovery or achievement in science or research
Example
The team made **a breakthrough** in cancer research.
团队在癌症研究中取得了突破。
idiom

draw up

准备官方文件或计划
Meaning
to prepare an official document or plan
Example
The lawyer will **draw up** the agreement this afternoon.
律师将在下午起草协议。
idiom

walk tall

自信而骄傲地表现
Meaning
to behave confidently and proudly
Example
You have every reason to **walk tall** after your success.
在成功后你有充分的理由**昂首阔步**。
idiom

cost an arm and a leg

非常昂贵
Meaning
to be very expensive
Example
That designer bag **cost an arm and a leg**.
那个设计师包包**非常昂贵**。
idiom

tough luck

对某人不幸的同情表达
Meaning
expression of sympathy for someone’s misfortune
Example
Didn’t get the job? **Tough luck**!
没得到工作?真倒霉!
idiom

break down in tears

突然开始哭泣
Meaning
to start crying suddenly
Example
She **broke down in tears** after hearing the sad story.
她在听到悲伤的故事后**突然哭了起来**。
idiom

a whole new ball game

一个全新或不同的情况;改变事情处理方式的东西。
Meaning
a completely new or different situation; something that changes the way things are done.
Example
Starting a business from scratch is **a whole new ball game**.
从头开始创业是**一个全新的挑战**。
idiom

put in a nutshell

简要总结某事
Meaning
to summarize something briefly
Example
To **put it in a nutshell**, we need more time to finish.
简而言之,我们需要更多时间来完成。
idiom

bite off more than you can chew

承担超出自己能力范围的任务
Meaning
to take on a task that is too big to handle
Example
I think I **bit off more than I can chew** by agreeing to manage three projects at once.
我觉得我同意同时管理三个项目是承担了超出自己能力范围的任务。
idiom

go with your gut

在做决策时相信你的直觉
Meaning
to trust your instinct when making a decision
Example
Sometimes you just have to **go with your gut**.
有时候你只需要**相信你的直觉**。
idiom

simmer down

在生气或激动之后变得冷静
Meaning
to become calmer after being angry or excited
Example
Give him a few minutes to **simmer down** before you talk to him.
给他几分钟时间冷静下来再和他说话。
idiom

reinvent the wheel

浪费时间创造已经存在的东西
Meaning
to waste time creating something that already exists
Example
Don’t **reinvent the wheel**; use the existing design.
不要**重新发明轮子**; 使用现有设计。
idiom

to see eye to eye

与某人意见一致
Meaning
to agree with someone
Example
We finally **saw eye to eye** on the decision.
我们终于在决定上达成了一致。
idiom

trade off

在两个对立的事物之间取得平衡;做出妥协
Meaning
to balance between two opposing things; to compromise
Example
Globalization involves a **trade off** between efficiency and equality.
全球化涉及在效率和平等之间的**权衡**。
idiom

bite the byte

应对困难的技术挑战
Meaning
to deal with a difficult technological challenge
Example
Developers had to **bite the byte** to fix the software issue.
开发人员必须 **bite the byte** 来修复软件问题。
idiom

hold back on

推迟或减少做某事
Meaning
to delay or reduce doing something
Example
Let’s **hold back on** hiring until sales improve.
让我们推迟招聘,直到销售有所改善。
idiom

get down to the wire

接近最后可能的时刻,接近截止日期
Meaning
to approach the last possible moment before a deadline
Example
The project went **down to the wire**, but we finished on time.
这个项目一直 **到最后一刻**,但我们准时完成了。
idiom

separate the wheat from the chaff

区分有价值和无价值的东西
Meaning
to distinguish valuable things from worthless ones
Example
It’s time to **separate the wheat from the chaff** in this project.
现在是时候在这个项目中**将麦子和糠分开**了。
idiom

caught between two stools

因试图同时做两件事而失败
Meaning
to fail because of trying to do two things at once
Example
He was **caught between two stools**—trying to please both his boss and his team.
他**左右为难**——试图让他的老板和团队都满意。
idiom

Buy low, sell high

购买商品或资产并以利润出售的策略。
Meaning
The strategy of buying goods or assets cheaply and selling them for a profit.
Example
Every investor dreams to **buy low, sell high**.
每个投资者都梦想着**低买高卖**。
idiom

break away

从小组或常规中分离
Meaning
to separate from a group or routine
Example
She plans to **break away** from the commute by working remotely twice a week.
她计划通过每周远程工作两次来**break away**通勤。
idiom

to break out in a cold sweat

突然变得非常紧张或害怕
Meaning
to suddenly become very nervous or afraid
Example
I **broke out in a cold sweat** before giving my first public speech.
我在首次公众演讲前突然感到害怕发冷。
idiom

take with a grain of salt

带着怀疑的态度看待某事或不完全相信
Meaning
to view something with skepticism or not completely believe it
Example
He's known for exaggerating, so **take his stories with a grain of salt**.
他以夸张著称,所以要**对他的故事持怀疑态度**。
idiom

get along with someone

与某人保持友好的关系
Meaning
to have a friendly relationship with someone
Example
They really **get along with each other** and are always laughing.
他们真的相处得很好,总是笑着。
idiom

tie the knot

结婚
Meaning
to get married
Example
They are planning to **tie the knot** next summer.
他们计划在明年夏天**结婚**。
idiom

brush up on

提高某人的技能或知识
Meaning
to improve one’s skill or knowledge
Example
She decided to **brush up on** her painting techniques.
她决定提高她的绘画技巧。
idiom

beyond the scope

超出计划或预期的重点范围
Meaning
outside the planned or expected area of focus
Example
The new feature was beyond the scope of the original project but added great value.
新功能超出了原项目的范围,但增加了很大的价值。
idiom

paint a rosy picture

以过于乐观的方式描述某事
Meaning
to describe something in an overly optimistic way
Example
The guide **painted a rosy picture** of the museum's future.
导游**为博物馆的未来绘制了一幅过于乐观的画面**。
idiom

a little bird told me

有人悄悄告诉我某些事情
Meaning
someone told me something secretly
Example
A **little bird told me** that you got a new job.
一只**小鸟告诉我**你找到了新工作。
idiom

ride the wave

利用趋势或情况
Meaning
to take advantage of a trend or situation
Example
Many companies are trying to **ride the wave** of AI technology.
许多公司都在努力利用人工智能技术的趋势。
idiom

talk someone into something

说服某人做某事
Meaning
to persuade someone to do something
Example
He **talked me into** going to the gym with him.
他**说服我**和他一起去健身房。
idiom

sick to death of something

对某事感到极度疲倦或恼火
Meaning
extremely tired or annoyed by something
Example
I’m **sick to death of** listening to his complaints.
我已经厌烦听他的抱怨了。
idiom

the dream team

一群工作非常默契的人
Meaning
a group of people who work extremely well together
Example
With these members, we’ve built **the dream team**.
有了这些成员,我们建立了**梦想团队**。
idiom

find common ground

找到共同的兴趣或协议
Meaning
to find shared interests or agreement
Example
We must **find common ground** to resolve this conflict.
我们必须找到共同点来解决这个冲突。
idiom

mind your peace and quiet

保护你的平静,避免压力或干扰
Meaning
to protect your calm and avoid stress or disturbance
Example
She values her alone time to **mind her peace and quiet**.
她喜欢独处,保持平静,避免压力或干扰。
idiom

enter stage left

在某种情况下戏剧性地出现或到达
Meaning
to appear or arrive dramatically in a situation
Example
Just when things got complicated, **enter stage left**—our new competitor!
正当事情变得复杂时,**enter stage left**——我们的新竞争者!
idiom

bird’s eye view

从高处看到的视角;概览
Meaning
a view from a high position; an overview
Example
We got a **bird’s eye view** of the city from the tower.
我们从塔楼上得到了城市的**鸟瞰视角**。
idiom

quiet down

安静下来或减少噪音
Meaning
to become calmer or make less noise
Example
The kids finally **quieted down** after story time.
孩子们在故事时间后终于安静下来了。
idiom

diplomatic immunity

给予外交官免于起诉的法律保护
Meaning
legal protection given to diplomats from prosecution
Example
He could not be arrested because he had **diplomatic immunity**.
他不能被逮捕,因为他有**外交豁免权**。
idiom

take a detour

走弯路
Meaning
to take an indirect route
Example
We had to **take a detour** because of road construction.
由于道路施工,我们不得不走弯路。
idiom

show appreciation

表达感激或认可
Meaning
to express gratitude or recognition
Example
We should **show appreciation** for our teachers more often.
我们应该更经常**表示感谢**我们的老师。
idiom

to have a lot on one's plate

有很多任务或责任需要处理
Meaning
to have a lot of tasks or responsibilities to deal with
Example
She can't take on any more projects; she already has **a lot on her plate**.
她不能再接受更多项目;她已经有 **很多事情要做**。
idiom

ray of hope

可能会发生一些好事的一个小迹象
Meaning
a small sign that something good might happen
Example
The new treatment offers a **ray of hope** for patients.
新治疗为病人提供了一个**希望之光**。
idiom

against the clock

尽可能快地做某事,因为时间有限
Meaning
to do something as fast as possible because time is limited
Example
We were working **against the clock** to finish the project on time.
我们正在与时间赛跑,以便按时完成项目。
idiom

let your hair down

放松并自由地享受
Meaning
to relax and enjoy yourself freely
Example
At the party, everyone **let their hair down**.
在派对上,每个人**放松自己并尽情享受**。
idiom

give someone the cold shoulder

故意忽视或表现出对某人不满
Meaning
to deliberately ignore or show disapproval toward someone
Example
After the argument, she **gave him the cold shoulder**.
争论后,她故意对他表现冷漠。
idiom

green around the gills

看起来生病或恶心
Meaning
looking sick or nauseated
Example
He looked **green around the gills** after the boat ride.
他在船上之后看起来**像是生病**。
idiom

get your hands dirty

参与一项任务的艰苦或不愉快的工作
Meaning
to engage in the hard or unpleasant work of a task
Example
A true leader will not hesitate to **get their hands dirty** when necessary.
真正的领导者在必要时不会犹豫弄脏手。
idiom

Building castles in the air

有不切实际或不实际的计划或梦想。
Meaning
To have unrealistic or impractical plans or dreams.
Example
She’s always **building castles in the air**, dreaming of a perfect world.
她总是在**空中建造城堡**,梦想着一个完美的世界。
idiom

pillar of strength

提供强大支持或安慰的人
Meaning
a person who provides strong support or comfort
Example
She was a **pillar of strength** during difficult times.
她在困难时刻是一个**力量的支柱**。
idiom

learn from mistakes

通过理解和纠正错误来提升自己
Meaning
to improve oneself by understanding and correcting errors
Example
I always try to **learn from mistakes** to avoid repeating them.
我总是尝试从错误中学习,以避免重复它们。
idiom

A watched pot never boils

当你等待某事时,时间感觉更长。
Meaning
Time feels longer when you are waiting for something.
Example
Don't keep looking at the clock; **a watched pot never boils**.
不要一直看着钟;**被盯着的壶永远不会开**。
idiom

a kind heart

一个慷慨而关心他人的人
Meaning
a person who is generous and caring
Example
Her **kind heart** is what makes her loved by everyone.
她的**善良的心**使她深受大家喜爱。
idiom

cross that bridge when we come to it

只有在问题出现时才处理问题
Meaning
to deal with a problem only when it arises
Example
Don't worry about the challenges now, we will **cross that bridge when we come to it**.
现在不要担心挑战,我们会**当我们遇到问题时再解决**。
idiom

mind the gap

意识到潜在的问题或差异
Meaning
to be aware of potential problems or discrepancies
Example
The developer needs to **mind the gap** between AI expectations and real-world capabilities.
开发者需要 **注意差距**,人工智能的预期和现实世界的能力之间的差距。
idiom

at ease

感到放松和舒适
Meaning
feeling relaxed and comfortable
Example
He felt completely **at ease** in the quiet garden.
他在安静的花园里感到完全放松
idiom

blind faith

不加质疑地信任
Meaning
trusting without questioning
Example
Having **blind faith** can sometimes lead to disappointment.
拥有**盲目信任**有时会导致失望。
idiom

wind up

最终陷入某种特定情境
Meaning
to end up in a particular situation
Example
If you ignore the warning signs, you could **wind up** in trouble.
如果忽视警告信号,你可能会**最终**陷入麻烦。
idiom

to deep dive into data

详细分析数据
Meaning
to analyze data in great detail
Example
We need **to deep dive into data** to understand the root cause of the problem.
我们需要**深入数据分析**以了解问题的根本原因。
idiom

Under the spotlight

接受公众注意或审查。
Meaning
Receiving public attention or scrutiny.
Example
The editor has been **under the spotlight** after the controversial article.
编辑在有争议的文章之后**成为焦点**。
idiom

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

不要把所有的风险放在一个计划上。
Meaning
Don’t risk everything on a single plan.
Example
You should invest in different areas; **don’t put all your eggs in one basket**.
你应该在不同的领域投资;不要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子里。
idiom

be all smiles

看起来非常开心和愉快
Meaning
to look very happy and cheerful
Example
She was **all smiles** after hearing the good news.
听到好消息后,她面带笑容。
idiom

boil down to

归结为某个主要原因或要点
Meaning
to have something as the main point or reason
Example
The argument **boiled down to** a simple misunderstanding.
争论**归结为**一个简单的误会。
idiom

trust goes both ways

双方必须彼此信任
Meaning
both sides must trust each other
Example
**Trust goes both ways** in any relationship.
任何关系中信任必须是双向的。
idiom

On a shoestring budget

用很少的钱做事或生活。
Meaning
To live or do something with very little money.
Example
They traveled across Asia **on a shoestring budget**.
他们以**紧张的预算**穿越了亚洲。
idiom

Take one’s breath away

深深地惊讶或打动某人。
Meaning
To amaze or impress someone greatly.
Example
Her beauty **takes my breath away**.
她的美让我惊叹不已。
idiom

change one's tune

改变自己的意见或态度
Meaning
to change one's opinion or attitude
Example
After hearing the good news, he decided to **change his tune**.
听到好消息后,他决定**改变自己的看法**。
idiom

rein in

控制或限制某事
Meaning
to control or limit something
Example
We must **rein in** our spending this quarter.
我们必须在这个季度控制我们的支出。
idiom

make a fuss

为小事抱怨或生气
Meaning
to complain or get angry about something small or unimportant
Example
She always **makes a fuss** about her food being cold.
她总是因为食物冷而抱怨。
idiom

mutton dressed as lamb

一位年长的人试图看起来更年轻
Meaning
an older person trying to look younger
Example
People laughed when she wore teenage clothes — they said she was **mutton dressed as lamb**.
当她穿上青少年衣服时,人们笑了——他们说她是**mutton dressed as lamb**。
idiom

figure out

理解或解决某事
Meaning
to understand or solve something
Example
We need to **figure out** why the emails bounced.
我们需要理解为什么邮件被退回。
idiom

social proof

其他人的行为对自己行为的影响
Meaning
the influence that other people’s actions have on one’s own behavior
Example
Positive reviews serve as **social proof** for new customers.
正面评论作为新客户的**社交证明**。
idiom

a slip of the tongue

说错了; 无意中说出某些话
Meaning
a spoken mistake; saying something unintentionally
Example
It was just **a slip of the tongue**, I didn’t mean to offend you.
这只是 **口误**,我并不想冒犯你。
idiom

wave the white flag

投降或放弃
Meaning
to surrender or give up
Example
After a long debate, he finally **waved the white flag**.
经过长时间的辩论,他终于**放弃了**。
idiom

Keep the tradition alive

继续实践一个习俗,以免它被遗忘
Meaning
To continue practicing a custom so that it is not forgotten
Example
Every year we celebrate this festival to **keep the tradition alive**.
每年我们都会庆祝这个节日,以**保持传统活力**。
idiom

on the fence

对某事感到不确定或犹豫不决
Meaning
undecided or unsure about something
Example
She’s still **on the fence** about moving abroad.
她仍然对是否搬到国外**在围栏上**。
idiom

toe the party line

遵循自己政治党的官方政策或意见
Meaning
to follow the official policies or opinions of one’s political party
Example
Members of parliament are expected to **toe the party line** during the vote.
预计议会成员在投票时会遵循党派的立场。
idiom

calm down

冷静下来或放松
Meaning
to become less angry or upset
Example
Please **calm down**, everything is under control.
请冷静下来,一切都在掌控之中。
idiom

give someone a shot in the arm

提高某人的自信或热情
Meaning
to boost someone’s confidence or enthusiasm
Example
The victory **gave the team a shot in the arm** before the final.
这场胜利**给了球队一个振奋**,为决赛做准备。
idiom

knock someone for six

极大地震惊或使某人烦恼
Meaning
to shock or upset someone greatly
Example
The sudden loss **knocked him for six**.
突如其来的损失 **让他震惊**。
idiom

open heart

在感情和行动上诚实与友善
Meaning
to be honest and kind in feelings and actions
Example
He welcomed everyone with an **open heart**.
他以开诚布公的心欢迎每个人。
idiom

steam coming out of your ears

看起来或感觉非常生气
Meaning
to look or feel extremely angry
Example
He had **steam coming out of his ears** after the argument.
争吵后,他的耳朵里**冒出了蒸汽**。
idiom

Meet your Waterloo

面对最终和决定性的失败。
Meaning
To face a final and decisive defeat.
Example
After years of success, the company finally **met its Waterloo** when sales plummeted.
经过多年的成功,这家公司终于在销售暴跌时**遭遇了自己的滑铁卢**。
idiom

A Pandora’s box

无尽麻烦或复杂问题的来源。
Meaning
A source of endless complications or trouble.
Example
Discussing that topic will open a **Pandora’s box** of complaints.
讨论那个话题会打开一个潘多拉的盒子,引发很多抱怨。
idiom

A team player

在团队中能与他人合作良好的人。
Meaning
Someone who works well with others in a group.
Example
John is **a team player** who always supports his colleagues.
约翰是一个**团队成员**,总是支持他的同事。
idiom

bosom friend

一个非常亲密和值得信赖的朋友
Meaning
a very close and trusted friend
Example
We’ve been **bosom friends** since childhood.
我们从小就是非常要好的朋友。
idiom

make the grade

达到期望的标准或水平
Meaning
to reach the desired standard or level
Example
Only a few students **made the grade** in the final test.
只有少数学生在期末考试中达到了要求的水平。
B2 idiom

close but no cigar

几乎正确或成功,但不完全
Meaning
Almost correct or successful but not quite
Example
He was close to winning the competition, but close but no cigar.
他差点赢得比赛,但最终还是没能成功。
idiom

behind schedule

比计划或预期的时间晚
Meaning
later than planned or expected
Example
The flight is **behind schedule** because of the storm.
航班因暴风雨而**延误**。
idiom

Playing both sides

为了个人利益,暗中支持或操控冲突的双方。
Meaning
To secretly support or manipulate both sides of a conflict for personal gain.
Example
The ambassador was accused of **playing both sides** in the negotiations.
大使被指控在谈判中**玩两面派**。
idiom

the naked truth

完整而无掩饰的真相
Meaning
the complete and unvarnished truth
Example
She told me **the naked truth** about what happened.
她告诉我发生的事情的**完整真相**。
idiom

have cold feet

在做重要的事情之前突然变得紧张
Meaning
to suddenly become nervous before doing something important
Example
He was ready to get married but **got cold feet** at the last minute.
他准备结婚,但在最后一分钟**得冷脚**。
idiom

rally the troops

激励或鼓励一群人采取行动
Meaning
to motivate or encourage a group to take action
Example
The manager **rallied the troops** before the big presentation.
经理在大型演讲前激励了团队。
idiom

Eager beaver

一个非常热心且渴望做某事的人。
Meaning
A person who is very enthusiastic and eager to do something.
Example
She's an **eager beaver** who always volunteers for extra tasks.
她是一个**非常热心**的人,总是自愿承担额外的任务。
idiom

step on it

加快速度;快点
Meaning
to go faster; to hurry up
Example
We’re late — **step on it**!
我们迟到了——快点!
idiom

Living beyond one’s means

花费比自己能够负担的更多的钱。
Meaning
Spending more money than one can afford.
Example
Many people get into debt by **living beyond their means**.
许多人因为**生活超出自己能力范围**而陷入债务。
idiom

make your dreams come true

实现你一直想要的
Meaning
to achieve what you have always wanted
Example
She worked hard to **make her dreams come true**.
她努力工作以实现她的梦想。
idiom

make it to the top

达到成功的最高点
Meaning
to reach the highest point of success
Example
After years of hard work, he finally **made it to the top** of his career.
经过多年的辛勤工作,他终于**达到了事业的巅峰**。
idiom

take the plunge

决定做某些冒险或困难的事情
Meaning
to decide to do something risky or difficult
Example
After years of thinking, he finally **took the plunge** and started his business.
经过多年的思考,他终于**冒险一试**并开始了自己的生意。
idiom

go easy on someone

对某人温和或耐心
Meaning
to be gentle or patient with someone
Example
Go easy on him; he’s been through a lot lately.
对他温柔一点;他最近经历了很多事情。
idiom

hear something through the grapevine

间接听到新闻或谣言
Meaning
to hear news or rumors indirectly
Example
I **heard through the grapevine** that they are getting married.
我通过小道消息听说他们要结婚。
idiom

Go bust

破产或退出业务
Meaning
To go bankrupt or out of business.
Example
Many small banks **went bust** during the financial crisis.
在金融危机期间,许多小银行**破产**了。
idiom

to come clean

承认事实,尤其是当它困难或令人尴尬时
Meaning
to admit the truth, especially when it is difficult or embarrassing
Example
He decided it was time to **come clean** about his mistake.
他决定是时候对自己的错误**坦白**了。
idiom

chin up, soldier

在困难的情况下保持勇敢和坚强
Meaning
to stay brave and strong in difficult situations
Example
**Chin up, soldier**, things will get better soon.
**振作起来,士兵**,一切很快就会好起来。
idiom

nitpick

在某事中挑剔小的、不重要的错误
Meaning
to find small, unimportant faults in something
Example
Stop **nitpicking** every little mistake I make!
别再对我犯的每个小错误吹毛求疵了!
idiom

iron curtain

在意识形态或政治上分隔国家的障碍
Meaning
a barrier separating nations ideologically or politically
Example
During the Cold War, Europe was divided by the **iron curtain**.
在冷战期间,欧洲被**铁幕**分隔开。
idiom

On the breadline

生活在贫困中或几乎没有钱。
Meaning
Living in poverty or with very little money.
Example
After losing his job, he was almost **on the breadline**.
失业后,他几乎处于**安德布雷德莱恩**状态。
idiom

open a new chapter

在生活中开始新的阶段或时期
Meaning
to begin a new stage or period in life
Example
Graduating from university **opened a new chapter** in her life.
大学毕业 **开启了她生活的新篇章**。
idiom

spread kindness

对别人做或说善良的事情
Meaning
to do or say kind things to others
Example
We should all try to **spread kindness** every day.
我们每天都应该尽力去**spread kindness**。
idiom

have a heart of gold

非常善良和慷慨
Meaning
to be very kind and generous
Example
Everyone loves her because she **has a heart of gold**.
每个人都喜欢她,因为她有一颗金子般的心。
idiom

Dig deeper

更彻底地调查或发现更多细节。
Meaning
To investigate more thoroughly or find out more details.
Example
Journalists are trained to **dig deeper** into stories.
记者们接受了**更深入挖掘**故事的训练。
idiom

spin up

快速启动某事,尤其是一个系统
Meaning
to start something quickly, especially a system
Example
The IT team can **spin up** a test server in minutes.
IT团队可以在几分钟内启动一个测试服务器。
idiom

cut someone down to size

批评某人让他感到自己不重要
Meaning
to criticize someone to make them feel less important
Example
The manager **cut him down to size** after he bragged too much.
经理在他吹嘘过多后**把他给放下**了。
idiom

spitting image

某人看起来完全像另一个人
Meaning
someone who looks exactly like another person
Example
She is the **spitting image** of her mother.
她是她母亲的**spitting image**。
idiom

branch off

从主路线或发展线分开
Meaning
to separate from a main route or line of development
Example
The hiking path will **branch off** near the lake.
徒步小径将在湖边分支。
idiom

carve your own path

开辟自己的道路以获得成功或独立
Meaning
to create your own way of achieving success or independence
Example
She decided to **carve her own path** instead of joining her family business.
她决定**开辟自己的道路**,而不是加入家族企业。
idiom

head off

防止某事发生
Meaning
to prevent something from happening
Example
Early communication can **head off** most misunderstandings.
早期沟通可以防止大多数误解。