“Cut and dried”
Already decided and not likely to change.
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“Cut and dried”
Already decided and not likely to change.
“Keep someone at arm’s length”
To avoid becoming too close to someone.
“A storm in a teacup”
A lot of anger or worry about something unimportant.
“Call the shots”
To be in control and make the important decisions.
“Carve out a niche”
To create a specific position in a market or field.
“A new lease on life”
A renewed energy, purpose, or opportunity.
Idiom of the Day
“Miss the boat”
To miss an opportunity.
A highlighted idiom from our collection. Browse the full index above for more.
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Idioms are fixed expressions where the meaning is different from the literal words.
They make speech sound natural and help you understand native-level communication.
Study idioms in context, repeat example sentences aloud, and review them regularly.
Start with high-frequency idioms from daily conversation and workplace English.
“Fight fire with fire”
To use the same methods as your opponent.
“Fill the gap”
To provide what is missing.
“Cover all bases”
To prepare for every possibility.
“Come to terms with”
To accept a difficult reality.
“Think outside the box”
To think creatively and differently from usual.
“Get your act together”
To start behaving or working in a more organized and effective way.
“Close call”
A situation where something bad almost happened.
“In the heat of the moment”
While feeling strong emotion, without thinking calmly.
“Eat your words”
To admit that what you said was wrong.
“Butter someone up”
To praise someone too much in order to get something.
“Lose ground”
To become less successful or fall behind.
“In the red”
Losing money or having debt.
“In black and white”
Written or printed clearly.
“Day in, day out”
Every day, repeatedly.
“Come a long way”
To make a lot of progress.
“A mixed bag”
A combination of good and bad things.
“Full of beans”
Energetic and lively.
“Birds of a feather flock together”
Similar people often spend time together.