Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

take over — to assume control or responsibility for something

"When the manager resigned, her deputy had to take over the entire project on short notice."

take after — to resemble a family member in appearance or personality

"People always say I take after my mother — same stubborn streak and the same laugh."

take off — to leave quickly; (of a plane) to leave the ground; to become suddenly successful

"The app took off almost immediately after launch — they had a million users within a week."

take away — to learn or conclude something from an experience

"The main thing I took away from the workshop was that listening is often more important than speaking."

take up — to start a new hobby, activity, or habit

"I've always wanted to take up golf, but I never seem to find the time."

pick out — to choose or select something from a group

"It took her forty minutes to pick out a gift — she wanted it to be absolutely perfect."

pick up — to collect someone by car; to learn something informally; to improve

"I never formally studied Italian — I just picked it up from living there for two years."

pick on — to repeatedly target or bully someone unfairly

"As a kid, the older boys used to pick on anyone who wasn't part of their group."

pick at — to eat very little; to criticize details repeatedly without purpose

"He kept picking at the proposal, pointing out tiny flaws instead of looking at the big picture."

pick up on — to notice or become aware of something subtle

"A good teacher picks up on when a student is confused, even if they don't say anything."

look out — to be careful or watch for danger

"Look out for anyone who claims they can make you a quick profit with no risk."

look after — to take care of someone or something

"I looked after my neighbour's cat for two weeks while they were on holiday."

look forward to — to feel excited or pleased about something that is going to happen

"I'm really looking forward to the summer — we've planned a trip to Greece."

look back — to think about or reflect on the past

"Looking back, I think I made the right decision — even though it was hard at the time."

look up — to search for information; (of a situation) to improve

"Things are finally starting to look up — we signed two new clients this month."

get along — to have a good, friendly relationship with someone

"I get along really well with everyone on the team — it makes the job so much easier."

get away — to escape, especially on a holiday or short break

"We managed to get away for a long weekend in Lisbon — it was exactly what we needed."

get over — to recover from something difficult — an illness, loss, or disappointment

"It took the team months to get over losing that contract, but eventually they moved on."

get through — to survive or endure a difficult time; to finish something

"I got through the project by taking it one day at a time."

get by — to manage with limited resources, money, or ability

"We don't have a huge budget, but we get by."

put off — to delay or postpone something

"I've been putting off that difficult conversation for weeks — I need to just do it."

put up with — to tolerate something unpleasant without complaining

"I can put up with a lot of things, but rudeness from clients is something I won't accept."

put away — to store something in its proper place; to save money

"I try to put away a small amount each month — it adds up faster than you think."

put together — to assemble, create, or organize something

"She put together an impressive presentation with very little preparation time."

put down — to criticize or belittle someone; to write or record something

"He has a habit of putting down other people's ideas in meetings, which kills creativity."

come up with — to think of an idea, plan, or solution

"We had to come up with a solution in under an hour — and somehow we did."

come across — to find or encounter something by chance; to make a certain impression

"How do you think you come across in a job interview or first meeting?"

come around — to change one's opinion over time; to visit; to regain consciousness

"It took him a few weeks, but he finally came around to the idea of moving departments."

come down with — to become ill with a disease or illness

"Half the office came down with a cold last month — it spread very quickly."

come through — to succeed in a difficult situation; to deliver on a promise

"The supplier came through at the last minute and saved the entire project."

go ahead — to proceed; to give or receive permission to do something

"I wasn't sure whether to start the meeting, so I just went ahead and did it."

go over — to review or examine something carefully

"We should go over the contract one more time before signing."

go through — to experience something difficult; to examine something in detail

"Let me go through the figures one more time — something doesn't add up."

go along with — to agree or comply with something, often without full conviction

"I went along with the plan even though I had doubts — and those doubts turned out to be right."

go back on — to break a promise or agreement

"The company went back on the terms of the deal after the contract was already signed."

break down — to stop working; to become very upset emotionally; to analyse in detail

"Let's break down the problem into smaller parts so it feels more manageable."

break up — to end a relationship; to divide into parts; to lose phone signal

"Has a team or project group you've been part of ever broken up? How did it feel?"

break out — to start suddenly (conflict, fire, illness); to escape

"An argument broke out during the meeting and the manager had to step in."

break in — to interrupt a conversation; to enter illegally; to wear in something new

"I'm sorry to break in, but I think there's an important issue we're missing."

break through — to achieve progress after a period of difficulty or resistance

"The team broke through after months of struggle — the solution was simpler than anyone expected."

call off — to cancel something that was planned

"The match was called off due to heavy rain — we'd driven two hours to get there."

call out — to challenge or confront someone publicly about their behavior

"It took courage to call out the manager's behavior — but someone had to do it."

call up — to telephone someone; (military) to summon for duty

"She called up her old mentor for advice before making the final decision."

call in — to phone your workplace to report you won't be coming; to request outside help

"We had to call in a specialist because none of us knew how to solve the problem."

call for — to require or demand something; to predict (weather, a result)

"This is a complex problem — it calls for careful thought, not a quick fix."

bring up — to mention or introduce a topic; to raise a child

"There's never a perfect time to bring up bad news, so I just did it directly."

bring about — to cause something to happen

"The new regulations brought about a complete overhaul of how we handle data."

bring in — to introduce or hire someone from outside; to earn money

"The company decided to bring in a consultant rather than promote from within."

bring back — to cause a memory or feeling to return; to reintroduce something

"They brought back the old logo — customers responded much better to it."

bring forward — to move a meeting or deadline to an earlier time; to introduce a proposal

"The client asked us to bring forward the delivery by two weeks — it was a real challenge."

set up — to arrange, organize, or establish something

"It took us three months to set up the new office — the paperwork alone was a nightmare."

set out — to begin a journey; to explain or list things clearly

"Let me set out the main goals for this quarter before we start."

set back — to slow or delay progress; to cost someone money

"A technical issue set us back significantly — we had to redo two weeks of work."

set aside — to save something for later use; to deliberately ignore something for now

"I try to set aside time each week for professional development — it's easy to let it slip."

set off — to trigger something; to start a journey

"An offhand comment set off a much bigger argument than anyone expected."

turn down — to reject an offer or request; to reduce the volume of something

"I turned down the promotion because it would have meant relocating."

turn up — to arrive; to be found unexpectedly; to increase volume

"My lost keys turned up in my coat pocket two days later — I'd already replaced them."

turn out — to result or end in a particular way; to produce something

"I was nervous about the meeting, but it turned out to be very productive."

turn around — to reverse a negative situation and make it positive

"The new CEO managed to turn the company around in just eighteen months."

turn into — to change or transform into something different

"A small miscommunication turned into a major conflict between the two departments."

give up — to stop trying; to quit a habit

"I gave up trying to fix it after three hours and called a professional."

give in — to surrender or concede to pressure or demands

"I didn't want to change the design, but the client was insistent and I finally gave in."

give away — to reveal secret information; to donate something for free

"Her expression gave away exactly what she was thinking — she's terrible at hiding it."

give out — to stop working; to distribute something

"They gave out free samples at the trade fair — it was a simple but effective strategy."

give back — to return something borrowed; to contribute to the community

"The foundation was set up to give back to the community where the company first started."

work out — to succeed or turn out well; to exercise; to calculate

"I'm still working out exactly what the new role will involve."

work up to — to build gradually towards something; to build courage for something

"He worked up to running a marathon by starting with short distances and building slowly."

work around — to find an alternative solution when a direct path is blocked

"The supplier couldn't deliver on time, so we worked around it by using local stock."

work on — to spend time developing or improving something

"She's been working on her public speaking for months — and it really shows."

work through — to deal with a problem or difficulty methodically, step by step

"It took several meetings to work through all the objections the client had raised."

cut down on — to reduce the amount of something you consume or do

"The company cut down on expenses across the board after a difficult quarter."

cut off — to interrupt; to stop a supply of something; to lose signal

"The investor cut off funding without any warning — it nearly destroyed the company."

cut out — to stop doing something; to remove; to lose a signal

"You need to cut out the unnecessary steps — the process is twice as long as it needs to be."

cut back — to significantly reduce spending, staff, or activity

"The department cut back significantly after the budget review."

cut in — to interrupt a conversation; to push in front of someone in a queue

"He keeps cutting in whenever someone else is talking — it's disruptive and rude."

pull off — to succeed at something difficult or unlikely

"He pulled off the deal in under a week — nobody thought it was possible."

pull through — to recover from a serious illness or very difficult situation

"The company pulled through the financial crisis by cutting costs and finding new markets."

pull back — to withdraw from a situation, deal, or commitment

"Investors pulled back when the market became too unstable."

pull together — to cooperate as a team, especially during difficulty

"The whole department pulled together to meet the impossible deadline — and we made it."

pull out — to withdraw from a plan, project, or agreement

"The lead investor pulled out at the last minute, and the whole project collapsed."

make up — to reconcile after an argument; to invent a story; to compensate for lost time

"The figures in the report don't add up — I think someone made them up."

make out — to understand or hear with difficulty; to claim or pretend something

"He tried to make out that the delay was our fault — but everyone knew otherwise."

make for — to move towards; to result in or contribute to something

"A lack of clear targets makes for a very unmotivated team."

make do — to manage with less than ideal resources or circumstances

"The meeting room was double-booked, so we made do with the kitchen table."

make up for — to compensate for a mistake, loss, or missed opportunity

"She worked late all week to make up for the time she'd lost while sick."

run out of — to use up the entire supply of something

"We ran out of budget in the third quarter and had to put several projects on hold."

run into — to meet someone unexpectedly; to encounter a problem or obstacle

"We ran into a few issues with the software, but nothing we couldn't fix."

run over — to exceed the planned or scheduled time; to go over something again

"Let me run over the key points one more time before we finish."

run through — to go through something quickly from start to finish

"We ran through the checklist before the launch to make sure nothing was missed."

run away from — to avoid dealing with something difficult

"He kept running away from the difficult conversation until it became a much bigger problem."

show up — to arrive; to appear, sometimes unexpectedly

"She showed up to the pitch without a single slide — and she still won the contract."

show off — to display one's abilities or possessions in an excessive or boastful way

"She wasn't showing off — she was genuinely excited to share the results with the team."

show around — to give someone a tour of a place

"My first day was great — my manager showed me around and introduced me to everyone."

show out — to escort someone to the exit

"After the interview, the receptionist showed each candidate out personally."

show of hands — a visible gesture of agreement or opinion by raising a hand

"I asked for a show of hands and was surprised — most people disagreed with me."

fall through — to fail to happen as planned, especially at the last moment

"The acquisition fell through at the last minute — something came up during due diligence."

fall apart — to disintegrate physically or organizationally

"When the team leader left, the whole project fell apart — there was no one to hold it together."

fall behind — to fail to keep up with a schedule, plan, or others

"I fell behind on the reports during the holiday period and had to catch up quickly."

fall out — to have a serious argument that damages a relationship

"Two partners fell out over money and the business never truly recovered."

fall back on — to use as a backup or reserve option when the main plan fails

"My main plan didn't work, so I fell back on my original idea — which turned out to be better."

get the ball rolling — to begin something; to start a process

"I'll send out the agenda this evening — that should get the ball rolling for tomorrow's meeting."

wear many hats — to have several different roles or responsibilities simultaneously

"I wear many hats in this job — I'm the marketing manager, the social media person, and sometimes the IT support too."

hit the ground running — to start something quickly and with full energy and effectiveness

"The new hire hit the ground running — she had already proposed three improvements in her first week."

think outside the box — to think creatively, beyond conventional or obvious solutions

"The usual approach wasn't working, so we had to think outside the box — and the solution turned out to be surprisingly simple."

pull your weight — to do your fair share of work within a team or group

"If one person doesn't pull their weight, the whole team suffers — especially near deadlines."

get the lay of the land — to survey and understand a situation before deciding how to act

"Before making any decisions, spend the first month getting the lay of the land — find out who the key players are."

thread the needle — to find a careful solution between two competing difficulties

"The negotiator threaded the needle brilliantly — both sides felt they had won."

keep close to the vest — to keep plans or information private; to not reveal your hand

"Before the announcement, the company kept its plans very close to the vest."

meet in the middle — to compromise; to find a solution both sides can accept

"Neither side got exactly what they wanted, but we met in the middle and both were satisfied."

the ball is in your court — it is your turn to take action or make a decision

"I've made our position clear — the ball is in their court now."

get a kick out of — to find great enjoyment or excitement in something

"She gets a real kick out of solving complex problems — the harder, the better."

blow off steam — to release stress or frustration through activity or talking

"After a really tough week, I blow off steam by going to the gym — nothing else quite does it."

on edge — feeling nervous, tense, or irritable, often due to stress or anxiety

"The whole office has been on edge since the restructuring announcement."

get cold feet — to suddenly become nervous or hesitant about a decision or commitment

"I was all set to quit and start my own business, but I got cold feet and decided to stay."

under the weather — feeling slightly ill or unwell

"I'm feeling a bit under the weather — I might leave early if that's okay with everyone."

you can say that again — used to strongly agree with what someone has just said

"'That meeting went on way too long.' 'You can say that again!'"

be on the same page — to have the same understanding or share the same view

"Before we go into the meeting, let's make sure we're on the same page about our position."

see eye to eye — to agree, especially consistently and on important matters

"My partner and I don't always see eye to eye on business decisions, but we always find a way forward."

go along with — to accept or agree to something, often without full conviction

"Sometimes you need to go along with the group decision — even if it's not exactly what you'd have chosen."

a done deal — an agreement that is completely finalized and cannot be changed

"'Can we still negotiate?' 'No, it's a done deal — it was signed this morning.'"

have a bone to pick — to have a specific complaint or grievance to raise with someone

"I have a bone to pick with the IT department — they've changed my settings three times without asking."

rock the boat — to cause trouble or disturb a stable or comfortable situation

"He always wants to rock the boat — nothing is ever good enough for him."

rub the wrong way — to irritate or annoy someone, often without intending to

"I'm not sure why, but his management style really rubs me the wrong way."

at odds — in disagreement or conflict with someone

"The sales team and the production team are often at odds about delivery timelines."

not mince words — to speak very directly, without softening or sugarcoating

"My manager never minces her words — she'll tell you exactly what she thinks, which is refreshing."

against the clock — working under extreme time pressure to finish before a deadline

"The team worked through the night — it was completely against the clock."

in the nick of time — at the very last possible moment

"The backup arrived in the nick of time — another hour and we would have lost everything."

on the back burner — delayed in favor of more urgent matters; temporarily not a priority

"The expansion plans are on the back burner until we stabilise the core business."

wrap it up — to finish or conclude something

"We've been going for two hours — let's wrap it up and continue next week."

beat the deadline — to finish something before the required time limit

"The whole team stayed late and beat the deadline with an hour to spare."

hit it out of the park — to do something exceptionally well; to exceed expectations

"The pitch hit it out of the park — the client signed the contract on the spot."

rise to the occasion — to perform particularly well when facing a challenge or high pressure

"She rose to the occasion when the director was away — everyone was genuinely impressed."

make the cut — to reach a required standard; to be selected from a larger group

"Not everyone makes the cut in this industry — the competition is fierce."

get the green light — to receive official approval or permission to proceed

"After six months of negotiations, we finally got the green light to open the new branch."

go from strength to strength — to continue improving and becoming more successful

"Since the rebrand, the company has gone from strength to strength — sales are up 40%."

drop the ball — to make a mistake by failing to do something that was expected of you

"We dropped the ball on the follow-up — the client went straight to a competitor."

hit a wall — to reach a point where progress suddenly becomes impossible

"After three months of development, the team hit a wall — no one could figure out the next step."

go south — to deteriorate or go badly wrong, often suddenly

"The meeting started well, but it went south as soon as the pricing came up."

put out fires — to deal with multiple urgent problems reactively, as they arise

"I never get any strategic work done — I'm always putting out fires."

back to square one — having to start again from the beginning after a failure

"The prototype failed the safety test, so we went back to square one on the design."

beat around the bush — to avoid talking about the main point directly; to be evasive

"She kept beating around the bush instead of just telling me what the problem was."

come clean — to tell the truth about something you have been hiding or concealing

"He finally came clean about the delay — and surprisingly, the client respected his honesty."

read between the lines — to understand the hidden or implied meaning beyond the literal words

"When he said 'we're reviewing the budget', I could read between the lines — cuts were coming."

cut to the chase — to get to the main point without unnecessary preamble

"I don't have much time, so let me cut to the chase — we'd like to offer you the position."

speak of the devil — said when someone appears just as you are talking about them

"'Have you spoken to Maria about this?' 'Speak of the devil — here she comes now.'"

a dime a dozen — very common and easy to find; not particularly valuable or special

"Generic marketing agencies are a dime a dozen — what actually makes you different?"

foot the bill — to pay for something, especially an expensive item or event

"My employer footed the bill for the training course — which was a very welcome surprise."

cost an arm and a leg — to be extremely expensive

"The office renovation cost an arm and a leg — but the effect on morale was worth every penny."

on a shoestring — with a very small or limited budget

"The first version of the app was built on a shoestring — two developers in a spare bedroom."

splash out — to spend a significant amount of money on something enjoyable or luxurious

"We splashed out on a nice dinner after landing the deal — we absolutely deserved it."

breathe down someone's neck — to watch someone very closely; to put constant pressure on them

"I find it hard to work when someone is breathing down my neck — I need space to think."

rein it in — to control or restrain someone or something that is becoming excessive

"The project was getting too ambitious — the team needed to rein it in before it got out of hand."

call the shots — to be in charge; to make the important decisions

"The CEO was on holiday, so the COO called the shots for two weeks."

out of line — behaving in a way that is inappropriate or unacceptable

"He was completely out of line when he raised his voice at the client — it was embarrassing."

set the tone — to establish the mood, standard, or direction from the very beginning

"A leader's attitude sets the tone for the whole team — if they're positive, the team usually is too."

sit on the fence — to avoid taking a side or committing to a clear position

"Politicians often sit on the fence to avoid alienating voters — but it frustrates everyone."

take the plunge — to make a bold or decisive move after a period of hesitation

"After years of thinking about it, he took the plunge and started his own business."

sleep on it — to wait until the following day before making a decision

"'Can you give me an answer today?' 'I'd prefer to sleep on it — I'll call you tomorrow.'"

draw the line — to set a firm limit on what you will accept or allow

"I'm happy to work extra hours occasionally, but I draw the line at weekends."

weigh your options — to carefully consider the pros and cons of each available choice

"Before accepting, make sure you weigh your options — there's really no need to rush."

make yourself at home — to relax and behave as comfortably as you would in your own home

"She opened the door, handed me a coffee, and said, 'Make yourself at home' — I felt immediately welcome."

break the ice — to say or do something to ease tension or start conversation in an awkward setting

"We played a short game at the start of the workshop to break the ice — it worked perfectly."

get out of hand — to become impossible to control; to escalate beyond what is acceptable

"The argument got out of hand and spilled into the hallway — it was very uncomfortable."

make a good impression — to cause someone to have a positive opinion of you, especially on first meeting

"She made an excellent first impression at the interview — calm, prepared, and personable."

call it a day — to decide to stop working or doing something for the rest of the day

"'Should we carry on?' 'I think we've done enough today — let's call it a day.'"

out of the blue — something that happens suddenly and completely without warning

"He resigned out of the blue — absolutely nobody saw it coming."

catch off guard — to surprise someone when they are unprepared

"The question caught me completely off guard — I genuinely didn't know what to say."

a bolt from the blue — a completely unexpected and usually shocking piece of news or event

"The announcement came as a bolt from the blue — we had no idea the merger was even being discussed."

throw a curveball — to present an unexpected problem or challenge

"Right before the deadline, the client threw us a curveball — they changed the entire brief."

taken aback — surprised and slightly shocked, often in an unpleasant way

"I was taken aback by how direct she was — it was unexpected, but ultimately refreshing."

spill the beans — to reveal a secret, often accidentally

"My colleague spilled the beans about the surprise party — I wasn't supposed to know until Friday."

keep under wraps — to keep something secret, especially before an official announcement

"The product launch was kept completely under wraps until the press conference."

lay your cards on the table — to be completely honest and open about your intentions or position

"I laid my cards on the table in the negotiation — I told them exactly what our budget was."

turn a blind eye — to deliberately ignore something that is wrong or against the rules

"The supervisor turned a blind eye to minor infractions as long as the work got done."

come out of the woodwork — to appear unexpectedly, often with a claim or opinion

"Once the company became successful, former contacts started coming out of the woodwork."

burn the midnight oil — to work very late into the night

"We burned the midnight oil for a week before the launch — I don't think anyone went home before 1am."

pull your socks up — to make a greater effort; to improve your performance after a poor period

"The manager told the team plainly: 'We've fallen behind — everyone needs to pull their socks up.'"

knuckle down — to start working seriously and with full focus and concentration

"I spent the morning on emails, but after lunch I knuckled down and finished the whole report."

go the extra mile — to do more than is required or expected

"He goes the extra mile for every client — and they always notice it."

put in the hours — to work for extended periods, especially to develop a skill or complete a project

"There's no shortcut — to get really good at this, you have to put in the hours."

get your ducks in a row — to organize everything properly before taking action

"Before you approach investors, make sure your ducks are in a row — finances, pitch, projections."

lay the groundwork — to do the preparatory work that makes future progress or success possible

"The research we're doing this year is laying the groundwork for a much bigger launch next year."

cross that bridge when you come to it — to deal with a problem only when it actually arises

"'What if the client refuses?' 'Let's cross that bridge when we come to it — no point worrying now.'"

cover your bases — to prepare for every possible situation or risk in advance

"Before sending the proposal, cover your bases — double-check the numbers and get it proofread."

take stock — to pause and carefully assess the current situation or your progress

"At the end of each quarter, I take stock of what we've achieved and what still needs to be done."

lose your cool — to become very angry or upset and lose control of your emotions

"He lost his cool in the meeting — it was unprofessional and made everyone deeply uncomfortable."

keep a level head — to remain calm, rational, and composed even in a stressful situation

"In a crisis, the most valuable skill is simply the ability to keep a level head."

bite the hand that feeds you — to harm or criticize the person or organization that supports you

"He complained publicly about the company that had sponsored him — classic biting the hand that feeds you."

step out of line — to behave in a way that breaks expected rules or norms

"He stepped out of line when he went directly to the CEO without informing his manager first."

have a thick skin — the ability to cope with criticism or difficult situations without becoming upset

"Working in sales, you need a thick skin — rejection is simply part of the job."

kick off — to start an event, meeting, or project

"The conference kicked off with a powerful keynote from the CEO."

from scratch — from the very beginning, with nothing already prepared

"The original design was rejected, so the team built the entire new version from scratch."

a fresh start — a new beginning, especially after something has gone wrong

"Changing jobs felt like a fresh start — completely new environment, new challenges, new energy."

draw a line under it — to accept something is finished and stop dwelling on it

"After the difficult quarter, the CEO told everyone to draw a line under it and focus on what's next."

wrap things up — to bring something to a final conclusion

"It's nearly five o'clock — let's wrap things up and pick this up again tomorrow."

hang in there — to keep going despite difficulties; to persevere through a hard time

"It was a really tough period, but she hung in there and came out the other side stronger."

weather the storm — to endure a difficult period and come through it successfully

"The company weathered the financial crisis better than most of its competitors."

bounce back — to recover quickly and positively from a setback or failure

"He lost the contract but bounced back within two months with an even bigger client."

keep at it — to continue making a consistent effort without giving up

"I wasn't naturally good at it, but I kept at it and eventually it became second nature."

ride it out — to endure a difficult situation patiently until it naturally comes to an end

"We can't do much about the market conditions right now — we'll just have to ride it out."