Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

take over — to take control of or responsibility for something from someone else (separable: take over the project / take it over)

"When my manager went on parental leave, I took over her client accounts for three months."

take after — to look or behave like an older member of your family (not separable: take after your mother)

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

take off — to suddenly become successful or popular; also: (of a plane) to leave the ground; (informal) to leave

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

take away — to learn a lesson or idea from an experience (noun: "my main takeaway")

"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 or activity (separable: take up yoga / take it up); also: to fill time or space ("The meeting took up the whole morning.")

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

pick out — to choose one thing from a group (separable: pick out a gift / pick it out)

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

pick up — to collect someone, usually by car; to learn something informally, without studying (separable: pick up Italian / pick it up)

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

pick on — to repeatedly tease, criticize, or bully someone unfairly (not separable: pick on someone)

"As a kid, the older boys used to pick on anyone who was smaller than them."

pick at — to eat only small amounts of food, slowly and without appetite (not separable: pick at your dinner)

"I was so nervous before the interview that I just picked at my breakfast."

pick up on — to notice something that is not obvious or not said directly (not separable: pick up on a hint)

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

look out — (as a warning) Be careful!; look out for — to watch carefully for someone or something

"Look out for emails that ask for your password — they're almost always scams."

look after — to take care of someone or something (not separable: look after the kids); "take care of" is more common in American English

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

look forward to — to feel happy and excited about something that is going to happen; followed by a noun or an -ing form ("I look forward to hearing from you.")

"We're really looking forward to seeing you at the conference next month."

look back — to think about something in the past (look back on your school days)

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

look up — to search for information in a dictionary, online, etc. (separable: look up a word / look it up); also: (of a situation) to start improving

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

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

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

get away — to go somewhere for a short break or vacation; also: to escape

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

get over — to recover from an illness, a loss, or a disappointment (not separable: get over a cold / get over it)

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

get through — to survive or manage a difficult time; also: to finish something; to reach someone by phone

"Coffee and a good playlist helped me get through the last week of the quarter."

get by — to manage with just enough money, knowledge, or resources

"Money was tight after I changed jobs, but we got by."

put off — to delay or postpone something, often something you don't want to do (separable: put off the meeting / put it off; put off + -ing)

"I've been putting off calling the dentist for weeks — I really need to just do it."

put up with — to accept something annoying or unpleasant without complaining (not separable: put up with the noise)

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

put away — to put something back where it belongs (separable: put your phone away / put it away); also: to save money

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

put together — to create, organize, or assemble something from different parts (separable: put together a team / put it together)

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

put down — to criticize someone and make them feel stupid or unimportant (separable: put someone down); also: to write something on a form

"He has a habit of putting people down in meetings, and it kills creativity."

come up with — to think of an idea, plan, or solution (not separable: come up with a plan)

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

come across — to find or meet something or someone by chance (not separable: come across an old photo); also: to make a particular impression ("He comes across as shy.")

"I came across some old photos while I was cleaning out the garage."

come around — to change your opinion and accept something, usually gradually; also: to visit someone's home

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

come down with — to start to have an illness, usually not a serious one (not separable: come down with the flu)

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

come through — to do what is needed or promised, especially in a difficult situation (come through for someone)

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

go ahead — to start or continue doing something; used to give someone permission

"I wasn't sure whether to start the meeting without him, so I just went ahead and did it."

go over — to review or check something carefully (not separable: go over the contract)

"We should go over the contract one more time before we sign it."

go through — to experience something difficult or unpleasant; also: to examine something in detail (not separable: go through a hard time)

"She went through a really tough time after the layoffs, but she's doing great now."

go along with — to accept or agree to something, often without really believing in it (not separable: go along with the plan)

"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 an agreement (not separable: go back on a deal)

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

break down — (of a machine or car) to stop working; to lose control of your emotions and cry; also: to divide something into smaller parts (separable: break down the costs / break them down)

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

break up — (on a call) to have a bad connection so the voice is cut into pieces; to end a romantic relationship; (of a group) to separate

"The band broke up after ten years, but the members are still good friends."

break out — (of a fire, a fight, a war, or a disease) to start suddenly; also: to escape from a place

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

break in — to enter a building illegally, usually to steal something; also: to wear new shoes or use new equipment until it's comfortable (separable: break in new boots / break them in)

"These boots hurt right now, but they'll be fine once I break them in."

break through — to make important progress after a long, difficult period (noun: a breakthrough)

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

call off — to cancel something that was planned (separable: call off the meeting / call it off)

"The game was called off because of heavy rain — and we'd driven two hours to get there."

call out — to criticize someone publicly for bad behavior (separable: call out bad behavior / call someone out)

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

call back — to return someone's phone call, or to phone someone again (separable: call the client back / call her back)

"I left two messages, but nobody from the bank ever called me back."

call in — to phone your workplace to say you can't come in (call in sick); also: to ask an expert to come and help (call in a specialist)

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

call for — to require or need something; to publicly ask for something; (of a forecast) to predict ("The forecast calls for rain.")

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

bring up — to mention a topic so people can discuss it (separable: bring up an issue / bring it up); also: 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, especially a change

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

bring in — to hire or involve someone from outside; also: to earn money or attract customers (separable: bring in a consultant / bring one in)

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

bring back — to make you remember something; also: to start doing or using something again (separable: bring back the old logo / bring it back)

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

bring down — to reduce something (separable: bring down prices / bring them down); also: to make someone feel sad ("Don't let it bring you down.")

"Switching suppliers helped us bring our delivery costs down by fifteen percent."

set up — to arrange, organize, or start something (separable: set up a meeting / set it up)

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

set out — to start a trip; set out to (do something) — to start something with a clear goal

"We set out to build a simple budgeting app — and ended up with a whole company."

set back — to delay progress (separable: set the project back / set us back); informal: to cost someone money ("That dinner set me back $200.")

"A technical problem set us back two weeks — we had to redo a lot of work."

set aside — to save time or money for a particular purpose (separable: set aside an hour / set it aside); also: to ignore something for now

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

set off — to make an alarm ring or something explode; to cause a sudden reaction (separable: set off the alarm / set it off); also: to start a trip

"One careless comment set off a much bigger argument than anyone expected."

turn down — to say no to an offer or request (separable: turn down a job / turn it down); also: to lower the volume or heat

"I turned down the promotion because it would have meant moving to another city."

turn up — to arrive or appear, often unexpectedly; to be found after being lost; also: to increase the volume or heat (separable: turn it up)

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

turn out — to happen or end in a particular way; to be discovered to be true ("It turned out that he was right.")

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

turn around — to make a failing business or situation successful (separable: turn the company around / turn it around)

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

turn into — to change and become something different (not separable: turn into a problem)

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

give up — to stop trying; to stop a habit (separable: give up sugar / give it up; give up + -ing)

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

give in — to finally agree to something after resisting; to stop fighting or arguing (give in to pressure)

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

give away — to reveal a secret or a feeling, often by accident; also: to give something for free (separable: give away the ending / give it away)

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

give out — (of a machine or part of the body) to stop working; also: to hand something to many people (separable: give out flyers / give them out)

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

give back — to help your community or the people who helped you; also: to return something you borrowed (separable: give it back)

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

work out — to end successfully; to find the answer to something, like "figure out" (separable: work out a problem / work it out); also: to exercise

"It took us an hour, but we finally worked out what was wrong with the code."

work up to — to gradually prepare yourself for something difficult (not separable: work up to a marathon; work up to + -ing)

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

work around — to find a way to avoid a problem when you can't solve it directly (not separable: work around it)

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

work on — to spend time improving or completing something (not separable: work on a project)

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

work through — to deal with a problem or difficult feelings step by step until they are solved (not separable: work through the issues)

"It took several meetings to work through all the client's objections."

cut down on — to reduce the amount of something you eat, drink, use, or do (not separable: cut down on sugar)

"The company cut down on business travel after a difficult quarter."

cut off — to interrupt someone; to stop the supply of something; (on the phone) to lose the connection (separable: cut off the power / cut it off)

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

cut out — to stop eating or doing something; to remove something (separable: cut out sugar / cut it out); "Cut it out!" means "Stop it!"

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

be cut out for — to have the right personality or abilities for a job or activity (usually negative: not cut out for something)

"She realized she wasn't cut out for management — she missed doing the hands-on work."

cut in — to interrupt someone who is speaking; cut in line — to move in front of people who are waiting

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

pull off — to succeed at something difficult or unlikely (separable: pull off a deal / pull it off)

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

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

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

pull up — to find and display information on a screen (separable: pull up a file / pull it up); also: (of a car) to stop or arrive

"Can you pull up last year's report? I want to compare the figures."

pull together — to work together as a group, especially in a difficult situation; pull yourself together — to calm down and control your emotions

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

pull out — to withdraw from a plan, agreement, or competition (pull out of something)

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

make up — to become friends again after an argument (make up with someone); also: to invent a story or excuse (separable: make up an excuse / make it up)

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

make out — to see, hear, or understand something with difficulty (separable: make out the words / I can't make it out). Careful: in informal American English, "make out (with someone)" also means to kiss

"The sign was so far away that I couldn't make out what it said."

make for — to result in or create a particular kind of situation (not separable: make for a good story)

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

make do — to manage with what you have, even though it isn't ideal (make do with something)

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

make up for — to do something good to correct a mistake or replace something lost (not separable: make up for lost time)

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

run out of — to use all of something so that none is left (not separable: run out of money); also without an object: "The milk ran out."

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

run into — to meet someone by chance; to experience a problem (not separable: run into an old friend / run into problems)

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

run over — to continue longer than planned; also: to hit someone or something with a vehicle (separable: run over a cat / run it over)

"The meeting ran over by forty minutes, so I missed my train."

run through — to practice or review something quickly from beginning to end (not separable: run through the presentation)

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

run away from — to avoid dealing with a difficult situation; also: to escape from a place or person

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

show up — to arrive or appear, especially when people are expecting you (or not expecting you)

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

show off — to try to impress people with your abilities or possessions (separable: show off a new car / show it off)

"She bought a new watch and spent the whole dinner showing it off."

show around — to give someone a tour of a place (show someone around)

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

show through — (of a feeling or quality) to be clearly visible, even when it isn't said or someone tries to hide it

"He tried to stay calm, but his nerves showed through when his voice started shaking."

have nothing to show for — to have no results or benefits from your time, money, or effort (positive: "We have a lot to show for it.")

"We spent six months on that project and had nothing to show for it."

fall through — (of a plan or deal) to fail to happen, often at the last moment

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

fall apart — to break into pieces; (of a plan, organization, or relationship) to stop working; (of a person) to be unable to cope emotionally

"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 or with other people (fall behind on payments / fall behind schedule)

"I fell behind on my reports over the holidays and had to catch up quickly."

fall for — to be tricked into believing something; also: to fall in love with someone (not separable: fall for a scam)

"My dad almost fell for a phishing email that looked exactly like it came from his bank."

fall back on — to use something as a backup when other plans fail (not separable: fall back on your savings)

"When the startup failed, she fell back on her accounting degree and found a job within a month."

get the ball rolling — to start something, such as a process, project, or conversation

"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 at the same time

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

hit the ground running — to start a new job or activity quickly and effectively, without needing time to adjust

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

think outside the box — to think creatively, beyond the usual 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 the work in a team or group

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

get the lay of the land — to learn about a situation before you decide how to act

"Before making any big decisions, spend your 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 demands or risks

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

play it close to the vest — to keep your plans, information, or intentions secret (American English; British English says "close to your chest")

"Before the announcement, the company played it close to the vest — even most managers didn't know."

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

"Neither side got exactly what it 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 really enjoy something; to find something fun or exciting

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

blow off steam — to get rid of stress or anger by doing something active or fun

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

on edge — nervous, tense, and easily annoyed

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

get cold feet — to suddenly become nervous about something you planned to do and want to cancel it

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

under the weather — slightly sick

"I'm feeling a little under the weather, so I'm going to work from home today."

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

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

be on the same page — to have the same understanding of a situation or plan

"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 with someone, especially on important things (often negative: don't see eye to eye)

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

be on board (with) — to agree with and support a plan or idea

"It took a few meetings, but now the whole team is on board with the new process."

a done deal — an agreement or decision that is final and can't be changed

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

have a bone to pick (with someone) — to have a complaint that you want to discuss 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 problems or upset a situation that is calm or stable

"Everyone knew the process was broken, but nobody wanted to rock the boat by saying so."

rub someone the wrong way — to annoy someone, often without meaning to

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

at odds — in disagreement or conflict with someone (at odds with someone over something)

"The sales team and the production team are often at odds over delivery dates."

not mince words — to say exactly what you think, directly, even if it's unpleasant

"My manager never minces words — she tells you exactly what she thinks, which I find refreshing."

(race / work) against the clock — to try to finish something before a deadline when there is very little time

"The team worked against the clock all night to fix the bug before the launch."

in the nick of time — at the last possible moment, just before something bad happens

"The backup finished in the nick of time — five minutes later, the server crashed."

on the back burner — delayed because other things are more important right now

"The expansion plans are on the back burner until things stabilize."

wrap it up — to finish something, such as a meeting or a project (separable: wrap up the meeting / wrap it up)

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

down to the wire — until the very last moment, with the result uncertain until the end

"We got final approval at 4:58 p.m. — it really came down to the wire."

hit it out of the park — to do something extremely well; to be a big success (from baseball)

"She hit it out of the park with her pitch — the client signed the contract on the spot."

rise to the occasion — to perform well in a difficult or high-pressure situation

"When the director got sick the day before the summit, she rose to the occasion and ran the whole event."

make the cut — to be good enough to be chosen from a larger group

"More than two hundred people applied, and only ten made the cut for the final interview."

get the green light — to get official permission to start or continue something

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

be on a roll — to have a series of successes, one after another

"The team is on a roll — four successful product launches in a row."

drop the ball — to make a mistake by not doing something you were responsible for

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

hit a wall — to reach a point where you can't make any more progress

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

go south — to start going badly; to get worse, often suddenly

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

put out fires — to deal with one urgent problem after another, instead of doing planned work

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

back to square one — back at the beginning, after an attempt has failed

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

beat around the bush — to avoid saying something directly, usually because it's uncomfortable

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

come clean — to finally tell the truth about something you have been hiding (come clean about something)

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

read between the lines — to understand a hidden meaning that is not stated directly

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

cut to the chase — to talk about the most important point immediately, without unnecessary details

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

touch base (with someone) — to contact someone briefly to check in or share an update

"I just wanted to touch base with you about the schedule for next week."

a dime a dozen — very common, so not special or valuable

"Marketing agencies are a dime a dozen — what actually makes yours different?"

foot the bill — to pay for something, especially something expensive

"My employer footed the bill for the training course, which was a very nice 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 very little money (on a shoestring budget)

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

make ends meet — to have just enough money to pay for the things you need

"When I was a student, I worked two part-time jobs just to make ends meet."

breathe down someone's neck — to watch someone too closely and put 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 something that is becoming too much (rein in spending / rein it in)

"The project was getting too ambitious, so the team had to rein it in before it got out of hand."

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

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

out of line — (of behavior or a comment) 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 or standard for something from the start

"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 choosing a side or giving a clear opinion

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

take the plunge — to finally do something important or risky after thinking about it for a long time

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

sleep on it — to wait until the next 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 limit on what you will accept or do (draw the line at something)

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

weigh your options — to carefully think about the advantages and disadvantages of each choice

"Before you accept the offer, weigh your options — there's really no need to rush."

make yourself at home — used to tell a guest to relax and feel comfortable

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

break the ice — to say or do something that helps people who don't know each other start talking and relax (noun: an icebreaker)

"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

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

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

"Have you talked to Tom about this?" "Speak of the devil — here he comes now."

call it a day — to stop working on something for the rest of the day

"Should we keep going?" "I think we've done enough — let's call it a day."

out of the blue — suddenly and without any warning

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

catch someone off guard — to surprise someone when they are not prepared

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

out of left field — completely unexpected, and often strange or unusual (from baseball)

"Her suggestion came out of left field, but it turned out to be the best idea we had."

throw someone a curveball — to surprise someone with an unexpected problem or change (from baseball)

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

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

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

spill the beans — to tell people a secret, often by accident

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

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

"The new product was kept completely under wraps until the launch event."

lay your cards on the table — to be completely honest about your intentions, plans, 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) — to pretend not to notice something wrong

"The supervisor turned a blind eye to small rule violations as long as the work got done."

keep someone in the dark — to not tell someone about something they should know

"The whole team knew about the changes — I was the only one they kept in the dark."

burn the midnight oil — to work or study late into the night

"We burned the midnight oil for a week before the launch — nobody went home before 1 a.m."

step up your game — to start performing better or making a bigger effort

"Our competitor launched a better app, so we had to step up our game."

buckle down — to start working seriously and with full concentration (British English: "knuckle down")

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

go the extra mile — to do more than people expect or ask you to do

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

put in the hours — to spend a lot of time working or practicing to achieve something

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

get your ducks in a row — to organize everything properly before you start something

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

lay the groundwork — to do the early work that makes future success possible (lay the groundwork for something)

"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 possible problem only if and when it actually happens

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

cover your bases — to prepare for every possible situation or risk (from baseball)

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

take stock — to stop and think carefully about a situation or your progress (take stock of something)

"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 suddenly become angry and lose control of your emotions

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

keep a level head — to stay calm and think clearly in a stressful situation (adjective: level-headed)

"In a crisis, the most valuable skill is 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 sponsored him — a classic case of biting the hand that feeds you."

go with the flow — to relax and accept what happens, instead of trying to control everything

"Our flight was canceled, so we decided to go with the flow and spent an extra day exploring the city."

have a thick skin — to not get upset easily by criticism or rejection (opposite: be thin-skinned)

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

kick off — to start an event, meeting, or project (noun: a kickoff)

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

from scratch — from the very beginning, without using anything that already exists

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

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

"Moving to a new city felt like a fresh start — new people, new challenges, new energy."

put something behind you — to stop thinking about a bad experience and move on

"After the difficult quarter, the CEO told everyone to put it behind them and focus on what's next."

call it quits — to stop doing something permanently, such as a job, project, or relationship

"The two founders called it quits after they couldn't agree on the company's direction."

hang in there — used to encourage someone to keep going during a difficult time

"It was a really tough year, but she hung in there and came out stronger."

weather the storm — to get through a difficult period without serious damage

"The company weathered the storm of the recession better than most of its competitors."

bounce back — to recover quickly after a problem or failure (bounce back from something)

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

keep at it — to continue working hard at something and not give up

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

ride it out — to wait patiently through a difficult situation until it ends

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