Idioms beginning with A

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at first glance

Meaning: A quick or superficial assessment based on first observation.

Example: At first glance, the fabric appeared high-quality, but flaws were revealed later. Read more ➺


a brick in the wall

Meaning: An insignificant part of a larger whole, often with the connotation of being an easily replaceable component.

Example: In a massive corporation like that, each employee feels like a brick in the wall, easily replaced if they leave. Read more ➺


at a crossroads

Meaning: Being in a situation where an important choice between alternatives must be made.

Example: After graduating college, she found herself at a crossroads about her career path. Read more ➺


break the habit

Meaning: Stop a repeated bad behavior.

Example: After years of smoking, he finally broke the habit. Read more ➺


ate and left no crumbs

Meaning: Delivered or performed exceptionally well, with flawless execution.

Example: She ate and left no crumbs during her speech — every word hit perfectly. Read more ➺


a rainy day

Meaning: Denotes a period of hardship or necessity.

Example: She always keeps a little extra money for a rainy day, just in case something unexpected happens. Read more ➺


along the line

Meaning: Refers to a point or stage during a process, timeline, or sequence of events.

Example: Somewhere along the line, we must have lost the original plan. Read more ➺


and all that jazz

Meaning: And other things like that.

Example: We packed sandwiches, drinks, sunscreen, and all that jazz for the beach trip. Read more ➺


final thought

Meaning: In writing, the concluding remark that summarizes key ideas and reinforces the thesis.

Example: Before ending his speech, he shared a final thought on perseverance. Read more ➺


all thumbs

Meaning: Signifies being awkward or uncoordinated, especially with one's hands, leading to frequent mishandling of objects.​

Example: Sarah tried to sew a button, but she was all thumbs and kept dropping the needle. Read more ➺


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