All Idioms
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Meaning: Having the title or name of something without the real power, duties, or qualities that usually go with it.
Example: Mike is the department manager in name only because Sarah quietly handles the decisions, the schedule, and the staff problems while he just signs whatever she puts in front of him. Read more ➺
Meaning: The plain and complete truth with nothing hidden, softened, or dressed up.
Example: After months of polite excuses, the doctor finally sat Mike down and told him the naked truth about his test results so he could decide what to do next. Read more ➺
Meaning: To move or travel from one place to another and then right back again.
Example: Sarah paced back and forth across the kitchen while she waited for the test results to come through. Read more ➺
Meaning: To refuse or reject something because you think it is not good enough for you.
Example: When the waiter brought the simple home-cooked meal, Sarah turned her nose up and asked if they had anything more refined on the menu. Read more ➺
Meaning: Absolutely not; a strong emphatic refusal under any circumstances.
Example: Mike asked if he could borrow Sarah's car for the weekend, but she looked at him and said no way because she had early meetings every morning. Read more ➺
Meaning: To watch someone so closely that it starts to feel annoying or uncomfortable.
Example: Sarah's boss kept breathing down her neck all morning, leaning over her desk and checking every email until she could barely think straight. Read more ➺
Meaning: A limited or short period of time when conditions are favorable and there is a real chance to act successfully before the opportunity ends.
Example: After months of back and forth, Mike finally had a clear window of opportunity to close the merger before the deadline ran out. Read more ➺
Meaning: To grab at any idea or plan, no matter how flimsy or unlikely it is to work, simply because you are desperate and have almost nothing else left to try.
Example: After months of job hunting with nothing but silence, Mike started to clutch at straws and applied for roles he knew he was nowhere near qualified for, just hoping something might work out. Read more ➺
Meaning: While the person involved is not actually there, especially in a formal or legal setting.
Example: The court convicted Mike of fraud in absentia after he fled overseas and never came back for the trial. Read more ➺
Meaning: A spot where someone is likely to catch blame, criticism, or heat for something that went wrong.
Example: After the budget cuts were announced, the department heads found themselves right in the firing line and had to explain every decision to angry staff. Read more ➺
