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to take on: to employ, to hire; to accept responsibility for, to undertake
- That factory is taking a lot of new employees on for its new production line.
- Would you be willing to take on the task of organizing the next company picnic?
to take down: to remove from an elevated place; to write what is said, to note
- We should take the pictures down from the wall and clean off the dust.
- The secretary took down everything that was said at the meeting.
to fall through: to fail to materialize, not to succeed
This idiom is usually used with the noun plan or plans as the subject.
- Our plan to travel to Europe last summer fell through when we were unable to save up enough money.
- Felix made plans to have a party for everyone in his office, but they fell through at the last moment.
to give in: to surrender, to stop resisting
- Completely surrounded by our soldiers, the enemy finally gave in.
- Management gave in to the strikers' demands and agreed to a shortened work week.
to give off: to release, to produce, to release
- When water boils, it gives off stream.
- The flowers in this garden give off a strange odor.
to give out: to distribute; to become exhausted or depleted
- An usher stood at the door of the theater giving out programs.
- I couldn't finish the ten-mile race because my energy gave out.
- Jeff plans to stay in Las Vegas and gamble until his money runs out.
to have it in for: to want revenge on, to feel hostile towards
- Martina expects to lose her job because her boss has had it in for her for a long time.
- The teacher has held a grudge against Al ever since the time that he insulted her in front of the class.
to have it out with: to quarrel with, to confront
- I am going to have it out with Jack about all the times that he has told us lies.
- Ben had it out with his roommate about coming back home so late and making a lot of noise.
to hold off: to delay, or to be delayed, in occurring
- If the rain holds off for a few more days, they can finish planting the rest of the crop.
- The judge agreed to hold off making a decision until new evidence could be introduced into court.
to hold out: to endure, to be sufficient; to survive by resisting; to persist in one's efforts
- If our supply of food and water holds out, we plan to camp here for another week. However, whenever it gives out, we'll have to leave.
- That nation's troops cannot hold out much longer against the superior forces of the enemy.
- The valuable football player held out for more money before signing a new contract with his team.
to hold over: to extend, to keep for a longer time
- They are going to hold over that movie for another week because so many people are coming to see it.
- Let's hold discussion of this problem over until our next meeting.
to let up: to slacken, to lessen in intensity; to relax or ease one's effort
- If the rain doesn't let up soon, we won't be able to have our picnic.
- When Jane is working, she never lets up for a moment.
- Jane should take it easy or she'll get exhausted.
to lay off: to abstain from, stop using as a habit; to release or discharge from a job
- If you're trying to lose weight, you should lay off sweet things.
- If business continues to be slow, we will have to lay off some workers.
- It will be necessary to let the youngest employees go first.
to bring out: to show or introduce (to the public); to make available
- Most automobile companies bring out new models each year.
- My mother brought some snacks out for my friends and me to have.
to bring back: to return a bought or borrowed item
To bring back is used when you are speaking at the place that speaking at another place.
- Ma'am, our store policy is that you can bring back the dress as long as you have your sales receipt.
- You can borrow my car if you promise to bring it back by six o'clock.
- I have to take this book back to the library today.
to wait up for: to wait until late at night without going to bed
- Don't wait up for me. I may be back after midnight.
- We waited up for our son until two o'clock in the morning before we called the police.
to leave (someone or something) alone: not to disturb, to stay away from
- Leave the baby alone for a while and she may go to sleep.
- After the cat had scratched Peter twice, he let it alone.
let along: and certainly not
Let alone is used after negative forms. The example that follows let alone is much less possible than the example that precedes let alone.
- I'm too sick today to walk to the kitchen, let alone to go to the zoo with you.
- He doesn't even speak his own language well, let alone French.
to break off: to terminate, to discontinue
- After war began, the two countries broke off diplomatic relations.
- Elsa and Bob were once engaged, but they have already broken it off.
to wear off: to disappear gradually
- My headache isn't serious. It will wear off after an hour or so.
- The effect of the painkilling drug didn't wear off for several hours.
to wear down: to become worn gradually through use
- If you drag your feet while you walk, you'll wear down your shoes quickly.
- The pounding of ocean waves against the coast gradually wears it away.
- Johnny has worn through the seat of his pants.
- Helga threw away that dress because she had worn it out.
on the whole: in general, in most ways
- He is, on the whole, a good student.
- By and large, I agree with your suggestions.
touch and go: risky, uncertain until the end
- The complicated medical operation was touch and go for several hours.
- The outcome of the soccer final was touch and go for the entire match.
to work out: to exercise; to develop, to devise (a plan)
- Jane works out at the fitness center every other morning before going to school.
- The advertising department worked out a plan to increase company sales.
- We couldn't come up with a good plan for solving the problem, but we agree to work it out at a later date.
to back up: to drive or go backwards; to defend, to support; to return to a previous thought
- I couldn't back my car up because there was a bicycle in the driveway behind me.
- Ursula asked her friends to back her up when she went to court to fight a ticket for an illegal lane change on the highway.
- Wait a minute. Could you back up and say that again?
to back out: to drive a vehicle out of a parking space; to withdraw support, to fail to fulfill a promise or obligation
- The parking lot attendant had to back another car out before he could get to mine.
- We were all ready to sign the contracts when one of the parties to the agreement backed out.
to have one's heart set on: to desire greatly, to be determined to
- She has her heart set on taking a trip abroad. She's been thinking about it for months.
- Todd has his heart set on going to medical school and becoming a doctor.
to buy up: to buy the complete stock of
- Before the hurricane struck, residents bought up all the food and water in local stores.
- The government plans to buy up all surplus grain in order to stabilize the price.
to buy out: to purchase a business or company; to purchase all of a person's chares or stock
- Larger companies often buy out smaller companies that are having financial difficulties.
- Mr. Lee has been trying for come time to buy his partner out so that he can control the company by himself.
to sell out: to sell all items; to arrange for the sale of a company or business
- That store is closing its doors for good and is selling out everything this weekend.
- If my new business enterprise is successful, I'll sell it out for a few million dollars.
to catch on: to become popular or widespread; to understand, to appreciate a joke
- Fashions of the past often catch on again among young people.
- When the teacher speaks quickly like that, can you catch on easily?
- His joke was very funny at the time, but when I told it to others later, nobody seemed to catch on. I had to tell the joke again before anyone could catch on to it.