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Vocabulary

19,295 words · meanings, pronunciation and origins · ranked by use

Letter
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Level
A1A2A2+B1B1+B2B2+C1C2
Part of speech
nounverbadjectiveadverbprepositionpronounphrase

325 words · showing 241–300

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  • rule of thumbphraseC1A rough practical guide that works most of the time.
  • run aground/ˌrʌn əˈɡraʊnd/phraseC1To drive a boat onto the bottom and stick.
  • run downphraseB22 meaningsTo lose power or be gradually reduced.
  • run throughphraseB22 meaningsTo rehearse or review something quickly from beginning to end.
  • same oldphraseC1Nothing has changed since you last asked.
  • satellite townphraseC1A smaller town depending on a nearby city.
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  • see throughphraseC1To spot the truth behind someone's trick; also, to finish what you started.
  • seize up/ˌsiːz ˈʌp/phraseC1For moving parts to stick fast and stop.
  • set a precedentphraseC1To do something that later cases will follow.
  • set downphraseC12 meaningsTo record something formally in writing.
  • set forthphraseC1To begin a journey, or to state something in order.
  • show someone the ropesphraseC1To teach a newcomer how things work.
  • shrivel upphraseC1To dry and wrinkle into something smaller.
  • sibling rivalryphraseC1Competition between brothers and sisters.
  • single out/ˌsɪŋ.ɡəl ˈaʊ̯t/phraseC1To pick one person from the group for special treatment.
  • sit on the fencephraseC1To refuse to pick a side.
  • size upphraseC1To look at somebody and judge what they are like.
  • slow on the uptakephraseC1Taking longer than others to understand.
  • smell a rat/ˈsmɛl ə ˈɹæt/phraseC1To sense that something dishonest is going on.
  • snow underphraseC1To give somebody far more work than they can manage.
  • sound outphraseC1To discreetly find out somebody's opinion before acting.
  • speak of the devilphraseC1Said when the person you were just discussing walks in.
  • speak outphraseC1To publicly say what you think despite the risk.
  • speak volumesphraseC1To say a great deal without any words at all.
  • speaking of whichphraseC1Said to move on to a related subject.
  • spick and spanphraseC1Perfectly clean and tidy.
  • splash outphraseC1To spend generously on something special.
  • split hairsphraseC1To argue over differences too fine to matter.
  • splitting hairsphraseC1Arguing over a difference too small to matter.
  • squander awayphraseC1To fritter a fortune or a chance until nothing is left.
  • stand upphraseA12 meaningsTo rise to your feet.
  • stare downphraseC12 meaningsTo defeat somebody by holding their gaze until they look away.
  • steal someone's thunderphraseC1To take the attention that was meant for someone else's moment.
  • step downphraseC1To resign from an important position.
  • stick to your gunsphraseC1To hold to your position under pressure.
  • stop dead in your tracksphraseC1To halt instantly out of shock or surprise.
  • strike a balancephraseC1To find the workable point between two extremes.
  • string upphraseC1To hang somebody, or to hang something between two points.
  • summon upphraseC1To gather the courage or strength you need.
  • swear inphraseC1To administer a formal oath to somebody taking office or giving evidence.
  • sweep it under the carpetphraseC1To hide a problem instead of dealing with it.
  • swot upphraseC1To study hard for a test at the last minute.
  • take a decisionphraseC1To reach and announce a formal choice.
  • take apartphraseB22 meaningsTo separate something into its component pieces.
  • take in/teɪk‿ˈɪn/phraseB26 meaningsTo understand and absorb something you are told or shown.
  • take stockphraseC1To pause and review how things actually stand.
  • take the law into your own handsphraseC1To punish somebody yourself instead of using the courts.
  • take the wind out of your sailsphraseC1To take away your confidence suddenly.
  • take with a pinch of saltphraseC1To not fully believe what you are told.
  • talk roundphraseC1To persuade somebody to change their mind.
  • that figuresphraseC1That fits exactly what I would have expected.
  • the ball is in your courtphraseC1It is now your turn to decide or act.
  • the calm before the stormphraseC1The strange quiet just before trouble breaks loose.
  • the cold shoulderphraseC1Deliberate unfriendly silence toward someone.
  • the edge overphraseC1A slight advantage that puts you in front.
  • the luck of the drawphraseC1Whatever chance happens to hand you.
  • the powers that bephraseC1The people in authority, whoever they may be.
  • the tools of the tradephraseC1The equipment a particular job requires.
  • the whole nine yards/ðə ˌhoʊl ˌnaɪn ˈjɑɹdz/phraseC1Absolutely everything that goes with it.
  • through thick and thinphraseC1Staying loyal in good times and terrible ones alike.