Idiom List 3 Flashcards
Back down
To give up, to walk away from
He always had to prove how tough he was; he never backed down from a fight.
Back off
Leave alone, let it be
She is having a rough time; you should back off.
Seeing things
Seeing something that is not really there
I could have sworn i saw him walk into his room 10 minutes ago, but he isn’t home. I must have been seeing things.
Second nature
Something that comes naturally
After she gave birth, taking care of her son was second nature to her.
Have one’s hands tied
To be restricted; to be prevented from doing something
I wish I could give you information, but my hands are tied.
Lower the bar
To reduce standards so that it is easier to succeed
When no one qualified under the original criteria, the admissions committee lowered the bar.
Flar up
To erupt or break out; to recur
My doctor had said the rash on my knee was cured, but it flared up again.
Ask after
To inquire about the well-being of (someone)
He heard your mother was in the hospital and called to ask after her.
Hold sway
To dominate; to have great influence
The Dutch held sway in New York until 1664, when the English took control.
Go through with something
To perform (an action) as planned; to carry out
We went through with our plan to have a picnic in spite of the rain.
End up
To come eventually to a particular situation or place
It ended up costing much more than we expected.
After walking for hours, they ended up in the same place they started.
Lay claim to property
To assert that one has the right to something; to claim ownership of
My sister always laid claim to the top bunk bed, so i was stuck on the bottom.
Cross one’s mind
To occur to one
I’m so accustomed to flying that the possibility of driving home never crossed my mind.
Hold on to
To keep or retain
He considered selling his motorcycle, but he decided to hold on to it.
Hold out
To resist or endure in challenging situation
Her doctor advised her to give up meat, and she held out for six months before giving in to temptation.
