Question

25 phrases with meaningful sentences
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Answer 1

• in the wake of

happening after an event or as a result of it

In the wake of his allegations, the police claimed Wang had been found guilty of fraud, who had become a tool for the west to smear his homeland.

• blow cover

expose true identity or motives after they had been intentionally

The spy is believed to be the first operative from the country to blow his cover in five years.

• push back

delay something; postpone; oppose or resist a plan

Turkey has a longstanding enmity with the Kurds and wants to push back the YPG from its border.

• down to earth

with no illusions or pretensions; practical and realistic

After running the roads with him for years I can confirm he is a gentle giant and a down to earth man who lives and breaths trucking and tarmac.

• short-change

give less than the correct amount of change to

The sequel short-changes Angelina Jolie's heroine, of the glaring green contact lenses, black horns on her head and ultra-sharp prosthetic cheekbones.

• whistle-blower

one who reveals something covert or who informs against another

One of Trump's efforts to support the review, a phone call with Ukraine's leader, has prompted a whistle-blower complaint and a formal impeachment inquiry.

• none the less

in spite of that; nevertheless

I fancy that he made a miscalculation, and if we had not been there, his doom would none the less have been sealed.

• none other than

one is surprised or impressed by the person or thing one is about to mention

This person appears to have been none other than Beddington, the famous forger and cracksman.

• pitch black

completely dark; as black as pitch

The place was pitch black, our feet creaked and crackled over the bare planking, and my outstretched hand touched a wall from which the paper was hanging in ribbons.

• tide waiter

a customs inspector at a seaport

Your morning letters, if I remember right, were from a fish monger and a tide waiter.

• handed-down

passed on to a later generation or age

The visible manifestation of how real a century-old conflict was in places where time passed slowly, grudges died hard, and handed-down memories hung on and on.

• crew cut

a very short haircut for men and boys

He had a ducktail hairdo, crew cut on top, long hair greased back on the sides.

• hard-core

the most active or committed members of a group or movement

When he stood for a solo, he gyrated and played with a blaring tone, more like hard-core rock and roll than jazz or swing.

• start in

attack verbally; begin to criticize

Henry started in on me about my jeans, which, that night, were especially raunchy.

• in full swing

in full operation, at the highest level of activity

In September 1960, the presidential campaign was in full swing; my homeroom and English teacher was also from Hope and, like me, a Democrat.

• bite the dust

fall so that your body hits the ground heavily, die, end in failure

I always thought I was good at math until I had to give up helping Chelsea with her homework when she was in ninth grade; an illusion bites the dust.

• grind on

continue for a long time in a wearying or tedious way

I was insecure enough without Henry grinding on me, so I sassed him back; he slugged me in the jaw as hard as he could.

• last-gasp

done at the last possible moment, typically in desperation

Little Rock's schools were closed in a last-gasp effort to stop integration, its kids dispersed to schools in nearby towns.

• feel at home

feel as if one belongs, feel accepted

I sat on the floor right in front of the TV and watched them both, transfixed; it sounds crazy, but I felt right at home in the world of politics and politicians.

• tempt fate

do something that is risky or dangerous

I knew there was one mean ram we had to avoid, but we decided to tempt fate, a big mistake.

• to no avail

without success

He jingled too hard, and one of the dimes fell out; he looked for that dime for hours to no avail.

• peek into

take a brief look, glance

It's for those, skill levels ranging from hobbyist and student to expert, who want to peek into the future and see what kinds of tech will be essential to every industry.

• after hours

after normal working or opening hours, typically those of bars and nightclubs

If this is your first time experiencing its sizzling after hours delight, take a moment to browse through a few of our favorite posts from the past few months.

• on the skids

in a bad state; failing

It may be a matter of burying his head in the sand rather than facing the proposition of a church that's on the skids.