List of Idioms & Phrases (Most Repeated in Exams)

Top 300+ Idioms & Phrases for Quick Revision

Hello Friends, This is Siddharth, As you know Idioms & Phrases are the most essential part of any exam. Here we are providing the List of Top Most Repeated Idioms & Phrases, that are mostly and repeatedly asked in exams like Bank PO, SSC CGL, SSC CPO, Railways RRB and many more.

Top Idioms & Phrases for Competitive Exams [Complete List]

Top 325 Idioms & Phrases with Meaning

Rank and File : Ordinary People
By fits and starts : In short periods, not regularly
A wee bit : A little
Out of the wood : Free from difficulties and dangers
Under his thumb : Under his control
At one’s wits end : In a state where one does not know what to do
Between the devil and the deep sea : Between two dangers
Burn the midnight oil : Work or study hard
Call a spade a spade : Speak frankly and directly
Come off with flying colors : Be highly successful
Hoping against hope : Without hope
Hit the nail on the head : Do or say the exact thing
An axe to grind : A personal interest in the matter
To get rid of : Dispose of
At daggers drawn : Bitterly hostile
To play ducks and drakes : To act foolishly or inconsistently
To take the bull by the horns : To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion
Rain cats and dogs : Rain heavily
To move heaven and earth : To make a supreme effort
No avail Without : any result
Bark up the wrong tree : Accuse or denounce the wrong person
Keep one at bay : Keep one at a distance
Make a clean breast of it : Confess especially when a person has done a wrong thing
Have a card up one’s sleeve : Have a secret plan in reserve
Like a cat on hot bricks : Very nervous
Cat and dog life : Life full of quarrels
Cock and bull story : Made up story that one should not believe
Cry for the moon : Ask for the impossible
The pros and cons : The various aspects of a matter in detail
Be in a tight corner : In a very difficult situation
Cross one’s t’s and dot : Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact
At arm’s length : To keep at a distance
Out of the question : Impossible
Out of the way : Strange
Show a clean pair of heals : Run away
Keep one’s fingers crossed : The anxiety in which you hope that nothing will upset your plans
In the nick of time : Just at the last moment
Sitting on the fence : Hesitate between two decisions
Spread like wild fire : Spread quickly
The gift of the gab : Talent for speaking
By hook or by crook : By fair or foul means
Feather one’s own nest : Make money unfairly
Throw out of gear : Disturb the work
Take to one’s heels : Run away
Tooth and nail : With all one’s power
Die in harness : Die while in service
Take a leaf out of one’s book : Imitate one
Leave no stone unturned : Use all available means
A man of straw : A man of no substance
Read between the lines : Understand the hidden meaning
In cold blood : Deliberately and without emotion
A thorn in the flesh : A constant source of annoyance
Smell a rat : Suspect something foul
Harp on the same string : Dwell on the same subject
Bury the hatchet : End the quarrel and make peace
Leave one in the lurch : Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition
Like a fish out of water : In a strange situation
At one’s beck and call : Under his control
To make both ends meet : To live within one’s income
In hot water : In trouble
Nip in the bud : Destroy in the early stage
Stick to one’s guns : Remain faithful to the cause
To eat humble pie : To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances
In high spirits : Very happy
Put the cart before the horse : Put or do things in the wrong order
To all names : To abuse
On tenterhooks : In a state of suspense and anxiety
Wash one’s dirty linen : Discuss unpleasant in public-private matters before strangers
To bell the cat : To face the risk
A hard nut to crack : A difficult problem
Let the cat out of the bag : Reveal a secret
A big gun : An important person
Kill two birds with one stone : To achieve two results with one effort
Take one to task : Rebuke
Gain ground : Become Popular
To blow one’s own : To praise one’s own trumpet achievement
A bosom friend : A very close friend
A brown study : Dreaming
Turn a deaf ear : Disregard / ignore what one says
A close shave : Narrow escape
Turn over a new leaf : Change for the better
Make up one’s mind : Decide
In the long run Eventually; ultimately
Bring to light : Disclose
Pay off old scores : Take revenge
Hard and fast rules : Strict rules
At the eleventh hour : At the last moment
A close shave : Narrow escape
To cut a sorry figure : To make a poor show
With a high hand : Oppressively
Burn one’s fingers : Get into trouble by interfering in other’s affairs
Laugh one’s head off : Laugh heartily
Chew the cud : Ponder over something
Play second fiddle : Take an unimportant part
Above board : Honest and open
Through thick and thin : Under all conditions
Put a spoke in one’s wheel : To upset one’s plans
At sixes and sevens : In a disordered/disorganized manner, chaotic
At home : Comfortable
Alpha and omega : The beginning and the end
At sea : Confused and lost
A bosom friend : A very close friend
At one’s beck and call : At one’s service
By leaps and bounds : Rapidly
To burn one’s boats : Go back on a decision
To beat about the bush : Talk irrelevantly
To burn candle at both ends : To waste lavishly
Take one to task : Rebuke
A bone of contention : A source of quarrel
Add fuel to the fire : To aggravate the situation
An acid test : A critical test
At a snail’s pace : Very slowly
A bolt from the blue : Something unexpected
To build castles in the air :- Make imaginary schemes
Once in a blue moon :- Something that happens very rarely
Beating around the bush :- Avoiding the main topic
Cry over spilled milk :- Complaining about a loss or failure from the past
Chip on your shoulder : When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago
Piece of cake : Something that is easy to understand or do
Golden handshake : A big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires
Spill the beans : To disclose a secret
Blessing in disguise : Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way
Mean business : Being Serious or Dedicated
Come hell or high water : Possible obstacles in your path
Apple of one’s eye : Being cherished
Bite off more than you can chew : Not able to complete a task due to lack of ability
The best of both worlds : The benefits of widely differing situations, enjoyed at the same time
Feeling a bit under the weather : Feeling slightly ill
Icing on the cake : Something that turns good into great
Cost an arm and a leg : Be very expensive
Jump the bandwagon : To join a popular activity or trend
Ball is in your court : When it is up to you to make the next decision or step
To be in the doldrums : To be in low spirits
To sit on the fence : To remain neutral
Break the ice : To initiate a social conversation or interaction
Hear it on grapevine : To hear rumors about something or someone
Can’t judge a book by its cover : Cannot judge something primarily on appearance
It takes two to tango : Actions or communications need more than one person
Let the cat out of the bag : To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake
Black and blue : Full of Bruises
Be on cloud nine : Be very happy
Last straw : The final problem in a series of problems
A bird’s eye view : A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area
A litmus Test : A method that helps to know if something is correct
At the drop of a hat : Willingness to do something instantly
Afraid of one’s own shadow : To become easily frightened
A house of cards : A poor plan
Fool’s paradise : False sense of happiness
Get a raw deal : To not be treated as well as other people
Give cold shoulder : To ignore
Hand to mouth : Live on only basic necessities
Make a face : To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions
It’s Greek to me : Something that is not understandable
To pour oil on troubled waters : To make peace
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket : Do not put all your resources in one basket (in one place or thing)
To put in a nutshell : To say in a few words or to make something concise
Back out : To withdraw from a promise or contract
Blow up : To explode
Back Up : To support and sustain
Back Upon : To be relevant
Break Down : Failure in something
Break off : To end or discontinue
Break Up : To disperse / dissolve
Bring up : To rear
Call forth : To provoke
Call out : To shout
Call upon : To order
Carry on : To continue
Cast away : To throw aside
Catch up with : To overtake
Come off : To take place
Cry Down : To make little of
Catch up with : To overtake
Cry out against : To complain loudly against
Cut out : Designed for
Drop in : To Visit Casually
Drop out : To fall
Fall back : To Recede; To Retreat
Fall down : From a higher position to a lower one
Fall off To Withdraw; To Drop Off
Fall under : To come under
Get along : To Prosper; To Progress; To Proceed
Get on with : To Live Pleasantly Together; To Progress
Get into : To be involved in
Give in : To Surrender; To Yield
Give over : Not to do any longer
Go after : To Follow; To Pursue
Go Down To be accepted
Go without : To remain without
Go by : To follow
Hang about : To Loiter near a place
Hang upon : To depend upon
Hold out : To Endure; To Refuse to yield; To continue; To offer
Hold to : Abide By
Keep off : To ward off
Keep up with : To keep pace with
Knock out : To win by hitting another one
It takes two to tango : Both people involved in a bad situation are responsible for it
Last straw : The final problem in a series of problems
Keep something at bay : Keep something away
Kill two birds with one stone : To solve two problems at a time with just one action
Let sleeping dogs lie : Leave something alone if it might cause trouble
Open the floodgates : Release something that was previously under control
Out of the blue : Happen unexpectedly
Out on a limb : Do something risky
Over the Top : Totally excessive and not suitable for the occasion
Pen is mightier than the sword : Words and communication have a greater effect than war
Push one’s luck : Trying to obtain more than what one has
Reap the harvest : Benefit or suffer as a direct result of past actions
Roll up sleeves : To get yourself prepared
See eye to eye : To be in agreement with
Shot in the dark : A complete guess
Sink your teeth into : Do something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm
Take with a grain/pinch of salt ; To doubt theaccuracy of information
Skating on thin ice ; Do or say something risky
Tight spot ; A difficult situation
Strike while the iron is hot ;; To act at the right time
Take the plunge ;; Venture into something of one’s interest despite the risks involved
Take a nosedive ; Rapid drop or decrease in value
Think the world of ; Admire someone very much
Stand in a good stead ; To be useful or be of good service to someone
Take a back seat ; Choose to be less important in a role
Wave a dead chicken ; Do something useless
Whale of a time ; Enjoy a lot
Wrap one’s brain around ; Concentrate on something to understand
Zero in on something ; Focus all attention on one thing
Above all ; Chiefly, Mainly
On Account of ; Due to
On no account ; Not for Any Reason
A Fidus Achates ; A faithful friend or a devoted follower
The Heel of Achilles ; A Weak Point
An Adonis ; A very handsome man
To assume airs ; To affect superiority
To stand aloof ; To keep to oneself and not mix with others
To lead to the altar ; To marry
An Ananias ; A Liar
An Apollo ; A Man with Perfect Physique
To Upset the Apple Cart ; To disturb the peace
Apple Pie Order ; In perfect order
Arcadian Life ; A blissful, happy, rural and simple life
To take up arms ; To fight or go to the war
To Grind ; To have some selfish objective in view
To break the back of anything ; To perform the most difficult part
To backbite a person ; To speak disguise about someone
He has no backbone ; He has no will of his own
To cause bad blood ; To Cause Enmity
Bag and Baggage ; With all one’s belongings
To keep the ball rolling ; To keep things going
Barmecide feast ; Imaginary Benefits
Bee-line : The shortest distance between two places
Behind one’s back : Without one’s Knowledge
Behind the scenes : In Private
To hit below the belt : To act unfairly in a contest
To bite the dust : To be Defeated in Battle
A Wet Blanket : A person who discourages enjoyment or enthusiasm
In Cold Blood : Deliberately
A blue Stocking : A learned/educated or intellectual woman
At First Blush : At first sight
A Bolt from the Blue : Something completely unexpected that surprises you
One’s bread and butter : One’s means of livelihood
To breadth one’s last : To Die
To make bricks without straw : To attempt to do something without proper materials
To kick the bucket : To die
Good wine needs no bush : There is no need to advertise something good
To burn the candle at both ends : To expend energy in two directions at the same time
If the cap fits, wear it : If you think the remarks refer to you, then accept the criticism
Care killed the cat : Don’t fret and worry yourself to death
To Catch one’s eye : To attract attention
To take the chair : To preside a meeting
She is no chicken : She is older than she says
To pick and choose : To make a careful selection
To square the circle : To attempt something impossible
Every cloud has a silver lining : Adverse conditions do not last forever
Close fisted : Mean
Cut your cloth according to your cloth : Live within your income
A cock and bull story : A foolishly incredible story
To be cock sure : To be perfectly sure or certain
To throw cold water upon anything : To discourage efforts
Off color : Not in the usual form
To commit to memory : To learn by heart
Too many cooks spoil the broth : Where there are more workers than necessary
Crocodile tears : Hypocritical Tears
By hook or by crook : By fair or foul means
Cut and dried : Ready made
Up to date : Recent
Evil days : A period of misfortune
Halcyon Days : A time when there are peace and happiness in the land
To step into dead man’s shoes : To come into an inheritance
Go to the devil : Be off
Devil’s bones : Dice
Devil’s Playthings : Playing Cards
Give a dog a bad name and hang him : Once a person loses his reputation
Every dog has his day : Sooner or later, everyone has his share of good fortune
To throw dust in one’s eyes : To try to deceive someone or mislead someone
A white elephant : A useless possession which is extremely expensive to keep
To set the Thames on fire : To do something sensational or remarkable
A burnt child dreads the fire : One who has had a previous unpleasant experience is always scared of situations where such experiences are likely to be repeated
A fish out of water : Anyone in an awkward
Foul play : Cheating
To jump from a frying pan into fire : To come out of one trouble and get into a worse
All that glitters are not gold : Things are not always as attractive as they appear
To die in harness : To continue at one’s occupation until death
Make hay while the sun shines : Take advantage of all opportunities
Lock, stock and barrel : The whole of everything
A miss is as good as a mile : Comes nowhere near it. If someone narrowly misses the target it still is treated as a missed one or failure.
To move heaven and earth : To exert all efforts
One swallow does not make a summer : It is unreliable to base one’s conclusions on only a single test or incident
If wishes were horses, beggars might ride : If wishing could make things happen, then even the most destitute people would have everything they wanted
A nine days’ wonder : An event which relates a sensation for a time but is soon forgotten
Yellow press : Newspapers which publish sensational and unscrupulous stories and exaggerates the news to attract readers.
A ball park figure : A general financial figure
To balance the books : To make certain that the amount of money spent is not more than the amount of money received.
A cash cow : A product or service that makes a lot of money for a company
Devil’s Advocate : To present a counter argument
Don’t give up the day job : You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.
To cook the books : To modify financial statements
To get the sack : To be dismissed from your job
To be snowed under : To be very busy
To work your fingers to the bone Or To sweat blood : To work really hard
Hear it on the grapevine : To hear rumors
In the heat of the moment : Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment
Not a spark of decency : No Manners
Speak of the devil! : This expression is used when the person you have just been talking about arrives
Whole nine yards : Everything All of it
Your guess is as good as mine : To have no idea about anything

Top 300+ Idioms & Phrases (Most Repeated in Exams)

Top 300+ Idioms & Phrases (Most Repeated in Exams)

List of Idioms & Phrases (Most Repeated in Exams)

Top 300+ Idioms & Phrases for Quick Revision

Hello Friends, This is Siddharth, As you know Idioms & Phrases are the most essential part of any exam. Here we are providing the List of Top Most Repeated Idioms & Phrases, that are mostly and repeatedly asked in exams like Bank PO, SSC CGL, SSC CPO, Railways RRB and many more.

Top Idioms & Phrases for Competitive Exams [Complete List]

Rank and File : Ordinary People

By fits and starts : In short periods, not regularly

A wee bit : A little

Out of the wood : Free from difficulties and dangers

Under his thumb : Under his control

At one’s wits end : In a state where one does not know what to do

Between the devil and the deep sea : Between two dangers

Burn the midnight oil : Work or study hard

Call a spade a spade : Speak frankly and directly

Come off with flying colors : Be highly successful

Hoping against hope : Without hope

Hit the nail on the head : Do or say the exact thing

An axe to grind : A personal interest in the matter

To get rid of : Dispose of

At daggers drawn : Bitterly hostile

To play ducks and drakes : To act foolishly or inconsistently

To take the bull by the horns : To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion

Rain cats and dogs : Rain heavily

To move heaven and earth : To make a supreme effort

No avail Without : any result

Bark up the wrong tree : Accuse or denounce the wrong person

Keep one at bay : Keep one at a distance

Make a clean breast of it : Confess especially when a person has done a wrong thing

Have a card up one’s sleeve : Have a secret plan in reserve

Like a cat on hot bricks : Very nervous

Cat and dog life : Life full of quarrels

Cock and bull story : Made up story that one should not believe

Cry for the moon : Ask for the impossible

The pros and cons : The various aspects of a matter in detail

Be in a tight corner : In a very difficult situation

Cross one’s t’s and dot : Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact

At arm’s length : To keep at a distance

Out of the question : Impossible

Out of the way : Strange

Show a clean pair of heals : Run away

Keep one’s fingers crossed : The anxiety in which you hope that nothing will upset your plans

In the nick of time : Just at the last moment

Sitting on the fence : Hesitate between two decisions

Spread like wild fire : Spread quickly

The gift of the gab : Talent for speaking

By hook or by crook : By fair or foul means

Feather one’s own nest : Make money unfairly

Throw out of gear : Disturb the work

Take to one’s heels : Run away

Tooth and nail : With all one’s power

Die in harness : Die while in service

Take a leaf out of one’s book : Imitate one

Leave no stone unturned : Use all available means

A man of straw : A man of no substance

Read between the lines : Understand the hidden meaning

In cold blood : Deliberately and without emotion

A thorn in the flesh : A constant source of annoyance

Smell a rat : Suspect something foul

Harp on the same string : Dwell on the same subject

Bury the hatchet : End the quarrel and make peace

Leave one in the lurch : Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition

Like a fish out of water : In a strange situation

At one’s beck and call : Under his control

To make both ends meet : To live within one’s income

In hot water : In trouble

Nip in the bud : Destroy in the early stage

Stick to one’s guns : Remain faithful to the cause

To eat humble pie : To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances

In high spirits : Very happy

Put the cart before the horse : Put or do things in the wrong order

To all names : To abuse

On tenterhooks : In a state of suspense and anxiety

Wash one’s dirty linen : Discuss unpleasant in public-private matters before strangers

To bell the cat : To face the risk

A hard nut to crack : A difficult problem

Let the cat out of the bag : Reveal a secret

A big gun : An important person

Kill two birds with one stone : To achieve two results with one effort

Take one to task : Rebuke