Idiom Examples: The English language is composed of various parts of speech, which we students learn throughout our school life. It has the interesting subject of idioms that are a group of non-literal words or phrases used to describe something literal. Most other languages have idioms and so does English. We have collected a list of examples of Idioms for your benefit and increased convenience in learning.
This article provides a list of Examples of Idioms from a to z and defines various American idioms and meaning in detail for your increased convenience.
Name of Idiom Examples
List of Idiom Examples
- Beat around the bush
- Get your act together
- Hit the sack
- Your guess is as good as mine
- Good things come to those who wait
- In mint condition
- Where the rubber meets the road
- Happy go lucky
- Rip off
- Second wind
- On board
- Dog’s life
- Bull’s eye
- Put your cards on the table
- Keep your cards close to your chest
- Love rat
- Back to the wall
- Leaps and bounds
- Sweep under the rug
- Play cat and mouse
- Big mouth
- By hook or by crook
- Call the shots
- Green thumb
- Hit the roof
- Lone it
- Burst the bubble
- Close call
- Cat among the pigeons
- Go out on a limb
- All hell will let loose
- In cold blood
- Know on which side the bread is buttered
- Recharge one’s batteries
- Pass the buck
- Make all the difference
- Under the auspices
- Look on the bright side
- Big brother
- In broad daylight
- The buck stops here
- Cut the cord
- Call the bluff
- Hit the rods
- Zero hour
- Dab hand
- Bright spark
- Bare bones
- Put your foot in it
- Waiting time
- Up in arms
- Scrape the barrel
Meaning and Examples of some commonly used Idiom Examples
Beat around the bush
Meaning: This idiom is used to express avoid taking about the important matters and delay the conversation
Example: There is no point in beating around the bush. You have to tell her what you did one time or another.
Get your act together
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to tell someone to get organised and do this quickly and effectively; pull yourself together
Example: If you don’t get your act together, not only will you fail the test but you will also have to repeat an entire year in college.
Hit the sack
Meaning: This idiom is used to say that an individual desperately wants to go to sleep or retire to bed.
Example: I have worked hard the entire day without any rest. I am ready to hit the sack after dinner.
Your guess is as good as mine
Meaning: It is used to say that you have no idea about the subject
Example: How can I know when we will reach the destination? I have not been here before and your guess is as good as mine.
Good things come to those who wait
Meaning: This idiom is expresses that patience is always or often rewarded
Example: When she asked for her present, her mom said that good things come to those who wait.
In mint condition
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to express that something looks new or is new
Example: He was cautious about buying the vintage t-shirt but when the seller assured him that it was in mint condition, he bought it.
Where the rubber meets the road
Meaning: It is used when someone has to face the challenges
Example: She had an amazing idea for the project but her colleagues were not sure what would happen when the rubber meets the road.
Happy go lucky
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to express that someone is cheerful
Example: We got through the boring meeting due to his happy go lucky disposition.
Rip off
Meaning: steal something physically or otherwise
Example: That store is a total rip off and they sell their outfits for unbelievably large prices.
Second wind
Meaning: This idiom is used to express getting another burst of energy when you were too tired to finish something in one go
Example: I think we should get on with the work since I’m getting a second wind after the rest.
On board
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to express being physically on a plane, ship, etc. vehicles; to agree to do something
Example: She is on board with the new project in the next state and is willing to work from tomorrow.
Dog’s life
Meaning: The idiom describes a miserable or unpleasant way of living
Example: My grandfather has been leading a dog’s life ever since my grandmother died last year.
Bull’s eye
Meaning: This idiom is used to express hitting the centre of a target or get something right
Example: There is nothing wrong with getting things right on the first attempt and hit the bull’s eye.
Put your cards on the table
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to ask someone to show their true self or to be open or honest regarding something
Example: When my husband met up with Jane in the office, he laid his cards on the table and told her directly what changes he wanted.
Keep your cards close to your chest
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to express being cautious or secretive to protect something
Example: The children did not know where their family was taking them for their holiday trip since their dad kept his cards close to his chest.
Love rat
Meaning: This idiom is used to define someone who has a secret affair while being in a relationship; an affair
Example: I heard that he had an affair with his friend’s wife. He must be a love rat!
Back to the wall
Meaning: The idiom is used to express finding oneself in a difficult situation.
Example: The group has him with his back to the wall and now he has no more options left than to confess the truth and go to jail for fraud.
Leaps and bounds
Meaning: This idiom is used to express progressing quickly.
Example: My niece’s reading skills are coming on in leaps and bounds with her new teacher.
Sweep under the rug
Meaning: try to hide a problem by covering it up instead of dealing with it
Example: My therapist helps me to confront with the difficulties instead of sweeping them under the rug.
Play cat and mouse
Meaning: to tease someone or pull their leg
Example: The police do not like to play cat and mouse before catching the culprits.
Big mouth
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to describe someone who talks too much
Example: My friend’s big mouth is what gets her in trouble at school with the teachers.
By hook or by crook
Meaning: This idiom is used to express achieving something by any means possible
Example: They have to manage collecting the funds within the deadline by hook or by crook.
Call the shots
Meaning: This idiom is used to identify someone who is in charge of something and has the power to decide what should happen.
Example: Our leader is the one who is calling the shots in this art gathering.
Green thumb
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to express that someone has good gardening skills
Example: My father has a green thumb since he has managed to grow plenty of vegetables in our backyard.
Hit the roof
Meaning: This idiom is used to express experiencing sudden anger
Example: His parents hit the roof when they say the damage he had done to their new car.
Lone it
Meaning: It is used to describe someone doing something alone
Example: We wanted to go to the movies with him but he decided to lone it.
Burst the bubble
Meaning: This idiom is used to express revealing the details to something that will mark the end of a happy or successful time
Example: She looked so happy that I could not burst the bubble about her husband’s past.
Close call
Meaning: This idiom is utilized to describe a narrow escape from a disastrous situation.
Example: It was a close call but I managed to avoid hitting the animal that ran across the highway.
Cat among the pigeons
Meaning: This idiom is used to express doing or saying something that can cause trouble or make a lot of people angry
Example: The exchange student put the cat among the pigeons when he made some sensitive comments about the other’s religion.
Go out on a limb
Meaning: This idiom is used to express doing or saying something different from most others.
Example: I will go out on a limb and say that I am opposed to the secretary general’s opinion
All hell will let loose
Meaning: This idiom is used to express a situation that has become suddenly noisy or violent and usually with a lot of argument and fighting.
Example: All hell will let loose if they come to know about the pay cut.
In cold blood
Meaning: The idiom is used to describe something that occurred in a cruel manner without pity or emotion
Example: The police found a young lady shot dead in cold blood inside the premises of the shopping complex.
Know on which side the bread is buttered
Meaning: It means that one should know what can be used to one’s advantage.
Example: She is far too clever to irritate the professor since she knows which side her bread is buttered on.
Recharge one’s batteries
Meaning: This idiom is used to express taking a break or a holiday to relax and regain strength.
Example: After all the work we have put in, we deserve to recharge our batteries with a small trip.
Pass the buck
Meaning: pass the blame to someone else
Example: The teacher tends to pass the buck of all light duties to the students.
Make all the difference
Meaning: influence someone in a positive way to yield results
Example: It made all the difference when he got the recommendation from his former employer
Under the auspices
Meaning: under the protection or sponsorship of someone
Example: We could restore the home under the auspices of the society.
Look on the bright side
Meaning: try to notice the positive side of things even when the situation seems dire
Example: Though you got an average score in your exam, look on the bright side since you have passed even without studying.
Big brother
Meaning: a large company or organisation that tries to control all aspects of human life and the society
Example: Big brother watches over everything in our little town.
In broad daylight
Meaning: during the daytime in front of others in an obvious way
Example: Politicians speak about anti-corruption measures during their rallies but they go ahead and misuse the public resources in broad daylight
The buck stops here
Meaning: it refers to the responsibility for a situation or a trouble with somebody
Example: When my sister lent me her car, she said that the buck stops here.
Cut the cord
Meaning: to end a connection or relationship with someone
Example: Developing countries must cut the cord with others and stop asking for financial aids to achieve true independence.
Call the bluff
Meaning: to challenge someone to prove one’s claim when they are attempting to deceive someone
Example: When the employees threatened to leave if they did not get a pay raise, the boss called their bluff.
Hit the rods
Meaning: leave a place, depart
Example: It would be best if we hit the road now before it gets dark.
Zero hour
Meaning: a critical time when a decision or an essential action has to be taken; a vital time
Example: Right before the sun rose, the British military had been waiting for zero hour to begin their operations against the terrorists.
Dab hand
Meaning: an expert or a skilled person in a field
Example: She is a dab hand at coding.
Bright spark
Meaning: an intelligent or lively person said humorously
Example: Emma is the popular bright spark of the family since she is the only person who has graduated from college.
Bare bones
Meaning: the most basic or essential facts or elements about a subject
Example: Boss told us a bare bones version of what happened in the meeting.
Put your foot in it
Meaning: say something by mistake such that upsets, humiliates or embarrasses others around you
Example: She put her foot in her mouth when she congratulated her colleague of being pregnant when she had just put on some weight.
Waiting time
Meaning: a period of time from when an action is requested to the time when it happens
Example: The waiting time for an appointment seems to have increase over the last five years.
Up in arms
Meaning: being angry and grumpy about something
Example: The child was up in arms when his father said that he did not have any time to take him to the park.
Scrape the barrel
Meaning: make the most out of the worst situations since you cannot do anything else about it
Example: It is best to scrape the barrel from the loss since there is no use arguing about whose fault it was.