n
(idiomatic) Alternative form of albatross around one's neck [(idiomatic, figuratively) A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.]
v
(idiomatic) To cause problems for one's self, act contrary to one's own interest, self-sabotage.
v
(idiomatic) To endure the worst part of something.
v
(idiomatic) To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.
v
(idiomatic) To forcibly prevent oneself from speaking, especially in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or likely to cause a dispute.
v
(philosophy) To accept a counterintuitive implication of an argument or view.
v
(idiomatic) To follow or supervise someone too closely, causing discomfort for that person.
v
Synonym of move the needle
v
(idiomatic) To profit from two things at the same time, especially when those things seem contradictory or incompatible.
v
Alternative form of bring one's own hide to market [(US, idiomatic, often in proverbial form) To create one's own fate, as a result of one's chosen character and actions; to experience the appropriate consequences of one's behavior.]
v
(transitive, idiomatic) To surprise; to take advantage of the lack of watchfulness of.
v
(idiomatic) To contract a serious illness, especially a nasty cold or other respiratory ailment and especially as a result of exposure to wet or chilly weather.
v
(euphemistic, chiefly Internet) To kill oneself deliberately; to commit suicide.
v
(slang, dated) To take a risk.
n
A form of challenge, in the same spirit as a medieval knight throwing down his gauntlet.
v
Alternative form of grasp at straws [(idiomatic) To guess randomly or pursue any apparent option, due to a lack of clear choices or information.]
v
Alternative form of grasp at straws [(idiomatic) To guess randomly or pursue any apparent option, due to a lack of clear choices or information.]
v
(idiomatic) To initiate an encounter or interaction by behaving in an unrestrainedly aggressive, confrontational, or accusatory manner.
v
(idiomatic, Britain) To die unpleasantly due to one's actions.
v
(idiomatic, informal) To spoil one's plans or hope of success.
v
(Ireland, informal, idiomatic) to cop on, stop behaving immaturely
v
To deal with hardship with toughness and without complaining; man up.
v
Alternative form of cross someone's palm [(idiomatic) To pay for goods or a service.]
v
To have both benefits and drawbacks.
v
(informal) to create a situation that is difficult to get out of.
v
(idiomatic) To behave in a way that is likely to have future negative effects on oneself, including (but not limited to) death.
v
(informal, idiomatic) To put oneself in even more trouble.
v
(idiomatic, figuratively) To explore or begin; to enter or get involved in tentatively and for the first time.
v
Synonym of test the waters
v
(Canada and US, idiomatic, by extension) To remove a prior impediment to action; to prepare for or engage in a dispute.
v
Synonym of win one's spurs
v
(idiomatic) Alternative form of have one's cake and eat it too [(idiomatic) To seek to have two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).]
v
(idiomatic) Used in a result clause to express disbelief in a proposition expressed in a conditional clause.
v
(figuratively) To regret or retract what one has said.
v
To be compelled to take back one's words or put up with insulting treatment.
v
To sacrifice oneself for the sake of others.
v
(idiomatic) To voluntarily take the blame for a situation.
v
(idiomatic) To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth.
v
(idiomatic) To eat heartily.
v
(idiomatic) To act in a manner highly contrary to; to counteract or contradict.
v
(idiomatic, colloquial) To throw oneself into doing something, especially a leisure activity or something physical.
v
(slang) To get taken or apprehended; to get beaten or defeated; be vanquished or come to some form of demise.
v
(idiomatic) To get what's coming to one: to feel someone's wrath; to receive punishment; to receive a retaliation; to receive a beating.
v
(informal) To get what's coming to one; to receive one's comeuppance; to suffer the undesirable consequences of one's misdeeds.
v
(of a person, idiomatic) To prepare to attack or retaliate
v
(idiomatic) To begin gaining experience; to tentatively try something new.
v
(idiomatic) To suffer relatively minor, adversive, and unexpected harm.
v
(idiomatic) To get involved with the unpleasant parts, or the lowest levels, of a task.
v
(informal) To be involved in a fight or assault.
v
(idiomatic) To experience the consequences of one's actions.
v
(idiomatic) To delay, dodge, or frustrate (someone), especially by providing useless information or directions.
v
Alternative form of go play in the traffic [(idiomatic, often rude) To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; get lost.]
v
Alternative form of go play in the traffic [(idiomatic, often rude) To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; get lost.]
v
Alternative form of grasp at straws [(idiomatic) To guess randomly or pursue any apparent option, due to a lack of clear choices or information.]
v
(idiomatic) To act boldly, especially when there are short-term adverse consequences.
v
(chiefly US, colloquial, idiomatic, somewhat vulgar) To be brave; to show some courage, especially in a situation in which one has so far failed to do so.
v
(idiomatic) To be in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one ideally should not remain, but from which one cannot withdraw.
v
(idiomatic) To seek to have two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).
v
(idiomatic) to be involved in many, or too many, different things.
v
(idiomatic) To have someone in a difficult situation in which he or she is without alternatives and can be controlled.
v
(colloquial, idiomatic) To have somebody in one's power, or in a compromising or helpless position.
v
Alternative form of have got someone's six [(US, chiefly military and law enforcement slang) Synonym of have someone's back]
v
(idiomatic) To be in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one ideally should not remain, but from which one cannot withdraw.
v
Alternative form of have the world by the tail [(idiomatic) To possess great influence and opportunity.]
v
Alternative form of have the world by the tail [(idiomatic) To possess great influence and opportunity.]
v
Alternative form of have the world by the tail [(idiomatic) To possess great influence and opportunity.]
v
(idiomatic) To strike it rich; to get lucky or have a big break.
adj
(idiomatic) Hurt or destroyed by one's own plot or device intended for another; "blown up by one's own bomb".
adj
Alternative form of hoist by one's own petard [(idiomatic) Hurt or destroyed by one's own plot or device intended for another; "blown up by one's own bomb".]
adj
Alternative form of hoist by one's own petard [(idiomatic) Hurt or destroyed by one's own plot or device intended for another; "blown up by one's own bomb".]
adj
Alternative form of hoist by one's own petard [(idiomatic) Hurt or destroyed by one's own plot or device intended for another; "blown up by one's own bomb".]
adj
Alternative form of hoist by one's own petard [(idiomatic) Hurt or destroyed by one's own plot or device intended for another; "blown up by one's own bomb".]
v
To pinch one's nostrils closed with one's fingers, usually to block out an unpleasant smell.
v
(idiomatic) To accept something enthusiastically. Usually an opportunity, or chance, or job etc.
v
To be exceptionally timid.
v
(idiomatic) To immediately accept an offer; to seize an opportunity.
v
(idiomatic) To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases.
v
(informal, by extension) To approach a problem aggressively.
v
Synonym of lead someone up the garden path
v
(idiomatic) To behave without caution; to make oneself vulnerable.
v
(intransitive, idiomatic) To sound artificial or contradictory.
v
To take a decision that will have personally adverse consequences.
v
(idiomatic) To create a difficult situation whose unpleasant consequences one must now endure.
v
(idiomatic, Britain) To die unpleasantly due to one's actions.
v
(intransitive, slang) To show courage and hide one's apprehension.
adv
Used in various other ways specific to individual idiomatic phrases, e.g. bring off, show off, put off, tell off, etc. See the entry for the individual phrase.
v
(idiomatic) To perform an action that causes problems to appear which did not exist beforehand, or were not known about prior.
v
(transitive, especially of horses or riders) To run faster than; to outdistance.
adj
(idiomatic, business) Directed to someone with authority over the person, so as to avoid requiring the approval of the person himself or herself.
v
(idiomatic) To lead to a disaster by acting with good intentions.
v
(figuratively) To suffer as a result of one's actions.
v
(idiomatic) To face the consequences of one's actions.
v
To get the better of; to defeat by a narrow margin
v
(idiomatic) To insist on something firmly or with stubbornness.
v
(idiomatic) As a risky test of courage, to drive two vehicles directly toward one another in order to see which driver will swerve away first.
v
(idiomatic) To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.
n
Alternative form of plug and pray [(computing, humorous, derogatory) An unreliable plug and play feature.]
v
(idiomatic, often followed by on) To carry out a trick or deception; to behave contrary to expectations.
v
Alternative form of pull a rabbit out of a hat [(idiomatic) To do something surprising and beneficial that is unexpected.]
v
Synonym of pull someone's bacon out of the fire (“rescue someone, especially at the last moment”)
v
(idiomatic) In imperative/precative form, used to imply that the speaker does not accept or believe what another has just said.
v
(idiomatic) To make a mistake.
v
Alternative form of throw a spanner in the works [(idiomatic, UK) To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle, something unexpected or troublesome.]
v
Synonym of stick one's oar in (“to interfere”)
v
(idiomatic) To prepare for celebration or rejoicing; to put oneself in a positive frame of mind.
v
(idiomatic, vulgar) To take a big risk.
v
(figuratively, idiomatic) To put one's foot in one's mouth.
v
(idiomatic) To misspeak, to say something embarrassing or wrong, or to make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing or offensive.
v
Synonym of test the waters
v
Alternative form of put one's pants on one leg at a time [(idiomatic) To be an ordinary person; to be a mere mortal.]
v
(idiomatic) To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities; to put something inconsequential as more important than something more essential.
v
(idiomatic) To suffer bad consequences in one's actions.
v
(idiomatic, of something unpleasant or unwelcome) To appear and cause problems or stress, especially at an inopportune time.
v
(idiomatic) To take advantage of a profitable period.
n
Alternative form of rod for one's back [(idiomatic) The means of one's own punishment or downfall.]
v
Alternative form of turn in one's grave [Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see turn, in, one's, grave.]
v
To accept adversity and cope with it
v
Alternative form of run off at the mouth [(idiomatic) To talk excessively.]
v
(US, slang, dated) To obtain things on credit by sheer impudence.
v
Alternative form of run off at the mouth [(idiomatic) To talk excessively.]
v
(slang) To rescue a person from a bad situation, especially one that is life-threatening.
v
(idiomatic, informal) To save someone's life.
v
Synonym of pluck up one's courage
v
To do great injury to the enemy before being killed by them.
v
(idiomatic) To act against one's own interests; to unintentionally behave self-destructively.
v
(idiomatic) To sustain harm, loss or ruin by doing some risky or perilous deed.
v
(idiomatic) To be (or to place oneself) in a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.
v
(idiomatic) To perform an action that is intended to prevent trouble, but which may actually bring it about.
v
(idiomatic) To take a position which is harmful to one's own interests.
v
Synonym of cross my heart and hope to die
v
(intransitive, idiomatic, informal) To take some action intended to defy a source of oppression such as globalization, commercialization, big business or government.
v
(figuratively, idiomatic) To put one's foot in it.
v
(idiomatic) To put one's foot in one's mouth.
v
(idiomatic) Synonym of bury one's head in the sand
v
(idiomatic) To take a risk, putting oneself in a vulnerable position.
v
(informal) To be nosy; to meddle or interfere in the affairs of another.
v
(idiomatic) To interfere or try to intervene in (an issue that does not concern one).
v
(idiomatic, UK) To meddle; to stick one's nose into (something)
v
To push one's tongue so that it protrudes from the mouth, especially as a gesture of rudeness.
v
Alternative form of suck it up [(idiomatic) To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.]
v
(idiomatic) To accept or endure an unpleasant situation.
v
(idiomatic) To set aside one's feelings of pride and adopt a more humble or appropriate stance.
v
(idiomatic, sarcasm) To take credit or blame for a particular outcome or circumstance.
v
(UK, Canada) To support a risky option.
v
(idiomatic, transitive, US) To be deeply impacted by something.
v
(idiomatic, informal) To accept some chore, hardship or punishment for the sake of one's friends or colleagues.
v
(figuratively) To endure through criticism or other adversity.
v
(idiomatic) To be lured by an offer, flattery, or a provocation into doing something, especially something disadvantageous or dubious.
v
(slang) alternative letter-case form of take the Browns to the Super Bowl: to defecate. [(US, idiomatic) To defecate.]
v
(idiomatic, colloquial, chiefly US) To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.
v
(idiomatic, informal, sports, especially boxing) To willingly lose a match, as in a fixed fight.
v
(intransitive, informal) To be strongly criticised.
v
(informal) To take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.
v
Alternative form of take a knee [To come to rest, usually briefly, with one of one's knees on the ground.]
v
(slang) To take the loss; to lose a game or competition.
v
(idiomatic) To attack instead of defending; to be bold and proactive.
v
(slang) To be blamed or punished for something, especially for the wrongful actions of another; to willingly allow oneself to be so blamed or punished.
v
(idiomatic, UK) To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle, something unexpected or troublesome.
v
Alternative form of throw a spanner in the works. [(idiomatic, UK) To introduce a problem, dilemma or obstacle, something unexpected or troublesome.]
v
(idiomatic) To commit fully.
v
Alternative form of throw spaghetti at the wall [(colloquial) To make a large amount of attempts or guesses, with the hope that one of them will be successful.]
v
(idiomatic) To criticize others when one have similar weaknesses oneself.
v
(idiomatic) To sacrifice someone, especially in an attempt to save oneself.
v
Synonym of stick one's nose in
v
Synonym of walk on eggshells
v
(intransitive) To pass across or over; to traverse.
v
Synonym of trust someone as far as one could throw them
v
(Australia, colloquial) To die.
v
(idiomatic) To experience what someone has experienced.
v
(idiomatic) To be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.
v
(idiomatic, US) To be careful about what one says, especially with regard to disrespectful or profane language.
v
(idiomatic) To try to fill more roles at once than is realistically possible.
v
(informal, more literally, uncommon) To crash into (something, especially a pole) messily and fatally while travelling in a motor vehicle.
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