against the clock
Meaning: in a hurry, with very little time left
Example: The team worked against the clock to finish the report.
Idiom Finder
Search common English idioms by a word in the phrase, a word from its meaning, or the idea you want to express, and filter them by theme — money, time, work, feelings and more. Every idiom comes with a plain-English meaning, an example sentence, and a flag when it is too informal for an essay. Free, no sign-up.
Type a word from the idiom, a word from its meaning, or the idea you want to express.
Idioms
329 idioms
ahead of schedule
Meaning: earlier than planned
Example: The survey was completed ahead of schedule.
all that glitters is not gold
Meaning: things that look attractive may not be valuable
Example: Check the source: all that glitters is not gold.
Also: all that glisters is not gold
all things considered
Meaning: taking everything into account
Example: All things considered, the pilot went well.
the apple doesn't fall far from the tree
Meaning: children resemble their parents
Example: She became a historian, like her father: the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
the apple of your eye
Meaning: someone you love above all others
Example: His daughter is the apple of his eye.
apples and oranges
Meaning: things that cannot sensibly be compared
Example: Comparing the two surveys is apples and oranges.
around the clock
Meaning: all day and all night without stopping
Example: The lab ran the experiment around the clock.
as clear as mud
Meaning: not clear at all
Example: The instructions were as clear as mud.
informal
at odds
Meaning: in disagreement
Example: The two studies are at odds on this point.
at the drop of a hat
Meaning: immediately, without needing time to think or plan
Example: He will debate grammar at the drop of a hat.
at the eleventh hour
Meaning: at the last possible moment
Example: The funding arrived at the eleventh hour.
Also: the eleventh hour
at the end of the day
Meaning: when everything has been considered
Example: At the end of the day, the data decide.
informal
at the end of your rope
Meaning: having no more patience or energy
Example: After weeks of revision I was at the end of my rope.
Also: at the end of your tether
back to square one
Meaning: back at the very beginning after a failure
Example: When the sample was lost, we were back to square one.
back to the drawing board
Meaning: time to start again because a plan has failed
Example: The pilot study failed, so it was back to the drawing board.
bad blood
Meaning: lasting anger between people or groups
Example: There is bad blood between the two departments.
the ball is in your court
Meaning: it is your turn to act or decide
Example: I've sent my comments, so the ball is in your court.
ballpark figure
Meaning: a rough estimate
Example: Can you give me a ballpark figure for the cost?
informal
barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: looking for something in the wrong place
Example: If you blame the sample, you are barking up the wrong tree.
bear fruit
Meaning: produce good results
Example: Years of work finally bore fruit.
beat around the bush
Meaning: avoid getting to the main point
Example: Stop beating around the bush and say what you mean.
behind closed doors
Meaning: in private, away from public view
Example: Negotiations took place behind closed doors.
behind the times
Meaning: old-fashioned or out of date
Example: The department's software is hopelessly behind the times.
Idioms are figurative, so most belong in speech and informal writing. In formal academic writing, say the literal meaning instead.
Idioms, meanings and example sentences are original to CitationEasy.
How to Use the Idiom Finder
- Search by anything you know. Type a word in the idiom (bucket, ice), a word from its meaning (secret, cheap), or the idea itself (very easy, start again).
- Narrow by theme or style. Pick a theme such as Money or Feelings, or choose Fine in most writing to hide the informal ones. Click a theme badge on any card to filter by it.
- Read the card. Each idiom has a plain meaning and an example sentence that shows how it sits in a sentence. Variants — such as British and American wording — are listed under Also.
- Copy it or try another. Copy an idiom with one click, or press Show a random idiom to browse.
What an Idiom Is
An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its words. Someone who spills the beans has not dropped any food; they have revealed a secret. Because the figurative sense is learned as a whole, you cannot change the words freely: spill the peas means nothing, and the beans were spilled by her is awkward. Idioms are also why a sentence can be grammatically perfect and still puzzling to a learner.
| Term | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Idiom | A fixed phrase with a figurative meaning | break the ice |
| Proverb | A short saying that offers advice or a general truth | a stitch in time saves nine |
| Cliché | A phrase so overused it has lost its force | at the end of the day |
| Phrasal verb | A verb plus a particle that changes its meaning | give up, look into |
| Collocation | Words that habitually appear together, not necessarily figuratively | heavy rain, conduct research |
The list mixes idioms and a few proverbs, because learners meet them side by side. For collocations — which verbs go with which nouns — use the Collocation Finder.
Should You Use Idioms in Academic Writing?
Mostly not. Academic prose values precision, and an idiom is a figure of speech: it is vague at the edges, it may not translate, and a reader who does not know it loses the sentence. Each card is flagged when it is informal or spoken, but even the idioms marked fine in most writing are better replaced by the literal statement in a methods section or a results section. Use them, sparingly, in an introduction, a reflective piece or a speech, where a conversational tone is welcome.
| Idiom | Say instead |
|---|---|
| the tip of the iceberg | a small part of a larger problem |
| a double-edged sword | has both advantages and disadvantages |
| in a nutshell | in summary |
| at the end of the day | ultimately |
| barking up the wrong tree | pursuing the wrong explanation |
| hit the nail on the head | identified exactly the right point |
The Informal Language Checker flags casual wording in a draft, and the Wordiness Checker helps with the long-winded replacements.
Learning Idioms Without Memorizing Lists
- Learn them in a sentence. The example on each card shows the grammar the idiom needs: pull your weight, pull his weight, pulling their weight.
- Learn by theme. The theme filter groups idioms that express a similar idea, so you can compare, say, the ways to talk about stopping — throw in the towel, call it a day, run out of steam — and notice how they differ in tone.
- Notice the region. American English says a tempest in a teapot, British English a storm in a teacup; sweep it under the rug is American and sweep it under the carpet is British. The Also line lists such variants.
- Listen for them. Most idioms are spoken more than written, so you will meet them in lectures, interviews and podcasts first.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an idiom?
- An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning is different from the meanings of its separate words. Under the weather does not describe the weather; it means slightly ill. Idioms are learned as units, and changing a word usually destroys the meaning.
- Why are idioms hard for learners of English?
- Because the meaning is not in the words, and because the form is fixed. A learner who knows every word in it's a piece of cake may still not know it means very easy. Learning idioms with an example sentence, as this tool shows them, helps with both the meaning and the grammar.
- Can I use idioms in an essay?
- Use them with care. Formal academic writing prefers literal, precise language, so replace an idiom with what you actually mean in a results section, a methods section or an argument. In a personal statement, a speech or a reflective piece, a well-chosen idiom can add voice.
- What is the difference between an idiom and a proverb?
- An idiom is a phrase that fits into a sentence with a figurative meaning, such as kill two birds with one stone. A proverb is a complete short saying that gives advice or a general truth, such as better safe than sorry. The line is blurry, and learners meet both together.
- Why does the list not say where each idiom comes from?
- Because most popular origin stories for idioms are unreliable. Many are folk explanations invented long after the phrase appeared, and a wrong origin is worse than none. The list gives meanings and examples, which are reliable, and leaves etymology to a dictionary.
- Does the list include every English idiom?
- No. It is a selection of common idioms that a student is likely to meet, with a clear meaning and an example for each. English has thousands more, and new ones appear all the time.
- Is my search sent anywhere?
- No. The list is built into the page and the search runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded.