#3 LAST 903 ROWS

fragmented

"consisting of several separate parts:

In this increasingly fragmented society, a sense of community is a thing of the past.

The Democratic Party has only held onto power because the Republican Party is so fragmented."

chiseled

"clearly marked with firm lines:

a face with finely chiseled features"

ins and outs

"he detailed or complicated facts of something:

I know how to use computers, but I don't really understand the ins and outs of how they work.

the details or facts relating to something:

She knows the ins and outs of the law."

sway

"to persuade someone to believe or do one thing rather than another:

Her speech failed to sway her colleagues into supporting the plan.

Were you swayed by her arguments?

a slow movement from side to side:

The car showed lots of sway in crosswinds.

Is he being irrationally swayed by a fleeting emotion?"

full fledged

"completely developed or trained:

Washington wants to avoid a full-fledged war.

Within months the student had become a full-fledged instructor."

it is pretty straightforward

"If you have done this before, you already know what to do, but if you have not, it is pretty straightforward and only takes a couple of tries to learn"

accentuate

"to emphasize a particular feature of something or to make something more noticeable:

Her dress was tightly belted, accentuating the slimness of her waist.

The new policy only serves to accentuate the inadequacy of help for the homeless."

alike

"The twins look alike, but they differ in temperament.

The film's message is that rich and poor are alike.

As babies, the twins were so alike that I just couldn't tell them apart.

For the first few months the babies looked so alike I couldn't tell which was which.

Our views on politics are very alike."

and alike

"used after referring to two groups of people or things to show that both groups are included:

Friends and family alike were devastated by the news of her death.

His latest play has delighted theatre audiences and theatre critics alike.

After the trial he was shunned by friends and family alike."

tie into

"to make someone accept a particular situation as part of an agreement:

Mobile phone companies usually tie customers into a minimum 12-month contract.

To connect to or associate with something.

Their latest product ties into their overall plan for an integrated user platform.

The novels tie into real, historical events from Russia in 1885.

2. To connect or associate something with something else.

This new movie ties all the other films in the franchise into a single, coherent narrative.

They're trying to tie these outlying communities into the city's public utilities infrastructure."

cross over

"to change from one activity or style to another:

Charles crossed over from blues to gospel.

to start to affect a new group of people, animals, or things:

Scientists will try to determine whether the virus has crossed over to any other species.

A crossover is that type of person who once belonged to a distinct subculture who then suddenly changes their style and behaviour to another subculture, usually coming from a change in fashion trends.

Person 1: ""Hey, check him out, he doesn't know what group he's part of!""

Person 2: ""He's such a crossover."""

it alone won't cut it

"(verb) to be sufficient or adequate for a task, or generally.

""That excuse is not going to cut it.""

to be satisfactory or successful

We want to know why so many talented youngsters just don't cut it."

amp up

"(vb) To turn up the volume or intensity.

The basketball team needs to amp up its defense.

His Math SAT is just 520. He better amp up 30 decibels to get into M.I.T.

Can't hear you dog. Amp it up, will you?"

to be in vain

"If you do something in vain, you do not succeed in achieving what you intend.

He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence.

It became obvious that all her complaints were in vain.

If you say that something such as someone's death, suffering, or effort was in vain, you mean that it was useless because it did not achieve anything.

He wants the world to know his son did not die in vain."

refine

"improve (something) by making small changes, in particular make (an idea, theory, or method) more subtle and accurate.

""ease of access to computers has refined analysis and presentation of data"""

slim to none

"almost none

""What are their chances of winning?"" ""Slim to none."""

dive in

"to start doing something with enthusiasm

They sat down at the dinner table and dove (right) in.

We have a lot of things to discuss, so let's dive right in."

delve into/dig into

to examine something carefully in order to discover more information about someone or something: It's not always a good idea to delve too deeply into someone's past.

stick out

"to be very easy to notice:

She certainly sticks out in a crowd.

Her teeth stick out a bit.

I could see a foot sticking out from under the duvet.

His foot was sticking out and she tripped over it.

I don't like the way my bottom sticks out.

There was a packet of something sticking out of his pocket."

cohesive

"well-integrated, unified. The precision it took to craft such a cohesive, wholly compelling work over 12 years is nothing short of remarkable.

"

nothing short of

"—used to give emphasis to a descriptionHis recovery was nothing short of miraculous.That treatment is nothing short of torture!

The party was nothing short of a disaster.

The way the whales are killed is nothing short of barbaric.

Her recovery seemed nothing short of a miracle.

The results are nothing short of magnificent.

To do that would be nothing short of suicide.

The transformation has been nothing short of a miracle."

in that ....

"for the reason that (used to specify the respect in which a statement is true).

""I was fortunate in that I had friends""

The new system is better in that it provides faster access to the Internet."

team with / partner with

"Lang teamed with Draper to develop the vaccine.

Williamson and Erving teamed to give the Nets another championship."

partner up

"to act as someone's partner in a sport, game, dance, or activity:

They partner up and throw weighted medicine balls at each other.

All his friends were partnering up and settling down.

1. To form a pair or partnership with another person or organization in order to perform some activity together.

We're partnering up with GlobalTech to create a new line of Wi-Fi-enabled home appliances.

We partnered up to solve the crime.

OK, everyone, partner up so we can start our next dance lesson!

2. To arrange for someone or some organization to form a pair in order to perform some activity or achieve some task. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between ""partner"" and ""up.""

The teacher partnered students up to work on the geography project.

Our agency partners up applicants with companies best suited to their skills and motivations."

pair up

"To form or become part of a pair. A noun or pronoun can come between ""pair"" and ""up"" if the verb is used transitively.

OK, everyone pair up and come up with different ways you could apply what we talked about today to your work.

We'll have to pair up the guests who didn't come with dates.

to join with someone to make a pair. Sally decided to pair up with Jason for the dance contest. Sally and Jason paired up with each other."

on the go

" (informal) be busy and active: I've been on the go all day and I'm exhausted. ♢ She's always on the go. I wish she would just sit down and relax sometimes.

1. Constantly in motion, active, or working.

I feel as if I need to always be on the go; life's too short to be idle!"

superfluous

"unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.

more than is needed; extra and not necessary:

Our new mayor plans to eliminate superfluous programs.

Much of the school day is wasted on superfluous activities.

""the purchaser should avoid asking for superfluous information""

""Fortunately,"" Douglas Durst said, ""this movie will be seen by so few people that litigation would be superfluous"".

more than is needed or wanted:

The report was marred by a mass of superfluous detail."

inundate

"to give someone so much work or so many things that they cannot deal with it all:

We have been inundated with requests for help.

to bring to a place or person too much of something, so that it cannot be dealt with:

After appearing on TV they were inundated with telephone calls for a week.

We were inundated with complaints when the show had to be canceled."

grow on someone

"to become increasingly liked or enjoyed by someone:

Living in a small town was tough at first, but the place grows on you."

grow out of sth

"to develop from something that happened or existed before:

The new law grew out of people's dissatisfaction with the election results.

to stop having an interest in something or stop doing something as you become older:

He wants to be a rapper, but I think he'll grow out of it."

in a row

"If something happens several times in a row, it happens that number of times without a break. If something happens several days in a row, it happens on each of those days.

They have won five championships in a row.

If I'm inside for three days in a row, I go crazy.

It is the sixth month in a row in which imports have fallen. "

in turn

"You use in turn to refer to actions or events that are in a sequence one after the other, for example because one causes the other.

One of the team members leaked the story to a colleague who, in turn, told a reporter.

If each person in a group does something in turn, they do it one after the other in a fixed or agreed order.

There were cheers for each of the women as they spoke in turn."

one by one, one at a time, in succession

put a strain on

"a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing damage:

The hurricane put such a strain on the bridge that it collapsed.

As you get older, excess weight puts a lot of strain on the heart.

Their constant arguments were putting a strain on their marriage.

The recent decline in the dollar has put a bigger strain on the economic system.

Migration into the cities is putting a strain on already stretched resources."

pair something with

"to make something one of a pair, or to become one of a pair:

Famous paintings have been paired with poems by Sandburg, Angelou, and others."

wishy-washy

"lacking in firm ideas, principles, or the ability to make a decision:

He's got TV ads accusing Dole of being wishy-washy on the issues."

eye-catching

"very attractive or noticeable:

an eye-catching poster"

in the north/ in the east etc.

north of

"used to say that an amount is more than the one stated:

The company's market cap is now north of $160 billion.

"

south of

"less than

Facebook acquired Instagram for just south of $1bn."

match up

"If one thing matches up with another, or if they match up, they are the same or have similar qualities

Information received from the two informants didn't match up.

to be as good as someone or something

The British sci-fi film has never matched up to its American counterpart.

match up to expectations: His performance has not matched up to expectations."

look to

" to hope or expect to get help, advice etc from someone

look to someone for something: As young children, we looked to our parents for guidance.

look to someone to do something: They're looking to me to help improve sales figures.

to direct your thoughts or attention to something

The party needs to look to the future and forget its past problems."

have a beef with

"To have an outstanding or unsettled dispute or disagreement with someone or something.

Why does she have a beef with me? I'm always nice to her!

Dad has a real beef with the phone company because they keep raising their rates."

roll out

"2. verb To introduce or implement something. A noun or pronoun can be used between ""roll"" and ""out.""

Every year they roll a new phone out that is meant to make your current one seem obsolete.

The government is rolling out a new affordable childcare scheme for low-income families."

stand up to someone or sth

"To confront someone or something in defiant opposition, especially in defense of oneself or someone else.

Wow, I can't believe you stood up to the boss like that. He's such a bully to everyone else.

We need to stand up to these big companies that try to pollute our waters."

inculcate with

"To put forth effort so that someone learns or remembers something.

She really needs to inculcate her kids with a sense of respect for others, sheesh.

I really tried to inculcate these physics equations into my students, but judging by their grades on the test, we need to revisit them.

She really needs to inculcate a sense of respect for others into her kids, sheesh."

insinuate

"to suggest or hint slyly:

He insinuated that they were lying.

to instill or infuse subtly or artfully, as into the mind:

to insinuate doubts through propaganda.

She insinuated that her friends had betrayed her."

impart

"to communicate information to someone:

to impart the bad news

I was rather quiet as I didn't feel I had much wisdom to impart on the subject.

to give something a particular feeling, quality, or taste:

Preservatives can impart colour and flavour to a product.

to give a feeling or quality to something, or to make information known to someone:

If the movie has any lesson to impart, it's that parents shouldn't aim for perfection.

It was a bitter lesson to impart to my daughter."

same holds true (good) for

"To be or remain true, valid, or applicable.

The law must hold true for every person in society, not just those who earn the most money.

The same holds true today, even with all the recent technological advancements we've made.

[for something] to be true; [for something] to remain true. Does this rule hold true all the time? Yes, it holds true no matter what.

Will your promise hold good even if you don't get the money?"

just pulling your leg

"To tease or joke with someone, often by trying to convince them of something untrue.

Quit pulling my leg, I know there isn't a Hollywood director calling me right now.

I love pulling my sister's leg—it's almost too easy to annoy her.

Fig. to kid, fool, or trick someone. You don't mean that. You're just pulling my leg. Don't believe him. He's just pulling your leg.

Play a joke on, tease, as in Are you serious about moving back in or are you pulling my leg? "

in one go/ at one go

"in one attempt : without stopping

He managed to finish the work in/at one go."

at hand

"near in time or position:

We want to ensure that help is at hand (= easily available) for all children suffering abuse.

Readily available; within easy reach; nearby

I don't have the information at hand, but I can look it up.

Being at the moment the center of attention or the cause of trouble

The problem at hand is not the inability of the Arabs and the Jews to live together peacefully.

happening or present at this time:

The space shuttle crew must stay completely focused on the task at hand.

Near; soon; approaching; imminent

He felt it, as did the other dogs, and knew that a change was at hand"

free up

"To free up a market, economy, or system means to make it operate with fewer restrictions and controls.

...policies for freeing up markets and extending competition.

to make something available to be used:

I need to free up some time this weekend to finish the report.

Free up your schedule"

hit or miss

"as likely to be bad as to be good, esp. because of not being planned or organized well:

The service you get in these big stores can be hit-or-miss, depending on the salesperson you talk to.

The success of implementing an agrienvironmental practice may, therefore, be hit-or-miss and such deployments are rarely followed up with routine monitoring."

go up against

"To face a particular competitor, trial, or test.

I can't believe I have to go up against the valedictorian for this award—obviously, she's going to win!

to compete with someone; to face someone in competition. She is going up against Rodney in the spelling bee. The champ went up against the challenger in a match last Friday."

stingy

"unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous.

""his employer is stingy and idle""

"

miser

A miser is a person who is reluctant to spend, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities, in order to hoard money or other possessions.

read it through/ read through

"to read (something) from beginning to end especially to look for mistakes or check details

Remember to read through your essay before you hand it in.

He read the instructions through twice before he tried to assemble the bicycle."

that is, ...

"that is (to say)

1 used when explaining more clearly what you have just said

Some wines have 'proprietary' names - that is to say, their names were created by the producers.

used when you are going to correct something that you have just said

I've always enjoyed my work - that is, I did until this new manager arrived."

taper off

"To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

Months after they printed the article, the number of angry letters finally started to taper off.

to become gradually smaller or weaker, or happen less often:

Her voice tapered off as she realized everyone was listening.

Sales have gradually tapered off."

wordy

"containing too many words:

As usual she gave a reply which was wordy and didn't answer the question."

to have baggage

Having a lot of baggage means that they have experienced negative things in their past and they have not moved past it. An example would be if a guy has been cheated on by a previous girlfriend and now every girl he meets, he doesn't trust and automatically assumes she's cheating.

in lieu of

"instead of:

The company is allowing workers to receive cash in lieu of vacation time.

instead (of):

He worked on Sunday and took Monday off in lieu.

They gave some books in lieu of payment for the work I did.

The paintings were left to the nation by the Duke of Norfolk in lieu of inheritance taxes."

rule of thumb

"as a general rule of thumb

a method of judging a situation or condition that is not exact but is based on experience:

As a rule of thumb, the ice on the lake should be at least two inches thick to support one person."

sucker for

"to like a particular type of person or thing very much, so that you will do almost anything to please them or to have them

Mike's a sucker for foreign sports cars.

to like someone or something very much, especially so that you cannot refuse them

I'm a total sucker for seafood."

to be big on sth

"to like something very much:

I'm not very big on classical music.

My sister loves going to clubs because she's really big on dancing.

My family is big on education, so I know I'm going to college next year."

the ins and outs of

"all the details or facts that you need to know in order to deal with a complicated situation, process etc

The particular details and nuances of a situation, task, etc.

I'm not surprised he made such a stupid mistake—he doesn't know the ins and outs of this business.

the correct and successful way to do something; the special things that one needs to know to do something. I don't understand the ins and outs of politics. Jane knows the ins and outs of repairing computers."

rabid

" going to extreme lengths in expressing or pursuing a feeling, interest, or opinion

rabid editorials

a rabid supporter

rabid fan"

fervent

"having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent:

a fervent admirer; a fervent plea."

obliterate

"destroy utterly; wipe out.

""the memory was so painful that he obliterated it from his mind""

cause to become invisible or indistinct; blot out.

""clouds were darkening, obliterating the sun"""

wimpy

"weak and cowardly or feeble.

""I'm too wimpy to express my own opinions""

not strong, brave, or confident:

I'm far too wimpy to go rock climbing.

I was too wimpy to be a boxer so I decided to be a musician."

sporadically

"sometimes, but not regularly or continuously:

Fighting continued throughout the afternoon and sporadically into Friday night.

Though she likes to work, she has only done so sporadically."

test the waters

"To informally or casually attempt to gauge the reaction of a potential audience or recipient of something, or to try to get an idea of what something will be like before actually doing it. Likened to feeling the temperature of water before getting in.

I want to test the water before I make the proposal at the general meeting. Do you think you can float the idea to the boss and gauge his reaction?

You better test the waters before you fully commit to that plan."

in your face

"interjection An aggressive exclamation of triumph said after one has defeated someone or proven someone wrong. Although rude, the phrase is often used jocularly, without actual hostility.

You said I wouldn't make the team, and guess who's the newest member of the pitching staff? Yeah, that's right, in your face!

I beat you, just as I predicted—in your face!

adjective Overtly aggressive, especially in an attempt to garner attention, interest, etc. Typically hyphenated.

I don't think an in-your-face advertising campaign will work in this case. We need something more subtle.

People hate buying cars because the salespeople are way too in-your-face.

Nancy's in-your-face attitude will serve her well in the business world."

slump

"(of prices, values, or sales) to fall suddenly:

The value of property has slumped.

Car sales have slumped dramatically over the past year.

here's been a slump in the demand for new cars.

a period when an industry or the economy is in a bad state and there is a lot of unemployment:

an economic slump

The airline industry is currently in a slump"

dry off

"1: to become dry

My umbrella's drying off in the hall.

2: to make one's body dry

We got out of the pool and dried off.

3: to make (someone or something) dry

He dried off the bench and sat down.

Dry yourself off and get dressed."

dry up

"if something dries up or is dried up, all the water comes out of it

The land had dried up and no crops would grow.

to stop being available

What will happen to the project when the money dries up?

"

oblivious

"not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one.

""she became absorbed, oblivious to the passage of time""

not conscious of something, especially what is happening around you:

Absorbed in her work, she was totally oblivious of her surroundings.

The mayor seems oblivious to the likely effects of the new legislation."

oblivion

"the state of being completely forgotten:

He was another minor poet who was consigned to oblivion.

These toys will be around for a year or two, then fade/slide/sink into oblivion

the state of being unconscious:

He sought oblivion in a bottle of whisky"

idiotic

"showing complete lack of thought or common sense : FOOLISH

an idiotic question

found his excuses idiotic

idiotic behavior"

to go cold turkey

"Going cold turkey is opposed to stopping it by gradually doing it less and less, or stopping it with help like special gum or medicine. You don't get any help; you just stop.

Lydia tried to smoke only one cigarette a week, but she ended up going back to her old habits. She decided to try out going cold turkey."

try out vs try

"A little bit more context may be helpful. Off the top of my head, I'd use ""try"" more in a sense of ""have a taste"" and ""try out"" like ""test if you like a certain activity"". Examples:

I've made chocolate chip cookies. Would you like to try some?

and

Yoga is really relaxing. You should try it out if you want to calm down.

For the latter example, ""try"" will work, too, but for the former, ""try out"" sounds odd.

7

To try is to make an attempt to do something (or not).

I try not to eat too much saturated fat.

I try to run five miles every day.

To try out can mean either to attempt to qualify for a team sport

Sheila plans to try out for the cheerleading squad.

or, when used with an object, to see whether one wants to qualify something for possible use or purchase.

I'm going to try out a new set of golf clubs Saturday. If I like them I'll buy them.

EDIT

To ""try"" something also means to sample it. It is also used as an informal way of ordering a particular food item, whether at a dinner or a restaurant.

try + noun = test: Shall we try the new restaurant?

try out + noun = test: I want to try out the new Mercedes.

try out + for = attempt: I'm going to try out for the football team.

try + on = test clothing/accessories: Try on this perfume and see if you like it.

try + infinitive = attempt: Let's try to get seats close to the stage.

6

The verb to try X often has two partially overlapping senses. From dictionary.com...

1: to attempt to do or accomplish (sense #1 in link)

2: to endeavor to evaluate by experiment or experience (sense #3 in link)

In something like ""I'm trying a new diet, either or both senses might apply (I'm going to attempt to follow this diet, and/or evaluate it).

But for most native speakers, to try out X (or to try X out - both sequences are equally valid) would normally be under

try out vs try (pt 2)

"3

In this case, ""try"" and ""try out"" both mean ""to test/examine"".

You have to look at what comes after the ""try"":

try + noun = test: Shall we try the new restaurant?

try out + noun = test: I want to try out the new Mercedes.

try out + for = attempt: I'm going to try out for the football team.

try + on = test clothing/accessories: Try on this perfume and see if you like it.

try + infinitive = attempt: Let's try to get seats close to the stage"

second-guess

"to criticize someone's actions or an event after it has happened:

Of course it's easy to second-guess the management of the election campaign, but I do think serious mistakes were made."

call off

"to decide that a planned event, especially a sports event, will not happen, or to end an activity because it is no longer useful or possible:

Tomorrow's match has been called off because of the icy weather.

The police have called off the search for the missing child until dawn tomorrow.

hey've called off the wedding.

We had to call off the party because of his health.

The wedding was planned for June and they've just called the whole thing off.

Is it too late to call it off?

They've had to call off the match at the last minute."

take a rain check

"said when politely refusing an offer, with the implication that one may accept it at a later date.

""I can't make it tonight, but I'd like to take a rain check""

used to tell someone that you cannot accept an invitation now, but would like to do so at a later time:

Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I have to work late tonight."

it totally slipped my mind

"""I was meaning to call you but it totally slipped my mind.""

""There was something I needed to do today but it totally slipped my mind.""

""Sorry I forgot about your birthday. It totally slipped my mind."""

wing it

"To do something with no preparation

I slept through the lecture so when the quiz came, I had to wing it."

once in a blue moon

"not very often:

My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a blue moon.

Once in a blue moon, there's an issue I can't resolve.

Once in a blue moon he'd call, but for months at a time we heard nothing."

get the hang of sth

"o learn how to do something, esp. when it is not simple or obvious:

I'll teach you how to use the design program - you'll get the hang of it after a while."

get sucked into sth

"to become involved in a situation when you do not want to be involved:

I got sucked into the argument because I was a friend of the family."

get the better of sb

"to defeat someone in a competition:

He fought fiercely, but his opponent easily got the better of him.

If a feeling gets the better of you, you cannot stop yourself from allowing that feeling to make you do something, despite knowing that what you are doing is wrong:

Her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the door and peeped inside."

worthwhile

"useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made:

She considers teaching a worthwhile career.

The time and expense involved in keeping up to date with all the changes has been worthwhile.

If you need him on this project, you've got to make it financially worthwhile for him (= you will have to pay him a suitable amount of money for the amount of work involved).

It's not a worthwhile use of your time.

If you want people to do things for you, you've got to make it worthwhile to them.

She was doing a really worthwhile job with those young people.

It wasn't worthwhile for us to have two cars.

It's not worthwhile for you to wait any longer."

amped/ amp up

"Fired up, awaiting big thrill, stoked, ready to roll

I was amped for the upcoming X-Games"

hype up

"To hype someone up means to deliberately make them very excited about something.

Everyone at school used to hype each other up about men all the time

to make something sound more interesting or impressive than it is

The movie had been so hyped up that it was a bit of a disappointment when I eventually saw it."

pump up/pysche up

"How to pump yourself up/pysche yourself up?

to make someone more confident or more enthusiastic:

Myerson spent a lot of time trying to pump up his partners"

fired up

"to make someone become excited or angry:

We had an argument about it and she got all fired up.

to make someone feel enthusiastic or excited about something:

Investors were fired up by the drop in rates."

fit in with

"(of a person) be socially compatible with other members of a group.

""he feels he should become tough to fit in with his friends""

(of a thing) be in harmony with other things within a larger structure.

""produce ideas that fit in with an established approach""

(of a person or thing) constitute part of a particular situation or larger structure.

""where do your sisters fit in?"""

epitome of sth.

"the typical or highest example of a stated quality, as shown by a particular person or thing:

Even now in her sixties, she is the epitome of French elegance.

He was the epitome of the fashionable gentleman."

by itself - in itself

"by itself means ""alone, unaccompanied"".

in itself means ""not needing other things"".

in and of itself means ""when considered in isolation"".

The pony, standing by itself in the paddock, looked rather forlorn.

This deed, in itself, is an impeachable offense.

This action, in and of itself, does not constitute obstruction of justice, but when seen in the context of other actions, a pattern of behavior emerges which rises to that offense."