unit 5: without/within expressions

bridging the gap

without exception

used to say that there is nothing or nobody that is not included in something, or that everyone behaves or should behave in the expected way:

You must report here every Tuesday without exception.

within reach of

Your reach is the distance within which you can stretch out your arm and touch something:

I like to keep a notebook and pencil within (arm's) reach.

The top shelf is within/out of (his) reach.

the distance that can be travelled, especially easily:

We live within (easy) reach of the station.

(c2) the limit within which someone can achieve something:

An expensive trip like that would be completely beyond/out of (my) reach (= I would not have enough money to pay for it).

After years of saving, the car was at last within (her) reach (= she had enough money to pay for it).

within your power

do everything in your power (also do everything within your power)

to do as much or try as hard as it is possible for you to do:

I'm doing everything in my power to try to make this happen.

Environmentalists are doing everything within their power to minimize the impact of the oil spill.

without a care in the world

without worrying about anything:

Look at her, not a care in the world!

within earshot

the range of distance within which it is possible to be heard or to hear what someone is saying:

in/within earshot I don't think you should say anything while the boss is still in/within earshot.

within limits

to some extent, but not allowing everything:

I'll pay for what you need - within limits.

within reason

within the limits of what is acceptable and possible:

We can wear anything we like to the office, within reason.

without fail

If you do something without fail, you always do it:

I go to the gym every Monday and Wednesday, without fail.

within firing range

trong tầm bắn

without a hitch

without any difficulties at all:

We want our wedding to go off without a hitch.

without respite

a pause or rest from something difficult or unpleasant:

We worked for hours without respite.

within budget

not spending more than the amount planned and agreed or available:

Libraries are finding it increasingly difficult to remain within budget.

within your rights

If you are within your rights to do something, you are legally allowed to do it:

I think I'm quite within my rights to demand a full refund.

without a second thought

If you do something without a second thought, you do it without first considering if you should do it or not:

She'll spend a hundred dollars on a dress without a second thought.

within striking distance

very near to getting or achieving something:

within striking distance of His victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix puts him within striking distance of the world championship.

distract

to make someone stop giving their attention to something

attention, sb from work

avert

to prevent something bad from happening

a crisis, a strike, (a) disaster, an accident

disturb

to interrupt what someone is doing

a thief, the peace (to break the law by behaving unpleasantly and noisily in public), sb’s concentration

deter

to prevent someone from doing something or to make someone less enthusiastic about doing something by making it difficult for that person to do it or by threatening bad results if they do it

a thief, criminals, sb from doing sth