100 Set Expressions for Cambridge C1 Advanced

there's no point

it's useless

make a difference

have a significant effect

catch sight of

suddenly see

come to terms with

accept something difficult

keep someone posted

keep someone informed

take something for granted

assume without questioning

bear in mind

remember / consider

lose track of

forget / be unaware of something

run the risk of

take a chance that something bad may happen

get the hang of

learn how to do something

bring something to light

reveal / disclose

in the long run

eventually / over a long period

by and large

generally speaking

as a matter of fact

actually / in fact

be at a loss

not know what to do or say

in the blink of an eye

very quickly

on the whole

overall / generally

put pressure on

try to persuade or force someone

come in handy

be useful

a far cry from

very different from

at the end of the day

ultimately / when everything is considered

hit the nail on the head

describe exactly what is causing a situation

keep an eye on

watch / monitor closely

out of the question

not possible

take into account

consider / think about

in the same boat

in the same situation

miss the point

fail to understand

out of the blue

unexpectedly

take your time

do something without rushing

come up with

think of (an idea or solution)

turn a blind eye to

pretend not to notice

bump into

meet by chance

on the tip of my tongue

almost able to remember

go the extra mile

do more than is required

get out of hand

become uncontrollable

call it a day

stop working for the day

draw the line

set a limit

give someone a hand

help someone

keep in touch

maintain contact

make up your mind

decide

speak your mind

say what you really think

pull someone's leg

joke / tease someone

take a toll on

have a negative effect on

be better off

be in a better situation

break the ice

initiate conversation

cost an arm and a leg

be very expensive

hit the books

study hard

kill time

pass time doing something unimportant

make ends meet

have enough money to live on

once in a blue moon

very rarely

spill the beans

reveal a secret

under the weather

feeling ill

burn the midnight oil

work late into the night

cut corners

do something badly to save time or money

face the music

accept the consequences

get cold feet

become nervous and back out

give the benefit of the doubt

believe someone without proof

let the cat out of the bag

reveal a secret by mistake

on thin ice

in a risky situation

play it by ear

act without planning

put all your eggs in one basket

rely on one plan or idea

rain cats and dogs

rain heavily

sit on the fence

avoid taking sides

take it with a grain of salt

not completely believe something

the ball is in your court

it's your decision

through thick and thin

in good and bad times

up in the air

uncertain / undecided

back to square one

start over

bite the bullet

face a difficult situation bravely

break the news

tell someone important news

cry over spilt milk

worry about something that can't be changed

cut to the chase

get to the point

hit the sack

go to bed

jump to conclusions

make decisions too quickly

make a scene

cause a disturbance in public

no strings attached

with no conditions

off the record

not official

on cloud nine

very happy

put your foot down

be firm about something

read between the lines

understand something not directly stated

save face

avoid embarrassment

take it easy

relax

throw in the towel

give up

turn the tables

reverse a situation

under your nose

clearly visible but unnoticed

walk on eggshells

be very careful what you say or do

word of mouth

information spread by people talking

bend over backwards

try very hard to help someone

break even

make no profit or loss

come clean

confess / admit the truth

get your act together

organize yourself

have a lot on your plate

be very busy

hit the ground running

start well and quickly

leave no stone unturned

try everything to achieve something

look down on

think you're better than someone

put something off

delay something

see eye to eye

agree

show your true colors

reveal your real character

stick to your guns

keep your opinion even if others disagree

take someone for a ride

deceive someone