Modern Idioms: English expressions with meanings

Trendy business and everyday expressions from 2020-2026

62 wordsA2 · 3B1 · 25B2 · 27C1 · 7

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10 words from this collection. Pick the right meaning.

Word	Level	Definition
move the needle	B2	to make a clear, noticeable change in progress
circle back	B1	to return to a topic later
deep dive	B1	a very careful and detailed look at a topic
unpack	A2	to explain something in detail, one part at a time
bandwidth	B2	the time and energy a person has to do things
pivot	B2	to change your plan and try a new approach
double down	B2	to try even harder at something you are already doing
lean in	B2	to get more involved and take action with energy
big picture thinking	B1	looking at a plan as a whole, not small parts
get the ball rolling	B1	to start something, to begin a process
level up	B1	to move up to a new and higher stage
game changer	B1	something new that changes the way things work
pain point	B2	a problem that keeps causing trouble for people
low-hanging fruit	B2	a result that is easy to get without much work
push the envelope	B2	to go further than what is usually expected
run with it	B1	to take an idea and develop it on your own
table it	B2	to stop talking about something and come back later
drill down	B2	to look more closely at the details of something
get granular	C1	to look at the very small details of something
put a pin in it	B2	to mark a topic to talk about at another time

Word	Level	Definition
stay in your lane	B1	to focus on what you know and not other things
read the room	B1	to notice how people around you are feeling
hit different	B2	to feel especially meaningful right now
that tracks	B2	that makes sense, that seems right and logical
the vibe is off	B1	the atmosphere in a place feels wrong somehow
do the work	B1	to put in real effort to change or improve things
hold space	C1	to be present and listen to someone without judging
show up	B1	to be there for someone and support them
call out	A2	to publicly say that someone did something wrong
call in	B1	to gently correct someone in private, with care
take up space	B2	to be confident and not hide who you are
normalize	B2	to make something normal or standard

Word	Level	Definition
disrupt	B1	to change an industry with a completely new way of doing something
scale	B1	to grow a business quickly to a much bigger size
iterate	C1	to improve something step by step through repeated versions
ship it	B1	to finish a product and send it to people who use it
hack	B1	a clever and simple way to solve a problem
move fast and break things	B2	act quickly and do not fear making mistakes
fail fast	B2	to fail quickly so you can learn and try again soon
dogfood	C1	to use your own product to test and find problems
moonshot	C1	a very big and hard goal that would change everything
growth hacking	B2	using smart and cheap ways to grow a business fast
bootstrapping	C1	starting and growing a business with your own money only
unicorn	A2	a private company worth more than one billion dollars

Word	Level	Definition
at the end of the day	B1	when you think about what really matters most
it is what it is	B1	you cannot change it, so just accept the way it is
hot take	B2	an opinion that is bold and may make people disagree
live your best life	B1	to enjoy life as much as you can every day
same energy	B2	two things that feel or look very much alike
main character	B1	acting as if everything is about you and your story
plot twist	B1	something that happens that nobody expected at all
on brand	B2	something typical of a person or company, in their style
gatekeeper	B2	someone who keeps information to themselves and won't share it
echo chamber	C1	a place where you only hear ideas you already agree with
sleep on	B2	to not give enough attention to something that is good
wake-up call	B1	an event that suddenly shows you a serious problem you must deal with
reality check	B1	a moment that shows you how things really are
mic drop	B2	a strong ending that leaves everyone with nothing to say
cliff notes	B2	a very short version of something long and detailed
boots on the ground	B2	real people doing work at the place where it happens
keep it real	B1	to be honest and true and not pretend to be different
walk the talk	B2	to do what you say you will do, not just talk

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