Phrases & Expressions 16

idiom C1 | (at) full throttle

moving or progressing as fast as possible

(at) full throttle — idiom C1 | ↪ synonyms: go all in/all out, push hard, accelerate, commit fully | go full throttle on a project/campaign/launch • go full throttle with energy/passion/confidence/speed • decide to/suddenly/fearlessly go full throttle

↪ to proceed with maximum effort, speed, or intensity; to commit fully to an action, plan, or goal without holding back (⇒ it originates from mechanical language, e.g., engines, but is now widely used metaphorically)

idiom — B2 (spoken, informal, teasing, rhetorical) • synonyms: why so quiet?, tongue-tied?, speechless?, lost for words?, struck dumb?

a playful or sarcastic question asked when someone is unexpectedly silent or refuses to speak; used to prompt a response or highlight awkward silence

idiom C1 also hard/close on someone's heels (figurative, journalistic, competitive, narrative) • synonyms: be close behind, be right after, be in pursuit, be gaining on, be breathing down someone’s neck

to follow someone very closely, either physically or in terms of competition, progress, or pursuit; to be just behind someone in achievement, movement, or timing

idiom C2 (figurative, journalistic, competitive, sports-related) • synonyms: tied, evenly matched, in a dead heat, shoulder to shoulder, level • be / remain / run / stay neck and neck

so close in progress, performance, or score that it’s impossible to tell who is ahead; in a dead heat or tight race

idiom & phrasal verb with pull verb [T ] informal

to get control of your emotions or actions after being very upset

idiom C1 (emotional, narrative, conversational) • synonyms: speechless, stunned, overwhelmed, dumbstruck, at a loss for words • • be / feel / stand / remain lost for words

unable to speak or respond because of strong emotion, surprise, or confusion; temporarily speechless due to being overwhelmed

idiom C1 (social, strategic, journalistic, behavioral) • synonyms: stay under the radar, lie low, avoid attention, keep out of sight, remain discreet

to deliberately avoid attracting attention or publicity; to behave in a discreet, unobtrusive, or inconspicuous way, especially to avoid trouble or scrutiny

idiom US informal (also do someone a favor) • synonyms: do me a favor, help me out, lend me a hand, back me up, give me a break

to do someone a favor, especially as a gesture of goodwill or friendship; to help someone out, often informally and without expecting anything in return

idiom C2 (narrative, introspective, emotional, literary) • synonyms: deep in thought (⇒ to be deeply absorbed in thinking about a subject or problem, often involving careful or profound contemplation), absorbed, reflective

mentally absorbed in one’s own thoughts, often to the point of being unaware of surroundings; deeply reflective or contemplative

idiom C2 • synonyms: lost in thought (⇒ mentally absorbed in one’s own thoughts, often to the point of being unaware of surroundings; deeply reflective or contemplative)

giving all of your attention to what you are thinking or talking about, and not noticing anything else

idiom C2 informal • synonyms: stand up, make sense, be valid, be convincing • an argument that holds water; a theory/story that doesn’t hold water

to be logical, consistent, or reasonable; to be true or valid after being closely examined (⇒ it is often used in informal contexts to describe whether an argument, excuse, or theory is logical or convincing)

hold water idiom C2 informal | ↪ synonyms: doesn’t make sense, falls apart, is flawed, lacks credibility, doesn’t add up • argument / theory / excuse / explanation doesn’t hold water • say / point out / prove that something doesn’t hold water

↪ to be illogical, flawed, or unconvincing; used to describe an argument, explanation, or theory that fails under scrutiny or lacks credibility

idiom C1 • synonyms: only time will tell, we’ll have to wait and see, not yet clear, the jury is still out • it remains to be seen whether / if / how / what / when • it remains to be seen what will happen; it remains to be seen if the plan works

used to say that something is not yet known or certain and will be clear only in the future

idiom C1 • (be) on (the) air • opposite: (be) off (the) air

(BROADCAST) broadcasting on television or radio

idiom C1 • also: be taken off the air (⇒ more formal; suggests external action, e.g. censorship or network decision); be yanked off the air (⇒ emotionally charged, often seen in media headlines; implies abruptness, controversy, and sometimes scandal)

to not be broadcasting on television or radio (⇒ neutral and widely used in media contexts; can refer to scheduled breaks, technical issues, or the end of a show’s run; often contrasted with “on the air")

idiom C1 • also: be off the air (⇒ the most common and neutral; used in both technical contexts — “the program is not broadcasting”, and metaphorically — “absent from public discourse”); be yanked off the air (⇒ implies abruptness, controversy, or drama)

to be removed from broadcasting by decision of a network, authority, or regulatory body; often implies cancellation, censorship, or strategic withdrawal (⇒ this phrase is more formal than “be off the air”)

idiom C2 • also: be off the air (⇒ the most common and neutral; may be temporary, scheduled, or incidental); be taken off the air (⇒ more formal; suggests external action, e.g. censorship or network decision)

to be suddenly and forcefully removed from broadcasting, often due to controversy, scandal, or abrupt decision; implies drama, urgency, or backlash