Idiom Master - Learn 200+ English Idioms by Playing

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Idiom Master

Do you know what "break the ice" really means? Test your knowledge of English idioms and learn expressions used by native speakers every day!

About Idiom Master

Idiom Master helps you understand English expressions that are common in conversations, movies, meetings, and everyday messages. Idioms are difficult because their meaning is not always clear from the individual words, so the best way to learn them is through context.

In this game, you practice recognizing meanings, matching idioms to situations, and remembering how the phrase is used naturally. The more idioms you understand, the easier it becomes to follow fluent speakers and express ideas with more personality.

How to Play

Read the idiom and the situation carefully before choosing an answer.
Pick the meaning or phrase that fits the context, not just the literal words.
Review the explanation and example sentence after each answer.
Replay categories such as work, emotions, success, relationships, or money to build recall.

What You'll Learn

The meaning of common English idioms used by native and fluent speakers.
How to connect idioms with real situations instead of memorizing long lists.
When an idiom sounds natural and when a simpler phrase may be better.

Who Is This For?

This game is best for intermediate learners who already know basic grammar and vocabulary but want to sound more fluent. It is also helpful for workplace English, interview preparation, social conversations, and learners who watch English content.

Beginners can still play slowly, but idioms become easier when you already understand the sentence around the expression.

Tips to Score Higher

Learn the meaning and one example sentence together so the idiom has a clear memory hook.
Avoid translating idioms word by word because the literal meaning is often misleading.
Group idioms by topic, such as work or emotions, to make review sessions easier.
Use new idioms sparingly in speech until you are sure the situation fits.

What Is the Idiom Master Game?

Idiom Master tests your knowledge of common English idioms and their meanings in context. Each question gives you an idiom or a situation and asks you to match it with the correct meaning, making you think about how native speakers actually use these expressions rather than translating them word by word.

Understanding idioms is one of the biggest steps toward sounding natural in English conversation. Phrases like "break the ice," "hit the nail on the head," and "cost an arm and a leg" appear constantly in workplace meetings, movies, podcasts, and casual chat. If you do not recognise them, you miss the speaker's actual meaning even when you understand every individual word.

This game is designed for intermediate and advanced learners who already have solid grammar and basic vocabulary. It is especially helpful for professionals who interact with international colleagues, students preparing for IELTS or TOEFL speaking and writing sections, and anyone who wants their English to sound less textbook and more natural.

How to Learn Idioms Effectively

Idioms stick in memory when you connect them to real situations. These tips help you learn them faster and use them correctly.

Learn idioms in themed groups rather than random lists. Body idioms ("keep an eye on," "cold shoulder"), food idioms ("piece of cake," "spill the beans"), and weather idioms ("under the weather," "break the ice") are easier to remember when they share a category.
Always learn an idiom with a full example sentence. Knowing that "burn the midnight oil" means working late is useful, but remembering "She burned the midnight oil to finish the project before Monday" makes it much easier to use correctly in your own speech.
Do not overuse idioms in formal writing or professional emails. One well-placed idiom sounds natural; three in the same paragraph sounds forced. Use them when they add clarity or personality, not as decoration.

Why Idioms Matter for Fluency

Fluent English speakers use idioms constantly, often without realising it. The gap between understanding grammar and truly following a conversation is often filled by idiom knowledge. Play Idiom Master regularly, and you will start recognising these expressions in movies, podcasts, and meetings without needing to pause and look them up.

Related guides

Full English Idioms List (249 Idioms With Meanings & Examples)

Below is the complete idiom bank used in the Idiom Master game — 249 common English idioms, each with its meaning and an example sentence showing how it is used. Browse the list to learn what each expression means, or expand a theme to revise before you play.

Show all 249 idioms with meanings

Business

Ball is in your court: It is your turn to take action or make a decision; “I've done everything I can — the ball is in your court now.”
Get the ball rolling: To start something, to begin a process; “Let's get the ball rolling on this project before the deadline.”
Think outside the box: To think creatively or unconventionally; “We need to think outside the box to solve this problem.”
Back to the drawing board: To start planning something again because it failed; “The client rejected our proposal, so it's back to the drawing board.”
Cut corners: To do something in the cheapest or easiest way, often sacrificing quality; “Don't cut corners on safety — it could cost lives.”
Ahead of the curve: Ahead of current trends or thinking; “Their company was ahead of the curve in adopting AI technology.”
The bottom line: The most important factor or final result; “The bottom line is that we need to increase revenue by 20%.”
Touch base: To briefly make contact or check in with someone; “Let's touch base next week to review the progress.”
Raise the bar: To set a higher standard; “Her performance really raised the bar for everyone else.”
Learn the ropes: To learn the basics of a job or activity; “It took me a few weeks to learn the ropes at my new job.”
In the pipeline: Being planned or developed, coming soon; “We have several exciting features in the pipeline.”
Call the shots: To be in charge and make all the decisions; “As CEO, she calls the shots around here.”
A long shot: Something with very little chance of success; “Getting the contract was a long shot, but we tried anyway.”
On the same page: In agreement or sharing the same understanding; “Before we present to the client, let's make sure the whole team is on the same page.”
Up in the air: Uncertain or not yet decided; “Our travel plans for Diwali are still up in the air because the tickets are not confirmed.”
Get down to business: To start dealing with the important matter seriously; “After the introductions, the manager said, "Let's get down to business and review the sales figures."”
Red tape: Excessive official rules and paperwork that slow things down; “Getting the licence took months because of all the red tape at the government office.”
Ballpark figure: A rough estimate or approximate number; “I can't give an exact cost yet, but a ballpark figure would be around fifty thousand rupees.”
Corner the market: To gain control over most of the sales of a product or service; “That start-up has cornered the market for online exam preparation in India.”
Win-win situation: A situation in which everyone involved benefits; “Carpooling to college is a win-win situation — we save money and reduce pollution.”
The big picture: The overall situation rather than the small details; “Don't get lost in minor errors — focus on the big picture of the project.”
Game plan: A carefully prepared strategy for achieving a goal; “We need a clear game plan before the board exam if we want to finish the syllabus in time.”
Move the goalposts: To unfairly change the rules or targets after things have started; “Every time we meet the target, the client moves the goalposts and demands more.”
Twist someone's arm: To strongly persuade or pressure someone to do something; “I didn't want to sing at the function, but my friends twisted my arm.”
Get the green light: To receive permission or approval to proceed; “The team finally got the green light to launch the new app next month.”
Hands are tied: Unable to act freely because of rules or circumstances; “I would love to give you a discount, but my hands are tied by company policy.”
By the book: Strictly following the rules and official procedures; “Our auditor does everything by the book, so the accounts are always clean.”
Take it offline: To discuss a matter privately or separately, away from the main group; “That issue only concerns the two of you, so let's take it offline after the meeting.”
Carry the can: To take the blame or responsibility for a mistake, often for others; “When the project failed, the junior employee was left to carry the can.”
A foot in the door: A small first opportunity that may lead to bigger things; “An internship at that company would give you a foot in the door for a full-time job.”

Emotions

On cloud nine: Extremely happy or blissful; “She was on cloud nine after getting the promotion.”
Under the weather: Feeling ill or unwell; “I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so I'll stay home.”
Feeling blue: Feeling sad or depressed; “He's been feeling blue ever since his best friend moved away.”
Cry over spilled milk: To be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed; “There's no point crying over spilled milk — let's focus on the future.”
Butterflies in my stomach: Feeling nervous or anxious about something; “I always get butterflies in my stomach before a presentation.”
Hit the roof: To become extremely angry; “Dad hit the roof when he saw the dent in his car.”
Wear your heart on your sleeve: To show your emotions openly; “She always wears her heart on her sleeve — you can tell exactly how she feels.”
Get cold feet: To suddenly become nervous and hesitant about doing something; “He got cold feet right before the wedding ceremony.”
Over the moon: Extremely happy and excited; “We were over the moon when we heard the good news.”
Down in the dumps: Feeling very sad or unhappy; “She's been down in the dumps since she failed the exam.”
Keep a stiff upper lip: To remain brave and not show emotion during difficult times; “Despite the bad news, she kept a stiff upper lip.”
At the end of my rope: Having no more patience, energy, or options left; “After three sleepless nights with the baby, she was at the end of her rope.”
Bite your tongue: To stop yourself from saying something you want to say; “I wanted to argue with the teacher, but I bit my tongue to stay out of trouble.”
On edge: Nervous, tense, or easily upset; “Everyone was on edge while waiting for the board exam results to be announced.”
Lose your cool: To lose your temper and become angry; “The customer lost his cool when the delivery was delayed for the third time.”
Walking on air: Feeling extremely happy and light-hearted; “After she cleared the IELTS with a high band, she was walking on air all week.”
Down in the mouth: Looking sad, unhappy, or discouraged; “You look a bit down in the mouth today — is everything all right?”
Have a blast: To enjoy yourself a great deal; “We had a blast at the college fest last night.”
Jump for joy: To be extremely happy and excited; “The children jumped for joy when the school announced a holiday.”
A lump in your throat: A tight feeling in the throat caused by strong emotion; “She got a lump in her throat as she said goodbye to her best friend at the station.”
Fed up: Annoyed, bored, or unhappy with a situation; “I'm fed up with the constant power cuts in our area.”
Scared stiff: Extremely frightened; “I was scared stiff during my first viva voce, but the examiner was very kind.”
Hot under the collar: Angry, annoyed, or agitated; “Dad got hot under the collar when he saw the inflated electricity bill.”
On top of the world: Feeling extremely happy or successful; “After winning the debate competition, Arjun felt on top of the world.”
A heavy heart: A feeling of great sadness or sorrow; “It was with a heavy heart that she left her village to study in the city.”
Shaking like a leaf: Trembling because of fear or nervousness; “He was shaking like a leaf before going on stage to give his speech.”
Green with envy: Very jealous of what someone else has; “When Meera bought a new bike, her cousin was green with envy.”
In high spirits: Cheerful and full of energy; “The whole team was in high spirits after qualifying for the finals.”

Relationships

Break the ice: To do or say something to relieve tension or start a conversation; “He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”
See eye to eye: To agree with someone completely; “We don't always see eye to eye, but we respect each other.”
Stab in the back: To betray someone who trusts you; “He really stabbed me in the back by sharing my secret.”
Get along like a house on fire: To quickly become very good friends; “They met at the party and got along like a house on fire.”
Give someone the cold shoulder: To deliberately ignore or act unfriendly toward someone; “She gave him the cold shoulder after their argument.”
Bury the hatchet: To end a conflict and make peace; “After years of fighting, they finally buried the hatchet.”
A shoulder to cry on: Someone who listens sympathetically to your problems; “When things got tough, she was always a shoulder to cry on.”
Two peas in a pod: Two people who are very similar or always together; “Those twins are like two peas in a pod — they do everything together.”
Hit it off: To quickly become good friends with someone; “We hit it off right away at the conference.”
Bend over backwards: To try very hard to help or please someone; “She bent over backwards to make sure the guests were comfortable.”
Cross that bridge when we come to it: To deal with a problem only when it actually happens; “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it — no point worrying now.”
On the same wavelength: Thinking in a similar way and understanding each other easily; “My lab partner and I are on the same wavelength, so projects are always smooth.”
Birds of a feather: People who have similar interests, characters, or backgrounds; “Those two are birds of a feather — both love cricket and old Hindi songs.”
Keep in touch: To stay in regular contact with someone; “Even after she moved abroad, we kept in touch through video calls.”
Make up: To become friends again after a quarrel; “The two friends argued in the morning but made up by lunchtime.”
Fall out: To have an argument and stop being friendly with someone; “They fell out over money and didn't speak for years.”
Pull someone's leg: To tease or joke with someone playfully; “Don't worry, I'm just pulling your leg — there's no extra homework.”
Have someone's back: To support and protect someone; “Don't be afraid to speak up in the meeting — I've got your back.”
Build bridges: To improve relations between people who disagree; “The new captain worked hard to build bridges between the senior and junior players.”
Win someone over: To gain someone's support, trust, or affection; “She won the interviewers over with her confidence and clear answers.”
Lend an ear: To listen sympathetically to someone; “Whenever I am stressed about exams, my sister is always ready to lend an ear.”
Patch things up: To repair a friendship or relationship after a disagreement; “After the misunderstanding, they finally sat down and patched things up.”
Joined at the hip: Two people who are almost always together; “Since they became friends in Class 6, the two have been joined at the hip.”
Rub someone the wrong way: To irritate or annoy someone; “His sarcastic comments rubbed the new teacher the wrong way.”
See someone off: To go with someone to say goodbye as they leave on a journey; “The whole family came to the airport to see her off.”
Thick as thieves: Very close friends who share secrets; “The two neighbours are thick as thieves and tell each other everything.”
On good terms: Having a friendly relationship with someone; “Even after the business split, the partners remained on good terms.”

Success & Failure

Hit the nail on the head: To be exactly right about something; “You hit the nail on the head with that analysis.”
Bite off more than you can chew: To take on more responsibility than you can handle; “He bit off more than he could chew by signing up for five courses.”
Miss the boat: To miss an opportunity by being too slow; “You missed the boat on that investment — the stock has tripled.”
Knock it out of the park: To do something extremely well; “She knocked it out of the park with her presentation.”
Go back to square one: To start over from the very beginning; “The experiment failed, so we had to go back to square one.”
Burn bridges: To damage a relationship beyond repair; “Don't burn bridges with your old employer — you may need a reference.”
Pull it off: To succeed in doing something difficult; “Despite the tight deadline, the team managed to pull it off.”
Drop the ball: To make a mistake or fail to do something important; “I really dropped the ball on that assignment — I forgot the deadline.”
Nip it in the bud: To stop a problem before it gets worse; “We need to nip this issue in the bud before it affects other departments.”
The last straw: The final problem that makes a situation unbearable; “Being late again was the last straw — she got fired.”
Pass with flying colours: To succeed at something with great distinction; “She prepared for months and passed the UPSC prelims with flying colours.”
Crack under pressure: To fail to cope when under stress; “He knew the answers but cracked under pressure during the final round.”
Up to scratch: Good enough to meet the required standard; “The teacher said my essay was not yet up to scratch and needed another draft.”
Make the grade: To reach the necessary standard and succeed; “Only students who make the grade in the entrance test get a seat.”
Fall flat: To fail completely or have no effect; “His joke fell flat and nobody in the room laughed.”
Come out on top: To win or succeed in the end; “After a tough match, our team came out on top by two goals.”
Go down the drain: To be wasted or completely lost; “If we cancel the event now, months of hard work will go down the drain.”
Win hands down: To win easily and by a large margin; “With so much practice, she won the quiz hands down.”
Blow it: To lose or waste a good opportunity through a mistake; “I had one chance to impress the panel, and I blew it by arriving late.”
On a roll: Experiencing a period of continued success; “After three wins in a row, the team is really on a roll.”
Snatch victory from the jaws of defeat: To win at the last moment when defeat seemed certain; “India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a six off the final ball.”
Beginner's luck: Unexpected success that a newcomer has by chance rather than skill; “He won his first chess match, but he admitted it was just beginner's luck.”
Against all odds: Succeeding despite very small chances of success; “Against all odds, the small village school topped the district results.”
Hit rock bottom: To reach the lowest or worst possible point; “After failing twice, his confidence hit rock bottom before he tried again.”
Come up trumps: To produce a good result, often unexpectedly, when it is needed; “We were short of volunteers, but the juniors came up trumps and managed everything.”
Win by a nose: To win by a very small margin; “In the final lap she won by a nose, just ahead of her rival.”

Money

Break the bank: To cost too much money; “This vacation won't break the bank — there are cheap flights available.”
Cost an arm and a leg: To be extremely expensive; “That designer handbag costs an arm and a leg.”
Penny for your thoughts: A way of asking someone what they are thinking about; “You look deep in thought — penny for your thoughts?”
Money doesn't grow on trees: Money is not easy to get and should not be wasted; “Stop buying things you don't need — money doesn't grow on trees!”
Save for a rainy day: To save money for a time when you might need it; “It's wise to save for a rainy day — you never know what might happen.”
Foot the bill: To pay for something, especially something expensive; “My parents footed the bill for the entire wedding.”
Make ends meet: To earn just enough money to cover basic expenses; “With rising prices, many families struggle to make ends meet.”
Tighten your belt: To spend less money than usual; “We need to tighten our belts until the economy improves.”
Born with a silver spoon: Born into a wealthy family; “He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth — he never had to worry about money.”
Go Dutch: To split the cost of a meal equally between everyone; “Let's go Dutch — everyone pays for their own food.”
Put your money where your mouth is: To back up your words with action or financial commitment; “You say it's a great idea — put your money where your mouth is and invest.”
Pay through the nose: To pay far more for something than it is worth; “We paid through the nose for tickets because we booked at the last minute.”
A rip-off: Something that is far too expensive for what it offers; “Forty rupees for a small bottle of water at the cinema is a complete rip-off.”
In the red: Owing money or having spent more than was earned; “The shop has been in the red ever since the new mall opened nearby.”
In the black: Making a profit or having money in your account; “After a strong festive season, the business is finally back in the black.”
Live from hand to mouth: To have only just enough money to survive, with nothing to spare; “Many daily-wage workers live from hand to mouth and cannot save anything.”
Money to burn: To have far more money than one needs; “He buys a new phone every few months as if he has money to burn.”
Tighten the purse strings: To spend money more carefully and reduce expenses; “With school fees due, the family had to tighten the purse strings this month.”
Make big bucks: To earn a large amount of money; “Skilled coders can make big bucks working for international firms.”
A nest egg: A sum of money saved for the future; “My grandparents built a small nest egg for our higher education.”
Cook the books: To change financial records dishonestly to hide the truth; “The company collapsed after auditors found that managers had cooked the books.”
A cash cow: A product or business that steadily earns a lot of money; “Their test-prep app became a cash cow, funding all their other projects.”
Worth its weight in gold: Extremely valuable or useful; “A good mentor during exam preparation is worth its weight in gold.”
Strapped for cash: Having very little money available; “I'm a bit strapped for cash this week, so let's meet at home instead of a restaurant.”
A penny saved is a penny earned: Money you save is as valuable as money you earn; “Switching off unused lights may seem small, but a penny saved is a penny earned.”
Splash out: To spend a lot of money on something enjoyable; “After his first salary, he splashed out on a nice dinner for the whole family.”
Balance the books: To make sure income and expenses are properly accounted for and equal; “At the end of every month, the treasurer balances the books for the society.”

Everyday

Piece of cake: Something very easy to do; “The exam was a piece of cake — I finished in 30 minutes.”
Let the cat out of the bag: To accidentally reveal a secret; “She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
Speak of the devil: Said when the person you were talking about suddenly appears; “Speak of the devil — we were just talking about you!”
Once in a blue moon: Very rarely, almost never; “He visits his hometown once in a blue moon.”
It takes two to tango: Both people involved are responsible for a situation; “Don't blame only him — it takes two to tango.”
Kill two birds with one stone: To accomplish two things with a single action; “By cycling to work, I kill two birds with one stone — exercise and commuting.”
Spill the beans: To reveal secret information; “Come on, spill the beans — what happened at the meeting?”
Bite the bullet: To face a difficult situation with courage; “I need to bite the bullet and tell my boss I'm resigning.”
A blessing in disguise: Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good; “Losing that job was a blessing in disguise — I found a much better one.”
Add insult to injury: To make a bad situation worse; “To add insult to injury, it started raining after my car broke down.”
Better late than never: It is better to do something late than not do it at all; “You finally submitted the report — better late than never!”
The best of both worlds: A situation where you enjoy the advantages of two different things; “Working from home gives me the best of both worlds — comfort and productivity.”
Actions speak louder than words: What you do is more important than what you say; “He promised to help, but actions speak louder than words.”
Barking up the wrong tree: Looking in the wrong place or making a wrong assumption; “If you think I took your keys, you're barking up the wrong tree.”
Hit the sack: To go to bed; “It's past midnight — I'm going to hit the sack.”
Once and for all: Finally and completely, so the matter is settled forever; “Let's solve this seating dispute once and for all.”
Get the hang of it: To learn how to do something with a little practice; “Cycling feels hard at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it.”
Out of the blue: Suddenly and unexpectedly; “Out of the blue, an old school friend called me after ten years.”
When pigs fly: Something that will never happen; “"He'll clean his room when pigs fly," joked his mother.”
Hit the road: To leave or begin a journey; “We should hit the road early to avoid the morning traffic.”
Right under your nose: Very close and easy to notice, yet overlooked; “I searched everywhere for my glasses, but they were right under my nose on the table.”
The tip of the iceberg: A small visible part of a much larger problem; “The complaints we hear are just the tip of the iceberg.”
A storm in a teacup: A lot of unnecessary fuss about a small matter; “The argument over seating was just a storm in a teacup and was forgotten by evening.”
Beat around the bush: To avoid talking about something directly; “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what really happened.”
Pull yourself together: To regain control of your emotions and calm down; “She was nervous before the interview, but she pulled herself together and did well.”
On the ball: Alert and quick to understand or respond; “The new receptionist is really on the ball and never forgets a message.”
Go with the flow: To relax and accept a situation as it develops; “We had no fixed plan for the trip; we just decided to go with the flow.”
Make a long story short: To tell only the main points and leave out the details; “To make a long story short, we missed the train but reached the wedding in time.”
Read between the lines: To understand a hidden or unstated meaning; “The letter sounded polite, but reading between the lines, she was clearly upset.”
Jump on the bandwagon: To join an activity or trend because it has become popular; “When short videos became popular, every brand jumped on the bandwagon.”
Caught red-handed: Caught in the act of doing something wrong; “The boy was caught red-handed taking sweets from the jar.”

Food

Have a lot on your plate: To be very busy with many responsibilities; “I can't take on another project — I already have a lot on my plate.”
In a nutshell: In a few words, briefly summarized; “In a nutshell, the project is behind schedule but within budget.”
Bring home the bacon: To earn money for the family; “She works two jobs to bring home the bacon.”
Apple of my eye: A person who is cherished above all others; “My youngest daughter is the apple of my eye.”
Egg someone on: To encourage someone to do something, usually unwise; “His friends egged him on to jump into the river.”
Bite the dust: To fail, die, or come to an end; “Another small business has bitten the dust due to the recession.”
Cool as a cucumber: Very calm and composed, especially under pressure; “Despite the chaos, she remained cool as a cucumber.”
Full of beans: Lively, energetic, and enthusiastic; “The kids are full of beans today — they can't sit still!”
Not my cup of tea: Not something you enjoy or are interested in; “Horror movies are not my cup of tea — I prefer comedies.”
Take it with a grain of salt: To not take something too seriously or to be skeptical; “He tends to exaggerate, so take his stories with a grain of salt.”
The cream of the crop: The best of the best, the highest quality; “These students are the cream of the crop — all scored above 95%.”
Spice things up: To make something more exciting or interesting; “To spice things up, the teacher turned the revision into a quiz game.”
Go bananas: To become very excited, angry, or behave wildly; “The crowd went bananas when their favourite singer came on stage.”
A hard nut to crack: A difficult problem or person to deal with; “This maths question is a hard nut to crack, even for the toppers.”
Have a sweet tooth: To have a strong liking for sweet foods; “My grandfather has a sweet tooth and never says no to gulab jamun.”
Sell like hot cakes: To sell very quickly and in large numbers; “The new exam guidebook sold like hot cakes before the boards.”
A piece of the pie: A share of something valuable, such as profit or benefit; “As the company grew, every early employee wanted a piece of the pie.”
Butter someone up: To flatter someone in order to gain a favour; “He buttered up the manager hoping for an early holiday.”
In a pickle: In a difficult or awkward situation; “I was in a pickle when I realised I had forgotten my admit card at home.”
Walk on eggshells: To be very careful not to upset or offend someone; “Since the boss is in a bad mood, everyone is walking on eggshells today.”
Bread and butter: A person's main source of income or basic livelihood; “Tailoring is her bread and butter, and she takes great pride in it.”
Use your noodle: To use your brain and think cleverly; “Use your noodle — there's a simpler way to solve this sum.”
Out to lunch: Not paying attention or out of touch with reality; “He gave such a strange answer that the class thought he was out to lunch.”
A couch potato: A lazy person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television; “During the holidays he became a couch potato, watching cricket all day.”
Bigger fish to fry: More important things to do or deal with; “I won't argue about a small bill — I have bigger fish to fry.”
Chew the fat: To chat casually and at length; “The uncles sat on the veranda chewing the fat about old times.”
The icing on the cake: An extra benefit that makes a good thing even better; “Winning the trophy was great, and the cash prize was the icing on the cake.”

Time

Burn the midnight oil: To work or study late into the night; “I burned the midnight oil to finish the assignment before dawn.”
In the nick of time: Just in time, at the last possible moment; “We arrived at the airport in the nick of time — the gate was about to close.”
Time flies: Time passes very quickly; “Time flies when you're having fun — it's already midnight!”
Against the clock: In a hurry, with very little time available; “We're working against the clock to meet the deadline.”
Around the clock: All day and all night, continuously; “The hospital operates around the clock.”
Call it a day: To stop working on something, to finish for the day; “We've been at this for 8 hours — let's call it a day.”
At the eleventh hour: At the very last moment before a deadline; “They reached an agreement at the eleventh hour.”
Kill time: To do something unimportant while waiting; “I was just killing time at the airport by reading a book.”
On the dot: Exactly at the stated time, punctually; “The exam starts at nine on the dot, so reach early.”
In no time: Very quickly or very soon; “With everyone helping, the hall was decorated in no time.”
Beat the clock: To finish something before time runs out; “She wrote the last answer just in time, beating the clock by a minute.”
The crack of dawn: Very early in the morning, at first light; “Farmers here wake up at the crack of dawn to water the fields.”
Just around the corner: Going to happen very soon; “The final exams are just around the corner, so revision has begun.”
Take a rain check: To politely postpone an invitation to a later time; “I can't join dinner tonight, but can I take a rain check for the weekend?”
Buy time: To delay something in order to gain more time; “He asked extra questions just to buy time before giving his decision.”
Behind the times: Old-fashioned and not up to date; “Their office is a bit behind the times and still uses paper files for everything.”
Ahead of your time: Having ideas or methods too advanced for the present period; “The scientist was ahead of her time, predicting ideas accepted only decades later.”
Make up for lost time: To do something more or faster to compensate for earlier delay; “After being ill for a week, he studied hard to make up for lost time.”
In the long run: Over a long period in the future, eventually; “Studying daily seems slow, but in the long run it pays off.”
Day in, day out: Continuously, every single day without change; “She practises the sitar day in, day out, and it shows in her skill.”
On borrowed time: Continuing to exist or survive longer than expected; “That old scooter is on borrowed time and could break down any day now.”
Time is money: Time is a valuable resource that should not be wasted; “Finish the task quickly — time is money during the busy season.”
Like clockwork: Happening regularly and smoothly, exactly as planned; “The morning trains here run like clockwork.”
In the meantime: During the time in between, meanwhile; “The results come out next week; in the meantime, just relax.”

Effort

Go the extra mile: To make more effort than is expected; “She always goes the extra mile for her students.”
Leave no stone unturned: To try every possible option to find or achieve something; “The police left no stone unturned in their search for the missing child.”
Practice makes perfect: Regular practice leads to improvement and mastery; “Keep rehearsing your speech — practice makes perfect.”
Pull your weight: To do your fair share of work in a group; “Everyone needs to pull their weight if we're going to finish on time.”
Burn the candle at both ends: To exhaust yourself by working too hard or staying up too late; “You'll get sick if you keep burning the candle at both ends.”
Keep your nose to the grindstone: To work very hard and continuously; “If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you'll finish the project early.”
Give it your best shot: To try as hard as you can; “I might not win, but I'll give it my best shot.”
Blood, sweat, and tears: Extremely hard work and effort; “Building this business took blood, sweat, and tears.”
Throw in the towel: To give up or admit defeat; “After three failed attempts, he finally threw in the towel.”
Rome wasn't built in a day: Important achievements take time and patience; “Don't rush — Rome wasn't built in a day.”
Move mountains: To achieve something very difficult through great effort; “With enough determination, you can move mountains.”
Sink or swim: To either fail or succeed by your own efforts; “My new job is sink or swim — there's no training program.”
Put your back into it: To use a lot of physical effort and energy; “If we all put our backs into it, we can move this furniture before lunch.”
Roll up your sleeves: To prepare yourself for hard work; “There's a lot to finish before the festival, so let's roll up our sleeves.”
Give it a go: To make an attempt at something; “You've never tried public speaking, but why not give it a go?”
Go all out: To make the greatest possible effort; “The students went all out to make the science exhibition a success.”
Pull out all the stops: To do everything possible to make something succeed; “The college pulled out all the stops to welcome the chief guest.”
Put your shoulder to the wheel: To begin to work hard at a task; “With the deadline near, the whole team put their shoulders to the wheel.”
Knuckle down: To start working hard and seriously; “After the holidays, it's time to knuckle down and revise for the exams.”
Go the whole nine yards: To do something completely and thoroughly, leaving nothing out; “For her sister's wedding she went the whole nine yards with the decorations.”
Work your fingers to the bone: To work extremely hard for a long time; “She worked her fingers to the bone to give her children a good education.”
Try your hand at: To attempt an activity for the first time; “On the trip he decided to try his hand at pottery.”
Put in the hours: To spend a lot of time working hard at something; “Toppers make it look easy, but they quietly put in the hours every day.”
Give it your all: To put in your maximum effort; “Whatever the result, give it your all in the interview.”
Hit the books: To study hard; “The exams are near, so it's time to hit the books.”
Pull your socks up: To make a greater effort to improve; “Your marks have slipped, so you need to pull your socks up this term.”
Go above and beyond: To do far more than is required or expected; “The volunteers went above and beyond to help the flood-affected families.”
Put your mind to it: To focus your full attention and determination on something; “You can learn to swim if you really put your mind to it.”
Keep at it: To continue trying and not give up; “Learning the guitar is tough at first, but keep at it and you'll improve.”