way

to deal with a large amount of work or material from start to finish, especially when it takes time and effort.

to take jobs while you study or travel so that you can pay for those activities yourself.

to rise step by step into more important roles inside a company or organisation.

on the opposite side of a street, hallway, or open space.

for the whole length of a journey or for the whole period that something lasts, without stopping.

while you are doing or learning something, as part of the process.

used to comment that things have a habit of turning out badly or awkwardly, just when you don't want them to.

no matter how you choose to look at or describe a situation, the conclusion stays the same.

to behave in a certain manner because that quality is simply part of who you are.

to be much easier from now on compared with what came before, or, in the opposite sense, to keep getting steadily worse.

to have habits and opinions that you have kept for years and are unwilling to change.

to be close to reaching or achieving something, with the rest expected to come soon.

by a very large amount; used to stress how far ahead one thing or person is compared with the rest.

used to add a remark or question that is loosely linked, or not linked at all, to what was just being discussed.

passing through the named place during a journey from one location to another.

given as a particular kind of thing — for example as an explanation, an apology, or a payment.

to begin behaving very differently from how you used to behave, especially after causing problems.

to slowly and forcefully reach a place or position by struggling against difficulty.

to remove the obstacles that have been preventing something from happening, so that it can now go ahead.

to arrive in your life by chance, especially when you were not expecting it.

to produce two opposite kinds of effect or to support two opposite arguments at the same time.

used to say it makes no real difference to you which of two possibilities turns out to be the case.

in many different directions at the same time, often in a chaotic or messy manner.

to move or proceed cautiously, either with your hands when you cannot see, or in a new situation when you do not yet know the rules.

to manage to reach a destination, often after needing to look at a map or ask for directions.

to end up at a particular place or in a particular situation by chance, without setting out to.

to develop a habit of doing something, or to lose a habit you used to have.

to stop someone or something from doing what they want to do or from happening as planned.

to succeed in doing or having what you want, especially when other people have tried to stop you.

to break, collapse, or stop holding something up under pressure.

to stop arguing or resisting, and let another person or vehicle have what they want.

to be replaced by something else, or to allow yourself to be overcome by a strong feeling.

to have full sex with someone, as opposed to just kissing or touching.

to have known each other for many years.

to last for a long time or to be enough to cover a lot, especially when talking about money, food, or supplies.

to be very helpful in achieving a particular result, even if it does not finish the job entirely.

to take extra trouble, beyond what anyone would normally expect, in order to do something kind or helpful.

to make your own choices and follow them, even when other people are urging you not to.

to stop being together as a couple, partners, or close friends, and continue life apart.

to be heading in the same direction as another person, or, of events, to turn out as that person hopes.

a polite, slightly literary phrase meaning to die.

by going through painful experiences or making mistakes yourself, rather than learning from advice.

to have made a great deal of progress from where you or something started.

to be a sensible, level-headed person who makes good decisions.

to try to enjoy the benefits of two situations that cannot really be combined.

an annoyed reply that means: fine, do it the way you insist, even though I don't agree.

to manage things so that they happen the way you want, even though others would prefer something different.

to still need to make a lot of progress before reaching a goal or finishing something.

used to say that something tends to happen in a certain way, especially in a way you cannot really control.

to have a natural talent for handling a particular kind of person or thing well.

an old-fashioned, often joking phrase meaning to persuade someone into having sex with you.

used to introduce what you would do if the decision were entirely up to you.

of any kind at all — used to stress total rejection or denial.

on a large or small scale, or to a great or small extent.

an old-fashioned, gentle way of saying that a woman is pregnant.

used after a comment to show that what you have just said is true at more than one level.

used to describe what usually happens in a situation, before pointing out an exception.

in whatever manner and at whatever pace you choose, even if this is annoying for other people.

to a partial extent, but not completely; used when something is only partly true.

in a manner that suits that particular person or thing, even if others might find it strange.

blocking someone, so that they cannot move past or do what they need to do.

used in questions or negative sentences to ask or say what kind of a thing is available.

to deliberately avoid being near someone, especially when they are angry or busy.

to be familiar with a place, system, or subject so that you can move through it confidently.

to make a great deal of money very easily and feel highly pleased with yourself for doing so.

to use lies in order to enter, or to escape from, a tricky situation.

to choose, on purpose, not to notice something wrong that is happening.

to no longer know which direction to take, either on a real journey or in life and work.

to move aside so that someone or something can pass, or to be replaced by someone or something new.

to travel slowly or with effort towards a place, or to gradually become successful in a field.

to begin behaving better after a period of behaving badly, often after being warned.

to choose a moderate course of action that avoids two more extreme options.

used to emphasise that you are entirely certain of the truth of what you are saying.

used to make it very clear that something will definitely not happen or be done.

currently travelling towards somewhere, or about to leave for somewhere; also used of something that is on the point of arriving.

to make it possible for a person to do something, or for an event to take place, that was not possible before.

in the opposite position, order, or direction; also used to correct someone by saying that the truth is reversed.

in a place where you, or something you care about, cannot be hurt or damaged.

no longer blocking someone or something, and so no longer a problem.

not on the route that you had planned to take, requiring extra travel.

a moment when two people, friends, or groups decide that they should go on separately from now on.

to do something now that creates the conditions in which a future event or change becomes possible.

of a business, project, or service: to bring in enough money to cover what it costs to keep running.

to cover all your own costs without depending on money from anyone else.

to walk slowly and carefully, choosing each step, especially over rough or dangerous ground.

to annoy or irritate someone, often without meaning to, by saying or doing something that bothers them.

to realise or accept that you have been doing something wrong and decide to start behaving differently.

to find that you are able to, or willing to, do something for someone else.

to try to work out how a situation is likely to develop before deciding what you will do about it.

to be the first to do something, so that other people can copy or follow your example.

to make a process or change easier for someone by removing small problems in advance.

to (not) try to stop someone from doing what they want to do.

an informal phrase used to say that someone is sexually attracted to both men and women.

to deal with a problem by choosing the simplest path, even when this is not the right or fair thing to do.

to feel hurt or offended by a comment that the speaker did not mean as an insult.

to escape from a tricky situation by giving good excuses or clever reasons.

an informal saying meaning that this is simply how things are, and we have to accept it.

a saying meaning that there are several different methods of reaching the same result.

according to the way I understand things; an introduction to your personal view.

having begun and now in progress, often used of plans, journeys, or projects.

a course of action that seems most likely to lead to good results in the future.

a route or method that lets you join a group or industry that is hard to enter, or that helps you start to grasp a difficult subject.

the regular pattern of how a person or group lives, including their habits, beliefs, and routines.

the manner in which most people behave, or in which events tend to happen — something we cannot easily change.

an informal saying telling someone they must either accept your decision or leave the situation entirely.

the methods, money, and resources that you can use to get something done.

an informal exclamation used to praise someone for doing something well.

the things you can do or give to make a particular person like or love you.

a saying meaning that if you really want something strongly enough, you will find a method of getting it.

a run of victories or successes, especially in sport or competition.