Idioms starting with T

Idioms starting with t Idioms starting with t

Idiom	Meaning
Take a rain check	To decline an offer or invitation, with the intention of possibly accepting it later
Take the bull by the horns	To confront a difficult situation boldly
Taste of your own medicine	To experience something unpleasant that one has previously inflicted on others
Throw in the towel	To give up or surrender
Turn over a new leaf	To make a fresh start or change one’s behavior for the better
Tall order	A difficult or challenging task

Idiom	Meaning
Through thick and thin	During both good times and bad times
To each his own	Everyone has their own preferences or opinions
Touch and go	Uncertain or precarious
Two peas in a pod	Two people who are very similar or closely related
Turn the tables	To reverse a situation or gain the upper hand
Tearjerker	A story or event that evokes strong emotions, particularly sadness or sympathy
Turn a deaf ear	To ignore or refuse to listen

Idiom	Meaning
Take the cake	To be exceptionally good or impressive
Turn a blind eye	To ignore or overlook something, especially wrongdoing
The whole nine yards	Everything, all the way, or to the fullest extent
Toss-up	A situation in which the outcome is uncertain or equally likely to go either way
Toe the line	To conform to rules or standards
Take the plunge	To take a significant and often risky step or decision
To the letter	Exactly as instructed or precisely

Idiom	Meaning
Take with a grain of salt	To be skeptical or not fully believe something
Third time’s a charm	Belief that after two unsuccessful attempts, the third attempt will be successful
Talk turkey	To speak candidly or seriously about something
Turn a profit	To make a financial gain or profit
The straw that broke the camel’s back	The final small burden that causes someone to collapse under pressure or stress
Throw caution to the wind	To act recklessly or without considering the consequences
Time is money	Time should be used efficiently because it has value

Idiom	Meaning
Two-faced	Insincere or deceitful
Touch base	To make contact or get in touch
Take the high road	To act with integrity or moral superiority
Tighten the screws	To increase pressure or control on a situation or person
Throw someone under the bus	To betray or sacrifice someone for personal gain
Thick as thieves	Very close or intimate friends
Talk someone’s ear off	To talk incessantly or for an extended period of time

Idiom	Meaning
Turn the other cheek	To respond to insult or injury with forgiveness or humility
Turn the tide	To cause a shift in the direction of a situation or outcome
Take it with a grain of salt	To be skeptical about something
Taste of one’s own medicine	To experience the same negative treatment that one has given to others
Time heals all wounds	Pain or distress lessens over time
Throw the baby out with the bathwater	To discard something valuable along with something undesirable
Take the edge off	To make something less intense or severe

Idiom	Meaning
Time flies	Time passes quickly
Take the bait	To fall for a trick or deception
To the moon and back	A phrase expressing extreme love or affection
Tighten one’s belt	To reduce spending or live more frugally
Toss and turn	To be restless or unable to sleep comfortably
Take a hike	To go away or leave abruptly
Through the grapevine	Information passed on through gossip or informal channels

Idiom	Meaning
To have a tiger by the tail	To be in a situation that is difficult to control or manage
To beat a dead horse	To waste time on a futile effort
Turn the screw(s)	To increase pressure or difficulty on someone or something
Take the wind out of someone’s sails	To deflate someone’s confidence or enthusiasm
Turn the corner	To overcome a difficult situation and start improving
Take one for the team	To make a sacrifice for the benefit of a group
Turn a new leaf	To make a fresh start or change one’s behavior for the better

Idiom	Meaning
Take it or leave it	Accept it as it is or reject it
The ball is in your court	It is your responsibility to take action or make a decision
The buck stops here	The responsibility for a decision or action rests with the speaker
Tug of war	A struggle for supremacy or control between opposing forces
Take a back seat	To assume a position of lesser importance or influence
The elephant in the room	An obvious problem or controversial issue that is being ignored or avoided
The grass is always greener on the other side	People tend to covet what they don’t have

Idiom	Meaning
The handwriting on the wall	Signs or indications of impending trouble or disaster
The pot calling the kettle black	Accusing someone of a fault that one possesses
Time will tell	The truth or outcome will become apparent eventually
Two sides of the same coin	Two perspectives or aspects of the same situation
Two heads are better than one	Collaborative thinking often leads to better results
To cut to the chase	To get to the main point without wasting time
To kill two birds with one stone	To accomplish two objectives with a single action
Through rose-colored glasses	To view things in an overly optimistic or idealistic way
To have one’s head in the clouds	To be daydreaming or not paying attention to reality