💎 Idioms Mastery Tracker
Common IELTS Vocabulary Idioms for Band 9.0
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Idiom
Band 9+
Grasp the nettle
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MEANING
Band 9+
To deal with a difficult situation in a very direct and confident way.
Example Usage:
"Governments must grasp the nettle and implement unpopular environmental taxes."Idiom
Band 8+
Bone of contention
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MEANING
Band 8+
A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement.
Example Usage:
"Budget allocation remains a major bone of contention between the departments."Idiom
Band 8+
A double-edged sword
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MEANING
Band 8+
Something that has both favorable and unfavorable consequences.
Example Usage:
"Social media is a double-edged sword for teenagers."Idiom
Band 8+
The tip of the iceberg
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MEANING
Band 8+
Only a small part of a much larger problem.
Example Usage:
"The reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg."Idiom
Band 7+
Blessing in disguise
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MEANING
Band 7+
An unlucky event that has a good outcome.
Example Usage:
"Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because I found a better one."Idiom
Band 7+
Kill two birds with one stone
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MEANING
Band 7+
To achieve two things with one action.
Example Usage:
"I can kill two birds with one stone by visiting my aunt while I am in London."Idiom
Band 6+
Break the ice
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MEANING
Band 6+
To say or do something that makes people feel more relaxed.
Example Usage:
"The examiner asked a warm-up question to break the ice."Idiom
Band 6+
Burn the midnight oil
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MEANING
Band 6+
To study or work until very late at night.
Example Usage:
"I had to burn the midnight oil to prepare for my IELTS exam."Idiom
Band 6+
Cost an arm and a leg
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MEANING
Band 6+
To be very expensive.
Example Usage:
"University tuition fees in some countries cost an arm and a leg."Idiom
Band 7+
Cry over spilled milk
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MEANING
Band 7+
To complain about a loss from the past that cannot be changed.
Example Usage:
"Its no use crying over spilled milk; you should focus on your next attempt."Idiom
Band 7+
Every cloud has a silver lining
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MEANING
Band 7+
Every difficult situation has a positive aspect.
Example Usage:
"Even though I failed the test, the silver lining was that I identified my weaknesses."Idiom
Band 7+
Face the music
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MEANING
Band 7+
To accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions.
Example Usage:
"If you dont study, you will eventually have to face the music on exam day."Idiom
Band 6+
Get out of hand
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MEANING
Band 6+
To become difficult to control.
Example Usage:
"The protest got out of hand when the crowd started blocking the main road."Idiom
Band 7+
In the heat of the moment
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MEANING
Band 7+
Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
Example Usage:
"He said some harsh words in the heat of the moment during the debate."Idiom
Band 6+
Keep an eye on
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MEANING
Band 6+
To watch someone or something carefully.
Example Usage:
"Technicians must keep an eye on the server performance at all times."Idiom
Band 7+
Let the cat out of the bag
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MEANING
Band 7+
To reveal a secret by mistake.
Example Usage:
"I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about her surprise party."Idiom
Band 6+
Make a long story short
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MEANING
Band 6+
To skip details and get to the point.
Example Usage:
"To make a long story short, I ended up moving to Australia."Idiom
Band 7+
Miss the boat
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MEANING
Band 7+
To be too late to take advantage of an opportunity.
Example Usage:
"If you dont apply now, you might miss the boat for this semester."Idiom
Band 8+
Not a spark of evidence
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MEANING
Band 8+
No proof at all.
Example Usage:
"There is not a spark of evidence to support that theory."Idiom
Band 9+
Of the first water
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MEANING
Band 9+
Of the finest quality.
Example Usage:
"He is a researcher of the first water in the field of AI."Idiom
Band 6+
Off the top of my head
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MEANING
Band 6+
From memory, without checking details.
Example Usage:
"Off the top of my head, I think there are about ten major cities."Idiom
Band 7+
On thin ice
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MEANING
Band 7+
In a risky or dangerous situation.
Example Usage:
"If he misses another deadline, he will be on thin ice with his manager."Idiom
Band 6+
Once in a blue moon
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MEANING
Band 6+
Very rarely.
Example Usage:
"I only eat fast food once in a blue moon."Idiom
Band 6+
Out of the blue
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MEANING
Band 6+
Completely unexpectedly.
Example Usage:
"The job offer came out of the blue."Idiom
Band 6+
Over the moon
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MEANING
Band 6+
Extremely happy and excited.
Example Usage:
"She was over the moon when she got a Band 8.5."Idiom
Band 6+
Piece of cake
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MEANING
Band 6+
Something very easy to do.
Example Usage:
"The reading test was a piece of cake for him."Idiom
Band 7+
Pull someone’s leg
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MEANING
Band 7+
To joke with someone.
Example Usage:
"I thought he was serious, but he was just pulling my leg."Idiom
Band 7+
Put all your eggs in one basket
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MEANING
Band 7+
To rely on one single thing or person for success.
Example Usage:
"Dont put all your eggs in one basket; apply to multiple universities."Idiom
Band 7+
See eye to eye
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MEANING
Band 7+
To agree with someone completely.
Example Usage:
"My parents and I dont always see eye to eye on politics."Idiom
Band 7+
Sit on the fence
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MEANING
Band 7+
To avoid making a decision or choosing a side.
Example Usage:
"You cannot sit on the fence forever; you need to take a stance."Idiom
Band 7+
Spill the beans
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MEANING
Band 7+
To reveal a secret.
Example Usage:
"The journalist decided to spill the beans about the corruption scandal."Idiom
Band 8+
Steal someone’s thunder
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MEANING
Band 8+
To take the credit for something someone else did.
Example Usage:
"I worked hard on the project, but he stole my thunder at the meeting."Idiom
Band 8+
Straight from the horse’s mouth
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MEANING
Band 8+
From the highest or most direct authority.
Example Usage:
"I got the news about the exam changes straight from the horses mouth."Idiom
Band 7+
Take it with a grain of salt
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MEANING
Band 7+
To not take something too seriously or literally.
Example Usage:
"You should take his claims with a grain of salt."Idiom
Band 7+
The ball is in your court
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MEANING
Band 7+
It is your turn to take action or make a decision.
Example Usage:
"I have made my offer; now the ball is in your court."Idiom
Band 7+
The best of both worlds
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MEANING
Band 7+
A situation where you can enjoy the advantages of two very different things.
Example Usage:
"Working from home gives me the best of both worlds."Idiom
Band 8+
The Elephant in the room
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MEANING
Band 8+
An obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about.
Example Usage:
"Social inequality is the elephant in the room in this discussion."Idiom
Band 7+
Think outside the box
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MEANING
Band 7+
To think in an original and creative way.
Example Usage:
"To solve climate change, we need to think outside the box."Idiom
Band 7+
Through thick and thin
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MEANING
Band 7+
To support someone through good and bad times.
Example Usage:
"True friends stay with you through thick and thin."Idiom
Band 7+
Throw in the towel
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MEANING
Band 7+
To give up.
Example Usage:
"Even though it was hard, I refused to throw in the towel."Idiom
Band 6+
Under the weather
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MEANING
Band 6+
Feeling slightly ill.
Example Usage:
"I missed the lecture because I was feeling under the weather."Idiom
Band 7+
Up in the air
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MEANING
Band 7+
Not yet decided or settled.
Example Usage:
"Our travel plans are still up in the air due to the visa delay."Idiom
Band 7+
Whole nine yards
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MEANING
Band 7+
Everything; all the way.
Example Usage:
"He decided to redo the whole kitchen, the whole nine yards."Idiom
Band 7+
Wrap your head around something
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MEANING
Band 7+
To understand something complicated.
Example Usage:
"It took me a while to wrap my head around the new grammar rules."Idiom
Band 6+
You can’t judge a book by its cover
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MEANING
Band 6+
You should not judge something or someone based only on appearance.
Example Usage:
"The old library looked run down, but you cant judge a book by its cover."Idiom
Band 6+
A stone’s throw
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MEANING
Band 6+
Very close to.
Example Usage:
"The subway station is just a stones throw from my house."Idiom
Band 6+
To cost a fortune
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MEANING
Band 6+
To be very expensive.
Example Usage:
"Buying a house in London costs a fortune these days."Idiom
Band 7+
To go the extra mile
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MEANING
Band 7+
To do more than what is expected.
Example Usage:
"Our teacher always goes the extra mile to help us."Idiom
Band 7+
To keep one’s chin up
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MEANING
Band 7+
To stay positive in a difficult situation.
Example Usage:
"Keep your chin up; you will do better next time."Idiom
Band 7+
To make ends meet
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MEANING
Band 7+
To earn enough money to live on.
Example Usage:
"It was hard to make ends meet when I first started my own business."⚠️ A Word of Caution
Idioms should only be used when they fit the context naturally. Overusing them or using them incorrectly can actually lower your score. Aim for 2-3 well-placed idioms in your Speaking Part 2 or Part 3 responses.
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