How to Master Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam?
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Idioms and Phrases are crucial for competitive exams and are frequently asked in the English section of the SSC CHSL Exam. The number of questions on this topic may vary from year to year. Generally, the questions range from 2 to 5 questions per exam. So we’ve prepared 300+ Idioms and Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 exam. You can use them for other SSC exams too. Idioms are hard to crack or remember, but we have some tips to help you nail them. Read on to know the best idioms and Phrases and Test your skills on them with a Free Mock Test now.

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How to Master Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam?

Here are some tricks on how to ace idioms and phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 exam:

  1. Grasp the meaning and usage of common idioms and phrases that are often asked in SSC exams. You can check out the list of common idioms and phrases in this article that may attract questions in the upcoming SSC CHSL exam 2023.
  2. Try to link idioms to the visuals and representations in the pictures. This is one of the best strategies to remember idioms and phrases for SSC CHSL. When you encounter an idiom, try to picture it in your mind again and then try to connect the image to the phrase’s meaning.
  3. Practice solving previous years’ papers and mock tests. It will make you familiar with the kinds and patterns of idioms and phrases questions asked in SSC CHSL exams. Revise the idioms and phrases regularly and use them in your daily communication to improve your fluency and confidence.
  4. Crack the code of common idioms and phrases. This means learning the meaning and usage of frequently used idioms and phrases in English. Idioms and phrases are expressions that have a figurative meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. For example, “to spill the beans” means to reveal a secret, not to pour out beans. Go through the list of Idioms and phrases shared below in this article.
  5. Sprinkle them in your sentences. This means using idioms and phrases occasionally and appropriately in your speech and writing. This can make your language more expressive and interesting. However, you should not overuse them or use them incorrectly. You can practice by making your own sentences with idioms and phrases and checking them with a reliable source or a friend who knows English well.
  6. Feed your mind with newspapers, magazines, books, and online articles. This means reading a lot of different sources of English texts that are rich in idioms and phrases. Reading can help you improve your vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills. It can also expose you to new and varied idioms and phrases that you may not encounter otherwise. You can jot down the new ones that you find and look them up later in a dictionary or online.
  7. Test yourself with past papers and mock tests. This means to practice answering questions on idioms and phrases that have appeared in previous exams or are similar to the exam format. This can help you get familiar with the types of questions and the difficulty level of the exam. It can also help you learn from your mistakes and improve your speed and accuracy. You can find past papers and mock tests online or in books.
  8. Brush up on the idioms and phrases regularly. This means reviewing and revising the idioms and phrases that you have learned periodically. This can help you remember them better and use them confidently. You can use different methods to make your revision fun and effective, such as flashcards, mnemonics, quizzes, or games.

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Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 1

  Idioms & Phrases  Meanings
  Rank and File  Ordinary People
  By fits and starts  In short periods, not regularly
  A wee bit  A little
  Out of the wood  Free from difficulties and dangers
  Under his thumb  Under his control
  At one’s wit’s end  In a state where one does not know what to do
Between the Devil and the deep sea  Between two dangers
  Burn the midnight oil  Work or study hard
  Call a spade a spade  Speak frankly and directly
  Come off with flying colors  Be highly successful
  Hoping against hope  Without hope
  Hit the nail on the head  Do or say the exact thing
  An axe to grind  A personal interest in the matter
  To get rid of  Dispose of
  At daggers drawn  Bitterly hostile
  To play ducks and drakes  To act foolishly or inconsistently
To take the bull by the horns  To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion

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  Rain cats and dogs  Rain heavily
  To move heaven and earth  To make a supreme effort
  No avail  Without any result
  Bark up the wrong tree  Accuse or denounce the wrong person
  Keep one at bay  Keep one at a distance
  Make a clean breast of it  Confess – especially when a person has done a wrong thing
  Have a card up one’s sleeve  Have a secret plan in reserve
  Like a cat on hot bricks  Very nervous
  Cat and dog life  A life full of quarrels
  Cock and bull story  Made up a story that one should not believe
  Cry for the moon  Ask for the impossible
  The pros and cons  The various aspects of a matter in detail
  Be in a tight corner  In a very difficult situation
  Cross one’s t’s and dot  Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact
  At arm’s length  To keep at a distance
  Out of the question  Impossible
  Out of the way  Strange
  Show a clean pair of heals  Run away
  Keep one’s fingers crossed  The anxiety in which you hope that nothing will upset your plans
  In the nick of time  Just at the last moment

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Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 2

  Sitting on the fence  Hesitate between two decisions
  Spread like wildfire  Spread quickly
  The gift of the Gab  Talent for speaking
  By hook or by crook  By fair or foul means
  Feather one’s own nest  Make money unfairly
  Throw out of gear  Disturb the work
  Take to one’s heels  Run away
  Tooth and nail  With all one’s power
  Die in harness  Die while in service
Take a leaf out of one’s book  Imitate one
  Leave no stone unturned  Use all available means
  A man of straw  A man of no substance
  Read between the lines  Understand the hidden meaning
  In cold blood  Deliberately and without emotion
  A thorn in the flesh  A constant source of annoyance
  Smell a rat  Suspect something foul
  Harp on the same string  Dwell on the same subject
  Bury the hatchet  End the quarrel and make peace
  Leave one in the lurch  Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition
  Like a fish out of water  In a strange situation

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Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 3

  At one’s beck and call  Under his control
  To make both ends meet  To live within one’s income
  In hot water  In trouble
  Nip in the bud  Destroy in the early stage
  Stick to one’s guns  Remain faithful to the cause
  To eat humble pie  To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances
  In high spirits  Very happy
Put the cart before the horse  Put or do things in the wrong order
  To all names  To abuse
  On tenterhooks  In a state of suspense and anxiety
  Wash one’s dirty linen  Discuss unpleasant in public-private matters before strangers
  To bell the cat  To face the risk
  A hard nut to crack  A difficult problem
  Let the cat out of the bag  Reveal a secret
  A big gun  An important person
  Kill two birds with one stone  To achieve two results with one effort
  Take one to task  Rebuke
  Gain ground  Become Popular
  To blow one’s own  To praise one’s own trumpet achievement
  A bosom friend  A very close friend

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 4

  A brown study  Dreaming
  Turn a deaf ear  Disregard / ignore what one says
  A close shave  Narrow escape
  Turn over a new leaf  Change for the better
  Make up one’s mind  Decide
  In the long run  Eventually; ultimately
  Bring to light  Disclose
  Pay off old scores  Take revenge
  Hard and fast rules  Strict rules
  At the eleventh hour  At the last moment
  To cut a sorry figure  To make a poor show
  With a high hand  Oppressively
  Burn one’s fingers  Get into trouble by interfering in other’s affairs
  Laugh one’s head off  Laugh heartily
  Chew the cud  Ponder over something
  Play second fiddle  Take an unimportant part
  Above board  Honest and open
  Through thick and thin  Under all conditions
  Put a spoke in one’s wheel  To upset one’s plans
  At sixes and sevens  In a disordered/disorganized manner, chaotic

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 5

  At home  Comfortable
  Alpha and omega  The beginning and the end
  At sea  Confused and lost
  By leaps and bounds  Rapidly
  To burn one’s boats  Go back on a decision
  To beat about the bush  Talk irrelevantly
  To burn candle at both ends  To waste lavishly
  A bone of contention  A source of quarrel
  Add fuel to the fire  To aggravate the situation
  An acid test  A critical test
  At a snail’s pace  Very slowly
  A bolt from the blue  Something unexpected
  To build castles in the air  Make imaginary schemes
  Once in a blue moon  Something that happens very rarely
  Beating around the bush  Avoiding the main topic
  Cry over spilled milk  Complaining about a loss or failure from the past
  Chip on your shoulder  When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago
  Piece of cake  Something that is easy to understand or do
  Golden handshakeA big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires
  Spill the beans  To disclose a secret

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 6

  Blessing in disguise  Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way
  Mean business  Being Serious or Dedicated
  Come hell or high water  Possible obstacles in your path
  Apple of one’s eye  Being cherished
Bite off more than you can chew  Not able to complete a task due to lack of ability
  The best of both worlds  The benefits of widely differing situations enjoyed at the same time
Feeling a bit under the weather  Feeling slightly ill
  Icing on the cake  Something that turns good into great
  Cost an arm and a leg  Be very expensive
  Jump the bandwagon  To join a popular activity or trend
  Ball is in your court  When it is up to you to make the next decision or step
  To be in the doldrums  To be in low spirits
  To sit on the fence  To remain neutral
  Break the ice  To initiate a social conversation or interaction
  Hear it on Grapevine  To hear rumors about something or someone
Can’t judge a book by its cover  Cannot judge something primarily on appearance
  It takes two to tango  Actions or communications need more than one person
  Black and blue  Full of Bruises
  Be on cloud nine  Be very happy
  Last straw  The final problem in a series of problems

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 7

  A bird’s eye view  A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area
  A litmus Test  A method that helps to know if something is correct
  At the drop of a hat  Willingness to do something instantly
  Afraid of one’s own shadow  To become easily frightened
  A house of cards  A poor plan
  Fool’s paradise  False sense of happiness
  Get a raw deal  To not be treated as well as other people
  Give cold shoulder  To ignore
  Hand to mouth  Live on only basic necessities
  Make a face  To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions
  It’s Greek to me  Something that is not understandable
To pour oil on troubled waters  To make peace
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket  Do not put all your resources in one basket (in one place or thing)
  To put it in a nutshell  To say in a few words or to make something concise
  Back out  To withdraw from a promise or contract
  Blow up  To explode
  Back-Up  To support and sustain
  Back Upon  To be relevant
  Break Down  Failure in something
  Break off  To end or discontinue

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 8

  Break Up  To disperse/dissolve
  Bring up  To rear
  Call forth  To provoke
  Call out  To shout
  Call upon  To order
  Carry on  To continue
  Castaway  To throw aside
  Catch up with  To overtake
  Come off  To take place
  Cry Down  To make little of
  Cry out against  To complain loudly against
  Cut out  Designed for
  Drop in  To Visit Casually
  Drop out  To fall
  Fall back  To Recede; To Retreat
  Fall down  From a higher position to a lower one
  Fall off  To Withdraw; To Drop Off
  Fall under  To come under
  Get along  To Prosper; To Progress; To Proceed
  Get on with  To Live Pleasantly Together; To Progress

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 9

  Get into  To be involved in
  Give in  To Surrender; To Yield
  Give over  Not to do any longer
  Go after  To Follow; To Pursue
  Go Down  To be accepted
  Go without  To remain without
  Go by  To follow
  Hang about  To Loiter near a place
  Hang upon  To depend upon
  Hold out  To Endure; To Refuse to yield; To continue; To offer
  Hold to  Abide By
  Keep off  To ward off
  Keep up with  To keep pace with
  Knock out  To win by hitting another one
  Keep something at bay  Keep something away
  Let sleeping dogs lie  Leave something alone if it might cause trouble
  Open the floodgates  Release something that was previously under control
  Out of the blue  Happen unexpectedly
  Out on a limb  Do something risky
  Over the Top  Totally excessive and not suitable for the occasion

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 10

Pen is mightier than the sword  Words and communication have a greater effect than war
  Push one’s luck  Trying to obtain more than what one has
  Reap the harvest  Benefit or suffer as a direct result of past actions
  Roll-up sleeves  To get yourself prepared
  See eye to eye  To be in agreement with
  Shot in the dark  A complete guess
  Sink your teeth into  Do something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm
Take with a grain/pinch of salt  To doubt the accuracy of information
  Skating on thin ice  Do or say something risky
  Tight spot  A difficult situation
  Strike while the iron is hot  To act at the right time
Take the plungeVenture into something of one’s interest despite the risks involved
Take a nosediveRapid drop or decrease in value
Think the world ofAdmire someone very much
Stand in a good steadTo be useful or be of good service to someone
Take a back seatChoose to be less important in a role
Wave a dead chickenDo something useless
Whale of a timeEnjoy a lot
Wrap one’s brain aroundConcentrate on something to understand
Zero in on somethingFocus all attention on one thing
Above allChiefly, Mainly
On Account ofDue to
On no accountNot for Any Reason
A Fidus AchatesA faithful friend or a devoted follower
The Heel of AchillesA Weak Point
An AdonisA very handsome man
To assume airsTo affect superiority

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 11

To stand aloofTo keep to oneself and not mix with others
To lead to the altarTo marry
An AnaniasA Liar
An ApolloA Man with Perfect Physique
To Upset the Apple CartTo disturb the peace
Apple Pie OrderIn perfect order
Arcadian LifeA blissful, happy, rural and simple life
To take up armsTo fight or go to the war
To GrindTo have some selfish objective in view
To break the back of anything  To perform the most difficult part
To backbite a personTo speak disguise about someone
He has no backboneHe has no will of his own
To cause bad bloodTo Cause Enmity
Bag and BaggageWith all one’s belongings
To keep the ball rollingTo keep things going
Barmecide feastImaginary Benefits
Bee-lineThe shortest distance between two places
Behind one’s backWithout one’s Knowledge
Behind the scenesIn Private
To hit below the beltTo act unfairly in a contest
To bite the dustTo be Defeated in Battle
A Wet BlanketA person who discourages enjoyment or enthusiasm
A blue StockingA learned/educated or intellectual woman
At First BlushAt first sight
One’s bread and butterOne’s means of livelihood
To breathe one’s lastTo Die
To make bricks without straw  To attempt to do something without proper materials
To kick the bucketTo die
Good wine needs no bushThere is no need to advertise something good
To burn the candle at both ends  To expend energy in two directions at the same time
If the cap fits, wear itIf you think the remarks refer to you, then accept the criticism
Care killed the catDon’t fret and worry yourself to death

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 12

To Catch One’s EyeTo attract attention
To take the chairTo preside at a meeting
She is no chickenShe is older than she says
To pick and chooseTo make a careful selection
To square the circleTo attempt something impossible
Every cloud has a silver lining  Adverse conditions do not last forever
Close fistedMean
Cut your cloth according to your cloth  Live within your income
A cock and bull storyA foolishly incredible story
To be cock sureTo be perfectly sure or certain
To throw cold water upon anything  To discourage efforts
Off colorNot in the usual form
To commit to memoryTo learn by heart
Too many cooks spoil the broth  Where there are more workers than necessary
Crocodile tearsHypocritical Tears
Cut and driedReadymade
Up to dateRecent
Evil daysA period of misfortune
Halcyon DaysA time when there are peace and happiness in the land
To step into a dead man’s shoes  To come into an inheritance
Go to the devilBe off
Devil’s bonesDice
Devil’s PlaythingsPlaying Cards
Give a dog a bad name and hang him  Once a person loses his reputation
Every dog has his daySooner or later, everyone has his share of good fortune
To throw dust in one’s eyesTo try to deceive someone or mislead someone
A white elephantA useless possession that is extremely expensive to keep
To set the Thames on fireTo do something sensational or remarkable
    A burnt child dreads the fire  One who has had a previous unpleasant experience is always scared of situations where such experiences are likely to be repeated

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 13

A fish out of waterAnyone in an awkward situation
Foul playCheating
To jump from a frying pan into fire  To come out of one trouble and get into a worse
All that glitters are not goldThings are not always as attractive as they appear
To die in harnessTo continue at one’s occupation until death
Make hay while the sun shines  Take advantage of all opportunities
Lock, stock and barrelThe whole of everything
  A miss is as good as a mileComes nowhere near it. If someone narrowly misses the target it still is treated as a missed one or failure.
One swallow does not make a summerIt is unreliable to base one’s conclusions on only a single test or incident
If wishes were horses, beggars might rideIf wishing could make things happen, then even the most destitute people would have everything they wanted
A nine days’ wonderAn event that relates a sensation for a time but is soon forgotten
  Yellow pressNewspapers which publish sensational and unscrupulous stories and exaggerate the news to attract readers.
A ball park figureA general financial figure
  To balance the booksTo make certain that the amount of money spent is not more than the amount of money received.
A cash cowA product or service that makes a lot of money for a company
Devil’s AdvocateTo present a counter-argument
Don’t give up the day jobYou are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally.
To cook the booksTo modify financial statements
To get the sackTo be dismissed from your job
To be snowed underTo be very busy
To work your fingers to the bone / to sweat blood  To work really hard
Hear it on the grapevineTo hear rumors
In the heat of the momentOverwhelmed by what is happening in the moment
Not a spark of decencyNo Manners
  Speak of the devil!This expression is used when the person you have just been talking about arrives
Whole nine yardsEverything. All of it
Your guess is as good as mine  To have no idea about anything
FishyDoubtful, Suspicious

Important Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam-Part 14

First and foremostExtreme enthusiasm
Fire and furyFearful penalties
Fire and brimstoneA very tasty food or meal
Finding your feet/ Finger licking good  To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing
Fabian policyA policy of delaying decisions
Excuse my FrenchPlease forgive me for cussing
Everything but the kitchen sink  Almost everything and anything has been included
Break a legA superstitious way to say ‘Good Luck’ without saying ‘Good Luck’
Barking up the wrong treeA mistake made in something you are trying to achieve
Bated breathIn anxiety, expectancy
Beat a dead horseTo force an issue that has already ended
Between Scylla and Charybdis  Choice between two unpleasant alternatives
  Fixed in your waysNot willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something
A penny saved is a penny earned  By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little)
A picture paints a thousand words  A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words
A piece of cakeA task that can be accomplished very easily
To hold a brief forBe retained as counsel for, to argue for
Shot in the armA boost or act of encouragement
To go at each other hammer and tongsTo do something or perform some task with tremendous fervor, determination
Step into someone’s shoesTake someone’s place
Back to drawing boardRevising something from the beginning, typically after it has failed
Bring / Ring The Curtain Down  To bring something to an end; to declare something to be at an end
A slap on the wristA very mild punishment

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How to Master Idioms & Phrases for SSC CHSL 2023 Exam?

The above-mentioned tips coupled with an important list of Idioms and Phrases can help you boost your English section for SSC CHSL 2023 exam. So, waste no time and start testing your Idioms & Phrases knowledge with a Free Mock Test now and master them.

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By Asad Yar Khan

I write and oversee the creation of informative educational blogs centering around study strategies, exam techniques, and more, to guide aspirants in clearing SSC, banking, engineering, and other competitive exams. I ensure a range of subjects are covered with precision and clarity. With over 7 years of diverse writing experience, I share a wealth of wisdom and expertise with thousands of students, through PracticeMock every day, helping them achieve their goals.

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