200+ Important Idioms with Their Meanings and Examples for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, CPO

Important Idioms with Their Meanings and Examples for SSC: Idioms and Phrases are an important part of the English Language section in competitive exams like SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, CPO, and others. Having a strong command of idioms will help you score higher in error detection, sentence improvement, fill in the blanks, and comprehension questions.

In this blog, we present 200+ important idioms along with their meanings and examples to help you master this topic.

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Why Are Idioms Important for SSC Exams?

Frequently asked in Tier 1 and Tier 2 exams
Boosts vocabulary and communication skills
Enhances reading comprehension ability
Adds flair to essay writing and descriptive papers

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200+ Important Idioms with Their Meanings and Examples for SSC

Here’s a glimpse of some important idioms:

Idiom	Meaning	Example
A blessing in disguise	Something good that isn’t recognized at first	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
Beat around the bush	Avoid the main topic	Stop beating around the bush and answer my question.
Call it a day	Stop working on something	I’m tired. Let’s call it a day.
Cut corners	Do something badly or cheaply	They cut corners when they built this house.
Hit the nail on the head	Do or say something exactly right	She hit the nail on the head with her analysis.
Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal a secret	He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Miss the boat	Miss an opportunity	He missed the boat by not applying earlier.
Once in a blue moon	Happens very rarely	We meet once in a blue moon.
Spill the beans	Reveal secret information	Don’t spill the beans about the plan!
Under the weather	Feeling sick	I’m feeling under the weather today.

How to Memorize Idioms Easily?

Learn 5-10 idioms daily.
Create sentences using new idioms.
Revise regularly with quizzes and mock tests.
Practice using idioms in your daily conversation.

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Free PDF Download

Download the complete 200+ Idioms with Meanings and Examples PDF for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, CPO preparation!
(Link)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
At the drop of a hat	Immediately, without any hesitation	She’s ready to go shopping at the drop of a hat.
Back to the drawing board	Start again from the beginning	The plan failed, so it’s back to the drawing board.
Barking up the wrong tree	Pursuing the wrong course of action	If you think I broke it, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Bite the bullet	Face a difficult situation bravely	You’ll have to bite the bullet and complete the task.
Burn the midnight oil	Work late into the night	He’s burning the midnight oil to finish the project.
Cry over spilt milk	Wasting time worrying about past mistakes	There’s no use crying over spilt milk.
Devil’s Advocate	Someone who argues against something for the sake of argument	He always plays the devil’s advocate during meetings.
Every cloud has a silver lining	There’s something good in every bad situation	After losing the job, he found a better one — every cloud has a silver lining.
Feel under the weather	To feel sick	I won’t come to work today; I’m feeling under the weather.
Give someone the cold shoulder	Ignore someone deliberately	She gave him the cold shoulder at the party.
Go the extra mile	To make more effort than expected	She goes the extra mile to make customers happy.
Hit the sack	Go to bed	I’m exhausted; I’ll hit the sack now.
In hot water	In trouble	He’s in hot water for missing the deadline.
Jump the gun	Act before the right time	He jumped the gun by submitting the form early.
Kick the bucket	To die (informally)	The old man finally kicked the bucket last night.
Let sleeping dogs lie	Avoid restarting an old argument	Don’t mention that again; let sleeping dogs lie.
Make a long story short	Tell something briefly	To make a long story short, I got the job!
Not playing with a full deck	Someone who is mentally unstable	That guy acts weird; he’s not playing with a full deck.
On thin ice	In a risky situation	You’re on thin ice by lying to the boss.
Pull someone’s leg	Joke or tease someone	Are you serious, or are you pulling my leg?
Put all your eggs in one basket	Rely on one plan or idea	Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by investing in just one company.
Rain cats and dogs	Rain heavily	It’s raining cats and dogs outside!

Speak of the devil

When the person you are talking about appears

Speak of the devil — here he comes!

Steal someone’s thunder

Take credit for someone else’s idea

He stole my thunder by presenting my project as his own.

The ball is in your court

It’s your decision now

I’ve done my part; now the ball is in your court.

Throw in the towel

Give up

After two failed attempts, he finally threw in the towel.

Turn a blind eye

Ignore something deliberately

The teacher turned a blind eye to the cheating.

Up in the air

Uncertain or undecided

Our vacation plans are still up in the air.

Wrap your head around something

Understand something difficult

I can’t wrap my head around this complicated math.

Idiom	Meaning	Example
A blessing in disguise	A good thing that seemed bad at first	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
A leopard can’t change its spots	One’s true nature cannot change	He promised to change, but a leopard can’t change its spots.
A penny for your thoughts	Tell me what you’re thinking	You seem quiet — a penny for your thoughts?
Beat around the bush	Avoid saying something directly	Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
Better late than never	It’s better to do something late than not at all	He finally apologized — better late than never.
By the skin of your teeth	Just barely	He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.
Cut to the chase	Get to the point	Let’s cut to the chase — what’s your decision?
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch	Don’t assume success too early	Wait for confirmation; don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Easy does it	Do something slowly and carefully	Easy does it when carrying the fragile box.
Get a taste of your own medicine	Experience the same unpleasant situation one caused others	He got a taste of his own medicine after being pranked.
Hit the nail on the head	Describe exactly what is causing a situation	You hit the nail on the head with that comment.
In the nick of time	Just in time	The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.
It takes two to tango	Actions or communications need more than one person	The argument wasn’t one-sided — it takes two to tango.
Keep your chin up	Stay positive in difficult times	Keep your chin up — things will get better.
Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal a secret by accident	He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Miss the boat	Miss an opportunity	He missed the boat on that investment deal.
Off the hook	No longer in trouble	Since the real culprit confessed, he’s off the hook.
On cloud nine	Extremely happy	She’s been on cloud nine since her promotion.
Piece of cake	Very easy	The test was a piece of cake.
Spill the beans	Reveal secret information	Come on, spill the beans — what happened?
Take it with a grain of salt	Don’t take it too seriously	Take his advice with a grain of salt.

Through thick and thin

In good and bad times

They stayed friends through thick and thin.

To add insult to injury

To make a bad situation worse

He was fired and, to add insult to injury, not paid.

Under the table

Secretly, often illegally

They paid him under the table to avoid taxes.

Water under the bridge

Something in the past, no longer important

That argument is water under the bridge now.

Suitable for SSC, Railway, Bank, WBCS, etc.

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More Examples

• “At the drop of a hat” means to do something quickly and without hesitation.
• “Cup of tea” means something that one particularly enjoys or is wellsuited for.
• “See eye to eye” means to agree or have the same opinion as someone else.
• “White elephant” refers to an expensive but useless possession or venture.
• “A snake in the grass” refers to someone who is deceitful or treacherous.
• “A wild goose chase” means a fruitless or hopeless pursuit.
• “Face the music” means to confront the consequences of one’s actions.
• “Hit the nail on the head” means to describe something accurately or to do something exactly right.
• “Through thick and thin” means in good times and bad, or through all circumstances.
• “Bag and baggage” means with all one’s belongings or possessions.
• “Break a leg” is a way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.
• The idiom “to leave someone in the lurch” means to abandon or leave someone in a difficult situation without help or support.

List of Idioms and Phrases with their Meanings and Example

In the table below, we have mentioned some of the important Idioms and Phrases with their meanings and sentences for SSC exam which were frequently asked in the exam. There are high chances that candidates might come across these idioms in the upcoming exams.

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
A piece of cake	Something very easy to do.	Passing that test was a piece of cake for him.
Bite the bullet	To endure a painful or unpleasant situation.	She had to bite the bullet and tell him the truth.
Hit the hay	To go to bed or go to sleep.	After a long day at work, I’m ready to hit the hay.
Under the weather	Feeling ill or sick.	She’s feeling under the weather, so she won’t be joining us tonight.
Cost an arm and a leg	To be very expensive.	Buying a new car can cost an arm and a leg these days.
Cut to the chase	To get to the point without wasting time.	Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the main issues.
Break the ice	To initiate conversation in a social setting.	Playing games is a great way to break the ice at parties.
Give someone the cold shoulder	To ignore or treat someone with indifference.	She gave him the cold shoulder after their argument.
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely or infrequently.	We only see each other once in a blue moon since she moved away.
Jump on the bandwagon	To join or support something that is already popular.	Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon of sustainable practices.
A dime a dozen	Very common and easy to find.	Those old books are a dime a dozen at the thrift store.
In hot water	In trouble or facing difficulties.	He found himself in hot water after missing the deadline.
Go the extra mile	To make additional effort or go beyond what is required.	She always goes the extra mile to help her colleagues.
Hit the nail on the head	To describe something accurately or to do something exactly right.	You really hit the nail on the head with that explanation.
Keep an eye on	To watch or monitor something closely.	Can you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the restroom?
Let the cat out of the bag	To reveal a secret or disclose something that was supposed to be kept hidden.	I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Rain on someone’s parade	To spoil someone’s plans or joy.	I hate to rain on your parade, but we have to cancel pur trip plan.
Straight from the horse’s mouth	Directly from the original or authoritative source.	I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth that the project has been kept on hold.
Take the bull by the horns	To confront a difficult situation directly and with courage.	It’s time to take the bull by the horns and address the issues head-on.
Up in the air	Uncertain or undecided.	The date for the meeting is still up in the air.
Vanish into thin air	To disappear suddenly or without a trace.	The thief vanished into thin air before anyone could catch him.
A chip on one’s shoulder	A persistent feeling of resentment or inferiority.	He’s always had a chip on his shoulder about not being chosen for the team.
Back to the drawing board	To start over again because a plan has failed or been unsuccessful.	The experiment didn’t yield the expected results, so it’s back to the drawing board.
Close but no cigar	Coming close to success but falling short.	He almost won the race, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades; close but no cigar.