Idioms are vibrant, expressive phrases that add flair and depth to our everyday language, often carrying meanings far beyond their literal words. They serve as creative tools to convey complex ideas, emotions, or situations with a touch of cultural wisdom. For anyone looking to enhance their communication skills, idioms related to improvement and progress are particularly valuable, as they inspire optimism, encourage problem-solving, and promote a proactive mindset. Whether you’re striving to improve a project, mend a relationship, or boost your personal growth, these idioms offer practical and imaginative ways to articulate your efforts. In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll explore 60 idioms that focus on making things better, complete with their meanings, example sentences, and alternative expressions. Plus, we’ve included a fun exercise to help you practice and integrate these idioms into your daily conversations. Let’s embark on this enlightening journey through the world of idioms and discover how they can elevate your language and outlook!
Idioms for Making Things Better
1. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To make a fresh start or change one’s behavior for the better.
In a Sentence: After struggling with procrastination, she decided to turn over a new leaf by creating a detailed study schedule for the semester.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh, Make a change
2. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: To start a process or activity.
In a Sentence: To improve our team’s productivity, we held a brainstorming session to get the ball rolling on the new marketing campaign.
Other Ways to Say: Kick things off, Set things in motion
3. Raise the bar
Meaning: To set a higher standard or expectation.
In a Sentence: By consistently delivering exceptional work, she raised the bar for everyone else in the department.
Other Ways to Say: Set a new standard, Up the game
4. Iron out the wrinkles
Meaning: To resolve minor problems or issues.
In a Sentence: Before launching the website, the developers spent hours ironing out the wrinkles to ensure a smooth user experience.
Other Ways to Say: Smooth things over, Fix the kinks
5. Build bridges
Meaning: To improve relationships or create connections between people.
In a Sentence: Instead of arguing, they decided to build bridges by finding common ground during their team discussion.
Other Ways to Say: Mend fences, Foster connections
6. Clear the air
Meaning: To resolve misunderstandings or tensions.
In a Sentence: After weeks of awkward silence, they had an honest conversation to clear the air and restore their friendship.
Other Ways to Say: Sort things out, Settle differences
7. Put your best foot forward
Meaning: To make a great effort to create a good impression or achieve success.
In a Sentence: During the job interview, she put her best foot forward by showcasing her skills and enthusiasm for the role.
Other Ways to Say: Give it your all, Shine your brightest
8. Step up to the plate
Meaning: To take responsibility or rise to a challenge.
In a Sentence: When the project was falling behind, he stepped up to the plate and took charge to keep things on track.
Other Ways to Say: Take the lead, Rise to the occasion
9. Polish your act
Meaning: To improve your performance or behavior.
In a Sentence: After receiving feedback, she worked hard to polish her act before the next presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Sharpen your skills, Refine your approach
10. Get back on track
Meaning: To return to the right course or focus after a setback.
In a Sentence: After missing a few deadlines, the team regrouped and created a plan to get back on track with their project goals.
Other Ways to Say: Refocus, Get back on course
11. Mend fences
Meaning: To repair a damaged relationship.
In a Sentence: After their disagreement, they decided to mend fences by apologizing and working together on a solution.
Other Ways to Say: Make amends, Restore harmony
12. Take it up a notch
Meaning: To increase effort or improve quality.
In a Sentence: To impress the clients, the chef decided to take it up a notch by adding a creative twist to the dessert menu.
Other Ways to Say: Step it up, Elevate your game
13. Smooth things over
Meaning: To calm a situation or resolve a conflict.
In a Sentence: When tensions rose during the meeting, she smoothed things over with her calm and diplomatic approach.
Other Ways to Say: Ease tensions, Settle disputes
14. Fine-tune
Meaning: To make small adjustments to improve something.
In a Sentence: The engineer fine-tuned the machine’s settings to boost its efficiency and performance.
Other Ways to Say: Tweak, Perfect
15. Pull up your socks
Meaning: To make an effort to improve your performance.
In a Sentence: After scoring low on the test, he decided to pull up his socks and study harder for the next one.
Other Ways to Say: Buckle down, Get serious
16. Patch things up
Meaning: To repair a relationship or situation after a disagreement.
In a Sentence: After their argument, they patched things up by talking openly about their feelings.
Other Ways to Say: Fix things, Make peace
17. Get your act together
Meaning: To organize yourself and improve your behavior or performance.
In a Sentence: If you want to succeed in this course, you need to get your act together and start submitting assignments on time.
Other Ways to Say: Shape up, Get organized
18. Turn the tables
Meaning: To reverse a situation to your advantage.
In a Sentence: By presenting a brilliant idea, she turned the tables and gained the support of the entire team.
Other Ways to Say: Change the game, Flip the script
19. Rise and grind
Meaning: To get up and work hard to achieve your goals.
In a Sentence: Every morning, he rises and grinds, putting in the effort to grow his small business.
Other Ways to Say: Hustle hard, Get to work
20. Tighten the screws
Meaning: To increase pressure or effort to improve results.
In a Sentence: To meet the deadline, the manager tightened the screws, encouraging the team to work more efficiently.
Other Ways to Say: Step up efforts, Push harder
21. Shape up or ship out
Meaning: To improve your performance or leave.
In a Sentence: The coach warned the players to shape up or ship out if they didn’t start practicing seriously.
Other Ways to Say: Improve or leave, Get it together
22. Get a fresh perspective
Meaning: To look at a situation in a new or different way.
In a Sentence: Taking a break helped her get a fresh perspective and come up with innovative solutions to the problem.
Other Ways to Say: See things differently, Gain new insight
23. Brush up on
Meaning: To improve or refresh your skills or knowledge.
In a Sentence: Before the exam, she brushed up on her algebra to ensure she was fully prepared.
Other Ways to Say: Review, Sharpen
24. Make headway
Meaning: To make progress toward a goal.
In a Sentence: By working together, the team made headway on the project and completed the first phase ahead of schedule.
Other Ways to Say: Move forward, Gain ground
25. Put the finishing touches
Meaning: To complete something by adding final improvements.
In a Sentence: Before submitting the report, she put the finishing touches on it by adding visuals and formatting.
Other Ways to Say: Finalize, Perfect
26. Pick up the pace
Meaning: To work faster or increase effort.
In a Sentence: With the deadline approaching, the team had to pick up the pace to finish the project on time.
Other Ways to Say: Speed up, Hustle
27. Turn things around
Meaning: To improve a bad situation.
In a Sentence: With hard work and determination, she turned things around and transformed her failing grades into A’s.
Other Ways to Say: Reverse fortunes, Make a comeback
28. Set the record straight
Meaning: To correct a misunderstanding or false information.
In a Sentence: To avoid confusion, she set the record straight by explaining her intentions clearly to the team.
Other Ways to Say: Clear things up, Correct the facts
29. Clean house
Meaning: To remove problems or inefficiencies to improve a situation.
In a Sentence: The new manager cleaned house by reorganizing the department and streamlining processes.
Other Ways to Say: Overhaul, Declutter
30. Get the upper hand
Meaning: To gain control or an advantage in a situation.
In a Sentence: By preparing thoroughly, she got the upper hand in the debate and convinced the audience.
Other Ways to Say: Take control, Gain the edge
31. Raise your game
Meaning: To improve your performance or effort.
In a Sentence: To compete with top athletes, he had to raise his game by training harder and smarter.
Other Ways to Say: Step it up, Elevate your skills
32. Square things away
Meaning: To organize or resolve a situation neatly.
In a Sentence: Before the event, they squared things away by confirming the venue and finalizing the guest list.
Other Ways to Say: Sort out, Tie up loose ends
33. Get out of a rut
Meaning: To break free from a boring or unproductive routine.
In a Sentence: To spark creativity, she got out of a rut by trying new hobbies and exploring different ideas.
Other Ways to Say: Break the cycle, Shake things up
34. Bring your A-game
Meaning: To perform at your very best.
In a Sentence: For the championship match, she brought her A-game and played with unmatched focus and skill.
Other Ways to Say: Give your all, Perform at your peak
35. Work out the kinks
Meaning: To fix small problems in a process or system.
In a Sentence: Before the product launch, they worked out the kinks in the software to ensure it ran smoothly.
Other Ways to Say: Iron out issues, Troubleshoot
36. Lay the groundwork
Meaning: To establish the foundation for future success.
In a Sentence: By researching thoroughly, they laid the groundwork for a successful business venture.
Other Ways to Say: Set the stage, Build a foundation
37. Get a leg up
Meaning: To gain an advantage over others.
In a Sentence: Taking extra courses gave her a leg up when applying for competitive internships.
Other Ways to Say: Get ahead, Gain an edge
38. Put things in order
Meaning: To organize or arrange things properly.
In a Sentence: To increase efficiency, she put things in order by categorizing files and streamlining workflows.
Other Ways to Say: Tidy up, Organize
39. Climb the ladder
Meaning: To advance or improve your position, often in a career.
In a Sentence: Through dedication and skill, she climbed the ladder from intern to team leader in just two years.
Other Ways to Say: Move up, Advance
40. Break new ground
Meaning: To do something innovative or pioneering.
In a Sentence: Their research broke new ground in renewable energy, offering solutions for a sustainable future.
Other Ways to Say: Innovate, Pioneer
41. Keep the ball in your court
Meaning: To maintain control or responsibility for a situation.
In a Sentence: By staying proactive, she kept the ball in her court and ensured the project stayed on track.
Other Ways to Say: Stay in charge, Take ownership
42. Shift gears
Meaning: To change your approach or focus.
In a Sentence: When the original plan failed, they shifted gears and adopted a more creative strategy.
Other Ways to Say: Change direction, Switch focus
43. Make strides
Meaning: To make significant progress.
In a Sentence: With consistent effort, she made strides in improving her public speaking skills.
Other Ways to Say: Move forward, Advance
44. Cut to the chase
Meaning: To get to the point or focus on what matters.
In a Sentence: To save time, she cut to the chase and addressed the main issue during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Get to the point, Be direct
45. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s
Meaning: To ensure all details are correct and complete.
In a Sentence: Before submitting the proposal, they dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s to avoid any mistakes.
Other Ways to Say: Check every detail, Be thorough
46. Get the show on the road
Meaning: To start an activity or project.
In a Sentence: After weeks of planning, they finally got the show on the road and launched the campaign.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Kick off
47. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: To face a challenge directly and confidently.
In a Sentence: Instead of avoiding the issue, she took the bull by the horns and addressed the team’s concerns head-on.
Other Ways to Say: Tackle it, Face it head-on
48. Up your ante
Meaning: To increase your effort or commitment.
In a Sentence: To win the contract, they upped their ante by offering additional services at no extra cost.
Other Ways to Say: Raise the stakes, Step it up
49. Get your ducks in a row
Meaning: To organize everything properly before starting.
In a Sentence: Before the event, she got her ducks in a row by confirming vendors and preparing schedules.
Other Ways to Say: Get organized, Prepare thoroughly
50. Blaze a trail
Meaning: To lead the way or do something new.
In a Sentence: Her innovative app blazed a trail in the tech industry, inspiring others to follow.
Other Ways to Say: Set a precedent, Lead the way
51. Grease the wheels
Meaning: To make a process smoother or more efficient.
In a Sentence: By improving communication, they greased the wheels for faster decision-making in the team.
Other Ways to Say: Smooth the process, Facilitate
52. Hit the reset button
Meaning: To start over or make a fresh beginning.
In a Sentence: After a failed attempt, they hit the reset button and approached the problem with a new strategy.
Other Ways to Say: Start over, Begin anew
53. Sharpen the saw
Meaning: To improve your skills or abilities through practice or learning.
In a Sentence: To stay competitive, he sharpened the saw by attending workshops and reading industry journals.
Other Ways to Say: Hone your skills, Keep learning
54. Turn the corner
Meaning: To pass a critical point and start improving.
In a Sentence: After months of struggle, the company turned the corner and began seeing steady profits.
Other Ways to Say: Make progress, Start recovering
55. Clear the decks
Meaning: To prepare for action by removing obstacles.
In a Sentence: Before starting the new project, they cleared the decks by finishing all pending tasks.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready, Remove obstacles
56. Put a new spin on
Meaning: To present something in a fresh or different way.
In a Sentence: She put a new spin on the old recipe by adding unique ingredients that delighted everyone.
Other Ways to Say: Reinvent, Refresh
57. Get the kinks out
Meaning: To eliminate problems or imperfections.
In a Sentence: They tested the app repeatedly to get the kinks out before its official release.
Other Ways to Say: Work out issues, Smooth out flaws
58. Move the needle
Meaning: To make noticeable progress or improvement.
In a Sentence: By implementing new strategies, they moved the needle on customer satisfaction scores.
Other Ways to Say: Make a difference, Drive progress
59. Level up
Meaning: To improve or advance to a higher level.
In a Sentence: After months of training, she leveled up her fitness and completed her first marathon.
Other Ways to Say: Step up, Improve significantly
60. Put your house in order
Meaning: To organize your affairs or responsibilities.
In a Sentence: Before taking on new projects, she put her house in order by prioritizing tasks and decluttering her workspace.
Other Ways to Say: Get organized, Sort things out
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom:
- To improve our teamwork, we decided to _______ by addressing our communication issues openly.
- After falling behind, she _______ her socks and worked harder to catch up with her classmates.
- The manager _______ the bar by introducing stricter quality standards for the product.
- Before launching the app, they _______ the kinks to ensure it worked perfectly for users.
- He _______ the bull by the horns and tackled the difficult project with confidence.
- By reorganizing the office, they _______ their house in order and boosted productivity.
- To stay competitive, she _______ her saw by attending professional development courses.
- The team _______ the ball rolling by holding an initial meeting to discuss project goals.
- After a tough year, the company finally _______ the corner and started seeing growth.
- She _______ a new spin on the presentation by adding interactive elements that engaged the audience.
- To prepare for the event, they _______ the decks by finishing all unrelated tasks.
- By practicing daily, he _______ up and became one of the top players on the team.
Answers:
build bridges, pulled up, raised, worked out, took, put, sharpened, got, turned, put, cleared, leveled
Conclusion
Idioms for making things better are powerful tools that enrich your communication while inspiring action and progress. These phrases not only make your language more engaging but also encourage a proactive mindset, whether you’re tackling personal goals, improving relationships, or enhancing your work. By incorporating these idioms into your daily conversations—at school, work, or with friends—you’ll add color to your speech and motivate those around you. Practice using them regularly, and soon they’ll become second nature, helping you express ideas with confidence and creativity. Language is a dynamic and evolving tool, and mastering idioms is a rewarding step toward becoming a more effective communicator.