Idioms & Phrases: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs with Meanings — REET Notes
This page lists the idioms and phrasal verbs most useful for REET English, with meaning and examples, a way to remember them, and a trick for spotting the correct meaning in the exam. REET 2024 carried 7 questions from this topic — 4 on idiom meanings and 3 on phrasal-verb fill-in-the-blanks.
- 7 questions in REET 2024
- Class 6–10 vocabulary level
- 11 min read
How REET asks this topic
REET 2024's 7 questions came in two forms. First — choosing the meaning of an idiom: 'In the nick of time' (just at the right moment), 'Played me false' (deceived me), 'Blowing his own trumpet' (praising himself), 'A cock and bull story' (an unreal story). Second — choosing the correct one of four phrasal verbs built on the same base verb, to fit the sentence: looking into / after / for / out (officer … the murder mystery → looking into), set up / upon / in / out (robbers … travellers → set upon), bear with / up / down / out (leader … all opposition → bear down). In other words, the options often contain a literal-meaning trap — such as 'Playing his trumpet' — and in phrasal-verb questions, the sentence's context alone decides the answer.
The difference between an idiom and a phrasal verb
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning can't be worked out from its individual words. 'A cock and bull story' has nothing to do with a rooster or a bull; it means a made-up, unbelievable story. Similarly, 'blow one's own trumpet' doesn't mean literally playing an instrument — it means praising yourself.
A phrasal verb is made of a verb plus an adverb or preposition (a particle) attached to it — look + into = look into (to investigate). Change the particle and the meaning changes: look after (to take care of), look for (to search for), look up to (to admire). Many phrasal verbs carry two or three meanings, so always check the sentence's context.
A phrase, grammatically, is a group of words that doesn't contain a full clause with subject and verb. In a heading like 'Idioms and Phrases', 'phrase' usually refers to idiomatic expressions of this kind, such as 'in the nick of time' or 'by leaps and bounds'.
Phrasal verbs: one verb, many meanings
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look after | to take care of | She looks after her old parents. |
| look into | to investigate | The officer is looking into the murder mystery. |
| look for | to search for | I am looking for my keys. |
| look up to / look down upon | to admire / to look down on | Children look up to their teachers. |
| look forward to | to await eagerly | We look forward to the holidays. |
| set up | to establish | He set up a school in his village. |
| set upon | to suddenly attack violently | The robbers set upon the defenceless travellers. |
| set in | (of weather, illness, or usually an unpleasant situation) to begin and settle in | The rainy season has set in. |
| set out / set off | to start out on a journey | They set out for Pushkar at dawn. |
| bear with | to be patient with, to put up with | Please bear with me for a minute. |
| bear out | to confirm | The report bears out his statement. |
| bear up | to stay strong through hardship | She bore up well after the loss. |
| bear down | to overpower, to overcome | The bold leader bore down all opposition. |
| put off / put up with | to postpone / to tolerate | The meeting was put off. I can't put up with noise. |
| give up / give in | to quit / to surrender | He gave up smoking. The enemy finally gave in. |
| take after | to resemble an older family member | Riya takes after her grandmother. |
| call off | to cancel | The match was called off due to rain. |
| break out | (of war, fire, epidemic) to suddenly begin | A fire broke out in the market. |
| run out of | to have none left | We have run out of milk. |
| come across | to encounter by chance | I came across an old photograph. |
| turn down | to reject | He turned down the offer. |
| carry out | to complete, to implement | The students carried out the experiment. |
REET 2024 asked from the look, set and bear groups — memorise them by family.[Source 1]
Important idioms with meanings
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a cock and bull story | a made-up, unbelievable story | Nobody believed his cock and bull story about the lost homework. |
| blow one's own trumpet | to praise oneself | A good worker need not blow his own trumpet. |
| in the nick of time | just at the right moment | The doctor arrived in the nick of time. |
| play someone false | to deceive | His own partner played him false. |
| a bolt from the blue | sudden, usually bad, news | The news of the accident came as a bolt from the blue. |
| at sixes and sevens | in complete disorder | After the party the house was at sixes and sevens. |
| beat about the bush | to avoid coming to the point | Stop beating about the bush and tell me the truth. |
| burn the midnight oil | to study or work late into the night | She burnt the midnight oil before REET. |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | He visits us once in a blue moon. |
| a white elephant | an expensive but useless possession | The unused stadium became a white elephant. |
| the apple of one's eye | someone deeply cherished | The little girl is the apple of her father's eye. |
| an apple of discord | the root of a quarrel | The land became an apple of discord between the brothers. |
| hit the nail on the head | to say exactly the right thing | You hit the nail on the head with that answer. |
| leave no stone unturned | to try every possible means | The police left no stone unturned to find the child. |
| by leaps and bounds | very rapidly | The town has grown by leaps and bounds. |
| smell a rat | to suspect something is wrong | When he refused to show the bill, I smelt a rat. |
| a red-letter day | a memorable, special day | Result day was a red-letter day for her. |
| a wet blanket | someone who dampens others' enthusiasm | Don't be a wet blanket at the picnic. |
| break the ice | to start a conversation by easing tension | The teacher told a joke to break the ice. |
| take to one's heels | to run away | The thief took to his heels on seeing the police. |
| in black and white | in writing | Please give me the promise in black and white. |
| face the music | to accept the consequences of one's actions | He broke the rule and had to face the music. |
| red tape | unnecessary official formality and delay | Red tape delayed the project. |
| Achilles' heel | someone's weak point | Spelling is his Achilles' heel. |
How to recognise the right meaning in the exam
First rule — treat the literal-sounding option with suspicion first. For 'Blowing his own trumpet', an option like 'Playing his trumpet' is almost always the trap, because an idiom's meaning is figurative.
Second rule — read the idiom back inside its sentence. If the sentence carries a negative sense (No one believed his …), the meaning will be negative too (unreal story), not positive (a real story). In phrasal-verb questions, look at who's doing what to whom: an officer and a mystery → investigation (look into); robbers and defenceless travellers → an attack (set upon); a leader and opposition → overcoming it (bear down).
Third rule — where you can, compare with a similar Hindi idiom, but don't translate word for word. 'Take to one's heels' is close to नौ दो ग्यारह होना; 'blow one's own trumpet' is close to अपने मुँह मियाँ मिट्ठू बनना; 'an apple of discord' is close to झगड़े की जड़.
How to teach this to children
Literal vs Real picture (Classes 5–8)
On one side of a chart, draw a funny literal picture of an idiom (cats and dogs falling from the sky — 'raining cats and dogs'), and on the other, the real meaning (heavy rain). Children remember the difference while laughing.
Idiom of the day
Write one idiom, its meaning and a locally relevant sentence on the board every day (The mela ground was at sixes and sevens after the fair). Run a matching game at the end of the week.
Phrasal-verb story
Use look after, look for, look into, look forward to all in one short story, and let children work out each meaning from context. In Classes 1–4, teach only simple phrasal verbs (stand up, sit down, come in, pick up) as TPR (Total Physical Response) commands.
Common misconceptions
Children take an idiom's literal meaning at face value, and translate Hindi idioms word for word into English. They also assume the particle (up, out, in) has nothing to do with meaning — when it's exactly what changes it.
Assessment idea
Instead of asking children to recite a list of meanings, give a 'use it in your own sentence' task, or a paragraph in which they fill in the correct phrasal verb. Correct use in context is what shows real understanding.
Memory trick
Link phrasal verbs to the feeling of their particle: 'into' = deep inside (look into = investigate thoroughly), 'upon' = pouncing on top (set upon = attack), 'down' = pressing down (bear down = overcome opposition), 'out' = outward/complete (carry out, bear out = bring the truth out, confirm). This doesn't work for every word, but it gets you to the right answer for most of REET's options.
REET 2024 questions (solved)
Question 70
The officer is keenly __________ the murder mystry.
- Alooking into
- Blooking after
- Clooking for
- Dlooking out
Explanation
Phrasal verb ‘look into’ का अर्थ है ‘जाँच करना’ (investigate), जो हत्या के रहस्य (murder mystery) के साथ सही बैठता है। ‘look after’ = देखभाल करना, ‘look for’ = खोजना, ‘look out’ = सावधान रहना।
Question 85
The robbers __________ the defenceless travellers.
- Aset up
- Bset upon
- Cset in
- Dset out
Explanation
Phrasal verb ‘set upon’ का अर्थ है ‘अचानक हमला करना’ (attack violently), जो डाकुओं और निहत्थे यात्रियों के सन्दर्भ में सही है। ‘set up’ = स्थापित करना, ‘set in’ = आरंभ होना, ‘set out’ = यात्रा पर निकलना।
Question 90
‘In the nick of the time’ means
- Awhen the time was over
- Bwhen they needed time
- Cjust at the right moment
- Djust after the accident
Explanation
Idiom ‘in the nick of time’ का अर्थ है ‘ठीक समय पर / अंतिम क्षण में’ (just at the right moment)। अन्य विकल्प इस मुहावरे का अर्थ नहीं देते।
Question 66
‘Played me false’ means :
- Atell a lie to me
- Bplay a game mischievously with me
- Ctell false about me
- Ddeceived me
Explanation
मुहावरा 'play (someone) false' का अर्थ है किसी को धोखा देना या विश्वासघात करना। अतः 'Played me false' का अर्थ है 'deceived me' (मुझे धोखा दिया)। शब्दशः अर्थ (खेलना या झूठ बोलना) यहाँ लागू नहीं होता।
Question 84
‘Blowing his own trumpet’ means :
- APraising himself
- BPlaying his trumpet
- CAssaulted
- DSomething improbable
Explanation
मुहावरा 'blow one's own trumpet' का अर्थ है अपनी ही प्रशंसा करना या शेखी बघारना। अतः 'Blowing his own trumpet' का अर्थ 'Praising himself' है; शाब्दिक अर्थ 'तुरही बजाना' (B) यहाँ लागू नहीं होता।
Question 84
The new bold leader has been able to ______________ all opposition. Choose the correct idiom :
- Abear with
- Bbear up
- Cbear down
- Dbear out
Explanation
'bear down' का अर्थ है पूरी शक्ति से किसी को दबाना/परास्त करना — 'The new bold leader has been able to bear down all opposition.' 'bear with' = धैर्य रखना, 'bear up' = कठिनाई में साहस बनाए रखना, 'bear out' = पुष्टि करना।
Question 90
The idiomatic phrase ‘a cock and bull story’ means
- Aa bold story
- Ba victory event
- Ca real story
- Dan unreal story
Explanation
मुहावरा 'a cock and bull story' का अर्थ है मनगढ़ंत, अविश्वसनीय कहानी (an unreal/made-up story)। इसलिए (D) सही है; (C) 'a real story' इसके विपरीत है।
Practice questions
Question 1
The meeting was ______ because the chief guest could not come.
- Acalled on
- Bcalled off
- Ccalled up
- Dcalled for
Explanation
'Call off' means to cancel, which fits the context of the chief guest not being able to come. 'Call on' means to visit, 'call for' means to demand.
Question 2
‘A bolt from the blue’ means
- Aa sudden and unexpected event
- Ba blue coloured bolt
- Ca flash of lightning
- Da planned surprise
Explanation
This idiom describes a sudden, unexpected event or piece of news. 'Flash of lightning' and 'blue coloured bolt' are literal traps.
Question 3
Riya ______ her mother; both have the same smile.
- Atakes after
- Btakes over
- Ctakes off
- Dtakes in
Explanation
'Take after' means to resemble an older family member. 'Take off' means to remove/to take flight, and 'take over' means to assume control.
Question 4
‘To beat about the bush’ means
- Ato punish someone
- Bto clean the garden
- Cto avoid coming to the main point
- Dto search for something in the bushes
Explanation
This idiom is used for avoiding the main point or talking around it; the other options are literal or unrelated.
Question 5
The evidence ______ the witness’s statement, so the judge accepted it.
- Abore up
- Bbore down
- Cbore with
- Dbore out
Explanation
'Bear out' means to confirm; the evidence confirmed the witness's statement. 'Bear with' means to be patient, 'bear up' means to stay strong.
Question 6
A new government hospital was ______ in the district last year.
- Aset off
- Bset in
- Cset upon
- Dset up
Explanation
'Set up' means to establish, which fits a hospital. 'Set upon' means to attack, and 'set in' means (of weather etc.) to begin.
Question 7
The new flyover proved to be a white elephant. This means the flyover was
- Apainted white
- Bcostly but of little use
- Cbuilt very quickly
- Dvery beautiful
Explanation
'A white elephant' is something that's expensive to maintain but has little real use. 'Painted white' is the literal trap.
Question 8
When the dog started barking, the thief ______.
- Ahit the nail on the head
- Btook to his heels
- Cbroke the ice
- Dturned a deaf ear
Explanation
'Take to one's heels' means to run away, which fits a thief fleeing from a barking dog. None of the other idioms fit this context.
Question 9
The best way to teach idioms to Class 7 pupils is to
- Apresent idioms in stories and sentences and let them use them in context
- Bmake them memorise long lists of idioms with meanings
- Cavoid idioms as they are too difficult
- Dtranslate each idiom word by word into Hindi
Explanation
Idioms are understood from context, not from their individual words, so presenting them in stories and sentences and letting children use them is the most effective approach. Word-for-word translation produces the wrong meaning.
Question 10
Choose the sentence in which the phrasal verb is used INCORRECTLY.
- AWe have run out of sugar.
- BA fire broke out in the godown.
- CI came across my old diary yesterday.
- DShe is looking forward to meet you.
Explanation
In 'look forward to', 'to' is a preposition, so it should be followed by an -ing form: looking forward to meeting you. The other three sentences use their phrasal verbs correctly.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions does REET ask from Idioms & Phrases?+
There's no fixed number. REET 2024's shifts carried 7 questions from this topic — 4 on idiom meanings and 3 on phrasal verbs.
What does 'a cock and bull story' mean?+
A made-up, unbelievable story (an unreal or unbelievable story).
What's the difference between 'look into' and 'look after'?+
'Look into' = to investigate (The police are looking into the case); 'look after' = to take care of (She looks after her baby).
What does 'in the nick of time' mean?+
Just at the right moment, at the last second — just at the right moment. E.g.: He caught the bus in the nick of time.
What's the best way to remember idioms?+
Rather than memorising a list, learn each idiom through a sentence or short story, connect it to a similar Hindi idiom where you can, and group phrasal verbs by their base verb (look, set, bear, put).
Keep reading
Official Sources
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked