Useful Idioms and Phrases for Bank Exams

Idioms and Phrases are not only a crucial part of the English language but also serve as a vital part of all banking exams. Almost every bank exam paper has at least 3 direct questions on Idioms and Phrases. It makes it essential to go through with the topic of Idioms and Phrases while preparing for bank exams. The bank aspirants have to select the correct answer corresponding to the right meaning of Idioms and Phrases while attempting the English section.

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What are Idioms and Phrases?

English is a fascinating language having various expressions and Idioms and Phrases are used in spoken and written English. An Idiom is a common word designed based on human experiences and reflects its literal meaning in occurring situations. A phrase is a small group of words that can add useful meaning to a sentence. It does not include the subject-verb pairing to make a clause and cannot convey a complete thought. 

Idioms and Phrases is a standard part of the English section in different banking exams like PO, SBI, IBPS, and many more. It is one of the essential and highest-scoring topics which you can easily crack in the banking exam.

Why are Idioms and Phrases used?

The bank aspirants cannot ignore phrasal interpretations in the intangible form. Every year aspirants are asked to check their command over the English language while attempting Idioms and Phrases in bank exams. If you know the correct meaning of these questions, then you can attempt the Idioms and Phrases section in 10 seconds. 

• Idioms and Phrases work as the magic that aspirants can stimulate their thoughts to get the appropriate focus. 
• Idioms and Phrases help in enhancing confidence, especially while speaking English.
• Idioms are critical expressions that show human reactions and expressions on social traditions and other things.

The aspirants can develop the list of Idioms and Phrases along with its usage. When it comes to attempting the reading, comprehension, and vocabulary section in the bank exam, then you need to prepare with Idioms and Phrases. 

Go through with useful Idioms and Phrases for bank exams

Play it by ear

Meaning: It means to proceed instinctively according to the circumstances and results. 

Usage: Let us play it by ear because no one has given us any clear guidelines. 

Be up with the lark

Meaning: To be out of your bed or be awake early in the morning. 

Usage: My mother will get surprised to see me up with the lark.

Go for the jugular

Meaning: Be aggressive or unrepressed in making an attack. It means to criticize someone unkindly by talking about something that can hurt those most.

Usage: The lawyer in the court went for the jugular of the victim to prove that suspected charges were wrong.

Also read,

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Stir up a hornet’s nest

Meaning: It means to create a lot of trouble.

Usage: By speaking ill about the victim, he stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Come hell or high water

Meaning: Possible obstacles in your path that will not stop you.

Usage: You have decided to come hell or high water to become an engineer.

Make a beeline for something or someone

Meaning: It means to head straight toward something or someone.

Usage: To make a beeline for hostess was an old custom in Europe before meeting anyone else.

Cry over spilt milk

Meaning: It means to complain about failure or loss from the past.

Usage: There is no use of crying over spilt milk after failing in an exam. Instead, you have to become more careful in the next attempt.

Bury the hatchet

Meaning: End the conflict and become friends again.

Usage: When will both of you bury the hatchet and become friends?

Vote with one’s feet

Meaning: It shows that you do not support something.

Usage: People will vote with one’s feet after agreeing with laborer management.

Practice Exercise of Idioms and Phrases

Can you write down the meaning of the following idioms and phrases? Also try to form a sentence using them:

1. To fish in troubled waters
2. Once in a blue moon
3. Pulled a long face
4. Gift of the gab
5. High and dry
6. Keeps the pot boiling
7. Brought yo light
8. Painted the town red
9. Eat the humble pie
10. Clinched to the issue
11. Fair and square
12. Turned a deaf ear
13. To wash his hands of
14. By Fits and starts
15. Mealy-mouthed
16. High and Low
17. Call a spade a spade
18. Rest on my laurels
19. At loggerheads
20. Pont-blank

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