Phrases & Expressions

To not include someone in an activity.

• Count me out; I'm too tired to go dancing tonight.
• If you're planning a long hike, count me out.

To hide a mistake or illegal activity so that people do not find out about it.

• The company tried to cover up its mistakes, but the truth came out.
• They covered up the truth for years.

To tell a joke to make people laugh.

• He cracked a joke at the meeting.
• He always cracks a joke when he feels nervous.

To perform many numerical calculations, especially financial ones.

• Scott loves to crunch numbers, so he decided to become an accountant.
• Wendy spends all day at work crunching numbers and analyzing sales data.

A person who is little known but unexpectedly does well, or has hidden talents.

• The young runner was the dark horse of the race and finished second.
• She turned out to be a dark horse in the singing contest.

Very worried about something.

• We are deeply concerned about climate change.
• She was deeply concerned for his safety.

To become less strong, loud, or active.

• We waited inside until the wind died down.
• The noise in the hall died down when the speaker stood up.

To disappear completely, especially a species, custom, or belief.

• Dinosaurs died out about 66 million years ago.
• This old wedding tradition is slowly dying out in the cities.

To remove someone or something by digging, for example from snow or soil.

• We had to dig the car out of the snow this morning.
• The dog dug out an old bone from the garden.

A problem related to the process of digesting food.

• He has a common digestive issue.
• This food can cause digestive issues.