Phrases & Expressions

To be romantically interested in one particular person and in nobody else.

• Plenty of people asked her out at university, but she only had eyes for her childhood sweetheart.
• He has been married for forty years and still only has eyes for his wife.

Used to show that you are reporting the general meaning of what someone said, not their exact words.

• The manager told us the company was 'facing difficult times', or words to that effect.
• According to our guide, the castle was 'the most haunted building in Scotland', or words to that effect.

To make it illegal to use something by passing a law.

• Many countries have outlawed the use of single-use plastic bags in supermarkets.
• Campaigners want the government to outlaw the use of certain pesticides that harm bees.

To stay at someone's home or at an event for longer than the host would like.

• We left straight after dinner because we didn't want to outstay our welcome in their tiny flat.
• Guests who outstay their welcome can put a strain on even the closest friendships.

Too old to do something well, especially a job or a sport.

• Some employers wrongly assume that workers in their fifties are over the hill and unable to learn new skills.
• I'm fifty, but I'm hardly over the hill — I've just started learning the guitar and I love it!

To cover some of the same subjects, ideas or areas as something else.

• Your essay topic overlaps with a classmate's, so you should discuss it with your tutor.
• Much of the new course overlaps with material that students already covered in their first year.

To behave in a way that goes beyond what is acceptable or polite.

• Publishing photos of the actor's young children was a clear case of the newspaper overstepping the mark.
• I know you were angry, but you overstepped the mark by insulting your manager in front of everyone.

To bring down a government or leader through a coup, uprising or armed revolt.

• Many feared that the protests would turn into an armed attempt to overthrow the government.
• The rebels' main aim was to overthrow the government and hold free elections.

To officially reverse a court's ruling, so that the original result no longer stands.

• The appeal court overturned the verdict after new DNA evidence proved the man was innocent.
• It is rare for judges to overturn a verdict reached by a jury.

To describe someone in a way that makes people think well of that person.

• The documentary paints the factory owner in a positive light, but former workers describe him very differently.
• The biography paints the inventor in a positive light and ignores his failures.