🗓️ Idiom: Extend an Olive Branch (v)
💬 Meaning
- To make a gesture of peace or reconciliation after a disagreement or conflict.
- It means to try to end an argument or create harmony by showing goodwill.
🧠 Example Sentences
- After their heated debate, Maria extended an olive branch by inviting her colleague out for coffee.
- The CEO extended an olive branch to the union leaders by offering to reopen negotiations.
- He realized the friendship was worth saving, so he decided to extend an olive branch.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from ancient Greek and Roman traditions, where the olive branch was a symbol of peace and victory. It has also been used in religious texts, such as the Bible, where a dove brings back an olive leaf as a sign that the flood had ended.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
After their disagreement, Jenna decided to __________ by sending a kind message.
Answer
extend an olive branch
2. Choose the correct meaning of “extend an olive branch”:
A) To declare war
B) To offer peace or reconciliation
C) To avoid confrontation
Answer
B) To offer peace or reconciliation
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“He tried to make peace by offering to help with the project.” → Change the sentence using: extend an olive branch
Answer
He extended an olive branch by offering to help with the project.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 Relationship and Networking Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
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