Idiom | Definition | Example Sentence |
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At odds with someone or something | In disagreement or conflict | The marketing and sales teams were constantly at odds with each other over the new product launch strategy. |
At loggerheads | In a state of disagreement or conflict | The company’s management and the labor union were at loggerheads over the proposed wage cuts. |
Lock horns | To engage in a heated argument or conflict | The project managers locked horns over the allocation of resources for the upcoming project. |
Clash heads | To argue or disagree strongly | The two executives clashed heads over the company’s direction for the next fiscal year. |
Cross swords | To engage in a conflict or argument | The HR department crossed swords with the IT department over the implementation of a new time tracking system. |
At each other’s throats | In a state of intense hostility or conflict | The sales team was at each other’s throats after missing their quarterly sales target. |
Be on a collision course | To be heading towards a conflict or disagreement | The company’s outdated policies and the changing market trends were on a collision course. |
Have a chip on one’s shoulder | To be easily offended or angered, often due to past grievances | The new employee had a chip on his shoulder after being passed over for a promotion. |
Tread on someone’s toes | To offend or annoy someone | The manager inadvertently tread on the team’s toes by micromanaging their work. |
To see red | To become very angry | The CEO saw red when he discovered the financial irregularities in the accounting department. |
Be at a stalemate | To be in a situation where neither side can win or make progress | The negotiations between the company and the suppliers were at a stalemate over the pricing terms. |
A vicious cycle | A repeating pattern of negative events or behaviors | The company was stuck in a vicious cycle of low morale, decreased productivity, and high turnover. |
In a rut | In a fixed routine that is difficult to change | The department was in a rut, and the employees felt unmotivated and disengaged. |
To bury the hatchet | To make peace and end a quarrel | After months of tension, the two departments finally buried the hatchet and agreed to work together on the project. |
Call a truce | To agree to stop fighting or arguing temporarily | The CEO called a truce between the warring factions and urged them to focus on finding a solution. |
Let bygones be bygones | To forget about past disagreements or offenses | The HR manager encouraged the employees to let bygones be bygones and focus on building a positive work environment. |
Shake hands and make up | To reconcile after a quarrel | The two colleagues shook hands and made up after their heated argument. |
To patch things up | To repair a damaged relationship or situation | The CEO tried to patch things up between the marketing and sales teams after the failed product launch. |
Let sleeping dogs lie | To avoid disturbing a situation that is currently calm or peaceful | The manager decided to let sleeping dogs lie and avoid addressing the underlying tension between the two employees. |
To move on | To continue with one’s life after a difficult or unpleasant experience | After the merger, the employees had to learn to move on and adapt to the new company culture. |