Change is a constant in life, and language often reflects this reality through various idioms. Here are 20 idioms that vividly describe different aspects of change, each with a brief definition and a short example sentence to illustrate its use.
1. Turn Over a New Leaf
Meaning: Start fresh
Example: After his illness, he decided to turn over a new leaf and live healthier.
2. Break New Ground
Meaning: Innovate
Example: The company is breaking new ground in renewable energy technology.
3. Change of Heart
Meaning: Change opinion
Example: She had a change of heart and decided to stay home.
4. Make Waves
Meaning: Cause disruption
Example: His radical ideas made waves in the industry.
5. Move the Goalposts
Meaning: Change criteria
Example: Just when I thought I met their demands, they moved the goalposts again.
6. Ring the Changes
Meaning: Introduce variations
Example: The chef likes to ring the changes on classic dishes.
7. Blow Hot and Cold
Meaning: Be inconsistent
Example: He’s always blowing hot and cold about his plans to move abroad.
8. The Winds of Change
Meaning: Transforming trends
Example: The winds of change are sweeping through the organization.
9. Change Gears
Meaning: Shift approach
Example: We need to change gears and focus on marketing now.
10. Shake Things Up
Meaning: Cause disturbance
Example: The new CEO plans to shake things up at the company.
11. Cut and Run
Meaning: Leave abruptly
Example: When the project failed, they decided to cut and run.
12. Go Back to the Drawing Board
Meaning: Start over
Example: The plan failed, so it’s back to the drawing board.
13. Turn the Tables
Meaning: Reverse situation
Example: She turned the tables on her critics by winning the award.
14. Switch Gears
Meaning: Change focus
Example: We need to switch gears to meet the new deadline.
15. Start from Scratch
Meaning: Begin anew
Example: After losing the files, we had to start from scratch.
16. Do a 180
Meaning: Complete reversal
Example: He did a 180 on his decision to quit the job.
17. Reinvent the Wheel
Meaning: Create anew
Example: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel; use the existing software.
18. Turn the Corner
Meaning: Improve
Example: The business turned the corner after implementing new strategies.
19. Hit the Reset Button
Meaning: Restart
Example: After the crisis, they decided to hit the reset button and reorganize.
20. Transform Overnight
Meaning: Change suddenly
Example: The company transformed overnight after the merger.
