Learn 20 Idioms That Describe Practice

Practicing regularly is essential for mastering any skill. These idioms highlight the importance of practice and the various ways it can impact our abilities and achievements. Discover how practice is depicted through these idiomatic expressions and see how you can incorporate them into your everyday language.

1. Practice Makes Perfect

Meaning: Repetition leads to mastery.
Example: Keep trying; practice makes perfect.

2. Practice What You Preach

Meaning: Act according to your advice.
Example: He practices what he preaches about healthy living.

3. Practice Makes Permanent

Meaning: Repeated practice solidifies habits.
Example: Practice makes permanent, so be careful what you repeat.

4. Dry Run

Meaning: Practice session.
Example: Let’s do a dry run before the presentation.

5. On-the-Job Training

Meaning: Learning by doing.
Example: She gained experience through on-the-job training.

6. Work Out the Kinks

Meaning: Solve minor issues.
Example: We need to work out the kinks before the launch.

7. Run Through

Meaning: Quick practice.
Example: Let’s run through the routine once more.

8. Rehearse the Part

Meaning: Practice a role.
Example: She rehearsed the part until she knew it by heart.

9. Trial and Error

Meaning: Learning by experimenting.
Example: Cooking often involves trial and error.

10. Brush Up On

Meaning: Refresh skills.
Example: He needs to brush up on his Spanish.

11. Sharpen the Saw

Meaning: Improve skills.
Example: Take time to sharpen the saw and enhance your skills.

12. Get the Hang Of

Meaning: Learn how to do.
Example: He finally got the hang of using the software.

13. Go Through the Motions

Meaning: Perform without effort.
Example: He was just going through the motions in practice.

14. Iron Out

Meaning: Resolve problems.
Example: We need to iron out the details before we start.

15. Knock Into Shape

Meaning: Improve through practice.
Example: The new coach will knock the team into shape.

16. Learn the Ropes

Meaning: Understand basics.
Example: It took a while to learn the ropes at her new job.

17. Break New Ground

Meaning: Innovate through practice.
Example: They broke new ground with their unique approach.

18. Test the Waters

Meaning: Try something new.
Example: She decided to test the waters with a trial run.

19. Bend Over Backwards

Meaning: Try very hard.
Example: He bent over backwards to improve his skills.

20. Second Nature

Meaning: Easy due to practice.
Example: Playing the piano is second nature to her now.

Idioms That Describe Practice

Leave a Comment