to get away: to get free, to escape Examples of TO GET AWAY We always try to get away from the noise and heat of the city for a month or two each summer. o No one knows how the suspected criminal got away from the police.

to do without: survive or exist without something (also: to go without) Examples of TO DO WITHOUT The split pea soup recipe can do without including potatoes for thickening. I’m unable to do without at least eight hours of sleep every night.

for the time being: temporarily (also: for now) Examples of FOR THE TIME BEING For the time being, you’ll need to get extra rest, until you’re healthy again. The project was almost done, but for the time being, it was horrible.

a lost cause: a hopeless case, a person or situation having no hope of positivechange. Examples of A LOST CAUSE Repeat these steps as necessary to remove the stain, but it may be a lost cause. Even this late in the game, the search for the black boxes is not a lost cause.

to be up: to expire, to be finishedThis idiom is used only with the word time as the subject. Examples of BE UP When the time is up, he said, they will have to move out or buy the mobile home. As soon as your time is up they sack you and get another free…

to cut down on: to reduce, to lessen (also: to cut back on) Examples of TO CUT DOWN ON As she was making her budget, she realized she needed to cut down on her expenses. My doctor told me to cut down on desserts.