on the whole
on the whole: in general, in most ways (also: by and large) Examples of ON THE WHOLE He is, on the whole, a good student. Rents and occupancy rates in commercial real estate remain healthy on the whole.
to wear off
to wear off: to disappear gradually Examples of TO WEAR OFF Thankfully, most of the initial feelings of awkwardness wear off fairly quickly. It will wear off as we get older.
to break off
to break off: to terminate, to discontinue Examples of TO BREAK OFF Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations, and Argentina withdrew its ambassador. Olivia and Alex were once engaged, but they have already broken it off.
to leave (someone or something) alone
to leave (someone or something) alone: not to disturb, to stay away from (also: to let alone) Examples of TO LEAVE ALONE Leave the baby alone for a while and she may go to sleep. After the cat had scratched Peter twice, he let it alone.
to wait up for
to wait up for: to wait until late at night without going to bed Examples of TO WAIT UP FOR Would it be terribly rude to wait up for him to chat about his lawn maintenance? He said he waited up for a while, but then fell asleep.
to bring back
to bring back: to return a bought or borrowed item Examples of TO BRING BACK If you get blisters and your foot is aching, bring it back and try another shoe. I will tell you what I want to eat, you go get the food and bring it back to me.
to bring out
to bring out: to show or introduce (to the public); to make available Examples of TO BRING OUT Most automobile companies bring out new models each year. My mother brought some snacks out for my friends and me to have.
to lay off
to lay off: to abstain from, stop using as a habit; to release or discharge from a job (also: related idiom: to let go) Examples of TO LAY OFF Today is my 30th birthday, but I should probably lay off the cake and champagne. He said the company had to lay off employees and has…