50 Idioms for School With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for School
1. Ace the test
Meaning: To do very well on a test or exam.
In a Sentence: Sarah studied all night and managed to ace the test.
Other Ways to Say: Nailed the test, Aced the exam.
2. Bookworm
Meaning: A person who loves reading and studying.
In a Sentence: Jenny is such a bookworm — you’ll always find her in the library.
Other Ways to Say: Avid reader, Study addict.
3. Call the roll
Meaning: To take attendance by calling out names.
In a Sentence: The teacher called the roll at the start of the class.
Other Ways to Say: Take attendance, Check names.
4. Learn by heart
Meaning: To memorize something completely.
In a Sentence: We had to learn the poem by heart for tomorrow’s recital.
Other Ways to Say: Memorize, Commit to memory.
5. Copycat
Meaning: A person who copies someone else’s work or ideas.
In a Sentence: No one likes a copycat in class.
Other Ways to Say: Imitator, Cheater.
6. School of hard knocks
Meaning: Learning through difficult experiences in life.
In a Sentence: He didn’t go to college but got his education from the school of hard knocks.
Other Ways to Say: Life lessons, Tough experiences.
7. Make the grade
Meaning: To meet the required standard or succeed.
In a Sentence: You’ll have to work hard to make the grade in this competitive school.
Other Ways to Say: Succeed, Pass muster.
8. Crack a book
Meaning: To open a book to study, often implying the person rarely studies.
In a Sentence: He didn’t crack a book all semester and still passed.
Other Ways to Say: Study, Open a book.
9. Top of the class
Meaning: The student with the highest academic performance.
In a Sentence: Maya was always top of the class in science.
Other Ways to Say: Best student, Highest scorer.
10. Hit the books
Meaning: To start studying seriously.
In a Sentence: I need to hit the books tonight for tomorrow’s exam.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard, Prepare thoroughly.
11. Teacher’s pet
Meaning: A student favored by the teacher.
In a Sentence: Everyone knew Alex was the teacher’s pet in history class.
Other Ways to Say: Favorite student, Teacher’s favorite.
12. Know the ropes
Meaning: Be familiar with the rules or procedures.
In a Sentence: By now, she knows the ropes around this school.
Other Ways to Say: Be experienced, Know the drill.
13. Cut class
Meaning: To skip a class without permission.
In a Sentence: Tom cut class to go watch the game.
Other Ways to Say: Skip school, Play truant.
14. Pass with flying colors
Meaning: To pass something easily and with great success.
In a Sentence: She passed her math exam with flying colors.
Other Ways to Say: Ace it, Do brilliantly.
15. Schoolboy error
Meaning: A simple, basic mistake.
In a Sentence: Forgetting to save the file was a schoolboy error.
Other Ways to Say: Rookie mistake, Basic error.
16. Learn the hard way
Meaning: To learn through difficult experiences.
In a Sentence: I learned the hard way to always check my answers.
Other Ways to Say: Tough lesson, Realize late.
17. Pop quiz
Meaning: A surprise test given without prior notice.
In a Sentence: The teacher gave us a pop quiz this morning.
Other Ways to Say: Surprise test, Unannounced quiz.
18. School spirit
Meaning: Enthusiasm and loyalty toward one’s school.
In a Sentence: The students showed great school spirit at the game.
Other Ways to Say: School pride, Campus enthusiasm.
19. Fail miserably
Meaning: To fail badly at something.
In a Sentence: He failed miserably at his chemistry exam.
Other Ways to Say: Bombed, Did terribly.
20. Brainstorm
Meaning: To think of ideas quickly, often as a group.
In a Sentence: We brainstormed ideas for the school project.
Other Ways to Say: Think up, Idea session.
21. Old school
Meaning: Traditional or old-fashioned in style or method.
In a Sentence: Mr. James teaches math the old-school way, with chalk and a blackboard.
Other Ways to Say: Traditional, Classic.
22. Put your thinking cap on
Meaning: To start thinking seriously about something.
In a Sentence: Put your thinking cap on — we need a solution before lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Think hard, Brainstorm.
23. The bell rings
Meaning: Signaling the end of a class or school day.
In a Sentence: Everyone packed up as soon as the bell rang.
Other Ways to Say: End of class, Class dismissed.
24. Skip school
Meaning: To intentionally miss school without permission.
In a Sentence: Jake skipped school to go to the beach.
Other Ways to Say: Play truant, Cut class.
25. School of thought
Meaning: A particular philosophy or way of thinking.
In a Sentence: There’s a school of thought that believes learning should be fun.
Other Ways to Say: Belief system, Way of thinking.
26. Chalk and talk
Meaning: A teaching method based on lectures and writing on the board.
In a Sentence: The old professor preferred chalk and talk to digital presentations.
Other Ways to Say: Lecture style, Traditional teaching.
27. Pass the test
Meaning: To successfully complete a test.
In a Sentence: I was so relieved to pass the test.
Other Ways to Say: Clear the exam, Succeed.
28. Cram for an exam
Meaning: To study intensively just before an exam.
In a Sentence: She crammed for the biology test all night.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard last minute, Rush study.
29. Hit the sack
Meaning: To go to bed, especially after studying late.
In a Sentence: After hours of studying, I finally hit the sack.
Other Ways to Say: Go to sleep, Turn in.
30. Quick learner
Meaning: Someone who understands things quickly.
In a Sentence: Emma’s a quick learner — she mastered algebra in no time.
Other Ways to Say: Fast learner, Sharp student.
31. Brownie points
Meaning: Earn praise or favor, often from a teacher.
In a Sentence: She earned brownie points by helping clean the classroom.
Other Ways to Say: Get on someone’s good side, Earn favor.
32. School’s out
Meaning: The school term has ended.
In a Sentence: School’s out for the summer and the students cheered.
Other Ways to Say: Term ended, Vacation time.
33. Miss the boat
Meaning: Miss an opportunity.
In a Sentence: He missed the boat by not applying for that scholarship.
Other Ways to Say: Lose out, Be too late.
34. Put to the test
Meaning: Challenge someone’s ability.
In a Sentence: That tricky math problem really put me to the test.
Other Ways to Say: Challenge, Test limits.
35. Chalk it up
Meaning: Attribute a result to a particular reason.
In a Sentence: I’ll chalk up my bad grade to poor preparation.
Other Ways to Say: Blame it on, Credit.
36. Pull an all-nighter
Meaning: Stay up all night studying.
In a Sentence: I had to pull an all-nighter for my history exam.
Other Ways to Say: Study overnight, Cram overnight.
37. Behind the curve
Meaning: Lagging behind others in progress.
In a Sentence: He’s behind the curve in math this semester.
Other Ways to Say: Falling behind, Outpaced.
38. Ahead of the class
Meaning: More advanced than others.
In a Sentence: Maria is ahead of the class in literature.
Other Ways to Say: Leading, Outperforming.
39. Have it down pat
Meaning: To master something completely.
In a Sentence: I’ve got these formulas down pat.
Other Ways to Say: Perfected, Memorized.
40. Ring a bell
Meaning: Sound familiar.
In a Sentence: That question rings a bell — I think we covered it last week.
Other Ways to Say: Sounds familiar, Reminds me.
41. Back to basics
Meaning: Returning to fundamental principles.
In a Sentence: Our teacher took us back to basics in grammar.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh, Reset.
42. Food for thought
Meaning: Something worth considering.
In a Sentence: That lecture gave me food for thought.
Other Ways to Say: Something to think about, Interesting idea.
43. Crack under pressure
Meaning: Fail in a stressful situation.
In a Sentence: He cracked under pressure during finals.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse, Break down.
44. Big fish in a small pond
Meaning: Important in a limited environment.
In a Sentence: He was a big fish in a small pond at his last school.
Other Ways to Say: Local celebrity, Top performer.
45. Cover a lot of ground
Meaning: To deal with many topics or details.
In a Sentence: We covered a lot of ground in today’s science class.
Other Ways to Say: Address much, Be thorough.
46. Hammer it home
Meaning: Emphasize something strongly.
In a Sentence: The teacher hammered home the importance of revision.
Other Ways to Say: Stress, Reinforce.
47. Pass muster
Meaning: Meet the required standard.
In a Sentence: His essay didn’t pass muster with the strict professor.
Other Ways to Say: Make the grade, Meet expectations.
48. Pick someone’s brain
Meaning: Ask someone knowledgeable for advice or information.
In a Sentence: I picked my teacher’s brain about college options.
Other Ways to Say: Get advice, Seek tips.
49. Dropout
Meaning: A person who leaves school before completing it.
In a Sentence: He’s a high school dropout who started his own business.
Other Ways to Say: Quitter, Early leaver.
50. School’s in session
Meaning: Classes are actively being conducted.
In a Sentence: School’s in session — time to focus.
Other Ways to Say: Class is on, Lessons underway.
