50 Idioms for Job With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Job
1. Land a job
Meaning: To get hired for a position
In a Sentence: After months of searching, he finally landed a job at a tech firm.
Other Ways to Say: Secure a job, get hired, gain employment
2. Climb the corporate ladder
Meaning: Progress in one’s career or job position
In a Sentence: She worked hard to climb the corporate ladder at her company.
Other Ways to Say: Advance in career, move up, rise in ranks
3. Get the sack
Meaning: To be fired from a job
In a Sentence: He got the sack after repeatedly missing deadlines.
Other Ways to Say: Be fired, let go, lose one’s job
4. Work one’s fingers to the bone
Meaning: To work extremely hard
In a Sentence: She worked her fingers to the bone to complete the project on time.
Other Ways to Say: Work tirelessly, work very hard, give it your all
5. Pulling one’s weight
Meaning: Doing one’s fair share of work
In a Sentence: It’s important for everyone in the group project to pull their weight to ensure success.
Other Ways to Say: Carrying one’s load, Contributing equally
6. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To work late into the night
In a Sentence: He burned the midnight oil to meet the job deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Work late, stay up working, overtime
7. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To understand how a job or system works
In a Sentence: It took me a week to learn the ropes at my new job.
Other Ways to Say: Get the hang of it, learn the basics, understand the process
8. Get your foot in the door
Meaning: To take a small opportunity that could lead to something better
In a Sentence: An internship helped me get my foot in the door at the company.
Other Ways to Say: Enter the field, start out, initial opportunity
9. Bring home the bacon
Meaning: To earn a salary or living
In a Sentence: He works two jobs to bring home the bacon for his family.
Other Ways to Say: Earn money, provide for family, make a living
10. Think outside the box
Meaning: To be creative or think differently at work
In a Sentence: The manager encouraged us to think outside the box to solve the issue.
Other Ways to Say: Be creative, innovate, take a different approach
11. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control or make important decisions
In a Sentence: As team leader, she calls the shots on every job task.
Other Ways to Say: Make decisions, be in charge, control
12. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start a job with enthusiasm and immediate effectiveness
In a Sentence: He hit the ground running on his first day at the new job.
Other Ways to Say: Start strong, get moving quickly, immediate action
13. In the loop
Meaning: To be informed about something, especially at work
In a Sentence: Please keep me in the loop about any updates on the job.
Other Ways to Say: Stay informed, be updated, in touch
14. In over one’s head
Meaning: Having more responsibility than one can handle
In a Sentence: She felt in over her head with the new managerial position.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, too much to handle, out of depth
15. By the book
Meaning: To do a job strictly according to rules
In a Sentence: Our supervisor insists that we do everything by the book.
Other Ways to Say: Follow rules, stick to the process, stay formal
16. Job well done
Meaning: Work completed successfully
In a Sentence: The manager praised the team for a job well done.
Other Ways to Say: Good work, excellent effort, successful task
17. Crunch time
Meaning: A critical period when pressure to perform is high
In a Sentence: It’s crunch time — the project is due tomorrow!
Other Ways to Say: Deadline pressure, final push, peak time
18. Put in the hours
Meaning: Spend a lot of time working
In a Sentence: He puts in the hours every week to finish his job on time.
Other Ways to Say: Work long hours, commit time, stay late
19. Know the drill
Meaning: To be familiar with a routine or process
In a Sentence: You don’t need to explain it — I know the drill.
Other Ways to Say: Understand the process, routine task, standard steps
20. On the clock
Meaning: Being officially at work or working hours
In a Sentence: I can’t leave — I’m still on the clock.
Other Ways to Say: During work, at duty, logged in
21. Take the initiative
Meaning: To do something without being asked
In a Sentence: She took the initiative to redesign the team workflow.
Other Ways to Say: Act independently, show leadership, take charge
22. Show of hands
Meaning: A quick vote or decision process at work
In a Sentence: We decided on the project plan with a quick show of hands.
Other Ways to Say: Quick vote, team consensus, hand vote
23. Up to speed
Meaning: Fully informed or updated on a task
In a Sentence: I’m finally up to speed with the new software.
Other Ways to Say: Fully updated, aware, caught up
24. Work cut out for you
Meaning: Facing a big or difficult task
In a Sentence: You’ve got your work cut out for you with this tough client.
Other Ways to Say: Difficult job, big task, challenging work
25. Rise through the ranks
Meaning: Get promoted gradually
In a Sentence: He rose through the ranks from intern to department head.
Other Ways to Say: Get promoted, career growth, advance
26. On the same page
Meaning: To agree or understand the same thing
In a Sentence: Let’s have a meeting to ensure we’re on the same page.
Other Ways to Say: Aligned, same understanding, agreement
27. Learning curve
Meaning: The rate of learning something new
In a Sentence: There was a steep learning curve in my first job.
Other Ways to Say: Adjustment period, skill-building, knowledge growth
28. Take on
Meaning: To accept a job or responsibility
In a Sentence: I’m ready to take on new tasks at work.
Other Ways to Say: Accept responsibility, handle, assume duties
29. A dead-end job
Meaning: A job with no future prospects
In a Sentence: He left his dead-end job to pursue his passion.
Other Ways to Say: No-growth job, stuck position, no future
30. Work like a dog
Meaning: Work very hard
In a Sentence: She worked like a dog to meet the quarterly targets.
Other Ways to Say: Work tirelessly, push hard, labor heavily
31. Think outside the box
Meaning: To be creative and innovative in solving problems.
In a Sentence: Employers appreciate employees who can think outside the box.
Other Ways to Say: Be innovative, Break the mold
32. Land a job
Meaning: To get hired for a job.
In a Sentence: She finally landed a job after months of searching.
Other Ways to Say: Secure employment, Get hired
33. Get the axe
Meaning: To be fired or dismissed from a job.
In a Sentence: Several employees got the axe during the budget cuts.
Other Ways to Say: Be laid off, Get fired
34. Work one’s fingers to the bone
Meaning: To work extremely hard.
In a Sentence: He worked his fingers to the bone to support his family.
Other Ways to Say: Work tirelessly, Slave away
35. Burn the candle at both ends
Meaning: To overwork by doing too much in a short time.
In a Sentence: She’s burning the candle at both ends with her job and night classes.
Other Ways to Say: Overexert, Exhaust oneself
36. Get the boot
Meaning: To be dismissed from a job.
In a Sentence: He got the boot after coming late too many times.
Other Ways to Say: Be terminated, Get fired
37. All in a day’s work
Meaning: Something that is normal or expected as part of a job.
In a Sentence: Handling difficult clients is all in a day’s work for a manager.
Other Ways to Say: Routine task, Usual duty
38. In the driver’s seat
Meaning: To be in control or in a position of power.
In a Sentence: After the promotion, she is now in the driver’s seat.
Other Ways to Say: Be in charge, Hold authority
39. A foot in the door
Meaning: A first step toward a larger goal, often related to career.
In a Sentence: The internship gave him a foot in the door at the company.
Other Ways to Say: Initial opportunity, Entry-level chance
40. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To understand the basics of a job.
In a Sentence: It took a few weeks to learn the ropes at the new job.
Other Ways to Say: Get the hang of it, Understand the process
41. On the payroll
Meaning: Being officially employed and paid by a company.
In a Sentence: She’s been on the payroll since last January.
Other Ways to Say: Officially hired, On staff
42. Take on more responsibility
Meaning: To accept additional tasks or duties.
In a Sentence: He took on more responsibility after his boss retired.
Other Ways to Say: Accept duties, Handle more work
43. On the grind
Meaning: Working hard, usually continuously.
In a Sentence: He’s always on the grind, trying to build his career.
Other Ways to Say: Hustling, Constantly working
44. Move up the ladder
Meaning: To get promotions or progress in a career.
In a Sentence: She moved up the ladder quickly with her dedication.
Other Ways to Say: Get promoted, Climb the ranks
45. Be swamped with work
Meaning: To have too much work to do.
In a Sentence: I’m swamped with work this week and can’t take a break.
Other Ways to Say: Overloaded, Buried in work
46. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control and make the decisions.
In a Sentence: As project leader, he gets to call the shots.
Other Ways to Say: Make the decisions, Be in command
47. Job hopper
Meaning: A person who frequently changes jobs.
In a Sentence: Employers may hesitate to hire a job hopper.
Other Ways to Say: Frequent job switcher, Inconsistent employee
48. Rise through the ranks
Meaning: To get promoted gradually in a company.
In a Sentence: He rose through the ranks from clerk to CEO.
Other Ways to Say: Get promoted step by step, Advance
49. Nose to the grindstone
Meaning: To work very hard and consistently.
In a Sentence: She kept her nose to the grindstone to finish the project.
Other Ways to Say: Work diligently, Stay focused
50. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start a new job or task quickly and effectively.
In a Sentence: The new manager hit the ground running from day one.
Other Ways to Say: Begin efficiently, Start strong
