50 Idioms for Teens With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Teens
1. Break the rules
Meaning: To defy or not follow the established rules.
In a Sentence: Teens often feel the urge to break the rules as a form of rebellion.
Other Ways to Say: Go against the grain, Cross the line
2. Hit the books
Meaning: To start studying seriously.
In a Sentence: I have a big math test tomorrow, so I need to hit the books tonight.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard, Focus on homework
3. Spill the tea
Meaning: To share gossip or personal information.
In a Sentence: Come on, spill the tea! What happened at the party?
Other Ways to Say: Dish the dirt, Share the gossip
4. Chill out
Meaning: To calm down or relax.
In a Sentence: You need to chill out; it’s not the end of the world.
Other Ways to Say: Relax, Take it easy
5. Hang out
Meaning: To spend time relaxing or socializing.
In a Sentence: We’re just going to hang out at the mall after school.
Other Ways to Say: Spend time, Kick back
6. In your face
Meaning: Bold, aggressive, or directly confrontational.
In a Sentence: Her fashion style is really in your face, but it suits her personality.
Other Ways to Say: Bold, Unapologetic
7. Be grounded
Meaning: Punished by parents by being restricted from going out or having privileges.
In a Sentence: If you miss curfew again, you’ll be grounded for a week!
Other Ways to Say: On lockdown, In trouble
8. Get a grip
Meaning: To control one’s emotions or act more sensibly.
In a Sentence: You need to get a grip—it’s just a minor problem.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Pull yourself together
9. Throw shade
Meaning: To insult or criticize someone subtly.
In a Sentence: She threw shade at me for copying her outfit.
Other Ways to Say: Insult, Critique indirectly
10. Talk back
Meaning: To respond to someone (usually an authority) in a disrespectful way.
In a Sentence: If you talk back to the teacher again, you’ll get detention.
Other Ways to Say: Backtalk, Be sassy
11. Crush on someone
Meaning: To be attracted to or infatuated with someone.
In a Sentence: I have a huge crush on the new guy in class.
Other Ways to Say: Like someone, Have feelings for
12. Out of touch
Meaning: Not aware of current trends or situations.
In a Sentence: My dad tries to use slang but he’s so out of touch.
Other Ways to Say: Behind the times, Clueless
13. Act cool
Meaning: To behave in a relaxed, confident, or stylish manner.
In a Sentence: He always acts cool when he’s around his crush.
Other Ways to Say: Be smooth, Look confident
14. Throw a fit
Meaning: To get very angry or upset suddenly.
In a Sentence: She threw a fit when her phone was taken away.
Other Ways to Say: Lose it, Freak out
15. Don’t sweat it
Meaning: Don’t worry about it.
In a Sentence: You missed the bus? Don’t sweat it—I’ll give you a ride.
Other Ways to Say: No worries, Chill
16. Keep it real
Meaning: Be genuine or honest.
In a Sentence: I like her because she always keeps it real.
Other Ways to Say: Be yourself, Be honest
17. Freak out
Meaning: To react strongly with fear, anger, or excitement.
In a Sentence: I freaked out when I saw my exam results.
Other Ways to Say: Panic, Flip out
18. Ghost someone
Meaning: To suddenly cut off communication without explanation.
In a Sentence: He ghosted me after our second date.
Other Ways to Say: Disappear, Cut off
19. No cap
Meaning: Honestly or for real.
In a Sentence: That movie was the best, no cap.
Other Ways to Say: Seriously, Honestly
20. Be extra
Meaning: Over-the-top or dramatic.
In a Sentence: She’s always being extra with her fashion choices.
Other Ways to Say: Overdo it, Exaggerate
21. Get your act together
Meaning: Start behaving properly or responsibly.
In a Sentence: You need to get your act together before the finals.
Other Ways to Say: Shape up, Improve
22. Join the crowd
Meaning: To follow popular behavior or trends.
In a Sentence: Everyone’s getting that haircut—guess I’ll join the crowd.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the trend, Blend in
23. Have a blast
Meaning: To have a great time.
In a Sentence: We had a blast at the concert last night!
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy, Have fun
24. Bend the rules
Meaning: To do something that is not allowed but not seriously wrong.
In a Sentence: He bent the rules to let us stay out late.
Other Ways to Say: Cheat a little, Stretch the rules
25. Cut class
Meaning: To skip or not attend school.
In a Sentence: They cut class to go to the amusement park.
Other Ways to Say: Skip school, Ditch class
26. Get real
Meaning: Be realistic or sensible.
In a Sentence: You think you’ll be a millionaire by 18? Get real.
Other Ways to Say: Be practical, Be honest with yourself
27. Crash a party
Meaning: To attend a party uninvited.
In a Sentence: Jake tried to crash the seniors’ party, but they kicked him out.
Other Ways to Say: Sneak in, Show up uninvited
28. Freak out
Meaning: To become very anxious or excited.
In a Sentence: She freaked out when she lost her phone at the concert.
Other Ways to Say: Panic, Go crazy
29. Be glued to your phone
Meaning: Spend too much time on the phone.
In a Sentence: Teens today are often glued to their phones 24/7.
Other Ways to Say: Addicted to phone, Always scrolling
30. Spill the tea
Meaning: Share gossip or secrets.
In a Sentence: Come on, spill the tea about what happened at the dance!
Other Ways to Say: Share gossip, Dish it out
31. Bounce back
Meaning: Recover quickly from a setback.
In a Sentence: After failing his test, he bounced back with an A on the next one.
Other Ways to Say: Recover, Come back strong
32. Chill out
Meaning: Relax or calm down.
In a Sentence: You need to chill out—it’s just a quiz, not the final.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Relax
33. Be in the loop
Meaning: To be informed or updated.
In a Sentence: I want to be in the loop about the prom plans.
Other Ways to Say: Stay updated, Be informed
34. Blow off steam
Meaning: Release built-up energy or emotions.
In a Sentence: After exams, they went to the arcade to blow off steam.
Other Ways to Say: Let loose, Relax
35. Be all ears
Meaning: Ready and eager to listen.
In a Sentence: Tell me your big idea—I’m all ears!
Other Ways to Say: Listening closely, Totally focused
36. Break the ice
Meaning: Start a conversation in a social setting.
In a Sentence: Playing a game helped break the ice on the first day of class.
Other Ways to Say: Start talking, Ease tension
37. Keep your cool
Meaning: Stay calm under pressure.
In a Sentence: She kept her cool even when everyone else was panicking.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Don’t freak out
38. Show your true colors
Meaning: Reveal your real personality.
In a Sentence: He showed his true colors when he ditched his friends.
Other Ways to Say: Reveal character, Show who you are
39. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than what is required.
In a Sentence: She went the extra mile on her science project and impressed the teacher.
Other Ways to Say: Exceed expectations, Go above and beyond
40. Throw shade
Meaning: Subtly insult or criticize.
In a Sentence: She threw shade at her ex with that Instagram post.
Other Ways to Say: Insult, Diss
41. Ride the wave
Meaning: Go along with a trend or situation.
In a Sentence: Everyone’s into vintage fashion, so I’m just riding the wave.
Other Ways to Say: Go with the flow, Follow the trend
42. Stay in your lane
Meaning: Mind your own business or stick to what you know.
In a Sentence: He should stay in his lane and stop commenting on everyone’s lives.
Other Ways to Say: Mind your business, Don’t interfere
43. In your feels
Meaning: Overwhelmed with emotion.
In a Sentence: That breakup had her really in her feels last night.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling emotional, Heartbroken
44. Pull an all-nighter
Meaning: Stay up all night, usually to study.
In a Sentence: I pulled an all-nighter for the chemistry final.
Other Ways to Say: Stay up late, Burn the midnight oil
45. Be ghosted
Meaning: To be ignored suddenly with no explanation.
In a Sentence: She was ghosted after their third date, and she never heard from him again.
Other Ways to Say: Ignored, Cut off
46. Have a crush
Meaning: Have romantic feelings for someone.
In a Sentence: I think she has a crush on her lab partner.
Other Ways to Say: Be into someone, Swoon over
47. Go viral
Meaning: Become very popular online.
In a Sentence: His TikTok dance went viral overnight.
Other Ways to Say: Blow up, Trend online
48. Lowkey
Meaning: Something subtle, quiet, or secretly done.
In a Sentence: I’m lowkey excited for the weekend trip.
Other Ways to Say: Quietly, Secretly
49. Highkey
Meaning: Openly or obviously.
In a Sentence: I highkey want to win that scholarship.
Other Ways to Say: Definitely, For sure
50. Not my vibe
Meaning: Not something you enjoy or relate to.
In a Sentence: That party was loud and wild—not my vibe at all.
Other Ways to Say: Not my thing, Not for me.
