50 Idioms for Conversation With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Conversation
1. Break the Ice
Meaning: To start a conversation in a social setting.
In a Sentence: Sarah told a joke to break the ice at the party and soon everyone was laughing.
Other Ways to Say: Get the ball rolling, make small talk.
2. Keep an Eye on
Meaning: To watch or monitor something closely.
In a Sentence: Mom asked Sarah to keep an eye on her little brother while she cooked dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Watch over, be vigilant.
3. Small Talk
Meaning: Light and casual conversation.
In a Sentence: We made small talk while waiting for the meeting to start.
Other Ways to Say: Chit-chat, casual chat.
4. Get the Ball Rolling
Meaning: To start something, especially a discussion or activity.
In a Sentence: I’ll get the ball rolling by asking the first question.
Other Ways to Say: Initiate, kick things off.
5. Shoot the Breeze
Meaning: To have a casual or idle conversation.
In a Sentence: We sat on the porch and shot the breeze all evening.
Other Ways to Say: Chat, talk informally.
6. Talk the Talk
Meaning: To speak convincingly about something.
In a Sentence: He can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?
Other Ways to Say: Speak confidently, sound knowledgeable.
7. On the Same Wavelength
Meaning: To understand each other well.
In a Sentence: We’re always on the same wavelength when it comes to movies.
Other Ways to Say: Think alike, in sync.
8. Have a Heart-to-Heart
Meaning: To have an honest and emotional conversation.
In a Sentence: We had a heart-to-heart about our relationship.
Other Ways to Say: Deep talk, honest conversation.
9. Talk Over
Meaning: To discuss something.
In a Sentence: Let’s talk it over before making a decision.
Other Ways to Say: Discuss, go over.
10. Speak One’s Mind
Meaning: To say what one truly thinks.
In a Sentence: She always speaks her mind, even if it’s unpopular.
Other Ways to Say: Be honest, express thoughts.
11. Drop a Line
Meaning: To send a short message or contact someone.
In a Sentence: Don’t forget to drop me a line when you get there.
Other Ways to Say: Get in touch, message.
12. Talk Shop
Meaning: To discuss work-related topics.
In a Sentence: The engineers couldn’t help but talk shop during dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Discuss work, professional chat.
13. Touch Base
Meaning: To make contact or update someone.
In a Sentence: I’ll touch base with you next week about the project.
Other Ways to Say: Check in, follow up.
14. Chew the Fat
Meaning: To have a leisurely conversation.
In a Sentence: We chewed the fat over coffee for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Chat, catch up.
15. Get Something Off Your Chest
Meaning: To say something that’s been bothering you.
In a Sentence: I finally got it off my chest and felt so much better.
Other Ways to Say: Confess, open up.
16. Put in a Word
Meaning: To recommend or mention someone.
In a Sentence: I’ll put in a good word for you with the manager.
Other Ways to Say: Recommend, vouch.
17. Speak Volumes
Meaning: To say a lot without words.
In a Sentence: Her silence spoke volumes.
Other Ways to Say: Say a lot, reveal.
18. Hit It Off
Meaning: To get along immediately.
In a Sentence: They hit it off the moment they met.
Other Ways to Say: Connect instantly, click.
19. Talk Around
Meaning: To avoid directly addressing something.
In a Sentence: He talked around the issue instead of being honest.
Other Ways to Say: Beat around the bush, sidestep.
20. Put Words in Someone’s Mouth
Meaning: To misrepresent what someone said.
In a Sentence: Don’t put words in my mouth — I never said that.
Other Ways to Say: Misquote, twist words.
21. Talk Someone’s Ear Off
Meaning: To talk too much.
In a Sentence: He talked my ear off about his vacation.
Other Ways to Say: Ramble, chatter nonstop.
22. Talk Through
Meaning: To explain in detail.
In a Sentence: She talked me through the whole process.
Other Ways to Say: Guide, explain.
23. Give Someone a Talking-To
Meaning: To scold or reprimand.
In a Sentence: The teacher gave him a serious talking-to.
Other Ways to Say: Scold, lecture.
24. Beat Around the Bush
Meaning: To avoid getting to the point.
In a Sentence: Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid the topic, delay.
25. Speak the Same Language
Meaning: To understand each other easily.
In a Sentence: We speak the same language when it comes to design.
Other Ways to Say: On the same page, relate well.
26. Talk Back
Meaning: To respond rudely.
In a Sentence: Don’t talk back to your parents.
Other Ways to Say: Be disrespectful, sass.
27. Talk Something Up
Meaning: To promote or praise something.
In a Sentence: He talked up the new restaurant like it was the best ever.
Other Ways to Say: Hype, praise.
28. Bring Up
Meaning: To mention a topic.
In a Sentence: She brought up an interesting point during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Introduce, raise.
29. Cut Someone Off
Meaning: To interrupt someone while speaking.
In a Sentence: She cut me off before I could finish.
Other Ways to Say: Interrupt, break in.
30. Take the Words Out of Someone’s Mouth
Meaning: To say exactly what someone else was thinking.
In a Sentence: You took the words right out of my mouth!
Other Ways to Say: Echo thoughts, agree perfectly.
31. Talk Big
Meaning: To boast or exaggerate.
In a Sentence: He always talks big but rarely delivers.
Other Ways to Say: Brag, show off.
32. Run One’s Mouth
Meaning: To talk too much or carelessly.
In a Sentence: He got in trouble for running his mouth.
Other Ways to Say: Blabber, gossip.
33. Speak in Tongues
Meaning: To speak in an incomprehensible or ecstatic way.
In a Sentence: The crowd was amazed when he began to speak in tongues.
Other Ways to Say: Babble, pray ecstatically.
34. Talk Over Someone
Meaning: To speak while someone else is speaking.
In a Sentence: Don’t talk over me when I’m speaking.
Other Ways to Say: Interrupt, dominate conversation.
35. Speak Up
Meaning: To talk louder or express opinions.
In a Sentence: You’ll need to speak up — I can’t hear you.
Other Ways to Say: Talk louder, be vocal.
36. Talk It Out
Meaning: To resolve something through discussion.
In a Sentence: Let’s talk it out before it gets worse.
Other Ways to Say: Discuss, clear the air.
37. Say a Mouthful
Meaning: To say something very meaningful or true.
In a Sentence: When she said, “Patience is key,” she really said a mouthful.
Other Ways to Say: Speak wisely, hit the nail.
38. Pass the Time
Meaning: Talk to avoid boredom.
In a Sentence: We passed the time by chatting on the train.
Other Ways to Say: Chitchat, fill time.
39. Talk Down To
Meaning: To speak condescendingly.
In a Sentence: He always talks down to people as if they’re stupid.
Other Ways to Say: Belittle, patronize.
40. Talk in Circles
Meaning: To say a lot without making a clear point.
In a Sentence: The politician talked in circles without giving a real answer.
Other Ways to Say: Ramble, avoid clarity.
41. Speak Off the Cuff
Meaning: To speak without preparation.
In a Sentence: She gave a brilliant off-the-cuff speech.
Other Ways to Say: Improvise, speak spontaneously.
42. Speak in Code
Meaning: To use secretive or indirect language.
In a Sentence: They spoke in code so no one could understand.
Other Ways to Say: Use signals, speak indirectly.
43. Speak with Forked Tongue
Meaning: To lie or deceive.
In a Sentence: He spoke with forked tongue, promising what he never intended to give.
Other Ways to Say: Deceive, lie.
44. Give Someone a Piece of Your Mind
Meaning: To speak angrily or critically.
In a Sentence: She gave him a piece of her mind for being late again.
Other Ways to Say: Scold, confront.
45. Say the Word
Meaning: Give the signal or permission.
In a Sentence: Just say the word and I’ll help you move.
Other Ways to Say: Approve, give the go-ahead.
46. Talk Behind Someone’s Back
Meaning: To gossip or criticize in their absence.
In a Sentence: She was hurt to learn they talked behind her back.
Other Ways to Say: Gossip, backstab.
47. Speak of the Devil
Meaning: Used when someone appears while being talked about.
In a Sentence: Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.
Other Ways to Say: There he is, look who showed up.
48. Talk in Riddles
Meaning: Speak in a confusing or mysterious way.
In a Sentence: The fortune teller talked in riddles.
Other Ways to Say: Be cryptic, be unclear.
49. Make Conversation
Meaning: Engage in polite or superficial talk.
In a Sentence: We made conversation while waiting for our turn.
Other Ways to Say: Chat, pass time.
50. Have a Word With
Meaning: To speak briefly, often seriously or privately.
In a Sentence: Can I have a word with you about the project?
Other Ways to Say: Speak privately, talk quickly.
