50 Idioms for Writing Meaning & Sentences
50 Idioms for Writing
1. Put pen to paper
Meaning: To begin writing something.
In a Sentence: She finally put pen to paper and started her novel.
Other Ways to Say: Start writing, Begin drafting
2. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To describe something exactly.
In a Sentence: Her article hit the nail on the head about the climate issue.
Other Ways to Say: Be spot on, Get it right
3. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation.
In a Sentence: He used a joke to break the ice at the writing workshop.
Other Ways to Say: Start talking, Ease the mood
4. Read between the lines
Meaning: Understand the hidden meaning.
In a Sentence: His essay encouraged the reader to read between the lines.
Other Ways to Say: Interpret, See the deeper meaning
5. In black and white
Meaning: Clearly written or stated.
In a Sentence: The contract terms were laid out in black and white.
Other Ways to Say: Written clearly, Plain and simple
6. By the book
Meaning: To follow rules strictly.
In a Sentence: Her grammar is always by the book.
Other Ways to Say: Rule-bound, Strictly correct
7. Take a page from someone’s book
Meaning: To imitate someone’s style.
In a Sentence: He took a page from Hemingway’s book when writing dialogue.
Other Ways to Say: Follow an example, Copy the method
8. In so many words
Meaning: Directly or clearly.
In a Sentence: She told him to rewrite the essay in so many words.
Other Ways to Say: Straightforwardly, Clearly
9. Write off
Meaning: Dismiss something as unimportant.
In a Sentence: He wrote off the first draft and started over.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Disregard
10. Turn the page
Meaning: Move on from something.
In a Sentence: After rejection, she turned the page and wrote a new story.
Other Ways to Say: Move forward, Start anew
11. The pen is mightier than the sword
Meaning: Words have more power than violence.
In a Sentence: He believed in peaceful protest—after all, the pen is mightier than the sword.
Other Ways to Say: Words are powerful, Ideas change the world
12. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s
Meaning: Pay attention to detail.
In a Sentence: She always dots the i’s and crosses the t’s before submitting.
Other Ways to Say: Be thorough, Be precise
13. Word for word
Meaning: Exactly as written.
In a Sentence: He copied the email word for word.
Other Ways to Say: Verbatim, Exactly
14. A blank page
Meaning: A fresh start.
In a Sentence: Every morning, he faced a blank page with excitement.
Other Ways to Say: Clean slate, New beginning
15. Writer’s block
Meaning: Inability to write.
In a Sentence: She struggled with writer’s block before her deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Mental block, Creative freeze
16. Write up
Meaning: A short article or review.
In a Sentence: The book got a positive write-up in the newspaper.
Other Ways to Say: Review, Article
17. Off the record
Meaning: Not to be published or shared publicly.
In a Sentence: The editor spoke off the record about the issue.
Other Ways to Say: Confidentially, Unofficially
18. Pen pusher
Meaning: Someone who does routine writing.
In a Sentence: He didn’t want to become just a pen pusher in the office.
Other Ways to Say: Paperwork clerk, Desk jobber
19. Keep it short and sweet
Meaning: Write something briefly.
In a Sentence: His blog posts are always short and sweet.
Other Ways to Say: Be concise, Straight to the point
20. Ghostwriter
Meaning: One who writes for another person.
In a Sentence: A ghostwriter helped the celebrity with her memoir.
Other Ways to Say: Hidden author, Anonymous writer
21. Spill the ink
Meaning: To write or create.
In a Sentence: He spilled the ink and finished his book in a week.
Other Ways to Say: Write, Compose
22. Let the words flow
Meaning: Write naturally without overthinking.
In a Sentence: She let the words flow and the poem was done in an hour.
Other Ways to Say: Free write, Express freely
23. The final draft
Meaning: The last version of writing.
In a Sentence: He submitted the final draft just before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Finished copy, Final version
24. Across the board
Meaning: Including everyone or everything.
In a Sentence: The editor made changes across the board.
Other Ways to Say: Everywhere, Universally
25. A way with words
Meaning: Skill in expressing oneself.
In a Sentence: She definitely has a way with words.
Other Ways to Say: Articulate, Eloquent
26. Write in stone
Meaning: Fixed and unchangeable.
In a Sentence: The book title isn’t written in stone yet.
Other Ways to Say: Final, Permanent
27. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Work late into the night.
In a Sentence: He burned the midnight oil finishing his article.
Other Ways to Say: Stay up late, Work overtime
28. On paper
Meaning: As described in writing.
In a Sentence: The plan looks good on paper.
Other Ways to Say: In theory, In writing
29. Pen something down
Meaning: To write something quickly.
In a Sentence: She penned down the idea before it slipped away.
Other Ways to Say: Jot down, Note
30. At a loss for words
Meaning: Speechless or unsure what to write.
In a Sentence: She was at a loss for words after the shocking news.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless, Stunned
31. Not make sense
Meaning: Confusing writing.
In a Sentence: The last paragraph didn’t make sense.
Other Ways to Say: Illogical, Unclear
32. Speak volumes
Meaning: Say a lot without words.
In a Sentence: His short letter spoke volumes.
Other Ways to Say: Say a lot, Be meaningful
33. Write out
Meaning: To put thoughts into writing.
In a Sentence: She wrote out the full story in detail.
Other Ways to Say: Draft, Compose
34. Cross one’s t’s
Meaning: Be meticulous in writing.
In a Sentence: She double-checked to cross every t.
Other Ways to Say: Be careful, Be precise
35. The ink is barely dry
Meaning: Something just written or signed.
In a Sentence: The ink was barely dry on her new book deal.
Other Ways to Say: Just completed, Recently done
36. Tear up the script
Meaning: To completely change your plan.
In a Sentence: He tore up the script and started over.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh, Change course
37. Write home about
Meaning: Something worth noting.
In a Sentence: The book’s ending was nothing to write home about.
Other Ways to Say: Unremarkable, Not special
38. Tell it like it is
Meaning: Be direct and honest.
In a Sentence: Her writing tells it like it is.
Other Ways to Say: Be blunt, Be truthful
39. Right off the bat
Meaning: Immediately.
In a Sentence: The story grabs attention right off the bat.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly, From the start
40. Speak one’s mind
Meaning: Express thoughts clearly.
In a Sentence: He speaks his mind in every article.
Other Ways to Say: Be direct, Say what you feel
41. Write under one’s nose
Meaning: Do something without someone noticing.
In a Sentence: The plot twist was written right under the reader’s nose.
Other Ways to Say: Secretly, Without notice
42. Black-and-white thinking
Meaning: Seeing only extremes.
In a Sentence: The essay showed black-and-white thinking on a complex issue.
Other Ways to Say: All or nothing, Oversimplified
43. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Make a situation worse with writing.
In a Sentence: His tweet only added fuel to the fire.
Other Ways to Say: Make things worse, Intensify
44. Writing on the wall
Meaning: A clear sign of future trouble.
In a Sentence: The writer saw the writing on the wall and ended the blog.
Other Ways to Say: Warning, Omen
45. Put it in writing
Meaning: Make something official.
In a Sentence: She asked him to put the agreement in writing.
Other Ways to Say: Document it, Confirm formally
46. Keep a journal
Meaning: Write regularly about personal life.
In a Sentence: She keeps a journal to reflect on her day.
Other Ways to Say: Maintain a diary, Personal writing
47. Write your heart out
Meaning: Write passionately.
In a Sentence: He wrote his heart out for the final chapter.
Other Ways to Say: Express fully, Pour your soul into writing
48. A turn of phrase
Meaning: A clever way of saying something.
In a Sentence: The article had a witty turn of phrase.
Other Ways to Say: Clever expression, Wordplay
49. Run-on sentence
Meaning: A sentence that goes on too long.
In a Sentence: The editor fixed several run-on sentences.
Other Ways to Say: Long-winded, Too lengthy
50. Seal it with ink
Meaning: Finalize through writing.
In a Sentence: They sealed the deal with ink and signed the contract.
Other Ways to Say: Make it official, Sign off
