Must Learn Idioms for MAT
MAT Language Comprehension section consistently tests idioms and phrases in fill-in-the-blank, sentence correction, and reading comprehension formats. You can expect about 3 to 6 questions. Knowing these 50 idioms — grouped by pattern — gives you a significant edge. Each entry includes meaning + example so you can learn contextually.
Section 1 — Body Part Idioms
| 01
Turn a blind eye To deliberately ignore something wrong “The manager turned a blind eye to the team’s tardiness.” |
02 Keep an ear to the ground Stay alert to what is happening around you “She kept an ear to the ground for new job openings.” |
| 03
Put your foot in your mouth Say something embarrassing or inappropriate “He really put his foot in his mouth during the interview.” |
04
Have a heart of gold Be very kind and generous “Despite her strict exterior, she has a heart of gold.” |
| 05
Cost an arm and a leg Very expensive “That new phone costs an arm and a leg.” |
06
All thumbs Clumsy or awkward with hands “I’m all thumbs when it comes to fixing electronics.” |
| 07
Get cold feet Become nervous or hesitant “He got cold feet right before signing the contract.” |
08
Bite the hand that feeds you Harm someone who helps you “Criticizing your sponsor is biting the hand that feeds you.” |
Section 2 — Colour Idioms
| 09
Once in a blue moon Very rarely “He visits his hometown only once in a blue moon.”
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10
In the red In debt or losing money “The company has been in the red for three quarters.” |
| 11
Out of the blue Unexpectedly, without warning “Out of the blue, she received a promotion.”
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12
Caught red-handed Caught in the act of doing something wrong “The thief was caught red-handed at the store.”
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| 13
Green with envy Very jealous “She was green with envy at his new car.”
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14
Black sheep A person who is different from others in an unfavourable way “He was the black sheep of his highly academic family.”
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| 15
White lie A harmless or small lie told to be polite “She told a white lie to avoid hurting his feelings.”
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16
Grey area Something unclear or not strictly defined “The legal status of that activity is a grey area.”
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Section 3 — Animal Idioms
| 17
Let the cat out of the bag Reveal a secret accidentally “She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
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18
Kill two birds with one stone Accomplish two things with one action “Taking the scenic route let us kill two birds with one stone.”
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| 19
The elephant in the room An obvious problem no one wants to discuss “The budget cuts were the elephant in the room.”
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20
Barking up the wrong tree Looking in the wrong place or blaming the wrong person “If you think I took it, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
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| 21
Hold your horses Wait and be patient “Hold your horses — we haven’t finished discussing the plan.”
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22
A wolf in sheep’s clothing Someone dangerous disguised as harmless “The friendly investor turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
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| 23
Bury the hatchet Make peace; end a conflict “After years of rivalry, the two firms decided to bury the hatchet.”
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24
The last straw The final problem that causes a breakdown “Missing the deadline was the last straw for the client.”
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Section 4 — Weather & Nature Idioms
| 25
Under the weather Feeling ill or unwell “She stayed home because she was feeling under the weather.”
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26
Every cloud has a silver lining Every bad situation has something positive “Losing that job led to a better opportunity — every cloud has a silver lining.”
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| 27
Weather the storm Get through a difficult situation “The startup weathered the storm of the economic slowdown.”
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28
Break the ice Initiate conversation to ease tension “He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”
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| 29
On thin ice In a risky or dangerous situation “He was on thin ice after missing the third deadline.”
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30
Reap the whirlwind Suffer serious consequences for your actions “After ignoring warnings, the company reaped the whirlwind.”
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Section 5 — Business & Work Idioms
| 31
Burn the midnight oil Work very late into the night “The team burned the midnight oil to meet the deadline.”
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32
Back to the drawing board Start over after failure “The plan failed, so it was back to the drawing board.”
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| 33
Get the ball rolling Start something; set things in motion “Let’s get the ball rolling on the new project.”
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34
Cut corners Do something poorly to save time or money “They cut corners on safety and paid the price.”
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| 35
Think outside the box Think creatively beyond conventional ideas “We need to think outside the box to solve this problem.”
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36
Hit the ground running Start something with great energy and enthusiasm “She hit the ground running in her new role.”
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| 37
In the pipeline Being planned or developed “Three new products are in the pipeline for Q3.”
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38
Read between the lines Understand the hidden meaning “You have to read between the lines in his email.”
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Section 6 — Time & Action Idioms
| 39
Beat around the bush Avoid coming to the main point “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”
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40
Bite the bullet Endure a painful situation with courage “He bit the bullet and accepted the tough assignment.”
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| 41
Jump the gun Act too soon before the right time “She jumped the gun by announcing results before they were confirmed.”
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42
Miss the boat Miss an opportunity “He missed the boat on investing early in the startup.”
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| 43
Burn bridges Permanently damage a relationship “Leaving rudely burned bridges with his former employer.”
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44
Add fuel to the fire Make a bad situation worse “His comment only added fuel to the fire.”
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Section 7 — Tricky & High-Value Idioms
| 45
Steal someone’s thunder Take attention or credit away from someone “Her announcement stole the CEO’s thunder at the event.”
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46
Throw in the towel Give up; admit defeat “After three failed attempts, he threw in the towel.”
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| 47
Spill the beans Reveal secret information “Someone spilled the beans about the merger.”
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48
Sit on the fence Avoid taking a side in a dispute “He sat on the fence during the entire policy debate.”
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| 49
A blessing in disguise Something that seems bad but turns out good “Missing that flight was a blessing in disguise — the other had issues.”
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50
The ball is in your court It’s your turn to take action or decide “We’ve made our offer — the ball is in your court now.”
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Quick Revision Tips
- Group idioms by theme (colour, animal, body part) — it’s easier to remember patterns than individual phrases.
- Always learn the example sentence — MAT tests usage, not just meaning.
- Beware of idioms that sound similar but mean the opposite (e.g., “break the ice” vs “on thin ice”).
- Revise 10 idioms daily in the 5 days before the exam — spaced repetition works best.
