Here’s a list of English collocations along with sample sentences:

Break the ice:

Meaning: To start a conversation in a social setting, especially when meeting new people.

Sample sentence: Playing a fun game is a great way to break the ice at parties.

Catch someone’s eye:

Meaning: To attract someone’s attention.

Sample sentence: His unique style of drawing really caught my eye in the art gallery.

Make a difference:

Meaning: To have a positive impact or bring about change.

Sample sentence: Volunteering at the village school can make a real difference in the community.

Miss the boat:

Meaning: To lose an opportunity or be too late to take advantage of something.

Sample sentence: If you don’t submit your application on time, you’ll miss the boat for the scholarship.

Hit the jackpot:

Meaning: To achieve great success or gain a large reward, often unexpectedly.

Sample sentence: Starting his own business was a risk, but in the end, he hit the jackpot and became a millionaire.

Read more:

• 100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent
• 100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent
• 30 Common English Collocations You Should Know
• English Collocation Sentences
• Everyday English Expressions for Daily Use

English collocations along with sample sentences:

Throw in the towel:

Meaning: To give up or surrender; to quit.

Sample sentence: After hours of trying to fix the computer, he finally threw in the towel and called for professional help.

Cost an arm and a leg:

Meaning: To be very expensive.

Sample sentence: Buying a new smartphone these days can cost an arm and a leg.

Jump on the bandwagon:

Meaning: To adopt a popular trend or activity.

Sample sentence: Many businesses are jumping on the bandwagon and incorporating eco-friendly practices.

Piece of cake:

Meaning: Something very easy to do.

Sample sentence: Solving this puzzle was a piece of cake for her; she’s a puzzle master.

Meaning: To study or start studying intensively.

Sample sentence: With exams approaching, it’s time to hit the books and review all the material.

Spill the beans:

Meaning: To disclose a secret or reveal information.

Sample sentence: I can’t keep it to myself any longer; I have to spill the beans about the surprise party.

Bite the bullet:

Meaning: To endure a painful or difficult situation with courage.

Sample sentence: Facing the challenging project, she had to bite the bullet and work extra hours to meet the deadline.

Kick the bucket:

Meaning: To die.

Sample sentence: Despite the vet’s efforts, our dog finally kicked the bucket.

Burn the midnight oil:

Meaning: To work late into the night; to stay up very late working.

Sample sentence: With the deadline approaching, they had to burn the midnight oil to finish the report.

Jump to conclusions:

Meaning: To form an opinion or make a decision hastily without sufficient evidence.

Sample sentence: Let’s gather all the facts before we jump to conclusions about what happened.

Spick and span:

Meaning: Neat, clean, and well-organized.

Sample sentence: After a thorough cleaning, the house was spick and span for the guests.

Hit the hay:

Meaning: To go to bed or go to sleep.

Sample sentence: It’s been a long day; I’m going to hit the hay early tonight.

Meaning: To ignore or pretend not to see something.

Sample sentence: The teacher decided to turn a blind eye to the students quietly sharing notes during the exam.

Cut to the chase:

Meaning: To get to the main point or important details without unnecessary discussion.

Sample sentence: Let’s cut to the chase and address the key issues in the meeting.

Keep an eye on:

Meaning: To watch or monitor something closely.

Sample sentence: Can you keep an eye on my bag while I go grab a coffee?

Behind the scenes:

Meaning: Happening or working secretly or out of sight.

Sample sentence: There’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes in organizing a successful event.

Give someone a hand:

Meaning: To help or assist someone.

Sample sentence: Can you give me a hand with these heavy boxes?

Hit the road:

Meaning: To start a journey or leave a place.

Sample sentence: We need to hit the road early to avoid traffic.

Face the music:

Meaning: To confront the consequences of one’s actions.

Sample sentence: After breaking the vase, he had to face the music and admit his mistake.

Throw caution to the wind:

Meaning: To take a risk; to act without worrying about the consequences.

Sample sentence: Sometimes, you just have to throw caution to the wind and try something new.

Bury the hatchet:

Meaning: To make peace or reconcile after a conflict.

Sample sentence: It’s time for us to bury the hatchet and move forward.

Jump through hoops:

Meaning: To go through a lot of difficulties or obstacles to achieve something.

Sample sentence: I had to jump through hoops to get all the necessary paperwork done for the project.

Cutting-edge:

Meaning: Extremely modern and innovative.

Sample sentence: The company is known for its cutting-edge technology in the field of robotics.

Grin and bear it:

Meaning: To endure a difficult or unpleasant situation with a smile.

Sample sentence: Even though the weather was terrible, we had to grin and bear it during the outdoor event.

Cost of living:

Meaning: The average cost of basic necessities, such as housing, food, and transportation, in a particular area.

Sample sentence: The cost of living in the city is much higher than in the towns.

Let me know your favorites in the comment.