Idiom | Meaning | Example |
stand to lose |
may lose, could lose
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If my son fails to make a loan payment, I stand to lose $4000.
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stand up |
not meet you as planned, not attend an appointment
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Jerry said he would take Rita to the movies, but he stood her up.
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stand up and be counted |
say you support and will vote for it, stand up for
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If you really believe in gay rights, you will stand up and be counted.
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stand up for |
support, protect, speak out for
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I'm not afraid to stand up for our rights. I'll ask to see a lawyer.
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stand up to |
challenge, not back down
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Please stand up to the bully. Tell him to stop hitting us.
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standoffish |
not friendly, not sociable
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Brett appears to be standoffish, but he's really quite friendly.
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stark naked |
wearing nothing at all, naked as a jay bird, without a stitch of clothes on
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The people on the beach were stark naked. They were members of a nudist colony.
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stark raving mad |
completely crazy, out of your mind
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Ophelia went stark raving mad after Hamlet rejected her.
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start a fire under him |
motivate him, get him started
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Somebody started a fire under Kent. He's skating hard tonight.
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start from scratch |
start from the beginning, go back to square one
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After the flood, we all had to start from scratch - to rebuild our lives.
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