English idiom

take stock

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to pause and carefully assess a situation before deciding what to do next

Why this phrase?

From counting goods held in stock; figuratively, it means making an inventory of facts, resources, or progress.

Example

“After the first month, we took stock of what had worked and what had failed.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

easier said than done

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

food for thought

an idea or piece of information worth thinking carefully about

for the time being

temporarily, until circumstances change

kick the tires

to inspect or test something before committing to it

back to square one

to return to the beginning of a task after an attempt has failed

back to the drawing board

to start planning or designing again after an idea or attempt has failed

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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