risk

Idioms (63)

• put one's head above the parapet Neutral · CEFR C1
  to risk criticism by stating an opinion publicly
• stick your neck out Informal · CEFR B2
  To take a risk by saying or doing something that others might criticize.
• don't count your chickens before they hatch Neutral · CEFR B2
  used to warn someone not to assume success before it actually happens
• don't put all your eggs in one basket Neutral · CEFR B2
  Don't risk everything on a single plan or possibility.
• bleeding edge Informal · CEFR C1
  the very newest and most experimental technology, so new it may be unstable or unreliable
• slippery slope Neutral · CEFR B1
  a course of action that seems small or harmless but leads, step by step, to a serious or disastrous result
• domino effect Neutral · CEFR B1
  a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events
• skin in the game Neutral · CEFR C1
  personal risk or investment in a venture, aligning your interests with its outcome
• double down Neutral · CEFR B2
  to increase your commitment to a position or strategy, especially after mixed results
• go all in Informal · CEFR B2
  to commit fully to something, risking everything you have
• call someone's bluff Neutral · CEFR C1
  to challenge someone to prove that their threat or claim is real
• red flag Neutral · CEFR B1
  a warning sign that something is wrong
• leap of faith Neutral · CEFR B1
  an act of trusting or committing without evidence or guarantees
• can of worms Informal · CEFR B1
  a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched
• Pandora's box Neutral · CEFR C1
  an action or situation that unleashes many unexpected and hard-to-control problems
• swimming naked Informal · CEFR C1
  being exposed as unprepared or over-leveraged once market conditions turn
• cover all bases Neutral · CEFR B2
  to consider and prepare for every important part, possibility, or problem so nothing is missed
• make or break Neutral · CEFR B2
  to be the single decisive factor between success and failure
• perfect storm Neutral · CEFR C1
  a rare combination of bad circumstances that produces a disaster
• double-edged sword Neutral · CEFR C1
  something that has both great benefits and serious risks
• the devil is in the details Neutral · CEFR B2
  the hidden difficulties of a plan are in its small details
• kill the goose that lays the golden eggs Neutral · CEFR C1
  to destroy a reliable source of future profit through greed or short-term thinking
• penny wise, pound foolish Neutral · CEFR C1
  being careful with small amounts of money while wasting large amounts
• against the grain Neutral · CEFR C1
  in a way that conflicts with what is usual or with someone's natural character
• by the seat of your pants Informal · CEFR C1
  to do something by instinct and improvisation rather than by plan
• look before you leap Neutral · CEFR B2
  to consider the risks before acting
• on thin ice Neutral · CEFR B2
  in a risky position where one mistake could cause trouble
• push the envelope Neutral · CEFR B2
  to go beyond the limits of what is known or accepted
• touch and go Neutral · CEFR B2
  very uncertain, with a chance of failure at any moment
• rock the boat Informal · CEFR B2
  to disturb a stable situation by causing trouble or challenging accepted arrangements
• in broad daylight Neutral · CEFR B1
  openly and where people can clearly see it, especially during the daytime
• in the nick of time Neutral · CEFR B1
  at the latest moment when success is still possible
• go up in smoke Neutral · CEFR B2
  be completely ruined or fail, leaving nothing of the original plan
• out on a limb Neutral · CEFR B2
  in a vulnerable position after taking an unusual or unsupported risk
• err on the side of Formal · CEFR C1
  choose the safer course when uncertainty makes either option imperfect
• unknown quantity Neutral · CEFR B2
  a person or factor whose nature, ability, or effect cannot yet be predicted
• home and dry Neutral · CEFR C1
  successfully completed or achieved, with the main risks safely past
• moment of truth Neutral · CEFR B2
  the decisive point when reality or the final outcome becomes clear
• give someone the slip Neutral · CEFR B2
  to escape or evade someone who is following or pursuing you
• play with fire Neutral · CEFR B2
  to take a serious risk that is likely to bring harmful consequences
• open the floodgates Neutral · CEFR B2
  To remove a restraint and allow something to increase rapidly, often beyond control.
• give someone the creeps Neutral · CEFR B2
  To make someone feel distinctly uneasy, frightened, or repelled.
• up against it Neutral · CEFR B2
  Facing severe difficulties, pressure, or obstacles.
• stand up and be counted Neutral · CEFR B2
  to declare one's position publicly when doing so calls for courage or principle
• turn tail Neutral · CEFR B2
  to retreat or run away suddenly because of fear
• lay a finger on Informal · CEFR B2
  to touch or interfere with a person, usually in a warning against causing harm
• in the fast lane Neutral · CEFR B2
  living or working at an intense pace often associated with excitement and risk
• hang by a thread Neutral · CEFR B2
  to remain so precarious that collapse or failure could happen at any moment
• pay the piper Neutral · CEFR C1
  to deal with the price or consequences created by your earlier choices
• kiss of death Neutral · CEFR B2
  something that seems helpful but instead causes eventual failure or ruin
• pie in the sky Neutral · CEFR B2
  an attractive ambition with almost no realistic prospect of being achieved
• at death's door Neutral · CEFR B2
  so seriously ill or injured that death seems close
• cut both ways Neutral · CEFR B2
  to produce both helpful and harmful effects or implications
• blow someone's cover Neutral · CEFR B2
  to expose what someone has kept secret, such as their identity or scheme
• by hook or by crook Neutral · CEFR C1
  by whatever method is necessary, whether fair or unfair
• throw caution to the wind Neutral · CEFR B2
  to act boldly or recklessly without considering the possible consequences
• stop at nothing Neutral · CEFR B2
  to pursue a goal without accepting any moral or practical limit
• armed to the teeth Neutral · CEFR B2
  equipped with a very large number of weapons and ready for conflict
• go for broke Neutral · CEFR B2
  to stake everything on one final effort to win or succeed
• batten down the hatches Neutral · CEFR B2
  to prepare yourself and your resources for an approaching difficult situation
• siren song Neutral · CEFR C1
  a seductive attraction that draws someone toward danger or an unwise action
• tempt fate Neutral · CEFR B2
  to take a needless risk that seems likely to bring trouble
• head for the hills Neutral · CEFR B2
  to flee quickly from a threatening or difficult situation