Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Fly in the face of
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Fly in the face of" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourAcademic & Formal Discourse collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Fly in the face of
To completely oppose, contradict, or go against a well-established rule, tradition, belief, or logical expectation.
History & Origin
The idiom originates from falconry and cockfighting in the 16th and 17th centuries, where an aggressive or poorly trained bird would violently attack its handler or opponent by flying directly at their face. This literal act of dangerous defiance and rebellion evolved over time into a metaphor for any action that boldly opposes established authority or logic.
Examples
Proceeding with the product launch without completing the final security audit would fly in the face of our company's safety protocols.
Choosing to go camping in the middle of a blizzard really seems to fly in the face of common sense.
The latest statistical data collected from the study fly in the face of the widely accepted economic theories proposed in the 1990s.
The mayor's decision to cut funding for public parks flies in the face of his campaign promises to build a greener city.
To stay silent during moments of injustice is to fly in the face of the core moral values we hold as a society.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. She was so excited about her promotion that she decided to fly in the face of her colleagues with joy.
B. The company's decision to drastically increase prices flies in the face of their standard policy to keep products affordable for low-income families.
C. After hours of heavy rain, the dark storm clouds finally began to fly in the face of the morning sun.
D. To solve the complex math problem, you must fly in the face of the formula until you get the correct answer.