Idioms are like little shortcuts in our language—colorful phrases that help us say more with fewer words. They’re especially fun because they don’t always mean exactly what they say. Instead, they help us talk about tricky situations, emotions, and ideas in a creative way.
When it comes to making life better—whether it’s fixing a problem, improving a relationship, or boosting your mood—idioms can be super helpful. They teach us not only how to express hope and change but also how to stay positive when things get tough. These expressions are often used in daily conversations, books, and even movies, making them both useful and fun to learn.
In this article, you’ll explore 45 popular idioms that are all about improvement and positive change. Each one comes with a meaning, a sample sentence, and other ways to say it—so you can understand and start using them right away.
Let’s jump into these uplifting idioms that are all about making things better!
Idioms for Making Things Better
1. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To make a fresh start or begin again with better behavior.
In a Sentence: After getting into trouble at school, Jake decided to turn over a new leaf.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh, Begin again
2. Light at the end of the tunnel
Meaning: A sign that a difficult situation is about to improve.
In a Sentence: After months of job searching, she finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Other Ways to Say: Hope ahead, Things are looking up
3. Get back on track
Meaning: To return to the right path or routine after a setback.
In a Sentence: I messed up my schedule, but I’m finally getting back on track.
Other Ways to Say: Refocus, Return to normal
4. Pick up the pieces
Meaning: To recover and move on after something bad happens.
In a Sentence: It took a while, but she started picking up the pieces after the breakup.
Other Ways to Say: Move on, Heal
5. Mend fences
Meaning: To fix a damaged relationship.
In a Sentence: After their fight, they made an effort to mend fences and be friends again.
Other Ways to Say: Reconnect, Make peace
6. Right the ship
Meaning: To fix a situation that’s gone wrong.
In a Sentence: The new manager helped right the ship after months of confusion at work.
Other Ways to Say: Fix the problem, Steer things back on course
7. Wipe the slate clean
Meaning: To forget past mistakes and start fresh.
In a Sentence: Let’s wipe the slate clean and try again with the group project.
Other Ways to Say: Forgive and forget, Start anew
8. Clear the air
Meaning: To resolve tension or misunderstanding.
In a Sentence: We had a long talk to clear the air after our disagreement.
Other Ways to Say: Talk it out, Make peace
9. Back on your feet
Meaning: To recover from a tough time.
In a Sentence: After the accident, it took him a while to get back on his feet.
Other Ways to Say: Recover, Regain strength
10. Bounce back
Meaning: To recover quickly from a problem or setback.
In a Sentence: She bounced back after failing her first test.
Other Ways to Say: Recover, Get better
11. Patch things up
Meaning: To repair a relationship or fix a problem.
In a Sentence: They had a disagreement, but now they’ve patched things up.
Other Ways to Say: Make amends, Reconcile
12. Smooth things over
Meaning: To make a situation less tense or fix a problem calmly.
In a Sentence: She tried to smooth things over after the misunderstanding.
Other Ways to Say: Ease tension, Calm things down
13. Make amends
Meaning: To make up for a mistake or wrongdoing.
In a Sentence: He apologized and brought flowers to make amends.
Other Ways to Say: Make it right, Say sorry
14. Iron out the wrinkles
Meaning: To fix small problems in a plan or process.
In a Sentence: Let’s meet and iron out the wrinkles in our presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Fix issues, Smooth out problems
15. Put your best foot forward
Meaning: To try your hardest or make a good impression.
In a Sentence: I’m putting my best foot forward on this new project.
Other Ways to Say: Give it your all, Try your best
16. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: To start something or get things moving.
In a Sentence: I’ll get the ball rolling on the fundraiser this weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Kick things off
17. Step up your game
Meaning: To improve your effort or performance.
In a Sentence: I need to step up my game if I want to win.
Other Ways to Say: Try harder, Do better
18. Take it up a notch
Meaning: To make something better or more intense.
In a Sentence: The team took their performance up a notch during the finals.
Other Ways to Say: Level up, Improve
19. See eye to eye
Meaning: To agree with someone.
In a Sentence: We didn’t always see eye to eye, but we respect each other.
Other Ways to Say: Agree, Be on the same page
20. Water under the bridge
Meaning: Past events that are no longer important.
In a Sentence: Our argument is water under the bridge now.
Other Ways to Say: Forgotten past, Let bygones be bygones
21. A step in the right direction
Meaning: A small improvement or progress toward a goal.
In a Sentence: Eating more veggies is a step in the right direction for my health.
Other Ways to Say: Moving forward, Making progress
22. In the same boat
Meaning: In a similar situation as someone else.
In a Sentence: We’re all in the same boat when it comes to final exams.
Other Ways to Say: Facing the same problem, Together in this
23. On the same page
Meaning: Agreeing or understanding something in the same way.
In a Sentence: Before we continue, let’s make sure we’re on the same page.
Other Ways to Say: Agree, Share understanding
24. Fix what’s broken
Meaning: To repair something that isn’t working—physically or emotionally.
In a Sentence: It’s time we fix what’s broken in our friendship.
Other Ways to Say: Make things right, Repair
25. Turn the corner
Meaning: To start improving after a difficult period.
In a Sentence: After a rough few months, she’s finally turning the corner.
Other Ways to Say: Getting better, Improving
26. Get your act together
Meaning: To start behaving more responsibly or efficiently.
In a Sentence: If you want to pass, you’ve got to get your act together.
Other Ways to Say: Focus, Be more organized
27. Lift someone’s spirits
Meaning: To cheer someone up.
In a Sentence: Her kind message really lifted my spirits.
Other Ways to Say: Make someone feel better, Cheer up
28. Bring to the table
Meaning: To contribute something useful.
In a Sentence: He brings great ideas to the table.
Other Ways to Say: Offer something valuable, Contribute
29. Make the best of it
Meaning: To stay positive in a bad situation.
In a Sentence: The weather was awful, but we made the best of it.
Other Ways to Say: Stay upbeat, Look on the bright side
30. Put things in perspective
Meaning: To view a situation with a better understanding.
In a Sentence: Talking to her really put things in perspective.
Other Ways to Say: See the big picture, Understand better
31. Build bridges
Meaning: To create connections or improve relationships.
In a Sentence: Volunteering helped me build bridges with people in my community.
Other Ways to Say: Connect with others, Strengthen relationships
32. Change of heart
Meaning: A change in the way you feel or think about something.
In a Sentence: She had a change of heart and decided to forgive him.
Other Ways to Say: New attitude, Shift in feelings
33. Lend a hand
Meaning: To help someone.
In a Sentence: Can you lend a hand with these boxes?
Other Ways to Say: Help out, Offer assistance
34. Pull through
Meaning: To survive or recover from a difficult situation.
In a Sentence: She pulled through after a tough surgery.
Other Ways to Say: Get through, Recover
35. A shot in the arm
Meaning: Something that boosts energy or confidence.
In a Sentence: The good news gave us a shot in the arm we really needed.
Other Ways to Say: Boost, Pick-me-up
36. Help out
Meaning: To assist or support someone.
In a Sentence: My friends helped out when I had too much homework.
Other Ways to Say: Lend a hand, Give support
37. On the mend
Meaning: Recovering or improving after being unwell or upset.
In a Sentence: He’s been sick, but he’s on the mend now.
Other Ways to Say: Getting better, Healing
38. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive even in tough times.
In a Sentence: Keep your chin up—better days are ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, Stay hopeful
39. Bring out the best
Meaning: To make someone act in their best way.
In a Sentence: She really brings out the best in me.
Other Ways to Say: Inspire greatness, Encourage good behavior
40. Silver lining
Meaning: A positive aspect of a bad situation.
In a Sentence: The power outage was annoying, but the silver lining was we all talked more.
Other Ways to Say: Hidden benefit, Bright side
41. Brighten someone’s day
Meaning: To make someone feel happier.
In a Sentence: Her message really brightened my day.
Other Ways to Say: Cheer someone up, Make someone smile
42. Turn things around
Meaning: To improve a bad situation.
In a Sentence: With effort and support, he turned things around at school.
Other Ways to Say: Make things better, Improve the situation
43. Take the high road
Meaning: To act with kindness or integrity, even when others don’t.
In a Sentence: She took the high road and didn’t argue back.
Other Ways to Say: Be mature, Rise above
44. Make peace
Meaning: To end conflict and restore harmony.
In a Sentence: They finally made peace after years of not talking.
Other Ways to Say: Reconcile, Settle things
45. Raise the bar
Meaning: To set a higher standard or expectation.
In a Sentence: This new app really raises the bar for user design.
Other Ways to Say: Improve the standard, Set a new level
Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- After the argument, they decided to ________ fences and be friends again.
- I had a rough start, but now I’m ________ back on track.
- She had a ________ of heart and chose to stay.
- Volunteering really helped him ________ bridges in the community.
- Don’t worry—things will turn the ________ soon.
- We were all in the same ________ during the group project.
- That compliment really ________ my spirits.
- Try to see the ________ lining in every challenge.
- He always tries to ________ peace after a disagreement.
- Their team’s new strategy truly ________ the bar for performance.
Answers:
mend, get, change, build, corner, boat, lifted, silver, make, raised
Conclusion
Making things better—whether it’s in life, school, or relationships—often starts with the right words. Idioms are more than just clever phrases; they’re tools that help us express hope, growth, and positivity.
As you start using these 45 idioms, you’ll notice how they bring more color to your conversations and help you connect with others. Whether you’re cheering up a friend or bouncing back from a tough day, these expressions will help you say exactly what you feel—beautifully and clearly.
Keep practicing, keep smiling, and remember: even the toughest moments can have a silver lining.
