Example 1
What does the idiom "Bury the hatchet" mean?
Answer: C) Make peace
"Bury the hatchet" means make peace.
Idioms and Phrases questions for competitive exams: rules, worked examples and practice
Idiom questions ask for the meaning of a fixed expression whose meaning is not literal.
Key rules and formulas
- Learn idioms as whole units with their meanings.
- Examples: "bite the bullet" (face something difficult), "under the weather" (unwell).
- Read the literal options with suspicion; idioms are rarely literal.
- Use a sentence to test which meaning fits.
Common traps
- Choosing the literal meaning.
- Mixing up idioms with similar words.
Where Idioms and Phrases is asked
- IBPS Clerk Prelims (English Language)
- IBPS PO Prelims (English Language)
- SBI Clerk Prelims (English Language)
- SBI PO Prelims (English Language)
- SSC CGL Tier 1 (English Comprehension)
- SSC CGL Tier 2 (English Language & Comprehension)
- SSC CHSL Tier 1 (English Language)
Worked examples
Example 2
What does the idiom "A piece of cake" mean?
Answer: C) Something very easy
"A piece of cake" means something very easy.
Example 3
What does the idiom "Call it a day" mean?
Answer: C) Stop working for the day
"Call it a day" means stop working for the day.
More Idioms and Phrases practice questions
- What does the idiom "Break the ice" mean?
- What does the idiom "Beat around the bush" mean?
- What does the idiom "In hot water" mean?
- What does the idiom "Turn a blind eye" mean?
- What does the idiom "Under the weather" mean?
- What does the idiom "A blessing in disguise" mean?
- What does the idiom "Throw in the towel" mean?
- What does the idiom "Hit the nail on the head" mean?
- What does the idiom "Cry over spilt milk" mean?
- What does the idiom "Burn the midnight oil" mean?
- What does the idiom "Bite the bullet" mean?
- What does the idiom "At the eleventh hour" mean?
- What does the idiom "Spill the beans" mean?
- What does the idiom "Apple of one's eye" mean?
- What does the idiom "Kill two birds with one stone" mean?
- What does the idiom "Once in a blue moon" mean?
- What does the idiom "Cost an arm and a leg" mean?
Frequently asked questions
What is Idioms and Phrases in competitive exams?
Idiom questions ask for the meaning of a fixed expression whose meaning is not literal.
Which exams ask Idioms and Phrases questions?
On MockBazaar, Idioms and Phrases questions appear in IBPS Clerk Prelims, IBPS PO Prelims, SBI Clerk Prelims, SBI PO Prelims, SSC CGL Tier 1, SSC CGL Tier 2, SSC CHSL Tier 1.
What is the most common mistake in Idioms and Phrases?
Choosing the literal meaning.