Downaload Idioms and Phrases Questions for CAT 2026 (100+ Idioms + MCQs)

Overview: Idioms and phrases questions for CAT exam are an important part of strengthening your vocabulary and improving contextual understanding. While the CAT exam may not always ask direct idiom-based questions, a strong command of idiomatic expressions helps candidates perform better in Reading Comprehension, Para Completion, Para Summary, and other Verbal Ability questions.

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Many CAT aspirants focus only on grammar and vocabulary but often ignore idioms and phrases. However, editorials, opinion pieces, business articles, and RC passages frequently contain idiomatic expressions. Understanding these phrases correctly can improve both comprehension and accuracy.

What You'll Get in This Blog

• What are Idioms and Phrases?
• Are Idioms and Phrases Asked in CAT?
• Why are Idioms and Phrases Important?
• 100+ Important Idioms and Phrases for CAT
• Idioms and Phrases Questions for CAT with Answers
• Preparation Strategy
• Best Books & Resources

Key Takeaways

• Direct idioms and phrases questions for CAT are rare but contextual understanding is essential.
• Idioms improve Reading Comprehension accuracy.
• Learning idioms strengthens CAT vocabulary and communication skills.
• Reading newspapers regularly helps retain idioms naturally.
• Practicing CAT idioms and phrases questions improves confidence before the exam.

What are Idioms and Phrases in CAT?

Idioms are groups of words whose meanings are different from the literal meanings of the individual words. They are commonly used in spoken and written English to express ideas more naturally.

For example, "spill the beans" does not literally mean dropping beans. Instead, it means to reveal a secret.

Similarly, phrases are combinations of words that work together to express a particular meaning. Understanding these expressions helps candidates comprehend editorials, essays, opinion pieces, and Reading Comprehension passages more effectively.

Although direct CAT syllabus in idioms and phrases questions for CAT are uncommon, CAT regularly tests contextual vocabulary, making idioms an important area of preparation.

Download Idioms and Phrases Questions for CAT PDF

20+ CAT Idioms and Phrases Questions with Answers

Q1. "Break the ice" means:

A. Break something made of ice
B. Start a conversation
C. End an argument
D. Solve a problem

Answer: B

Q2. "Spill the beans" means:

A. Cook food
B. Reveal a secret
C. Waste money
D. Lose control

Answer: B

Q3. "Hit the nail on the head" means:

A. Hit someone
B. Say exactly the right thing
C. Make a mistake
D. Work hard

Answer: B

Q4. "Burn the midnight oil" means:

A. Waste electricity
B. Study or work late into the night
C. Burn fuel
D. Wake up early

Answer: B

Q5. "Bite the bullet" means:

A. Eat quickly
B. Face a difficult situation courageously
C. Fight someone
D. Win a competition

Answer: B

Download CAT Idioms and Phrases PDF

Q6. "Beat around the bush" means:

A. Go around a forest
B. Avoid the main point
C. Walk carefully
D. Travel slowly

Answer: B

Q7. "Under the weather" means:

A. Standing outside
B. Feeling unwell
C. Enjoying rain
D. Travelling

Answer: B

Q8. "Once in a blue moon" means:

A. Every month
B. Very rarely
C. Every year
D. Every week

Answer: B

Q9. "Cost an arm and a leg" means:

A. Dangerous
B. Very expensive
C. Worthless
D. Easy to buy

Answer: B

Q10. "On cloud nine" means:

A. Confused
B. Extremely happy
C. Angry
D. Nervous

Answer: B

Q11. "Throw in the towel" means:

A. Wash clothes
B. Quit or surrender
C. Start a task
D. Celebrate success

Answer: B

Q12. "Miss the boat" means:

A. Miss a journey
B. Lose an opportunity
C. Travel late
D. Forget directions

Answer: B

Q13. "The ball is in your court" means:

A. Play a game
B. It is your responsibility to act
C. Watch carefully
D. Wait for instructions

Answer: B

Q14. "Go the extra mile" means:

A. Walk further
B. Make extra effort
C. Travel abroad
D. Run faster

Answer: B

Q15. "Jump the gun" means:

A. Fire a weapon
B. Act too early
C. Win quickly
D. Take risks

Answer: B

Q16. "Elephant in the room" refers to:

A. A large animal
B. An obvious issue everyone avoids discussing
C. A difficult exam
D. A business meeting

Answer: B

Q17. "Barking up the wrong tree" means:

A. Looking in the wrong direction
B. Following the wrong approach
C. Climbing a tree
D. Being angry

Answer: B

Q18. "Let sleeping dogs lie" means:

A. Feed animals
B. Avoid restarting old conflicts
C. Ignore pets
D. Sleep peacefully

Answer: B

Q19. "Cut corners" means:

A. Draw a shape
B. Do something cheaply or carelessly
C. Save time wisely
D. Finish early

Answer: B

Q20. "Red tape" means:

A. Decoration
B. Excessive bureaucracy
C. Danger
D. Celebration

Answer: B

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Why are Idioms and Phrases Important for CAT?

One of the most common questions among aspirants is whether CAT asks direct idiom-based questions. The answer is not frequently.

In recent years, CAT has shifted its focus toward contextual vocabulary rather than straightforward vocabulary questions. Instead of asking the meaning of an idiom directly, CAT often checks whether you can understand idiomatic expressions within a passage.

You are likely to encounter idioms in:

• Reading Comprehension passages
• Editorial-based RCs
• Para Completion
• Para Jumbles
• Para Summary
• Odd One Out
• Vocabulary-based inference questions

Therefore, practicing important Idioms and Phrases Questions for CAT helps improve your comprehension skills and prepares you for contextual interpretation.

100+ Important Idioms and Phrases for CAT 2026

Below are some of the most frequently used idioms that every CAT aspirant should know.

Daily Conversation Idioms

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Break the ice	Start a conversation	The trainer began with a game to break the ice.
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely	He visits his hometown once in a blue moon.
Spill the beans	Reveal a secret	Rahul accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.
Hit the nail on the head	Say exactly the right thing	Your explanation hit the nail on the head.
Beat around the bush	Avoid the main topic	Stop beating around the bush and answer directly.
Bite the bullet	Face a difficult situation bravely	She finally bit the bullet and resigned.
Call it a day	Stop working	Let's call it a day after this meeting.
Under the weather	Feeling sick	I was under the weather yesterday.
Burn the midnight oil	Work or study late	CAT aspirants often burn the midnight oil before the exam.
Pull someone's leg	Tease someone	Don't worry, I'm just pulling your leg.

Business & Corporate Idioms

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Think outside the box	Think creatively	The company encourages employees to think outside the box.
Cash cow	A highly profitable product	Their flagship product is a cash cow.
Red tape	Excessive bureaucracy	The project was delayed because of red tape.
Cut corners	Do something cheaply or carelessly	Never cut corners while preparing for CAT.
Raise the bar	Set higher standards	CAT has raised the bar for MBA aspirants.
Learning curve	Speed of learning	The new software has a short learning curve.
Back to square one	Start again	After failing the prototype, the team was back to square one.
Corner the market	Gain control over the market	The company cornered the market in smartphones.
In the red	Running at a loss	The startup remained in the red during its first year.
In the black	Making profits	The company returned to the black after restructuring.

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Success & Failure Idioms

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Face the music	Accept punishment	He had to face the music after cheating.
Throw in the towel	Quit	Many students throw in the towel too early.
Gift of the gab	Excellent speaking ability	She has the gift of the gab.
At loggerheads	Strong disagreement	The two departments are at loggerheads.
Hit below the belt	Act unfairly	His comments were below the belt.
Make hay while the sun shines	Use an opportunity wisely	Make hay while the sun shines and prepare early.
Burning bridges	Destroy future relationships	Never burn bridges in your career.
Miss the boat	Lose an opportunity	Don't miss the boat by delaying your preparation.
Keep your chin up	Stay positive	Keep your chin up despite mock scores.
Blessing in disguise	Something good that seemed bad initially	Missing one interview turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Advanced Idioms Frequently Seen in Editorials

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Elephant in the room	An obvious issue everyone ignores	The report ignored the elephant in the room.
Wild goose chase	A useless search	Looking for free CAT shortcuts is a wild goose chase.
Barking up the wrong tree	Following the wrong approach	You're barking up the wrong tree if you ignore RC practice.
On cloud nine	Extremely happy	She was on cloud nine after converting an IIM.
Cost an arm and a leg	Very expensive	Some MBA programmes cost an arm and a leg.
Jump the gun	Act too early	Don't jump the gun before reading the question.
Put all your eggs in one basket	Depend on one option	Don't put all your eggs in one basket while selecting colleges.
Let sleeping dogs lie	Avoid old disputes	It's better to let sleeping dogs lie.
Go the extra mile	Make additional effort	Successful aspirants always go the extra mile.
The ball is in your court	Your decision now	You've completed the syllabus; now the ball is in your court.

These are among the most importantIdioms and Phrases Questions for CAT that students should revise regularly. Rather than memorising meanings, try to understand how each idiom is used in context. Reading editorials, magazines, and quality newspapers will naturally reinforce these expressions and improve your performance in the Verbal Ability section.

Best Books & Resources for CAT Idioms and Phrases

Here are some important CAT books for idioms and phrases:

Resource	Why It Helps
Word Power Made Easy – Norman Lewis	Vocabulary building
High School English Grammar – Wren & Martin	Grammar fundamentals
The Hindu Editorial	Contextual vocabulary
The Indian Express	Editorial reading
Mint	Business vocabulary
The Economist	Advanced English usage
CAT Previous Year Papers	Understanding CAT-level language

Advantages of Solving CAT Idioms and Phrases

Preparing idioms and phrases questions for CAT offers several advantages beyond vocabulary learning.

• Improves Reading Comprehension accuracy.
• Enhances contextual understanding.
• Strengthens vocabulary naturally.
• Helps interpret editorials and opinion-based passages.
• Improves verbal communication for GD-PI rounds.
• Builds confidence while reading complex articles.

Students who read newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express, Mint, or The Economist frequently encounter idiomatic expressions. Learning them beforehand makes comprehension much easier during the exam.

Practicing Idioms and Phrases Questions for CAT 2026

One of the most common questions among CAT aspirants is whether the exam asks direct idioms and phrases questions for CAT. The answer is not frequently, but that does not mean you should ignore them.

In recent years, CAT has moved away from asking straightforward vocabulary-based questions. Instead, the exam evaluates whether candidates can understand idiomatic expressions in context. Since Reading Comprehension passages are often taken from newspapers, journals, magazines, and editorials, idioms naturally appear within these passages.

You may encounter idiomatic expressions in:

• Reading Comprehension
• Para Summary
• Para Completion
• Odd Sentence Out
• Vocabulary-based inference questions
• Critical Reasoning passages

Therefore, practicing CAT idioms and phrases questions helps improve your contextual understanding rather than rote memorisation.

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Preparation Strategy for Idioms and Phrases for CAT

Learning important Idioms and Phrases Questions for CAT requires consistency rather than memorisation. The best approach is to understand the meaning of each idiom in context and revise it regularly.

• Learn 5–10 new idioms every day.
• Read editorials from The Hindu, The Indian Express, and Mint.
• Maintain an idiom notebook with meanings and examples.
• Revise previously learned idioms every weekend.
• Attempt vocabulary quizzes regularly.
• Solve CAT mock tests and Verbal Ability sectionals.
• Use idioms while speaking and writing to improve retention.

Why Should You Solve CAT Mock Tests & Previous Year Papers?

Mock tests help candidates understand how idiomatic expressions are used in actual CAT passages.

• Better Reading Comprehension accuracy.
• Faster contextual interpretation.
• Improved vocabulary retention.
• Better time management.
• Familiarity with CAT language style.
• Increased confidence before the exam.
• Solving CAT past year question papers

Conclusion

Although direct idioms and phrases questions for CAT are not commonly asked in recent exams, mastering idiomatic expressions remains an important part of Verbal Ability preparation. A strong vocabulary helps candidates understand editorials, Reading Comprehension passages, and inference-based questions more effectively.

Instead of memorising meanings, focus on learning idioms through regular reading and consistent practice. Solve CAT idioms and phrases questions, attempt mock tests, and revise frequently to improve your overall verbal score.