Idioms Exercises: Idioms about Success

Fill in the blanks to form an idiom about success. The idioms used in this exercise are listed after the practice activity. It may be a good idea to study the list of idioms before trying the exercise.

Also see the Idioms Builder for practice with hundreds of idioms (including the idioms in this exercise).

Idioms about Success

ahead of the curve
To be ahead of the curve means to be better than the average competitor.
ahead of the pack
To be ahead of the pack means to be better than the competition.
bat a thousand
If someone is batting a thousand, they are doing something flawlessly.
come a long way
If someone has come a long way, it means they have made a lot of progress.
every dog has its day
We say every dog has its day to express that everyone, even underdogs, experience success at some point.
front runner
The front runner is the clear favorite to win or be chosen for something.
going places
If someone is going places, it means they are going to become successful.
have it made
If someone has it made, it means they are already successful and no longer have to worry about money.
hit pay dirt
To hit pay dirt means to do something which results in acquiring considerable wealth or something of great value.
hit the jackpot
To hit the jackpot means to suddenly achieve great wealth or success.
hold one’s own
To hold one’s own means to do just about as well as anyone else.
in the bag
If something is in the bag, it means that victory or success is almost certain.
kill two bids with one stone
To kill two birds with one stone means to do one thing to accomplish two objectives.
knock it out of the park
If someone executes something extremely well, we can say they knocked it out of the park.
live up to
To live up to something means to do as well as what was expected.
make a comeback
To make a comeback means to regain success.
make headway
To make headway means to make progress.
make a killing
To make a killing means to make a lot of money.
make the cut
To make the cut means to meet a certain standard.
move/come up in the world
To move up in the world means to become more successful.
on a roll
If someone is on a roll, they are experiencing a lucky or successful streak.
on top of the world
If someone feels on top of the world, they feel extremely happy, often as a result of a great accomplishment.
pass with flying colors
To pass with flying colors means to easily pass an evaluation, test, quiz, etc.
practice makes perfect
Practice makes perfect means that practice leads to perfection or ideal results.
pull something off
To pull something off means to successfully achieve something difficult.
rags to riches story
A rags to riches story refers to a situation in which someone goes from poverty to wealth.
riding high
Someone riding high feels confident, usually due to recent success.
rise to the occasion
To rise to the occasion means to perform well during a difficult event or challenging situation.
run circles around someone
If someone can run circles around someone else, it means they are much better than the competition.
save the day
To save the day means to prevent something bad from happening.
sky’s the limit
If the sky’s the limit, there is almost limitless potential.
take the world by storm
To take the world by storm means to become popular or successful very quickly.
third time’s the charm
The third time’s the charm means that the third attempt yields success.
when there’s a will, there’s a way
When there’s a will, there’s a way means that success is possible if someone really wants to achieve something.
win-win situation
A win-win situation is a contract, agreement, etc. that benefits both sides.

Also see the Idioms Builder for practice with hundreds of idioms (including the idioms in this exercise).