30 Idioms about Problems and Solutions

30 Idioms about Problems and Solutions

Hello English learners! Life is full of twists and turns. There are days we face troublesome situations, and there are days that we find clever methods of handling them. English, as life, is blessed with a rich collection of idioms that describe the problems we face and the solutions we achieve.These colourful expressions not only make your language sound more natural but also help you describe problems and solutions in a vivid and memorable way. In today’s lesson, we’ll explore 30 idioms about problems and solutions. You’ll learn how to talk about difficulties, challenges, and setbacks—and how to express creative or practical ways of overcoming them. Whether you are preparing for the FCE/CAE exams, writing an essay, or simply having a conversation, these idioms will definitely help you sound confident and fluent.

Idioms about Problems

A can of worms

Meaning: a complicated problem or issue.

• Fixing the old system opened up a real can of worms.

At your wits’ end

Meaning: not knowing what to do anymore.

• She was at her wits’ end with the noisy neighbours.

30 Idioms about Problems and Solutions

Back to square one

Meaning: having to start again after a failure.

• When the proposal was rejected, we were back to square one.

Between a rock and a hard place

Meaning: facing two difficult choices.

• He was stuck between a rock and a hard place: quit or work longer hours.

An uphill battle

Meaning: a very difficult struggle.

• Convincing him to change his mind was an uphill battle.

A sticky situation

Meaning: an awkward or difficult problem.

• She found herself in a sticky situation when both friends asked for help.

In deep water

Meaning: in serious trouble.

• He was in deep water after missing the deadline.

A stumbling block

Meaning: something that prevents progress.

• Lack of funding was the main stumbling block for the project.

30 Idioms about Problems and Solutions

The tip of the iceberg

Meaning: a small sign of a much bigger problem.

• The complaints we got are just the tip of the iceberg.

Sweep under the carpet

Meaning: to ignore a problem.

• The manager tried to sweep the issue under the carpet.

Throw a spanner in the works

Meaning: to cause a problem or delay.

• His sudden resignation really threw a spanner in the works.

A catch-22

Meaning: a problem with no easy solution because of conflicting rules.

• It’s a catch-22: you need experience to get a job, but a job to get experience.

Burn the candle at both ends

Meaning: overworking until problems arise.

• She’s burning the candle at both ends and will soon burn out.

Open a Pandora’s box

Meaning: to cause unexpected problems.

• Changing the law opened a Pandora’s box of new issues.

In a jam

Meaning: in a difficult situation.

• I’m in a jam—I locked my keys in the car.

 

Idioms about solutions

The light at the end of the tunnel

Meaning: hope after difficulties.

• After months of training, she could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

30 Idioms about Problems and Solutions

Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: solve two problems at once.

• By cycling to work, he kills two birds with one stone: exercise and transport.

The ball is in your court

Meaning: it’s your decision or responsibility.

• I’ve given my opinion—the ball is in your court now.

Think outside the box

Meaning: find creative solutions.

• The team needs to think outside the box to solve this issue.

Bite the bullet

Meaning: to deal with something difficult bravely.

• He decided to bite the bullet and tell the truth.

Make ends meet

Meaning: find a way to manage financially.

• They took on extra work to make ends meet.

Cut to the chase

Meaning: get to the main point/solution quickly.

• Let’s cut to the chase—how do we fix this problem?

30 Idioms about Problems and Solutions

Turn over a new leaf

Meaning: to make a fresh start.

• After his mistake, he turned over a new leaf at work.

Get to the bottom of (something)

Meaning: to find the real cause of a problem.

• The technician got to the bottom of the issue in minutes.

Nip in the bud

Meaning: stop a problem before it gets worse.

• We need to nip these rumours in the bud.

Face the music

Meaning: accept the unpleasant consequences.

• He had to face the music after breaking the rule.

Rise to the occasion

Meaning: succeed in dealing with a challenge.

• The team rose to the occasion and delivered on time.

Sort out (a problem)

Meaning: to solve or organise something.

• Mary managed to sort out the scheduling conflict.

Pull through

Meaning: to recover or succeed despite difficulty.

• Despite the crisis, the company pulled through.

A silver lining

Meaning: a positive aspect in a bad situation.

• Losing the job was tough, but the silver lining was starting his own business.

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