[with all one’s heart] See: FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE’S HEART.

[with an eye to] See: EYE TO.

[with a silver spoon in one’s mouth] See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH.

[with a whole skin] also [in a whole skin] {adv. phr.} With no injury; unhurt; safely. •/The boy was lucky to escape with a whole skin when the car went off the road./ •/Jack came through the game with a whole skin./ •/The horse threw him off, but he got away in a whole skin./ Syn.: SAFE AND SOUND.

[with bad grace] or [with a bad grace] {adv. phr.} In an unpleasant or discourteous way; unwillingly, •/Fred takes defeat with bad grace./ •/Tom shouted "Hello" to Bill. Bill was in a sour mood and replied with a bad grace./ Contrast: WITH GOOD GRACE.

[with bells on]{adv. phr.}, {informal} With enthusiasm; eager or ready and in the best of spirits for an event. •/"Will you come to the farewell party I’m giving for Billy?" asked Jerry. "I’ll be there with bells on," replied Ed./

[with child]{adv. phr.}, {literary} Going to have a baby; pregnant. •/The angel told Mary she was with child./ Compare: IN A FAMILY WAY or IN THE FAMILY WAY.

[wither on the vine] See: DIE ON THE VINE.

[with fire] See: PLAY WITH FIRE.

[with flying colors]{adv. phr.} With great or total success; victoriously. •/Tow finished the race with flying colors./ •/Mary came through the examination with flying colors./

[with good grace]{adv. phr.} With pleasant and courteous behavior; politely; willingly; without complaining. •/The boys had been well-coached; they took the loss of the game with good grace./ •/The principal scolded Nora, who accepted his criticism with good grace./ Contrast: WITH BAD GRACE.

[with heart and soul] See: HEART AND SOUL.

[within an ace of]{informal} or [within an inch of] {adv. phr.} Almost but not quite; very close to; nearly. •/Tim came within an ace of losing the election./ •/John was within an inch of drowning before he was pulled out of the water./ Compare: BY THE SKIN OF ONE’S TEETH.

[within an inch of one’s life]{adv. phr.} Until you are almost dead; near to dying. •/The bear clawed the hunter within an inch of his life./ Often used after "to". •/The prize fighter was beaten to within an inch of his life./

[within bounds]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Inside of the boundary lines in a game; on or inside of the playing field. •/You must hit the ball inside the lines of the tennis court or it will not be within bounds./ •/If you kick the football over a side-line, it will not be in bounds./ 2. Inside of a place where one is allowed to go or be. •/The soldiers are within bounds on one side of the city, but are out of bounds on the other side./ 3. Inside of safe or proper limits; allowable. •/If you ask Father for a quarter, he might give it to you, but a dollar would not be within bounds./ •/He succeeded in keeping his temper within bounds./ Contrast: OUT OF BOUNDS.

[within call] or [within hail] {adv. phr.} 1. Near enough to hear each other’s voices. •/When the two ships were within hail, their officers exchanged messages./ •/Billy’s mother told him to stay within call because supper was nearly ready./ 2. In a place where you can be reached by phone, radio, or TV and be called. •/The sick man was very low and the doctor stayed within call./ •/The soldiers were allowed to leave the base by day, but had to stay within call./

[within reason]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Within the limits of good sense; in reasonable control or check; moderate. •/I want you to have a good time tonight, within reason./ •/If Tom wants to go to the fair, he must keep his expenses within reason./ •/Jean’s plans are quite within reason./

[with it] See: GET WITH IT.

[with might and main]{adv. phr.} With full strength or complete effort. •/The sailors pulled the rope with might and main./ •/John tried with all his might and main to solve the problem./

[with one’s boots on] See: DIE IN ONE’S BOOTS or DIE WITH ONE’S BOOTS ON.

[with one’s pants down] See: CATCH ONE WITH ONE’S PANTS DOWN.

[with open arms]{adv. phr.} 1. With the arms spread wide for hugging or catching. •/When Father came home from work, little Sally ran out to meet him with open arms./ •/Dick stood under the window with open arms, and Jean dropped the bag of laundry down to him./ 2. With words or actions showing that you are glad to see someone; gladly, warmly, eagerly. •/When Grandmother came to visit us at Christmas, we welcomed her with open arms./ •/After his pioneering flight in the Friendship VII, Col. John Glenn was welcomed with open arms' by the people of his hometown./

[without] See: DO WITHOUT or GO WITHOUT, MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW, RECKON WITHOUT.

[without a paddle] See: UP THE CREEK or UP THE CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE.

[without batting an eye] or [without batting an eyelash] See: BAT AN EYE.

[without fail]{adv. phr.} Without failing to do it or failing in the doing of it; certainly, surely. •/Be here at 8 o’clock sharp, without fail./ •/Ben promised to return the bike at a certain time without fail./

[without number] See: BEYOND NUMBER.

[without rhyme or reason] See: RHYME OR REASON.

[with reference to] See: IN REFERENCE TO.

[with regard to] See: IN REFERENCE TO.

[with relation to] See: IN RELATION TO.

[with respect to] See: IN RESPECT TO.

[with the best] or [with the best of them] {adv. phr.} As well as anyone. •/Bob could horseback ride with the best of them, but he never boasted about it./ •/John can bowl with the best of them./

[with the Joneses] See: KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES.

[wolf] See: CRY WOLF, KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR, LONE WOLF, THROW TO THE WOLVES.

[wolf in sheep’s clothing]{n. phr.} A person who pretends to be good but really is bad. •/Mrs. Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing./ •/Mr. Black was fooled by the salesman’s manners until he showed that he was really a wolf in sheep’s clothing by selling Mr. Black a car that was falling apart./

[wonder] See: NO WONDER also SMALL WONDER.

[woo] See: PITCH WOO.

[wood] See: CAN’T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES, KNOCK ON WOOD, SAW WOOD.

[woodpile] See: NIGGER IN THE WOODPILE.

[woods] See: BABE IN THE WOODS, CROW BEFORE ONE IS OUT OF THE WOODS, NECK OF THE WOODS, TAKE TO THE WOODS.

[wool] See: ALL WOOL AND A YARD WIDE, PULL THE WOOL OVER ONE’S EYES.

[word] See: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD, BY WORD OF MOUTH, EAT ONE’S WORDS, FROM THE WORD "GO", GET A WORD IN, GET THE MESSAGE or GET THE WORD, HANG ON THE WORDS OF, IN BRIEF or IN A WORD, IN SO MANY WORDS, LAST WORD, MAN OF FEW WORDS, MAN OF HIS WORD, MUM IS THE WORD, PLAY ON WORDS, PUT WORDS INTO ONE’S MOUTH, SAY THE WORD, SWALLOW ONE’S WORDS, TAKE AT ONE’S WORD, TAKE THE WORDS OUT OF ONE’S MOUTH, WEASEL WORD, WEIGH ONE’S WORDS.

[word for word]{adv. phr.} In exactly the same words. •/Mary copied Sally’s composition word for word./ •/Joan repeated the conversation word for word./ •/She learned the poem many years ago but she recited it word for word./