MCQ
Idioms & phrases MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers
Solve 23 Idioms & phrases questions for RAS/RPSC preparation.
Practice questions
Q1Consider the following statements about the idiom 'to be in the doldrums'. Statement 1: It can describe a market, institution, or person passing through a period of inactivity, depression, or poor performance. Statement 2: It is correctly used in the sentence: 'After the reform package was announced, investor confidence was in the doldrums because the market rallied sharply.' Which of the following is correct?
'In the doldrums' is used for a depressed, stagnant, or inactive condition, often in economics, institutions, morale, or personal mood. Statement 1 correctly captures this range. Statement 2 is defective because it says investor confidence was 'in the doldrums' after the market rallied sharply. A rally is a cue of improvement, so the sentence contradicts the idiom unless it adds a special contrast, which it does not. Hence only Statement 1 is correct.
Q2Choose the idiom that correctly completes the sentence. The minister's assurances ______ with the residents, who had already seen three deadlines missed.
The idiom cut no ice means to have no influence, effect, or persuasive force. The cue is that residents had already seen three missed deadlines, so they were unlikely to be convinced by fresh assurances. The plural subject assurances naturally takes the verb cut in this idiomatic expression. Break the ice concerns social awkwardness, hold water concerns soundness of an argument, and make waves concerns causing controversy. Only cut no ice fits both the meaning and the sentence logic.
Q3Choose the option that best gives the meaning of the idiom in the sentence. Although the audit note was unpopular, the senior accountant held a brief for it before the board.
The idiom hold a brief for comes from legal usage: a lawyer holding a brief argues for a client's case. In general English, it means to defend, support, or advocate a person, policy, or proposal. The sentence says the audit note was unpopular but the accountant presented it before the board, so the required sense is active support despite resistance. Options about secrecy, summary-writing, or postponement are literal readings of brief or invented meanings, not the idiomatic meaning.
Q4Choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the idiom in bold. The committee chair promised a transparent inquiry, but the final report merely **whitewashed** the contractor's repeated safety violations.
To whitewash something is to conceal, excuse, or present wrongdoing as less serious than it is. The cue is the contrast between a promised transparent inquiry and a report that did not honestly confront repeated safety violations. The idiom is not about cleaning, repairing, or merely summarising; it is about suppressing blame or giving a misleadingly favourable account. Hence, the report 'whitewashed' the violations by glossing over the contractor's faults.
Q5Choose the most appropriate meaning of the idiom "to be on your toes" from the options below:
The idiom "to be on your toes" means to stay alert, attentive, and ready to act quickly. "Be alert and ready for anything" gives exactly that sense. "Putting things off" means delaying work, which is the opposite of being watchful and prepared. "Look on the bright side" means staying optimistic in a difficult situation, not remaining alert. "Take a break" means pausing or resting, while this idiom stresses readiness and quick response.
You've seen 5 of 23 sample questions
Unlimited practice on Idioms & phrases comes with the RAS Test Series + Practice pack or Gate Pass.
More questions
6Choose the meaning of the underlined phrase or idiom: She played ducks and drakes with her money.
7Which one of the following sentences uses the idiom incorrectly?
8Match the idioms in List I with their correct meanings in List II. List I: 1. To hold one's horses 2. To burn the midnight oil 3. To take something with a pinch of salt 4. To throw in the towel List II: a. to study or work late into the night b. to treat a claim with scepticism c. to give up after a struggle d. to wait and restrain oneself
9Choose the sentence in which the idiom is used incorrectly.
10From the options below, choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the given sentence: Laila's feeling "down in the dumps" is a temporary phase.
11Read the assertion and reason carefully. Assertion (A): The phrase 'a Pyrrhic victory' is used for a success obtained at such a heavy cost that it is almost equivalent to defeat. Reason (R): It refers to a victory so complete that the winner suffers no serious loss. Choose the correct option.
12In the sentence below, choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the underlined idiom. The inquiry committee did not publish its interim observations because the chairperson did not want to let the cat out of the bag before the final report was tabled.
13Identify the sentence in which the idiom is used correctly.
14Identify the most appropriate idiom which can replace the underlined words: Rohit has the reputation of complicating and confusing things when any issue is raised in the meeting.
15Read the following assertion and reason, then choose the correct option. Assertion (A): In standard formal English, the phrase is 'to all intents and purposes', not 'for all intensive purposes'. Reason (R): The phrase means 'in every practical sense'; 'intents and purposes' refers to aims and effects, whereas 'intensive' changes the expression into a non-standard eggcorn.