up to something
Doing something mischievous or scheming.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The cat is quiet; he is definitely up to something.”
“The children went silent in the living room, and I knew they were up to something.”
“Observing the suspicious behavior of the business partners, the auditor suspected they were up to something that would not bear public scrutiny.”
- 01
a little of something goes a long way
Only a small amount of something is usually required to produce a great effect.
- 02
chalk something up to experience
To take a lesson from a bad outcome instead of grieving it.
- 03
get something over with
To proceed to do something as soon as possible, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.
- 04
give someone something to think about
To threaten or provide a challenge to.
- 05
give something a go
To try or attempt.
- 06
give something a miss
To forgo something.
- 07
give something a try
To try or attempt something.
- 08
give something a whirl
To try, test or attempt.
Last updated August 10, 2026