| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a move in the right direction | a change that improves things |
| 2. | a new lease on life | renewed energy and improvement |
| 3. | a step in the right direction | an action that improves things |
| 4. | a stitch in time saves nine | early fixes prevent bigger problems |
| 5. | as good as new | restored to like-new condition |
| 6. | back in business | operating well again after trouble |
| 7. | back in the saddle | active again and improving |
| 8. | back on your feet | recovered and improving again |
| 9. | back to form | performing well again |
| 10. | better than ever | improved beyond previous best |
| 11. | bounce back | recover quickly and improve again |
| 12. | breathe new life into | revive and improve something |
| 13. | brush up on | refresh knowledge to improve |
| 14. | clean up your act | improve behavior and habits |
| 15. | clear the air | resolve tension and improve understanding |
| 16. | climb the ladder | advance and improve status |
| 17. | come along in leaps and bounds | improve very quickly |
| 18. | come into your own | develop fully and improve noticeably |
| 19. | come out on top | end up successful and improved |
| 20. | come up to scratch | reach an acceptable standard |
| 21. | cut the mustard | be good enough; perform well |
| 22. | dot the i’s and cross the t’s | be thorough to improve accuracy |
| 23. | extend an olive branch | offer peace to improve relations |
| 24. | find common ground | reach agreement and improve relations |
| 25. | find your feet | become confident and more capable |
| 26. | fine-tune | make small improvements for best results |
| 27. | freshen up | make something look or feel better |
| 28. | get a grip | gain control and improve behavior |
| 29. | get a handle on it | gain control and improve management |
| 30. | get back on track | return to progress after setbacks |
| 31. | get in shape | become fitter and healthier |
| 32. | get out of a rut | escape stagnation and improve |
| 33. | get the hang of it | learn and improve skill |
| 34. | get up to speed | catch up and improve knowledge |
| 35. | get your act together | become more organized and effective |
| 36. | get your house in order | organize things to improve outcomes |
| 37. | go up a gear | increase speed or effort |
| 38. | hang in there | endure until things improve |
| 39. | head it off | prevent trouble and improve outcomes |
| 40. | hit your stride | reach an effective, improved rhythm |
| 41. | hone your skills | sharpen abilities through practice |
| 42. | iron out the kinks | fix small problems and improve |
| 43. | keep at it | persist until you improve |
| 44. | keep on keeping on | persist and gradually improve |
| 45. | keep the ball rolling | maintain progress and improvement |
| 46. | keep your chin up | stay hopeful and keep improving |
| 47. | keep your nose to the grindstone | work hard to improve |
| 48. | land on your feet | recover and do well |
| 49. | learn from your mistakes | use errors to improve |
| 50. | learn the ropes | learn basics and improve competence |
| 51. | leave no stone unturned | try everything to improve success |
| 52. | let bygones be bygones | forgive and improve relations |
| 53. | live and learn | gain wisdom and improve over time |
| 54. | make a comeback | recover and improve after decline |
| 55. | make amends | repair harm and improve relations |
| 56. | make good | succeed and improve your situation |
| 57. | make great strides | achieve significant progress |
| 58. | make headway | make progress despite difficulty |
| 59. | make strides | show steady progress |
| 60. | mend fences | repair relationships and improve peace |
| 61. | move the needle | create noticeable improvement |
| 62. | move up in the world | improve social or financial status |
| 63. | nip it in the bud | stop problems early to improve |
| 64. | on the mend | recovering and improving |
| 65. | on the up and up | improving and becoming more successful |
| 66. | onward and upward | continuing to improve and succeed |
| 67. | out of the woods | past the worst; improving |
| 68. | over the hump | past the hardest part; improving |
| 69. | pass muster | be good enough after improvement |
| 70. | patch things up | repair a relationship or situation |
| 71. | polish up | improve skill or appearance |
| 72. | pull out all the stops | use every effort to improve |
| 73. | pull yourself together | regain control and improve composure |
| 74. | put your back into it | work harder to improve outcomes |
| 75. | put your best foot forward | make best impression; improve chances |
| 76. | put your shoulder to the wheel | work hard to improve results |
| 77. | raise the bar | set higher standards for improvement |
| 78. | right the ship | fix problems and improve direction |
| 79. | rise through the ranks | advance steadily in position |
| 80. | roll with the punches | adapt and keep improving |
| 81. | set things right | fix issues and improve outcomes |
| 82. | shape up | start behaving or performing better |
| 83. | shift into high gear | start working harder and better |
| 84. | smooth things over | reduce conflict and improve relations |
| 85. | spruce up | make something neater and better |
| 86. | stem the tide | stop decline and begin improving |
| 87. | step up your game | improve effort and performance |
| 88. | stop the bleeding | halt losses and start improving |
| 89. | take it in stride | handle calmly and keep improving |
| 90. | take it up a notch | increase intensity or quality |
| 91. | things are looking up | the situation is improving |
| 92. | tighten things up | make more efficient and improved |
| 93. | turn it around | improve a failing situation |
| 94. | turn over a new leaf | start improving behavior or habits |
| 95. | turn the corner | begin to improve after trouble |
| 96. | turn things around | change from bad to better |
| 97. | up and coming | rising in success or skill |
| 98. | up the ante | raise the level of effort |
| 99. | up to snuff | good enough; improved to standard |
| 100. | whip into shape | make something better organized |
