50 Idioms for 3rd Graders (Meanings & Examples)

Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a different meaning than the words do on their own. People use them to make talking and writing more fun, colorful, and exciting. In this article, you will learn many interesting idioms that are perfect for third graders to know and use.

In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean everyday things kids experience. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for 3rd Graders

1. Piece of cake

Definition: Something that is very easy to do.

Used in a Sentence: The math test was a piece of cake because I studied hard. / Cleaning my bedroom is a piece of cake when I play fun music.

Similar Expressions: Easy as pie / Walk in the park

2. Spill the beans

Definition: To tell a secret by mistake.

Used in a Sentence: Mia accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise birthday party. / Please do not spill the beans before our art project is ready.

Similar Expressions: Let the cat out of the bag / Give the game away

3. Under the weather

Definition: To feel sick or not well.

Used in a Sentence: Leo stayed home from school today because he was feeling under the weather. / My puppy was under the weather yesterday, but now he feels great.

Similar Expressions: Feeling sick / Out of sorts

4. Break a leg

Definition: A way to wish someone good luck before a performance.

Used in a Sentence: My teacher told our class to break a leg right before the school play. / Sam said break a leg to me before my piano recital.

Similar Expressions: Good luck / Knock them dead

5. Hit the hay

Definition: To go to bed to sleep.

Used in a Sentence: I was so tired after soccer practice that I had to hit the hay early. / Mom told us it is time to brush our teeth and hit the hay.

Similar Expressions: Hit the sack / Go to sleep

6. Cold feet

Definition: To feel nervous or scared before doing something big.

Used in a Sentence: Max got cold feet before climbing the high diving board at the pool. / Do not get cold feet now that it is your turn to speak.

Similar Expressions: Getting nervous / Losing courage

7. Cost an arm and a leg

Definition: To be very expensive.

Used in a Sentence: That giant remote-controlled robot toy costs an arm and a leg. / We wanted to go on the big vacation, but it cost an arm and a leg.

Similar Expressions: Cost a fortune / Very pricey

8. Bite your tongue

Definition: To stop yourself from saying something.

Used in a Sentence: I had to bite my tongue so I would not ruin the surprise ending of the book. / It is hard to bite your tongue when someone cuts in front of you.

Similar Expressions: Keep quiet / Hold your tongue

9. Butterflies in your stomach

Definition: To feel nervous or excited in your tummy.

Used in a Sentence: I had butterflies in my stomach before stepping on stage for the spelling bee. / Walking into a brand new school gives me butterflies in my stomach.

Similar Expressions: Feeling nervous / Jitters

10. Cat got your tongue

Definition: Said when someone is too quiet and will not speak.

Used in a Sentence: Why are you not answering my question, has the cat got your tongue? / When the teacher called on him, he stayed silent like the cat got his tongue.

Similar Expressions: Speechless / Tongue-tied

11. Caught red-handed

Definition: To be caught doing something wrong while you are doing it.

Used in a Sentence: The puppy was caught red-handed chewing on my favorite shoe. / Sam was caught red-handed taking extra cookies from the jar.

Similar Expressions: Caught in the act / Busted

12. Cry over spilled milk

Definition: To be upset about something that already happened and cannot be fixed.

Used in a Sentence: Dropping your pencil is annoying, but do not cry over spilled milk. / We lost the game, but there is no use crying over spilled milk.

Similar Expressions: Dwelling on the past / Making a fuss over nothing

13. Face the music

Definition: To accept the unpleasant results of something you did.

Used in a Sentence: I broke the lamp, so now I must face the music and tell my parents. / If you do not do your chores, you will have to face the music.

Similar Expressions: Accept consequences / Take the blame

14. Give a hand

Definition: To help someone with a task.

Used in a Sentence: Can you give me a hand carrying these heavy grocery bags inside? / My friend was glad to give a hand with cleaning up the art supplies.

Similar Expressions: Lend a hand / Help out

15. Head in the clouds

Definition: To not be paying attention because you are daydreaming.

Used in a Sentence: Anna missed the instructions because she had her head in the clouds. / Stop having your head in the clouds and listen to the teacher.

Similar Expressions: Daydreaming / Zoning out

16. Hold your horses

Definition: To wait a minute and be patient.

Used in a Sentence: Hold your horses, we need to tie our shoes before we run outside. / Hold your horses until everyone is ready to leave the house.

Similar expressions: Slow down / Wait a second

17. In hot water

Definition: To be in trouble.

Used in a Sentence: Ben was in hot water after tracking mud all over the clean kitchen floor. / If you do not finish your homework, you will be in hot water.

Similar Expressions: In trouble / Facing trouble

18. Jump the gun

Definition: To start doing something too early before it is time.

Used in a Sentence: Do not jump the gun and open your presents before your birthday. / We jumped the gun and left for the park before it stopped raining.

Similar Expressions: Act too soon / Rush into things

19. Keep your chin up

Definition: To stay positive when things are tough.

Used in a Sentence: Keep your chin up, you will do much better on the next spelling test. / Even though we lost the match, Dad told us to keep our chin up.

Similar Expressions: Stay positive / Cheer up

20. Let sleeping dogs lie

Definition: To leave a problem alone so it does not get worse.

Used in a Sentence: The argument was over, so we decided to let sleeping dogs lie. / It is best to let sleeping dogs lie instead of bringing up old drama.

Similar Expressions: Leave it alone / Do not stir things up

21. Make a mountain out of a molehill

Definition: To make a small problem seem much bigger than it really is.

Used in a Sentence: Losing one crayon is not a big deal, you are making a mountain out of a molehill. / She made a mountain out of a molehill when she tripped on a tiny pebble.

Similar Expressions: Overreacting / Making a big fuss

22. On cloud nine

Definition: To feel extremely happy and joyful.

Used in a Sentence: Lily was on cloud nine when she won first place in the art contest. / Getting a new puppy put me on cloud nine all weekend.

Similar Expressions: Overjoyed / On top of the world

23. Out of the blue

Definition: When something happens suddenly and without warning.

Used in a Sentence: A heavy rainstorm started out of the blue during our baseball game. / My old friend called me out of the blue yesterday afternoon.

Similar Expressions: Suddenly / Unexpectedly

24. Pull someone’s leg

Definition: To tease someone by telling them a joke or a lie that is not real.

Used in a Sentence: Do not believe him, he is just pulling your leg about a monster outside. / I knew Dad was pulling my leg when he said broccoli grew on pizza trees.

Similar Expressions: Tease / Joke with someone

25. Rain on someone’s parade

Definition: To spoil someone’s fun or happy plans.

Used in a Sentence: I hate to rain on your parade, but the outdoor park is closed today. / Do not let anyone rain on your parade when you are excited.

Similar Expressions: Spoil the fun / Ruin the moment

26. Rule of thumb

Definition: A helpful general rule or guide for doing something.

Used in a Sentence: A good rule of thumb is to drink water after running outside. / As a rule of thumb, always check both ways before crossing the street.

Similar Expressions: General rule / Guideline

27. See eye to eye

Definition: To agree with someone on something.

Used in a Sentence: My sister and I did not see eye to eye on which movie to watch. / It is okay if we do not see eye to eye on every single topic.

Similar Expressions: Agree / Share views

28. Shoot for the moon

Definition: To aim for a big and ambitious goal.

Used in a Sentence: Shoot for the moon and try to read fifty books this school year. / Our teacher encourages us to shoot for the moon with our science projects.

Similar Expressions: Aim high / Dream big

29. Steal someone’s thunder

Definition: To take the praise or attention away from someone else.

Used in a Sentence: I did not mean to steal your thunder by announcing my news at your party. / Do not try to steal my thunder when I am showing my painting.

Similar Expressions: Take the spotlight / Upstage someone

30. Take with a grain of salt

Definition: To not completely believe something because it might not be true.

Used in a Sentence: Take what he says with a grain of salt because he loves telling tall tales. / You should take stories about sea monsters with a grain of salt.

Similar Expressions: Be skeptical / Doubt a little

31. Through the grapevine

Definition: To hear news or gossip from other people talking.

Used in a Sentence: I heard through the grapevine that we are getting a new playground. / Word got around through the grapevine that pizza is for lunch today.

Similar Expressions: Heard rumors / Word of mouth

32. Up a creek without a paddle

Definition: To be in a tough situation with no easy way out.

Used in a Sentence: Without my pencil, I was up a creek without a paddle during the test. / If you forget your jacket in the snow, you are up a creek without a paddle.

Similar Expressions: In a fix / Stuck without help

33. Walking on air

Definition: To feel very light, happy, and excited.

Used in a Sentence: I was walking on air after getting a gold star on my report card. / Finding out we had no homework left me walking on air.

Similar Expressions: Floating on air / Extremely happy

34. When pigs fly

Definition: Something that will never, ever happen.

Used in a Sentence: My dog will clean his own room when pigs fly. / Dad said he will wear a tutu to work when pigs fly.

Similar Expressions: Never / Not in a million years

35. Word of mouth

Definition: Information passed along by people speaking to each other.

Used in a Sentence: The school bake sale grew popular purely by word of mouth. / We found out about the fun neighborhood party through word of mouth.

Similar Expressions: Oral communication / Spoken talk

36. Back to the drawing board

Definition: To start planning something over again because the first try failed.

Used in a Sentence: Our paper airplane crashed, so it is back to the drawing board. / The science experiment did not work, so we went back to the drawing board.

Similar Expressions: Start over / Try again

37. Barking up the wrong tree

Definition: To look in the wrong place or blame the wrong person.

Used in a Sentence: If you think I took your marker, you are barking up the wrong tree. / The teacher thought I made the noise, but she was barking up the wrong tree.

Similar Expressions: Wrong suspect / Mistaken guess

38. Beats me

Definition: I have no idea or I do not know the answer.

Used in a Sentence: Beats me where my favorite blue sock disappeared to. / When asked why the clock stopped, Leo just said, beats me.

Similar Expressions: I do not know / No clue

39. Bend over backwards

Definition: To try very hard to help someone out.

Used in a Sentence: The librarian bent over backwards to find the exact book I wanted. / Mom bent over backwards to make sure my birthday party was special.

Similar Expressions: Try extra hard / Go out of your way

40. Blessing in disguise

Definition: Something that seems bad at first, but turns out to be good.

Used in a Sentence: Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise because I found a lost dollar bill. / Rain on our sports day was a blessing in disguise since it cooled us off.

Similar Expressions: Lucky break / Hidden benefit

41. Burn the midnight oil

Definition: To stay up late working or studying hard.

Used in a Sentence: I had to burn the midnight oil to finish my history project. / The students burned the midnight oil before the big science fair.

Similar Expressions: Work late / Study hard

42. Call it a day

Definition: To stop working on something for the rest of the day.

Used in a Sentence: We worked on our fort for hours and then decided to call it a day. / The sun is setting, so let us call it a day and go inside.

Similar Expressions: Stop working / Finish up

43. Cut corners

Definition: To do something the easiest or cheapest way, often poorly.

Used in a Sentence: If you cut corners on your art project, it might fall apart. / Do not cut corners when cleaning your room or you will have to redo it.

Similar Expressions: Take shortcuts / Do a rushed job

44. Down to earth

Definition: To be friendly, normal, and easy to talk to.

Used in a Sentence: The new teacher is very down to earth and makes us laugh. / Even though she won the race, she stayed humble and down to earth.

Similar Expressions: Humble / Realistic

45. Drop in the bucket

Definition: A very small amount compared to what is needed.

Used in a Sentence: Saving ten pennies is just a drop in the bucket for a new bicycle. / Cleaning one shelf is a drop in the bucket for this messy room.

Similar Expressions: Tiny amount / Small fraction

46. Every cloud has a silver lining

Definition: Every bad situation has some good part to it.

Used in a Sentence: We lost our soccer game, but every cloud has a silver lining because we got ice cream. / Do not worry, every cloud has a silver lining when things go wrong.

Similar Expressions: Look on the bright side / Good in every bad

47. Fit as a fiddle

Definition: To be very healthy and in great physical shape.

Used in a Sentence: Grandpa exercises every morning and is as fit as a fiddle. / After resting all weekend, the puppy was fit as a fiddle.

Similar Expressions: Healthy and strong / In great shape

48. Get out of hand

Definition: To become wild and out of control.

Used in a Sentence: The pillow fight started to get out of hand in the living room. / The puppies got out of hand and chased each other around the yard.

Similar Expressions: Get wild / Out of control

49. Give someone the benefit of the doubt

Definition: To believe someone is telling the truth even if you are not sure.

Used in a Sentence: I did not see who took my pencil, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. / We gave our classmate the benefit of the doubt about his missing homework.

Similar Expressions: Trust someone / Believe them

50. Go the extra mile

Definition: To do more than what is expected of you.

Used in a Sentence: She always goes the extra mile to decorate her school projects nicely. / Thank you for going the extra mile to help me tidy up the classroom.

Similar Expressions: Put in extra effort / Do more than required

Exercise to Practice

1. The math test was a piece of cake because I practiced every night.
2. My puppy got cold feet when he ate his dinner.
3. Anna spilled the beans about the surprise party we planned for our friend.
4. If you drop a pencil, you are crying over spilled milk.
5. My dog can fly when pigs fly.
6. We had to hit the hay after staying up late watching a movie.
7. The giant toy dinosaur costs an arm and a leg at the store.
8. I felt like I was walking on air when I won the art contest.
9. My mom told me to hold your horses while I was running in the library.
10. The teacher was barking up the wrong tree when she blamed me for the noise.
11. Getting a new bike put me on cloud nine all afternoon.
12. A heavy rainstorm started out of the blue during recess.
13. Cleaning my entire bedroom is a drop in the bucket for a small toy.
14. We decided to call it a day after playing outside for three hours.
15. Ben was in hot water because he cleaned his room very well.

Answer Key

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. False
10. True
11. True
12. True
13. False
14. True
15. False

Conclusion

Learning these idioms helps third graders understand fun ways people talk in everyday life. It makes reading stories and writing creative sentences much more enjoyable.

Try using a few of these new expressions when talking with your friends and family this week. You will have a lot of fun watching them smile when they hear your colorful phrases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common idioms for 3rd graders?

Some popular idioms for third graders include piece of cake for easy things and spill the beans for secrets. These fun expressions help kids understand colorful language.

Why do we use idioms in English?

We use idioms to make our speaking and writing much more interesting and expressive. They let us describe feelings and situations using clever word pictures.

How can kids practice learning idioms?

Kids can practice by using new idioms in daily conversation or writing short stories with them. Making flashcards with definitions and pictures is also a great way to learn.

Are idioms hard to understand?

Idioms can be tricky at first because they do not mean what the individual words say literally. Once you learn their special meaning, they become very easy to use.

Can third graders use idioms in school writing?

Yes, third graders can use idioms to make their school stories and journal entries much more lively. Teachers love seeing creative language used correctly in writing.