out of touch

out of touch: not having contact; not having knowledge of

• Sonia and I had been out of touch for years, but then suddenly she called me the other day.
• Larry has been so busy that he is out of touch with world events.

in touch

in touch: having contact

This idiom is often followed by get, be, keep, or stay.

• I haven't been in touch with Sabrina since her baby was born. I should get in touch with her soon.
• I certainly enjoyed seeing you again after all these years. Let's be sure to keep in touch.

in the long run

in the long run: eventually, after a long period of time

This idiom is similar in meaning to sooner or later.

The difference is that in the long run refers to a more extended period of time.

• In the long run, the synthetic weave in this carpet will wear better than the woolen one. You won't have to replace it so soon.
• If you work hard at your marriage, you'll find out that, in the long run, your spouse can be your best friend in life.

to take after

to take after: to resemble a parent or close relative(also: to look like, for physical appearance only)

• Which of your parents do you take after the most?
• Sam looks like his father, but he takes after his mother in personality.

to take up with

to take up with: to consult someone about an important matter(S)

The important matter follows the verb take, while the person consulted follows with.

• Can I take the problem up with you right now? It's quite urgent.
• I can't help you with this matter. You'll have to take it up with the manager.

to take up

to take up: to begin to do or study, to undertake(S); to occupy space, time, or energy(S)

For the second definition, in instances of time and energy, take up is often shortened to take.

• I'm going to take up sailing. I would have taken it up when I was younger, but I didn't have the money.
• The piano takes up too much space in our living room. However, it would take too much time to move it right now; so we'd better wait until later.

no matter

no matter: regardless of

This idiom is a shortened form of it doesn't matter. It is followed by a quetion word such as how, where, when, who, etc.

• No matter how much money he spends on his clothes, he never looks well dressed.
• No matter where that escaped prisoner tries to hide, the police will find him.

to take advantage of

to take advantage of: to use well, to profit from; to use another person's weaknesses to gain what one wants

• I took advantage of my time off from work and went shopping.
• Teddy is such a small, weak child that his friends take advantage of him all the time by demanding money and making him do things for them.

to fill out

to fill out: to complete a form(S)

This idiom is very similar to the first definition above. To fill in refers to completing various parts of a form, while to fill out refers to completing a form as one whole item.

• Every prospective employee must fill out an application with her name, address, previous jobs, etc.
• The teenager had some trouble filling the forms out by himself, so his mother helped him.

to fill in

to fill in: to write answers in(S); to inform, to tell(S)

For the second definition, the idiom can be followed by the preposition on and the information that someone is told.

• You should be careful to fill in the blanks on the registration form correctly.
• Barry was absent from the meeting, so I'd better fill him in.
• Has anyone filled tell boss in on the latest public relations disaster?