My Vocabulary Page
hot-air balloon n(c) //
a large balloon made of strong material that is filled with hot air
or gas to make it rise in the air, usually carrying a basket for passengers
1/ "Experience the Taitung International Balloon Festival.
Discover the magic of hot-air balloons in Taitung."
a hot-air balloon flies
2/ "How do hot-air balloons fly?"
3/ "Hot-air balloons fly low for a variety of reasons."
4/ "Hot-air balloons fly because the air inside the envelope is
hotter than the outside air."
5/ "Many different hot-air balloons fly in the sky over a mountain valley."
watch a hot-air balloon fly
6/ "Visitors watch hot air balloons fly over the geopark."
7/ "I was sitting outside this evening and had the pleasure
to watch a hot air balloon fly towards our house, directly over it,
and then land at the lake nearby."
a hot-air balloon soars into the sky
8/ "A hot air balloon soars into the sky."
9/ "A vintage hot air balloon soars into the sky leaving
a trail of smoke behind."
ride on a hot-air balloon
10/ "I rode on a hot-air balloon over Cappadocia, and the scenery was stunning."
11/ "The day you will ride on a hot-air balloon, the company will pick you up
at your hotel around 5:00 am."
12/ "Ride on a hot-air balloon right at daybreak, giving you the most spectacular
views as the sun crests over the horizon."
take a ride on a hot-air balloon
13/ "Let's take a ride on a hot-air balloon."
14/ "In order to have a lot of fun and yet spend less money, you should
choose to take a ride on a hot-air balloon which will make you have
an unforgettable moment."
get on/off a hot-air balloon
15/ "I got off the hot air balloon and got engaged!"
16/ "Sadly my anxiety would never let me get on a hot air balloon."
a hot-air balloon takes off
17/ "A hot-air balloon takes off sideways."
18/ "The hot-air balloon took off from Melbourne's northern suburbs
early in the morning and was in the air for about 30 minutes before
the man fell from the basket."
a hot-air balloon lands
19/ "How do hot air balloons land safely and not on top of schools?"
20/ "A hot air balloon landed on a residential street in Bedford on
Saturday after people who lived in the neighbourhood guided it to safety."
a hot-air balloon bursts into flames
21/ "A hot-air balloon burst into flames mid-air in Brazil."
22/ "The hot-air balloon burst into flames only seconds from landing
in a Egyptian sugar-cane field."
23/ "Witnesses looked on in horror as the hot-air balloon burst into
flames and fell to the ground."
24/ "The family posed for a selfie just moments before the hot-air balloon
burst into flames."
a hot-air balloon catches fire
25/ "The hot-air balloon caught fire during a sunrise flight over Luxor."
26/ "A hot-air balloon in Brazil catches fire and falls from the sky,
killing 8 and injuring 13."
a hot-air balloon falls to the ground
27/ "A woman was killed when the hot-air balloon fell to the ground."
28/ "The hot-air balloon fell to the ground after crashing and losing control."
a hot-air balloon festival
29/ "Where is the hot air balloon festival in Taiwan in 2025?"
30/ "The Taiwan International Balloon Festival has become one of Taiwan's
most anticipated summer events."
31/ "More than 300 angry customers are planning to take legal action against
a trouble-plagued hot-air balloon festival in Hong Kong."
32/ "Hong Kong did not hold a successful large-scale hot air balloon festival
in September 2025 due to a lack of proper government safety approvals."
next up adj //
next in order to appear or happen, often in some form of entertainment
next up is ...
1/ "Next up is the guest bathroom!"
2/ Next up is a performance you won't want to miss.
3/ Next up is the latest news from the presidential campaign.
4/ "Next up is me to help close this out."
5/ Next up are tenor Mark Smith and soprano Julia Jones to sing two Haydn songs.
be next up to do something (= be next to do something)
6/ Harper is next up to bat for Philadelphia.
7/ "I am next up to bring a snack to my daughters."
(adv) next up
8/ Everyone please give another round of applause to our opening act.
And now, next up, the main event.
split v(i,t) //
divide, or make something divide, into two or more parts
split something
1.1/ "He split an apple with bare hands."
1.2/ He was a member of the team that split the atom in 1932.
1.3/ "He split a wooden plank with his bare hand."
split my legs
1.4/ "He tripped after I accidentally split my legs open."
1.5/ "Recently, I was able to split my legs fully and dance more fluently."
1.6/ "The older I get, the harder it is to split my legs in the air."
v(i) split
1.7/ If the nail you use is too big, there's a chance that the wood will split.
1.8/ "One woman apparently sustained a serious head injury when
the mast split and fell on top of her and the others."
split something in half
1.9/ Split the coconut in half.
1.10/ "Can you actually split paper in half?"
1.11/ Split the aubergines in half and cover with breadcrumbs.
split something in two
1.12/ "The sea was split in two, and there was a pathway down the middle."
split in two
1.13/ Identical twins come from a single fertilized egg that splits in two.
1.14/ "The Mount of Olives will split in two, forming a deep valley
that runs east and west."
split something (up) into something
1.15/ Each chapter is split into two parts.
1.16/ The corporation was split up into three separate companies.
1.17/ "The Civil War split the country into two."
1.18/ "The war split the country into supporters of the king and
supporters of Parliament."
1.19/ "Can you split the work into smaller tasks for the team?"
split people/things (up) into groups
1.20/ She split the class into groups of four.
1.21/ The teacher split the children up into three groups.
split (up) into something
1.22/ Slate splits easily into thin sheets.
1.23/ The results split neatly into two groups.
1.24/ "There are three women and six men who will split up into three
three-person teams."
split (something) from something
1.25/ "Yamaha Motor Company was split from the parent company."
1.26/ "Our ancestors' prenatal growth sped up after we split from chimps."
v(t) divide something into two or more parts and share it
between different people or activities
split the money/cost
2.1/ "We have a deal, we split the money."
2.2/ The two men agreed to split the proceeds.
2.3/ "When riding with friends or groups, you can always split the cost."
split the work
2.4/ "Can we split the work?"
2.5/ "How can you split up work evenly on a team project?"
split the bill (see also: go Dutch)
2.6/ We share a house and split all the bills.
2.7/ "There were usually five or six of us and we split the bill evenly."
2.8/ "We split the bill evenly, but if someone orders extra drink shots,
they cover their shots."
split something
2.9/ "You always have to split the food exactly evenly."
2.10/ "How do academics split the workload on a collaborative paper?"
split something with somebody
2.11/ She split the money she won with her brother.
2.12/ "We split the food with everyone and then the drinkers split the drinks bill."
split something between A and B
2.13/ His time is split between the London and Paris offices.
2.14/ "We split the reward between everyone who reported it."
v(i,t) divide, or make a group of people divide, into smaller groups
that have very different opinions
split on/over something
3.1/ "Hong Kong split over political crisis."
3.2/ The committee split over government subsidies.
3.3/ The party finally split over the issue of gun control.
be split on/over something
3.4/ The party is deeply split on this issue.
3.5/ "In the time of Vietnam, the country was split over whether the country
should have entered the war and whether the nation should continue to fight it."
3.6/ "As Dublin gears up for the visit, the city’s split over how (or even whether)
to honour big international names who stir both admiration and criticism."
be split down the middle on something
3.7/ The community was split down the middle on this.
find something split on/over something
3.8/ The poll found the public evenly split on the issue.
3.9/ "In 1947, Gallup found the country split on whether this was worthwhile."
split something
3.10/ "Third parties will split votes."
3.11/ His candidacy split the Republican vote.
split (off) from something
3.12/ Several factions split from the party.
3.13/ "Protestants split from Catholics in 1517."
3.14/ "Protestants split from the Catholic Church back in fifteen hundreds."
3.15/ The sect split from the Mormon church more than a hundred years ago.
3.16/ A group of extremists split off from the Labour Party to form
a new Workers Party.
v(i) leave somebody and stop having a relationship with them
split with somebody
4.1/ The singer split with his wife last June.
4.2/ "It's been three years since I split with my wife."
4.3/ "I recently split with my partner and have a hard time with it all."
split from a group
4.4/ She intends to split from the band at the end of the tour.
4.5/ "She chose to split from her family because they are troublemakers."
see also: split up (with somebody)
split n(c) //
an argument or disagreement that divides a group of people
or makes somebody separate from somebody else
5.1/ Ten years after their acrimonious split, the band has reformed.
a split over something
5.2/ The union is desperate to avoid a split over this issue.
5.3/ "It caused a split over the issue of Islamic priorities."
5.4/ "When the war broke out, this caused a split over the issue of
Cuban separatism, mainly along ethnic lines."
a split in/within something
5.5/ The argument could lead to a damaging split in the party.
5.6/ The move threatened to cause a split in the movement.
5.7/ A damaging split within the party leadership has occurred.
5.8/ "There's a split within the government over how to proceed."
a split with somebody
5.9/ She seems to be getting over her recent split with her fiancé.
5.10/ "I am going through a split with my wife and want nothing but
to be the best dad possible."
5.11/ He found it difficult to cope in the years following his bitter
split with his wife.
a split between A and B
5.12/ There is a split between the right and left wings of the party.
5.13/ There have been reports of a split between the Prime Minister
and the Cabinet.
n(singular) a division between two or more things;
one of the parts that something is divided into
6.1/ It's an even split; some love it, some hate it.
6.2/ In a publishing deal, the average split used to be 50:50 between
writer and publisher.
a split in something
6.3/ He demanded a 50–50 split in the profits.
6.4/ "He expressed discomfort and asked for a 50/50 split, believing
he contributed significantly by being there."
6.5/ "There was to be a three-way split in the profits."
6.6/ "I was the one who asked for a three-way split between those
caramel cups, purple ones and toffee pennies."
n(plural) the splits: a position in which you stretch your legs flat across
the floor in opposite directions with the rest of your body sitting straight up
7.1/ "The splits are a very challenging exercise."
do the splits
7.2/ "Is it normal if my legs hurt when I do the splits?"
7.3/ "I do the splits and post a photo with hashtag."
7.4/ "I would really love to learn to do the splits."
7.5/ "Even if you're not very flexible, you can still learn to do the splits."
7.6/ "Here is a way to learn to do the splits in two weeks."
search v(i,t) //
look somewhere carefully in order to find something
search for somebody/something
1/ She searched in vain for her passport.
1/ "I searched for my keys in the morning."
1/ Police searched for clues in the area.
1/ "I ran amuck in the carnival crowd to search for my lost kid."
1/ "How do you search for a word in a dictionary?"
1/ "As a teenager, did you search for adult content?"
1/ "Should one search for the meaning of life or find meaning in their life?"
1/ "Officials are still searching for the missing 9-year-old girl."
search something for somebody/something
1/ "We search the world for talents."
1/ Police searched the area for clues.
1/ The police searched the woods for the missing boy.
1/ Firefighters searched the buildings for survivors.
1/ "You want to search the dictionary for a word you do not know."
search something
1/ His house had clearly been searched and the book was missing.
1/ "If a burglar searched your house, you should immediately call
the police and remain in a safe location."
search something from top to bottom
1/ The detectives searched the house from top to bottom, but they
found no sign of the stolen goods.
have something searched
1/ "I always have my bag searched upon leaving.
1/ "As a regular visitor, I've never had my bag searched on arrival."
1/ "She was one of the very few chosen to have her bags searched
at the security checkpoint."
search through something (for somebody/something)
1/ The customs officers searched through our bags.
1/ He searched through his pockets for some change.
search in something (for somebody/something)
1/ She searched in the drawer for her passport.
1/ "They searched in the forest for a hollow tree."
search high and low
1/ I've searched high and low, but I can't find my birth certificate.
search for inner peace
1/ "I am searching for inner peace."
1/ "In today’s world, where we are searching for inner peace and happiness
and looking to bring communities and cultures together, such places provide us
the right answers."
search after inner peace
1/ People who are searching after inner peace sometimes turn to religion.
search your mind for something
1/ He searched his mind for something else to say.
1/ "It took me a long time to search my mind for the words."
search your memory for something
1/ "I search my memory for her name and come up blank."
1/ "She searched her memory for the man's name, but she couldn't remember it."
see also: look for somebody/something, seek somebody/something
v(t) (of the police) examine somebody’s clothes, their pockets, etc
in order to find something that they may be hiding
search somebody
2/ "Why does airport security always search me?"
2/ "I was searched at the security checkpoint."
2/ Visitors are regularly searched as they enter the building.
2/ "A police officer searched me and my car."
2/ "A police officer searched me and then handcuffed me and
placed me in the back of a police car."
search somebody for something
2/ The men were searched for drugs and then released.
2/ "A police officer searched me for a knife and found none."
2/ "As the officers searched him for any weapons or contraband, he allegedly
kneed one cop in the face and continued to kick at them."
see also: interrogate somebody, be detained by the police
v(i) search for something: think carefully about something, esp in order
to find the answer to a problem
3/ He searched desperately for something to say.
3/ We are continually searching for ways to cut costs.
3/ She paused, searching for the right word.
search for an answer
3/ They were still searching for answers about what had happened.
3/ We search for an answer to the question, "What is a superhero?"
3/ We search for an answer to the question "What Can I Do?" for my kids,
for my friends, and for anyone affected."
search for a solution
3/ "I searched for a solution to a niche problem."
3/ "We search for a solution to the corresponding homogeneous equation."
3/ "We search for a solution to the Dirac equation for a particle at rest."
search for a response
3/ "As I've searched for a response to all this, what I've discovered
is that words fall woefully short of my extreme remorse - I am so sorry."
v(i,t) look for information on a computer or on the internet
search for something
4/ You can search for any word or phrase in the text.
4/ "I've searched for more information on the internet."
search online (for something)
4/ "I search online for the name of the restaurant."
4/ I searched online today for more information on sonic booms.
search something
4/ The database can be searched by keyword, topic or source.
4/ "I can't see related images when I search an image on Google."
search something for something
4/ I searched the internet for recipes.
4/ I searched the internet for the best deal.
4/ "I want to search a dictionary for a key that matches exactly
the last nine letters of the string."
search n(c) //
an attempt to find somebody or something
a search for somebody/something
5/ The search for a cure goes on.
5/ She began a search for new premises.
5/ "The search for the missing girl is still ongoing."
5/ "The search for the missing girl comes to a dead end."
5/ "The search for the missing girl was continuing on Tuesday evening."
5/ The police immediately launched a nationwide search for the killer.
5/ "The search for the lost plane is being coordinated by the ATSB and
is expected to cost $60 million in the first year."
a search begins, a search is on
5/ The search is on for someone to fill the post.
5/ "My search for the meaning of life began with examining these
Mediterranean sea pebbles, silent witnesses to millions of years of history."
a search ends, call off a search
5/ "The search ends here."
5/ Eventually the search was called off.
5/ "They just called off the ongoing search over the mountains
because of the extreme weather preventing flight."
after a search
5/ After a long search, they finally found the lost child.
5/ After a long search, they eventually found the missing papers.
make a search (of something)
5/ The officers made a search of the garage.
5/ "They made a search of my house, showing interest in only manuscripts
and typewritten letters."
carry out a search (of something)
5/ Detectives carried out a thorough search of the building.
5/ The police carried out a thorough search of the premises, but they
failed to find any drugs.
conduct a search (of something)
5/ Police conducted a fingertip search of the garden.
5/ The school has the power to conduct a search of student lockers.
in search of something
5/ She was shot by a sniper when she went out in search of firewood.
5/ "In search of the missing boy, a well-armed trio of local strongmen sets out."
n(c) a body search
5/ "They began to do a body search on me."
5/ "I was asked to have a body search."
5/ "When you arrive at prison, you'll have a body search."
5/ "A body search is a thorough hand search. You may be asked to loosen
or take off some clothing."
5/ "We carry out a body search or a cursory body inspection when there
is reason to believe that there are items in your clothes or on your body
that can be seized.
n(c) a search warrant
5/ "The police wanted to do a body search on me without a search warrant."
5/ "Police do not have to have a search warrant if the vehicle was
stopped for a valid reason."
5/ "In most cases, police require a search warrant to enter and search
a private residence."
see also: n(c) a quest for something, in quest of something
n(singular) an attempt to find an answer to a problem
a search for somebody/something
6/ Bad weather is hampering the search for survivors.
6/ It has been suggested that the search for happiness is our sole purpose in life.
6/ "In the search for inner peace, we allow ourselves time to decide
how we want to show up in our lives."
a search for an answer
6/ "A quest is a search, and a question is a search for an answer."
6/ "The search for an answer to this question leads the investigator into
the circle of relatives and friends of the young beauty."
a search for a solution
6/ "The common tale implies a search for a solution to a problem, followed by
a Eureka moment, and the transfer of technology from the wine press to the printing press."
a search of something
6/ Two more bodies were found after a search of the woods.
6/ "Four years ago, a search of my house at 5am ushered in a nightmare period
that at times I felt would go on forever."
n(c) an attempt to find information on a computer or on the internet
do a search for something
7/ I did a search for yoga clubs in my area.
7/ I did an image search for "vinyl record".
7/ "I am going to do a search on Google."
7/ "If you do a search online, you are bound to find other books or resources
to support you in this process."
a search on something
7/ A Google search on her name yielded nothing.
7/ "How do I remove my info when people do a search on my name?"
7/ "Is the searcher performing a search on the topic of Marfan's,
or are they looking with an author with that last name?"
search results
7/ Our site is found on the first page of search results.
7/ "Let's take a closer look at how Google presents the search results to users."
a search engine
7/ "The most popular search engine in China is Baidu."
7/ "Google is the most famous and dominant search engine globally."
7/ "While Google is the most popular search engine in Japan,
other notable Japanese search engines include Yahoo!Japan and Goo."