stand the gaff
To stand rough treatment; do well in spite of great physical or mental hardship.
An athlete must learn to stand the gaff.
No person running for office gets far unless he can stand the gaff.
stare in the face
To be about to meet or to happen to (you.)
Grandmother became very sick and death was staring her in the face.
Defeat stared them in the face, but the soldiers fought on bravely.
To be easy to see; be plain.
Are you looking for your pencil? It's on your desk, staring you in the face.
Their friends all knew that Mary loved John, but John did not see it even though it was staring him in the face.
state-of-the-art
The best and the latest any field of research can offer; modern; the latest; the most advanced.
State-of-the-art personal computers may cost a little more than older models, but may be worth the cost for those who need them.
steal the show
To act or do so well in a performance that you get most of the attention and the other performers are unnoticed.
Mary was in only one scene of the play, but she stole the show from the stars.
steal the spotlight
To attract attention away from a person or thing that people should be watching.
When the maid walked on the stage and tripped over a rug, she stole the spotlight from the leading players.
Just as the speaker began, a little dog ran up the aisle, and stole the spotlight from him.
stem the tide
To resist; hold back something of great pressure or strength.
The way to stem the tide of juvenile delinquency is to strengthen education and to pass a stiff gun control law.
step on it
step on the gas
To push down on the gas pedal to make a car go faster.
Be very careful when you step on the gas. Don't go too fast.
To go faster; hurry.
Step on it, or we'll be late for school.
John is a slow starter, but he can step on the gas when it looks as if he might lose the race.
Lee was wasting time at breakfast and his father told him to step on it or they would miss the bus.
We’re going to be late for the movies. You’d better step on it!
step on one's toes
tread on one's toes
step on the toes of
tread on the toes of
To do something that embarrasses or offends someone else.
If you break in when other people are talking, you may step on their toes.
Mary is pretty, and she often treads on the toes of the girls by stealing their boyfriend.