according to: in the order of; on the authority of Examples of ACCORDING TO Around $386 billion was spent, according to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Demand for this game was, according to ticket seller StubHub, at a record level.

to lay off: to abstain from, stop using as a habit; to release or discharge from a job (also: related idiom: to let go) Examples of TO LAY OFF Today is my 30th birthday, but I should probably lay off the cake and champagne. He said the company had to lay off employees and has…

to be the matter: to be unsatisfactory, to be improper, to be wrong Examples of TO BE THE MATTER There is something the matter with the whole discussion of gun control. But he could not pretend that the matter is something he could easily ignore.

to fade away: to diminish gradually in time or distance Examples of TO FADE AWAY The memory of that unpleasant experience has slowly faded away. The music of the band gradually faded away as the parade passed down the street.

to clean out: to empty, to tidy by removing; to steal, to rob; to buy or purchase all of something Examples of TO CLEAN OUT I want to clean out that closet so that we can store these things in there. A burglar entered my apartment while I was gone and cleaned me out. He…

to be well-off: to have enough money to enjoy a comfortable life, to be rich(also: to be well-to-do) Examples of TO BE WELL-OFF The ironic result is that some well-off private schools are now getting support.The well-to-do son of a banker, Degas visited the Paris Opera-Ballet frequently.