Collocation
change the subject
Definition
to start talking about a different topic, often to avoid an uncomfortable or unwanted one
'change the subject' is a common English collocation. to start talking about a different topic, often to avoid an uncomfortable or unwanted one
change + the + subject
“When the conversation got awkward, she quickly changed the subject.”
Examples
- Can we _____ the subject? I'd rather not talk about that.
- He tried to _____ the subject as soon as money came up.
- She _____ the subject to something more cheerful.
Show more examples
- Let's _____ the subject before this turns into an argument.
- Whenever I ask about his job, he _____ the subject.
- I was about to apologize, but he abruptly _____ the subject.
- If you feel uncomfortable, it's okay to _____ the subject politely.
- Not wanting to answer directly, the politician _____ the subject to national security.
- After a long silence, she _____ the subject by asking about my weekend.
More verb + determiner + nouns
- make a decision to choose what to do after thinking about different options
- make a mistake to do something wrong or incorrectly
- make an excuse to invent or give a reason (often not true) to avoid doing something or to explain a mistake
- make a mess to create a dirty, untidy, or disorganized situation; to spill, scatter, or cause disorder
- do a job to perform a task or piece of work; to complete work that needs to be done