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15 Phrasal Verbs to Improve Your Business English and Sound More Natural at Work
- Erin West
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
In business, everything moves fast — new projects, new tools, and constant pressure to improve. That’s why Business English phrasal verbs are so useful at work. Native speakers use them all the time to sound natural when talking about progress, goals, and customer experience.
Today’s quiz focuses on one of those modern expressions that companies love using when they want to make something better — especially for their clients.
Today’s Challenge:
It’s Monday morning.
Your team is preparing a presentation for the new quarter.
The company wants to improve client satisfaction after a tough year. Your manager turns to you and says:
We’re looking for fresh ideas to _____ our customer experience.
A) bring up
B) pull off
C) carry out
D) level up
Choose the correct answer and listen to the sentence.
Let’s take a closer look at what each option means.
What does "bring up" mean?
BRING UP
phrasal verb
to start talking about something in a conversation or meeting
I didn’t want to bring it up in front of everyone, so I waited until later.
Thanks for bringing that up — we should definitely talk about it.
He always brings up money whenever we go out to eat.
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What does "pull off" mean?
phrasal verb
to succeed in doing something that is difficult
I didn’t think we could finish the project on time, but we pulled it off.
She really pulled off that presentation — everyone was impressed.
They managed to pull off a big event with a small team.
What does "carry out" mean?
phrasal verb
to do or complete a task, plan, or job
The team carried out the plan exactly as discussed.
We need to carry out more tests before the product launch.
She’s good at carrying out instructions quickly and accurately.
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What does "level up" mean?
LEVEL UP
phrasal verb, informal, modern
to improve or reach a higher level (career, skills); to make something stronger or more advanced (software, program, product)
It’s time to level up our customer service.
He took a course to level up his skills.
We need to level up if we want to stay ahead of the competition.
That's right! The correct answer is D) level up.
10 Business English Phrasal Verbs You’ll Actually Hear at Work
Once you’ve learned a few basic phrasal verbs, it’s time to take things up a notch. In real offices, people don’t just say “start,” “finish,” or “improve” — they roll out, wrap up, and level up. These short, flexible phrases make your English sound natural and professional.
Below, you’ll find useful Business English phrasal verbs grouped by what teams usually do at work — from adjusting timelines to scaling projects and managing risks.
ROLL OUT
phrasal verb
to officially start offering something new (like a product, plan, or system)
We’re rolling out the new website next week.
The company just rolled out a new app for customers.
They plan to roll out the changes in all offices by Friday.
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MOVE UP
phrasal verb
to change the time or date of something so it happens earlier than planned
Can we move up the meeting to 10 a.m.?
They moved up the launch because everything was ready early.
The deadline was moved up to give the sales team more time to prepare.
PUSH BACK
phrasal verb
to move something to a later time or date than planned
We’ll have to push back the meeting until next week.
The release was pushed back because of a bug in the system.
They pushed back the deadline to give the team more time.
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phrasal verb
to complete something
Let’s wrap up the meeting — it’s almost time for lunch.
We wrapped up the project ahead of schedule.
I just need to wrap up a few emails before I leave.
LOOK INTO
phrasal verb
to try to find out more about something; to investigate a problem or situation
I’ll look into the issue and get back to you.
The manager is looking into different options for the new software.
We need to look into why sales dropped last month.
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FOLLOW UP
phrasal verb
to check again or contact someone later about something that was discussed or needs attention
I’ll follow up with the client after the meeting.
Did anyone follow up on the report from last week?
She’s going to follow up to make sure the issue is fixed.
FIGURE OUT
phrasal verb
to understand or find the answer to something after thinking about it
We need to figure out why sales dropped last month.
I can’t figure out how to use this new app.
She finally figured out a way to fix the problem.
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SORT OUT
phrasal verb
to organize, fix, or solve a problem or situation
Don’t worry — I’ll sort out the payment issue.
IT is sorting out the network problem right now.
We need to sort out the schedule before the meeting.
RAMP UP
phrasal verb
to increase the amount or speed of something (work, production, effort)
We need to ramp up production before the holidays.
The company is ramping up marketing this quarter.
They ramped up hiring to meet growing demand.
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DOUBLE DOWN (ON)
phrasal verb
to give even more time, effort, or focus to something you already started doing
After seeing good results, they decided to double down on customer service.
We’re doubling down on training to improve quality.
The team doubled down to meet the deadline.
PHASE OUT
phrasal verb
to slowly stop using or doing something over time
They’re phasing out the old system next year.
The company plans to phase out single-use plastic.
That policy was phased out after the new rules came in.
Can You Pull It Off? Test Your Business English with Real Office Scenarios
Running meetings, sharing updates, or talking through deadlines—it all sounds easy until you actually have to do it in English. This quick quiz helps you practice the expressions professionals really use at work. Take a few minutes to see how naturally you can use Business English phrasal verbs like bring up, figure out, pull off, and more in real office situations.
ANSWER KEY
1. I’ll _____ why the invoices didn’t go through and send you an update by the end of the day.
A) phase out
B) ramp up
C) look into
The correct answer is C) look into.
2. Thanks for _____. The client’s been asking the same question, and we’ll need a clear answer before tomorrow’s call.
A) bringing that up
B) pushing that back
C) doubling that down
The correct answer is A) bringing that up.
3. If we want to stay competitive, we’ve got to _____ our product design — customers expect a smoother experience.
A) level up
B) phase out
C) carry out
The correct answer is A) level up.
4. We’re _____ the new onboarding process on Monday, so make sure your teams are familiar with the updates.
A) wrapping up
B) rolling out
C) phasing out
The correct answer is B) rolling out.
5. No one thought we’d make the deadline, but somehow the team _____.
A) phased it out
B) pulled it off
C) pushed it back
The correct answer is B) pulled it off.
6. Sales have been strong in North America. So let’s _____ on that market and see how far we can grow it before moving on.
A) wrap up
B) look into
C) double down
The correct answer is C) double down.
7. We’re planning to _____ the old software by the end of the year, once everyone’s trained on the new system.
A) phase out
B) roll out
C) follow up
The correct answer is A) phase out.
8. We had to _____ the meeting to Tuesday because the client needed updates sooner.
A) look into
B) wrap up
C) move up
The correct answer is C) move up.
9. We’re planning to _____ production next month to meet the holiday demand.
A) ramp up
B) push back
C) figure out
The correct answer is A) ramp up.
10. Let’s _____ a plan that actually works for everyone involved.
A) push back
B) figure out
C) move up
The correct answer is B) figure out.
Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.
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