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20 Must-Know Business English Phrases for Work (With Examples and Practice Exercises)
Updated: Oct 9
Want to sound more confident and natural at work?
In the real world of business, native speakers use short, punchy phrases that aren’t always taught in textbooks. If you’ve ever heard someone say things like Let’s touch base or It’s still up in the air and weren’t sure what they meant, this list is for you. Here are 20 must-know Business English phrases for work that professionals use every day — plus simple examples and practice exercises to help you use them with confidence.
Business English Phrases for Work
TOUCH BASE
idiom
to talk to someone for a short time to give or get an update
Let’s touch base tomorrow after the client meeting.
TAKE THE LEAD
idiom
to be the first to start something; to be the person who guides or manages a task or group
Bill, can you take the lead on the presentation next week?
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
idiom
to think in a creative or different way
We need to think outside the box if we want to stand out from the competition.
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PUSH BACK THE DEADLINE
phrase
to move the deadline to a later date or time
We’re not ready yet, so we’ll need to push back the deadline by a week.
RUN something BY someone
phrasal verb
to quickly show or explain something to someone to get their opinion or approval
Can I run this idea by you before the meeting?
TAKE OWNERSHIP
phrase
to accept responsibility for something and work hard to make it successful
She took ownership of the project and made it a success.
IN THE LOOP
idiom
informed and up to date about something
Please keep me in the loop about any changes to the schedule.
GIVE (someone) A HEADS-UP
phrase
to tell someone about something in advance so they can prepare for it
Just a heads-up — the meeting has been moved to 2 PM.
Thanks for the heads-up!
Can you give me a heads-up next time before making any changes?
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IN A NUTSHELL
idiom
using few words to give the main points
In a nutshell, we’re behind schedule, but we can still meet the deadline.
CUT CORNERS
idiom
to do something too quickly or cheaply by skipping steps or lowering quality
They cut corners on the design, and now the app keeps crashing.
FLAG something
verb
to mark something as important or needing attention
If you see any errors in the report, please flag them for review.
TAKE A SHORTCUT
phrase
to use a faster or easier way to do something — often by skipping steps
We found a shortcut that saves us two hours of manual work each week.
I know it's tempting to take a shortcut, but we need to do this properly.
LAY OUT
options/ plan/ proposal/ details, etc.
(laid out, laid out)
phrasal verb
to explain or show something clearly and in an organized way
They laid out the options during the meeting and asked for feedback.
UP IN THE AIR
idiom
not yet decided or settled, still uncertain
Our vacation plans are still up in the air because we don’t know if we’ll get time off.
CALL THE SHOTS
idiom
to be the person who makes the decisions
In this project, Jack is calling the shots.
IN THE PIPELINE
idiom
being planned or worked on
We have three new products in the pipeline.
REACH OUT
phrasal verb
to contact someone
I’ll reach out to the client later today.
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RAMP UP
effort/ production, etc.
phrasal verb
to increase the amount or level of an activity
They’re ramping up production to meet demand.
THE BOTTOM LINE
noun
the most important point; the final result
The bottom line is we need to finish this by Friday.
WRAP UP
phrasal verb
to finish something
Let’s wrap up the meeting — we’ve covered everything.
Practice Business English Phrases for Work
Choose the correct phrase to complete each sentence.
1. Delivery vans
Two of our delivery vans keep breaking down. To help us decide between buying and leasing, Brian _____ the costs of each option.
A) left out
B) laid out
2. Fuel costs
The expense report was due at noon. We were already late, so we took _____ and copied the fuel costs from last month.
A) a shortcut
B) a bottleneck
3. New sales manager
I thought I’d be the new sales manager by now, but my promotion is still up in the _____. HR hasn’t approved it yet.
A) clouds
B) air
4. Changing a deadline
They asked us to redo the homepage, so we had to _____ the deadline by a week.
A) bring forward
B) push back
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5. The quote
I’ve attached the quote for the repairs. Feel free to _____ if you have any questions.
A) reach out
B) write off
6. More orders
In a _____, we’re getting more orders, but we don’t have enough drivers.
A) briefing
B) nutshell
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7. New shampoos
We have two new shampoos _____ that we’re planning to launch next spring.
A) in the pipeline
B) in the loop
8. The final say
Jen runs the warehouse. We can suggest changes to the shift schedule, but she’s the one _____.
A) calling the shots
B) running the numbers
9. Electric vans
Orders for our new electric vans have doubled, so we need to ______ production.
A) ramp up
B) slow down
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10. Losing money
The _____ line is that sales are growing, but we’re still losing money.
A) final
B) bottom
Answer Key
1. Two of our delivery vans keep breaking down. To help us decide between buying and leasing, Brian laid out the costs of each option.
A) left out
B) laid out
The correct answer is B.
2. The expense report was due at noon. We were already late, so we took a shortcut and copied the fuel costs from last month.
A) a shortcut
B) a bottleneck
The correct answer is A.
3. I thought I’d be the new sales manager by now, but my promotion is still up in the air. HR hasn’t approved it yet.
A) clouds
B) air
The correct answer is B.
4. They asked us to redo the homepage, so we had to push back the deadline by a week.
A) bring forward
B) push back
The correct answer is B.
5. I’ve attached the quote for the repairs. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
A) reach out
B) write off
The correct answer is A.
6. In a nutshell, we’re getting more orders, but we don’t have enough drivers.
A) briefing
B) nutshell
The correct answer is B.
7. We have two new shampoos in the pipeline that we’re planning to launch next spring.
A) in the pipeline
B) in the loop
The correct answer is A.
8. Jen runs the warehouse. We can suggest changes to the shift schedule, but she’s the one calling the shots.
A) calling the shots
B) running the numbers
The correct answer is A.
9. Orders for our new electric vans have doubled, so we need to ramp up production.
A) ramp up
B) slow down
The correct answer is A.
10. The bottom line is that sales are growing, but we’re still losing money.
A) final
B) bottom
The correct answer is B.
Flashcards
Tap each card to reveal the Business English phrase, then listen to the recording.
Practice what to say at work
Practice workplace expressions in Pro Vocabulary Lab. Respond to short workplace situations, then listen to a model answer and try again.