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5 Business English Phrasal Verbs: When Problems Get Ignored
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
In this article: Quick guide
Some problems at work are ignored. Others are discussed but made to sound less serious than they really are. In this article, you’ll learn five Business English phrasal verbs for talking about these situations, with clear definitions and natural workplace examples.
For a wider range of phrasal verbs used in meetings and negotiations, see our main guide: Business English Negotiation Phrases: Essential Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know.
Quick Guide: 5 Business English Phrasal Verbs for Problems People Ignore
Here’s a quick look at the five phrasal verbs in this article.
Phrasal verb | Meaning |
play down | make a problem or risk seem less serious |
gloss over | mention something without giving it enough attention |
brush off | treat a concern or warning as unimportant |
leave out | not include an important fact or detail |
shy away from | avoid something difficult or uncomfortable |
Below, you’ll see how these phrases work in real workplace sentences and short business situations.
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Workplace Scenario and Quiz: When Problems Get Ignored
Read the situation below.
The E-Bike Fire
You are the operations director at a company that rents e-bikes.
One of the bikes catches fire while a customer is charging it.
You learn that a mechanic had already told Rob, who runs the repair shop, that two batteries were getting unusually hot.
Rob said it was probably the summer heat and kept both bikes in use.
The owner asks why the bikes were not taken out of service.
What would you say to the owner?
Rob knew there was a problem with both batteries, but he _____ the risk. He said it was probably just the weather. Now the other bike is out of service too.
A) acted on
B) planned for
C) played down
D) got rid of
What would you say if someone knew about a possible safety risk but made it sound less serious than it was? Choose the best answer. Then listen to the sentence.
Answer
Want to Practice Using Phrasal Verbs in Real Workplace Situations?
Learning what a phrasal verb means is only the first step.
To use it naturally at work, you need to know when to say it, how to say it, and what kind of situation it fits.
That’s why Pro Vocabulary Lab uses scenario-based practice.
Every scenario and model response comes with audio. You can listen to the full scenario as you read it. Then say what you would do and listen to the model response.
This helps you build situational confidence — the confidence to use the right phrase at the right moment in a real conversation.
Ready to practice Business English you can actually use at work?
5 Business English Phrasal Verbs for Talking About Risks People Ignore
At work, small problems can become much bigger when people ignore them or make them sound less serious than they are. These five phrasal verbs are commonly used to talk about those situations.
PLAY DOWN
phrasal verb
to make a problem or risk seem less serious than it really is
Dan played down the risk and said the battery was probably just hot because of the weather.
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GLOSS OVER
phrasal verb
to talk about something without giving it the attention it deserves
The manager mentioned the two customer complaints, but she glossed over how long they had gone unanswered.
BRUSH OFF
phrasal verb
to treat a concern or warning as if it is not important
I told him the car was making a strange noise, but he brushed me off and kept driving.
What does "The problems were glossed over" mean?
Answer
What does "The problems were glossed over" mean?
A) They were fixed
B) They were not expected
C) They were exaggerated
D) They were not taken seriously
The correct answer is D.
Review the meaning here.
LEAVE OUT
phrasal verb
to not include an important fact or detail
The report says the event went well, but it leaves out the fact that nearly half the guests left early.
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SHY AWAY FROM
phrasal verb
to avoid something because it feels difficult or uncomfortable
We cannot shy away from the question just because the answer may upset the client.
What does "You left out one important detail" mean?
Answer
What does "You left out one important detail" mean?
A) You repeated it
B) You explained it
C) You did not include it
D) You changed it
The correct answer is C.
Review the meaning here.
Practice What You’ve Learned: Take the Quiz
Now it’s your turn to practice. In the short quiz below, choose the correct option for each sentence.
Answer Key
1. One of the drivers said the brakes weren’t working properly, but his supervisor _____ and told him to finish his route without getting the truck checked.
A) looked into it
B) brushed it off
C) acted on it
The correct answer is B.
2. The report says the backup generator didn’t work during the outage, but it doesn’t really explain why. It _____ the fact that the generator had failed a safety check the week before.
A) glosses over
B) carries out
C) turns in
The correct answer is A.
3. The estimate for the office move looks too low because it _____ the extra cost of having the crew work over the weekend.
A) adds in
B) calls off
C) leaves out
The correct answer is C.
Practice Business English Phrasal Verbs in Pro Vocabulary Lab
Learning phrases like play down, gloss over, and brush off is a good start. The harder part is knowing which phrase fits the situation—and using it when you need to respond quickly.
What would you say if…
you needed to report a problem?
someone left out an important detail?
the discussion went off track?
you needed to contact the right person?
a plan did not take everyone into account?
In Pro Vocabulary Lab, you listen to the situation, give your own response, and then hear a natural model answer.
These are the kinds of questions you’ll practice answering in Pro Vocabulary Lab. The program includes:
short workplace situations
natural dialogues with audio
speaking practice
listen-and-repeat activities
review exercises
For questions like these, you’ll read and listen to a full workplace scenario, give your own answer, and then listen to a sample answer.
Ready to practice Business English phrasal verbs you can actually use at work?
Erin West is a Business English coach, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and workplace scenarios for English learners who want to sound more natural at work. Her lessons include real workplace phrases and everyday business situations, so learners can practice English they can actually use.
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