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Business English Idioms Every Manager and Executive Should Know
- Erin West
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
Updated: May 8
Want to sound more confident and professional at work? These 5 Business English idioms are often used by managers and executives in real-life conversations.
They’ll help you express ideas clearly, show leadership, and handle workplace situations better.
What’s Inside?
Step 1: Take a short quiz with real-life dialogues.
Step 2: Practice with a worksheet (matching + fill-in-the-blank).
Step 3: Try a bigger quiz with more phrasal verbs!
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. Then play the correct answer.
1.
KEY
The correct answer is B) shots.
CALL THE SHOTS
idiom
to be the person who makes the decisions
In this team, Steve calls the shots.
He likes being in control and calling the shots.
I don’t call the shots here—I just follow the plan.
She was promoted and now she calls the shots.
If you want changes, talk to the person who calls the shots.
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2.
KEY
The correct answer is B) raised.
RAISE THE BAR
idiom
to make the standard or goal higher than before
His success raised the bar for the rest of us.
We need to raise the bar if we want to beat the competition.
Her performance raised the bar for the whole team.
That company always raises the bar for customer service.
Let’s raise the bar and do better than last year.
3.
KEY
The correct answer is A) gears.
SHIFT GEARS
idiom
to change what you are doing or how you are doing it
We need to shift gears and try a new strategy.
The meeting was too slow, so the manager shifted gears.
When the market changed, we had to shift gears fast.
After the break, the team shifted gears and worked faster.
It’s okay to shift gears if something isn’t working.
4.
KEY
The correct answer is A) ground.
STAND YOUR GROUND
idiom
to stay firm in your decision or opinion, even when others try to change your mind
She stood her ground during the meeting.
Don’t be afraid to stand your ground.
He stood his ground and didn’t agree to the new deal.
They asked me to change it, but I stood my ground.
It’s hard to stand your ground when others disagree.
5.
KEY
The correct answer is B) ahead.
GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE
idiom
to take action early so you are prepared or more advanced than others
Also:
STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE
idiom
to continue being more advanced or prepared than others
BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE
idiom
to be more advanced, prepared, or informed than others
That company is always ahead of the curve.
Start now to get ahead of the curve.
She reads about new tools to stay ahead of the curve.
Getting ahead of the curve helps us stay competitive.
The team worked late to get ahead of the curve.
Let’s plan early and stay ahead of the curve.
Business English Idioms Every Manager and Executive Should Know.
Practice More With This Worksheet:
Business English Idioms Every Manager and Executive Should Know.
Ready for more? Take a longer quiz now:
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