Business English Negotiation Phrases: Essential Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know

Erin West
3 days ago
5 min read

Business English negotiation phrases and phrasal verbs; essential expressions for learning how professionals communicate during negotiations.

Negotiations can feel stressful, even if your Business English is good. One minute you’re discussing price, the next someone says let’s step back or this boils down to timing, and the conversation suddenly shifts. Native speakers rely heavily on Business English phrasal verbs in these moments, which can make fast-moving negotiations hard to follow.

This lesson is for anyone who uses English at work — in negotiations, meetings, or calls with clients. We’ll look at the phrasal verbs native speakers use all the time when they discuss price, timelines, and responsibilities.

Why do you need this? Negotiations often move fast, and people don’t always speak clearly. These phrasal verbs make the conversation easier to follow and help you respond more confidently, even when the meeting gets stressful.

By the end, you’ll understand these expressions more easily and feel more confident using them yourself. Below, you’ll find simple definitions, natural examples, and a short quiz where you can also listen to the correct answers.

Essential Phrasal Verbs for Negotiations: Definitions and Examples

Phrasal verbs for slowing things down

These phrasal verbs are useful when you want to pause the discussion and slow things down before deciding.

STEP BACK

phrasal verb

to pause and look at the situation more clearly and calmly

Let’s step back and check what our main goal is.
If we step back, we’ll see that the problem is not the price — it’s the timing.
We should step back and think about what the client really wants.

HOLD OFF

phrasal verb

to wait before doing something

Let’s hold off on signing until we hear from legal.
We should hold off on the payment for now.
Can we hold off until we get the final numbers?

GO OVER

phrasal verb

to review carefully

Let’s go over the numbers one more time.
We went over the offer with the finance team.
I want to go over the risks before we approve anything.

Phrasal verbs for explaining and clarifying ideas

Use these when you need to explain an offer, a plan, or a number more clearly so everyone is on the same page.

LAY OUT

phrasal verb

to explain something clearly

Let me lay out the key points before we continue.
She laid out the offer very clearly during the meeting.
Before we begin, I’ll lay out the steps for the next phase.

BREAK DOWN

phrasal verb

to explain in smaller, simpler parts

Can you break down the cost so we see what we’re paying for?
She broke down the new plan into three clear steps.
Let me break down how we calculated this number.

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COME UP WITH

phrasal verb

to think of an idea or plan

Can you come up with a revised offer by this afternoon?
We need to come up with a quick solution before the call.
They came up with a smart idea that lowers our costs.

WALK THROUGH

phrasal verb

to explain something step by step

Let me walk you through the updated contract.
Can you walk us through the new timeline?
She walked the team through each change so everyone understood.

POINT OUT

phrasal verb

to show something important

I want to point out that the price already includes support.
He pointed out a small mistake in the draft.
Let me point out why this timeline may not work.

Phrasal verbs for discussing price, value, and terms

These phrasal verbs are common when talking about costs, extras, and what each side is really getting from the deal.

WORK OUT

phrasal verb

to find a solution together

I’m sure we can work out a price that works for both sides.
Let’s try to work out a plan before the meeting ends.
We worked it out on a quick call earlier today.

BRING DOWN

phrasal verb

to reduce a price or cost

Can you bring down the total price by five percent?
We’re trying to bring down overall project costs.
They brought down the fee after we pushed back.

THROW IN

phrasal verb

to add something extra for free

If you sign today, we can throw in two extra months of support.
They threw in free training to help close the deal.
Can you throw in faster delivery with this price?

BOIL DOWN TO

phrasal verb

to be mainly about one simple thing

In the end, it boils down to price.
The decision boils down to how fast they can deliver.
Everything boils down to what the client needs most.

Phrasal verbs for pressure and disagreement

You’ll hear these when there’s tension, pushback, or when one side is trying to change the other’s position.

PUSH FOR

phrasal verb

to strongly ask for something; to try hard to get it

They’re pushing for a higher budget this quarter.
We should push for earlier delivery if we want to launch on time.
The client is pushing for a two-year contract instead of one.

BACK DOWN

phrasal verb

to stop insisting; to accept less

They won’t back down on the delivery date.
We can’t back down now — we already agreed on the terms.
The supplier finally backed down after we showed the data.

FALL THROUGH

phrasal verb

to fail, to not happen in the end

The deal fell through when they changed the terms.
Our plan fell through because the vendor backed out.
We need a backup option in case this agreement falls through.

BACK OUT (OF)

phrasal verb

to decide not to do something you promised

They backed out of the deal yesterday.
The vendor tried to back out of the agreement.
We can’t back out of this contract now — it’s already signed.

Phrasal verbs for taking responsibility

Use this phrasal verb when you’re talking about who will handle the work or take ownership of a task.

TAKE ON

phrasal verb

to accept responsibility or extra work

We can take on the installation work, but not the support.
They’re willing to take on more tasks if we adjust the price.
Our team can’t take on another project this month.

STEP IN

phrasal verb

to take responsibility for something in order to help or replace someone

I can step in and handle this call if needed.
She stepped in to resolve the issue with the client.
Can you step in while he’s out today

🎧 Practice Time: Try the Business English Phrasal Verbs Quiz Below

Read the situations, choose the correct option, then listen to the sentence.

Situation 1.

The team is on a Zoom call with a potential client to review a new service proposal.

The client has the document open and is reviewing the list of features.

When he reaches the final page, he pauses and asks about the total cost. He checks two items that seem higher than expected, thinks for a moment, and then says:

If we remove these two items, can you _____ the total cost?

A) hold off

B) bring down

C) work out

D) fall through

Situation 2.

A sales rep is on a call with a potential client who is comparing two similar offers.

The client likes the product but says another company is slightly cheaper.

The sales rep tries to close the deal and says:

We can keep the price as it is and _____ free setup and basic training.

A) go over

B) back out

C) boil down

D) throw in

Situation 3.

A client and a vendor are on a Zoom call to finalize a service contract.

The proposal has been revised twice, and both sides have already gone over pricing, support, and delivery timelines.

After a few seconds of silence, the client looks at the numbers again and says:

Look, at this point it really _____ whether this fits our budget. I just need to confirm it internally, and if it does, we can move forward right away.

A) boils down to

B) walks through C) steps back D) points out