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Business English Phrase: Back to Square One - Meaning and Examples
- Erin West
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Learn Business English vocabulary with our Phrase of the Week!
This week’s phrase is about those moments when things don’t go as planned, and you have to start over.
What Would You Do in This Situation?
Picture this:
You’ve been working hard on a project for weeks. The team is excited, and you’re almost at the finish line. But then, the client asks for major changes, and you realize the work you’ve done isn’t what they wanted. You take a deep breath and prepare to go back to square one.
So, what does back to square one mean?
This Week’s Phrase:
BACK TO SQUARE ONE
idiom
to return to the beginning after a failure or setback
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Business English Phrase: Back to Square One
Listen to a Real-Life Example
Business English Phrase: Back to Square One
More Real-Life Examples
Revising a Marketing Strategy
– After the campaign didn’t get the results we wanted, it’s back to square one.
– It’s tough, but we’ll figure it out.
– We may need to analyze the data and try a new direction.
– Let’s gather the team and brainstorm fresh ideas.
Changing Client Expectations
– The client changed their requirements again, so we’re back to square one.
– That’s frustrating. Do we need to completely redesign the plan?
– Yes, we’ll have to adjust everything to meet their new expectations.
– Ok, let's do it.
Event Planning
– The slides aren’t quite right, so we’re back to square one with the presentation.
– Oh no, what needs to change?
– We need to simplify the content and make it more engaging.
– Got it.
Let’s Chat!
When was the last time you had to go back to square one in your work or studies?
It happened to me recently. I was working on a project at work, and everything was going well, but then the client changed their mind on the direction. So, we had to go back to square one and rethink everything. It was a bit frustrating, but we eventually got it right. (Carlos, B2 English learner from Mexico)
Review what you’ve learned! Click the image to try a 5-Question Quiz based on our latest phrases.
This Week’s Business English Quiz:
Back to Square One, Get Some Pushback, Eliminate Bottlenecks, Gain Traction & Boil the Ocean
