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Business English Phrases Professionals Use When a Meeting Is Cancelled
- Erin West
- Feb 8, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 13
This article focuses on common Business English phrases and phrasal verbs used when a meeting is cancelled.
You’ll learn how professionals describe last-minute changes in meetings and work messages.
Today's Challenge:
You’re already running late. Your calendar is full, and this meeting is very important.
Several people have prepared reports, and one client has joined the call early.
Then your manager sends a short message. Something urgent came up. The meeting can’t happen.
Everyone is already there, and this is awkward.
Later, in a conversation with your colleague, you say:
The manager _____ the meeting at the last minute. Everyone was already on the call, including the client. It didn’t look good.
A) put up with
B) put away
C) called off
D) called out
Choose the option that sounds most natural in this situation.
Let’s take a closer look at how these phrases are used.
PUT UP WITH
phrasal verb
to accept something unpleasant and continue dealing with it over time
I can’t put up with these last-minute changes anymore.
She puts up with a lot of pressure at work.
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PUT AWAY
phrasal verb
to place something where it belongs; to save money for later
Please put away your laptop when the meeting starts.
He puts away a bit of money every month.
CALL OFF
phrasal verb
to cancel a plan or event
They called off the meeting just before it started.
The meeting was called off due to an urgent issue.
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CALL OUT
phrasal verb
to criticize someone; to point out a problem publicly
She called out the mistake during the meeting.
He was called out for missing the deadline.
That's right! The correct answer is C) called off.
What happens after the meeting is called off
Read the short exchange below. Then listen to the conversation.
Manager: | Hey everyone — we’re going to have to call off the meeting today. Something urgent came up. |
Team member: | Got it, thanks for the heads-up. Should we reschedule for later this week? |
Manager: | Yes, let’s look at Friday instead. I’ll send an update. |
More Business English phrases professionals use when plans change
Meetings don’t always get cancelled — sometimes they’re moved or delayed. Here are some common business English phrases professionals use to explain those changes.
Read each situation and choose the best option.
1/5. Not ready
The team is still finishing a few things, and the work won’t be ready by tomorrow. Rushing it would cause problems. You suggest meeting later instead:
We should _____ the meeting to Friday.
A) move up
B) push back
C) call off
D) put away
CHECK HERE
The correct answer is B) push back.
We should push back the meeting to Friday.
PUSH BACK
phrasal verb
to move something to a later time or date
Let’s push the call back a bit — a few things are still open.
We had to push it back because the numbers weren’t final.
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2/5. No reason to wait
Everyone finishes earlier than expected, and the client is available sooner. There’s no reason to wait until next week. You suggest meeting earlier:
We can _____ the meeting to this afternoon.
A) kick
B) move
C) delay
D) slide
CHECK HERE
The correct answer is B) move.
We can move the meeting to this afternoon.
MOVE THE MEETING
phrase
to change the time of the meeting
Can we move the meeting to tomorrow?
Let’s move the meeting to the afternoon.
They asked to move the meeting to next week.
MOVE THE MEETING UP
phrase
to change the time of the meeting to an earlier time
Can we move the meeting up to this afternoon?
The client is free earlier, so we moved the meeting up.
Let’s move it up by 30 minutes.
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3/5. Change of plans
The manager can’t join the meeting, and their input matters. You suggest choosing a new time. You say:
The board meeting is running over, and she can’t join as planned. We’ll need to _____.
A) move up
B) call out
C) put away
D) reschedule
CHECK HERE
The correct answer is D) reschedule.
The board meeting is running over, and she can’t join as planned. We’ll need to reschedule.
RESCHEDULE A MEETING
phrase
to change the time or date of a meeting because the original time no longer works
I’m tied up with a client issue this afternoon. Can we reschedule the meeting for tomorrow?
She’s out sick today, so let’s reschedule the meeting.
We don’t have the final numbers yet. It probably makes sense to reschedule the meeting.
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4/5. An urgent issue
You planned to join the call, but an urgent issue needs your attention. You don’t want to explain details. You keep it brief:
Sorry, _____, I won’t be able to join. Can we reschedule?
A) something came up
B) it was pushed back
C) I put it away
D) it was called off
CHECK HERE
The correct answer is A) something came up.
Sorry, something came up, I won’t be able to join. Can we reschedule?
SOMETHING CAME UP
phrase
something unexpected happened
I was planning to join, but something came up last minute.
Something came up on my end — can we reschedule?
I’ll be a bit late. Something came up just before the call.
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5/5.
Everyone had prepared, and some people were already waiting. The decision to cancel came very late. In a conversation with a colleague, you say:
The meeting was cancelled _____, so not everyone even saw the message in time.
A) right away
B) over time
C) ahead of time
D) on short notice
CHECK HERE
The correct answer is D) on short notice.
The meeting was cancelled on short notice, so not everyone even saw the message in time.
CANCEL something ON SHORT NOTICE
phrase
to cancel something very close to the planned time
Sorry for cancelling on short notice — something urgent came up.
The event was cancelled on short notice, and a few people were already there.
We had to cancel the meeting on short notice because the client pulled out.
Want more Business English practice? This week’s lesson shows how professionals evaluate ideas — 15 real meeting phrases.
Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.
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