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Business English “Out of…” Phrases & Idioms: Meaning, Examples, and Quiz
- Erin West
- May 10
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
When you work in English, you hear a lot of little expressions that don’t always make sense at first. That’s why it helps to learn business English phrases that people truly use in daily conversations. In this lesson, the focus is on a few common phrases with out of — the kind you might hear in meetings, emails, or when someone talks about goals at work. These expressions are easy to understand, and they can help your English sound clearer and more natural. A short quiz at the end will help you check your understanding.
Today’s Challenge:
Some weeks at work feel heavier than others.
You show up early. You stay late. You fix problems no one else wants to touch.
People thank you, managers say “good job,” and everyone knows the team wouldn’t survive without you.
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But... when promotion time comes, your name never appears on the list.
One coworker gets a title. Another gets a raise. You smile, but inside it hurts.
You start to wonder what else you’re supposed to do — because it feels like you’ve already given everything.
One evening, after a long day, you sit with a friend and say:
The promotion feels out of _____ no matter how hard I work.
A) rich
B) reach
C) touch
D) speech
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Did you get it right?
out of rich — not a natural phrase in English
Better alternatives:
OUT OF MONEY
phrase
having no funds left
After that investment, the startup was completely out of money.
We can’t hire anyone new right now—we’re out of money.
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BROKE
adjective
having no money
After the equipment purchase, we were completely broke.
I can’t travel for the conference right now; I’m broke.
IN THE RED
idiom
spending more money than you have; operating at a loss
Our department is in the red this quarter.
We need to cut costs—otherwise we’ll stay in the red.
OUT OF TOUCH
idiom
not in contact; not knowing the latest news or information
I’m out of touch with my old friends—I never call them.
She’s out of touch with our project because she stopped coming to meetings.
He felt out of touch after working from home for six months.
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OUT OF REACH
idiom
impossible to get, achieve, or contact
That luxury car is still out of reach on my current salary.
With the server down, the data was completely out of reach.
Unless we increase production, that sales target will remain out of reach.
out of speech — not a natural phrase in English
Better alternatives:
SPEECHLESS
adjective
too surprised to speak
I was speechless when I learned we’d won.
She stood there speechless at the unexpected announcement.
The CEO’s decision left everyone speechless.
That's right! The correct answer is B) reach.
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Business English Quiz: Common Business Phrases with "Out Of"
You’ve just seen how a phrase like out of reach can describe a difficult promotion. Now try the quiz below to check how well you know other common Business English phrases with out of. Choose the option that sounds best in each sentence
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Download the PDF: Common Business English Phrases with “Out of”
CLICK TO VIEW DEFINITIONS
1. I wore a T-shirt to the fancy restaurant and felt out of _____ among people in suits. A) room B) place C) surroundings
OUT OF PLACE
idiom
feeling uncomfortable or like you don’t belong in a situation
I didn’t know anyone at the party, and I felt really out of place.
2. He used to speak French well, but now he’s a little out of _____.
A) practice
B) experience
C) skills
OUT OF PRACTICE
idiom
not as good at something as you used to be, because you haven’t done it for a while
I haven’t played the piano in months — I’m really out of practice.
3. Max moved to another city and is out of _____ with our school news. A) touch B) connection C) line
OUT OF TOUCH
idiom
not having the latest information about something; not communicating with someone for a while
Since she changed jobs, we’ve been out of touch.
He’s really out of touch with what young people like these days.
4. The kids ran around the playground and things got out of _____.
A) step
B) range
C) control
OUT OF CONTROL
idiom
impossible to manage or stop; becoming wild or dangerous
The crowd got out of control after the concert.
Our spending is getting out of control — we need to cut back.
5. I tried to buy the red shoes, but they were out of _____ in my size. A) stock B) inventory C) delivery
OUT OF STOCK
phrase
not available to buy because it has been sold out
The item is out of stock.
Ready for more practice? Click the image below to try another Business English Quiz!
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