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Business English Phrasal Verbs for Negotiations: Learn to Talk About Prices (With Quiz)
- Erin West
- Feb 7
- 5 min read
Updated: 36 minutes ago
Welcome to the Business English Phrasal Verbs Quiz!
Today’s Focus:
Learning useful phrasal verbs you can use when talking about prices and negotiations. Mastering these phrases will help you sound more natural in business conversations.
Today’s Challenge:
Picture this! You’re thinking about buying a car. At first, it’s too expensive. But then, the dealer changes the offer, making it more affordable. You say:
The car was out of my budget, but the dealer _____ the price, so I went for it.
A) knocked down
B) made up
C) held up
D) drove off
Pick the best answer and test your Business English Vocabulary!
Did you answer correctly?
KNOCK DOWN
phrasal verb
to reduce the price of something
The seller knocked down the price, so I bought the phone.
I bargained, and they knocked down the cost by $50.
If you negotiate well, they might knock down the price for you.
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MAKE UP
phrasal verb
to invent a story or lie; to compensate for something
He made up an excuse for being late.
He apologized and tried to make up for his mistake by buying flowers.
They fought last week but soon made up and became friends again.
HOLD UP
phrasal verb
to delay something; to rob someone at gunpoint
Sorry I’m late! I was held up at work.
The bank was held up by armed robbers last night.
The bridge construction is holding up traffic in the area.
DRIVE OFF
phrasal verb
to leave in a vehicle
He got in his car and drove off without saying goodbye.
The taxi drove off as soon as I stepped outside.
He tried to talk to her, but she just drove off in frustration.
That's right! The correct answer is A) knocked down.
Business English Phrasal Verbs for Talking about Prices
In business, we often need to talk about prices, costs, and deals. Using the right Business English phrasal verbs will help you sound more natural and professional.
Please follow the steps below.
Step 1. Choose the correct phrasal verb to complete each sentence.
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Step 2. Match each phrasal verb with the correct definition.
mark up (the price) | a) to agree on a deal after some discussion |
bring down (the price) | b) to increase the price of something |
cut back on (costs/expenses) | c) to become more expensive |
work out (a deal) | d) to reduce how much you spend on something |
settle on (a price) | e) to include something extra for free, to make the deal better |
throw in (extras) | f) to reduce the price of something |
go up (in price) | g) to agree on a final price after some discussion |
Step 3. Take a look at the definitions and examples.
WORK OUT (a deal)
to agree on a deal after some discussion
We’re trying to work out a deal with the new supplier.
After several meetings, they finally worked out a deal.
I’m sure we can work out a deal that benefits both sides.
They worked out a special deal for long-term clients.
Let’s see if we can work out a better deal before the end of the quarter.
SETTLE ON (a price)
to agree on a final price after some discussion
It took us a while, but we settled on a fair price.
Both sides finally settled on a price that worked for everyone.
We haven’t settled on a price yet — negotiations are still going on.
They quickly settled on a price and closed the deal.
We need to settle on a price before moving forward.
GO UP (in price)
to increase in price
The product went up in price after the new version was released.
Housing prices have gone up a lot this year.
Software licenses are going up in price next month.
Gas prices usually go up in the summer.
The subscription went up in price after the first year.
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MARK UP (the price)
to increase the price of something
They marked up the price before the holiday season.
The store marked up the prices on all imported goods.
The company often marks up the price for small orders.
Some shops mark up prices for tourists.
They marked up the price after seeing how interested we were.
BRING DOWN (the price)
to reduce the price of something
We’re hoping they’ll bring down the price in the next round of talks.
They brought down the price to attract more customers.
What can we do to bring down the price?
The company brought down the price after customer feedback.
They had to bring down the price to stay competitive.
CUT BACK ON (costs/expenses)
to reduce how much you spend on something
We need to cut back on travel expenses this quarter.
Many companies are cutting back on marketing budgets.
They decided to cut back on office supplies.
To save money, we’re cutting back on non-essential costs.
The team was asked to cut back on overtime hours.
THROW IN (extras)
to include something extra for free, to make the deal better
They threw in free shipping with the order.
The company agreed to throw in free support for a year.
To close the deal, they threw in an extra month of service.
The salesperson offered to throw in a free training session.
Step 4. Take a chance to practice these phrasal verbs! Write your own sentence in the comments below.
ANSWER KEY
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