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Gave In or Held Firm? Business English Phrasal Verbs for Pressure and Persuasion (With Quiz & Examples)
- Erin West
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Welcome to the Business English Phrasal Verbs Quiz!
Today’s Focus:
Ever felt pressured into agreeing to something at work? Today, we’re looking at useful Business English phrasal verbs that describe what happens when people give in, resist, or negotiate under pressure. These expressions are used every day in real workplace conversations.
Today’s Challenge:
You’re at a car dealership. You promised yourself you wouldn’t pay for anything extra. But the salesperson keeps pushing. Eventually, you say yes to the extended warranty. Later, you tell a friend:
I wasn’t planning to buy the extended warranty, but after some pressure from the salesperson, I finally caved ______.
A) in
B) on
C) down
D) up
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Click below to check your answer.
Did you get it right?
CAVE IN phrasal verb
(caved in, caved in, caving in)
to finally agree to something, even though you didn’t want to
I didn’t want dessert, but I caved in when they brought out the cake.
The team caved in and accepted the client’s last-minute changes.
After a long argument, she caved in and let her kids stay up late.
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Learn More Business English Phrasal Verbs for Pressure and Influence
These common phrasal verbs are used when someone tries to convince or pressure another person — or when people finally change their minds. You’ll often hear them in sales, meetings, or negotiations at work.
GIVE IN
phrasal verb
to stop saying no and agree to something, usually after pressure or persuasion
She didn’t want to go to the party, but she finally gave in.
The company gave in to customer demands and changed the policy.
After arguing for hours, he gave in and said yes.
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TALK INTO
phrasal verb
to persuade someone to do something
He didn’t want to give a presentation, but his manager talked him into it.
They talked me into staying late to help with the project.
My coworkers talked me into joining the team lunch.
PUSH FOR
prepositional verb
to ask strongly for something or try hard to make it happen
The team is pushing for a faster release date.
She kept pushing for more training for new employees.
They’re pushing for changes to the company policy.
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BACK DOWN
phrasal verb
to stop arguing or stop asking for something because someone disagrees with you or pushes back
She wanted a higher salary, but she backed down in the end.
The boss backed down after the team explained their concerns.
They argued for hours, but he wouldn’t back down.
Already know your phrasal verbs? Now try these 7 Idioms about innovation.
COME AROUND
phrasal verb
to say yes to something after saying no at first
She didn’t like the idea at first, but she came around after we explained it.
He finally came around and joined the project.
They weren’t sure about the plan, but they came around in the end.
Practice Business English Phrasal Verbs: Mini Quiz
Choose the best option to complete each sentence.
Want to remember these phrasal verbs? Download the free PDF.
ANSWER KEY
1. The client didn’t want to sign at first, but after a bit of persuasion, they ______.
A) talked into
B) caved in
C) pushed for
The correct answer is B) caved in.
2. After hours of debate, the finance director finally ______ and approved the expense.
A) backed down
B) talked in
C) gave for
The correct answer is A) backed down.
3. We tried to talk her ______ leading the presentation, but she wasn’t confident enough.
A) over
B) down
C) into
The correct answer is C) into.
4. She said no at first, but she ______ after thinking about it.
A) gave up
B) came around
C) backed out
The correct answer is B) came around.
5. The new manager kept ______ a change in remote work policy.
A) pushing for
B) backing down
C) giving in
The correct answer is A) pushing for.
You’re doing great! Click below to try another Business English Vocabulary Quiz.
This article was brought to you by RealBusinessEnglish.com, where learning Business English is practical, professional, and just the right amount of fun.
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