Business Idioms You Should Know for Meetings, Emails, and Presentations

If you’ve ever listened to a native English speaker in a meeting and thought:

“What does ‘get the ball rolling’ even mean?”
“Why are we ‘on the same page’?”
“And what page?!”

You’re not alone.

Business idioms are everywhere in English—and understanding them helps you sound more natural, confident, and fluent at work.

Here are 10 business idioms you should know (and start using today) in meetings, emails, and presentations.

🧠 What Is a Business Idiom?

An idiom is a phrase where the meaning isn’t obvious from the words.

Example:
“Let’s touch base next week.”

No one is actually touching anything—it just means “let’s connect.”

✅ Learning idioms helps you:

• Understand native speakers

• Sound more natural

• Connect better in professional settings

🗂️ 10 Business Idioms (with Meaning + Example)

1. Get the ball rolling

Meaning: Start a project or task
Example: “Let’s get the ball rolling on the budget proposal.”

2. On the same page

Meaning: Agree or have the same understanding
Example: “Before we move forward, I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

3. Back to the drawing board

Meaning: Start again after a failed plan
Example: “The client rejected our idea—back to the drawing board.”

4. Think outside the box

Meaning: Be creative and come up with new ideas
Example: “We need to think outside the box to solve this problem.”

5. Hit the ground running

Meaning: Start something quickly and with energy
Example: “Our new manager really hit the ground running.”

6. In the loop

Meaning: Being informed and up to date
Example: “Please keep me in the loop about the client feedback.”

7. Touch base

Meaning: Contact or check in with someone
Example: “Let’s touch base after the meeting.”

8. Take it offline

Meaning: Discuss something privately, outside the main meeting
Example: “That’s a good point—let’s take it offline.”

9. At the end of the day

Meaning: Ultimately / When everything is considered
Example: “At the end of the day, we need to deliver results.”

10. Move the goalposts

Meaning: Change the rules or targets unfairly
Example: “They keep moving the goalposts—we were almost finished!”

✍️ Practice Task:

Can you rewrite this sentence using an idiom?

“Let’s begin the project today.”

✅ Try using: get the ball rolling

Now try using: on the same page

“Before we start, I want to…”

✅ Tip: Don’t just learn the idioms—use them in your emails and meetings this week.

🔗 Want More Idioms for Work?

Download my free “Business Small Talk Survival Guide” to get more idioms, polite phrases, and small talk practice.

© Henry English Hub | henryenglishhub.com

Speak naturally. Connect confidently. Master business English.