# Business Idioms Upper Intermediate

https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/idioms-expressions-b2-work-and-business-idioms-vocab

- CEFR: B2 (Upper-intermediate)
- Theme: Idioms & Expressions
- Words: 16
- Premium: no
- Locked: no

Business idioms for describing how people work and manage teams under pressure, with phrases like go the extra mile, run a tight ship and red tape.

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## Word list

* **go the extra mile**: To make more effort than is expected or required to help someone. — “The staff always **go the extra mile** for their customers.”
* **on the same page**: In agreement with someone else about a plan or understanding of a situation. — “Let's make sure we're **on the same page** before the meeting starts.”
* **cut corners**: To do something in the quickest or cheapest way, often lowering the quality. — “The builders **cut corners** and the roof started leaking within a year.”
* **raise the bar**: To set a higher standard that others must then try to meet. — “Her performance really **raised the bar** for the rest of the team.”
* **keep your nose to the grindstone**: To continue working hard and steadily without stopping to rest. — “He **kept his nose to the grindstone** until the whole report was finished.”
* **close the deal**: To successfully complete a business agreement. — “After weeks of talks, they finally **closed the deal**.”
* **wear many hats**: To perform many different roles or jobs, especially in a small organization. — “At a startup, you have to **wear many hats**.”
* **in over your head**: Dealing with something too difficult for your ability, and feeling overwhelmed. — “He admitted he was **in over his head** managing the new team.”
* **get down to brass tacks**: To start discussing the important, practical details of a matter. — “Let's stop chatting and **get down to brass tacks**.”
* **run a tight ship**: To manage an organization or team in a strict, efficient and well-organized way. — “The new captain **runs a tight ship**.”
* **a cog in the machine**: One small unimportant part of a large organisation. — “He felt like **a cog in the machine** by the second year.”
* **red tape**: Official rules that slow everything down. — “Six months of **red tape** for a licence that lasts a year.”
* **a paper trail**: The written record showing what was done. — “There was no **a paper trail** at all, which was the whole problem.”
* **sign on the dotted line**: To agree formally by signing a contract. — “Nobody should **sign on the dotted line** without reading it twice.”
* **the powers that be**: The people in authority, without naming them. — “**The powers that be** decided the office would move.”
* **a shot in the arm**: Something that gives new energy to a struggling effort. — “The grant was **a shot in the arm** for the whole department.”

## Related

- Vocabulary library: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary
- Section guide: https://hienglishquiz.com/vocabulary/llms.txt