Essential Phrasal Verbs for Business English: Meetings & Negotiations

1. Business Meetings (15 Verbs)

Starting a Meeting
Discussing
Deciding
Closing a Meeting

2. Emails (5 Verbs)

3. Negotiations (3 Verbs)

+ Real Business Conversations Using Phrasal Verbs

What are Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs combine a main verb with a particle (preposition or adverb, e.g., "up," "off") to create a new meaning different from the original verb—like "fill out" (complete a form) versus "fill" (fill the bottle with water) alone.

They're tricky for non-natives due to multiple meanings, separability ("fill this form out"), and context-dependency (the right situation for use), but mastering them helps you avoid stiff / awkward phrasing in professional English.

This guide spotlights 15 essential phrasal verbs for business meetings, grouped by phase (starting, discussing, deciding, closing), 5 additional phrasal verbs for emails and 5 for negotiations, with clear definitions, audio-ready examples, and real-life business conversations.

You'll gain practical fluency to lead, contribute, and close deals confidently.

Why You Need Phrasal Verbs in Business

In international business, you may find yourself collaborating or negotiating with native English speakers who seamlessly weave phrasal verbs into everyday talk.

In business meetings, phrasal verbs like "wrap up" or "speak up" are essential because native speakers use them constantly to sound natural, efficient, and authoritative—boosting your credibility and fluency in high-stakes discussions.

Phrasal Verb Examples in Business Contexts

1. Business Meetings (15 Verbs)

Starting a Meeting (4 verbs)

Bring up /brɪŋ ʌp/ – to introduce a topic.
"In today's sales review, let's bring up the Q1 targets first." (Team huddle at 9 AM.)
"Could we bring up the budget issue before lunch?" (Remote Zoom call opener.)

Kick off /kɪk ɒf/ – to start formally.
"The project meeting will kick off with Sarah's update." (Weekly stand-up.)
"Let's kick off by reviewing last week's wins." (Client kickoff session.)

Touch on /tʌtʃ ɒn/ – to mention briefly.
"We'll touch on marketing briefly after the main agenda." (Board meeting.)
"Did we touch on the risks in the proposal?" (Strategy session recap.)

Run through /rʌn θruː/ – to review quickly.
"Let's run through the agenda in five minutes." (Pre-meeting prep.)
"Can we run through the slides before presenting?" (Team rehearsal.)

Discussing (4 verbs)

Speak up /spiːk ʌp/ – to say something louder or express your opinion confidently.
"Please speak up—your idea on costs is spot on." (Quiet conference room debate.)
"Don't hesitate to speak up during brainstorming." (Creative team session.)

Hash out /hæʃ aʊt/ – to discuss in detail until resolved.
"We need to hash out the timeline today." (Cross-department conflict resolution.)
"Let's hash out these differences over coffee." (Partner negotiation prep.)

Iron out /aɪən aʊt/ – to fix minor issues.
"We'll iron out the logistics by end of day." (Event planning meeting.)
"The team ironed out the contract glitches quickly." (Legal review call.)

Talk over /tɔːk ˈəʊvə/ – to discuss thoroughly.
"Let's talk over the merger pros and cons." (Executive strategy huddle.)
"We talked over the feedback from clients." (Post-pitch debrief.)

Deciding (4 verbs)

Put forward /pʊt ˈfɔːwəd/ – to propose an idea.
"I'll put forward a new deadline extension." (Deadline crunch meeting.)
"She put forward the hybrid work model." (HR policy discussion.)

Weigh up /weɪ ʌp/ – to carefully consider pros and cons before deciding
"Let's weigh up the options before committing to the merger." (Strategic review session.)
"The team weighed up the risks and benefits of the new supplier." (Cost analysis discussion).

Vote down /vəʊt daʊn/ – to reject by vote.
"The team voted down the risky vendor switch." (Procurement decision.)
"They voted down the overtime proposal." (Union negotiation recap.)

Sign off on /saɪn ɒf ɒn/ – to approve finally.
"Can the CEO sign off on this budget today?" (Final approval meeting.)
"We all signed off on the campaign launch." (Marketing green light.)

Closing a Meeting (3 verbs)

Wrap up /ræp ʌp/ – to finish or summarize.
"Let's wrap up with action items—who owns what?" (End-of-day review.)
"Time to wrap up; great progress today." (Two-hour strategy close.)

Follow up /ˈfɒləʊ ʌp/ – to check later.
"I'll follow up on the data by Friday." (Task assignment close.)
"Please follow up with HR on benefits." (Onboarding wrap-up.)

Sum up /sʌm ʌp/ – to summarize key points.
"To sum up: targets met, next steps assigned." (Quarterly review end.)
"Let me sum up the decisions made." (Investor call finale.)

2. Emails (5 Verbs)

Follow up (on/from) /ˈfɒləʊ ʌp/ – to send a reminder/ to refer to a previous conversation or email.
"Just following up on the invoice—any issues?" (Payment chase email.)
"Following up from our call: attached proposal." (Post-meeting email.)

Get back to /ɡet ˈbæk tə/ – to reply to someone after researching or consulting.
"Please get back to me on the contract details by Friday." (Query response chain.)
"I'll get back to the team once finance confirms the numbers." (Approval pending thread.)

Loop in /luːp ɪn/ – to include someone.
"Looping in Sarah for design input." (Creative feedback email.)
"Can you loop in legal (=legal department) on this draft?" (Contract review email.)

Reach out to /riːtʃ aʊt tə/ – to contact or email someone, often to initiate communication.
"I'll reach out to the supplier for updated quotes." (Procurement follow-up chain.)
"Reach out to me directly if you need contract adjustments." (Client support thread.)

Look forward to /lʊk ˈfɔː.wəd tuː/ – to anticipate something positively with interest or excitement.
"I look forward to your feedback on the proposal." (Response-awaiting thread.)
"We look forward to your confirmation by Friday." (Decision-pending chain.)

3. Negotiations (3 Verbs)

Give in (on) /ɡɪv ɪn/ – to concede.
"I gave in on the delivery date." (Compromise in vendor talks.)
"Don't give in too early on terms." (Negotiation strategy tip.)

Hold out for /həʊld aʊt fɔː/ – to continue to demand / insist on.
"We're holding out for 10% more." (Price negotiation stance.)
"Hold out for the bonus clause." (Job offer discussion.)

Throw in /θrəʊ ɪn/ – to include something extra at no cost to improve the offer.
"We'll throw in a 10% volume discount to close the deal." (Strategic concession.)
"The supplier threw in free shipping for bulk orders." (Incentive discussion.)

Real Business Meeting Scenarios: Phrasal Verbs in Action

Business Scenarios from Around the World

1: Singapore Sales Review Meeting (Remote Zoom, APAC (=Asia-Pacific) sales team)

Scenario: Regional team reviews Q1 (=first quarter) 2026 sales for "EcoBrew" coffee machines in Southeast Asia; $1.2M USD target, Singapore at $400K but Indonesia lagging due to supply delays.

Priya (Regional Manager): Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining today. May I suggest we kick off by reviewing the EcoBrew Q1 figures? Have we achieved the $1.2M target, James?

James (Analyst): Good morning, Priya. We reached $1.1M overall. Singapore delivered $400K, though Indonesia achieved only $150K due to the shipment delays.

Raj (Sales Lead): Thank you for that update. I would like to bring up the possibility of reallocating $50K from advertising to logistics support.

Priya: That is an excellent point, Raj. We shall touch on this matter in detail next week once the budgets are confirmed. Could you please speak up regarding any proposed solutions?

Raj: Certainly. I recommend prioritising local warehousing in Jakarta.

Priya: Thank you for that suggestion. Please follow up with detailed proposals by the end of day Friday. Shall we wrap up the call now?

All: Yes, thank you.

2: London Website Project Kickoff Meeting (In-office, digital agency team)

Scenario: Relaunching a UK e-learning platform with new SEO tools; integration with Semrush APIs (=software) delayed testing from 1 April to 8 April due to compatibility issues.

Emma (Project Director): Good afternoon, and thank you all for attending. Let us run through the timeline for the e-learning platform's SEO upgrade. Developers, could you provide your update please?

Liam (Developer): Good afternoon, Emma. The core development is complete, but Semrush API compatibility issues have put off testing until 8 April.

Sophie (UX Designer): I understand. May we iron out the dashboard navigation details today? I propose simplifying the keyword tracker section.

Emma: That is a sensible approach; let us proceed with the streamlined version. Client team, is there anything you would like to bring up concerning the user flows?

Client Lead: Thank you. The mobile responsiveness appears solid, although we should hash out the reporting export functionality.

Emma: Duly noted; we shall prioritise that item. May we sign off on the prototypes in their current form?

All: Certainly. Follow up emails will be distributed shortly.

3: São Paulo Supplier Negotiation Recap Meeting (Conference room, agribusiness firm)

Scenario: Discussing coffee bean supply deal with Brazilian exporter for EU clients; initial R$2.5M quote for 500 tonnes annually, targeting R$2M with volume discounts.

Carlos (Operations Director): Good morning, team. Thank you for your time. Allow me to recap the coffee exporter discussions: they have quoted R$2.5M for 500 tonnes annually. What are your views?

Ana (Procurement Manager): Good morning, Carlos. That figure seems rather high. I recommend we drive a hard bargain (=be uncompromising) during the next round while maintaining our quality specifications.

Carlos: I agree entirely. Ana, could you put forward the proposal that we hold out for R$2M, including a 10% volume discount?

Ana: Precisely so. They have already thrown in faster delivery slots.

Supplier Rep: That is correct, though we have not yet given in on the base price.

Carlos: Well managed indeed. To sum up: please prepare the counter-offer for tomorrow. Shall we wrap up at this point?

All: Yes, thank you.

4: Munich-Mumbai Fittings Negotiation (Hybrid Zoom)

Scenario: Munich-based "AluFit GmbH" negotiates first bulk order of 10,000 premium brass water fittings for Mumbai high-rises. German quote: €150K for Q2 (=second quarter) 2026 delivery; Indians push for €120K with faster shipping.

Hans (German Sales Director): Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining this call. May we kick off by running through our quotation? 10,000 brass fittings at €15 per unit, totalling €150K, with delivery by 15 June.

Priya (Indian Procurement Head): Good morning, Mr. Berger. The specifications are impressive—BIS-certified and rust-proof for our high-rise developments. However, €150K appears somewhat high. Could we hash out a volume discount?

Hans: I appreciate your feedback. As a mid-sized manufacturer, we maintain high quality standards, though our margins remain limited. What is your target price?

Raj (Indian Ops Manager): We propose €12 per unit—€120K total—together with 10-day air freight to mitigate Mumbai's monsoon risks. That would throw in considerable value.

Hans: Air freight would add €10K to costs. I would like to put forward €135K on condition of your commitment to 20,000 units by year-end. Otherwise, we must hold out for the original terms.

Priya: You are certainly not ready to give in on volume. Nevertheless, let us compromise at €130K with partial air freight for the initial batch, enabling us to close a deal today.

Hans: That is a reasonable proposal. To sum up: €130K for 10,000 units, mixed shipping terms, with the contract finalised by end of day. Is this agreeable?

Raj & Priya: Yes, excellent. Please follow up with the draft agreement.

All: Thank you—Danke/Namaste.

5: Email Thread: Project Update Follow-Up

Scenario: Follow-up on delayed eco-friendly lighting fittings for a Berlin office retrofit (€25K order, due 10 March 2026; held up by customs).

Subject: Follow-Up Regarding Lighting Fittings Order #BER-456

From: Anna Müller (Project Manager, EcoFit GmbH Berlin)
To: Mr. David Lee (Sales Director, LightPro Ltd) Cc: procurement@ecofit.de
Date: 25 February 2026

Dear Mr. Lee,

I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to you to follow up on our order for 500 LED fittings (Order #BER-456, valued at €25,000). Unfortunately, customs procedures held up the delivery last week. Could you kindly provide an update on the expected arrival date of 10 March?

I would appreciate it if you could involve your logistics team and, if necessary, loop in our procurement department.

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your prompt response.

Best regards,

Anna Müller
Project Manager
EcoFit GmbH Berlin
anna.mueller@ecofit.de

Subject: Re: Follow-Up Regarding Lighting Fittings Order #BER-456

From: David Lee (Sales Director, LightPro Ltd)
To: Ms. Anna Müller Cc: procurement@ecofit.de; logistics@lightpro.co.uk*
Date: 25 February 2026, 15:30 CET

Dear Ms. Müller,

Thank you for your email. I am pleased to follow up on Order #BER-456. I am happy to confirm that customs clearance has now been completed, and the fittings were shipped yesterday via DHL Express. The new expected delivery date is 8 March 2026, ahead of the original schedule.

For your convenience, I have looped in our logistics coordinator, Sarah Jenkins (cc'd above), who will oversee tracking and provide any necessary documentation. Please reply all should you require further details or amendments. We'll get back to you shortly.

We appreciate your continued partnership and remain at your disposal.

Kind regards,

David Lee
Sales Director
LightPro Ltd, Manchester
david.lee@lightpro.co.uk

Top Learning Strategies

Focus on context and repetition over rote memorization—these build real fluency for meetings and emails.

Group by particle: Learn all "up" verbs together (wrap up, follow up, speak up)—patterns stick faster.
Use business themes: Study verbs by situation (meeting starters: kick off, bring up) instead of alphabetical lists.
Listen first: Record yourself reading scenarios or shadow native podcasts—hear stress on the verb (KICK off).
Practice separability: Write sentences both ways: "Fill out this form" vs. "Fill this form out" [previous context].
Replace formal verbs: Swap "introduce a topic" → "bring up a topic" in your meeting notes.
Use daily: Write one email using 3 phrasals (follow up, touch base, loop in)—send to colleagues [email example].
Review weekly: Re-read your scenarios aloud, track which verbs you forgot—focus there next week.

Quick Start Challenge

Pick your top 5 verbs from our list. Use each once daily for 7 days (meetings/emails). You'll notice native-like flow within a week.

For more explanation on English phrasal verbs, visit the Intermediate Phrasal Verbs or Advanced Phrasal Verbs pages

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