English Idioms about Negotiations

10 English Idioms about Negotiations (with Meanings & Example Sentences)

English Idioms about Negotiations

Hello English learners! If you often use English at work — especially in meetings, sales, or discussions — you’ll love today’s lesson. We’re going to look at 10 common English idioms used in negotiations and deal-making.

These expressions will help you sound more natural, confident, and professional when discussing prices, offers, and agreements.

Let’s dive in!

Common ground

Meaning: shared interests, aims, or opinions between two or more sides in a negotiation.

• The two companies managed to find common ground despite their initial differences.
• The talks fell through because the sides couldn’t find any common ground.

Change your mind

Meaning: to change your opinion or decision about something.

• The client refused at first, but later changed his mind.
• If you change your mind about the offer, let me know.

Drive (or strike) a hard bargain

Meaning: to negotiate very firmly and get the best possible deal.

• Mark drove a hard bargain and got an excellent price for his product.
• The union members struck a hard bargain, demanding higher wages.

Draw the line

Meaning: to set a limit on what you’re willing to accept or allow.

• I’m flexible about deadlines, but I draw the line at working on weekends.
• The manager decided to draw the line at a 10% discount.

Fall through

Meaning: when something planned fails to happen or collapses.

• The deal fell through because the supplier increased the price.
• Our plans to open a new branch fell through at the last moment.

Give and take

Meaning: a situation in which both sides are willing to compromise.

• Every successful negotiation requires some give and take.
• There’s been a lot of give and take between the two teams this week.

Put (or lay) your cards on the table

Meaning: to be completely honest about your plans, intentions, or position.

• I’ll lay my cards on the table – we can’t offer you a higher salary, but we can give you extra benefits.
• Why don’t you put your cards on the table and tell us your final offer?

Make up your mind

Meaning: to make a final decision after thinking carefully.

• After reviewing all the proposals, the CEO made up her mind.
• I still haven’t made up my mind about whether to invest.

Meet someone halfway

Meaning: to compromise; to agree on something halfway between both sides’ positions.

• If you lower the price, I’ll meet you halfway.
• They were willing to meet us halfway on delivery times.

Sit on the fence

Meaning: to remain neutral and avoid taking sides in a discussion or negotiation.

• It’s time to make a decision — you can’t sit on the fence forever.
• The board decided to sit on the fence until more data was available.

Learning business idioms like these will help you sound more fluent and professional in workplace English. Use them in meetings, negotiations, or interviews — and your confidence will skyrocket!

If you really want to learn English but don’t know how to do it and where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us. Book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers and take a test and consultation! Tap the banner to learn more!