30 Essential Business Idioms (With Examples)

Understanding and using idioms in business communication can make you sound more fluent and relatable. Here are 30 common business idioms, their meanings, and examples of how to use them effectively.

1. It Cost Me an Arm and a Leg

Meaning: Something is very expensive.
Example: “That new marketing software cost me an arm and a leg, but it’s worth every penny.”

2. Over the Moon

Meaning: Extremely happy or delighted.
Example: “Our team was over the moon after landing that big client.”

3. Jumping the Gun

Meaning: Doing something too soon, often without preparation.
Example: “We shouldn’t start the campaign before the product is ready—we don’t want to be jumping the gun.”

4. A Chip on His Shoulder

Meaning: Holding a grudge or feeling defensive about something.
Example: “He has a chip on his shoulder about being overlooked for the promotion last year.”

5. A Piece of Cake

Meaning: Something very easy to do.
Example: “Setting up the new CRM system was a piece of cake.”

6. A Drop in the Ocean

Meaning: A very small or insignificant amount compared to what’s needed.
Example: “The budget increase is just a drop in the ocean compared to what we actually need.”

7. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Meaning: What you do is more important than what you say.
Example: “Instead of promising better customer service, let’s prove it—actions speak louder than words.”

8. Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Meaning: Risking everything on a single venture.
Example: “We shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket by depending on a single supplier.”

9. Found My Feet

Meaning: Become comfortable or confident in a new situation.
Example: “It took a few weeks, but I’ve finally found my feet in the new role.”

10. Got Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed This Morning

Meaning: Being in a bad mood.
Example: “Don’t mind him; he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

11. Hit the Ground Running

Meaning: Start something and be immediately successful.
Example: “We need someone who can hit the ground running in this fast-paced environment.”

12. Keep an Eye On Him

Meaning: Watch someone or something carefully.
Example: “Keep an eye on the competitor’s pricing strategy this quarter.”

13. Over the Top

Meaning: Excessive or exaggerated.
Example: “His reaction to the minor mistake was completely over the top.”

14. Sitting on the Fence

Meaning: Being undecided or neutral.
Example: “She’s still sitting on the fence about whether to accept the offer.”

15. A Long Shot

Meaning: Something unlikely to succeed but worth trying.
Example: “Securing that investor is a long shot, but we have to try.”

16. To Corner the Market

Meaning: Dominate a specific market.
Example: “With their innovative product, they’ve managed to corner the market on sustainable packaging.”

17. Hands Are Tied

Meaning: Unable to act due to restrictions.
Example: “I’d love to help, but my hands are tied due to company policy.”

18. Touch Base

Meaning: To briefly check in with someone.
Example: “Let’s touch base next week to discuss the project updates.”

19. The Bottom Line

Meaning: The most important aspect.
Example: “The bottom line is that we need to increase sales by 20% this quarter.”

20. To Cut Corners

Meaning: To do something in a cheap or easy way, often compromising quality.
Example: “We can’t afford to cut corners on this safety inspection.”

21. Bring to the Table

Meaning: To offer or contribute something valuable.
Example: “What skills can you bring to the table for this project?”

22. By the Book

Meaning: To follow rules or procedures exactly.
Example: “The auditor expects us to do everything by the book.”

23. To Get Down to Business

Meaning: To focus on the main task or subject.
Example: “After the introductions, we quickly got down to business.”

24. From the Ground Up

Meaning: To start something from the beginning.
Example: “We built this company from the ground up with just a small team and big ideas.”

25. The Elephant in the Room

Meaning: An obvious problem that everyone avoids discussing.
Example: “We need to address the elephant in the room—the drop in customer retention.”

26. A Learning Curve

Meaning: The time it takes to learn something new.
Example: “There’s a steep learning curve with this new software, but we’ll adapt quickly.”

27. To Think Outside the Box

Meaning: To think creatively or unconventionally.
Example: “We need to think outside the box to solve this supply chain issue.”

28. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Meaning: Faced with two difficult choices.
Example: “We’re between a rock and a hard place—raise prices or cut staff.”

29. It’s Not Rocket Science

Meaning: Something is not very complicated.
Example: “Creating a basic budget is not rocket science—it just takes discipline.”

30. Burning the Midnight Oil

Meaning: Working late into the night.
Example: “We’ve been burning the midnight oil to meet the deadline for this campaign.”

Using these idioms can make your business communication more engaging and relatable. Whether you’re writing emails, delivering presentations, or participating in meetings, try incorporating a few of these idioms to add flair to your language!