Idioms Exercises: Idioms Related to Negotiations and Disagreements

Fill in the blanks to form an idiom related to negotiations and disagreements. The idioms used in this exercise are listed after the practice activity. It may be a good idea to study the list of idioms before trying the exercise.

Also see the Idioms Builder for practice with hundreds of idioms (including the idioms in this exercise).

Idioms Related to Negotiations and Disagreements

bend over backwards
To bend over backwards means to do everything possible to achieve something.
call the shots
To call the shots means to be in charge and be the one who makes the decisions.
change one’s mind
To change one’s mind means to change one’s decision.
common ground
Common ground refers to mutual understanding between two parties.
fly off the handle
To fly off the handle means to lose one’s temper very suddenly.
get down to business
To get down to business means to stop making small talk and talk about the topic at hand.
have a bone to pick with someone
If someone has a bone to pick with someone, it means that they need to talk to someone about something the person has done wrong.
hit below the belt
To hit below the belt means to say something to unfairly hurt someone.
hold/bite one’s tongue
to hold/bite one’s tongue means to remain silent.
lay one’s cards on the table
To lay one’s cards on the table means to be honest about one’s motivations, intentions, etc.
meet someone halfway
To meet someone halfway means to make a compromise with someone.
not have a leg to stand on
If someone doesn’t have a leg to stand on, they don’t have a valid argument.
on the fence
Someone on the fence about something is unable to decide.
out of the question
If something is out of the question, it is not worthy of consideration because of difficulty or an unwillingness to do it.
play hardball
To play hardball means to be ruthless and aggressive.
play one’s cards right
To play one’s cards right means to make the right moves to get what is desired.
put one’s foot down
To put one’s foot down means to take a firm stand.
put words in someone’s mouth
To put words in someone’s mouth means to incorrectly say what someone means.
second guess
To second guess someone means to question or criticize something that has already been done.
see eye to eye
If people see eye to eye, they are in agreement about an issue.
short end of the stick
Someone who gets the short end of the stick has been treated unfairly and has gotten the worse part of an agreement, deal, assignment, etc.
sleep on it
If someone sleeps on it, they wait until the next day to make a decision.
stand one’s ground
To stand one’s ground means to maintain one’s position and not give in.
stick to one’s guns
To stick to one’s guns means to remain firm and not change one’s mind or decision.
talk someone into something
To talk someone into something means to convince someone to do something.
talk someone out of something
To talk someone out of something means to convince someone not to do something.
the ball is in one’s court
If the ball is in someone’s court, it means it is their turn to decide or act.
until someone is blue in the face
Until someone is blue in the face communicates that someone can say something over and over again but won’t change the other person’s mind.
upper hand
The person with the upper hand has a position of control or advantage over someone else.
water under the bridge
Water under the bridge refers to problems or disagreements in the past that are no longer relevant now.

Also see the Idioms Builder for practice with hundreds of idioms (including the idioms in this exercise).