In the USA, talking about deals and business is part of everyday life. Whether you’re buying a car, running a company, or just agreeing on chores at home, knowing how to speak clearly and smartly can help. That’s where idioms come in. Idioms are short phrases that mean something different from the exact words. People use them to sound natural and make their point easier to understand. In this article, we will learn idioms people in the USA often use when talking about negotiations.
Some idioms help when two sides want to agree on something. Others are used when making a good deal or settling a bargain. These idioms are common in offices, shops, and even at school when kids are trying to trade snacks or take turns. Learning them can help you sound more confident and know what others mean in business talks or deals. Let’s explore them together.
Idioms About Negotiations
1. Strike a deal
Meaning: To agree on a business or trade arrangement
Example Sentence:
• They struck a deal to sell lemonade outside the game.
• The two companies struck a deal after months of talking.
Other ways to say: Make a deal, reach an agreement
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from old trade days when people shook hands to “strike” a bargain.
Usage: Used in business or trade when two sides agree on terms
2. Meet halfway
Meaning: To agree by giving up part of what you want
Example Sentence:
• Mom wanted broccoli, but we met halfway with green beans.
• The teams met halfway and shared the field.
Other ways to say: Compromise, give and take
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is based on the idea of two people walking from each side to meet in the middle.
Usage: Used when two people or groups agree by each changing a little
3. Drive a hard bargain
Meaning: To be tough in making a deal
Example Sentence:
• He drove a hard bargain and got more money for his bike.
• The seller drove a hard bargain and didn’t lower the price.
Other ways to say: Be firm, hold your ground
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from trade talk where people pushed for the best deal possible.
Usage: Used when someone pushes for better terms in a deal
4. Seal the deal
Meaning: To finish and agree on a deal
Example Sentence:
• A high-five sealed the deal after their trade.
• The company sealed the deal with a handshake.
Other ways to say: Finalize the deal, make it official
Fun Fact/Origin: The word “seal” was used when people pressed wax to close and sign letters.
Usage: Used when the agreement is done and complete
5. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: To start over after a plan fails
Example Sentence:
• The toy idea didn’t work, so we went back to the drawing board.
• Their first offer was rejected, so it’s back to the drawing board.
Other ways to say: Start again, rethink the plan
Fun Fact/Origin: It comes from when designers had to erase and redraw plans.
Usage: Used when a plan or offer is not accepted and needs to be changed
6. In black and white
Meaning: Written clearly in a document
Example Sentence:
• We put the rules in black and white so everyone knows.
• The deal was in black and white—signed and printed.
Other ways to say: Written clearly, on paper
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ink on paper being easy to see—black words on white paper.
Usage: Used when something is officially written and agreed on
7. On the same page
Meaning: To agree or understand each other
Example Sentence:
• Before the show, we made sure we were on the same page.
• The team was on the same page about the project.
Other ways to say: Agree, understand each other
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from reading books, where being on the same page means seeing the same thing.
Usage: Used when people agree or share the same idea
8. Cut a deal
Meaning: To make an agreement quickly
Example Sentence:
• He cut a deal to trade snacks at lunch.
• The business cut a deal to lower prices for the event.
Other ways to say: Make a deal, arrange something
Fun Fact/Origin: “Cut” means to make something happen fast, like cutting through lines.
Usage: Used when someone makes a fast or clever agreement
9. Hammer out
Meaning: To work hard to make an agreement
Example Sentence:
• We hammered out the rules for the board game.
• They hammered out a contract after long talks.
Other ways to say: Work through, fix
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from blacksmiths using hammers to shape metal, like shaping a deal.
Usage: Used when people work hard to solve differences
10. Up in the air
Meaning: Not yet decided
Example Sentence:
• The trip is still up in the air—we’re not sure.
• Their final price is up in the air until next week.
Other ways to say: Unclear, not decided
Fun Fact/Origin: Think of a balloon floating—no one knows where it will land.
Usage: Used when something hasn’t been agreed on yet
11. Lay your cards on the table
Meaning: To be honest and share your plan or opinion
Example Sentence:
• He laid his cards on the table and said he didn’t like the plan.
• At the meeting, she laid her cards on the table about the budget.
Other ways to say: Be honest, share your thoughts
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from card games where players show their hand
Usage: Used when someone shares all their ideas or plans in a discussion
12. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control or make the decisions
Example Sentence:
• Dad called the shots on what time bedtime would be.
• The coach called the shots during the game.
Other ways to say: Be in charge, make the rules
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the military where someone gave orders to shoot
Usage: Used when someone has the power to make choices
13. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to decide
Example Sentence:
• I sent the offer, so the ball is in your court now.
• She asked him to pick the movie, and the ball was in his court.
Other ways to say: It’s your choice, your move
Fun Fact/Origin: From tennis, where the player must act when the ball comes to them
Usage: Used when someone else needs to take the next step
14. Make a long story short
Meaning: To say the main point quickly
Example Sentence:
• To make a long story short, we agreed on the price.
• He had a lot to say, but made a long story short and got to the point.
Other ways to say: Summarize, give the short version
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used to skip extra details and save time
Usage: Used when explaining how something happened in a few words
15. Play hardball
Meaning: To act tough and firm in a deal
Example Sentence:
• She played hardball and didn’t take less than $10.
• The team played hardball during the salary talks.
Other ways to say: Be strict, don’t give in
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from baseball, where “hardball” is the tough version of the game
Usage: Used when someone won’t back down in talks
16. Give and take
Meaning: To make a deal by each side giving up something
Example Sentence:
• There’s always give and take in trading toys.
• Good deals need give and take from both sides.
Other ways to say: Compromise, trade off
Fun Fact/Origin: This idea is used in all kinds of agreements—from chores to shopping
Usage: Used when both sides agree by sharing and adjusting
17. Shake on it
Meaning: To show agreement with a handshake
Example Sentence:
• We shook on it after swapping lunches.
• They made a promise and shook on it.
Other ways to say: Seal the deal, agree with a handshake
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from when people used handshakes to make deals before writing things down
Usage: Used to show that two people agree
18. Touch base
Meaning: To check in or talk briefly
Example Sentence:
• Let’s touch base tomorrow about the party.
• He touched base with his boss before making the call.
Other ways to say: Check in, talk quickly
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from baseball, where players must touch bases
Usage: Used when people have a short talk to update or plan
19. Come to terms
Meaning: To agree after some discussion
Example Sentence:
• They came to terms and signed the contract.
• After arguing, we came to terms and shared the toy.
Other ways to say: Agree, settle
Fun Fact/Origin: “Terms” refers to the parts of a deal, like price or rules
Usage: Used when people finally agree
20. Get down to business
Meaning: To start serious work or talk
Example Sentence:
• After lunch, they got down to business and made a plan.
• Let’s stop joking and get down to business.
Other ways to say: Start the real work, focus
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is often used in meetings
Usage: Used when people are ready to begin work or talks
21. Bargain basement
Meaning: Very low price or cheap deal
Example Sentence:
• We found those shoes in the bargain basement.
• That was a bargain basement price for a new bike.
Other ways to say: Cheap deal, rock-bottom price
Fun Fact/Origin: Stores used to have basements for the lowest-priced items
Usage: Used to talk about items or deals that cost very little
22. Come to the table
Meaning: To join talks or start negotiating
Example Sentence:
• They came to the table to talk about the trade.
• The boss asked everyone to come to the table and share ideas.
Other ways to say: Start talking, enter the discussion
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from meeting at a table to talk over deals
Usage: Used when people start talks or make offers
23. Split the difference
Meaning: To agree by choosing the middle price or idea
Example Sentence:
• I said $10, she said $6, so we split the difference at $8.
• They split the difference to finish the deal quickly.
Other ways to say: Meet halfway, agree in the middle
Fun Fact/Origin: This is a common way to settle price talks
Usage: Used to make a fair deal when prices or opinions differ
24. At odds
Meaning: Not agreeing or having different ideas
Example Sentence:
• The brothers were at odds about which game to play.
• They were at odds over who should lead the team.
Other ways to say: Disagree, not on the same page
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of odds meaning uneven or not matching
Usage: Used when people or sides don’t agree
25. Make ends meet
Meaning: To have just enough money to live
Example Sentence:
• We try to make ends meet each month with our savings.
• Even with a small job, he makes ends meet.
Other ways to say: Cover costs, get by
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of two ends of a budget coming together
Usage: Used when talking about managing money or tight budgets
26. Wheel and deal
Meaning: To be active in making deals
Example Sentence:
• He loves to wheel and deal at flea markets.
• The mayor was known for wheeling and dealing with other cities.
Other ways to say: Make deals, negotiate often
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from early car or wagon trade markets
Usage: Used when someone makes lots of trades or bargains
27. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up or stop trying
Example Sentence:
• We threw in the towel after trying to fix the old TV.
• She threw in the towel and let her brother win.
Other ways to say: Quit, give up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from boxing, where trainers throw in a towel to stop the fight
Usage: Used when someone stops trying to win or agree
28. Sign on the dotted line
Meaning: To agree to something officially
Example Sentence:
• He signed on the dotted line and bought the house.
• We signed on the dotted line after reading the rules.
Other ways to say: Make it official, agree by signing
Fun Fact/Origin: Most forms and contracts have a dotted line for your signature
Usage: Used when someone agrees to terms by signing
29. Make a pitch
Meaning: To try to sell an idea or deal
Example Sentence:
• She made a pitch to get her lemonade stand funded.
• He made a pitch to his teacher for extra credit.
Other ways to say: Propose, present an idea
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from baseball, where you “pitch” or throw something
Usage: Used when someone presents a plan or tries to convince others
30. Sweeten the deal
Meaning: To add something extra to make a deal better
Example Sentence:
• He sweetened the deal by adding free delivery.
• She sweetened the deal with an extra toy in the trade.
Other ways to say: Add bonus, make better
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from adding sweetness (like sugar) to make things nicer
Usage: Used when someone adds more value to a deal
31. Put your money where your mouth is
Meaning: To support your words with action or payment
Example Sentence:
• If you say you love books, buy one—put your money where your mouth is.
• He promised to help, then put his money where his mouth was.
Other ways to say: Prove it, show you mean it
Fun Fact/Origin: This saying means to back up talk with real effort
Usage: Used when asking someone to prove they’re serious
32. In the loop
Meaning: To be informed or updated
Example Sentence:
• Please keep me in the loop about the sale.
• She stayed in the loop on the team project.
Other ways to say: Be updated, know what’s going on
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from telephone or meeting “loops” where everyone shares info
Usage: Used when someone wants to stay informed
33. Bend over backwards
Meaning: To try really hard to help or make a deal
Example Sentence:
• He bent over backwards to fix the toy before dinner.
• The manager bent over backwards to meet the customer’s needs.
Other ways to say: Go the extra mile, work hard to help
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the image of someone stretching far to please others
Usage: Used when someone makes a big effort
34. Break the ice
Meaning: To begin a conversation or deal in a friendly way
Example Sentence:
• He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
• We broke the ice by sharing snacks.
Other ways to say: Start talking, ease into a talk
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ships breaking ice to make a path
Usage: Used when starting talks or a meeting
35. Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: To risk everything on one plan
Example Sentence:
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket—have a backup.
• She put all her eggs in one basket by picking only one college.
Other ways to say: Rely on one plan, take a big risk
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from farming—if you drop the basket, you lose all the eggs
Usage: Used when warning against taking one single risk
36. Make a trade-off
Meaning: To give up one thing to get another
Example Sentence:
• I gave up dessert for extra screen time—a trade-off.
• There was a trade-off between speed and safety.
Other ways to say: Exchange, swap
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in business when you gain one thing and lose another
Usage: Used when choosing between two things
37. Go back and forth
Meaning: To keep changing between choices or sides
Example Sentence:
• They went back and forth on the lunch plan.
• The two teams went back and forth before agreeing.
Other ways to say: Change minds, switch opinions
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a swing moving both ways—used in talks too
Usage: Used when people can’t decide
38. Get the short end of the stick
Meaning: To get the bad side of a deal
Example Sentence:
• He got the short end of the stick when the toy broke.
• I got the short end of the stick and had to clean everything.
Other ways to say: Get treated unfairly, bad deal
Fun Fact/Origin: From older times, where sticks were used to draw lots
Usage: Used when someone gets the worse part
39. Hold all the cards
Meaning: To have the power in a deal
Example Sentence:
• The boss held all the cards during the meeting.
• She held all the cards when picking the project leader.
Other ways to say: Be in control, have the upper hand
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from card games—if you have good cards, you control the game
Usage: Used when one person has more control or options
40. Lowball offer
Meaning: An offer that is much too low
Example Sentence:
• He made a lowball offer for the bike.
• She didn’t accept the lowball offer for her old phone.
Other ways to say: Underbid, cheap offer
Fun Fact/Origin: “Lowball” is used in sports and sales for unfair low offers
Usage: Used when someone offers too little in a deal
41. Hold out for
Meaning: To wait for a better deal
Example Sentence:
• He held out for a higher allowance.
• They held out for a better trade in the card game.
Other ways to say: Wait for more, not settle
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of holding something out of reach
Usage: Used when someone waits for a better offer
42. Table the discussion
Meaning: To delay or pause the talk
Example Sentence:
• We tabled the discussion until Monday.
• They tabled it because no one agreed.
Other ways to say: Pause, postpone
Fun Fact/Origin: In the USA, “table” means to stop for now
Usage: Used in meetings or talks when talks are paused
43. Get a foot in the door
Meaning: To start something that may grow later
Example Sentence:
• That small job helped him get a foot in the door.
• She got a foot in the door with her summer internship.
Other ways to say: Start small, begin
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from salesmen who’d keep a foot in the door to avoid it closing
Usage: Used when someone gets a first chance
44. The bottom line
Meaning: The most important thing
Example Sentence:
• The bottom line is we need to agree.
• The bottom line was saving money.
Other ways to say: Main point, key part
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from accounting—the final number is at the bottom of the page
Usage: Used when summing up the most important part
45. Play it by ear
Meaning: To decide as things happen
Example Sentence:
• We don’t have a plan—let’s play it by ear.
• He played it by ear during the lunch trade.
Other ways to say: Go with the flow, decide later
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from music, where playing by ear means without reading notes
Usage: Used when you don’t plan everything ahead
Quiz: Idioms About Negotiations
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. These questions are about idioms people use during business talks, bargains, or making agreements. Think about how these are used in everyday American life.
Question Key
1. What does “strike a deal” mean?
A) Hit something with a stick
B) End an argument with no agreement
C) Make an agreement with someone
2. If someone says “let’s split the difference,” what do they want to do?
A) Find a middle price or choice
B) Choose the higher price
C) Walk away from the deal
3. What does “drive a hard bargain” mean?
A) Refuse to make any deal
B) Be tough when agreeing on a price
C) Let the other person win easily
4. What does it mean when something is “up in the air”?
A) It’s decided
B) It’s not decided yet
C) It’s very low
5. If someone “lays their cards on the table,” what are they doing?
A) Keeping secrets
B) Playing a card game
C) Being honest and sharing their ideas
6. What does “call the shots” mean?
A) Play a game
B) Make decisions
C) Take a photo
7. What does “the ball is in your court” mean?
A) You’re playing tennis
B) You must make the next move
C) You lost the game
8. What does “seal the deal” mean?
A) Cancel the deal
B) Sign and finish the deal
C) Forget about the deal
9. If someone “plays hardball,” what are they doing?
A) Being gentle in talks
B) Letting others decide
C) Being firm and tough in a deal
10. What does “sweeten the deal” mean?
A) Add something extra to make it better
B) Make the deal worse
C) Stop talking about the deal
11. What does “make a pitch” mean?
A) Throw a ball
B) Try to sell or suggest an idea
C) Watch a game
12. What does it mean to “sign on the dotted line”?
A) Write a story
B) Make a list
C) Agree by signing a contract
13. If someone “throws in the towel,” what are they doing?
A) Starting a project
B) Giving up
C) Cleaning something
14. What does “put your money where your mouth is” mean?
A) Talk without doing anything
B) Prove what you say by taking action
C) Stay quiet
15. What does “play it by ear” mean?
A) Use your ears to play music
B) Plan everything carefully
C) Decide what to do as things happen
Answer Key
- C – Make an agreement with someone
- A – Find a middle price or choice
- B – Be tough when agreeing on a price
- B – It’s not decided yet
- C – Being honest and sharing their ideas
- B – Make decisions
- B – You must make the next move
- B – Sign and finish the deal
- C – Being firm and tough in a deal
- A – Add something extra to make it better
- B – Try to sell or suggest an idea
- C – Agree by signing a contract
- B – Giving up
- B – Prove what you say by taking action
- C – Decide what to do as things happen
Wrapping Up
Knowing idioms about negotiations can help you talk more clearly in school, at work, or even at the store. These phrases are often used in the USA to make business talks and deals easier to understand. Whether you’re making a trade with a friend or talking money with your parents, these idioms can make your ideas sound smarter. The next time you’re trying to settle something, try one of these out and see what happens.
