Idiom Sentences Full List

Phase 1: Opening & Setting the Tone

These sentences involve starting the discussion, setting prices, or establishing a stance.

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Starting Up

• We should get the ball rolling and begin the meeting at once.
• "Let's get down to brass tacks and begin talking about the new contract."
• I will start the ball rolling by making some telephone calls to my coworkers.
• We must get down to business and finish our work quickly.

Initial Offers

• The salesman came in high during the negotiations and could not sell his product.
• The company came in low with an offer for our product.
• I will make an offer and try to buy the house that I like.
• The buyer made a rock-bottom offer to buy our product.

Establishing Stance

• Our boss laid his cards on the table during the meeting.
• We put our cards on the table and tried to solve the problem.
• The other negotiating team was very aggressive but we stood our ground and bargained hard.
• The negotiators were hard-nosed during the talks for a new contract.

Phase 2: Strategy, Tactics & Power Plays

How the parties behave, use their advantages, or try to outmaneuver each other.

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Aggression & Power

• The union played hardball during the contract talks.
• The government decided to face down the striking transportation workers.
• The management group was holding all the aces during the meeting with the union.
• During the meeting the vice-president was calling the shots.
• We decided to force our opponent's hand because we wanted to finish the negotiations quickly.
• The sales manager drives a hard bargain and it is difficult to negotiate with him.
• The small country raised the ante in the trade dispute with the other countries.
• The union upped the ante in their dispute with the company.

Secrecy & Deception

• My colleague was playing his cards close to his chest when he began to talk to our competitor.
• I thought that the negotiations would not succeed but my boss had a card up his sleeve that we did not know about.
• The purchasing manager threw us a curve when he said that he would not need any of our products until next year.
• The manager stacked the deck against his opponent when he went into the meeting.
• The salesman likes to wheel and deal with his customers.
• The salesman did not say that no products were available but we could read between the lines and we knew that there were none available.
• Our boss had a poker face when he told us that our office would soon close.

Hidden Intentions & Indirectness

• I told my boss off the record that I would probably not return after the summer holiday.
• The manager was beating around the bush and never said anything important.
• I could not understand what the other negotiators in the meeting were driving at.

Final Resources

• I played my ace when I asked my boss for more money.
• Although we appeared weak during the negotiations we had some new information to use as our trump card.
• After going for broke at the meeting we were able to reach an agreement.

Phase 3: The Middle Game (Discussion & Compromise)

Finding common ground, making concessions, and handling the "give and take."

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Support & Unity

• Although we did not agree with the manager we got behind his proposal at the meeting.
• During the meeting we closed ranks and refused to compromise on any issue.

Compromise & Concessions

• The price for the truck was too high but we met the salesman halfway and made an agreement to buy it.
• We know that we must give a little if we want to complete the negotiations.
• After much give and take we reached an agreement regarding the property transfer.
• The union made a big concession in their negotiations with their company.
• We shared the profits with the other company fifty-fifty.
• The company tried very hard to reach a compromise with the workers.
• After eight weeks of negotiations we gave in and agreed to sell the machinery at a discount.

Proposals & Adjustments

• My boss was happy when I came up with some good ideas during the meeting.
• We sweetened the deal during the negotiations in order to win the new contract.
• We decided to come down in price and try and sell our products quickly.
• The department store has knocked down the price of many of their products.
• The manager tried to water down our proposal for the new quality control system.
• We came back with a new offer and the negotiations continued smoothly.
• We were able to bring a new offer to the table during the negotiations.

Progress

• After several hours of horse-trading we reached an agreement to buy the new computers.
• We are bargaining hard and making headway with the new agreement.
• We were able to break through in our efforts to find a solution to the problem.
• There was a breakthrough in the talks to end the teacher's strike.

Phase 4: Conflict, Resistance & Obstacles

When things go wrong, slow down, or people refuse to budge.

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Stalling & Resistance

• The negotiations bogged down over the issue of part-time workers.
• The talks between the company and the lawyers dragged on for several weeks.
• The government dragged their heels in talks with the union about the new contract.
• We bargained hard but the other sales representative refused to give ground.
• We stuck to our guns during the meeting and asked for more time to consider the proposal.
• The union is holding out for a better deal and they do not plan to end their strike.
• The new manager has been holding out on the company and he will not tell anyone his plans.

Points of Disagreement

• The size of the project was a bone of contention between the city and the developer.
• The salary issue was a stumbling block in the negotiations between the company and the union.
• The union was flexible on the salary issue but they drew the line at talking about health benefits.
• There was no common ground between the two sides and the negotiations did not go well.

Deadlocks & Bad Situations

• The talks to buy the new computers have reached a stalemate and it will be difficult to start them again.
• The negotiations on where to build the new bridge have reached an impasse.
• The negotiations became easier when the other side painted themselves into a corner.
• The outcome of the election was hanging in the balance after the top candidates had an equal number of votes.
• I got the raw end of the deal when I received my new work schedule.
• The sales manager received a raw deal when he was forced to give up his former position.
• The bad weather was a setback in our efforts to get the material delivered on time.

Failing & Quitting

• The government decided to break off talks about extending the trade agreement.
• The meeting was a failure and we were forced to go back to square one.
• We are working hard so that we do not blow the deal with our new customer.
• The property developer backed out of the plan to build the new apartment building.
• The company was forced to cave in to the demands of the workers for more money.
• The other negotiating team turned thumbs down on our wish to postpone the meeting until tomorrow.
• The deal for the new machinery fell through and we will have to look for another supplier.
• The company directors went back on their word to give the employees a salary increase.
• The negotiations broke down last night when both sides refused to compromise.
• The sales manager's proposal went over like a lead balloon at the meeting.
• We called off the meeting because everybody was busy.

Phase 5: Closing & Reaching Agreement

Finishing the talk, signing the papers, and finalizing details.

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The Final Stretch

• The negotiations went down to the wire last night.
• They went down to the wire but the two sides finally agreed to a new contract.
• The negotiations continued down to the wire but they ended successfully.
• We were able to send the documents to the lawyer under the wire.
• We spent several hours ironing out the final details of the contract.

Finalizing the Deal

• We must try and nail down the terms of the agreement at the meeting tomorrow.
• We nailed down an agreement to build the staff room as quickly as possible.
• After negotiating all night the government and the company came to terms on an arrangement for the new water system.
• The government worked hard to bring the two sides to terms.
• The company inked a deal to buy the new product.
• The company reached a deal with their supplier.
• The supplier and the buyer reached an agreement about the new product.
• We had to work hard but we were finally able to close the deal.
• The contract for the new insurance policy is in the bag.
• The lawyers drew up a contract for the new housing development on the government land.
• The negotiations lasted all night but finally we were able to hammer out an agreement.
• I made a gentlemen's agreement with the carpenter to build some new furniture.
• The union representative followed the contract agreement to the letter.

Wrapping Up

• We wrapped up the meeting and went home for the weekend.
• We would like to wind up the meeting early tomorrow.

Phase 6: Miscellaneous Discussion Points

Sentences that describe the conversation itself or specific reactions.

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Discussion & Communication

• Nothing related to the issue of quality came up in the discussion.
• Our boss said that wages would improve soon but he never followed through with his promise.
• I tried to bring up the subject of sales commissions during the meeting.
• We spent the morning trying to get to the heart of the problem with the computer supplier.
• It will be difficult to get to the bottom of the financial problems in the company.
• I do not think that the opposite side got the message about where the negotiations are heading.
• We were unable to talk the other members of our team into delaying the meeting until next week.
• We were unable to bring off a deal to buy the new computer system for our company.
• We tried to smooth over the problems between the two managers.
• We were unable to reach first base in the discussions.
• We have not been able to get to first base regarding the terms of the new contract.
• My idea about employee evaluations went over well with the new manager.
• I accepted the offer to buy my car.
• We cut a deal and left the meeting in a positive mood.
• My friend cut me off when I was speaking.
• The questions were endless and we were unable to cover much ground during the meeting.
• The man considered the offer to buy his car.
• I tried to talk our sales manager out of offering a price for the product that was too low.
• The new discount store is trying hard to undercut other stores in the area.
• We asked for some time during the meeting to talk over the new proposal.
• I did not take sides in the discussion about buying a new computer.
• The contract seemed impossible to win but we pulled it off through our skillful negotiating.
• The problem was difficult but somehow we were able to pull a solution out of a hat.
• Our manager played into the hands of the other side when he became angry during the meeting.