Workplace Communication Phrases

noun responsibility for a fault or wrong

verb to assign responsibility for a fault or wrong

• The investigation revealed that the blame for the financial loss lies with the accounting department.
• Don't blame me for the mess in the kitchen, I didn't cook dinner last night.
• She always tries to blame others for her mistakes, it's so annoying.
• In the game of politics, the blame game is often played to deflect attention from one's own shortcomings.

adjective describing a person who is lacking in thoughts or ideas, empty-headed

• She appeared blankminded during the important presentation.
• I always feel so blankminded after a long day at work.
• Don't be so blankminded, just focus and get the task done.
• His mind felt blankminded as he tried to process the shocking news.

verb to move towards the speaker or towards a specified place

adverb in a direction towards a specified place

• The witness decided to come forward with new information about the crime.
• I heard that someone is going to come forward and confess to the prank.
• If you know who did it, tell them to come forward and own up to it.
• It's time for the truth to come forward and reveal itself.

noun disagreement or conflict within a group, typically a political one

• The dissension among the board members led to a stalemate in decision-making.
• There was dissension in the group chat about where to meet for dinner.
• The dissension between them was causing major drama.
• The dissension in her mind made it hard for her to focus on anything else.

verb to enter or board a vehicle or mode of transportation

preposition used to indicate boarding or entering a vehicle or mode of transportation

• Please make sure to get on the train before it departs.
• Hey, let's hurry up and get on the bus!
• I can't wait to get on that new rollercoaster at the theme park.
• In order to succeed in life, you need to get on the right path towards your goals.

adjective excessively critical; overly judgmental

• The professor was known for being hypercritical of his students' work.
• My mom can be so hypercritical about how I dress.
• Some people are just way too hypercritical for their own good.
• Her hypercritical attitude was like a dark cloud hanging over the office.

verb to attack or criticize someone harshly or aggressively

• The manager decided to lay into the employee for repeatedly missing deadlines.
• I heard Sarah really laid into her roommate for not cleaning up after themselves.
• I can't believe how hard he laid into his friend for canceling at the last minute.
• The storm began to lay into the coastal town, causing widespread damage.

verb to tease or mock someone in a playful or good-natured way

• The students engaged in good-natured razzing during the school assembly.
• My friends are always razzing me about my fashion choices.
• Stop razzing me, dude! It's getting annoying.
• The comedian's razzing of the audience added to the overall entertainment of the show.

noun a person who lacks intelligence or common sense

adjective having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense; silly or foolish

• It is not appropriate to use the word 'stupid' in a professional setting.
• I can't believe you made such a stupid mistake.
• That movie was so stupid, I can't believe I wasted my time watching it.
• His decision to quit his job without another one lined up was just plain stupid.

noun a situation in which a number of people join together to criticize or attack someone

verb to join together with others in criticizing or attacking someone

• The team's strategy involved a coordinated pile-on of critiques against their opponent.
• Everyone started to pile-on with jokes about the embarrassing moment.
• The internet trolls decided to pile-on and attack the celebrity for their controversial statement.
• The stress of work and family responsibilities felt like a never-ending pile-on.

noun a term coined to describe a situation where a woman explains something to a man in a condescending or patronizing manner, typically about a topic the man is assumed to be more knowledgeable about

• The concept of 'womansplain' is often used to describe the act of a woman explaining something in a condescending or patronizing manner.
• She tends to womansplain things to me whenever we have a disagreement.
• I can't stand it when she womansplains everything to me like I don't already know.
• Her tendency to womansplain situations to others often leads to misunderstandings and conflicts.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adjective a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause

article a word that specifies a noun as definite or indefinite

• It is important to carefully choose the battles you fight and not make the hill you want to die on a trivial matter.
• Don't waste your energy on arguing about the hill you want to die on, it's not worth it.
• Why are you so stubborn about that issue? It's not the hill you want to die on.
• Sometimes it's better to let go of the hill you want to die on in order to focus on more important things.

noun a meeting held at the end of a project or work day to discuss what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done

• The team gathered for the wash-up meeting to discuss the project's successes and areas for improvement.
• Let's all meet for a quick wash-up meeting to go over what went well and what we can do better next time.
• We need to have a pow-wow after work for a wash-up meeting on the latest project.
• The wash-up meeting was like a debriefing session after a battle, analyzing our strategies and outcomes.

noun an abbreviation for 'be right back'

• I need to step away from my desk for a moment, brb.
• Just gotta grab a snack, brb!
• Gotta take a quick break, brb!
• I need to recharge my batteries, brb.